1951 «« Past.

The wine itself is past its peak although some bottles still have fruit sweetness and flavour length. Typically, a dull tawny colour, skeletal palate structure, virtually no fruit or flesh and fading tannins.

100 percent shiraz. The first experimental Grange; never released commercially and extremely rare. Rare hand-blown bottles. 50 percent Magill Estate, 50 percent Morphett Vale (Adelaide). 100 cases/ 3 hogsheads made. Released as Bin 1.

1952 ««««« Drink now to 2060.

Medium-deep brick crimson. Beautiful waxy polished leather, vellum and roasted walnut/panforte aromas with dried apricot and sous bois notes. Supple and sweet with roasted walnut, redcurrant, apricot, forest floor and roasted coffee flavours. Lacy fine tannins, superb mid-palate richness and viscosity and filigreed acidity. A beautiful wine with mineral length and feathery plume. Could last another 50 years. One of the highlights of The Rewards of Patience Edition 8 tasting.

100 percent shiraz. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide). Around 100 to 150 cases made; sold less than $1 a bottle at release. Some half-sized bottles were also produced. Released as Bin 4 and Bin 4A. The first commercial release.

Subtle spicy, lightly balsamic aromas with polished mahogany, autumnal notes. Composed, comparatively rich and meaty with a seemingly steady flow across the palate. Like eternal embers. (NB)

Wonderful freshness courtesy of perfect pH balance. Still showing dark fruits, a full deck of secondary warm earth spicy flavours, and soft persistent tannins. (JH)

1953 ««««« Drink now or keep for a while longer.

Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense dark chocolate, sandalwood, vellum, roasted walnut, polished mahogany and espresso aromas with a VA lift. Well-concentrated with developed leathery ground coffee, dried plum and bitter chocolate flavours. Fine loose-knit, chalky, dry sinewy tannins and flavours of roasted walnut and sandalwood with persistent acidity. Lighter in body than the 1952, with a fine chalky residue and inky complexity. Beginning to dry out but could last for decades if cellared correctly and the cork holds out. A Jancis Robinson MW 20/20 wine.

87 percent shiraz and 13 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). 260 cases made. Some half bottles were released. First and then uninterrupted use of Kalimna fruit. Released as Bin 2 (also Bins 10, 86C and 145).

Redcurrant spicy floral roasted tobacco aromas and flavours with lovely density, vivacity and animated dusty tannins. (JR)

Powerful sous bois, cedar aromas with Chinese herbal medicine notes. The palate is vibrant and full, with a surprising core of fruit sweetness, layers of flavours and tannin vigour. (FW)

1954 ««« Drink now (past).

Medium-deep brick crimson. Superb mature wine with miso soup, orange rind, demi-glace and meaty, apricot aromas and star anise notes. Beautifully developed demi-glace, cola, gamey flavours with orange cola and espresso notes. Integrated soft minerally acidity and superb long flavourful finish. Complete, complex and composed with lovely flowing and harmonious structure. Note the early bottling date (11/11/1954). A curio now. Very rare.

98 percent shiraz and 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate (Adelaide) and Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). Internal criticism led Max Schubert to lighten the style slightly. Only nine months in oak. Released as Bin 11 and Bin 12.

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