It's not often you see a sizeable vertical of any Wendouree label, but I was lucky enough to try these recently at a local wine club event. All of the bottles were sourced from a couple of club Member's private cellars who purchased from Wendouree at release, all were double decanted prior to serving, and served in flights of four.
2011 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (screwcap): 13.7% alc. Medium to very dark red/purple. Inky nose of black cherries and blueberries at first, becoming more perfumed with choc/mint and cherry stones, a touch of citrus peel; a tart entry leads to a slightly sour, chalky, medium-weight palate of black jubes/pastilles and pepper, finishing long but with a little heat. Some people raved about this wine; I thought it was okay, a good result from an extremely difficult vintage.
2010 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (screwcap): 14% alc. Medium to dark red/purple. Inky nose but more stony, earthy and lifted than the 2011 vintage, with cherries, pepper, smoky chocolate and lanolin with breathing. A soft entry leads to a palate's that a bit more than medium-weight, with sweeter/softer fruit than the 2011 vintage, some smokiness mid-palate flowing through to the finish. The acidity is sticking out at the moment making the wine a touch hot, unbalanced and awkward; give it time.
2008 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (screwcap): 14% alc. Medium to very dark crimson with a hint of purple left. The biggest nose of the first flight of four, very ripe, full of violets, choc/cherry, plum and paneforte, a touch of aged soy, cheese and diesel, then dark chocolate and dried herbs with more breathing. A soft entry leads to a smoky, medium to full-weight palate of chocolate and cherries with bright acidity mid-palate, finishing long with surprisingly soft tannins. Attractive, but also I feel this is an early drinker.
2006 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.6% alc. Medium to very dark crimson. The nose opens very similar to the 2008 vintage, big, bold and ripe with black cherry and plum, eucalyptus and bitter chocolate, lifted and slightly medicinal at times; with breathing there's more paneforte, choc/cherry and violets, soy sauce and shoe polish. A soft entry leads to a big, chewy mid-palate, more tingly, tart and slightly stalky compared to the 2008 vintage, with touches of rum & raisin chocolate and citrus peel, finishing with brawny, chalky tannins. Very ripe and just a little unbalanced, but should come together beautifully with time.
2004 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.3% alc. Medium to very dark crimson. Very earthy and subdued nose at first with heavy eucalyptus characters, cedar/coconut oak, black cherry and liquorice, but a further whiff of damp cardboard hinted something wasn't right. The cork taint is far more obvious on the palate, which is very dry and earthy, and completely stripped of fruit from the mid-palate to the finish. Bugger.
2003 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.5% alc. Medium to dark crimson/garnet. Violets, tar, choc/cherry, paneforte, eucalyptus and Earl Grey tea on the nose, some more obvious acetone/nail polish with breathing. The palate's relatively big, approaching full-weight, full of cherry cola and thick, soft tannins that fan out in the mouth, well balanced with a long, soft finish. Like the 2008 vintage it's surprisingly approachable and drinking very well now, not sure it's a stayer though.
2002 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.7% alc. Medium to very dark garnet/crimson. Bright and breezy nose, Cherry Ripe-like with its choc/cherry and coconut, some herbs, aged soy, lanolin and acetone/nail polish surface with breathing. A soft entry leads to a ripe and earthy palate with tangy rum & raisin and bright acidity mid-palate, finishing minty and slightly hot. Seems disjointed and a little disappointing next to the less heralded 2003 vintage; maybe it will come around?
2001 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.9% alc. Medium to very dark garnet. Very earthy and very black nose, porty in a good way and almost Touriga-like at times, full of red & black liquorice, shoe polish, wintergreen, smoke/oil and Earl Grey tea. The palate's bright with red and black jubes, medium-weight but also soft and chocolatey with velvety tannins on the finish. Another pleasant surprise, but I'd say it's right at its peak.
1999 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.7% alc. Medium to almost dark red/garnet. The first wine tonight that appears to exhibit some American oak characters on the nose with obvious bubblegum/vanilla, varnish (VA) and nail polish remover (EA), followed by touches of diesel, peanut brittle and tanned leather. There's sweeter/more primary fruit on the medium-weight palate, black cherry, soy and black tea, with grippy tannins fanning out on the finish, and bright acidity on the rebound. To be honest I was expecting a little more from what should have been a top vintage.
1998 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.7% alc. Medium to almost dark garnet. Very similar nose to the 1999 vintage, full of aged soy, bubblegum/vanillin oak, boot polish, and a little nail polish remover. A soft entry leads to a full-weight, sweet, tangy and tarry palate with plum, black cherry and black liquorice with a savoury mid-palate and dark chocolate accents, finishing very long. A well developed wine at its peak, the second best wine of the vertical tonight.
1996 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.5% alc. Medium garnet/brick. Herbal and stocky, with dominant VA and coriander characters, becoming more stocky and mousy with breathing; a sour entry leads to a dry palate with tobacco and no primary fruit, bourbon oak mid-palate, and a dry, minty finish and bitter rebound. A rude shock for what was expected to be one of the top wines of the vertical - I'm not sure if it was the cool vintage or a bad bottle, but this example was well past its best.
1993 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.6% alc. Medium garnet/brick. Smells badly oxidised right from the first whiff, the bare remnants of honeyed/bourbon oak and boot polish characters at first, turning disturbingly mousy very quickly; the palate's just as badly shot, completely dried out, bitter and devoid of any remnants fruit. This must have died some years ago.
1991 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.5% alc. Medium to almost dark brick. Lovely development on the nose, comfy leather couch, toasted/tart berries, minty chocolate & a touch of nail polish (Reynella-like at times), engine oil and peanut brittle, eucalypt and ground paprika. The palate's also in great shape, ripe berries on entry leading to a tarry, jubey mid-palate, finishing with long, velvety tannins that are almost Burgundy-like. The best wine of the vertical, a benchmark for Wendouree at its peak.
1989 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.7% alc. Medium to almost dark brick, slightly lighter than the 1991 vintage. Very oily nose with diesel fumes and VA lift, settling down to reveal cherry cola, old leather and violets. A soft entry is followed by a big build up of acidity mid-palate matched by choc/cherry fruit and coconut oak, finishing long and smoky with grippy but soft tannins and a little heat. For an unheralded vintage this was looking pretty good, not in the same league as the 1991 but much better than expected.
1987 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 13.7% alc. Medium brick. The nose is well past its best, leathery and stocky with burnt tobacco and shoe polish, remnants of coriander and honeyed oak; the palate's also seen better days, a tangy entry leading to the remnants of sweet, bourbon oak and tobacco, finishing hot and mousy. DOA.
1985 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): No official record of the alcohol level, believed to be somewhere between 13.3 and 13.7%. Light to almost medium brick. Opens with boot polish, cedar oak, chocolate and cherry cola, some nail polish remover (EA) adding lift, vegetal characters appearing with breathing. The palate is just hanging in there, it has good weight with grippy tannins running through its length, and a delicate balance of sweet cherry fruit, acid and vanillin oak mid-palate, finishing dry and smoky. Drink up.
Cheers,
Ian
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