First of a case from Bibendum here in the UK and no hurry to drink this. It's taken a couple of hours to open up after first showing a lot of wood, then a fair dose of capsicum that I waited to pass! Now it's looking great and no hurry if you have some well cellared. I'll try and do a decent TN for once ...
1996 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Deep purple red, no bricking. Nose is cedarwood, tobacco and herbal but underpinned by sweet fruit and hints of violets coming through. On the palate it's classic and very fresh rather than being opulent. Sweet blackcurrant fruit with a lovely integrated sweet/savoury finish which lingers and lingers on a long finish. It's remarkably youthful with mouth-drying tannins even at this age and for me at least, will be in an even better place in five-eight years and likely a wine of quite some beauty in time. A very very good wine displaying freshness, balance, and by today's standards almost low-alcohol at 13.0%. If you have a sixpack, one every two years and I reckon the latter bottles may be the best. I think 1965 was a 30-year wine and I suspect this is also.
Cheers - Jay
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
tim1210 wrote:Has anyone tasted the 2007? What are people's impressions/TNs? Thanks Tim
Hi Tim I think if you do a search there was a whole thread (a what have you been buying thread) that documented how polarizing it was. I personally liked it. It is a little more tannic and heavier compared to past vintages. Although I liked it I only put 6 in my cellar compared to 12 for the 2006. Try it and see what you think. You'll either like it or you won't. No one was sitting on the fence from mind.
never underestimate the predictability of stupidity
Actually after drinking this I was thinking I should get some John Riddoch 1996!
After 12 hours open, it's hardly changed since the 2-3 hour mark ... lovely tannin/acid balance. Don't pay silly dollars though. It's very very good and should age into a lovely classic claret style and my "beautiful" comment should be seen in those terms. I checked JO last night ... he said 2016-2026 as the drinking window and I reckon he's got it about right.
Wynns BL was the wine I cut my teeth on - I remember the 1986 was very good and I still have a few from a case of 1990 BLs I bought in my twenties.
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
It's interesting how often Jeremy Oliver gets the drinking windows correct on some of the older, classic wines.
I recently (as in early February) had a bottle of the 1996 Koonunga Hill and found that it too had some ways to go to reach maturity. Those 1996s are turning out to be long lived wines and I will certainly take that into account before opening the few bottles of 1996 Black Labels that I have.
Awesome tasting note Jay, a mate gave me a cellared bottle of this last year - will open it this year and look for some more. Good call on the John Riddoch 1996.
I clicked onto this forum a few minutes ago for the first time in ages and this was the first thread I saw (naturally as it was at the top).
It just so happens that I am drinking my first glass of my first bottle of a 6 pack of this very wine (which I have had for about 10 years).
What are the odds?
Great note Jay, by the way, captures my first impressions perfectly. It's drinking OK now but looks to me like it still has a lot of improvement left. Incredibly fresh at 14 years.
I had two bottles of the 96 BL last September and one was unfortunately corked but the other really shone. This was in the company of a couple of 96 BVE Black Peppers and some other quite good wines too. I haven't opened any more since and thought the same of the JRs. I think I've only go two JRs but I certainly won't be rushing into those. It's pretty hard to go wrong with this lable really and very nice to see it hasn't been buggarised around with over the years.
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
and no hurry if you have some well cellared. I'll try and do a decent TN for once ...
me thinks i'm going to have to go and buy a bottle to see for myself!