TN: 1988-1998 Coonawarra Cabernets & blends 7/6/10
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:26 pm
Last week I went to a tasting with the theme of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (and its blends) featuring some very tasty wines – as usual all of the following were served blind, and all were sealed under natural cork:
FLIGHT 1:
1998 Mildara (“White Labelâ€Â) Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark blood red colour. Sweet nose at first of cassis and earth, a hint of chocolate and barnyard, some popcorn with breathing; the medium-weight palate is very earthy and chocolaty, sous bois and sweet berries, grippy but soft tannins and a minty finish. A great start to the tasting.
1998 Jamieson’s Run Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red/brick. The nose of this wine seemed immediately “offâ€Â, damp socks, leathery/vegemite and molten solder characters; the palate's better, there’s still some fruit and mocha chocolate, and a tangy but rather thin finish. I suspected early on this was possibly an oxidised bottle, confirmed when its identity was revealed; the bottle we had last year at the AFWAC Coonawarra/Margaret River tasting was much better.
1998 Jamieson’s Run Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark blood red. Tangy cassis, a hint of clove and tomato skin, leafy and cool and a little medicinal at times; medium-weight, tangy palate with more clove/sweet cherry characters, a minty mid-palate and a long, chalky finish. This had a few fans, but I preferred the humble white label in this trio.
FLIGHT 2:
1998 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Cool, chalky, tarry nose with blackcurrants, buttery herbs and some ash/cigar box; a powdery/chalky entry leads to medium to full weight palate with chewy blackcurrants/cherries, black olive and a little vanilla in the background, finishing long and chalky. A cool, elegant style that’s aging very well.
1998 Highbank Basket Pressed Cabernets: Medium to very dark garnet. Weird nose full of banana/vanillin and gluey oak, a hint of black liquorice and some mint in the background; the palate opens with a big bang of chalk, cherry cola and banana, a hint of sour mash bourbon too, finishing peppery. In comparison to the Bowen this was oaky and un-Cabernet like (it is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance Merlot & Cabernet Franc), and I would have sworn it was American and not French oak used (100% French barriques).
FLIGHT 3:
1990 Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium red/garnet with a hint of brick on the rim. A beautifully perfumed and dusty bouquet, very chocolaty with dark berries, a hint of barnyard, truffle and cigar box; the palate’s medium-weight and soft, very sweet and chocolaty with a long, powdery texture. I thought this was a cracker, reminiscent of the 1998 Mildara that kicked off the night, only older, softer and much more complex, but it should also be noted some others thought this bottle was a little advanced and not a good example.
1992 Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium brick/red. Very earthy and leathery nose with some tobacco, slightly horsy too; the palate’s marginally better with a little tangy sweetness, but it’s thin and really lacks the fruit of the previous wine.
1993 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red with an orange rim. An excellent nose full of sweet blackcurrants backed by some charred oak, some pepper, truffle and coffee too; the palate’s very sweet and round, powerful, fleshy and inky, the lashings of juicy fruit and charry oak almost bordering on being too much. This was fresher and more impressive than a bottle a couple of years ago, but I wonder how long it can hold this form?
1994 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Dusty and slightly stocky/leathery, very inky/tarry and heavy char characters dominate the nose; the palate is also dominated by bourbon/timber like oak, the fruit pushed well and truly into the background. Possibly in an awkward phase, but to be honest I’m not sure if this one will ever come together.
FLIGHT 4:
1990 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium, blood red. Stunning bouquet of peppermint, sweet blackcurrants, chalk and just a hint of charry oak well in the background; the palate’s even better, full weight and chewy with loads of grip, fleshy blackcurrants/cherries and soft tannins, finishing extremely long with a lick of black olive. A multi-layered wine that’s an absolute joy to drink now, but also has years in reserve; only one wine topped it and one other equalled it on my scoresheet tonight.
1992 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red. Brilliant bouquet that’s marginally better than the previous wine, inky blackcurrants and peppermint backed by sweet cedar and lovely spices; a sweet and spicy entry leads to a medium to full weight palate of tangy blackcurrants, cedar and liquorice, finishing grippy and very long. Overall I’d give this the edge with the nose, and the 1990 Black Label the edge with the palate: the final result - a dead heat. What a brilliant pair of wines.
1988 Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium, brick red. At first this didn’t seem out of place in this flight, opening with attractive peppermint, leather, coffee and truffle characters, but it degenerated quickly in the glass; the palate’s older and lighter weight, and slightly mousy on the end. Nice at first, but fading fast.
FLIGHT 5:
1991 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Centenary Shiraz Cabernet: Medium to very dark red. Absolutely stunning, a beautiful nose full of peppermint, blackcurrants, a hint of cedary oak and green capsicum in the background; the balance and length of the palate are outstanding, incredibly sweet and juicy blackberry cordial-like fruit with fine tannins and a bare touch of vanillin oak in the background. WOTN in an extremely strong group (again).
1991 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Inky/dusty nose with just a touch of dampness, some leafy/green characters appearing with breathing but little else surfaces after a lot of work; the structure and length seem to be there but the palate also seems to be scalped of fruit, particularly on the finish. A frustrating bottle with hints of what it could have possibly been.
1991 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red. Huge, tarry bouquet of inky/tart blackcurrant/mulberry fruit and toasty/coffee oak; the palate is just as full-throttle, choc-full of cassis, buttery herbs and toast, some coffee & choc-mint with breathing. It needs time to show its best or a good chunk of brontosaurus to match; while this (Coonawarra/Kalimna/Eden Valley) and the Wynns Centenary Shiraz-dominant blend may bend the theme a little, who cares when they’re this good?
