A fabulous Grange, powerful, seamlessly constructed wine with perfect levels of glycerin and extract. The wine still seems very youthful, made in a very voluptuous, blockbuster Grange style. It is just now reaching its plateau of drinkability" -eRobertParker.com Feb 2002. Considered an outstanding vintage, Tim White said of it at a tasting in September 1999, "Very good. I like this, it’s just about perfect!" Anthony Rose at the same event observed, "Very big-boned and just starting to ease into a long final straight. I suspect this is - will be - a classic!"

Despite carrying many different Bin numbers in the early years, Grange was always labelled Bin 95 from the 1970 vintage. This wine is a favourite of Don Ditter, who worked at Penfolds from 1946 and succeeded Max Schubert as Chief Winemaker in 1975. The 1970 Penfolds Grange is a blend of 90 per cent Shiraz and 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, from Kalimna, the Barossa and Adelaide's Magill Estate vineyard. Vintage conditions were dry, a growing season with rainfall 40 per cent less than normal

1975 was the year Max Schubert retired from his post as Chief Winemaker, although he remained a consultant to Penfolds and kept an office at Magill Estate. He was succeeded by Don Ditter, who had worked with Penfolds as a winemaker since 1946. Penfolds 1975 Grange won two Gold and five other medals at Australian wine shows between 1976 and 1981. "A very powerful, rich, deep, muscular wine with enormous concentration, plenty of glycerin and sweetness, and remarkable freshness and vigor!" -Robert Parker Feb 2002

This vintage was seriously affected by drought, and the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires. Summer rainfall was half the average, following by record rains and flooding in March. "Deep brick red with brown edges, this smoky, meaty, cigarboxy and slightly varnishy Grange reveals a powerful bouquet of developed leathery complexity. Tannic, thickly structured and muscular, its deep, briary flavours of licorice, plums and cassis culminates in a drying, lingering finish. A powerful, still rather closed wine with a very long future indeed" -JeremyOliver.com

Tastings in September 1999 confirmed that the sheer intensity, power and overall balance of 1976 Grange meant it deserved its place as one of the great vintages of the 1970s. "Spectacular; enormous density of fruit with plenty of chocolate and dried fruits; almost port-like. Tannins are velvety and thick; so youthful, so monumental, so massively concentrated; amazing!" -Andrea Immer. "Consistently one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange, It had a phenomenal showing at Penfolds' Magill estate. A legend for sure! " -Robert Parker Feb 2002

A big, typical Grange and a very good wine from this vintage. Smooth, sumptuous and firmly structured, its deep, long palate of dark red and black berry flavours is wound around firm, but powder-fine tannins" -JeremyOliver.com, "The 1997 Grange looks to be a classic, The wine is opulently-textured, extremely soft, layered, and seductive, with Grange's tell-tale personality well-displayed, but in a seamless, seductive style. This is a superb Grange that can hold its own against the more heralded 1996" -Robert Parker Oct 2002