Ancient (!!) Chardonnay & Sauv Blanc

mgbridges · Post by **mgbridges** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:43 pm

Hi folks,

A guy at work has been clearing out his garage and has brought int some wine he found for (as he says) "anyone brave enough to try it!".

The wines are:
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay 1994
Corbans Select Chardonnay 1997
CJ Pask Gimblett Road Sauvignon Blanc 1996
Vidal Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc 1994

If anyone wants to commission me for an article on over-ageing white wines then my fees are fairly high!

My curiosity could almost get me to try them, but there is too much good stuff out there that I need to try first.

Cheers,

martin

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:13 pm

All cactus no doubt.

Nayan · Post by **Nayan** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:33 pm

Wayno wrote:All cactus no doubt.

Don't write off your chickens, before they don't hatch...

mgbridges · Post by **mgbridges** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:41 pm

My curosity nerve has been jangling ever since I posted my original message. If those bottles are still there tomorrow, at least one of them is going in my bag! But NOT the Wolf Blass Yellow Label!

Any ideas which of the other 3 might be the most palatable??

Martin

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:49 pm

Nayan wrote:
Wayno wrote:All cactus no doubt.

Don't write off your chickens, before they don't hatch...

OK. All cactus no doubt. Probably.

griff · Post by **griff** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:18 pm

I think I had a CJ Pask SB 1996 about 5 years ago and it was actually OK so why not go for that one!

cheers

Carl

KMP · Post by **KMP** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:54 am

I would not be quick to judge these wines harshly, and I would not dispose of them unopened.

We recently opened a bottle that my wife had bought a number of years ago and stored in a cupboard for most of its life before we moved it the cellar to fill an empty spot. It was a 1997 Callaway "Calla-Lees," Chardonnay from the Temecula region here in Southern California. Calla-Lees was an unoaked Chardonnay that spent time on its lees which filled the wine out quite a bit, according to those who drank it young. It sold for $10.

I was quite convinced that this would be far, far past its prime when we decided to open it a few months ago. But it was actually still quite lively, more so than other considerably more expensive California Chardies that I have had of similar age! It had developed honey and marmalade notes of nicely aged California Chardonnay and still had nice acidity. Not a classic by any means, but a surprise for sure!

Mike

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:51 am

Old sauv blanc can also get quite honeyed with age- once it gets past the canned grean pea juice or canned asparagus stage. I've had some very old sauv blancs that have gone like old semillon (though not quite as good) with honey and hay notes. I don't think I've ever had a very old Hawkes Bay sauv blanc, though, only Marlborough.
Swirl the bottle stink out of the glass after pouring and hope it goes away.
Cheers,
Sue

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:06 am

Wayno wrote:
Nayan wrote:
Wayno wrote:All cactus no doubt.

Don't write off your chickens, before they don't hatch...

OK. All cactus no doubt. Probably.

My limited experience with old whites at the cheaper level is Houghtons White Burgundy which I know ages pretty well by a freak of corporatised nature (or is it the varietals?). Don't know that the wines listed share the rightful ageworthiness of various Loire stalwarts but then I guess you never know. I retract my original brash comment and replace it with:

No. Probably all OK. Doubt cactus.

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:22 am

the kiwis may be drinkable if you are into the aged thing, but doubtless well past their best