topic Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage? in Community Spirit

Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:02:36 GMT

Anyone tasted a Grange Hermitage and is it worth spending $700 - $1,000 on?

Is it really extraordinary?

Or is maybe a Henscke a better option?

Thinking of buying one for my fathers birthday. 🙂

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

donnashuggy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:06:25 GMT

Yes but I would rather someone bought me something just as good for $50

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

the_great_she_elephant — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:46:22 GMT

I have a suspicion that the vast majority of people who buy Grange Hermitage don't buy it to drink anyway, It's simply an investment. I often wonder how long you could actually keep it before it stopped appreciating in value and went 'over the hill'.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:55:03 GMT

Wise words donna. My father would probably say the same.

tgse - It certainly would be an expensive bottle of vinegar. How does a buyer stand if buying such an item from a well known retailer and it has turned?

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

*mrswormwood* — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:07:57 GMT

Penfold's used to offer a recorking service for Grange.

We've had quite a few bottles of Grange and although it is excellent, the wine industry of Australia has really developed since it's inception.

A brilliant win is a Paxtons Shiraz from MacLaren Vale or invest in a cellared Wynn's Coonawarra Cab Sav

It all comes down to personal taste.

For the price of a bottle of Grange, you could take him to one of the fantastic degustation sessions at a good winery.....fine foods and fine wines

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

buzzlightyearsgirlfriend — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:38:30 GMT

The first red I ever tasted was a Grange.

However, for under a hundred bucks you can get a bottle of Penfolds Bin 389 - these are "matured" or whatever they call it in the wine barrels of the previous year's Grange.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

fuggsy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:44:59 GMT

If you want to taste what a Grange is somewhat like get a Penfolds Bin 389 way way way cheaper and its referred to as the poor man’s grange because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.

Personally having drunk both over many vintages over many years I prefer the 389 any day

Reviews of the wine here

http://www.crackawines.com.au/Penfolds/Penfolds_Bin_389_Cabernet_Sauvignon_Shiraz/Wines

Also there are many a vintage of the 389 for sale on eBay at reasonable prices.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:30:14 GMT

Excellent advice all. Many thanks. 🙂

fuggsy n buzz, great minds. I shall try the 389.

mrswormwood, Coonawarra cab sav has always been my fathers favorite. And will also try the Paxton's Shiraz.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

lurker17260 — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:02:40 GMT

Yup, and it was very nice, mainly because someone else paid for it 😄

Wouldn't bother otherwise.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

lightningdance — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:14:12 GMT

Me & a friend finished the last bottle in '99 from a dozen my OH bought earlier. It was just hanging around with all our other wines. I had no idea it was so exclusive, we used to drink it all the time. My OH was a wine connoisseur so he knew, he was not happy.

Wouldn't pay that much for it these days, besides, we don't drink anymore...sigh

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

bright.ton42 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:40:17 GMT

Kopenhagen I know little about wine so can't give any advice like the others

have done but I'd only consider getting the Grange for your father if he is a

true connoisseur and knows his wines and would really appreciate the expense

you'd gone to.

Re: Tasted a Grange Hermitage?

i-once-was-bump — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 08:49:54 GMT

I have been know to drink the odd bottle of Henscke and while many rave over Hill of Grace I really like Abbot's Prayer.

Oh those were the days when one could afford to buy bottles of red wine.

One Christmas we knocked over 6 bottles of Hill of Grace in 3 days, the best hangover I never had because wine like that does not give a hangover.

It really depends what type of wine a person likes and what they will do with it.

The Abbots Prayer I used to buy was ready to drink within the year but Hill of Grace was always meant to be put aside for a few years.

My mother is well into her 80s now so any wine for her has to be ready to drink now not in 5 years. (I hope she never reads what I just wrote!!:^O)