Grange is Penfolds’ flagship: a multi-vineyard, multi-district Shiraz built for long cellaring, with ripe fruit set against new American oak. The 1980 is a cooler-season, lower-alcohol expression than the post-1996 wines (which sit at 14%+). Official house notes from Don Ditter (last official tasting 1999) describe:
- Colour: medium red/purple (now typically brick-garnet with a mature rim)
- Nose: intense, fragrant chocolate, cherry, prune, dried fig
- Palate: dense and chewy; ripe prune/chocolate fruit; pronounced grainy tannins; long finish
Later Rewards of Patience notes (Andrew Caillard MW) add dark chocolate, dark berry, cranberry, panforte, mint, savoury mocha/menthol, and fine, almost powdery tannins with a lengthy, sinuous finish. At 46 years, good bottles show tertiary cedar, walnut, leather, mocha, and spice; weaker corks show fustiness, coffee grounds, and drying tannin. Magnums and Penfolds-reconditioned bottles have shown better.
Critics’ reviews (selected):
Scores vary with bottle condition; older notes were taken when the wine was younger.
- Robert Parker / Wine Advocate: 94+ (2009, issue 183) — dark garnet; earthy, meaty, bacon-fat, scorched earth, blackberry, currant, pepper, spice; full, slightly rustic tannins; then still with life ahead. Earlier published notes also list 96.
- Wine Spectator: 93 — rich, sweet and silky; currant and plum with licorice and leather.
- James Suckling (2017): layered chocolate, cedar, walnut and berry; lots of cedar; medium body, soft and delicious; “holding on nicely”; noted the very low alcohol for Grange.
- Andrew Caillard MW (Rewards of Patience): concentrated dark chocolate/plum, mocha, menthol; powdery tannins; drink now or keep a while (window then given as now–2020).
- Joanna Simon (Paris vertical, 2016): exotic spicy nose (sandalwood, cedar); compact palate of black fruit, plum, raspberry, chocolate, soy/Marmite, vanilla cream; dusty tannins; expected to hold to 2020.
- Jeremy Oliver: 17.3/20 in a 2004 Rewards of Patience context (one bottle described as ordinary / cooler-season, green-tinged).
- CellarTracker: community average about 93.3 (50+ notes); recent 2023–24 notes range from 92–98, with magnums and recorked bottles at the top.
- The Real Review (2025 vertical of pre-1994 Granges): 89 on that bottle — coffee grounds, fusty, very mature, a little past its best but still drinkable. Underlines cork variation.
Consensus: a very good, not “greatest ever” Grange — more elegant and less massive than 1976/1982/1986 — that can still be excellent from a sound bottle.
Food pairings:
Official house match: mature cheddar.
Also works with:
- Dry-aged beef, ribeye, roast lamb shoulder
- Venison / game with dark jus
- Braised short ribs, mushroom or soy-savoury dishes
- Aged hard cheeses (Comté, pecorino, vintage cheddar)
Avoid delicate fish and very spicy heat; the wine is dry and savoury, not sweet.
