Anyone pull a cork on 98 Grange recently?
thanks in advance
Jeff
It needs a lot of air. I would go for at least 6 hours in the decanter.
Yep. Two weeks ago. Give it a few hours in the decanter but certainly drinking well.
Based on these recent bottles what drinking window would you give it? I’ve got a case I haven’t touched yet.
Now to 2280 (if the cork holds out).
It will well outlast me. Opened a '95 Grange 2 weeks ago. Bit dried out and well-stored. It was a disappointing bottle to hold nearly 25 years.
I last had it in December. This was a pour from someone else at the end of a long auction dinner, so I am not sure how long it had been open- but at least 4 hours I would imagine.
The wine is freaking gorgeous- and little changed from release. That same night I also had a glass of the 1982 which was also in the same great place it was when I had it 15 years ago. I have not had all that many vintages of Grange, but if someone offered me a case tomorrow I would pick the 1998 without a doubt.
Grange really required a mindset change for me. It does not magically blossom and improve like most other top wines I know- which I attribute largely to the character of the grapes- but from day one it is pretty incredible stuff displaying plenty of nuance. And so it really does not have to evolve into something else to remain impressive. Plus there is something to be said for a top wine you can reliably open just about anytime and know what to expect.
I opened two bottles of the 98 late last year and it was amazing. Decanted maybe 1.5-2 hours before serving. The wine was in a great place and I wouldn’t hesitate to open it now. Will surely last at least another 20 years under proper storage. It has not fully integrated the oak, but the oak is not obtrusive. I was pleasantly surprised how much elegance and finesse the wine showed given tasting notes that suggest it is a bruiser.