Described by Hugh Johnson as the "only first growth of the southern hemisphere," and by Robert Parker as "the world's most exotic and concentrated wine," Penfolds Grange is definitely the most famous wine coming out of Australia and a fixture in the cellars of serious wine collectors around the world. These considerations have led us to arrange/participate in a number of tastings focused on this Penfolds label and covering a high number of vintages between 1968 and 2014.
I will provide some background and then proceed to the tastings
Penfolds Background
No one was as important to the development of Penfolds Hermitage Grange (Penfolds Grange since 1990) than the then winemaker Max Schubert but the founding and nurturing of the company can be traced back to Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary. Dr. Penfold, who was firm in his belief in the medicinal value of wine, planted some French vine cuttings around his home in Magill, Adelaide -- called the Grange -- upon his emigration to Australia in 1844. He produced port and sherry from the resulting grapes for dispensation to his patients. Upon his death, Mary took over the running of the winery and, in this task, she was ably assisted by her son-in-law, Thomas Hyland. Thomas and Georgina, Mary's daughter, assumed management responsibility when Mary retired in 1884 and the family members retained control until 1976. The company is now owned by Treasury Estates.
Penfold's wine production consisted primarily of fortified wines and brandy up until the 1950s. Jeffrey Penfold Hyland, reacting to his perception of changing tastes, asked Max Schubert to look into the increased production of table wines. As a part of that mandate, Schubert visited the wine-growing areas of Europe and was very impressed by the aged wines he encountered in France. He was convinced that, with the proper technique, he could produce a quality, long-lived wine in Australia and sought to put that into practice with the production of an experimental vintage -- utilizing the Syrah grape -- of Penfold's Hermitage Grange in 1951. The early wines were not well received. So much so that the board, in 1957, forbade further production of the wine. Schubert continued to produce the wine in secret and, as the earlier vintages stabilized, they began to receive more favorable consideration. These favorable comments trickled back to the board and, in 1960, they authorized Schubert to resume production of the wine. Of course, he had never stopped and, thanks to his “cheekiness," there has been an unbroken string of Penfold's Grange produced since the experimental vintage in 1951.
From the beginning Penfold's has pursued a multi-vineyard, multi-district grape-sourcing strategy bolstered by a "house style" of complete, controlled fermentation followed by aging in new American oak barrels. The grapes for the wine are sourced from vineyards in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Magill, all regions falling within the Adelaide "super zone."
Penfold's wine production consisted primarily of fortified wines and brandy up until the 1950s. Jeffrey Penfold Hyland, reacting to his perception of changing tastes, asked Max Schubert to look into the increased production of table wines. As a part of that mandate, Schubert visited the wine-growing areas of Europe and was very impressed by the aged wines he encountered in France. He was convinced that, with the proper technique, he could produce a quality, long-lived wine in Australia and sought to put that into practice with the production of an experimental vintage -- utilizing the Syrah grape -- of Penfold's Hermitage Grange in 1951. The early wines were not well received. So much so that the board, in 1957, forbade further production of the wine. Schubert continued to produce the wine in secret and, as the earlier vintages stabilized, they began to receive more favorable consideration. These favorable comments trickled back to the board and, in 1960, they authorized Schubert to resume production of the wine. Of course, he had never stopped and, thanks to his “cheekiness," there has been an unbroken string of Penfold's Grange produced since the experimental vintage in 1951.
From the beginning Penfold's has pursued a multi-vineyard, multi-district grape-sourcing strategy bolstered by a "house style" of complete, controlled fermentation followed by aging in new American oak barrels. The grapes for the wine are sourced from vineyards in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Magill, all regions falling within the Adelaide "super zone."
The tastings are recounted below.
Five Decades of Penfolds
Ron Siegel proposed a vertical tasting of the wine to our group. We agreed immediately and he set about making plans. The wines would be sourced from his cellar and participants would re-imburse him for the cost. I invited Dlynn Proctor, Penfolds US Winemaking Ambassador at the time, and one of the stars of the movie SOMM (and a valued friend), to guide us through the tasting.
