The Auswine Forum

I am an occasional poster but constant lurker to this forum. I have almost completely sworn off buying wine over the last 12 months as I had allowed my cellar to grow too large.

However, reading the various tasting notes it looks like I should be setting aside a few of the 2004 Coonawarra Cabs. I have a six pack of the Majella, but what top 6 CCSs would the forum recommend...

Duras wrote:I am an occasional poster but constant lurker to this forum. I have almost completely sworn off buying wine over the last 12 months as I had allowed my cellar to grow too large.

However, reading the various tasting notes it looks like I should be setting aside a few of the 2004 Coonawarra Cabs. I have a six pack of the Majella, but what top 6 CCSs would the forum recommend...

What style do you like? And what price range?

Balnaves the Tally seems the pick of the premiums,

VFM is a toss up between the Mildara (the 05 is better though) and the Wynn's with an honorable mention to the Zema.

In between the Katnook looks the goods.

I'm sure that more widely tasting palates can fill this in with more detail.

cheers

Carl

They are pretty much all very good wines. Every egg a bird.

Maybe Balnaves could be a must have based on price/performance.


GW

Don't just limit to Coonawarra, MR 2004 is pretty good too. There are a few good 2005 Cabs out/coming soon too. Here is the list from the Cabernet feature on my site, 2004 unless otherwise marked, > indicates 3-6 in my cellar or ordered:

Balgownie
>Balnaves
>Balnaves The Tally
Bowen Estate
>Cullen Diana Madelaine
>d'Arenberg Coppermine
>Hillcrest Premium (Yarra) 2005
>Katnook
Knappstein Enterprise
Leconfield (numerous good reviews, the bottle I tried didn't impress though)
>Majella
>Mildara Coonawarra White Label 2005
>Penley Reserve
>Parker Estate First Growth
>Petaluma Coonawarra
Rymill Coonawarra
Sandalford MR
Suckfizzle
Turkey Flat
Vasse Felix (Heytesbury yet to be released)
>Woodlands Margaret Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2005
>Wirra Wirra The Angelus
Wynn's Black Label
>Zema Estate

Just down in the Coonawarra last week... Balnaves Tally all long gone I'm afraid as it was on my radar. 05 release due soonish. I was pretty keen on the Majella and Balnaves 04 CS's. Pretty much all of Majella's current releases were good although the Mallaea is a bit jammy and monstrous and probably not worth the mid $60s they're asking. Sparkling Majella very satisfying also...

Cellar doors were talking up 05 as potentially better then 04, whilst acknowledging 04 was pretty special.

I think the 04s are worth jumping on though.

I've drunk most of the 2004 Coonawarra's several times and recently conducted a Blacktongues tasting of them with three Margaret Rivers thrown in. 2004 is a classic Coonawarra vintage IMO.

You can't go wrong with under $25 wines Wynns (best since 1996), Bowen (best for a decade), Zema. Over $25 Majella, Balnaves, Katnook, Parker Terra Rossa are all finding a home in my cellar.

The 2004 Vasse Felix was also excellent.

From my limited tastings from barrel, expect the 2005 Coonawarras to be up another level in richness from the 2004 but time will tell.

Thanks to all who gave advice on the stars of the Coonawarra 2004 vintage. I also looked at previous threads and at RB's website and picked up very useful information there as well.

I decided to go with the following...

Cullen Diana Madeline (a ring-in)
Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon The Tally
Katnook Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Majella Cabernet Sauvignon
Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot
Zema Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

With the state of my cellar I restricted myself to 3 of each - now safely tucked away. I wonder which are ready now and which need time... Then again that's what this is all about.

Thanks again.

Anything from Leconfield is usually 3 times as good as anything at the same price from Coonawarra.

Look out for a stunning new release of the 2005 Jim Barry 1st 11 from their Coonawarra Vineyard, their first release of this since 2000

steeley wrote:Anything from Leconfield is usually 3 times as good as anything at the same price from Coonawarra.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you'll get many here to agree with you. Leconfield is just recovering from an era of green, under-ripe wines that nearly destroyed the brand. Why do you think the current 2004 Cabernet is available at around $20, the same price it was for the 93 vintage and less than the 98 vintage by $5-10?

