Robert Weber

8.9

Entering maturity. Subtle tertiary notes. — 4 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Red & black fruits, cassis, spice box, cedar, leather & tobacco — 11 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2025 vintage (primeur). Looks like it will become one of the best ever. — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Gorgeous texture and character. Dark plum and leather. Notes of stone and herb and iodine. Great length. Superb — a month ago

with Walker and David

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(some fine sediment). A splendid still dark magenta color with bricking. On the nose: Beautiful areomatics of blackberry, cigar box, worn leather, green vegi, bandaid(brett). Taste: savory, elegant, structured wine with some sour cherry, currants, tobacco leaf, charred earth, and a crushef rock-coffee medium finish. Sure, on the downside, but still drinks savory good tonight. — 6 days ago

with Brenda

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

Lacks complexity but its a truly excellent bottle and is singing now. Really good wine that is long lasting in bottle. Classical style. — a month ago

with Jose, veronique and 4 others

Jay Kline

9.5

I have dreamed of the 1981 Grange for many, many years. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: I’m an ‘81 baby and that year doesn’t have the strongest reputation for producing great wines. Spain and Italy faired better and of course, there were always exceptions. However, most have long been drank or forgotten as it was a tough year in many of the classic wine growing regions. All of that being said, Australia didn’t suffer the same conditions and Penfold’s managed to make a very good expression of Grange in 1981…if only one could find it and then of course, afford it. But, sometimes you just have to put it out into the universe and she answers. Tonight, a dear brother in wine who also happens to share 1981 as a birth year, provided this bottle from his cellar to share. And while my 45th remains a couple months off, we were celebrating life and friendship tonight!

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1981 pours a deep purple color moving towards a garnet rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated tart black, red and blue fruits and rotundone: blackberries, raspberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, black olive, cocoa, coffee, eucalyptus, leather, toasted coconut, earth and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is looooong. What a stellar showing and this bottle certainly lived up to hype. Drink now through 2041+. — 2 months ago

David Koenen

8.9

Stubborn and tannic. Fruit integrated and evolved, but will it outlive the bold tannic structure? Dunno. — a day ago

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

9.1

At peak. Not great, but balanced, resolved and we emptied the bottle fast. — 11 days ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Great clarity and texture. Deep and impressive. Fully resolved but still powerful. Very good — a month ago

with Walker and David