The Wine Blokes

By The Casual Observer

Penfolds Grange has always illuminated the imagination of many avid wine consumers in Australia, and indeed around the world, especially in the US. Year after year it’s still considerd the icon Aussie wine that epitomises what Australia is all about, and continues to build on the legacy left by Max Shubert way back when.

But what’s all the fuss about? Are the wines so good they can command exorbitant prices? Probably not, but it really doesn’t matter. The prices they command are driven by the market, not the winery.  Of course Grange is a very nice string in the bow for ”one of the big 4″. Revenue and margin generated by Grange alone would provide significant cashflow.

As it happens, one of the Wine Blokes was lucky enough to taste a number of the recent releases of Penfolds Grange, at Max’s restaurant last Sunday night. The other Wine Blokes are still rueing the fact.

Below are his notes on the wines (Beware: This Wine Bloke Calls a Spade a Shovel)

Blokes Notes:

1990 & 1993 Grange: Both wines looked a little flat, possibly a factor of poor cellaring. They lacked fruit (both on the nose and palate). Slightly rusty tannins. Structure still firm, but they lacked balance.

1996 Grange: This was the pick of the vertical. Nice blackberry fruit on the nose, with French oak lift. Full and mouth filling fruit upfront. Blackberry and spice, nice oak on palate and super length (excellent tannin structure and length).

1998 & 1999 Grange: Both of these wine looked slightly out of kilter with American oak. They are a bit younger but seem to lack the concentration of the 1996.  Tannin structure more out of balance, and the American oak finish is overly dominant.

So there you have it. Probably the most understated review of five Grange wines you will ever see, but like I said, this Wine Bloke calls a spade a shovel, and certainly knows his stuff. After working with Jacques Lurton for a few years, I think his expectations of value for money has gone up a notch or two.

You can purchase a number of vintages of Grange in The Wine Blokes Online Store.