This was all I hoped for, especially considering the less than ideal cellaring conditions it has seen in the last 25 years.
The nose exhibits beautiful sandalwood, vanilla and a hint of coconut imparted by the American oak as well as light cherry and blueberry notes.
The balance exhibited on the palate, is quite amazing, with medium yet silky tannins, nice acidity, and mild tart cherry with loads of dark fruit, like plums, blue and blackberries with none being predominate and all adding to the luscious mouth feel.
I had saved this wine for a truly special occasion and hoped to share it with some great and knowledgeable wine friends but based on a recent review of a younger Grange from one such friend, and the less than ideal cellaring of my bottle, I was concerned it may not have even made it this far, but alas, I was super excited by how well it showed. It was certainly an aged beauty, but I honestly feel like it could easily have made it another 3-5yrs while continuing to improve. Perhaps even 10 yrs without losing the fruit.
In the end, I’m glad I drank it and I would call it a huge highlight of the whacky year of 2020 for me personally.
Based on this experience I’m going to hold on to my 1992 Grange for another 5 years at least.
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This is still a great wine. Dark & rich. I am writing this note after the wine having been open for three days. I opened it two nights ago and it was tasting great with a nose of violets and black berries with a medium viscosity and medium tannins. The fruit was cherries and black berries and it was really tasty. Now on night three the wine exhibits a nose of prune and leather and on the palate the wine has a rich silky viscosity and displays cassis, raisin, a mineral quality that is intriguing and unexpected. ON the whole this wine has aged really well and could still go a couple more years easily.
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A beautiful bottle of wine that has aged very well. At 14 years old the classic style of this Amarone is just starting to really develop. I have to believe that this wine will continue to age well for another 6-8 years. The tannins, while silky are still prevalent and the acidity is still solid. The wine is a little hot, but that’s not surprising at 15% alc. The nose has sweet vanilla and spicy notes with a mild tobacco undertone. On the palate the the wine has a rich silky mouth feel with a hint of tobacco up front and ripe black cherry and plum throughout. A beautiful example of classic well aged Amarone.
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1990 Penfolds Grange
12/25/2020 - TAO66 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was all I hoped for, especially considering the less than ideal cellaring conditions it has seen in the last 25 years.
The nose exhibits beautiful sandalwood, vanilla and a hint of coconut imparted by the American oak as well as light cherry and blueberry notes.
The balance exhibited on the palate, is quite amazing, with medium yet silky tannins, nice acidity, and mild tart cherry with loads of dark fruit, like plums, blue and blackberries with none being predominate and all adding to the luscious mouth feel.
I had saved this wine for a truly special occasion and hoped to share it with some great and knowledgeable wine friends but based on a recent review of a younger Grange from one such friend, and the less than ideal cellaring of my bottle, I was concerned it may not have even made it this far, but alas, I was super excited by how well it showed. It was certainly an aged beauty, but I honestly feel like it could easily have made it another 3-5yrs while continuing to improve. Perhaps even 10 yrs without losing the fruit.
In the end, I’m glad I drank it and I would call it a huge highlight of the whacky year of 2020 for me personally.
Based on this experience I’m going to hold on to my 1992 Grange for another 5 years at least.
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2000 Château Certan de May
5/11/2014 - TAO66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is still a great wine. Dark & rich. I am writing this note after the wine having been open for three days. I opened it two nights ago and it was tasting great with a nose of violets and black berries with a medium viscosity and medium tannins. The fruit was cherries and black berries and it was really tasty. Now on night three the wine exhibits a nose of prune and leather and on the palate the wine has a rich silky viscosity and displays cassis, raisin, a mineral quality that is intriguing and unexpected. ON the whole this wine has aged really well and could still go a couple more years easily.
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2000 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
4/7/2014 - TAO66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful bottle of wine that has aged very well. At 14 years old the classic style of this Amarone is just starting to really develop. I have to believe that this wine will continue to age well for another 6-8 years. The tannins, while silky are still prevalent and the acidity is still solid. The wine is a little hot, but that’s not surprising at 15% alc. The nose has sweet vanilla and spicy notes with a mild tobacco undertone. On the palate the the wine has a rich silky mouth feel with a hint of tobacco up front and ripe black cherry and plum throughout. A beautiful example of classic well aged Amarone.
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