Penfolds - Grange - 1980

Production: 8,620 casesBlend: 96% Shiraz/4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Potentially the greatest Grange after the 1976, this opaque purple-colored wine reveals little evolution in its color. The huge nose of peppery blackcurrants, roasted herbs, tar, sweet oak, and lavish quantities of fruit is followed by a full-bodied, expansive, thick, chewy wine with that extraordinary flavor density exhibited by great vintages of Grange. The finish lasts for 40+ seconds, revealing Olympic-sized quantities of glycerin and fruit, as well as considerable ripe, sweet tannin. The low acidity and extraordinary ripeness and voluptuousness make this youthful wine deceptively easy to drink. However, it requires another 3-4 years of cellaring to develop more complexity. 96 Points/Drink 2009-2029 - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate