The Auswine Forum

OK everyone, I'm a little sentimental and I hope this thread is interactive. Time to draw the cork on some 1997 Australian wines. Despite being a somewhat maligned vintage, there were some crackers. Sure, my 389's, Cullens and others are gone, but I left some in the cellar I thought would do the ceremonial 20 years, perhaps not with ease, but with dignity anyways.

1997 Australia. John Winston was PM, we all had to hand back our M16's, Tony Barber no longer hosts Wheel of Fortune and the Crows win the AFL Flag- what an unremarkable year!

I'm just pulling the cork on my first Australian 1997 of the year for dinner tonight. Will report further. Please don't ship your 97's off to auction, report on them below !

I have had the following 1997s in the last six months and enjoyed them all quite a lot...

Yarra Yering No.1
Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz (had it last night)
Yeringberg Red
Dalwhinnie Shiraz
Wendouree Shiraz

I think 1997 was pretty decent in Yarra Valley if I remember correctly?

Brodie

Poor old 1997, stuck between 1996 and 1998. I don't think it was as bad as a few made out.

Two Shiraz wines battled on the show circuit over the next few years, each winning multiple trophies

1997 Craiglee Shiraz (sunbury) &
1997 Seville Estate Shiraz (yarra valley)

I've had a poor run with the 1997 Seville Estate Shiraz (TCA several times). Haven't tried it recently, but (much) older Seville Estate bottles are sound, corks permitting.
The 1997 Craiglee Shiraz was best red wine at the 2003 Melbourne wine show. It continues to drink very well, and I'll broach one soon for community sake.

1997 Stanton & Killeen Vintage Port won at least 13 Gold medals and was regarded by winemaker - the late Chris Killeen -as very special, (mainly Shiraz but with 35% Portuguese varieties). It has plenty left in the tank, and has always looked wonderful.

[quote="JamieBahrain"

....... the Crows win the AFL Flag- .. !

[/quote]

What a great year eh!

.

Enjoyed a Lindemans 1997 Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet in magnum a few nights ago. Except for the slightly excessive oak it was a great result from such an ordinary vintage. Our Swiss guests were very impressed.

Carl

scribbler wrote:Two Shiraz wines battled on the show circuit over the next few years, each winning multiple trophies

1997 Craiglee Shiraz (sunbury)

I have a Craiglee Shiraz and the freaky Craiglee cabernet of 1997 standing up; wonderful wine!

Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 1997- This was consistently my wine of the vintage. Though I'd invite those that hold the wine to drink up as it's rolled off the top of the maturation vertex, moving away from a classic style of shiraz with some brawn and power, toward and intriguing expression, with a pinot like delicacy in complexity. Popped and poured, aeration drew out a burst of youth at bottles end, a flex of structural muscle in a burst of energy and fine tannic grip, infused with the start of tertiary development though still fresh. Typically mature Mt Edelstone- echoes of eucalypt, countered in its occasional shrill by complex herbs and commanding red and black fruits in smoke. Palate is gorgeous, sweet shiraz fruit with the aromatics at the edges and the smokey red and black nuances gently drive the flavor persistence.

94pts

I was a big fan of Ravenswood Lane 1997 Shiraz. Drank it all up while it was young though. Shame, as the. Final bottle circa 2007 was very complex and burg like.

Just 2 notes in CT.
A 1997 St George which I'd mistakenly picked up thinking it was a 1998, and a 1997 Tyrrells Stevens Semillon.

Both good without being special, the latter felt like it should be at peak about now. The Lindies probably fading now.

As 97 was a birth year of one of the lads I bought up big although 707s, Grange and hog started their silly escalation that shows no signs of abating. Wines from YY, mt Mary craiglee bests JH seppelts dalwhinnie baileys passing clouds red edge mitchelton tabhilk virgin hills and that's victoria for starters.
It was a handy vintage as most went bonkers for 96s and there were still 97s hanging about when 98 rolled round.
97 for me is a lot like 99 both sleeper vintages that show well. Still most of the above might be shot and all the wines from SA and WA could be the same. Will open a few this year and if shot...off to auction for a lot more than I paid for them.
Cheers
Craig

In the last 6 months I had a 1997 Wendouree Cabernet. It was awful but as I bought this on the secondary market, I guess storage may have had an issue with it being so bad. I also have a Craiglee and a Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, one of which I will open in the cooler months. I previously had the Tahbilk and it was a cracker. Few bottles of Seppeltsfield GR27 and Peter Lehmann The King VP also stashed away, which again, will be opened in the cooler months.

According to my old cellar list I have roughly 70 bottles of 1997 wines of which 6 are Australian, namely:

E & E Black Pepper Shiraz
Lindemans Pyrus
Best's Pinot Muniere
Pirramimma Petit Verdot
Wynn's Black Label

Any advice about which of these I should open this year?

