wynnsday release

[Ddavew]

Did anyone get any of the new release ?love to hear some feedback/notes on them.

[Thommo]

I see that the release price on the black labels is now $40.

This seems a bit over the money for me, but then I have never really "got" Wynns BL (possibly because I am yet to try an example with more than 6 years bottle age).

[newworld]

The green shop are only doing Wynnsday in selected stores this year. It's all very low key. Maybe the extremely low scores from the critics has something to do with it?

[Mike Hawkins]

I see that the release price on the black labels is now $40.

This seems a bit over the money for me, but then I have never really "got" Wynns BL (possibly because I am yet to try an example with more than 6 years bottle age).

Worth tracking down an older bottle Thommo. I've had the 76, 82, 86, 90 and 91 in recent years, and all have been spectacular.

Cheers

Mike

[GraemeG]

Tasted them in Sydney today. The black label wines are pretty good - no-one would mistake the cab for the shiraz, either. I thought 2010 was supposed to be pretty decent in Coonawarra - heck of a lot better than 2011, at any rate!
The V & A's are too expensive ($50) for what they are, but I thought the blend was a more complete package of the two. The 2009 Glengyle is the pick of the releases for me, especially at sub-$40. Michael & JR are way less oaky than they used to be; they're still plush and luxurious, but at $100+ they're having themselves on. They do seem a lot friendlier upon release than they used to; maybe that'll help Michael, as I've never tasted an old one that was much good. JR - meh, I dunno. Still think I'd buy Glengyle, even at the same price.
Will write up detailed notes when I get the chance.
GG

[phillisc]

Cheers Graeme, similar sentiments here
went to two instore tastings in Adelaide, with only 3 of the 9 stores getting any allocation, the drip feed marketing strategy is alive and well, leave us hanging to snap up $100 bargains

anyway, some impressions and please I can not write a note like Ian, but here goes.

Cabernet has regained its crown, a bit of a mixed bag in relation of 09 vs. 10 vintage and some good and poor wines in the line up.

2010 BL shiraz. Not sure what the fuss is all about this wine, especially that there will be no 2011 release and strangely of the two samples I tried yesterday at two different stores, very very different. clearly I have a lot to learn about tasting, but such bottle variation in a young red under stelvin was a surprise. Nose was plush, plummy, fruit shining through, not excessively dominated by oak, medium bodied on the palate and quite light in colour, probably no more vibrant than the white label shiraz, and clearly less bright than the Michael. finishes a little short, but well integrated tannin and a soft finish.
The second taste at another store was a muted nose, really harsh acidic green palate, degree of hotness and really out of wack tannins dominated by oak...revolting.

Whether there will be a 2012, will probably mean that I may get a few, and at sub $25, is one where it should be (RRP $60!!!) and two, could be some sub $20 discounting this weekend, which would make it a very good buy. Don't think this wine will live as long as the BL cab.

2010 BL. a really nice surprise, opens really well, rich berry and a little mixed spicy, slightly savoury but more sweet for me, little bit of leaf, capsicum, slightly meaty aroma , palate is really well balanced , tannins not aggressive and a bit of a fruit bomb in the mouth, which appeals to me, but others may find a little simple. I enjoyed it. I feel it is in a better place now than the 09 and is a much more forward wine, and despite that others have said that 09 is the wine to buy, 2010 is also worth a punt, especially if discounted.

2010 V&A shiraz, a massive disappointment, agree not worth the money. Both tastings revealed really muted nose, trying to poke its way around the timber and very little expression of berry etc, almost too cool climate and to be frank rather dumb.....bottle shock perhaps? palate did nothing to reinforce my thinking, short thin, green and unbalanced. not worth buying.

2010 V&A cab shiraz, sorry did not note the blend percentages. this is clearly the better of the two V&A's. opens very nicely with berry, cassis, a little bit of that smoky cigar box, secondary shiraz characters giving nice complexity. Palate full plush, rich and 2 varieties in balance, not dominating. Really good mouth feel and tannin structure, really like this wine and in the future Wynns probably need to consider putting out a premium of this blend ah-la centenary. I enjoyed this one a lot.

If the talk is to be believed, this is the last release of the V&A's, with WCE looking to position JR into the stratosphere, with a number of single vineyard releases at the $70 plus mark and BL at $40.

