Bottle 1: Very High Shoulder, Minor Label Damage, Minor Label Stain/s.
Bottle 2: Base of Neck Minor Label Stain/s
The 1978 Penfolds Grange is a rare and historically significant release from one of Australia’s most iconic wines. Produced by Penfolds, Grange represents the pinnacle of Australian Shiraz, renowned for its power, structure, and extraordinary longevity.
The 1978 vintage is considered a classic, cooler-style year, producing wines of structure, finesse, and long-term ageing capability rather than overt richness. Sourced from premium South Australian vineyards, primarily in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, the wine was crafted in the traditional Grange style and matured in American oak hogsheads, many of them new, contributing to its hallmark depth and complexity.
With over four decades of bottle age, the wine is now fully mature and offers a rare opportunity to experience aged Grange at its peak. The bouquet is deeply complex and tertiary, revealing aromas of dried blackberry, plum, and fig, intertwined with notes of leather, tobacco, cedar, spice, earth, and subtle smoky oak. Hints of mocha, game, and savoury nuance add further intrigue.
The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with resolved tannins, softened fruit, and a layered, savoury profile. While the power of youth has mellowed, the wine retains structure and length, delivering a long, elegant finish that speaks to its pedigree and careful cellaring.
This is a bottle to be approached with respect—careful handling and gentle decanting are essential to preserve its delicate maturity. Best enjoyed now, as further ageing is unlikely to improve the wine.
A true collector’s piece and a rare opportunity to experience a mature Penfolds Grange from a classic era.
