Wendouree Wine Notes

[Matt@5453]

2018 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec (13.6 % Alc)

Always like to try one on release of this wine. Decanted for 2 hours prior to consuming – I think it has good drinking appeal and approachability now, it does not have any rough edges or overt tannins etc.

Medium to full bodied with lovely palate weight, beautiful fruit, savoury, earthy, meaty tones, subtle oak with a lovely jube like flavour on the finish. Lighter / softer tannins than previous vintages, with a long lingering finish. It certainly continued to open up over the next couple of hours, but overall was a nicely balanced, dare say it ‘easy to drink’ wine. Thoroughly enjoyable and very approachable.

[Scotty vino]

been meaning to post this. Busy busy.
1976 Wendouree Pressings
1978 Wendouree Shiraz
2011 Wendouree Shiraz
2013 Wendouree CS

Was a privilege to try these older wines.
They were purchased from mailing list and spent their entire lives without moving in a passive Ade cellar with a 14-18 degree year variance according to our host. So provenance was solid and this was indicated by the excellent ullage.
Even so, i was very sceptical looking at them. The corks (sorry didnt get a pic) were really well soaked and had really done their miles. The 'easy does it' bottle on the floor cork removal approach was pivotal in getting these out in one piece. The Pressings actually came out in one pretty clean shot however the shiraz broke in two. Still a pretty good result. No decanting,no nothing here, maybe 15 -30 mins then in for a taste. The two newbies (2011, 2013) had been double decanted a few hours previously and if nothing else were the tickets to get into the show.

The nose on these older wines was incredible. Off the bat the shiraz and the pressing were very similar. The first thing that struck me though was the colour. I was blown away by the youthful colour to these compared to the aforementioned newer instalments. Just amazing. The nose on these unfurled very quickly and the pressings struck me first. Just the freshness here. I was getting some nice cherry red fruits, aniseed and liquorice straight away and the oak seem well intergrated off the bat. Just seemd so together and honestly i felt a bit out of my depth trying to gauge this properly. I wish I had some of the older wiser forumites palates on board to guide me thru. The Shiraz started to drift away from the pressings fairly quickly and i found the oak started to show it self more in the form of sweetness. Still tannin in both wines and a smattering of acidity but only a little. Overall just fantastic balance and length i was absolutely not expecting. matched with some scotch fillet on the open grill maybe seemed a bit over the top but hey why not. Moved onto the newer wines and by crikey they're just not ready compared to these older wines. We really messed up not having a mid 90's bottle to give some kind of link/guide to hold the tasting together. I'd say 1-2 hours most of the older wines were consumed. I really expected the oxygen to take over these and throw them over the edge but they hung in for the duration. maybe in the 2nd hour late i noticed a slight change but by then we all but done.

I've never had wines of this age tasting this fresh. Great stuff. If nothing else it really highlighted the years the newbies are going to need to become something like the old ones. I think screw cap could really have somehting to say here after the seeing the what the old corks had pulled off.

[phillisc]

Well done mate. That orange pressings label last seen on the '88 is so striking... should be resurrected.
No better palate than your own. Thanks for the note.
Cheers Craig

[Dragzworthy]

Good note Scotty..and agree with Craig. In fact I'd go so far to say that I prefer most of the older labels on classic Aussie wines (Tyrrell's, Wendouree, Penfolds all spring to mind)

[phillisc]

2001 Cabernet Malbec
A wonderful bottle, dark purple perfect cork, very heavy crust. Double decant and a breathe for four hours or so. A whiff of ecalypt, a hint of liquorice. A lovely delicate palate savory flavours and gentle drying tannins. A really interesting experience... haven't had a Cab Malbec since the '16 Adelaide offline... plenty more down in the hole... another 5 years easily
Cheers Craig

[Scotty vino]

2001 Cabernet Malbec
A wonderful bottle, dark purple perfect cork, very heavy crust. Double decant and a breathe for four hours or so. A whiff of ecalypt, a hint of liquorice. A lovely delicate palate savory flavours and gentle drying tannins. A really interesting experience... haven't had a Cab Malbec since the '16 Adelaide offline... plenty more down in the hole... another 5 years easily
Cheers Craig

Wendouree Cab Malbec still my fave in the lineup. A great expression of the region overall next to rizz IMO.
2001, just a pup !

