The Auswine Forum

When in Rome as they say.....

I am currently in San Francisco. Tried a 2008 Seghesio Zinfandel from Sonoma Country. Know nothing about the winery and rather I Just wanted to try a Californian Zin.

Pepper and spice with blue and black currant fruit peeking through. Actually more than peeking through since on the nose those fruits were dominant. Medium to full bodied but not the powerhouse that I thought a Zin might be. The finish was impossibly long which impressed.

All in all, a really nice wine. For the money ($US 60 in a restaurant) it was hard to fault. If this is proper Zin then I like it!

2007 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon. Really good! It has softened up a bit, a lovely open knit ripe and well balanced wine.

NV Deutz Prestige by Montana. After waiting 2 hours for the cricket corporate box staff to find a bottle this was pretty tasty wine. Cant drink much fizz though. Pretty rare stuff matched with another rare event a NZ win

2008 Kumeu river Hunting hill Chardonnay. Clean as crystal, love this stuff

For my Birthday last week we had:

2003 Rockford Moppa Springs: Still a favourite of mine and this is still delicious. Typical Barossa GSM and still going strong. Lots of Cherries and some confectionery as well. We didn't even bother decanting. Is it just me or does Grenache seem to do better in poor vintages?

2008 Spinifex Papillon: Ok wine but I am not sure if the vintage caused this. A little cooked and although it is a Grenache dominant wine it didn't seem that way.

2002 Virgin Hills: WOTN. So smooth and I have yet to be disappointed by either the 01 or 02's that I have had in the last 12 months. They were both a bit rugged early but now they are fantastic.

2002 Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache: Still an infant. It needs to be decanted for way longer than we did. An hour didn't cut it. It was a little too sweet and showed it's alcohol (17.2%). I saved a small glass for the next night and had it with some vintage cheddar and it was superb. I have 1 more bottle of this and won't go near it for several years yet.

For the Wife's 40th this weekend:

NV Piper Heidseck Champagne: I am not a bubbles person but this was OK. The wife liked it as bubbles are her department. I found it nice and smooth dominated by creamy buttery flavours.

2003 Stefano Lubiana "Sur Lie" Chardonnay: Vinegar. Way past it's best. Only had a small glass and turfed it. This is kind of embarrassing at a nice BYO restaurant.

2003 Brick Kiln Shiraz: Still a winner. I love this wine and it still doesn't fail to impress. Still has a few more years in front of it as well. Medium bodied with really nice structure.

2000 Eileen Hardy Shiraz: Wow! Loved this and will keep for a while yet. Full bodied and lots of red and black fruits and the oak is well balanced along with the silky smooth tannins. The longer it was in the glass, the better it got. My WOTN.

2001 Pirramimma Shiraz. This was the WOTN for everyone bar me. It is a superb drink though and only just missed beating the Eileen Hardy. On a pure value for money criteria it won hands down (only $25 compared to $80. Amazing VFM. ). 100% new oak shows on the palate but blends well with the fruit. It gets better every year I drink it, only a few left now. Right in it's prime for mine.

2004 Chateau Reynella Basket Pressed Grenache: Suffered a little from being consumed after the 3 Shiraz's. Maybe should have had this first. I enjoyed it but others were non committal ( I am a Grenache lover though). Plenty of berry fruit and some interesting spice that i couldn't quite explain. Coming towards it's peak and I will drink the last 2 bottles I have in the next few months.

If anyone is on the southern end of the Gold Coast and wants a good BYO (wine only), then try Latitude 28 at Kingscliff. Amazing food at reasonable prices and only $3.50 a head corkage. No decanters but reasonable glassware. I had slow roasted lamb Bruschetta for Entre and Gnocchi Ragu with sliced Parmesan for main and both were amazing. Everyone was raving about the food and the setting is nice (close to the beach). Worth a look if down this way.

Had a really good bottle of the 97 Katnook Odessey last night. Mouthcoating wine, with great texture, lots of blackcurrent, but enough acidity to cope with the food - spagetti with an olives, mushrooms and mince. 4 bottles left and as the last glass was probably better than the first, I don't think there is any need to drink this up quickly. At 15 euro a bottle (auction), it was a steal.

After the Katnook I opened a 99 Brookman Shiraz from Clarendon Hills. This, along with the 98 Brookman Cabernet, used to be our house red wine, but as I've been drinking mostly whites these last few years, these have lain in the Eurocave for a while. Picked again at auction for a steal (14 Euro a bottle) this used to be a rich savoury wine, but tonights bottle had turned Italian in nature. Amarone nose, alcohol. Good acidity, but lean and the fruit was muted. I've had a few older Clarendon Hills wines and normally I'm put off buy the pronounced minerality that comes through. None of that here though and I think it was just an off bottle. Shame.