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| Photo courtesy DLynn Proctor, Penfolds |
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| A Dlynn sandwich |
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| Tasting team |
Ron made an opening statement and then introduced DLynn. DLynn was brilliant all evening, a veritable fount of information on Penfolds as a company, the wines, the winemakers, the vintages. The guy is a walking Penfolds Grange encyclopedia. He began by asking the rhetorical question "What is Grange?" "It is technically Bordelaise," he said. Max Schubert, the first wiinemaker, went to Bordeaux twice and fell in love with the Bordeaux wines he tasted. In those early days Bordeaux wines did include some Syrah and some of the best wines he tasted on those trips were Cabernet-Syrah blends. He wanted to make that type of wine but the Cabernet Sauvignon available in Australia at that time was not very good. Schubert wanted to make a wine that would age for 50 years -- a la the great Bordeauxs -- and, in his view, that made the vineyard pre-eminent. It was not until 1964 that Cabernet Sauvignon -- a kiss, according to DLynn -- was introduced into Penfolds Grange.
1980s Flight
The first flight was the wines from the decade of the 1980s: 1980, 1982, 1986, and 1989.
We tasted from oldest to youngest in each flight so the Grange 1980 was the first one up. DLynn said that this had been a cooler vintage (by Australian standards). The wine exhibited aromas of coconut oil, violets, earth, game, and mint. Balanced, with the acidity and 12.9% alcohol fitting perfectly into the matrix of the wine. Long, balanced finish with rich, oily aftertaste. Rhonesque.
The 1982 Grange Hermitage was a blend of Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon (DLynn). This had riper fruit than the 1980 and showed jammy, stewed fruit, prunes, coconut, anise, cedar, mint, tobacco, and leather. On the palate it was ripe fruit, richness, concentration, a saline character, and an earthiness. Long finish with a saline aftertaste. This was more of a New World wine than was the 1980.
The Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1986 was the last vintage for winemaker Don Ditter (who had taken Chief Winemaker responsibility from Max Schumer in 1976). The wine was 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and had aromas of spice, dill, bay leaf, thyme, phenolics, and a slight green note. Savory. Great balance. Slight dill flavor on the palate. Integrated tannins and a long finish.
The 1989 vintage was made by John Duvall (winemaker from 1986 to 2001) and was markedly different from any of the wines tasted to date. The vintage had been peculiar in that it was wet and cool early then hot for the remainder of the growing season. This wine was 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe fruit, molasses, savoriness, beef broth, blackpepper and blue fruit on the nose. Dark fruit and molasses on the palate. Rich.
The wine of the flight, as voted by the team, was the 1980 vintage.
2000s Flight
The wines included in this flight were from the 2001, 2004, and 2006 vintages.
The 2001 Grange was the final Duvall vintage. According to DLynn, this was one of the hottest Grange vintages ever. He spouted statistics of 14.02% abv, pH of 3.52, and TA of 6.89. The wine smelled porty, alcoholic, oily. It was ripe and fat, with the most obvious tannins to date. Alcohol present. Broad-guaged, alcoholic finish. Acid-averse.
The 2004 vintage experienced an even, moderate growing season which resulted in (according to DLynn) a complete wine. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. On nose coconut, dill, savoryness, richness. Round and rich on the palate. Excellent texture. Long finish.
The 2006 was a conundrum. DLynn described it as old world and new world in the same vintage. Rain late in the growing season had fattened up the clusters. I got porty, overripe fruit on the nose along with dill, wax, creme brulee, coconut, and a savoryness. On the palate not a full, round mouthfeel. Drying/green tannins. Stewed fruits, short finish, and a "pale", drying aftertaste.
The 2004 vintage was voted wine of the flight.
1990s Flight
This flight included wines from 1990, 1994, and 1998.
The 1990 Grange showed toffee, praline, pencil lead, blackpepper, and ripe black fruit on the nose. Rich, ripe fruit on the palate. Concentrated, with a long finish. Very Graves.
1994 was a cool vintage and that is reflected in the pyrazine, bell pepper, black-eyed peas notes on the nose. Plum. Sandalwood. Rich.