[Luke W]

Help me here guys, i opened a 2006 Cab Malbec and a 2005 Shiraz, gave both a couple of hours in the decanter and then shared with 7 friends, only to be quite underwhelmed by both..... Neither showed any faults but both seemed to lack any joie de vivre (sic) as it were. Both have impeccable provenance, what could be going wrong?

[phillisc]

Luke, I opened a 96 Shiraz and a 96 Cabernet a couple of years ago and like you felt completely underwhelmed. The wines were good, free of taint but didn't wow me. The 01 Cab Malbec a few months ago was a different story, fabulous wine.

Cheers Craig

[JamieBahrain]

I'm not a big fan of 96 Wendourree. I found them simple and extracted dry reds.

Luke were they screw-cap?

[Luke W]

No they were cork wines

[Luke W]

Could they have been scalped?

[Bytown Rick]

The 01 Cab Malbec a few months ago was a different story, fabulous wine.

Cheers Craig

Ready to drink now Craig, or would it benefit from additional age? I have a single bottle of this particular wine.

[phillisc]

The 01 Cab Malbec a few months ago was a different story, fabulous wine.

Cheers Craig

Ready to drink now Craig, or would it benefit from additional age? I have a single bottle of this particular wine.

See above Bytown Rick, think it has another 5 years. I have three left, will drink at 2025/30/35 I reckon.

Cheers Craig

[JamieBahrain]

Could they have been scalped?

Tony Brady mentioned that the winery estimated cork failure rate was 10%.

So I guess the chance of your double-scalped scenario pretty low and under 1% ?

[Bytown Rick]

The 01 Cab Malbec a few months ago was a different story, fabulous wine.

Cheers Craig

Ready to drink now Craig, or would it benefit from additional age? I have a single bottle of this particular wine.

See above Bytown Rick, think it has another 5 years. I have three left, will drink at 2025/30/35 I reckon.

Cheers Craig

Thanks.

[Polymer]

Could they have been scalped?

96 is a bit of a weird year for Wendouree...They're decent wines but missing some of that drive and grip you'd expect..the flavor profile is also quite different...

They taste, to me, like they got a bit too ripe...just a bit plushy and not the normal level of acids..made for a relatively boring wine.

[phillisc]

Could they have been scalped?

96 is a bit of a weird year for Wendouree...They're decent wines but missing some of that drive and grip you'd expect..the flavor profile is also quite different...

They taste, to me, like they got a bit too ripe...just a bit plushy and not the normal level of acids..made for a relatively boring wine.

Polymer, interesting, and we are all different, I actually thought the 96s were a bit delicate and restrained, nice wines but not so much wow. Guess i have a few left to make another assessment.

Cheers Craig

[Polymer]

Could they have been scalped?

96 is a bit of a weird year for Wendouree...They're decent wines but missing some of that drive and grip you'd expect..the flavor profile is also quite different...

They taste, to me, like they got a bit too ripe...just a bit plushy and not the normal level of acids..made for a relatively boring wine.

Polymer, interesting, and we are all different, I actually thought the 96s were a bit delicate and restrained, nice wines but not so much wow. Guess i have a few left to make another assessment.

Cheers Craig

Well they're restrained in the tannins and acid department..and too ripe is not how I thought the flavor was..they're red fruited..but sweet red fruit. It is just that the missing acidity made me think they got too ripe...

96 is a bit like today's typical Wendouree...more open...less acid..softer tannins...

[Matt@5453]

The weather was absolutely shite yesterday in the Clare Valley, so I did a tidy and reorganize of my cellar stash and wine fridge. Probably like most people with a wine fridge, its a challenge to get all bottle shapes fitting nicely to maximize storage. Anyhow, I had one bottle that I could not fit properly, a 2013 Cabernet Malbec, so thought I would cull it, literally.

