Page 6 of 8

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 12:58 pm
by phillisc
JamieAdelaide wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 12:30 pm You should sell your 1990’s then.

I’m not a technical Cabernet lover. I don’t mind a bit of this and that happening. I guess that’s why I often found the greatest Bordeaux amazing and boring at the same time.
You sound like my son, yes does anyone need 6-12+ of any old wine...maybe they do?? His point is use the cash to reinvest and he is right...I think I will go down this path...eventually. 90 JR what $160+ on the second hand market. Unfortunately the distance between myself and great Bordeaux can be measured...in light years!!
Cheers Craig

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 1:14 pm
by JamieAdelaide
Yours should get a premium as properly cellared! Riddoch is rarely in great condition from the secondary market in my experiences.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 10:54 am
by JamieAdelaide
Veritas Heysen Vineyard Shiraz 1996 was quite a big wine for the vintage. It’s full, round and loaded with all things Barossan. Perfectly mature with fruit at its prime and held together in refined structure. Also had a 05 Rolf Binder Heysen though provenance unknown and an auction buy. The last glass was lovely- just a we bit stewed which is probably cellaring.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:46 am
by phillisc
Dinner at Stamps last night. An excellent 2014 WDC Springflat Shiraz... Inky black dark brooding fruit, rich fruits, very enjoyable.
2001 Bin 0, right in the spot, lovely drinking another 5 years or so.
Cheers Craig

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 10:58 am
by JamieAdelaide
Had a few old Turkey Flat shiraz’s which are epitomised by an understated Barossa elegance and balance. I love the way a cool cellar preserves the primary fruit you see in release tasting notes, with development adding an interest as the fruit ages and “sweetens”. A 97&02 were the wines. For many, I’d say 10 years is peak drinking for TF Shiraz.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:42 pm
by felixp21
We had a 1998 Bailey's 1920 Block Shiraz last week, a wine I have found mundane thru it's first decade, but this was the first bottle I have seen in about 10-12 years. The transformation was dramatic, now mature with those lovely old tarry and anise notes that Baileys is renowned for. Not the most complex or profound wine I've ever seen, but an incredible value and an absolute pleasure to drink. I'd rate it around 93 points.

PS, perfectly cellared since release, and I would 100% agree with Jamie that cellaring makes a dramatic difference not only to the quality of a mature wine, but also to the ability of any decent wine to age gracefully over a long period of time.

I'm also reluctant to send popular wines to auction, one of the many reasons being my wine has been perfectly cellared, whereas the vast majority of Aussie, and possibly some imported, wines have not.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:29 am
by JamieAdelaide
Nice to have you back Felix. You don’t get your money back on perfectly cellared wines so I’ve never sent mine to auction for that reason. Though I have been tempted with Greenock Creek. I’d love to condemn Parker to drinking them for a month and see where he rates his Bradman batting average scores for the wines from decades ago.

Bailey’s what a treasure. I visited them just after the big end of town took them over. Change was coming fast. I bought a back vintage case of 93 Shiraz which was cheap at $20 and despite rustiness and variation over the case, was a good look at the wine’s character. The 98 must have been the last vintage of an era before they went corporate and marketed the wines with the inevitable “old vines” 1904 Block. I see it’s $95 a bottle now! Bailey’s is a snapshot of where Wendouree would go if sold. Though I fear it would be worse as whoever bought it runs a massive marketing campaign to maximise profits.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:17 pm
by phillisc
1990 Wynns Oven Valley... lovely wine, browning on the edges firm core of bright fruits good length on the palate a fraction astringent but strong finish. Half a dozen left, great wine for $4!!
Cheers Craig

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:39 pm
by Mike Hawkins
1996 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge… after a disappointing 1998 version, I had low expectations. However, this a was a delight. Medium to full bodied, lots of eucalyptus and tobacco notes and great length. This is in a really good spot right now.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:43 pm
by WineRick
phillisc wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:17 pm 1990 Wynns Oven Valley... lovely wine, browning on the edges firm core of bright fruits good length on the palate a fraction astringent but strong finish. Half a dozen left, great wine for $4!!
Cheers Craig
Many moons ago Cliff Booth, of Taminick Cellars, used to make the greater proportion of the wine that was labelled 'Ovens Valley Shiraz. I wonder where they sourced the fruit/wine for the above wine. Does Ovens Valley Shiraz still exist as a label?
Incidentally, the Wynns Ovens Valley bottlings of the 70's and 80's were fantastic wines, and great value, reminiscent of the first bottlings of Koonunga Hill.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:16 pm
by phillisc
WineRick wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:43 pm
phillisc wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:17 pm 1990 Wynns Oven Valley... lovely wine, browning on the edges firm core of bright fruits good length on the palate a fraction astringent but strong finish. Half a dozen left, great wine for $4!!
Cheers Craig
Many moons ago Cliff Booth, of Taminick Cellars, used to make the greater proportion of the wine that was labelled 'Ovens Valley Shiraz. I wonder where they sourced the fruit/wine for the above wine. Does Ovens Valley Shiraz still exist as a label?
Incidentally, the Wynns Ovens Valley bottlings of the 70's and 80's were fantastic wines, and great value, reminiscent of the first bottlings of Koonunga Hill.
Yes agreed, actually purchased some Booths in the early 80s...great wines indeed. You are bang on with early KH's, the 86 and 90 vintages were bloody amazing and fabbo value, $3:50 I think?
95 was the last Wynns Ovens Valley, sold at the CD. I had some 81? 86, 90, 91 and 95. JH did a big write up at the time, in The Oz, shortly after the 1990 release, flew off the shelves at $50 a dozen
Cheers Craig