2004 Taylors St Andrews Shiraz (Clare Valley)

Consumed over the period of about 4 hours. Including dinner w/ a waygu porterhouse in the middle.

A delicious drop this was. The nose started out all red fruit and bright with cedar and violets, somewhere in the middle was turkish delight (proper home made stuff) that had been stored next to humbugs with a cedar divider between them, and at the end - juicy moist leather with the hint of tobacco. My most favorite part of this wine was it's nose, just loved it and the continual evolution every 5 minutes or so was just fantastic.

Palate - to be honest I was paying more attention to the nose, I do recall that it went well with the food, so decent acid, fairly decent finish - could still taste the individual components at least 3 minutes afterwards, was smooth and pleastant going down, and a beautiful balance with the astringicy bought by the tannins.

deleted

Tim Adams presented his wines at an instore last Saturday, and I had the following brief impressions - all were bottled under screwcap:

2010 Tim Adams Riesling, Clare Valley: Tight and taught, lemon/lime juice, a touch of fennel, piercing acidity and excellent length; a pure expression for riesling lovers, slatey, free-run juice producing a wine of authority. An interesting contrast to the 2009 vintage, a bit like 2002 vs 2003, this one resembling the latter in its infancy.

2008 Tim Adams Reserve Riesling, Clare Valley: Looks advanced and rather short, especially compared to the 2010 riesling; it’s already toasty with the first hint of kerosene on the nose, some nutty characters appearing on the end. A little better than at the offline late last year, but well in the shadow of the standard riesling. (Nb. Tim mentioned that there’s no Reserve Riesling made for the 2009 vintage; he thought the fruit was too forward without the small parcel of fruit usually held back for the Reserve, and added it to the standard riesling to give it the backbone he wanted)

2009 Tim Adams Semillon, Clare Valley: Lemony with a notably zippy/fizzy acidity that races around the mouth; it’s got great length too, and could well be a sleeper to benefit from a good cellar.

2009 Tim Adams Pinot Gris, Clare Valley: A light blush colour, and it smells a little confected with rose petals, rather like a rosé at times; the acid sticks out of the bitter apple/almond palate, especially on the finish. This had its fans, but I wasn’t one of them.

2008 Tim Adams Reserve Tempranillo, Clare Valley: The standout of the reds today, earthy/meaty with sour cherries, a touch of the stoker’s apron, medium-weight with great length and balance; it would have been perfect with Tim’s lunchtime pizza.

2007 Tim Adams The Fergus, Clare Valley: A different blend this year, predominantly Grenache fermented on Cabernet, Shiraz & Mataro skins with 21% Tempranillo in the blend for the first time. It’s similar to the 2008 Reserve Tempranillo, earthy and meaty, but with boiled lollies/sweet cherries instead of the sour version, light to medium weight with some minty warmth on the finish.

2006 Tim Adams Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley: A leafy wine reflecting the cool vintage, blackcurrant/jubes, some ash and meaty characters; the palate’s medium weight with a very dry finish. Seems to be shutting down, and needs food to enjoy it.

2007 Tim Adams Shiraz, Clare Valley: Earthy, sweet and plummy with a lick of nutty oak, but the 14.4% alcohol shows on the medium-weight palate, especially on the minty finish.

2008 Tim Adams The Aberfeldy Shiraz, Clare Valley: More than a little like McLaren Vale this vintage, blackcurrant/cherries, earth, mint, and a fine dusting of cocoa; the palate has more weight than the standard 2007 shiraz and can handle the 14.83% alcohol a little better, but it’s still hot on the finish. Decent results for a tough vintage, but still a lesser Aberfeldy.

2010 Tim Adams Botrytis Affected Riesling, Clare Valley (375ml): Sweet lemon juice/lemon marmalade, some quince paste here too, the sweetness countered by the same piercing acidity and slatey length of the ‘regular’ riesling. A great sticky for those that find the likes of many botrytis wines too fat and sweet, and sometimes too oaky – this is racy and clean, and it will be interesting to see how it ages.

Cheers,
Ian

Must have been Tim Adams weekend.