I decanted early in the day, then a double decant prior to service. A fair of sediment present. Medium to full bodied. Beautifully ripe blackcurrants, jubey/pastille like, nuances of eucalypt, graphite, violets, menthol, dried herbs, all wrapped up nicely with subtle french oak tones. Bright acidity and a bit of tannic grip, on a long finish. The wine really hit its straps 10 hours plus from decant time. A lovely balanced wine that drink well over the next 20 plus years.

I have tried each of the 2013 Shiraz Malbec, 2013 Shiraz Mataro and 2013 Cabernet Malbec in recent years, for my palate, the Cab Malbec is the stand out, with the Shiraz Malbec second.

[Chuck]

Nice reading notes on the Pressings. A 1985 version enjoyed at a kitchen table one afternoon at a mate's place was one of my great wine experiences.

[Matt@5453]

A bit of a Monday chuckle.

The below reference is from an "influencer", they clearly did not enjoy their 2005 Wendouree Shiraz.

The great part about wine is everyone has different tastes and opinions, but I thought it was worth sharing as it is a bit extreme

were beyond disappointed with the wendouree the other night. Everyone talks about it - it gets better after 5 days, decant for for 10 years, etc! What ever! For us it tasted like a wine Pappa Giuseppe would make back in the 70s possibly the 60s - made on the cheap. If you want a good, wine, a serious wine, a professional wine, @dutschkewines is the answer. From the get go, not even a minute in glass it was epic. No decanting needed. The only time was a good time. Who ever drinks wine over 4 days, according to XXXX is a Fuck Head. You’re not a wine drinker, you are a wanker. Good wine is drank in one sitting with good company and good music, no decanting, just drank from the bottle and @dutschkewines always hits mark, love you guys, keep making wines to Hazza’s standards 5/5

[JamieBahrain]

Maybe the wine was faulty? Maybe they didn’t like it? Must be an influencer of bogans with such big opinions about nothing?

[phillisc]

Not that I am into woke/cancel culture, but that post is even a bit extreme for me.
Was having a laugh reading it though.
Poster is either:
A Dutschke stooge
A Footballer's wife
A Bogan
Or as they stated themselves, perhaps a self-proclaimed wanker, who is right into Pet Nats

Do we know who this tosser is? What is the account...actually who cares!!

BTW had a lovely impromptu visit to MV on the weekend, Wirra RSW and Angelus looking good, Chook Block simply not worth the money, such a very light style of wine, almost drink now. Very interesting stuff at Lino Ramble (new one for me) Italian varieties not grown anywhere else in The Vale. Dropped into Maxwell, picked up 2018 Ellen St Shiraz, very very good.
Leisurely lunch at The Victory (where else?). Magnificent charred aged eye fillet with a few beers.
Ran into Doug, and he showed me the Wendouree cellar, they weren't kidding when its reckoned to be the biggest collection in Australia...Doug said if I ever wished to sell, he would buy the lot!!

Cheers Craig

[JamieBahrain]

I opened a 1994 & 1998 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro. Preparation was more of an afterthought- relaxed in an assumption pop and pour would deliver with such old wines. The aromatics were delightful, the 94 more dark fruited whereas the 98 that beautiful lavender/ violet note of the vintage as well as complex iron-earth scents. The 94 was inviting on the palate, lightly sweet fruited, quite complete on its long ride. The 98 was Wow toward the end of the bottle- suggesting a quick aeration in order. A great food wine, the acidity has a light eucalyptus infusion giving a hardness and austerity. With food the fruit is rich and mouth coating.

What fun these wines are.

[JamieAdelaide]

I had another 98 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro and a Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 1999.

Just a week ago, the 98 very good. This one was earthy and tertiary. Acceptable? Yes to many it would be deemed “autumnal” yet being able to compare to a bottle the week before it’s obviously flawed due cork allowing oxidation. I actually see this phenomenon a lot in Barolo and Barbaresco- wines of immense structure delivering “something” when the cork fails as a closure.

I recall a visit to Wendouree and Tony Brady stating winery trials were discovering about 10% of their wines adversely affected.

The 99 Shiraz Malbec was bountiful in a pleasantly rounded style; sitting comfortably within what I recall could be a vintage sometimes delivering wines of a short length.

