The Auswine Forum

In Australia, there seems to be general agreement that the two best regions for cabernet are Margaret River and Coonawarra. Both regions are well represented in my cellar.

Under screwcap, and decanted an hour or so before service. Deep purple in colour. Plenty of the trademark Coonawarra mint on the nose, along with blackberry conserve, vanilla, and choc-mint Tim Tams or Mint Slice (you get the idea). The palate is quite silky (even a little viscous), with fully integrated tannins and moderate acid underneath the syrupy fruits. Medium bodied, with a long and consistent finish.

I know this is supposed to be the most cellared wine in the country, but I only have a limited history with back vintages. I think it's possibly peaking now, but might hold for a few years yet (maybe it's time to pull the sole bottle of 1998 out, and vintages in between). Any thoughts?

Cheers
Allan

Hi Allan
If you think the 08 is running out of time, I'll have to open one. I usually let BL go about 15 yrs before I get into them. Still enjoying the 01s, 02s and 03s, not sure the 04s are ready yet. But 08 was a hot year and may peak earlier. Thanks for the heads up.

Luke W wrote:Hi Allan
If you think the 08 is running out of time, I'll have to open one. I usually let BL go about 15 yrs before I get into them. Still enjoying the 01s, 02s and 03s, not sure the 04s are ready yet. But 08 was a hot year and may peak earlier. Thanks for the heads up.

If you do, Luke, I'd be interested in your opinion. As mentioned, I don't have sufficient experience with those pushing 20 years old (although have the odd bottle or three).

Opened and poured through an aerator, but really should have been decanted and left for a couple of hours. Hugely tannic and dumb to start but soon gives way to a classic BL nose, bit of VA, although still tight. Getting more flavour and aroma with very small sips just in front of my teeth, reminiscent of enjoying pinot noir when more in the mouth is just too much. Quite intense flavours, acidic, tongue coating, not sure if I'm enjoying it yet. Think I should leave it awhile.
15 mins later the wine is softening, becoming more mouthful and aromatic, but still has a touch of varnish on the nose. Palate more redolent of black cherries, thyme, mint and it's starting to integrate. Balance is there, I'm going to like it but it might take awhile.
An hour later it's singing. Smooth, grainy tannins, yummy black fruit that lingers in your mouth. Will drink the rest tomorrow night.

Thanks Luke. Let us have tomorrow's note and also whether you think it's too young.

Allan,

I also have a sole bottle of 1998 Black Label. Like you I have limited experience with old Black Labels but for a very flawed bottle of a 1996 BL. I also have subsequent vintages but none of them have been opened - and no 2008, the latest being a 2005. Personally, I would hang on to your 2008s.

My plan is to open a 1996 or 1997 sometime this year.

'90, '91 and '94 are still drinking well, who knows with the '96 (revert to JR and wait longer), '98 looking good too.

Took it out of the fridge at 4 and decanted it. Started drinking at 6 and finished by 7.30. Wish I'd decanted it last night and given it some time as it was quite stunning tonite and showed no signs of aging. Still a bit disappointed in the nose until the last 15 mins or so.
Allan, to me it's a quintessential WBL and will still be quite lovely well after I've shuffled off this mortal coil (given my last month, that may not be long anyway)!

The caveat I'd add here though is that the wine has sat in darkness for 9 years at 12 to 14 degrees and possibly will take longer to age than some others.

Luke W wrote:Took it out of the fridge at 4 and decanted it. Started drinking at 6 and finished by 7.30. Wish I'd decanted it last night and given it some time as it was quite stunning tonite and showed no signs of aging. Still a bit disappointed in the nose until the last 15 mins or so.
Allan, to me it's a quintessential WBL and will still be quite lovely well after I've shuffled off this mortal coil (given my last month, that may not be long anyway)!

The caveat I'd add here though is that the wine has sat in darkness for 9 years at 12 to 14 degrees and possibly will take longer to age than some others.

Thanks indeed, Luke. I will hold off on the vast majority of BLs in the cellar then (I put away 6 or 12 each year).

Cheers and thanks for the follow-up

Allan

If you wanted just one sure bet as a cellar-worthy wine from Australia, you need look no further than this.
I got literally hundreds of bottles from the 70's - 90's, and none of them are in any danger of falling over anytime soon. 1976 might be the best vintage ever, and it is still singing and at it's peak. 86 might turn out as great, but it still needs plenty of time. (a great wine despite being in the post-JR era)
Interestingly, I reckon the 1982 is better than the hugely-lauded JR from the same vintage. (BL very often better)
I would imagine the 2008 still has at least 30 years in the bank. I'm not sure if I have ever had it, but it's pedigree is set in stone.
I have tasted plenty of recent BL vintages, they are very promising indeed. Certainly very cellar-worthy.

felixp21 wrote:If you wanted just one sure bet as a cellar-worthy wine from Australia, you need look no further than this.
I got literally hundreds of bottles from the 70's - 90's, and none of them are in any danger of falling over anytime soon. 1976 might be the best vintage ever, and it is still singing and at it's peak. 86 might turn out as great, but it still needs plenty of time. (a great wine despite being in the post-JR era)
Interestingly, I reckon the 1982 is better than the hugely-lauded JR from the same vintage. (BL very often better)
I would imagine the 2008 still has at least 30 years in the bank. I'm not sure if I have ever had it, but it's pedigree is set in stone.
I have tasted plenty of recent BL vintages, they are very promising indeed. Certainly very cellar-worthy.

