TN: 1982-2010 Wynns John Riddoch Vertical 2/6/14

[JamieBahrain]

Found the 98 a bit weird last night. Wet tobacco nose was intrusive with capsicum/mint.

A 91 Grant Burge Meshach alongside was excellent!

[JamieBahrain]

OK so I've put together this vertical with an 1982 707 as a cameo with an 1982 JR as 707 is so loved in Asia.

Decanting? Ian? Halliday did mention in a book 20 years ago JR's from the 80's developed far more rapidly than expected ( hinting at downgrading marks ).

1982 JR & Bin 707

1984 JR

1985 JR

1986 JR

1988 JR

1991 JR

1992 JR

1993 JR

1994 JR

1996 JR

1997 JR

1998 JR

2006 JR ( youthful curio in the line-up )

[n4sir]

Do you plan on going oldest to youngest? If you have 14 decanters handy I would suggest a single decant, the oldest wines will have the least time & the least chance of oxidation, the big late 90s wine should get a decent breathe before you look at them.

[JamieBahrain]

Sort of in a line up of weakest vintage oldest to youngest.

Logistically, I would prefer a double decant as I'm an hour from the venue. Prolonged decanting will be met with protest from some of our members who are against.

[JamieBahrain]

Be intersting to get Wynn's opinion too?

[phillisc]

Be intersting to get Wynn's opinion too?

Yes indeed, I will be doing same and have decided that life is too short to hoard old bottles forever. I will be visiting the winery in October and following the 2016 release will finally get around to doing a vertical of 26 wines...logistically tricky with a million glasses and many decanters.
I will asking for a set of notes and if they are receptive, who knows, I might even invite them.

Cheers
Craig

[JamieBahrain]

Just tried what a pain in the bum- please log in! Nick off.

Though I guess there will be a few corked wines so best I get their contact details in order.

[JamieBahrain]

I scribble notes next but gee, getting this off my chest, Wynn's have a tried and tested TCA return policy.

15 bottles of Wynn's JR and BL opened 3 corked!

[Ozzie W]

Very interested to read your forthcoming notes, Jamie. A bunch of Melbourne forumites will be doing a big BL and JR tasting in July.

1965 BL
1968 BL
1972 BL

1982 BL vs. 1982 JR
1986 BL vs. 1986 JR
1990 BL vs. 1990 JR
1991 BL vs. 1991 JR vs. 1991 Centenary
1994 BL vs. 1994 JR
1996 BL vs. 1996 JR
1998 BL vs. 1998 JR

I hope the cork gods are on our side.

[JamieBahrain]

Wines presented blind.

1986 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Savoury and developed aromatics. Tobacco and some ripe plum fruit. Medium to full, lush and ripe with fine tannins and tertiary flavours in persistence on a good length.

0 First 0 Seconds 6 lasts

148 pts

7th for me 12th for Group

1984 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Powerful wine with cedar/cassis/ pencil shavings prior a classic sweet Bordeaux like nose emerging. Texturally polished and bright, palate flavours are developed yet fresh and complex. Cassis, leather and a gentle salinity. Tannin rise is firm on the finish though plenty of offsetting flavour persistence.

2 First 1 Second 1 Last

4th for me and 6th for the Group

1985 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Pine-smoke, plum. green peppers and soy/caramel development. Again presents medium-full, the age presents a very mellow fruit profile - a component of the overall ethereality of the wine- cleanly completing with a noted purity and length.

1 First 1 Second 0 Lasts

8th for Me and Third for Group.

1982 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Striking deep aromatically, not unevolved, but lush and fresh in an abyss of dark violet like fruit. There's very high complexity here too- with surprisong red fruits and a lovely fresh and unassuming mintiness. Long and fine, precise, red fruits slowly un-peel over the night making the tasting a tease- I want a whole bottle !

3 First 6 Seconds 0 Lasts

10th for Me WOTN Group

1982 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707- The ring-in and a classic cameo shoot-out with the 82 JR. The results delighted me with such a broad and experienced drinking crowd and a brutal blind tasting format.

Classy and distinct. Polished craftsmanship with high class oak integrated and to the background. Pure blackcurrant sits perfectly with more integrated fruit nuances. Textbook perfect balance in great length- spiciness of tannins alluring.

5 First 2 Seconds 0 Last

WOTN for Me Second for Group

1992 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- lEaf, cassis, choc-mint and sun burnt earth. Medium weight and more aeration could have helped pry out the fruit as it got better. Dusty astringency.

0 First 1 Second 0 Lasts

11th for Me 8th for Group.


