How good are the Lindemans 2014 Hunter releases?

[Alex F]

There are three Hunter Valley shiraz releases from Lindemans in 2014, the standard bin 1403, the reserve bin 1400, and the rare release 1410. These will be the last they make as the HV operations have been sold off. Has anyone has tried the three wines and can compare them? I am wondering whether it is worth cellaring the standard version versus the reserve (price per bottle is not a consideration here). Will any of these wines reach the heights of the 1965 (haha) or more realistically the 1983?

I've only tried the reserve 1410. At that time I thought it was in a very modern style without the dustiness/leather/soft generosity that I associate with the Hunter terroir. I rated it four stars with tasting notes: "Beguiling nose, fragrant, spice, sour cherries. Massive hit of dark plums on the palate, perhaps some spiky charry oak, lovely acid structure and fine tannins carries it to a lengthy finish."

[phillisc]

Alex, I can only account for the 1403, which I picked up in a deal for the bargain price of $10 a bottle. I purchased three six packs and its drinking beautifully. I think mjs has tried 1 or both of the other two.

Is you see the 1403 at anywhere near the above price...get some!!
Cheers Craig

[Alex F]

I saw that! I am on the lookout for some bottles at that price, but should I go long for cellaring purposes?

[phillisc]

I saw that! I am on the lookout for some bottles at that price, but should I go long for cellaring purposes?

They are drinking well now, but will do another 5-7 easily, maybe longer.
Cheers craig

[mjs]

I've only picked up some of the Bin1400, available for about 20 bucks. Showing well now, good fruit and structure, would easily go another 10 yrs and probably more IMO.

Just fyi, the Bin 1410 is about 50 bucks

[Alex F]

I've picked up nearly a dozen of the reserve and I do hope it will go to 2034. I am just curious whether the standard will do the same as well, since apparently both reserve, and standard versions of the 1983 are still drinking well.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I did not know that Lindemans were still making the Hunter bin wine. I have not seen one in years, even when I was last in Sydney a couple of years ago. Here in Canada the last ones I saw were the regular bottlings of the shiraz in the 1995 and 1996 vintage. They were a refreshing change from the usual Barossa/McLaren/Victoria suspects. I'm sure I kept a bottle back for experimentation and I know it's still somewhere in the cellar. I wish I had a reserve bin instead.

[Alex F]

I tried the Bin 1400 again last night. It has filled out in the mid palate since last year, now developing this intense strawberry/cherry liqueur like characteristic. The oak also seems better integrated now and there is a hint of secondary development. I think maybe 5 more years will bring it to a peak, as such, maybe it won't last till 2034 after all? Nonetheless, in my mind an absolute bargain if you can get it for $20 (doesn't seem to be available anymore?). I am curious how much better the other marquee 2014 Hunters must be if there is so little interest in this wine

Soon, I am also going to try a well cellared Bin 0703 (non-reserve shiraz 2007 vintage) to try and gauge the potential of the non-reserve 2014.

[Alex F]

I've now opened the 2007 and had a very good experience. Nice wine, I've gone back for more and will keep an eye out for the Bin 1403. The wine shows very little signs of age and the colour is extremely dark. No way I would have picked this as older than 10 years old, seemed like a five year old wine. There is some dried herbs stuff going on on the nose, which was noted by Halliday 10 years ago, along with a drinking window till 2016. Interestingly, the back label says that the wine is suitable for long term cellaring and on this showing (and two nights after opening), seems ageless!

[phillisc]

So good that I picked up another dozen at $11 a bottle.
Cheers Craig

[tarija]

I've now opened the 2007 and had a very good experience. Nice wine, I've gone back for more and will keep an eye out for the Bin 1403.

Interesting to read - the 2007 was not reviewed favourably by Gary Walsh on release, if I recall correctly.

I've avoided all the 2014 wines as my gutfeel is that they don't have the old quality vineyards, nor has the company had any proper focus in making serious wine in the Hunter for decades.

[Alex F]

So good that I picked up another dozen at $11 a bottle.
Cheers Craig

Thanks, I've ended with 18 bottles now. They have to be better than the Mt Pleasant Phillips :p

[Alex F]

I've now opened the 2007 and had a very good experience. Nice wine, I've gone back for more and will keep an eye out for the Bin 1403.

Interesting to read - the 2007 was not reviewed favourably by Gary Walsh on release, if I recall correctly.

I've avoided all the 2014 wines as my gutfeel is that they don't have the old quality vineyards, nor has the company had any proper focus in making serious wine in the Hunter for decades.

As far as I know the fruit for the 07, 13 (1300), and 14 (1400, 1410) vintages are from the Ben Ean vineyard which does have some pedigree. They have also been making the Hunter Valley bin series on and off for at least 10 years (I can see 0400, 0403, 0700, 0703, 1003, 1103, 1100, 1300 (rated highly by Halliday with a window out to 2038), 1403, 1400, 1410). So there is at least some continuity, even as you say Lindemans do not have a very good recent reputation regarding their Hunter wines.

Have a look at this vivino note on the 0400 in 2018: https://www.vivino.com/lindemans-reserve-bin ... ?year=2004

"A very interesting Shiraz from the Ben Ean vineyard. Very earthy with aged characters. Worth a try."

This suggests that the wines, no matter what else, seem to still have some staying power. The bottle of 2007 I tried was not terribly complex but it looked like it had hardly aged.

[Alex F]

I've tried the 1403 now. For $10 it's a pretty stunning wine. Soft, rich, ripe. Not much in terms of tannin structure.