+1
Whilst maybe not in the realms of the above, a few singles from the 60s, a mixed case or 2 from the 70s and then a pretty good run from early 80s onwards. I agree with Felix, on 5-6 occasions I have matched the 82 BL/JR, the BL has trumped the JR, although the latter is a superlative wine. Similarly 84 BL shows really well against the JR, 85 the other way round, and 86 a bit of a duel.
I think too despite my fondness for the Douglas era (Peter had some speccy vintages to work with) and yes Sue Hodder is doing good things, John Wade was a brilliant winemaker, (Wynns 1978-85) and post Coonawarra some great wines from Howard Park in WA. John may have made an even better 86.

As for BL, easily a 30 year red, some of the late 80s early 90s wines had just 12% alcohol.
With screw caps from 06 onwards they will live even longer.
Interestingly have an 08 here, so will open and report.
Cheers Craig

Great to see the plaudits. In the mid 80's, what used to be the Bondi Cellars sold off Wynns BL in every year it had been made up to that point. I bought a couple of verticals from about 1955 for a song and proceeded to have a reading with friends and family. We'd already done tastings of old Granges , 707's, 389's, Wolf Blass Blacks and Greys and the Wynns were done over 2 nights as there were so many of them. We didn't have a bad drop, many mindblowingly good (I think 55, 62, 65, 66, 76 come to mind) - the tasting held its own with the Granges etal., and a lot less fuss and bother (I think we just poured them straight out of the bottles into glasses)! Ever since I've bought at least a dozen of each vintage, (excepting the 78 where I bought a Kombi van full because it was only $2.25 a bottle, ie., 2 for 1 at $4.50)! I think my wine of the year in 2010 was a 1990 WBL. It's a bloody icon. As a member, the winery still sells them to me at about $25 a bottle.
A mate bought a 78 over a few months ago and I scoffed at him saying that it would have to past it. The same night we drank a 99 Wynns JR and a Magpie Malcolm but after an hour or so the BL came to the fore and blew us all away. (and 78 is considered a "lesser" year)! 42 years old and still going strong.

Guess I have to weigh in here with similar thoughts. Have had many great bottles of BL from several vintages in the 50's, 60's and them most vintages from the 70's onwards. '54 (see avatar), '59, '65 and '66 come to mind. More recently '76, '82, '86, '90, '91 all great. Got to be the best bang for buck of any wine for me in terms of enjoyment vs cost. IN terms of personal cellaring, there's BL, then considerable daylight. Since '82 the tussle between BL and JR has been fascinating. Recently had a '76 BL which was my WOTY a couple of years ago, closely followed by '86. Haven't had "90 or '91 for a couple of years but these have always been great. Conversely had '86 and '90 JRs a couple of weeks ago which just smashed everything else on the night. Such great value wines. Such long lived, but medium weight, medium alcohol wines, put them away. Kudos to all the winemakers over the years and love what Sue H has been doing recently.

Luke the one time I wish I was 10 years older. The first retail release of Wynns BL that I noticed was the 78. Didn't start buying at retail until the 82 release, (I was just a young whipper still in my teens!) and the CD from 85 onwards. Unfortunately didn't start buying at auction till a few years after that, but managed to get a second case of 82 JR for $38 a bottle, (three times the price of the other case I brought on release at $11 a bottle), a dozen of 84, and 6 of 85 all under $25 a bottle.
Without telling the world and there are plenty on here (including the bloke above), who are back-filling through the secondary market. Think I may do the same as good bottles certainly go 4 decades or longer, and I guess whilst 10 times release price, apart from 76, 71 and those vintages from the 60s, most can (still) be obtained for less than $100...not outrageous for a 30 year old wine...and certainly better value than other very overpriced marques.

I am looking forward to the '18 release later this year...should be a belter and with whats going on, no premiums released from the '17 vintage, I have a feeling that BL might move more into the public spotlight...it looms large in mine .
Cheers Craig

Wynns 2008 Black Label Cabernet
Popped and a quick decant...inky black nose of faint mint blue black fruits...on the palate so primary almost juvenile medium weight with plush fruit poking through with an almost zingy but not unpleasant acid... virtually no oak and no tannin.
At 12 years I think this wine is coming off the long run and will have the next one in 5 years or so. Should be a long termer
Cheers Craig

Good lord (or another expletive or two).

When I was asking if I was opening the 2008 too early, I didn't expect the average response to be "about 20 years". I shouldn't buy current vintages then, on the assumption that I won't be around to drink them.

Cheers
Allan

Hi Allan
FWIW I've found Wynns BL to a wine that you can drink and enjoy younger, but like (indeed probably more than) others here, I really enjoy cellaring wine, both for the end result and the simple enjoyment of knowing I have a lovely choice on hand to suit the food/mood/crowd.

Regards
Ian

Waiters Friend wrote:Good lord (or another expletive or two).

When I was asking if I was opening the 2008 too early, I didn't expect the average response to be "about 20 years". I shouldn't buy current vintages then, on the assumption that I won't be around to drink them.

Made me smile.

Waiters Friend wrote:Good lord (or another expletive or two).

When I was asking if I was opening the 2008 too early, I didn't expect the average response to be "about 20 years". I shouldn't buy current vintages then, on the assumption that I won't be around to drink them.

Cheers
Allan

You seemed young when I met you, but that was awhile ago!

I am still buying 20+ year wines, and I hope I will get to try them (I am 51), but if not I am sure someone else will appreciate that I tried,,,,

Cheers

Michael

Principally why Michael, 2020 vintage release will be the final vintage for me. Going on the BL example they will be peaking at when I am 80...hopefully around the same time

cheers craig