2009 Glengyle single vineyard Cab. The star of the show, and at $38 the best buy of the range. all i can say is it is more complex than the BL, delivers more packs more of a punch, but could be drunk now or in 20 years, really plush and long finishing, the wine making team got this right and clearly had some good fruit to work with. really fruit driven with oak playing a supporting role. Classy wine and makes more really look forward to the 2010 JR, thats if I can afford it.

2009 Michael. i don't know if this makes sense but this wine was.....quiet.
Gave away a little on the nose, some pepper, spice, berry, a little sweetness, cinnamon, but clearly needed more than 30 minutes breathing. palate was plush but greatly restrained, hardly any oak dominance, but feel that this will gradually evolve, really lingered gentle tannins and a good example of this release.

2009 JR. opens solidly, leafy, berry, cigar box, clean on the palate, plenty to like about this wine builds in a more restrained way tannins wood and fruit all integrated and keeps you wanting a bit more. Not the same intensity as the Glengyle or the BL, but feel it will unleash in time. I think this will be a long termer and again a good expression of this marque.

So, as these are wines that I buy every year, learnt a couple of tricks yesterday, go to a store who's demographic largely reflects beer and scotch drinkers, one, no one was buying the wines and two very few having a taste. Secondly, the two bottle limits on the JR and Michael are there to be exploited, once I informed the young lady that I was going to get 2 "friends"- complete strangers to accompany me to the check out with 2 bottles of each, she though better of it and went to the check out with me, with a 6 pack of each at $65 for the Michael and a blood curdling but hope the pain goes quickly $85 for the JR, after that dozen, will have to wait a bit to find some more coin to think about a few others in the range.

Cheers Craig.

[TiggerK]

Cheers for the writeup Craig (& Graeme),

not a buyer of these labels myself (although your note on the Glengyle got me interested), mainly since our JR tasting (1982-1991 all good, 1993/94+ tasting way too young - 20 years aging minimum for JR was agreed by all present). I'm just too impatient to buy them at current prices and wait 20yrs when aged examples can be had at auction for the same or less. Bottle of 86 around $90, magnum of 1988 or 98 around $145 etc. OK it's an auction risk, but until I get the huge underground cellar (and requisite budget), I prefer to take the occasional punt on more drink soon options. But got a few 04's put away, only 12 years to go !

GraemeG mentioned the 09 Glengyle, I assume he meant the 2010?? Sounds well worth a look.

Cheers
Tim

[phillisc]

Hi Tim, no it is the 09 Glengyle, did pretty well at the 2011 Limestone Coast show, gold and trophy.

I agree, got some 84 JRs earlier this year for $40, mind you they were about $15 on release in 1988.
I am looking for some 92's and 93's both regarded as lesser vintages but have only a few of each...still plan to do the JR vertical at some stage.

Will be very interesting to see what happens with Wynns in the next 1-2 years, next 2010 of both JR and M in a very good year, then a break for what was a shit year in Coonawarra (2011) and a full compliment of wines from this years vintage. Going on current form 2012 JR will be about $150 in three years time (2015 release) at the chains...not worth within a bulls roar of that IMO. Still, by then Grange will be approaching four figures.
Don't tell anyone...just hope Seppelts isn't next.
Cheers Craig

[Sean]

deleted

[Teisto]

I got to tasting them as well on Wednesday night. Agree with the sentiments above. Thoughthe BL shiraz and CS will be good and at a heavily discounted rate represent reasonable value. Glengyle was most impressive and I can't but feel that the JR and Michael are getting the same old marketing treatment of Penfolds to price them out.

Once again I think there is much better value out there for that sort of $$$

[GraemeG]

WYNNSDAY - WYNNS NEW RELEASES 2012 - Sydney (1/08/2012)

At Dan Murphy’s, Eastwood. I’d have preferred to have had seven glasses side-by-side with decent-sized pours, but they were ~30ml pours sequentially, which doesn’t help in picking the nuances distinguishing wines of similar lineage…

2010 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[13.5%, screwcap, A$27] Ruby red; not too dark. Youthful aromas, very cabernet and very Coonawarra; some cassis, a little oak; fruity but not too much so, yet little twig or tobacco. Finely-judged ripeness. Dry palate; medium-bodied, with brambly-accented sweetly ripe black fruits; medium dusty tannins, slightly spiky acid and a this age, a fairly disjointed and loose-knit feel to it. Medium-length finish which has good presence on the mid-palate. It’s not a knock-out wine, but does have a kind of quiet confidence about it. Not showy, and true to its pedigree. The words “Black Label” actually appear on the label for the first time ever; probably to help distinguish from and avoid confusion with the new shiraz. This is reasonably priced for the quality on offer, and retains the essential character of the grape, region and label. Should see ten years quite happily.

