The Auswine Forum

2004 Haan Wilhelmus magnum, Barossa Valley (cork): 14.5% alc. 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot & 6% Malbec, matured in a mix of new and once used French oak barriques. Medium to dark red/garnet. Leafy nose that’s very much Cabernet-dominant, primarily of earth, blackcurrant and peppermint, backed by subtle, spicy oak; the palate is sweeter and riper showing more boysenberry and plum fruit, finishing slender and minty. Not bad, but nothing brilliant - a good match for rare lamb right now.



Cheers,
Ian

Thanks for reminding me, I will open my 00 Wilhelmus this weekend. It is not a magnum, so what do I have with it for good luck, my wife does not like lamb!
Cheers
Dac.

I did open my '00 Haan Wilhelmus tonight to be paired with roasted chicken thighs marinated in shiraz. The cork was wonderful, and the wine was deep red.

At decanting there was a nose mainly full of chocolate and spices which greatly improved to olives after one hour of airtime. More whiff of tobacco, mint, and dark berries came. The palate did not fully come to life only after two hours plus of air time. Then it was the lengthy finish that astonished us. This Wilhelmus had a bigger Cabernet Sauvignon component than the 04, with some Malbec (8%) on top of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, hence the complexity of nose and taste. What a reward after more than twelve years of storage!

Dang wrote:I did open my '00 Haan Wilhelmus tonight to be paired with roasted chicken thighs marinated in shiraz. The cork was wonderful, and the wine was deep red.

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At decanting there was a nose mainly full of chocolate and spices which greatly improved to olives after one hour of airtime. More whiff of tobacco, mint, and dark berries came. The palate did not fully come to life only after two hours plus of air time. Then it was the lengthy finish that astonished us. This Wilhelmus had a bigger Cabernet Sauvignon component than the 04, with some Malbec (8%) on top of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, hence the complexity of nose and taste. What a reward after more than twelve years of storage!

Sorry I did not get back to you earlier

I am glad you enjoyed it! That cork looks in pristine condition compared to the one in my magnum, which would explain why the wine was in such good nick - says a lot for great storage.

I took a punt on the magnum at auction (which I got admittedly relatively cheap) and when it arrived noticed it looked to have some capsule flaking and softening indicating seepage underneath despite a good fill level. Sure enough it began a slow weep, so I opened it as soon as I noticed - given that it was a magnum bottle, I would have guessed a 750ml bottle with a better cork (which I would expect would age quicker) would be in a similar place.