2005 Tim Adams Riesling. Lime and citrus, lovely flavour and good length. Had with a dose of gardening.
Really liked it and thought i would like to put some away, but it had a bunch of crunchy crystals in the bottom that really made me regret that last glass as i spat it into the garden.

Can someone please tell me what that was all about?

Craig(NZ) wrote:2007 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon. Really good! It has softened up a bit, a lovely open knit ripe and well balanced wine.

This weekend I have mostly been drinking... 2009 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, which after three bottles over a long-weekend road trip, I now think is even better than the 07. I picked this up for $15, and it oozes class. You should try it Craig and let me know your impressions.

deleted

ticklenow1 wrote:For my Birthday last week we had:

2003 Rockford Moppa Springs: Still a favourite of mine and this is still delicious. Typical Barossa GSM and still going strong. Lots of Cherries and some confectionery as well. We didn't even bother decanting. Is it just me or does Grenache seem to do better in poor vintages?

2008 Spinifex Papillon: Ok wine but I am not sure if the vintage caused this. A little cooked and although it is a Grenache dominant wine it didn't seem that way.

2002 Virgin Hills: WOTN. So smooth and I have yet to be disappointed by either the 01 or 02's that I have had in the last 12 months. They were both a bit rugged early but now they are fantastic.

2002 Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache: Still an infant. It needs to be decanted for way longer than we did. An hour didn't cut it. It was a little too sweet and showed it's alcohol (17.2%). I saved a small glass for the next night and had it with some vintage cheddar and it was superb. I have 1 more bottle of this and won't go near it for several years yet.

For the Wife's 40th this weekend:

NV Piper Heidseck Champagne: I am not a bubbles person but this was OK. The wife liked it as bubbles are her department. I found it nice and smooth dominated by creamy buttery flavours.

2003 Stefano Lubiana "Sur Lie" Chardonnay: Vinegar. Way past it's best. Only had a small glass and turfed it. This is kind of embarrassing at a nice BYO restaurant.

2003 Brick Kiln Shiraz: Still a winner. I love this wine and it still doesn't fail to impress. Still has a few more years in front of it as well. Medium bodied with really nice structure.

2000 Eileen Hardy Shiraz: Wow! Loved this and will keep for a while yet. Full bodied and lots of red and black fruits and the oak is well balanced along with the silky smooth tannins. The longer it was in the glass, the better it got. My WOTN.

2001 Pirramimma Shiraz. This was the WOTN for everyone bar me. It is a superb drink though and only just missed beating the Eileen Hardy. On a pure value for money criteria it won hands down (only $25 compared to $80. Amazing VFM. ). 100% new oak shows on the palate but blends well with the fruit. It gets better every year I drink it, only a few left now. Right in it's prime for mine.

2004 Chateau Reynella Basket Pressed Grenache: Suffered a little from being consumed after the 3 Shiraz's. Maybe should have had this first. I enjoyed it but others were non committal ( I am a Grenache lover though). Plenty of berry fruit and some interesting spice that i couldn't quite explain. Coming towards it's peak and I will drink the last 2 bottles I have in the next few months.

If anyone is on the southern end of the Gold Coast and wants a good BYO (wine only), then try Latitude 28 at Kingscliff. Amazing food at reasonable prices and only $3.50 a head corkage. No decanters but reasonable glassware. I had slow roasted lamb Bruschetta for Entre and Gnocchi Ragu with sliced Parmesan for main and both were amazing. Everyone was raving about the food and the setting is nice (close to the beach). Worth a look if down this way.

Hi Ticklenow1,
good to know that there is another aquarian wine drinker out there, my birthday today!
Very interested in your comments about Virgin Hills, have been a very long time fan and still have vintages of the 1990.
I manged to buy 2 cases of the 01 and 02 last year and found the 01 to be quite superb in length balance and really well integrated. lovely and rich and just entering a 7-10 year drinking window. The 02 however, was all over the place, harsh tannins, really quite clumbsy and have to admit, that it did not appeal.
i hope that it was either a poor bottle or that 02 really needs time to settle.

I have not got a clue about what michael hope is doing about virgin hills releases, the 03 is available via mail order, no word of an 04 which i was told there would be a release, and you would think that 06, 08, 09 would have been made as vintage for those years was reasobale in Kyenton. Are there any issues releasing wines that are 6-8 years of age when available?

Can anyone shed any light here.
Cheers craig.

This weekend I have mostly been drinking... 2009 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, which after three bottles over a long-weekend road trip, I now think is even better than the 07. I picked this up for $15, and it oozes class. You should try it Craig and let me know your impressions.

