1973 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

Note: As pictured, this bottle is completely original and has not been clinic-ed.

***This wine is over 50 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***

Other Reviews....
Birth year wines must be chosen carefully to stand the test of time. I was fortunate to celebrate my 50th birthday with a beautifully cellared 1973 Penfolds Grange, generously shared by a dear friend. It displayed incredible freshness and showcased Grange's hallmark density, concentration, and complexity, even from a less acclaimed vintage!
Toni Paterson MW - Australian Wine Companion 2025

Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines

REGIONAL SOURCES: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa valley, Magill, Modbury (Adelaide Plains)

GRAPE VARIETIES: 95% Shiraz & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 12.4 % Total acids: 6.3 grams per litre pH: 3.76

GROWING SEASON / VINTAGE: A dry growing season followed by a cool vintage.

COMMENTS: This was the last wine made in the open, wax-lined concrete fermenters at the Magill winery. Subsequent vintages have been made at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley. Considered a good wine from an undistinguished vintage. Nevertheless, won a trophy, five gold, four silver and six bronze medals between 1974 and 1982.

Tasting Notes:SIZE> Colour: medium deep red. Bouquet: particularly complex sweet oak and ripe fruit, something of a surprise. Palate: does not quite live up to the bouquet; much lighter style; sweet but not oxidised. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

Shows some bottle development. Good depth of fruit flavour and sweet oak. Quite complex. Ready to be enjoyed. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

Complexity and balance make for an attractive mouthful. Good drinking. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

Meaty, slightly "animal", mature nose. Lovely, warm, generous wine in the mouth, fleshy and dense with high extract. At its peak. Drink now till around 2000. (Huon Hooke, 1992)

Meaty bouquet with hints of licorice and sweet chocolate. Sweet toffee and chocolate flavours on the palate, combined with medium extract and good tannin structure result in a richly textured and generously-flavoured wine. A lighter-bodied Grange. At its peak. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

Fully mature, with fruit, oak and aged characters all integrated. Some sweetness remains. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

"Medium brick red. Chamomile, citrus peel and chocolate/berry aromas with touches of soft leather. Very big and mouthfilling with sweet, stocky fruit and notes of tar, leather and nutmeg. Firm, gripping tannins and long finish. More structured style but still has a very good core of fruit sweetness. Drink now." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)