2010 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz Black Label - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[13.5%, screwcap, A$27] Inaugural vintage of this wine; with its labelling (a copy of the black label cabernet on a rhone/burgundy bottly) indicating the aspiration. It’s definitely different to its older brother, with the black pepper and plum aromas overlaid with subtle vanilla oak all pointing to cooler-climate shiraz. Of similar size to the cabernet – medium-bodied – but a bit more generous in its dark red fruit flavours, it’s laced with spice and carried along on chalky tannins. Acid is less noticeable than with the cabernet; but with a similar length of finish, although it does pull up around the mid-palate. Alcohol and oak are well-judged - excellent. A worthy companion wine, and a clear step above the entry-level grey/white label shiraz that Wynns have sold (and rather dumbed down) for over 40 years.

2010 Wynns Coonawarra Estate V & A Lane Cab Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[13.5%, screwcap, A$48] Terrific blend of cabernet & shiraz on the nose. Cabernet might be the majority, but it’s the shiraz that shines through on the nose; plums, raspberries, blueberries, with just a seasoning of cedary oak. The palate is dry, with pronounced medium dusty tannins, medium-full bodied structure, and a lingering dry finish of about medium length. It’s as if the cabernet takes over once the wine hits the tongue. Even presence along the tongue; the great strength of this blend. Seems kinda pricey, until I thought about the going rate from Penfolds Bin 389, beside which this looks pretty good, if not such a crowd pleaser.

2010 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz V & A Lane Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[13.5%, screwcap, A$48] Another special Wynns wine from a range of their vineyards located beside the V and A Lane to the south of their cellar door. Richer than the blend, this is all upholstered plums and raspberries on the nose. It’s generous and rich on the palate, with medium chalky tannins, sophisticated spicy fruit flavours, medium weight and intensity. Has a medium-long finish which sits more on the front of the palate. Lacks the focus of the blend; tannins are softer; it’s a ‘fruiter’ wine to the point where it’s not so well balanced. OK for the shorter term, but seriously over-priced.

2009 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Glengyle Vineyard - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[14%, screwcap, A$38] Classy cassis fruit over classy cedar oak. The fruit is black, not green; but it has this laser-like intensity of focus; it’s never stewed or jammy. Pure cabernet; lots of fine-grained tannin; medium/full bodied, with terrific intensity. What makes it great is the long, even finish, coating all the tongue with beautiful ripe fruit. No heat to it; it’s just perfectly balanced Coonawarra cabernet. Streets ahead of the black label cabernet (from 2010 at least), and no lesser a wine than the John Riddoch. A buy for me, confirming my opinion from February’s tasting.

2009 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz Michael - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[14%, screwcap, A$100] Big plush nose: chocolate, liquorice. Not too oaky; it’s all fine cedary french barriques. Although it’s not hugely intense, just deep in its aromas. The palate is dry, tasting mostly of chocolatey shiraz fruit & fine powdery tannins. Very restrained and sophisticated beside the Michaels of old. It’s close enough to full-bodied for sheer density, if not quite for size; the ripe fruit saturates the palate but only really results in a medium-length finish. Doesn’t quite convince me, and certainly not for the money – it almost seems to be a wine in search of a style.

2009 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Release John Riddoch - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
[14%, screwcap, A$100] As plush as its Michael sibling; and this seems to be more about sweet black plums and chocolate than cabernet. With a dollop of fine cedar oak too. A weighty palate; full-bodied, with more obvious powder-like tannins than the Michael shiraz. Still, there are sweet succulent fruits on offer; it’s pure and not over-ripe. Wynns are getting the balance of acid and alcohol right in these wines; criticism tends to be relative. Still, the finish is only medium length, and I find this sybaritic style of less interest than its cheaper brethren. It’s far more drinkable at this young age than JRs used to be; whether that’ll affect its aging potential I don’t know. But the price is a bit silly to find out.

