A blend of 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, Max Schubert commented in 1993 that this vintage was "not quite up to the mark." For technicians, this was the last vintage to use white capsules on the bottle, with Penfolds moving to the crimson red foils in 1980. The wine is deep ruby garnet with an unusual nose of root vegetables mixed with cola, caramel, black currant, and tar. Relatively attenuated in the finish, but sweet on the attack, this wine seems to be narrowing out, with the tannins becoming increasingly dominant. If this is typical of the direction the evolution of this wine is taking, it is not reassuring. The wine is certainly still full, but may ultimately tend to dry out rather than blossom and prove expansive. This is a vintage to monitor closely.
-eRobertParker.com Feb 2002

(92 pts)
Production: 5,700 cases Blend: 87% Shiraz/13% Cabernet Sauvignon
The 1979's black/purple color is followed by a subdued nose revealing scents of mint, blackcurrant, licorice, and earth. This huge, full-bodied, moderately tannic Grange is extremely youthful and backward. Although not as thick or massive as either the 1978 or 1980, this is a large-scaled, mouthfilling heavyweight from Down Under. It can be drunk now, but 2-4 more years of cellaring will result in more complexity. Note: The production figures shown are for twelve bottle cases unless otherwise noted.
-Wine Advocate #100 Aug 1995