TN: 1998 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cab Sav

[markg]

The color was a bright ruby and starting to lighten around the edges.
A nose of meat, plums and toffee. On entry there was some fruit and a bit of pepper on what I thought was a short finish. Medium bodied and slight, chalky tannins. Not really very impressed.

[scottv]

Thanks Mark.

I had one a few weeks ago and wasn't sure whether it was oxidised, heat affected or needed further breathing (which did improve it slightly but not much). But your note sounds exactly as if you were there with me drinking the same bottle. Not impressed at all. My wife said I got ripped off if I paid more than $10.

Mine was picked up from a Townsville bottle-shop last year though, which could explain it.

Scott

[markg]

Thanks Mark.

I had one a few weeks ago and wasn't sure whether it was oxidised, heat affected or needed further breathing (which did improve it slightly but not much). But your note sounds exactly as if you were there with me drinking the same bottle. Not impressed at all. My wife said I got ripped off if I paid more than $10.

Mine was picked up from a Townsville bottle-shop last year though, which could explain it.

Scott

Argghhh, you don't want to know how much I paid each... damn. I am fairly certain the wine was kept well I suspect it may be closed for the moment (he says hopefully, thinking about the others he has in his cellar).

[scottv]

I hope you a right. I have one other left (out of the 2 purchased for $22 each). Though I don't know how long to leave it. I don't have a cellar and fear that in the NQ heat it will not get any better.

Scott

[Muscat Mike]

I hope you a right. I have one other left (out of the 2 purchased for $22 each). Though I don't know how long to leave it. I don't have a cellar and fear that in the NQ heat it will not get any better.

Scott

Scott,
go to your local supermarket and ask if they have any broccoli boxes they want to get rid of. These are made of polystyrene and make good insulators. Definitely better than nothing, and free.
MM.

[corcoran]

I drank well over a case of this, and thought it was a great value. It seemed to be still improving last year. Unfortunately, it was so tasty that I don't have any left. But, your experience seems completely different than mine. I would try another bottle.

Brian

[n4sir]

I was a little worried to read these recent reviews, and as it’s been 18 months since I last opened a bottle, it was time to see how mine are cellaring:

1998 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon The colour is still a glowing, glorious, inky purple/black. I decanted the bottle with a breatheasy, and while there’s no crust on the bottle itself, significant tannic crystals have formed in the wine. After going out 10 minutes to get some takeaway, a glorious perfumed bouquet wafted through the front door welcoming me home from the other side of the house! Blackcurrants dusted with icing sugar, violets, strawberries, and blueberry form the nose’s sweet backbone, with some coffee oak way off in the background. The malty oak is more prominent in the complex palate with some olive, interwoven chalky tannins and rich chocolate/blackcurrant fruit all in harmonious balance. There’s no sign of any decline since I last tried the wine 18 months ago; the wine's just getting better, with a long future still in sight. Makes the 1998 Penfolds Bin 407 look pretty ugly (I can’t believe how the latest Rewards of Patience has a drinking window until 2018 – it will be lucky if it makes it to 2008!).

Sorry (well actually happy) to say it guys, but it looks like you scored a couple of advanced or dud bottles.


Cheers,
Ian

[GrahamB]

I was a little worried to read these recent reviews, and as itÂ’s been 18 months since I last opened a bottle, it was time to see how mine are cellaring:

1998 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon The colour is still a glowing, glorious, inky purple/black. I decanted the bottle with a breatheasy, and while there’s no crust on the bottle itself, significant tannic crystals have formed in the wine. After going out 10 minutes to get some takeaway, a glorious perfumed bouquet wafted through the front door welcoming me home from the other side of the house! Blackcurrants dusted with icing sugar, violets, strawberries, and blueberry form the nose’s sweet backbone, with some coffee oak way off in the background. The malty oak is more prominent in the complex palate with some olive, interwoven chalky tannins and rich chocolate/blackcurrant fruit all in harmonious balance. There’s no sign of any decline since I last tried the wine 18 months ago; the wine's just getting better, with a long future still in sight. Makes the 1998 Penfolds Bin 407 look pretty ugly (I can’t believe how the latest Rewards of Patience has a drinking window until 2018 – it will be lucky if it makes it to 2008!).

