2004 WENDOUREE Shiraz Mataro & 2004 GREENOCK CREEK CabSv

[Attila]

2004 WENDOUREE Shiraz Mataro, Clare-South Australia

My review of the 2004 Wendouree new releases continue. I have reviewed the magnificent Cabernet Malbec and the somewhat disappointing Shiraz Malbec already. It is now turn for the Shiraz-Mataro.

Colour dark cherry red with purple on the rim. Sweetly scented, gorgeous dark cherries and blackberries on the nose. Smooth, medium bodied, beautifully integrated seamless palate. A lesson in elegance. Clean and superbly balanced with pure flavours. Beautiful, with velvety blackberries and dark cherry flavours. Very promising wine. If you own this, open it, it’s approachable now and I believe it will peak in 10 years time. Very intelligently made, highly polished and smooth wine. Long, concentrated and delightful. Easily 95 points, it will score higher on maturity. Buy it when you see it, cost AUD $40+.


I usually carry my good camera but today I had to use a mobile phone to take the label shot

2004 GREENOCK CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley-South Australia

Now for something completely different. A controversial style of Cabernet that will probably be huge in the Parker camp but may not preferred by others.

Colour dark cherry red with a black centre. Unusual nose of raisins, prunes and freshly baked fruit muffin on the nose. Very porty. Fruit cake, licorice, sweet blackberries on the palate. Quite full bodied, tasting sweet and overripe. Surprisingly well balanced with fine acid on the finish supported by slightly charry oak. Drink now to 10 years. Wow! What an unusual experience. I guess the first Duck Muck release must have been like this? The interesting thing is that this is a very enjoyable, good wine, must have been late picked to achieve extreme fruit concentration. It must be said that there is no Cabernet definition in this red and it quite simply tastes like dry port! If you can live with that, 93 points. If you can’t, don’t buy it. The finish is long and the flavours are hauntingly good…very tricky but good winemaking.

Cheers,
Attila

Tasted: October 2006

[Adair]

Attila,

I was absolutely blown away with this wine, the 2004 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon.

It looks like motor oil in the glass and the nose is intense and intoxicating, let alone the palate, it is very sweetly packed, full bodied wine with dark earth, dark and milk chocolate, raspberry licorice, blackberry jam, sweet peppermint and Tokay-like tea leaves. The sweet peppermint with a hint of tomato leaf gives some varietal definition but in a very Barossa context. Despite its massive sweetness, huge depth and sumptuousness, it amazingly maintains balance and indeed class with awesome integrated acid and fine, lingering tannins, which must have significant power to stand up to the fruit. All this seems impossible at 14%! Believe it or not, I find this to be a great example of terroir with the dark earth a feature of all the 2004 Greenock Creek wines I have tasted, as well as great weight. This wine's massive depth and smooth mouthfeel continues on the palate and the mind for ages. Wonderful wine that gets better and better after being open for 24 hours. 95/100 (18.7/20).

Kind regards,
Adair

[bigkid]

Hi Attila,

I can't recall whether you give your young wines a lengthy period to breathe or not. I found the Shiraz Mataro - and now tonight the Shiraz Malbec - almost bereft of fruit, and very tight even after sitting in a decanter for 2-3 hours. The Mataro picked up after 24-36 hours with some dark fruit - not sure about the Malbec yet. How long did you breathe the wines before you were able to enjoy the complexity and fruit evidenced in your notes? (I should note the possibility that my BIG shiraz assaulted senses may not have been up to the task on such an elegant wine - but just for perspective my preferred tipple is of the aged Bin 389 ilk, say 1994, 1992 etc).

Regards,

Allan

[Attila]

Hi Allan,

Tasting the Wendouree's requires a certain approach. I remember my first experiences in the early 90's as it took me some time to get this style. If your palate currently calibrated towards huge, fruity styles then it's not easy to get into the Wendourees as their complexity is refined and their potential usually is for a VERY LONG term, (not counting the 2004 Shiraz Malbec which is a lesser wine as you correctly observed) but once you understand the style then you'll be hooked, just like me!
Adair opened the bottles and he usually gives them several hours of breathing time.
Cheers,
Attila

[Adair]

The 2004 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro was opened 15 hours before Attila tasted it, had a glass taken out straight away, then left undecanted. FWIW, I gave this wine 95/100 (18.7/20) as well.

However, I loved the wine from the first pop of the cork. My palate gets and loves good Wendouree.

Attila tasted 2 bottles of the 2004 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec, both double blind, once after 15 hours as above and one not long after opening. To his credit, his notes were similar.

For what it is worth, the 2004 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec gains greater depth and provides greater enjoyment after 2 days but it is never going to be a great Wendouree, although it will get better with age. 90/100, (17/20) for me.

Adair

[bigkid]

Thanks guys. I suppose my palate is currently calibrated somewhere in between the two extremes at the moment. I will persist with the Wendouree as I recall it with some fondness when I drank red in the early '80s (before the gout set in). I will try and stock away a couple of bottles every vintage or so - for the long haul - and see how they go.

Regards,

Allan