TN: Two wines from the Yarra Valley

[GraemeG]

One wine was brought by a dinner guest, so gave us a chance to compare styles from the same region.

1997 Mount Mary Quintet (Yarra Valley)
Just a mid-brick red colour, I was stunned at how Bordeaux-like the nose of this wine was. A bit leafy only, with subdued berry fruit, it showed strong lead pencil and cedary aromas. A nose of great refinement (and not a million miles in general character than a good de Bortoli Yarra cabernet). It’s a class act on the palate, soft, ultra-fine tannins, very polished mouthfeel, an understated concentration which translated into a long persistent finish. Very round in the mouth, there are no edges to this wine at all. I gather there is some controversy as to how worthy of its reputation this vineyard is – in all honesty I wouldn’t place this wine any higher than (say) the 93 Leoville Las Cases I tasted last year – which makes it relatively a bargain – but it mightn’t rank much higher than a respectable Cru Classe bought for similar money. One of the reasons I opened this wine was after noting the relatively poor showing of this particular vintage in the retrospective tasting recounted in Mount Mary’s last newsletter. As I recall this wine cost around $70 at the time, so it probably represents fair value. Enjoyable – yes, memorable – perhaps, an epiphany – no, worthy of the reputation – not quite.

The next wine was quite a contrast.
1998 Coldstream Hills Limited Release Shiraz (Yarra Valley)
Blackish red. A nose of….brett, I guess. ‘Smells of poo’ says my wife and I‘m inclined to agree. Does it make sense for James Halliday to be the inspiration behind a bretty shiraz? Well, possibly! The wine is pretty full and ripe on the palate – tannins are fine yet strong. It’s no blackberry-chocolate Barossa shiraz, that’s for sure. And all of 14.5% alcohol, too. Unusual, and in some ways confronting, wine. Not in any way unripe, but really quite confronting in its degree of funky rawness. A bit warm on the finish. Not a wine I enjoyed hugely, and I think for most people would run a pretty distant second to the Mount Mary. And will it age further? I dread to think…!

Cheers,
Graeme

[Aussie Johns]

Graeme,
I purchase the 93 Leoville las Cases from vintage cellars in Sth Melbourne in about 1997-98 for $75 a bottle, so please don't assume there is a huge price difference between these wines. Frankly, I would not even begin to compare the MM with any vintage of LLC, no matter how weak.
The 93 LLC still needs 4-6 years in the cellsr, but it will be a sensational wine, despite the weak vintage. LLC is renowned for producing excellent wines in terrible years, with 1991 being the best example of this.

[GraemeG]

Actually John I was thinking about your comments when I drank the MM on Saturday. As for price - If the 93 LLC still goes for around $100 (the last auction price I saw for it), then I agree - it trumps the MM easily (although I note the price for 97 MMQ seems to be back under $100 - and fair enough too). But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any LLC in Oz these days for under $200?

cheers,
Graeme

[MartinC]

GG,
I had a LLC'93 last year and there's no way MM it's like it even on a better vintage. The LLC was actually very good despite coming fr a lousy yr. It tasted like a weaker yr Moss Wood abeit more refined with better finnese.

[Guest]

GG,
I had a LLC'93 last year and there's no way MM it's like it even on a better vintage. The LLC was actually very good despite coming fr a lousy yr. It tasted like a weaker yr Moss Wood abeit more refined with better finnese.

What vintages of MM have you had?

[MartinC]

1996. Once bitten many time shy

My dosh will go to Bortolli if I wanted a Yarra Cab.

[Guest]

93 LLC is a pleasant enough wine, but the tannins are very coarse, and the fruit lacks refinement. I would not cellar it, the tannic structure won't resolve.

That said it's not terrible, and if it's a value decision maybe it should be considered for near term drinking 2 - 4 years.

[Adair]

1998 Coldstream Hills Limited Release Shiraz (Yarra Valley)
Blackish red. A nose of….brett, I guess. ‘Smells of poo’ says my wife and I‘m inclined to agree. Does it make sense for James Halliday to be the inspiration behind a bretty shiraz? Well, possibly! The wine is pretty full and ripe on the palate – tannins are fine yet strong. It’s no blackberry-chocolate Barossa shiraz, that’s for sure. And all of 14.5% alcohol, too. Unusual, and in some ways confronting, wine. Not in any way unripe, but really quite confronting in its degree of funky rawness. A bit warm on the finish. Not a wine I enjoyed hugely, and I think for most people would run a pretty distant second to the Mount Mary. And will it age further? I dread to think…!

Cheers,
Graeme

Graeme, I had this wine only a few days ago and found no brett. In fact, it was a quite delightful wine. I rated it Excellent and actually bought a bottle of it from the CD on Monday.

Although I believe it will hold, I will drink it soon as I don't think it is a going to get much better.

Adair