TN: 1997 Shaw & Smith Reserve Chardonnay Magnum

[n4sir]

1997 Shaw & Smith Reserve Chardonnay Magnum, Adelaide Hills (cork): 13% alc. Light, bright gold colour. It certainly smells like Burgundy, even though it’s much more older than I expected in this format; dried flowers, vanilla and some dried orange peel, peaty and mineraly, at times like Drambuie with slightly herbal/fennel characters. The palate’s more milky, followed by citrus/grapefruit characters, and just a little freshly sliced bacon and puckery acid on the finish. Fully developed and at its very peak; hold from here at your peril.



Cheers,
Ian

[Wayno]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

[Rawshack]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

Mine too

Brave to hold on to any Australian Chardonnay for that long...

[cuttlefish]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

Mine too

Brave to hold on to any Australian Chardonnay for that long...

I've been fortunate enough to taste some much older Vat 47 chardonnay that was drinking really well, so sometimes it's good to be brave with your Aussie Chardonnay...
Vat 47 seems like one of those handful that have a semi-decent track record for aging well from time to time

[Rawshack]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

Mine too

Brave to hold on to any Australian Chardonnay for that long...

I've been fortunate enough to taste some much older Vat 47 chardonnay that was drinking really well, so sometimes it's good to be brave with your Aussie Chardonnay...
Vat 47 seems like one of those handful that have a semi-decent track record for aging well from time to time

Fair Point, and certainly a couple of recent vintages of the Bindi Quartz were heralded as examples that would age. Still, 11 years is a brave length of time...

[Wayno]

Yes, agreed on sticking it out. I had a Vat 47 a couple of years back that was just awesome - ie fresh yet complex and it was a 92/93 or somesuch. Couldn't believe how good it was.

[n4sir]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

Mine too

Brave to hold on to any Australian Chardonnay for that long...

Brave? You are talking about someone who took along a magnum of 1992 Petaluma Chardonnay to the last offline, and is willing to risk the outrageous slings & arrows of white Burgundy on the auction market...

I'm actually finishing the dregs off right now, alongside a 1996 1er Cru Vosne Romanee with Thai five-spice chargrilled pork - damn nice too I might add. After a couple of nights the nose has an extra subtle fishy note, but the palate's softer, rounder and more buttery with deeper/sweeter hazelnut characters too.

At the Penfolds Kalimna Club Icon tasting when introducing the Yattarna & the Reserve Bin 06A Jamie Sach voiced his opinion that chardonnay doesn't get better with age, it just gets older. I disagree (and was very surprised at this comment given the recent significant improvements in Yattarna from 2004), but then I also have to admit I do like older chardonnay/Burgundy. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Cheers,
Ian

[Muscat Mike]

As mentioned I feel that Vat 47 usually ages well. '97, '98, '99 are good examples. I still have these stashed way and try one every now and then.
Another I have tried is the LEAS from the '90s. These also were quite superb, '95 was excellent.
Mike.

[pizzler]

I have some 1997 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series...should I be concerned?

[daz]

I have some 1997 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series...should I be concerned?

If you have more than one bottle, the faint-hearted die wondering.

Cheers

daz

[pizzler]

I have some 1997 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series...should I be concerned?

If you have more than one bottle, the faint-hearted die wondering.

Cheers

daz

Just the one and I'm putting it in the mix for drinking apparently. Don't have the foggiest what your cryptic message means, however...lol.

[Rawshack]

Sounds to my tastes as though it might be just past it's peak, Ian...

Mine too

Brave to hold on to any Australian Chardonnay for that long...

Brave? You are talking about someone who took along a magnum of 1992 Petaluma Chardonnay to the last offline, and is willing to risk the outrageous slings & arrows of white Burgundy on the auction market...

I'm actually finishing the dregs off right now, alongside a 1996 1er Cru Vosne Romanee with Thai five-spice chargrilled pork - damn nice too I might add. After a couple of nights the nose has an extra subtle fishy note, but the palate's softer, rounder and more buttery with deeper/sweeter hazelnut characters too.

At the Penfolds Kalimna Club Icon tasting when introducing the Yattarna & the Reserve Bin 06A Jamie Sach voiced his opinion that chardonnay doesn't get better with age, it just gets older. I disagree (and was very surprised at this comment given the recent significant improvements in Yattarna from 2004), but then I also have to admit I do like older chardonnay/Burgundy. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Cheers,
Ian

I was referring specifically to Australian Chardonnay, not white Burgundy.

I wish I could afford White Burgundy; maybe I should set up the Rawshack White Burgundy Foundation (RWBF) - all donations welcome!

[Luke W]

At the risk of repeating stuff discussed before, there are quite a few chardys that need some bottle age to develop (in better years) better balance and flavour. I've had lots of old 47's, Pierro's, Mount Marys, Giaconda's and Toolangi Reserves that seem to live for at least 10 years and some nearly 20 without diminishing. As Ian suggests many develop the beautiful flavours of some of the French chardys (particularly any of Kinzbrunners). I contend that these are much more interesting wines than wines like the early Yattarnas. Too many premium chardys end up tasting like second rate semillons after 10 years (without the potential) - its a shame that more don't develop like good rieslings then you could stock them in the cellar without fear that they'll be dead before you get to them.

cheers

Luke

[Waiters Friend]

Hi Luke

After several years of aggressively stating that any Oz chardonnay won't go much over 5 years, I now find myself backtracking. The 2002 Killerby chardonnay is better than the (now dying) 2003 Killerby and doing well, while the 2001 Leeuwin Art Series a couple of days ago was cruising along. I'm still considering the majority of Oz chardonnay to be a less-than-5-year proposition, but might be now more prepared to push the boat on a few, like the Cullens (now they are under screwcap from 2004), Voyager, etc.

Cheers

Allan