Blackberry, blueberry, spice and dark chocolate aromas. Full body, deep and powerful. Just a baby. Layered. Goes on for minutes. Drink or hold. (James Suckling, Feb 2018, 98 Pts)
The 1990 performed well in the tasting, but, along with the 1980, was the least impressive of these Granges. The 1990 is loosely knit, seems to border on overripeness with its jammy character, and has a slightly more aggressive style of tannin ... or are the acids more pronounced? It is certainly outstanding, displaying full body along with a classic smoky, blackberry, cassis, pepper, and forest floor-scented bouquet. Of all these wines, it appears to be the most evolved.
Grange, Penfolds’ flagship wine, is, by many accounts, the most renowned and world-famous wine produced in Australia, and these six vintages from my cellar all acquitted themselves well. These wines are almost always Shiraz, but many vintages include less than 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are cross-appellations blends from vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale. (Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 30th Jun 2009, 94+ Pts)