The Auswine Forum

Hi,
I'm a bit of a newbie and would like some advice for a red wine appreciation night I am holding with some friends. We are all bringing a bottle and playing an options game. My question is, should I open my:
Penfolds 1993 Bin 389
or my Zema Estate Cab Sauv 1997

The answer might be obvious - ie. the 389, but then again opening a Penfolds seems just a bit obvious and cliched. I also feel that maybe I should cellar the 389 a bit longer (though I noticed last night the cork is bulging a bit - time to drink it?)

Anyway, has anyone tasted these wines and have any advice?

Thanks...

Hi Simon, welcome aboard.

The Zema Cabernet 97 could be getting a little tired now, depending on how it's been cellared, they do hold on the plateau quite a while if cellared well, but 97 wasn't a stellar vintage. I didn't buy this vintage.

I haven't had one recently, but the Bin 389 should be drinking fairly well near it's peak, again if it's been cellared well, the bulging cork may be a sign it got hot at some stage, but if there isn't any/much ullage is could still be in good condition.

The choice may depend on whether you think your friend will recognise 389 / Penfolds style reds and or whether you want a likely good drink or one that may be tired.

I noticed this thread topic and it immediately took me back a week when I opened exactly this vintage 389. In my younger (and wealthier pre-kid days) I'd bought a couple of cases of it for my collection and thought it a good time to try.

Fantastic.

Actually bloody fantastic.

My wife (not a real wine drinker) agreed and for once I only got half the bottle .

To date I think we've drunk and given away about half of one case and it's really improved over my last tasting about 4 years ago.

So to answer your question - refer Red Bigot's post. Personally I'd save it for a special night and drink the tired wine - I know none of my friends would appreciate the 389 (even the one I gave a bottle for his wedding - it's still standing up in his kitchen!!). OTOH a wine appreciation night implies that they know what they're about. Personally I'd wait and see what everyone else brings. If they're $10-$20 wines put the 389 away.

tony

Id say either would be drinking fine now for my palate.

93 wasnt exactly the most long term 389 of the nineties, in fact closer to the other end of the spectrum, I cant see any reason why it wouldnt be as good as it will get now - not to say it wont keep a bit longer.

Ditto the Zema

Open them both for a better night

Thanks for the advise everyone. I'm not sure how the 389 has been cellared as it was given to me 2 years ago and I'm not sure where it had been prior to that. This makes me a little nervous more and inclined to open it. So I think I will go with the 389 and make sure I fill my glass up a little higher than my friends! They are under instructions to all bring excellent wines and the prize for the best judged is a bottle of Duval Entity while the prize for the worst is a bottle of Coles home brand Spumante!
I'll let you know how the 389 went on Monday.

Best to go the 389....always better to appreciate potential than lament demise.

As for the Zema, it was one of the few 97 Coonawarra's I found palatable, still anaemic, but not piss thin and horribly green like so many others. That was some years back. I would have my reservations about it now.

Enjoy,

LL

Well, as it happened the 389 was a great disappointment. Clearly corked.
The Zema however was lovely drinking and a good backup.

That's really sad. Really a reason for bringing in screw caps. Expensive to buy, cellar for 10 years and then find it corked!

What won the prize?

tony

The winner was a bottle of Elderton 2001 Shiraz, which just topped a 1999 Bin 389 (which I personally preferred). The other wine was a Devil's Lair Cabernet 2002, which was also excellent but perhaps needed a few more years.