2001 Penfolds Grange - ALMOST HERE!!
The release of the 2001 vintage of Penfold’s Grange Hermitage should occur in early May. I can’t believe how little is being said about it!
Have any of you seen or read any reviews or tasting notes? Please let me know so I can link to it or your blog if one is there.
I have talked with Tony Harper and Stewart Plant, resident wine experts at The Wine Emporium, who have both tasted the 2001 vintage. They both tasted it independently of the other and both have told me that, in their opinion, it is one of the best vintages they have tasted. Let’s hope they are right!!
I am just an amateur but I am excited about it as I have a few bottles of Grange. The Leader of the opposition and I try to acquire a number of bottles for the vintage relating to each of our seminal years eg. the year we got married, the year of the birth of our children etc. Our idea is to buy at least 4 bottles, keep two for drinking and sell the other two at some point in time. 2001 marks the year of the birth of our oldest son and we hope to lay or hands on a case – two to keep, two to sell, two to give our son at his 21st. Additionally, we thought that if we ever wanted to drink Grange that we have acquired at release and cellared ourselves, we had better start now seeing as how we will most likely have to lay them down for 20 years or so.
The only question I have with the Grange relates to the price. Whilst it is high it will be great for us as an investment, however I question whether the price has been artificially inflated.
I recall trying to buy the 1998 Grange. Is it just me? I think I recall that it was the night before the release that one of the Penfold’s people (I think it was the winemaker of the Grange) was on the news saying that the 1998 vintage was a small one, and that the release would also be small, and that what was released the next day was all that was going to be released. Subsequently you could not buy some for love nor money and the price shot up to over $400 (way up on the 1997 vintage).
You could not acquire some for a long period of time, however if you go into most wine retailers now there are stocks of the 1998 ranging between $600-$750 per bottle. If all were released at the beginning, where is the current stock all coming from? Can someone please tell me if I am wrong?
Irregardless I will be out there fighting the hordes attempting to secure some Grange to put in the new wine cabinet (when it eventually gets here)! I have been saving all year for it!
Is this ridiculous?? I have only ever tasted two Grange’s in my life (both on the one night) – now mind you they were a 1964 and a 1984 and they were drunk in 2004. On what basis am I about to spend my ‘hard-earned’? On the word of some wine critics who I hardly know? You bet!!
If you cannot afford to buy some, my heartfelt sympathies are with you. However, I sincerely hope you do get a chance to at least taste Grange at some point.
food and drink
wine
Have any of you seen or read any reviews or tasting notes? Please let me know so I can link to it or your blog if one is there.
I have talked with Tony Harper and Stewart Plant, resident wine experts at The Wine Emporium, who have both tasted the 2001 vintage. They both tasted it independently of the other and both have told me that, in their opinion, it is one of the best vintages they have tasted. Let’s hope they are right!!
I am just an amateur but I am excited about it as I have a few bottles of Grange. The Leader of the opposition and I try to acquire a number of bottles for the vintage relating to each of our seminal years eg. the year we got married, the year of the birth of our children etc. Our idea is to buy at least 4 bottles, keep two for drinking and sell the other two at some point in time. 2001 marks the year of the birth of our oldest son and we hope to lay or hands on a case – two to keep, two to sell, two to give our son at his 21st. Additionally, we thought that if we ever wanted to drink Grange that we have acquired at release and cellared ourselves, we had better start now seeing as how we will most likely have to lay them down for 20 years or so.
The only question I have with the Grange relates to the price. Whilst it is high it will be great for us as an investment, however I question whether the price has been artificially inflated.
I recall trying to buy the 1998 Grange. Is it just me? I think I recall that it was the night before the release that one of the Penfold’s people (I think it was the winemaker of the Grange) was on the news saying that the 1998 vintage was a small one, and that the release would also be small, and that what was released the next day was all that was going to be released. Subsequently you could not buy some for love nor money and the price shot up to over $400 (way up on the 1997 vintage).
You could not acquire some for a long period of time, however if you go into most wine retailers now there are stocks of the 1998 ranging between $600-$750 per bottle. If all were released at the beginning, where is the current stock all coming from? Can someone please tell me if I am wrong?
Irregardless I will be out there fighting the hordes attempting to secure some Grange to put in the new wine cabinet (when it eventually gets here)! I have been saving all year for it!
Is this ridiculous?? I have only ever tasted two Grange’s in my life (both on the one night) – now mind you they were a 1964 and a 1984 and they were drunk in 2004. On what basis am I about to spend my ‘hard-earned’? On the word of some wine critics who I hardly know? You bet!!
If you cannot afford to buy some, my heartfelt sympathies are with you. However, I sincerely hope you do get a chance to at least taste Grange at some point.
food and drink
wine
posted by Mal at 6:41 AM
5 Comments:
hey, first time reader, so bear with me. the 98 granges you see in retail now are usually bought back from customers at current auction prices (thank you america). add gst and normal 30% gp margin and you have $600-$700 price tag. if anyone out there wants some 2001 grange the grape indooroopilly can help.
jamie holmes grape indooroopilly
Hi Anonymous!
Sorry to take so long to reply. Thanks for the comment and the insight! I have been into your store - very nice!
Hey there.. just a note on 98 vintages.. Dan Murphy's and other big stores commonly hold back on releasin a lot of there stock if the vintage is considered to be excellent, as the 98 vintage was. Dan Murphy's last year released a bunch of 98 South Australian bid reds all at highly inflated prices... I guess that's just business!
Thanks for the comment Tom! I was unaware of that but it certainly may helps to explain it to some degree. But I still also recall the Penfold's guy saying that the 1998 vintage was a small one. Was this correct? My recollections of the 1998 vintage (of any wine) was that you could buy it for years later. It seemed to go on forever.
Penfolds grange is one of the top rated wines and extremely popular wine too among drinkers and i must say information that you shared is very interesting.
penfolds grange
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