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2022 4:49 pm
by WineRick
phillisc wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:16 pm
WineRick wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:43 pm
phillisc wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:17 pm 1990 Wynns Oven Valley... lovely wine, browning on the edges firm core of bright fruits good length on the palate a fraction astringent but strong finish. Half a dozen left, great wine for $4!!
Cheers Craig
Many moons ago Cliff Booth, of Taminick Cellars, used to make the greater proportion of the wine that was labelled 'Ovens Valley Shiraz. I wonder where they sourced the fruit/wine for the above wine. Does Ovens Valley Shiraz still exist as a label?
Incidentally, the Wynns Ovens Valley bottlings of the 70's and 80's were fantastic wines, and great value, reminiscent of the first bottlings of Koonunga Hill.
Yes agreed, actually purchased some Booths in the early 80s...great wines indeed. You are bang on with early KH's, the 86 and 90 vintages were bloody amazing and fabbo value, $3:50 I think?
95 was the last Wynns Ovens Valley, sold at the CD. I had some 81? 86, 90, 91 and 95. JH did a big write up at the time, in The Oz, shortly after the 1990 release, flew off the shelves at $50 a dozen
Cheers Craig
Speaking of Koonunga Hill, I can remember the first release - 1976 Shiraz/Cab - which sold for $2.75/bot, while most stockists offered it for $2.50/bot by the dozen. One prominent discounter - his name escapes me (didn't last long!) - offered it for $2.25 in a dozen buy. Us Roseworthy students bought cases of the stuff - anyone going to Adelaide was usually pressured to bring multiple cases back. It was a fantastic red, no doubt due to Penfolds being badly caught out by a long drawn out white wine boom throughout the '70's and early '80's - firstly the 'Rhine' Riesling / riesling (any grape, usually Semillon or Crouchen!) period, closely followed by the 'Traminer / Riesling' debacle (usually Semillon juice over Traminer skins ) then the big daddy of them all, the Chardonnay boom. Penfolds had sheds full of reds!

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:37 pm
by mjs
2004 Katnook Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Balnaves The Tally Cabernet Sauvignon

Two examples of premium Coonawarra Cabernet from a great year, been cellared since release. Both in excellent nick, now gorgeous wines, enjoyed them both. The Katnook a bit more rigid linear Cabernet, dark fruits, cassis, cedar, the Tally a bit more voluptuous, bit of red fruit perhaps, both now integrated, beautiful bouquet and wonderful to drink. The bouquet on the Tally was exceptional. Hard to split in terms of a favourite, perhaps the Tally slightly more enjoyable.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 1:25 pm
by TravisW
Is the Tally 2004 a hold or drink now prospect? Thanks for the tasting note.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:06 pm
by mjs
Beautiful to drink now, but still years to go at that level, at least ten imo.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 9:34 pm
by JamieAdelaide
World class the 2004 Tally. Had it a few years ago and most impressed

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:52 am
by JamieAdelaide
Despite some sensory gaps due lingering COVID, I was very impressed with both a Noons Reserve Shiraz & Cabernet from the 2004 vintage. Modern expressions, ahead of their time, richly layered and both infused with minerality and complex tobacco like development. Very enjoyable and I will buy and cellar Noons on this showing.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:18 am
by Bytown Rick
JamieAdelaide wrote: Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:52 am Despite some sensory gaps due lingering COVID, I was very impressed with both a Noons Reserve Shiraz & Cabernet from the 2004 vintage. Modern expressions, ahead of their time, richly layered and both infused with minerality and complex tobacco like development. Very enjoyable and I will buy and cellar Noons on this showing.
Thanks Jamie. Have some of the 1998 and 2006 Shiraz and Cabernet in the cellar. Sounds like it's time to pop a few corks.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:12 pm
by JamieAdelaide
Be great to hear how the 98’s going. And to see if you enjoy the style with age.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:18 am
by VinoEd
Tried this 1996 last night, cork was in great condition, wine holding up fairly well. Fruit came in over time, tannin present, acidity holding up, tertiary character in full swing. On the downhill run.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:23 pm
by JamieAdelaide
Had a magnificent 96 Old Block. Wow! Captured the vintage perfectly. Fruit is pristine, structure is dominated by piquant acidity that draws out fruit nuance with food.