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

Mahmoud Ali wrote:According to my old cellar list I have roughly 70 bottles of 1997 wines of which 6 are Australian, namely:

E & E Black Pepper Shiraz
Lindemans Pyrus
Best's Pinot Muniere
Pirramimma Petit Verdot
Wynn's Black Label

Any advice about which of these I should open this year?

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

I would have a look at that Pirramimma Petit Verdot if I were you... I think the others will be relatively mature but knowing your tastes for mature wines I wouldn't be concerned about the others.

Although a quick search on Cellar Tracker suggests the level of tannin in the PV may be keeping it well alive (though there are differing views). The Guardian had this to say in 2000! :

"Pirramimma Petit Verdot 1997 (17 points, £8.99, or £7.99 for two bottles or more) really races over the tastebuds, sweeping all before it as it does so. It has a sullen spiciness at first, then the huge tannins arrive, and it's one long torrent of richness and depth. "

Amusingly, I just checked my own cellar list.. I only have one Pirramimma PV and it is precisely 10yrs younger than yours... the 2007!

The Seppelts Great Western (which changed to St Peters for the 1998 vintage) was supposed to be superb. As I recall HH had it as wine of the year in his Penguin Book of Wines. I kept meaning to pick up some but never quite succeeded. Definitely worth getting on the secondary market if you can find some.

rooman wrote:The Seppelts Great Western (which changed to St Peters for the 1998 vintage) was supposed to be superb. As I recall HH had it as wine of the year in his Penguin Book of Wines. I kept meaning to pick up some but never quite succeeded. Definitely worth getting on the secondary market if you can find some.

Yes I was expecting/hoping somebody to crack a 97 GW in the interests of the thread. Like you, meant to get a few bottles but there was always another priority .

Craiglee Cabernet Sauvignon 1997- I bought a case of these on release along with two cases of the wonderful 97 Craiglee shiraz. I think the cabernet was about $20 a bottle which back then, still bought you a steak and a glass of Rockford's Grenache on Rundle St.

Anyways, this wine served alongside the shiraz would on occasion outperform its better known stalemate - it was bigger and more powerful, always very primary with intense dark berry notes, cool-climate on the edges and with a structural dustiness I'd experienced before in cabernet franc from a winery across the road.

At the 20 year mark this wine is amazing in it's indisputable link to its youth. Crème de cassis, dark berries, cool climate/ Sunbury spice in a mix of green capsicum and pepper, sweet and layered in the mouth the wine retains its dustiness in a medium framework. VA is ever-present in Craiglee's 97 cabernet though not at alarming levels.

The cork in picture is testament to its near 20 years in a climate controlled cellar; which intriguingly presents a wine structurally resolved, perhaps sliding gently down the back of the maturation curve and holding onto primary/secondary characteristics without tertiary development in sight.

I have another bottle I'll show to friends alongside the 97 Craiglee shiraz. No issues and only pride in presenting these wines to showcase what Australia has to offer to international, predominately Old World drinkers.

92pts

rooman wrote:The Seppelts Great Western
(which changed to St Peters for the 1998 vintage) was supposed to be superb. As I recall HH had it as wine of the year in his Penguin Book of Wines. I kept meaning to pick up some but never quite succeeded. Definitely worth getting on the secondary market if you can find some.

Mark
I was really fortunate for a couple of reasons, got two six packs of the 97 GW at the same time as a couple of the standard shiraz.
the shop on jetty road Glenelg which was once a national chain, but an independent now, charged me the same price (lower) for both wines!

I also have a 6 pack of the GW reserve (both 97 and 98 vintages) and very much remember both of these wines being panned for excessive oak...I disagree. I have not had a bottle of any of these wines for sometime but had a 96 last year which was magnificent.
Seppelts are great wines which are thankfully lost in the pennies/twe abyss. 13 and 14 st peters for $50 are pretty good vfm wines.
Once it cools down a bit in Adelaide I must look at a few of these.
Cheers
Craig

Hey Craig

Please crack one for the thread! Be fascinating.

phillisc wrote:
Mark
I was really fortunate for a couple of reasons, got two six packs of the 97 GW at the same time as a couple of the standard shiraz.
the shop on jetty road Glenelg which was once a national chain, but an independent now, charged me the same price (lower) for both wines!

I also have a 6 pack of the GW reserve (both 97 and 98 vintages) and very much remember both of these wines being panned for excessive oak...I disagree. I have not had a bottle of any of these wines for sometime but had a 96 last year which was magnificent.
Seppelts are great wines which are thankfully lost in the pennies/twe abyss. 13 and 14 st peters for $50 are pretty good vfm wines.
Once it cools down a bit in Adelaide I must look at a few of these.
Cheers
Craig

Craig

It always seems the Seppelts St Peters get left off everyone hit list and yet year in/year out JO includes the wine in his top tier wine for the year. Its also one of the few Aussie verticals I have. The '98 is just stunning and I recently added the 14 after an invite to the TWE function at the SCG.

