Oh fateful day (well if that isn’t the gayest start to a blog ever). The other day was a a bit of a wine coup d’etat. In one day, I tasted the Penfolds 1997 Grange and a mid sixties St Henri Shiraz. And it provided a very costly lesson - for some more than others.

By talking about this, i’m probably ruining my chances of any other dumb wine luck. But by finding some dusty labelless bottles being in a shop being sold for charity, I came across the mid 60s St Herni shiraz going for a song. Of course the problem was, with a label, it’s pure speculation. Although everyone I spoke to (a Grange specialist on eBay, the Penfolds customer support line and a posh wine store in town) unanimously agreed on the type and approximate vintage. Not a bad acquisition for a few measily bucks. The verdict was simply based on the markings on the bottle, and lack of a punt at the bottom. Apparently up until the 80s, they used really crappy glue on the labels. So it’s at least that old!

How did it taste? For a wine up to 40 years, just pure simple fruit. No tannins, no jaminess or kerosine  you sometimes get with over aged wines. Only pure, simple, divine and well balanced fruit. A very rare experience indeed.

How does this relate to the Grange? Well the store we were at had it on tasting at a highly reasonable $370 a bottle. Well highly reasonable for Grange considering most stores sell it for $450. A couple next to us pondered for a good 20 minutes and bought a case. Kind of sad when that $4500 could’ve bought literally 450 good reds at this particular sale. No doubt those 12 stunning Granges will impress their friends no end. Suckers.

Yes we tasted the Grange, and it was good. Well, it was a base model BMW good. Highly reliable, well put together and full of badge value, but hardly worth the money good. Drive the equivalent Toyota and you’ll wonder if the money was really worth it for that badge.

The lesson learnt is especially while there is still massive over abundance of good fruit, price doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best. Your pallette is the only thing that can tell you that. Failing that, if you learn a bit about wine, you can find bloody good bargains everywhere, even 40 year old ones!

So next time someone tries to impress you with their Grange collection, point and laugh and tell them you know someone that had a 40 year old St Henri for $1. And he couldn’t care less that it didn’t have a label on it! It’s for enjoying with friends, not to big note yourself to mates! And that’s why big dollar wines will never be worthy of their price tag. They’re just trying to turn wine into the next big dollar watch or Louis Vitton handbag.

N.B. Penfolds reckon the only difference between the St Henri and the Grange Hermitage back in day, was the former was barrelled in old oak, and the later in the new.