1982 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

Deep brick colored, the 1982 Grange has an evolved/mature, meat/gamy and spice cake nose with a waft of balsamic, old chesterfield and some pleasant funk. Soft, elegant, fully mature and light to medium-bodied, it still has tons of spice and savory fruit to offer and satisfying length.

Fruit from Kalimna, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Magill, Modbury. A very good vintage in South Australia with a mild growing season which ended with a burst of warm weather. 94% Shiraz, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. 18 months in new American oak hogsheads. pH 3.39, TA 6.9 g/l. Gorgeous core of fruit. Very complex but slightly funky. Dry finish. They call it '82 char'. Red currants? Medicinal. (JR)

Whiclar Wines on the main label as UK importer. This particular 'icon' seems relatively cheap – a subject discussed here . Blackish ruby. Molten treacle toffee plus tarmac on a hot day. Edge of coconut. Just the merest hint of oxidation. So easy to see why this wine was initially dismissed as 'dry port tasting of ants'. Very rich yet dry on the end with quite a bit of acidity. Very refreshing – perhaps because of its whole 6% of Cabernet Sauvignon. According to the label, just 13%. (JR)