TN: 1996 Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:10 pm

A lovely aged nose with a complex earthy bouquet of coffee, leather and spicy mushrooms with a touch of soy. The palate is very well balanced with elegant fruit and coffee flavours and exceptionally well integrated tannins finishing long and savoury.

Mike Hawkins · Post by **Mike Hawkins** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:16 am

Mark - has the oak been 'tamed" ? It was my lasting memory of this wine.

Minotaur · Post by **Minotaur** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:14 pm

Can't wait to try the 2002 version - didn't JO rate this very, very highly?

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:50 pm

My last '96 had lots of mint and was completely unevolved. I've never liked St Hugos, Centenary Hills or Jacarandas that much, but the '96 did show potential despite only a moderate degree of enjoyment at the time. I won't be touching another one for five years.

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:11 am

find the 96 centenary boring - too much vanilla milkshake. 96 lawsons was good and 96 jacaranda was really excellent for the price!

Gregoire · Post by **Gregoire** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:24 pm

I shared a 1999 Centenary Hill over the weekend and ALL I could taste was oak. I can't quite remember the last time I had a "older than a couple of years" wine where the oak was so overpowering.

Also opened one of my last 1994 St Hugos and loved it.

The 1998 Mt Edelstone was nice, and almost ultra-pinot-spicy, if a little thinnish and understandably controversial.

roughred · Post by **roughred** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:26 pm

The Orlando Wyndham oak regime is nothing if not consistent. I find commonality amongst many of their premium releases (Centenary Hill, Lawson's and the Wyndham Show Reserves mostly). I don't find the oak treatment necessarily over the top or off-putting but just a little same-same in that sweet vanilla/iced coffee way.

Even the recently released Morris Shiraz had that common lick of sweet oak.

LL

rednut · Post by **rednut** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:05 pm

Not 96 but bloody good....

rednut wrote:1995 Orlando Centenary Shiraz

What a great wine, lovely plum flavours, slight oak and just a smooth delicious wine

cuttlefish · Post by **cuttlefish** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:38 pm

Minotaur wrote:Can't wait to try the 2002 version - didn't JO rate this very, very highly?

I have tried the 2002 Centenary Hill. I think I wrote a brief tasting note for it in this forum, or possibly another. It gets the three thumbs up from me ! A very, very attractive wine. Ooozing depth and class. I'm pretty sure it's still pre-release, but I could be wrong.

Cuttlefish