1961 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

A blend of 88% Shiraz and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1961 was the first Grange to incorporate some grapes from Coonawarra. Nevertheless, the base for this wine continued to be the Magill estate in Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, and the Kalimna sector of the Barossa. The first bottle was completely maderized, but a second showed plenty of amber in the color, a somewhat monolithic personality with notes of roasted coffee, singed leather, hot rocks, herbs, underbrush, and pruny fruit. The wine is somewhat out of balance, with the tannin and acidity dominating the fruit with sweetness. It needs to be drunk up. Imported by Southcorp Wines North America, Monterey, CA; tel. (408) 655-4848.