Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1986 is a landmark vintage and one of the most celebrated Granges ever made — Don Ditter’s last, and awarded a Red Star in the Penfolds Rewards of Patience (Sixth Edition) for exceptional quality. Rated 100 points by Tastingbook. A rich, opulent Shiraz (87%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) from Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, and Modbury Vineyard — matured 20 months in new American oak hogsheads. This bottle is in pristine condition, re-corked at the Penfolds Winery re-corking clinic in 2007, and comes gift boxed. Peak drinking now to 2045.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Deep crimson — the concentrated, evolved colour of a landmark Penfolds Grange of exceptional depth and age-worthiness, with the intensity and complexity that 20 months in new American oak hogsheads and decades of careful cellaring deliver.
Aroma
Powerful and immediately captivating — evolved blackberry and dark chocolate lead with intensity and complexity, with mocha, roasted chestnut, liquorice, and herb garden nuances adding layer upon layer of depth. Cedar, malty, and smoky oak characters in fine harmony with the ripe Shiraz fruit. A nose of extraordinary distinction.
Palate
Richly concentrated, dense, and powerful — dark chocolate, mocha, blackberry, and liquorice flavours carry through a palate of exceptional complexity, with fine muscular tannins, meaty dried herb complexity, and underlying roasted chestnut and vanilla oak notes. The finish is firm, chocolaty, and graphite-edged with an attractive inky plume — superbly long and flavourful. A great Grange still on the ascendancy.
Pairs With
Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1986 is best enjoyed as a contemplative wine of exceptional rarity — equally rewarding alongside Argentinean-style lamb back-strap, aged hard cheeses, and richly flavoured dishes that complement its extraordinary depth, complexity, and power.
Reviews
100 Points — Tastingbook
Red Star — Penfolds Rewards of Patience, Sixth Edition (2008)
“The stories of Grange epitomise how imagination and gut-feel transcend numbers. Max Schubert pushed boundaries because he wasn’t constrained by scientific dogma and he dared to believe in himself.” — Andrew Caillard MW