1988 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Stewy and Caremllo-Koala like though gentle aeration and warming drew the wine from the glass. Rhunbarb and licorice, sweetened dark violets, palate presents lovely black cherry fruit with good balance and an even and preserving structure of tannin.

3 First 1 Second 0 Lasts

9th for ME 7th for Group

1997 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Perhaps its relative youth that sees this wine very fresh and near primary? Leaf and red fruit, cedar and gentle overtones of menthol. Elegant and easy, ready now or will hold.

6th for Me and 4th for Group


1993 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Powerful blackcurrant fruit that's lifted with green grass, leaf and asparagus like notes. Sounds odd though it wasn't; fruit highlighted though perhaps a little dimethyl sulfide ( DMS ) at play ? Palate drive is primary with smokey cassis notes and long and spicy finish of brittle tannins.

0 Firt 2 Seconds 0 Lasts

12th for Me and 4th for Group


1994 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- The next three wines would all benefit decanting. There's plenty of notes from bloggers suggesting such.

Distinctly darker aromas, richer syrupy cassis, dark violets and chocolate plum fruit. Polished cedar oak influence, still youtful with a cabernet mid-palate hole, ripe gritty tannin. Plenty of future here.

0 First 1 Second 2 Lasts

5th for Me 10th for Group

1998 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch- Monumental nose ! Choc-vanilla, malt, mushroom and underlying smokey and unevolved red and black fruits. Long and classy, a little oak char with perfectly sweet fine tannin. Needs a decade!

1 First 0 Second 1 Last

3rd for Me 11th for the Group

1996 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch-Vibrant and the Old World drinkers remarked the BDX similarity. Pencil shavings, leafy mint-cassis, very vibrant and energetic. Loaded with unevolved primary fruit in a well crafted long finish.

1 First 1 Second 1 Last

2nd for Me 5th Group



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TV's Dinner Wines-

Grosset Piccadily Chardonnay 2006- screwcap presents little evolution or complexity; though its simplicity and cleanliness appreciated.

St Hugo Magnum 1990- I was hoping for a more stylistic and classical expression of Coonawarra. Well received albeit in a simple dry red style.

BL 1992- beautiful in its simplicity of regional and varietal expression.

JR 1991- Some served a corked bottle in amongst a good bottle. This was deflating as I ran around confiscating the bad glasses after inspection ! The good bottle seemed to have a great purity and drive. Maybe I'll have one tonight!

[phillisc]

Thanks for the notes!
Encouraged about the 84, 94 and 97.
I tend to agree with the 92 and 93, the least stocks of all the JRs in the cellar, I recall at the time the BLs of the same vintage were nothing flash either

Interesting re the 82, never had a bad bottle and your party seems same...yet have had three corked 707s.

Cheers craig

[Mark Carrington]

Insightful TNs.

[JamieBahrain]

I had the 91 JR again the next night. Cool-toned cabernet fruit with resolved tannins on a long and piecing finish. All the wines from a secondary market purchase from sub-terranean South Australian cellar.

I try not to show Aussie wines from these types of cellars as they lack sophisticated nuances and the presentation they deserve! JR was well received! I'd suggest a good cellar would deliver a better result. Perhaps the only risk preserved and then pronounced green pepper/ eucalypt notes in some vintages.

Is modern JR a buy for me in the new age of warmer vintages? Not a big fan of blue fruit like notes so perhaps I'd invest in 94,96, 98 though cork is a major issue!

[Ozzie W]

Not a big fan of blue fruit like notes so perhaps I'd invest in 94,96, 98 though cork is a major issue!

I used to buy 1990's JR at auction, but I had so many duds I stopped. The corks are low quality to begin with. Combine that with provenance and cellaring issues and the risk is just too great for me. Looking at my records, I purchased over a dozen Wynns JR at auction and over half of them were NQR or worse. Such a pity as I love Wynns JR and BL. Auction purchases of 1990's Bordeaux at the same price-point have yielded a far superior outcome for me.

[JamieBahrain]

Well I think that did it!

I'll pass completely. They do refund though if testing confirms TCA. Current release and a BL thrown in.

[Ozzie W]

Well I think that did it!

I'll pass completely. They do refund though if testing confirms TCA. Current release and a BL thrown in.

They do indeed. Wynns really good that way.

From all my stuffed bottles, I thought only 1 might have TCA (the rest were mostly just oxidised). Wynns tested the bottle and said no TCA, but they sent me a current release BL nonetheless which I though was a nice gesture.