The 1998 had ripe fruit, baking spices and pepper on the nose. Salinity and richness on the palate. Super concentrated. Late-arriving tannins. Sappiness. Long, creamy finish. DLynn felt that even at 14.23 % abv, this wine was technically balanced.
The team selected the 1990 as the wine of the flight.
1960s/70s Flight
This flight consisted of wines from 1968, 1971, 1976, and 1978.
The 1968 presented aromas of espresso, vanilla, mocha, cocoa, leather, blackpepper, gunoil, coconut. A sweet La Mish on the palate. Mushroom, savory, complex. I called it a 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard. Steve called it an '85 BV Georges de la Tour. I loved it. We all did, as a matter of fact.
The 1971 was oxidized.
The 1976 was 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and exhibited herbs, fennel, gunflint, chocolate, and coffee on the nose. Someone yelled "Haut-Brion." It was very Bordeaux-like and we got into a heated discussion when trying to determine the wine of the flight because it came down to this Bordeaux style versus what I will call the "When-Napa-was-Napa" style exhibited in the 1968.
I did not capture any notes for the 1978. Steve described it as expressing coffee, fig newtons, chocolate-covered caramels, and sawdust.
At the culmination of a warm debate (and a number of ballots, with some changed votes), the 1976 was chosen as the wine of the flight by one vote. The wines of this flight were clearly the class of the bunch (given the type of wines that are drunk on a regular basis by the people in the room) and the winner of this flight automatically was the wine of the night.
As Steve noted, somewhere in the mid-80s, Grange shifted to a bigger, bolder style, reminiscent (or a harbinger) of the California path. The wines are wonderful, great-tasting, and gain complexity with age. I doubt whether the more modern wines will gain the type of complexity and class we saw demonstrated in the wines of the 1960s and 1970s.
1980s Flight
The first flight was the wines from the decade of the 1980s: 1980, 1982, 1986, and 1989.
We tasted from oldest to youngest in each flight so the Grange 1980 was the first one up. DLynn said that this had been a cooler vintage (by Australian standards). The wine exhibited aromas of coconut oil, violets, earth, game, and mint. Balanced, with the acidity and 12.9% alcohol fitting perfectly into the matrix of the wine. Long, balanced finish with rich, oily aftertaste. Rhonesque.
The 1982 Grange Hermitage was a blend of Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon (DLynn). This had riper fruit than the 1980 and showed jammy, stewed fruit, prunes, coconut, anise, cedar, mint, tobacco, and leather. On the palate it was ripe fruit, richness, concentration, a saline character, and an earthiness. Long finish with a saline aftertaste. This was more of a New World wine than was the 1980.
The Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1986 was the last vintage for winemaker Don Ditter (who had taken Chief Winemaker responsibility from Max Schumer in 1976). The wine was 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and had aromas of spice, dill, bay leaf, thyme, phenolics, and a slight green note. Savory. Great balance. Slight dill flavor on the palate. Integrated tannins and a long finish.
The 1989 vintage was made by John Duvall (winemaker from 1986 to 2001) and was markedly different from any of the wines tasted to date. The vintage had been peculiar in that it was wet and cool early then hot for the remainder of the growing season. This wine was 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe fruit, molasses, savoriness, beef broth, blackpepper and blue fruit on the nose. Dark fruit and molasses on the palate. Rich.
The wine of the flight, as voted by the team, was the 1980 vintage.
2000s Flight
The wines included in this flight were from the 2001, 2004, and 2006 vintages.
The 2001 Grange was the final Duvall vintage. According to DLynn, this was one of the hottest Grange vintages ever. He spouted statistics of 14.02% abv, pH of 3.52, and TA of 6.89. The wine smelled porty, alcoholic, oily. It was ripe and fat, with the most obvious tannins to date. Alcohol present. Broad-guaged, alcoholic finish. Acid-averse.
The 2004 vintage experienced an even, moderate growing season which resulted in (according to DLynn) a complete wine. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. On nose coconut, dill, savoryness, richness. Round and rich on the palate. Excellent texture. Long finish.