Had a look at Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 1997, 2003, 2004 & 2005. Perfect corks from perfect cellaring. 2005 underperforming with screw cap!

97- Still vibrant fruit, developed but not showing leatheriness which I don’t like. Adhered texture, Burgundy-like, then lends toward its SV origins in flag of profile. Charming.

2004- Magnificent aromatics including a touch of wild funk. Poised and rides long. With air the palate richens and gives a gratifying evenness. Superb.

2003- Probably better a decade ago. Fruit is falling away, still rich and round. A fine wine no doubt.

2005- Perhaps it needs decanting? Scary lack of interest under screw cap. Dark berry edged, lacking intensity, structurally outbid kilter with where the fruit is. Plane odd. Hopefully something errant as it’s generally an applauded wine. Or my palate yet to be adjusted to screw cap.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:36 pm
by Mike Hawkins
Glad your 96 Old Block was a good one.I had a couple of disappointing bottles in the past year so sent the rest to auction / gave away to friends. That said, I had a couple of cracking 90s earlier in the year.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:58 am
by JamieAdelaide
Of a six pack bought from cellar door, I had to take two back due cork taint. The previous bottle I had was one of these replacements and it wasn’t in the same league as the bottle above.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 8:58 am
by JamieAdelaide
Just saw the 2018 Old Block reviewed on Wine Front at $160 a bottle! It was always the last stop for me, coming home from Barossa. What’s left in the budget and is their room in the car? The last six pack so to speak. And $25 a bottle.

I just don’t think I’d age OB at that price. It would be a ten year wine for mine, rather risk unsatisfactory development risk.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 9:38 am
by Mike Hawkins
Jamie, I bought a few bottles of the 2015 for just under $100. Like ME, the new pricing will mean I sit it out.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 9:42 am
by Mike Hawkins
1990 Rockford Basket Press. 2nd bottle this year and this one was even better than the last (if that’s possible). If tasted blind, I’d have said it’s the 98 vintage such was its (relative) youth. Lots of chocolate, cedar and violet crumble notes with beautiful tannin profile and superb length. Well cellared bottles have many years left. This is an utterly superb wine, and for my tastes, along with the 91, the best BP ever made (though I don’t recall tasting the 84 or 85).

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:37 pm
by felixp21
JamieAdelaide wrote: Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:23 pm Had a magnificent 96 Old Block. Wow! Captured the vintage perfectly. Fruit is pristine, structure is dominated by piquant acidity that draws out fruit nuance with food.

Had a look at Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 1997, 2003, 2004 & 2005. Perfect corks from perfect cellaring. 2005 underperforming with screw cap!

97- Still vibrant fruit, developed but not showing leatheriness which I don’t like. Adhered texture, Burgundy-like, then lends toward its SV origins in flag of profile. Charming.

2004- Magnificent aromatics including a touch of wild funk. Poised and rides long. With air the palate richens and gives a gratifying evenness. Superb.

2003- Probably better a decade ago. Fruit is falling away, still rich and round. A fine wine no doubt.

2005- Perhaps it needs decanting? Scary lack of interest under screw cap. Dark berry edged, lacking intensity, structurally outbid kilter with where the fruit is. Plane odd. Hopefully something errant as it’s generally an applauded wine. Or my palate yet to be adjusted to screw cap.

I no longer purchase any red under ScrewCap other than pinot noir from Australia or, infrequently, New Zealand. Put simply, they just do not develop well. Chardonnay SC eliminates pre-mox, but again, I am beginning to question their long-term development.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:53 pm
by JamieAdelaide
I’ve been very impressed with Aussie whites in screw cap. However this has more been average rated whites being very good after years in the cellar.

It’s a tough discussion to have in this country. Sort of like discussing theology in Saudia Arabia. I go as far to say opinion on screw cap is fanatical.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2022 5:40 pm
by Mahmoud Ali
JamieAdelaide wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:53 pmIt’s a tough discussion to have in this country. Sort of like discussing theology in Saudia Arabia. I go as far to say opinion on screw cap is fanatical.
If you think its a tough discussion now you should have seen it a few years ago when it seemed more like flying a Sopwith Camel under attack by a squadron of Messeshmidts.

Mahmoud.

Re: Old Australians From Climate Controlled Storage.

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 10:03 pm
by andrewpc
A great old bottle opened on Saturday night. I sourced a number of these earlier in the year when I turned 40. Their cellaring provenance was highly questionable but they were cheap, so I took the risk. This was the third and last and was really fantastic. Not surprisingly the fruit had faded but it wasn't all dry leather. The wine had nice structure, a real earthiness, some good acid and great tertiary notes. Bricking, but still a great purple colour. It was very enjoyable with a rib-eye cooked over an open fire.

PXL_20221002_085547314.jpg
PXL_20221002_085746767.jpg
PXL_20221002_091710150.jpg