Mark

A Knappstein 1997 Hand Picked Clare Riesling (cork). One of a few forgotten bottles in the cellar. In good condition. Excellent cork. Deep gold but palate a bit non descript. Lacking in secondary characteristics except for some mild kero. OK but not great.

Carl

Chuck wrote:A Knappstein 1997 Hand Picked Clare Riesling (cork). One of a few forgotten bottles in the cellar. In good condition. Excellent cork. Deep gold but palate a bit non descript. Lacking in secondary characteristics except for some mild kero. OK but not great.

Carl

Oh damn I have some of these!

JamieBahrain wrote:

Chuck wrote:A Knappstein 1997 Hand Picked Clare Riesling (cork). One of a few forgotten bottles in the cellar. In good condition. Excellent cork. Deep gold but palate a bit non descript. Lacking in secondary characteristics except for some mild kero. OK but not great.

Carl

Oh damn I have some of these!

Mine were bought on the secondary market about 7 years ago. Hopefully it is not representative of well stored bottles.

sjw_11 wrote:

Mahmoud Ali wrote:According to my old cellar list I have roughly 70 bottles of 1997 wines of which 6 are Australian, namely:

E & E Black Pepper Shiraz
Lindemans Pyrus
Best's Pinot Muniere
Pirramimma Petit Verdot
Wynn's Black Label

Any advice about which of these I should open this year?

I would have a look at that Pirramimma Petit Verdot if I were you... I think the others will be relatively mature but knowing your tastes for mature wines I wouldn't be concerned about the others.

Although a quick search on Cellar Tracker suggests the level of tannin in the PV may be keeping it well alive (though there are differing views). The Guardian had this to say in 2000! :

"Pirramimma Petit Verdot 1997 (17 points, £8.99, or £7.99 for two bottles or more) really races over the tastebuds, sweeping all before it as it does so. It has a sullen spiciness at first, then the huge tannins arrive, and it's one long torrent of richness and depth. "

sjw_11 wrote:Amusingly, I just checked my own cellar list.. I only have one Pirramimma PV and it is precisely 10yrs younger than yours... the 2007!

Sam, I have been digging around in my wine boxes looking for certain wines and if I come across the Pirramimma I will certainly heed your advice and pull one out. The Guardian tasting note captures the essence of the '97 which I tasted at cellar door. I was equally impressed and when I returned to Sydney I bought the three bottles that I now have here in Canada. Little did I know that a few years later Pirramimmas would become available. Eventually I bought a pair of the '98 and '99 to cellar but stopped there.

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

rooman wrote:The Seppelts Great Western (which changed to St Peters for the 1998 vintage) was supposed to be superb. As I recall HH had it as wine of the year in his Penguin Book of Wines. I kept meaning to pick up some but never quite succeeded. Definitely worth getting on the secondary market if you can find some.

1997 was a great year for the Great Western region. I believe the '97 Best's Thomson Family is a ripper.

I've got a 1997 Petaluma Riesling that good good reviews when released. Should really get around to drinking that one.

-- George Krashos

Ozzie can vouch for the Thompsons had a 97 a couple of years ago...amazing. Could only afford 3 at the time...about $75 on release IIRC. Did get a dozen of the bin 0 and frankly at less than half the price of the Thompson is nearly as good.
George 97 Petaluma Riesling is beautiful..slight kero with the colour of a developed sticky...golden yellow. Have 3-4 left and yes need to look at another one sometime soon. Might be some good drinking this year.
Cheers
Craig

Didn't think there was anything much good from 97. It was acclaimed as a great SA riesling vintage as I recall, but they were all thoroughly dead within a decade. Well, almost. Good luck with that Petaluma; I expect it looks like a sauternes and tastes like sewing machine oil.
As for the reds, weren't we just in the midst of over-oaking everything back then?
cheers,
GG

rooman wrote:The Seppelts Great Western (which changed to St Peters for the 1998 vintage) was supposed to be superb. As I recall HH had it as wine of the year in his Penguin Book of Wines ...

phillisc wrote:I have not had a bottle of any of these wines for sometime but had a 96 last year which was magnificent.

Hi Craig,

I was in Australia some years ago and when it came time to redeem my Vintage Cellars points before leaving the country I tried to use them towards a '96 Great Western, then with a blue label and in a burgundy bottle, instead of their monthy selections. I explained to the saleman that I was leaving the country and would prefer to take a cellaring-style wine not available in Canada. He agreed but discouraged me from taking the Great Western saying that there were a lot of cork problems with the '96 Great Western and suggested I choose something else. Knowing that it was an iconic Victorian wine from a good vintage I wistfully I turned away from it (in my mind's eye I can still see it on the shelf of the store). Instead I got two bottles of '98 Mitchell 'Sevenhill' Cabernet.

I was happy with the Mitchell Sevenhill because I tasted it at cellar door and did think that it was better than their '98 Shiraz (I found that I often prefered Clare Valley winery's Cabernets to thier Shirazes). However I often wonder if I made the wrong decision in not insisting on the '96 Great Western and your comment on it suggests that I might have.


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