Last Friday it was my privilege to sit in on the final day of Penfolds’ Rewards of Patience tasting in Adelaide. The agenda that day comprised every Grange from 1952 to 2001, plus eleven different wines released under the company’s ‘Special Bin Number’ scheme. Other than the extent to which the 1993 vintage has become even more herbaceous and vegetal with time, there were very few major surprises outside expected limits of bottle variation when tasting wines of considerable age. The bottles of 1964, 1965 and 1957 were by far the best I have ever seen from these vintages of Grange. Penfolds was remarkably cooperative in revealing the next three vintages of Grange after the currently available (if that is indeed the expression) 1998 wine. Each represents a very accurate reflection of their season, so it is little wonder that I preferred the 1999, followed by the 2001, and then the 2000. The 1999 Grange is fine, silky and seamless; a beautifully restrained wine built around a supple palate of pristine fruit. The rather sumptuous 2001 offers more power and concentration. Like the 1998 release, there’s an obvious presence of dehydrated fruit influence, but it does not presently show the extreme stress exhibited by a number of highly rated 2001 South Australian reds. While the make of the 2000 wine has been reduced to the order of 2,000 cases equivalents, around a quarter of the normal Grange production, it will need to show some significant improvement to escape some rather harsh criticism. Penfolds should however take great heart from this tasting. How many wineries anywhere could present fifty consecutive vintages of any of their wines, especially at such a consistently excellent level of quality? Ratings of forthcoming Grange releases: 1999 19.0, drink 2019-2029+ 2000 16.5, drink 2008-2012 2001 18.7, drink 2021-2031
