WTN Penfolds Grange 1997

[primowino]

I had a very small glass at a wine tasting yesterday and my analytical powers may have been hindered by the two and a half hours of tasting already past. It was my first experience of Grange and as warned by Australian friends it was dissapointing. I know it is probably too young at six years old but I think it had breathed for a couple of hours. On the positive side it was fairly dry (I find most Australian Shiraz too sweet) and had some mineral undertones, but not much. It neither had the oppulence of other good Australian Shiraz's, nor the complexity and length of a good Rhone red or, to compare it with similar priced wines, a top red bordeaux. This wine now costs around £120 at release in the UK and with the exception of rare poor vintages prices rise with age. At this price I could buy almost any of the top bordeaux wines on release, or all but the very best at maturity.

I confess to being a bit of a Francophile (or at least a Europhile) when it comes to wine, but my ardent Australia (and her wines) loving friends were in agreement.