The 2006 was a conundrum. DLynn described it as old world and new world in the same vintage. Rain late in the growing season had fattened up the clusters. I got porty, overripe fruit on the nose along with dill, wax, creme brulee, coconut, and a savoryness. On the palate not a full, round mouthfeel. Drying/green tannins. Stewed fruits, short finish, and a "pale", drying aftertaste.
The 2004 vintage was voted wine of the flight.
1990s Flight
This flight included wines from 1990, 1994, and 1998.
The 1990 Grange showed toffee, praline, pencil lead, blackpepper, and ripe black fruit on the nose. Rich, ripe fruit on the palate. Concentrated, with a long finish. Very Graves.
1994 was a cool vintage and that is reflected in the pyrazine, bell pepper, black-eyed peas notes on the nose. Plum. Sandalwood. Rich.
The 1998 had ripe fruit, baking spices and pepper on the nose. Salinity and richness on the palate. Super concentrated. Late-arriving tannins. Sappiness. Long, creamy finish. DLynn felt that even at 14.23 % abv, this wine was technically balanced.
The team selected the 1990 as the wine of the flight.
1960s/70s Flight
This flight consisted of wines from 1968, 1971, 1976, and 1978.
The 1968 presented aromas of espresso, vanilla, mocha, cocoa, leather, blackpepper, gunoil, coconut. A sweet La Mish on the palate. Mushroom, savory, complex. I called it a 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard. Steve called it an '85 BV Georges de la Tour. I loved it. We all did, as a matter of fact.
The 1971 was oxidized.
The 1976 was 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and exhibited herbs, fennel, gunflint, chocolate, and coffee on the nose. Someone yelled "Haut-Brion." It was very Bordeaux-like and we got into a heated discussion when trying to determine the wine of the flight because it came down to this Bordeaux style versus what I will call the "When-Napa-was-Napa" style exhibited in the 1968.
I did not capture any notes for the 1978. Steve described it as expressing coffee, fig newtons, chocolate-covered caramels, and sawdust.
At the culmination of a warm debate (and a number of ballots, with some changed votes), the 1976 was chosen as the wine of the flight by one vote. The wines of this flight were clearly the class of the bunch (given the type of wines that are drunk on a regular basis by the people in the room) and the winner of this flight automatically was the wine of the night.
As Steve noted, somewhere in the mid-80s, Grange shifted to a bigger, bolder style, reminiscent (or a harbinger) of the California path. The wines are wonderful, great-tasting, and gain complexity with age. I doubt whether the more modern wines will gain the type of complexity and class we saw demonstrated in the wines of the 1960s and 1970s.
Penfolds and the Pinnacle of Australian Wine: Pebble Beach Food and Wine
I love to participate in tastings where Paolo Basso is lead because, not only is he a pure taster, he is also elegant, clear, and precise in describing the sensory characteristices of the wine "under the microscope." But I also love participating in tastings led by DLynn Proctor because he is unmatched in describing the technical characteristics of the wine and the conditions under which it was produced; a style in marked contrast to the Basso approach. DLynn headlined a panel at Pebble Beach Food and Wine (April 9 - 12, 2015) titled Penfolds and the Pinnacle of Australian Wine.
The Grange flight consisted of wines from the 1986, 1989, 1998, 2008, and 2010 vintages. I had tasted the 1986 as a part of our Five Decades of Penfolds Grange tasting and had described it as having aromas of dill, bay leaf, thyme, phenolics and a little greenness. I had also described it as balanced and savory and having integrated tannins and a long finish. Similar characteristics exhibited at this tasting except for a hint of portiness that I had not evidenced previously.
The 1989 wine had also been tasted earlier and in that case I described it as having ripe fruit, molasses, savoriness, beef broth with dark fruit and molasses on the palate. The notes for this tasting aligned somewhat in that I evidenced an aromatic high tone along with pyrazine, sugar cane, and molasses on the nose to go along with dark fruit, pyrazine, and molasses on the palate.
The 1998 had rich, dark, ripe fruit along with baking spices and pepper on the nose. Palate-filling. Rich and concentrated with a long creamy finish. Hint of port.
