Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange released in
Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a difference in quality or
perceived value between the two?

"sephiroth" > wrote in message
u...
> Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange
released in
> Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a
difference in quality or
> perceived value between the two?
>
To my knowledge Grange is Grange wherever it's sold. Pricing
may change to reflect different marketplaces. My tasting
note ( 5 May 2003) is as follows

Penfolds Grange 1998. Around $300 plus. Cellar to 2030 and
beyond. 19/20 and Trophy

Regions: Kalimna (Barossa Valley); Barossa Valley;
Padthaway; Magill (Adelaide). Shiraz 97%, Cabernet Sauvignon
3%. Impenetrable black with purple edges. Nose of lifted,
super ripe dark berries, noticeable alcohol, new oak vanilla
in the background. Massive wine on the palate. Thick rich
and chewy, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, sweet
oakiness. Imagine a melange of black forest gateau with a
shot of first class mocha java on the side followed by an
astringent vintage port and you'll get an idea of the wine.
In a word, goluptious (look it up). Way too young to drink
yet. Try in 2010. Up there with the best Grange I've ever
had.

On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 21:35:07 +1000, "sephiroth"
> took the time to tell us :

>Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange released in
>Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a difference in quality or
>perceived value between the two?
>
>
I doubt it very very much. I know Southcorp have done a few silly
things over past years, but to risk besmirching the hallowed name of
Grange by such a practice would horrify me... in fact... scar me for
life. :>)

Regards....Swooper

Martin Field wrote:

>To my knowledge Grange is Grange wherever it's sold. Pricing
>may change to reflect different marketplaces. My tasting
>note ( 5 May 2003) is as follows
>

The 1990 Grange may not be the same anywhere. That is one of the wines
that has
had the label counterfeited. There were about 1,000 of those bottles
floating around
at one time. Strangely, the guys that did it, choose to put the labels
on some very
good wine that sold for about $30 per bottle.

Swoooper wrote:

>>Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange released in
>>Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a difference in quality or
>>perceived value between the two?
>>
>I doubt it very very much. I know Southcorp have done a few silly
>things over past years, but to risk besmirching the hallowed name of
>Grange by such a practice would horrify me... in fact... scar me for
>life. :>)
>

I believe that Grange and Magill Estates was imported into the US by
Wildman for a long time.
Then somewhere in the late 80's Penfolds was bringing a lot in
themselves through their office in
Monterey, CA. You could find bottles with the Wildman sticker on it and
bottles without it for
a few years. Somehow the state store in New Hampshire was selling the
Penfolds imported
Grange for about 75% of the Wildman imported Grange. I had a case
shipped in from Australia
in 89 ( that I won in a raffle ) that neither of them imported and I
would say they were all the same.

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> Martin Field wrote:
>
> >To my knowledge Grange is Grange wherever it's sold.
Pricing
> >may change to reflect different marketplaces. My tasting
> >note ( 5 May 2003) is as follows
> >
>
> The 1990 Grange may not be the same anywhere. That is one
of the wines
> that has
> had the label counterfeited. There were about 1,000 of
those bottles
> floating around
> at one time. Strangely, the guys that did it, choose to
put the labels
> on some very
> good wine that sold for about $30 per bottle.



From my notes 6 Jan 1999 - Martin

Sham Grange

The case of the counterfeit Grange, continued. According to
media reports Penfolds' parent company Southcorp instituted
proceedings in the Federal Court in December in an attempt
to bring to justice the fraudulent fakesters of pseudo
Penfolds.

Word around the wine traps is that the offending 1990
so-called Grunge is near-perfectly packaged. Apparently, the
fake packaging includes faux Grange tissue paper, look-alike
six-pack Grange wooden boxes, and Grange-type corks. The
labels, save for a couple of obscure mistakes, would
presumably fool the average wine drinker. One punter I met
in a wine bar claimed to have actually seen an offending
six-pack and to have tried a bottle. "Good wine," he said,
"definitely not Grange but would pass for a less expensive
Penfolds red." Adding, "Makes you wonder whether it wasn't
an inside job."

The reason I raised this question was because I saw this on ebay.com.au

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....ategory=60 99


"sephiroth" > wrote in message
u...
> Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange released in
> Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a difference in quality or
> perceived value between the two?
>
>
>

Martin Field wrote:

>Sham Grange
>
>The case of the counterfeit Grange, continued. According to
>media reports Penfolds' parent company Southcorp instituted
>proceedings in the Federal Court in December in an attempt
>to bring to justice the fraudulent fakesters of pseudo
>Penfolds.
>
>Word around the wine traps is that the offending 1990
>so-called Grunge is near-perfectly packaged. Apparently, the
>fake packaging includes faux Grange tissue paper, look-alike
>six-pack Grange wooden boxes, and Grange-type corks. The
>labels, save for a couple of obscure mistakes, would
>presumably fool the average wine drinker. One punter I met
>in a wine bar claimed to have actually seen an offending
>six-pack and to have tried a bottle. "Good wine," he said,
>"definitely not Grange but would pass for a less expensive
>Penfolds red." Adding, "Makes you wonder whether it wasn't
>an inside job."
>
>
>
>
As I recall Martin, the border around the whole label was black instead
of red.
I had not heard that the Grunge makers had been caught.

sephiroth wrote:

>The reason I raised this question was because I saw this on ebay.com.au
>
>http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....ategory=60 99
>
>
>"sephiroth" > wrote in message
. au...
>
>
>>Has anyone heard of a difference between Penfolds Grange released in
>>Australia to those released in US/UK? Is there a difference in quality or
>>perceived value between the two?
>>
>>
The warning makes the point pretty clearly. That is a mighty fine nuance
to remember. The way it is
written, each of the three labels are valued differently.
I think this is one for Martin to chase down in Adelaide Hills.

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> Martin Field wrote:
>
> >Sham Grange
> >
> >The case of the counterfeit Grange, continued. According
to
> >media reports Penfolds' parent company Southcorp
instituted
> >proceedings in the Federal Court in December in an
attempt
> >to bring to justice the fraudulent fakesters of pseudo
> >Penfolds.
> >
> >Word around the wine traps is that the offending 1990
> >so-called Grunge is near-perfectly packaged. Apparently,
the
> >fake packaging includes faux Grange tissue paper,
look-alike
> >six-pack Grange wooden boxes, and Grange-type corks. The
> >labels, save for a couple of obscure mistakes, would
> >presumably fool the average wine drinker. One punter I
met
> >in a wine bar claimed to have actually seen an offending
> >six-pack and to have tried a bottle. "Good wine," he
said,
> >"definitely not Grange but would pass for a less
expensive
> >Penfolds red." Adding, "Makes you wonder whether it
wasn't
> >an inside job."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> As I recall Martin, the border around the whole label was
black instead
> of red.
> I had not heard that the Grunge makers had been caught.

Bill, I saw a a few of these bottles and actually got to
taste one. I thought it was a good red - probably a Penfolds
Bin 389. The label would have easily fooled me - I read
later that the barcode was the wrong colour, red when it
should have been black or vice versa. Also the word 'pour'
on the labels was inexplicably misspelt 'poor'.
Martin