As always the tasting notes of the Greenock mailer are glowing. The author does have an awesome handle of the english language, and a creative disposition, to say the least -
High quality winemaking, and cellaring potential are a given year in year out for GC, but from a value perspective, the range is difficult to come to grips with.
The lower end Apricot (mid $30's) and Alice's ($30) have been both fantastic ('99, '00) and questionable ('01) over the past couple of years. The Creek Block ($60) '99 and '01 are both closed at the moment, and don't look like opening for quite some time, so difficult to assess. RRs ($165) are a Parker favourite, and thus a great investment, but following in the footsteps of the '98s, the '99s may disappoint?
IMO, things have gone very awry for the folks at Greenock Creek.
The wines have risen in alcohol almost to the extent they have risen in price. I have been on their list for many years, and have witnessed a drop in quality combined with a sharp drop in value.
Firstly, they stupidly just let the mailing list grow and grow. Wines that were easily accessible in the mid-90's are now distributed in the 2 and 3 bottle lots. Most serious wine lovers won't purchase 2 bottles of a standard shiraz- it simply doesn't allow us to appreciate the development of the wine.
Secondly, I suspect they are now believing their own, or RPJ's publicity. The wines are getting bigger and bigger, and now more or less resemble dry ports. Gone are the days of the 96 Creek Block, which had high alcohol but retained a superb structure and balance. The 01's are, frankly, rubbish, and going absolutely no-where. The grenache is perhaps the worst example from the Barossa I have yet seen. Alcoholic lolly water at best.
Finally, their customer service has gone from first rate to abysmal. They no longer return calls or e-mails, a far cry from their early days when they actually needed customers.
I'll prolly buy my bottles of RR shiraz this year for curiosity's sake, but I must admit to be quite bored with their current style of wine.
Due credit to Langton's for not elevating them to the premier cru status in the early 2000's, as the wine-loving public (mainly American) demanded- the track record was never there, and I don't think it will ever be there.
Be careful AJ - it's Phillip White, not Tim White - the two could not be more opposite.
Greenock Creek have though lost the plot. They do seem to believe their own publicity. The idea of style, in a wine, seems to have been completely lost.
Personally I have mixed views on the Greenock Creeks, some I love, others I agree with AJ are just too porty and not to my personal taste.
The 1997 Roennfeldt Rd. Shiraz is worth every penny and is not a big porty mess but a structured gem !
The 2000 seven acre is a pearler, at 12.5% alcohol it seems quite tight on openeing but on the second night is focussed and elegant.
The 2000 Cab Sav was not to my style and was over the top and porty.
The 2000 Alice Shiraz, full on and a great wine for its price.
The 2000 Apricot block - Wonderful
The 2001 Alice, not as good as the 2000 but still not bad for its price.
The 2001 Apricot block - Forgettable.
The 2001 Creek Block - Yak, Yuk Gick.
The 2001 Seven Acre is another sloppy, porty mess.
Thats about it in a nutshell
Cheers -Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia. Now accepting wine for our next auction. http://www.wickman.net.au
Aussie Johns wrote:Thirdly, they get Tim White to review their wines.
Tim White of the AFR or Phillip White of the Advertiser? I thought it was the latter - in which case you have given the wrong bloke a spray.
GW
...sorry, my fault. I still meant Phillip White, not Tim. Not the first time I have used the wrong first name, last time I called Tim Phillip!!
...and yes, I meant to give Phillip a spray. In his notes, all the wines seem to smell and taste exactly the same.................maybe that's not too far from the truth!!
Aussie Johns wrote:Thirdly, they get Tim White to review their wines.
Tim White of the AFR or Phillip White of the Advertiser? I thought it was the latter - in which case you have given the wrong bloke a spray.
GW
...sorry, my fault. I still meant Phillip White, not Tim. Not the first time I have used the wrong first name, last time I called Tim Phillip!! ...and yes, I meant to give Phillip a spray. In his notes, all the wines seem to smell and taste exactly the same.................maybe that's not too far from the truth!!
I'd like to edit out the wrong name reference in your original post, alright with you?
I buy Greenock every year, and have built up a fair stock (from 94) and have hardly drunk any, as I like a bit of age. I will start to look at them, and report. I did try a 99 Apricot Block, and reported last week that it needs time, and will get better.
I have ordered what I am allowed to have from the current mailer, and put them in the cellar.
I do remember having a 96 Creek Block Shiraz a couple of years ago, and it was exciting. (I opened it by mistake!)
markg wrote:Personally I have mixed views on the Greenock Creeks, some I love, others I agree with AJ are just too porty and not to my personal taste.
The 1997 Roennfeldt Rd. Shiraz is worth every penny and is not a big porty mess but a structured gem !
The 2000 seven acre is a pearler, at 12.5% alcohol it seems quite tight on openeing but on the second night is focussed and elegant. The 2000 Cab Sav was not to my style and was over the top and porty. The 2000 Alice Shiraz, full on and a great wine for its price. The 2000 Apricot block - Wonderful
The 2001 Alice, not as good as the 2000 but still not bad for its price. The 2001 Apricot block - Forgettable. The 2001 Creek Block - Yak, Yuk Gick. The 2001 Seven Acre is another sloppy, porty mess.
Thats about it in a nutshell
Oh.. I should add to that the 1994 GC Cabernet, had some months ago - Wonderful, full on, in your face wine - but more like a shiraz than a Cab, but still enjoyable and bucket loads of years left in it.
Cheers -Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia. Now accepting wine for our next auction. http://www.wickman.net.au