Cheers
Ian
FLIGHT 1:
1998 Mildara (“White Labelâ€Â) Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark blood red colour. Sweet nose at first of cassis and earth, a hint of chocolate and barnyard, some popcorn with breathing; the medium-weight palate is very earthy and chocolaty, sous bois and sweet berries, grippy but soft tannins and a minty finish. A great start to the tasting.
1998 Jamieson’s Run Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red/brick. The nose of this wine seemed immediately “offâ€Â, damp socks, leathery/vegemite and molten solder characters; the palate's better, there’s still some fruit and mocha chocolate, and a tangy but rather thin finish. I suspected early on this was possibly an oxidised bottle, confirmed when its identity was revealed; the bottle we had last year at the AFWAC Coonawarra/Margaret River tasting was much better.
1998 Jamieson’s Run Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark blood red. Tangy cassis, a hint of clove and tomato skin, leafy and cool and a little medicinal at times; medium-weight, tangy palate with more clove/sweet cherry characters, a minty mid-palate and a long, chalky finish. This had a few fans, but I preferred the humble white label in this trio.
FLIGHT 2:
1998 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Cool, chalky, tarry nose with blackcurrants, buttery herbs and some ash/cigar box; a powdery/chalky entry leads to medium to full weight palate with chewy blackcurrants/cherries, black olive and a little vanilla in the background, finishing long and chalky. A cool, elegant style that’s aging very well.
1998 Highbank Basket Pressed Cabernets: Medium to very dark garnet. Weird nose full of banana/vanillin and gluey oak, a hint of black liquorice and some mint in the background; the palate opens with a big bang of chalk, cherry cola and banana, a hint of sour mash bourbon too, finishing peppery. In comparison to the Bowen this was oaky and un-Cabernet like (it is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance Merlot & Cabernet Franc), and I would have sworn it was American and not French oak used (100% French barriques).
FLIGHT 3:
1990 Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium red/garnet with a hint of brick on the rim. A beautifully perfumed and dusty bouquet, very chocolaty with dark berries, a hint of barnyard, truffle and cigar box; the palate’s medium-weight and soft, very sweet and chocolaty with a long, powdery texture. I thought this was a cracker, reminiscent of the 1998 Mildara that kicked off the night, only older, softer and much more complex, but it should also be noted some others thought this bottle was a little advanced and not a good example.
1992 Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium brick/red. Very earthy and leathery nose with some tobacco, slightly horsy too; the palate’s marginally better with a little tangy sweetness, but it’s thin and really lacks the fruit of the previous wine.
1993 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red with an orange rim. An excellent nose full of sweet blackcurrants backed by some charred oak, some pepper, truffle and coffee too; the palate’s very sweet and round, powerful, fleshy and inky, the lashings of juicy fruit and charry oak almost bordering on being too much. This was fresher and more impressive than a bottle a couple of years ago, but I wonder how long it can hold this form?
1994 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Dusty and slightly stocky/leathery, very inky/tarry and heavy char characters dominate the nose; the palate is also dominated by bourbon/timber like oak, the fruit pushed well and truly into the background. Possibly in an awkward phase, but to be honest I’m not sure if this one will ever come together.
FLIGHT 4:
1990 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium, blood red. Stunning bouquet of peppermint, sweet blackcurrants, chalk and just a hint of charry oak well in the background; the palate’s even better, full weight and chewy with loads of grip, fleshy blackcurrants/cherries and soft tannins, finishing extremely long with a lick of black olive. A multi-layered wine that’s an absolute joy to drink now, but also has years in reserve; only one wine topped it and one other equalled it on my scoresheet tonight.
1992 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red. Brilliant bouquet that’s marginally better than the previous wine, inky blackcurrants and peppermint backed by sweet cedar and lovely spices; a sweet and spicy entry leads to a medium to full weight palate of tangy blackcurrants, cedar and liquorice, finishing grippy and very long. Overall I’d give this the edge with the nose, and the 1990 Black Label the edge with the palate: the final result - a dead heat. What a brilliant pair of wines.
1988 Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium, brick red. At first this didn’t seem out of place in this flight, opening with attractive peppermint, leather, coffee and truffle characters, but it degenerated quickly in the glass; the palate’s older and lighter weight, and slightly mousy on the end. Nice at first, but fading fast.
FLIGHT 5:
1991 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Centenary Shiraz Cabernet: Medium to very dark red. Absolutely stunning, a beautiful nose full of peppermint, blackcurrants, a hint of cedary oak and green capsicum in the background; the balance and length of the palate are outstanding, incredibly sweet and juicy blackberry cordial-like fruit with fine tannins and a bare touch of vanillin oak in the background. WOTN in an extremely strong group (again).
1991 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to dark red. Inky/dusty nose with just a touch of dampness, some leafy/green characters appearing with breathing but little else surfaces after a lot of work; the structure and length seem to be there but the palate also seems to be scalped of fruit, particularly on the finish. A frustrating bottle with hints of what it could have possibly been.
1991 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon: Medium to very dark red. Huge, tarry bouquet of inky/tart blackcurrant/mulberry fruit and toasty/coffee oak; the palate is just as full-throttle, choc-full of cassis, buttery herbs and toast, some coffee & choc-mint with breathing. It needs time to show its best or a good chunk of brontosaurus to match; while this (Coonawarra/Kalimna/Eden Valley) and the Wynns Centenary Shiraz-dominant blend may bend the theme a little, who cares when they’re this good?
Cheers
Ian
