TN: more Mature Shiraz from the Rotters

[GraemeG]

July 2005 - the first Options night of the year. Still themed though; it's supposed to be Shiraz from 1988, 1990 or 1992. Lack of commitment by several members sees the numbers fall to eight diners only, but the small number of bottles must have kept us under the statistical radar this night, because none of the wines was corked! Hooray. Notes come first as the wines were served blind - I had plenty of glasses so kept a few wines around as long as possible to check evolving progress. Only a few of the wines were decanted. Alcohol percentages are recorded for interest, and to show how much has changed in 15 years...

Deep red. Despite the decanting, there was still plenty of sediment in my glass. Lifted aromas of coconut, anise, licorice, menthol & spearmint. The palate had plenty of acid, with soft furry tannins. Felt like a very big wine now calming down. A warm & fuzzy palate. Warm climate? Now mid+-weight, but quite strong for its age. Good balance across the length of the palate. 1992 Orlando Lawson's Shiraz (Padthaway) 13.5% After sitting in the glass, the coconut becomes more pronounced, and a definite peppermint-chocolate note emerges.

Pale brick red. The nose is earthy, fungal, fecal, shitty even? Could this be a great burgundy thrown in as a ringer? No! I found it less unattractive than some. Universal agreement on Hunter origin! The palate is soft, better than the nose suggests. Tannins have gone south, but the acidity is still in check. Not fallen apart quite yet, but clearly past its best. A modest offering in the end, it was 1988 McWilliams Mount Pleasant Phillip 'Hermitage' Shiraz (Hunter) 12.5%. After 2 hours, the nose has cleaned up a little, but the palate has gone virtually to water.

Mid red with some bricking. Lots of sediment. How come I'm the last one to pour all night? This is also a bit fungal and earthy. The palate is quite big and brawny, a bit coarse in some ways. Tannins remain - they're a bit clunky. The balance is towards the front-middle of the palate, finish is medium length. Attractive, but lacks the last word in complexity. An oddly posed options question had this located in Victoria...hmmm. Mt Macedon, Mount Mary, Mt... Edelstone...??? 1992 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz (Eden Valley) 13.5%. A much better bottle than the two I tried six months ago (from my cellar), yet something of a disappointment for the label. I think the 94 is the pick of this vineyard right now.

An astonishing deep blue black. My, the things a cold Canberra cellar can do to a wine. A ripe, meaty, tarry deep-chested black fruited nose. Penfolds? Palate is big-boned, slightly softer than the nose promises, but still heroically proportioned. Terrific palate coverage, with a rich bloom of full flavour. Very good indeed. A slightly short finish robs it of greatness, but it turns out to be supreme value. It's 1988 Baileys of Glenrowan 'Hermitage' Shiraz (N-E Victoria) 13.5%, and cost all of $9.75 when purchased!

Mid red. Somewhat sulphurous certainly, and shows white pepper & spice. Shows some brett, and bacon fat aromas too. The palate is mid weight. Tannins are fine, texture is quite light and savoury beside the local wines. Good balance, fresh, still seems to have plenty of life left. 1990 E Guigal 'Brune et Blonde' Cote Rotie (N Rhone) 13%. Becomes increasingly smoky and peppery as it sits and the apparent sulphur dissipates nicely. Quite a contrast to the other bottles.

Deep red still. Impressive nose of menthol & vanilla overlaying spicy ripe blackcurrant fruit. Palate is very full, plenty of quality coconut oak is apparent, and not unattractive. All the components integrate really well on the palate, it really feels quite tight. Very clean and Australian. The vintage call is a bit of a surprise, it's 1992 Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz (McLaren Vale) 13.5%. After an hour in the glass, like many local wines of this style, it seems to become overwhelmingly sweet in its aromas.

Mid red. A subtle nose, this offers cooler-climate aromas, a little menthol, plus some real developed notes. Primary fruit tones are not readily apparent. Soft and mid-weight on the palate, this feels only-just-ripe, which just adds to the attractiveness. Not heavy, this is very well balanced and seamless, with good length and even finish. The least Australian of the local wines? Pretty damn good. 1992 Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz (Clare) 13%

Vast amounts of sediment here; some deft glasswork eventually sees a clearer sample of this still dark red wine. One lungful of the powerhouse aromas and the game's up here. I still remember this wine from four years ago, and it hasn't moved an inch. 1990 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz (Eden Valley) 13.5%. Spice, earth, red fruits, raspberries, tar, chocolate, coffee - it's all here. A tiny whiff of brett adds to the complexity. The palate is powerful yet proportioned, the finest-grained tannins roll to all corners of the mouth. Sweet fruit with a kaleidoscope of flavours, a perfectly integrated and eternally long finish, glorious structure. This wine has it all. A privilege to drink

nv Morris Rutherglen Muscat
I paid this only cursory attention; tawny orange, the nose is of luscious marmalade and cold tea. Light and warm on the palate; the fruit is sweetish, not cloying, yet the finish is rather short. Acceptable, not memorable.

Great night. Barely a dud wine anywhere. Fingers crossed for August (where we're delving back into the 80s)...

cheers,
Graeme

[Guest]

I wish most of our wines still had those alcohol levels.

[JamieBahrain]

Mt Ed 92 has so much bottle variation in my experience. I hope 92 HofG not the same; varied reports haven't allayed my fears.

90 HofG has been poetry for me aswell. I must source some more.

The bygone days of Glenrowan shiraz- yum. Has lost it's simple, rustic charm since the big boys took over.

[707]

Graeme, interesting call on the Mt.Edelstone. Haven't had a 94 in a long while so I'd better dig one out for a look.

The 92 Edelstone has been a very good wine for a number of years, a surprise packet given the general vintage rating of 92.

[Baby Chickpea]

Nice one. The 90 HoG is near perfection for me and one of australia's greatest ever wines. The Lawsons (any vintage) I fing too oaky. I quite like the 92 mt Ed too.