Duras wrote:Thanks to all who gave advice on the stars of the Coonawarra 2004 vintage. I also looked at previous threads and at RB's website and picked up very useful information there as well.

I decided to go with the following...

Cullen Diana Madeline (a ring-in)
Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon The Tally
Katnook Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Majella Cabernet Sauvignon
Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot
Zema Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

With the state of my cellar I restricted myself to 3 of each - now safely tucked away. I wonder which are ready now and which need time... Then again that's what this is all about.

Thanks again.

The only wines on your list that I've bought are the Cullen and Zema. The latter drinks well now.

daz

Red Bigot wrote:

steeley wrote:Anything from Leconfield is usually 3 times as good as anything at the same price from Coonawarra.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you'll get many here to agree with you. Leconfield is just recovering from an era of green, under-ripe wines that nearly destroyed the brand. Why do you think the current 2004 Cabernet is available at around $20, the same price it was for the 93 vintage and less than the 98 vintage by $5-10?

Have heard Leconfield bagged time and time again - personally have only tried two vintages of the L. cab - the 1995 (reputedly an awful vintage in Coonawarra) and the 2001 - both were superb examples of classic Coonawarra cabernet, appropriate to their age, and neither showed any mean grean streak at all.

The Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet 2005 is simply unbelievably good, perhaps the most vibrantly fresh and fruity cab I've ever had

Red Bigot wrote:You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you'll get many here to agree with you. Leconfield is just recovering from an era of green, under-ripe wines that nearly destroyed the brand. Why do you think the current 2004 Cabernet is available at around $20, the same price it was for the 93 vintage and less than the 98 vintage by $5-10?

This is probably due to the ineptitude of their former distributor who got a little bit shirty when Leconfield dropped them and decided to dump all of their current stock, which just happens to be the 2004 vintage, at rock bottom price

The upcoming 2005 wine also gained the second top price at the Coonawarra barrel series last year so its one to look out for

steeley wrote:

Red Bigot wrote:You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you'll get many here to agree with you. Leconfield is just recovering from an era of green, under-ripe wines that nearly destroyed the brand. Why do you think the current 2004 Cabernet is available at around $20, the same price it was for the 93 vintage and less than the 98 vintage by $5-10?

This is probably due to the ineptitude of their former distributor who got a little bit shirty when Leconfield dropped them and decided to dump all of their current stock, which just happens to be the 2004 vintage, at rock bottom price

The upcoming 2005 wine also gained the second top price at the Coonawarra barrel series last year so its one to look out for

I agree with Brian, 96, 98 and 00 were just horrible crap. The 01 and 02 were very good, and compared strongly at the Coonawarra roadshows where I tasted them. THings seem to have turned around since Paul Gordon has been there. But in a crowded cellar, I dont have room for them anymore.

Wizz wrote:
I agree with Brian, 96, 98 and 00 were just horrible crap. The 01 and 02 were very good, and compared strongly at the Coonawarra roadshows where I tasted them. THings seem to have turned around since Paul Gordon has been there. But in a crowded cellar, I dont have room for them anymore.

Totally agree...They lost the plot after the good 97s when Ralph Fowler left and whatshername took over...The 02 Penguin said: "The wheels have fallen off in the last few years..."
I like Paul Gordon's stuff but, like Wizz, why would you buy it ahead of Majella, Zema, Balnaves, Katnook, Wynns and Bowen??

M.

steeley wrote:

Red Bigot wrote:You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you'll get many here to agree with you. Leconfield is just recovering from an era of green, under-ripe wines that nearly destroyed the brand. Why do you think the current 2004 Cabernet is available at around $20, the same price it was for the 93 vintage and less than the 98 vintage by $5-10?

This is probably due to the ineptitude of their former distributor who got a little bit shirty when Leconfield dropped them and decided to dump all of their current stock, which just happens to be the 2004 vintage, at rock bottom price

Maybe, but the prior 2-3 vintages were also regularly $20 or just under on chain special and the 2005 is $22.99 at a couple of independents so far, expect $20/$21 on special again.

I tried the 2004 in a single blind flight of 6 2004 reds and it didn't grab me enough to make the buy list, in fact the tasting group rated it dead last. It may have been a slightly dud bottle as there was an unpleasant amount of volatility (EA) showing that didn't fully blow off in the 1-hour tasting. I'll give the 2005 a try when I see it locally.