Both excellent wines when cork delivers! 90% of the time.

[Hacker]

I have always liked Wendouree wines but generally only before another wine. We have had Wendouree often at onlines in Sydney and the fairly consistent story was if drunk first the Wendouree is in a good place and was generally given positive reviews. However compared to a subsequent wine it was considered inferior to the experience of comparison wine which showed more interesting nuances. Specifically I mean Henschke Mt Edelsten and Rockford BP.

Last week we put up a 2004 Wantirna Amelia Cabernet with a 2012 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec. Unfair comparison I understand, but the simple adjudication was which wine gave you more interest? The Wantirna was wonderful, at its peak with a lovely acid structure but not usurping the fruit presentation. Lovely wine.
By contrast the 2012 Shiraz Malbec was strict yet generous in fruit intensity. But for the illusive interest factor the Wantirna won the day.

This is my conundrum with Wendouree, good to great on its own but often caught short in mixed company.

[JamieAdelaide]

Fine wine is about 80% presentation and preparation for mine. You do what you have to do.

Nebbiolo ( similar in sone ways to Wendouree ) doesn’t always shine in a varied line up and especially with Bordeaux in my experiences.

[JamieAdelaide]

Had a 2011 Cabernet Malbec. I received 12 of them instead of the six so not sure what happened and it was only years later I’d discovered the error. I never check my annual order until boxes opened sometimes up to 20 years later!

A few rungs down on Wendouree standards here. It’s a solid dry Aussie red with faint echoes of typical Wendouree nuance- dry Aussie bush, violets and lavender. Best to leave a decade to draw out complexity.

[JamieAdelaide]

Lovely tasting of Wendouree Malbec from 1990 to 2019 courtesy the Classic Wine Club.

I’ve not the energy nor inkling these days to write up extensive notes. It’s a pity because this was quite the Wendouree event. Despite having seen sone Gala Wendouree events overseas where the wines lauded, Adelaide seems to be the reserved and unapologetic home of Wendouree lovers.

My highlights were the classic Malbec expression, at the top of its game worldwide, for a wine sometimes from 1890 vineyards and that’s $50 direct and not much more from auction! In Hong Kong I was seeing South America’s top Malbec heading toward $200 USD a bottle- and as exemplified by a few ring-ins tonight ( Yarra Yering & CJ Pask ) Malbec is often overblown and showing more wine craft than vineyard site!

The 1990 Wendouree Malbec was indisputably WOTN. Cork has been a problem and was so again tonight, but this was an amazing expression of Malbec, scary that it is peaking at 30 years when considering many of us have recent releases in the cellar! Tea, black fruits, iodine all in dense and even extract, great shape and drive on length.

The Wendouree Malbec 1992 was very representative of the vintage ( Wendouree-wise ) being almost molten and inexpressive despite its age. Dense and extracted, mint, black fruits, rusty and timeless finish with just a hint of gum nut in the persistence.

The Wendouree Pressings- Malbec 1997 was classical for me, scalped by cork taint by others. It’s a traditional Barolo drinkers Aussie for mine. Pine and a violet-lavender airy note to the fruit, though the scent dominated by classic black truffle. It’s long yet with pliable intensity with ironstone and old barrel influence on the edges. Timeless in character and I do wish I could have tested for TCA for my own education.

I’m unsure of protocols so a discrete big thanks to JM for putting this one on and with so much professional and interesting comment ( some second hand from Tony Brady ) And cheers to IH for the invite. Very warm and welcoming to Adelaide and I can’t wait to line up a few magnificent Barolos for you in appreciation!

[phillisc]

Jamie, thanks for the notes.
At the 2016 Adelaide offline, I brought along the 1997 pressings that has the small Mb notation on the label. Think the JM you refer to was in attendance and he, myself and others found it to be polarising with no point of reference when compared to any of the other wines presented.
I enjoyed it and have 5 left. I always buy the pressings when made, as they are really interesting and will probably evolve over decades. The 1988 version , which I have had 5 or 6 times, you could buy dozens back then, is brilliant.
Cheers Craig