1951 Penfolds Bin 1 Grange Hermitage – South Australia ★ Bottled 12/2/1952
The first experimental Grange; never released commercially and extremely rare. A valuable collector’s item because of its historical significance. Rare hand-blown bottles. The wine itself is past its peak, although some bottles still have fruit sweetness and flavour length. Typically, a dull tawny colour, skeletal palate structure, virtually no fruit or flesh, and fading tannins. 100% Shiraz. Past. 50% Magill Estate, 50% Morphett Vale (Adelaide environs). 100 cases/ 3 hogsheads made. Released as Bin 1. 1952 Penfolds Bin 4 Grange Hermitage – South Australia ★★★★★ Bottled 1/5/1953 G 100 Medium-deep brick crimson. Beautiful waxy polished leather vellum roasted walnut panforte aromas with dried apricot sous bois notes. Supple and sweet with roasted walnut, panforte redcurrant, apricot, forest floor, roasted coffee flavours, fine lacy dry tannins, superb mid-palate richness and viscosity and beautiful lacy fine acidity. Perfect, beautiful wine with mineral length and feathery plume. A great Australian wine of impressive magnitude, both as a wine and as a legend. Could last another 50 years. 100% Shiraz. Drink now–2060, 13.6% alc Magill Estate/Morphett Vale. Around 100/150 cases made and retailed at less than $1 a bottle at release. Some half-bottle ‘pints’ were also produced. Released as Bin 4 and Bin 4A. The first ‘commercial’ release. 1953 Penfolds Bin 10 Grange Hermitage – South Australia ★★★★★ Bottled 22/2/54 G 96 Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense dark chocolate, sandalwood, touch musty at first but clears out, vellum, walnutty, polished mahogany, espresso touch VA (volatile acidity). Well-concentrated wine, slightly soapy with leathery, ground coffee, dried plum, bitter chocolate flavours, fine loose-knit chalky dry tannins, roasted walnut sandalwood, amontillado nutty flavours and persistent acidity. Lighter bodied than the 1952 with fine chalky residue and inky minerally complexity but beginning to dry out. Still, a great experience. Could hold for a while. 87% Shiraz/13% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now–soon, 12.8% alc Magill Estate/Morphett Vale (Adelaide)/Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa). 260 cases made. Some half bottles (375 ml) were released. First vintage – and then uninterrupted – use of Kalimna fruit; hence the term ‘mother vineyard’. Released as Bin 2 (also Bins 10, 86C and 145). A Jancis Robinson, MW 20-20 wine.
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The Vintage Journal – Verticals
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