Jeff generously opened this stuff up the other night after we went to Tosoni’s to celebrate his marriage, and I got to have some. This was not my first Penfolds Grandfather experience – I once had a glass at the Greengate in Killara. It cost me 15 dollars Australian and was worth every penny.
The Grandfather is still as stately as ever. This stuff is incredibly smooth, almost like honey has been mixed into it. Almost no trace of alcohol – you could down half a bottle of this and not feel anything but a sugar buzz (or at least it seems). In the US it will go for about $80 apparently – which is 8 times the price of the normal Penfolds Club port, which Jeff, Raphael and myself went in on a case for. Is it worth 8 times as much?
We debated this as Jeff, my father and I chatted in the backyard on a warm night at the end of summer in Kirkland. It was a beautiful experience, and the special nature of the port made it more so. I was glad to have my parents there at the end of a great night. There are some things that you cannot put a price on.
Now, I have a bottle of Great Grandfather that I got in duty free last year on the way back from Australia. This cost me about 300 dollars Australian (about US$240 at the time). When I have the guts to open this, I will see how much better port can be.