Sorry (well actually happy) to say it guys, but it looks like you scored a couple of advanced or dud bottles.


Cheers,
Ian

Great Ian

I still have almost a case of the 98 and based on the initial posts had decided to open one this weekend to check. From your notes I may give it a miss for another 6 months.

Graham

[Aussie Johns]

I agree with you, Ian.
Another wine I have plenty of experience with, and reckon it is no-where near its drinking window- try again in 2008.
Dud bottles seem to be pretty common in the warmer climes,....obviously storage is critical up there.

[markg]

Looks like it and a previous one may have been dud bottles. I will try another soon from the same carton.

Thanks to all for sharing their info, its reinvigorated my desire for this wine.

[707]

I've been a loyal purchaser of Wynns Cabernets for two decades and vintage variation aside I've rarely been disappointed.

The 98 at time of release just looked a little less dense in colour than previous vintages which may have coincided with the change of winemaker from Peter Douglas to Sue Hodder.

I've had a couple of these over the past three months and expereienced two different bottles, the first was unconvincing for a great vintage Wynns Cab and a bit disappointing leading me to believe that 98 was not a good version of the famous Black Label but a later one opened really well exhibiting all the characters of previous good vintages, far to young to be opened.

Now these bottles were loose ones in my racks and not from the same carton so may well have been purchased at different times. Leaves me wondering now if there is some type of bottle variation going on with the 98? I just hope my two cartons are of the latter bottles ilk!

[BA]

I'll join in on the side of "it's got a long way to go" from my last tasting late last year. Two dud bottles is not uncommon these days.

I hope you guys have much better luck with your next bottles.

cheers


BA

[michel]

I dont know . I have tried the 98 4 times and it is so closed and poorly defined. The 90 91 drank well from day one.
I am sitting on the fence with this one.
michel

[simm]

I dont know . I have tried the 98 4 times and it is so closed and poorly defined. The 90 91 drank well from day one.
I am sitting on the fence with this one.
michel

I'm with you Michel. I tried one a couple of weeks ago and was so dissapointed I didn't bother with notes. My hopes are high for the dead zone theory, but I wouldn't place any bets on it.

cheers,

[Geoffrey]

In New Zealand about a year ago the Wynns 1998 Black Label started appearing on special for about nz$21.Saw the special in a number of wine out lets here in Christchurch. The B/L normal sells for about nz$28-30, brought a case. Did think at the time as being unusual as the 2000 or 2001 was on sale, haven't been disappointed. Opened a bottle a couple of nights ago ( about the 4th in 3mths) and found that and the others to be what i expect from that label, good Cab/Sav varietal flavrs. reasonable balance now with the fruit, oak and tannin; nice bit of grip that i like in my cabernet.
Good wine for the price and look forward to the other 8.

[n4sir]

I'm sitting here looking at the glowing purple hue coming off my last glass of this beautiful wine on its second evening, and can't help think about how varied these comments are.

Is there some of the dreaded batch variation at play here? On release I freely admit I hated this wine, but over the period of the last three years it has really softened, developed fantastic complexity, and somehow kept its youthful appearance, like it will go on past my lifetime. Just the look of it is incredible over five years out from vintage.

There has been quite number of bottles resurfacing at auction/retail recently, coincidentally with Southcorp desperate for cashflow. Could it possibly be a factor?

Cheers
Ian

[Guest]

I have 2 or 3 left all mine have been fine. Have not tried for about 4 - 6 months. I used it as an every day quaffer and generally found all to be OK (at least 12 - 16 bottles). However, I preferred the Bowen and Brands but usually, do year in year out. Would take a closer look at cellaring and storage ?