Thanks for the heads up. will grab one to try next time i see it on special. i think last time i looked at my local pns they were still on the 08 but will keep my eyes open

Sean wrote:

xsorxpire wrote:Must have been Tim Adams weekend.

2005 Tim Adams Riesling. Lime and citrus, lovely flavour and good length. Had with a dose of gardening.
Really liked it and thought i would like to put some away, but it had a bunch of crunchy crystals in the bottom that really made me regret that last glass as i spat it into the garden.

Can someone please tell me what that was all about?

What you found are called tartrate crystals, which are usually removed from the wine by cold stabilization. It is done so that wine has a better appearance and you don’t get those crunchy bits. The crystals are totally harmless even if irritating. You could try decanting the wine or pouring the wine through a tea strainer next time. Just google tartrate crystals in wine and you will find tons of info about them.

Cheers for that.

Surprised it was in a bottle i picked off a shelf that day. ($25 @ DM)

ticklenow1 wrote:Is it just me or does Grenache seem to do better in poor vintages?

G'day Ian

I also have the feeling/impression that Grenache does well in more difficult vintages, but I don't think this is based on any cold hard facts or research. That said, I have had a few 03s from various places and wouldn't write the vintage off as poor. I think it just suffered by comparison as it followed 01 and 02 and was then followed by 04, all of which were better vintages (in most parts of SA at least).

ticklenow1 wrote:If anyone is on the southern end of the Gold Coast and wants a good BYO (wine only), then try Latitude 28 at Kingscliff. Amazing food at reasonable prices and only $3.50 a head corkage. No decanters but reasonable glassware. I had slow roasted lamb Bruschetta for Entre and Gnocchi Ragu with sliced Parmesan for main and both were amazing. Everyone was raving about the food and the setting is nice (close to the beach). Worth a look if down this way.

Thanks for the tip. I am planning a weekend down that way at the beginning of March so might give it a try.

Cheers

Michael

phillisc wrote:

ticklenow1 wrote:For my Birthday last week we had:

2003 Rockford Moppa Springs: Still a favourite of mine and this is still delicious. Typical Barossa GSM and still going strong. Lots of Cherries and some confectionery as well. We didn't even bother decanting. Is it just me or does Grenache seem to do better in poor vintages?

2008 Spinifex Papillon: Ok wine but I am not sure if the vintage caused this. A little cooked and although it is a Grenache dominant wine it didn't seem that way.

2002 Virgin Hills: WOTN. So smooth and I have yet to be disappointed by either the 01 or 02's that I have had in the last 12 months. They were both a bit rugged early but now they are fantastic.

2002 Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache: Still an infant. It needs to be decanted for way longer than we did. An hour didn't cut it. It was a little too sweet and showed it's alcohol (17.2%). I saved a small glass for the next night and had it with some vintage cheddar and it was superb. I have 1 more bottle of this and won't go near it for several years yet.

For the Wife's 40th this weekend:

NV Piper Heidseck Champagne: I am not a bubbles person but this was OK. The wife liked it as bubbles are her department. I found it nice and smooth dominated by creamy buttery flavours.

2003 Stefano Lubiana "Sur Lie" Chardonnay: Vinegar. Way past it's best. Only had a small glass and turfed it. This is kind of embarrassing at a nice BYO restaurant.

2003 Brick Kiln Shiraz: Still a winner. I love this wine and it still doesn't fail to impress. Still has a few more years in front of it as well. Medium bodied with really nice structure.

2000 Eileen Hardy Shiraz: Wow! Loved this and will keep for a while yet. Full bodied and lots of red and black fruits and the oak is well balanced along with the silky smooth tannins. The longer it was in the glass, the better it got. My WOTN.

2001 Pirramimma Shiraz. This was the WOTN for everyone bar me. It is a superb drink though and only just missed beating the Eileen Hardy. On a pure value for money criteria it won hands down (only $25 compared to $80. Amazing VFM. ). 100% new oak shows on the palate but blends well with the fruit. It gets better every year I drink it, only a few left now. Right in it's prime for mine.

2004 Chateau Reynella Basket Pressed Grenache: Suffered a little from being consumed after the 3 Shiraz's. Maybe should have had this first. I enjoyed it but others were non committal ( I am a Grenache lover though). Plenty of berry fruit and some interesting spice that i couldn't quite explain. Coming towards it's peak and I will drink the last 2 bottles I have in the next few months.