The 2008 was perfumed on the nose with baby talcum powder, sawdust, chocolate dust, and cocoa dust. Elegant on the palate with sweet ripe fruit and a hint of green. Toffee, coffee, chocolate, and a long smooth finish.
The 2010 also exhibited an elegant nose. On the palate thick, rich dark fruit. As Yogi Berra would say, "Its future is ahead of it."
All in all this was a fun tasting. Dlynn and Greg made stellar contributions to the affair. I wish that the audience member who sucked up most of the oxygen had been a little more knowledgeable.
The 1989 wine had also been tasted earlier and in that case I described it as having ripe fruit, molasses, savoriness, beef broth with dark fruit and molasses on the palate. The notes for this tasting aligned somewhat in that I evidenced an aromatic high tone along with pyrazine, sugar cane, and molasses on the nose to go along with dark fruit, pyrazine, and molasses on the palate.
The 1998 had rich, dark, ripe fruit along with baking spices and pepper on the nose. Palate-filling. Rich and concentrated with a long creamy finish. Hint of port.
The 2008 was perfumed on the nose with baby talcum powder, sawdust, chocolate dust, and cocoa dust. Elegant on the palate with sweet ripe fruit and a hint of green. Toffee, coffee, chocolate, and a long smooth finish.
The 2010 also exhibited an elegant nose. On the palate thick, rich dark fruit. As Yogi Berra would say, "Its future is ahead of it."
All in all this was a fun tasting. Dlynn and Greg made stellar contributions to the affair. I wish that the audience member who sucked up most of the oxygen had been a little more knowledgeable.
Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting at Wine Watch
The 1997 Grange was 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, made with fruit drawn from Kalimna, Barossa Valley, McLaren-Vale, and Bordertown. This wine was aged for 20 months in new French oak. A somewhat challenging vintage combining a cool start to the season with high heat in the summer.
A elegant nose with dark fruit, baking spices, and rust. Open on the palate with tar, orange liqueur, herbs and spices. Long creamy finish. Great acid level in this wine. This turned out to be my WOTN.
The 1999 Grange was made from Shiraz grapes grown in Kalimna, Barossa, Magill Estate, Mclaren-Vale, and Padthaway. This was the first 100% Shiraz Grange since 1963. This wine was aged for 17 months in new French oak.
Elegant and restrained. Baking spices, herbs and red fruit on the nose. Broader-based on the palate with red fruit, licorice, dried herbs, and a long, creamy finish.
The 2000 Grange was another 100% Shiraz and, together with the 2001, the only vintages made with grapes only from Kalimna and the Barossa Valley. Some rain between Christmas and New Years but very dry and very hot until March.
Eucalyptus, green herbs, black fruit, baking spices, leather and licorice on the nose. Black fruit, black olives, mint, chocolate on the palate. Smooth tannins. Finish not as long as the preceding wines.
The 2001 Grange was 99% Shiraz and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon from Kalimna and Barossa Valley. Aged for 17 months in New American oak. Good red wine vintage conditions.
Core of black fruit surrounded by eucalyptus, mint, tobacco, and cassis. Rich on the palate with sweet fruit, tobacco, and dark chocolate. Great acidity. I liked this wine.
The 2003 vintage was initially warm and dry, becoming milder later in the season. The wine was 97% Shiraz with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. Matured for 15 months in new American oak.
Florality accompanying dark fruit, herbs, mint and baking spices. Mint, black cherries, cassis, and black olives on the palate. Medium-bodied with medium acid levels.
Two thousand and four was an almost perfect growing season and, as such, delivered near-perfect fruit from Kalimna, Barossa Valley, McLaren-Vale, and Magill Estate. 96% Shiraz matured for 16 months in 100% new American oak .
Hint of oxidative character, orange skin, anise, black cherries, black tea, tar, herbs, and spices on the nose. Nose carries through to the palate. Balanced with long finish. One of the classic Grange's in my estimation.