Apparently the shop only gets one case each of Michael & JR to sell. Maybe Wynns are trying to bolster the price of the flagship cuvees via rarity. Good luck with that…
These notes read fairly critically; overall it’s a pretty good cellection of reds, with a couple of gems among them. Good to see Coonawarra reds not exceeding 14% alcohol too; that’s got to be for the better.
cheers,
Graeme

[phillisc]

Thanks Graeme, really well written notes, much more eloquent than my ramblings.
Interested that you found the BL shiraz rather appealing, I must have had a bottle that was not quite there, or I was not quite there!

Also feel that the V&A shiraz was not quite there for me, but out of interest and possibly last release of this wine, will get a few to put away.
I agree with your thoughts around value for money, even though I have purchased the JR and M (the price now really sticks in my throat compared to what they used to be and that there is better value out there).
JR is not twice the quality of the Glengyle for example.
However, I really enjoy old Riddochs and are forgiving for the inconsistencies that Michael's often show, at least I have them, and don't have to go chasing.

Agree the drip feed approach will annoy many.
At the second tasting I attended, in a rather affluent area, they could have sold 20 6 packs of JR.......they had 9 bottles.

Cheers Craig

[daz]

Tasted the black cab 2009 and shiraz 2010 in-store last evening. The cab was typical fare, very good, was most disappointed with the shiraz that didn't offer much at all, even if it had probably been opened for at least an hour or two, it seemed a bit thin, nondescript but perhaps it needs time. Neither wine is worth $30+ IMO, pushing it at even $20. OK, perhaps they may be found for ~$20 but they don't match the qpr of the similarly-discounted-prices of the Forest Hill Estate cab 2010 and Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge shiraz 2009 I've much enjoyed recently. I expect to see the BL shiraz 2010 discounted to $18 or less if Treasury Estates(?) is serious about building a market for it, the old catcheroo, then punters expect to regularly find it for $20-$22, just as we now do the BL cab.

[Luke W]

Just a couple of quick impressions of the 2 latest BL releases as that's all we get to try in the boonies. For me, both are medium bodied with some lovely fruit flavours and the aroma of the shiraz was very enticing. The cabernet was a little restrained on opening and to be fair this is often the case with this wine. I didn't have an hour or 2 to hang around and find out what its potential was and would be interested in how it changes with some decant time. Like you, Graeme, I found a hole in the mid palate with the shiraz (more typical of a cab) and this disappeared when I poured the 2BLs together!

[Sean]

deleted

[ticklenow1]

Yes Sean, then charge double and you could get a job at Penfolds or Wynns!

[rens]

I went to the Wednesday tasting and my initial impressions were that the Black label was a good return to form, the Glengyle was the pick of the bunch, the VA's were a miss and the Michael and the JR were both way to young and closed with goodness inside wanting to come out.
Then on Friday I went to the usual Friday afternoon tasting and half way through they brought out the Wednesday bottles. They had spent the last 2 nights with the cap back on in the back of the shop and about 1/3 full. I could not resist and started with the black label. It was just as good as Wednesday but had fleshed out nicely and became fuller and more expressive. It was looking good and only just a hint of oxidation on the finish. The Glengyle again had fleshed out and the finish had lengthened even more-a definite buy (Just wish I knew where Graeme G found it for $38). The Glengyle didn't even have a hint of oxidation. Next the Michael. Not my style but impressed with its supple tannins although I think there are much better wines for half the price (Teusner's Albert comes to mind). Then lastly I tried the JR. It was much better. The goodness had come out with plush fruit, chocolate and ceder oak in balance with the silky tannins and acid.Very nice-with not a hint of oxidation, but like Graeme G, I think it is over priced.

[phillisc]

Rens,

DMs and possibly TWE who knows but I guess it is DMs cause they buy the wine, were playing ducks and drakes all day. The prices of the V&As changed about half a dozen times and the Glengyle started at $38 on Wynnsday but suspect once word got out that it is the best of the releases, up went the price.
I am fortunate that I have I TWE contact, they don't give him any of the big two , cause he is not considered important enough, but the rest are there for the taking.
$38 is about where this wine should be.

I have to laugh DMs and 1C feeling each other out, at least here in Adelaide, where they are trumping each other by a cent at a time on the JR and the M and are both line ball with the 2 BLs at $24:75. One of them may take the plunge.

Interesting that M is always viewed as the ugly duckling compared to JR and at $65 at the start of the day, probably not too bad. Certainly not worth the current asking price of $90!!

Cheers
Craig