The Auswine Forum

Upon release thought this wine was sensational so bought a case. Thought it about time to see how it was travelling as most professional tasting notes give a tasting window between 2005 - 2010.

Decantered and drunk over two nights. Initially the nose was all mint with no showing of any fruit at all. After some time though, muted aromas of black fruits and plum started rising from the glass, but it was still overwhelmed by the mint. The palate on the first night displayed hints of mocha, coffee and a fair whack of acid, but again not much fruit ... there was some berry fruit in the background but try as I might, I could not coax it to come out and play. Medium to long firm finish with grippy/gravelly fine tannins. The second night the fruit may have improved a little, but it still did not show the "ripe, creamy, black-of-night fruit" which Campbell found with this wine in his Collected Reviews. Maybe a bad bottle ... or in a phase? Hopefully so as based upon this bottle, I am not sure where this wine is going and more importantly has it got the fruit to survive the journey? Must try another one very soon.

Hmm, this one should be just entering it's drinking window, must try one soon. I don't think I remember any 2000 Coonawarra cabernets that were "ripe, creamy", but I did buy a few 2000 Coonawarra cabs as it was the best option for SA from that vintage and some fairly smart wines were made despite the vintage.

Balnaves, Bowen, Majella, Orlando St Hugo, Petaluma, Wetherall, Wynns, Zema, might be time to do a 2000 vintage comparison.

I will open onr tonight and report back.

A quintessential Coonawarra Cabernet with an intense, lifted bouquet showing blackberry, loads of mint, plenty of dusty oak and a herbascious note.

The palate is hit with abundant, intense, ripe blackberry with noticeable acid that cuts through the sweetness, but the sweetness still manages to punch through on the tail. The palate follows the nose but there is a hint of pepper there too. Ample weight with smooth, abundant, very fine tannins; this is a terrific result for the vintage and a wine that has plenty of time left; its still a baby. Rated as Highly Recommended. Yumm!!

TORB wrote:] A quintessential Coonawarra Cabernet with an intense, lifted bouquet showing blackberry, loads of mint, plenty of dusty oak and a herbascious note.

The palate is hit with abundant, intense, ripe blackberry with noticeable acid that cuts through the sweetness, but the sweetness still manages to punch through on the tail. The palate follows the nose but there is a hint of pepper there too. Ample weight with smooth, abundant, very fine tannins; this is a terrific result for the vintage and a wine that has plenty of time left; its still a baby. Rated as Highly Recommended. Yumm!!

Ric,

Thanks for the follow-up TN, and for so willingingly sacrificing one of your babies for the interest of science. I must admit, we didn't get any of the intense, ripe blackberry fruit from the bottle we had ... only lots of acid. I will now have to try another bottle on the weekend and hopefully put this abnormal bottle of cabernet behind us!

Red Bigot wrote:] Balnaves, Bowen, Majella, Orlando St Hugo, Petaluma, Wetherall, Wynns, Zema, might be time to do a 2000 vintage comparison.

Brian,

Great idea. I might pull out a Balnaves, St Hugo and a Petaluma and try them in the next week or so as well. I also have the Katnook to through in too. Didn't buy the others you mentioned.

AJ,

As soon as I see "muted" I suspect low level cork taint; when its very low it can make a wine seem bloody ordinary without any noticeable TCA characters.

OK, pulled another one of these from the cellar last night after last weeks "bad" bottle. As soon as I got the first whiff of this bottle I knew it was a different wine straight away. Lots more fruity aromas, blackcurrant/berry and maybe some plum as well, mint, aniseed and some oak in the background. A very lovely nose. But would the palate be the same? No let down with this bottle. Beautifully balanced, continued the sweet blackcurrant/berry theme, with a supporting cast of acid and oak finishing with long silky tannins. Definitely agree with TORB that this wine is still a baby and will only get better with some more time in the cellar. Wonderful stuff and definitely no auction action for the rest of these guys!

i haven't tasted this one, but i can off a visual reference...