The 2013 and 2014 were still way too young for my style and for this wine. These wines were 96% and 98% Shiraz, respectively, and spent 20 months in new American oak. Massive, powerful, and primary with eucalyptus and dark fruit. Thick, rich with bright, fruity finishes.
The wines on offer showed well but it would have been nice to have seen some older vintages. My favorite Granges of the night were the 1997, 1999 and 2004.
Miscellaneous Tastings
A Wine Journey: 1998 and 2004
At this time I was on a journey to taste Andrew MacNamara's Wines of the Decade. The vintages drank for this portion of the journey were from 1998 and 2004. The winemaker for both these vintages was Peter Gago. The 1998 vintage was 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in new American oak. The 2004 was 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon aged from 16 months in new American oak.
The 2004 was tasted at our regular Antonio's Friday afternoon tasting. This wine had a complex structure with cigar leaf, raw meat, cedar box, leather, coconut, salt, black pepper, cherry, and black licorice all evident on the nose. This wine was obviously a baby but was well integrated with smooth wood tannins across the palate and a lifelong finish. One taster felt that this wine was more exuberant than traditional Penfold's but that it would be "smoking in ten years." The wine was tasted one hour later and at that time the alcohol had become very evident, as was the pepperiness, and the green note had now become a green chord, the acid was now dominant, and there was significant chalkiness on the tongue. The wine exhibited its promise in the earlier tasting and then seemed to close down.
The 1998 was tasted at a dinner at the home of Keith and Nancy. We opened the bottle at around 8:30 pm and noted that it had good color. On the nose we experienced black olives, sawdust, cigar box, sweet tobacco, sandalwood, coconut, coffee, mocha, and salt ocean spray. On the palate there was black fruit and some salinity in the finish. This wine was balanced, smooth and silky and had a "Jordanesque" hang time in terms of finish.
1997 -- The Wine that I Forgot
So I was supposed to bring this wine to our Five Decades of Penfolds tasting but I forgot. I took it to one of our Wednesday lunches instead.
According to penfolds.com, the 1997 vintage was challenging, combining, as it did, a cool start to the season with high summer heat.
This wine was a dream. If we had consumed it on the night of the tasting, I may not have appreciated it as much as I did at lunch that day. Its beauty and richness may have been hidden behind a wall of Grange and Grange-fueled dialogue. Left alone on the stage, this wine shone incredibly bright.
On the nose, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, fudge, ripe fruit, dried herbs, and a rich elegance. The dried herbs carried through on the palate along with a thick, rich, creamy texture and silky tannins. This wine is perfectly balanced with enough acidity to perform palate-cleansing duties when it accompanies food. Long, rich finish with a creamy aftertaste. Ron said that it reminded him of a high-quality Pomerol and that if it had been included in the tasting it would have given the 1990 (the WOTF) a run for its money. This is truly a thoroughbred.
Budburst was slightly later than usual in most South Australian regions, with mild weather through to Christmas. The onset of a prolonged heat wave in February further delayed ripening. Fortunately, a sunny, warm autumn followed, allowing vines to reach full ripeness.The blend in this vintage was 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were aged for 20 months in new American oak barrels and, at bottling, were 14% abv, had 7.8 g/l acidity, and pH was 3.52.
This wine was a dream. If we had consumed it on the night of the tasting, I may not have appreciated it as much as I did at lunch that day. Its beauty and richness may have been hidden behind a wall of Grange and Grange-fueled dialogue. Left alone on the stage, this wine shone incredibly bright.
On the nose, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, fudge, ripe fruit, dried herbs, and a rich elegance. The dried herbs carried through on the palate along with a thick, rich, creamy texture and silky tannins. This wine is perfectly balanced with enough acidity to perform palate-cleansing duties when it accompanies food. Long, rich finish with a creamy aftertaste. Ron said that it reminded him of a high-quality Pomerol and that if it had been included in the tasting it would have given the 1990 (the WOTF) a run for its money. This is truly a thoroughbred.
We did taste the 1988 vintage at a Victoria and Albert's Chef's Table Dinner but all of the wines were horrible that night, including the Penfolds. We just wanted the night to end.
