TNs: 1976, 1978 and 1997 Grange

[Baby Chickpea]

Penfolds Red Wine Clinics in Sydney (15 September 2004) – Wines assessed and tasted with Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago (had a great chat, lucky me!). All wines from my cellar and bought in 1987-1988 (except the 97) and cellared well. I’ve also moved to the easier and more accepted 100-point scale.

1976 Penfolds Grange
89% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet. Medium red with remarkably little bricking. Very extracted and lifted bouquet of dried tobacco and ash, with dark berries and chocolate aromas. Noticeable alcohol. Palate is powerful and long, with abundant primary blackfruits, a dash of oak and fine tannins. Starting to evolve with ash and leathery characters. Very, very long length and not as gargantuan on the palate as on the nose. Superb wine that seems immortal. Drinking at its peak but will surely hold at least another decade. Tasted from three bottles, all consistent.
95 / 100

1978 Penfolds Grange
90% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet. Medium red colour with tinges of brown. Absolutely gorgeous nose -- sweet raisins, plum pudding and chocolate. The palate is equally lovely, with prunes, raspberries and tar. Beautifully balanced with oak, tannin, alcohol and fruit all in velvety unison. Whereas the 76 is mammoth in structure, proportion and concentration, this wine is more elegant, rounder and silky. Not a lesser wine but a different style of wine. Very appealing and only marginally below overall in quality than the 76 owing to its slightly inferior length. A major surprise for me (it wasnÂ’t this good when I last tasted it in 1994). Great stuff. At its peak but will last 5+ years.
94 / 100

1997 Penfolds Grange
The wine used for refilling at this yearÂ’s clinics. 96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet. Peter Gago generously gave me two full glasses (not bad for 10am!). So spent a lot of time with it to gauge its quality. I last had this wine in 2002 and was impressed given it was a lighter year. Rich purple with some Dario Argento-like deep red. Lovely nose of coffee/mocha, liquorice and fresh plums. Obviously very youthful but much better than weaker vintage would suggest. Very generous already with almost peach overtones. The palate doesnÂ’t let the wine down. Excellent grip, fine but tight, slightly green tannins and very good length augment the sappy and underlying cacophony of xmas cake, bitumen, liquorice, and rum overtones! ItÂ’s clearly early days yet but this is a solid wine (it will never be great) that is a major success for the vintage. My overall impression was that it was better than two years ago but may dry out in the long-term. Drink over next 3-7 years. Not bad at all Â…
90 / 100

[Muscat Mike]

I must say that at the Theo's tasting a few months ago I felt the '97 Grange was in good shape and will last considerably longer than you. I enjoyed it very much.
MM.

[Baby Chickpea]

I pretty much agree MM - it's a wine that has often being criticised but most of it is (I think) unwarranted. The only cocern is longevity and improvment for me at any rate.

[Kieran]

I think in a vertical Grange tasting, Halliday was surprised and impressed by the 97, and thinks it will be very long lived. Our bottle is scheduled to be demolished fairly young - June 15 2012.

Kieran