If anyone is on the southern end of the Gold Coast and wants a good BYO (wine only), then try Latitude 28 at Kingscliff. Amazing food at reasonable prices and only $3.50 a head corkage. No decanters but reasonable glassware. I had slow roasted lamb Bruschetta for Entre and Gnocchi Ragu with sliced Parmesan for main and both were amazing. Everyone was raving about the food and the setting is nice (close to the beach). Worth a look if down this way.

Hi Ticklenow1,
good to know that there is another aquarian wine drinker out there, my birthday today!
Very interested in your comments about Virgin Hills, have been a very long time fan and still have vintages of the 1990.
I manged to buy 2 cases of the 01 and 02 last year and found the 01 to be quite superb in length balance and really well integrated. lovely and rich and just entering a 7-10 year drinking window. The 02 however, was all over the place, harsh tannins, really quite clumbsy and have to admit, that it did not appeal.
i hope that it was either a poor bottle or that 02 really needs time to settle.

I have not got a clue about what michael hope is doing about virgin hills releases, the 03 is available via mail order, no word of an 04 which i was told there would be a release, and you would think that 06, 08, 09 would have been made as vintage for those years was reasobale in Kyenton. Are there any issues releasing wines that are 6-8 years of age when available?

Can anyone shed any light here.
Cheers craig.

Craig,
I have had both the 01 and the 02 Virgin Hills fairly recently and have found that they have both started to hit their straps. I am not sure which one I prefer as the bottle of 02 we had the other night was outstanding and drinking incredibly well. I had an 01 later last year and thought that that was great as well. I have been told by a mate (on the other forum) whose palate I greatly respect that some of the 90's Virgin Hills vintages have not aged well at all. Can't remember exactly which vintages he said, but only that he would no longer see them as having good aging potential hence no longer purchasing them. Each to their own and if I could get either the 01 or 02 at the right price I would jump at them.
Ian

Michael McNally wrote:

ticklenow1 wrote:Is it just me or does Grenache seem to do better in poor vintages?

G'day Ian

I also have the feeling/impression that Grenache does well in more difficult vintages, but I don't think this is based on any cold hard facts or research. That said, I have had a few 03s from various places and wouldn't write the vintage off as poor. I think it just suffered by comparison as it followed 01 and 02 and was then followed by 04, all of which were better vintages (in most parts of SA at least).

ticklenow1 wrote:If anyone is on the southern end of the Gold Coast and wants a good BYO (wine only), then try Latitude 28 at Kingscliff. Amazing food at reasonable prices and only $3.50 a head corkage. No decanters but reasonable glassware. I had slow roasted lamb Bruschetta for Entre and Gnocchi Ragu with sliced Parmesan for main and both were amazing. Everyone was raving about the food and the setting is nice (close to the beach). Worth a look if down this way.

Thanks for the tip. I am planning a weekend down that way at the beginning of March so might give it a try.

Cheers

Michael

Michael,

I also found on our last visit to the Barossa that the 07 vintage also produced some amazing Grenache. Langmeil's Fifth Wave and Greenock Creek's Cornerstone were standouts amongst many other wonderful Grenache's.

I have actually prefered most of the 03 Grenache's (or GSM's) over either the 02 or 04, and that was the main point of my statement. Rockfords Moppa Springs 03 and Greenocks Cornerstone 03 were both better (in my opinion) than either of the 02 or 04 from their respective wineries. One curveball was the 03 Nine Popes which was no way near the 02 or 04.

Also, if you get time on your weekend, give me a yell and we can catch up for a glass or two (dependant on work, of course).

Cheers
Ian

Cheers for that Ian, will try a 90 very soon if i can find them.
Had a 97 &98 last year...beautifully balanced, so easy to drink

thanks for the heads up
craig.

Here are some very brief notes on some Aussie wines I've had lately.

• 2003 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (2/7/2011)
  The best bottle I've had of this - of course, as it's my last bottle! This has really improved with age. Very well structured and balanced wine, with nothing out of place. Lots of plums, olives, and purity on show. Classic Aussie shiraz, in the best way possible. Had with a 1998 Langmiel Freedom, which was not even close to the quality of the GAM: the evil twin to this beauty, so to speak. It tasted mostly of coconut and dill - curse that American oak! (A/A-)
• 2000 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (1/5/2011)
  Very darky coloured, and still tastes youthful. Very Connawarra, with ripe blackfruits and a herbal element that could be a little more restrained. But a nice cab ovewrall, nonetheless. (A-)
• 2000 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Sémillon - Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina (1/2/2011) Forgot to take notes on this, but I remember enjoying this wine; it has stood up well and is probably getting near its peak now. Good balance of fruit and acid, some secondary flavours, apricots and stone fruits, medium bodied (B+).

