TN: 1990 Sevenhill St Ignatius

[n4sir]

1990 Sevenhill St Ignatius, Clare Valley (cork): Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec & Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.2% alc/vol. Light to almost medium red/brick. Smells good from the first whiff albeit a little porty, with strawberry jam, rum & raisin chocolate, becoming more leathery and bitey with breathing. The entry is tart and earthy, light to medium-weight with red berry fruit and a touch of coal, bright acidity and soft tannins mid-palate, finishing with cranberry and a touch of jamminess to go with that rum & raisin, perhaps the influence of the malbec. Good length. A lovely old wine, if not a star.



Cheers,
Ian

[jimbob47]

I love Sevenhill wines. I worked there for a time in 2008 and frequently go back to visit friends there. Sevenhill wines is where I developed my passion for them... from having long chats with Brother John May to have him open up the occasional special bottle of old Riesling or lovely red.

[Mark Carrington]

A lovely place to visit.

[monghead]

Great notes as usual Ian. Thank you! Are the pictures with each TN going to be a new addition to the 2013 TNs? I like...

BTW, where would we be without our "Ah-so"s

Cheers,

Monghead.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Ian,

The wine sounds lovely as I'm usually quite forgiving of an older wine. When I was at Sevenhill's cellar door I wasn't really impressed with the St Ignatius nor any of the reds. I was there in early 2001 so I think the reds were from the '98 vintage and they seemed rather bland though now, given your notes, I wonder how they might have developed.

Back then I was impressed with their whites, which were sold out, as well as their dessert wines. The 1987 Port, which was on sale at the time, was very good. I bought a few bottles and brought them home to Edmonton. A few years ago a bottle of the '87 convinced my friends that they were drinking a Portuguese port. A fine result.

Cheers..........................Mahmoud

[Cloth Ears]

We were there in September and picked up half a dozen of the 1999 St Ignatius, which has so far been delicious. I took the wife on a tour, hoping to get John May (who was unfortunately ill), as I'd first been shown around by him back in the late 70's.