The Auswine Forum

Mate brought a bottle of Penfold's Grandfather port around for a dinner party last week. Last time I drank this was a decade or more ago but I have always had more favourable memories of this port than were elicited on this occasion.
We all agreed that this was a lighter more spirity Grandfather that lacked the richness and depth I thought I remembered.
What do others think of the current vintage?

underwraps50 wrote:Mate brought a bottle of Penfold's Grandfather port around for a dinner party last week. Last time I drank this was a decade or more ago but I have always had more favourable memories of this port than were elicited on this occasion.
We all agreed that this was a lighter more spirity Grandfather that lacked the richness and depth I thought I remembered.
What do others think of the current vintage?

Since around 1994 all the best barrels of Grandfather now go into Great Grandfather.... SA Brewing (later Southcorp) at the time decided they could make more money out of their Grandfather stocks.

For value drinking tawny I do like the Bluestone.

odyssey wrote:For value drinking tawny I do like the Bluestone.

Me too - spirity, but in a good way

Cheers

Michael

Gralyn vintage and tawny are incredible. Still had the delicious taste in my mouth for a good 10-15 minutes after leaving the cellar door.

Yes I really do like Grandfather but there are many for less options. What a shame about the best barrels going to the more expensive version. Makes you wonder about St Henri, 389, etc in the near future.

Sam

Seems to me that when I first got into the Ports (about 40 yrs ago) there were lots of big gutsy heavy tawnys around and few of the lighter elegant spirity 'Portuguese' styles. I can remember hunting down the lighter styles for something different. Now its the opposite and all the brands I used to enjoy have become more like the 'Portuguese' ones and I'm hunting around for older style Ports. I will give the Bluestone a try.