Last night I found an oldie but a goodie while shuffling around the cellar.

1993 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Geezes, they really don't make em like they used to. I think I bought this from Kemeny's in one of my very first few mixed dozens when I was living in Bondi in the mid 90's. It's obviously managed to survive multiple cellar visits (and moves) as I'd completely forgotten about it and only found it last night. I was a bit worried if it would be OK but on extracting the very stained at one end cork, it was fine and dandy.

Brick red colour and solid nose with no noticable flavours other than red wine. The palate was initially a bit sweet and tasted like an old red but after not very long in the glass at all, it opened up with meaty, savoury, smokey nuances with just beautifully integrated tannins and I'd say it was drinking at its absolute peak. It was so delicious I drank the whole bottle as I didn't want it to fade away overnight when it was so very good now. I wish I'd bought pallets of this wine but alas, that was the last although I also found some 93 and 94 Bin 389s and Petaluma Coonawarras.

For an 18 year old wine that cost around $5 from an average vintage, I was pretty bloody happy.

Kris,

The Shiraz/Cab version of Koonunga Hill ages beautifully. I've experienced two cellared Koonunga Hills, one from a weaker vintage (1989) and the other from a celebrated year (1996).

My last bottle of 1989 Koonunga Hill was opened in 2008, making it a 19 year old wine and though no longer fresh it was far from dead. A lovely old wine. The 1996 was opened in January 2010 and though it was almost 14 years old it was just a baby, with the stuffing and structure to motor along for another 10 years and then some.

I've heard it said that the 1996 was "the last" of the good Koonungas but given Penfold's record I'm not sure I would bet on it. Maybe they wont age as well as in the past but surely with the other Bin wines around it isn't necessary for the Koonungas to cellar as long as they used to.

Cheers........................Mahmoud.

bacchaebabe wrote:Last night I found an oldie but a goodie while shuffling around the cellar.

1993 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Geezes, they really don't make em like they used to. I think I bought this from Kemeny's in one of my very first few mixed dozens when I was living in Bondi in the mid 90's. It's obviously managed to survive multiple cellar visits (and moves) as I'd completely forgotten about it and only found it last night. I was a bit worried if it would be OK but on extracting the very stained at one end cork, it was fine and dandy.

Brick red colour and solid nose with no noticable flavours other than red wine. The palate was initially a bit sweet and tasted like an old red but after not very long in the glass at all, it opened up with meaty, savoury, smokey nuances with just beautifully integrated tannins and I'd say it was drinking at its absolute peak. It was so delicious I drank the whole bottle as I didn't want it to fade away overnight when it was so very good now. I wish I'd bought pallets of this wine but alas, that was the last although I also found some 93 and 94 Bin 389s and Petaluma Coonawarras.

For an 18 year old wine that cost around $5 from an average vintage, I was pretty bloody happy.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Kris,

The Shiraz/Cab version of Koonunga Hill ages beautifully. I've experienced two cellared Koonunga Hills, one from a weaker vintage (1989) and the other from a celebrated year (1996).

My last bottle of 1989 Koonunga Hill was opened in 2008, making it a 19 year old wine and though no longer fresh it was far from dead. A lovely old wine. The 1996 was opened in January 2010 and though it was almost 14 years old it was just a baby, with the stuffing and structure to motor along for another 10 years and then some.

I've heard it said that the 1996 was "the last" of the good Koonungas but given Penfold's record I'm not sure I would bet on it. Maybe they wont age as well as in the past but surely with the other Bin wines around it isn't necessary for the Koonungas to cellar as long as they used to.

Cheers........................Mahmoud.

Hi Kris and Mahmoud, I think that this is what wine is all about! Finding a few old gems that when originally purchased were really no money at all, and now seems positively ridiculous. I often say to friends this cost $1 per vintage or in the case of 86&90 Wynns shiraz (both still drinking well, but just beinging to show signs of drying out) which i paid $2 and $3 respectively is about 10c a year or thereabouts.
I agree back then should have gone really long on these wines but managed to get a few cases of 90 ovens valley, 86 28 and 389 and 86 wynns black for all under $8!!
Puts into perspective the outrageous prices that are being charged for the top marques of these brands now, when given 1 the quality of fruit, and two the ageing potential was in many instances much better 20+ years ago.

cheers craig.