The Auswine Forum

Basedows Reserve Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 – I don't know what happened to the Basedow winery (although I recall it as a winery of some repute all those years ago) but if this wine proffers any indication of the winery's general quality it should be a roaring success by now. However, the dearth of news about this winery leads me to suspect that it has long been swallowed up by some larger player.

The bottle was left open initially for about 15 minutes before pouring, then was slowly consumed over 30 minutes without showing the slightest hint of collapsing. In fact, it only improved.

This lovely example of vinous delight came in at 13% alcohol, and was all cassis and cedar. I strained hard to identify some other specific flavours but there was a whole phalanx of flavours emanating from this beauty thus making the identification of specifics impossible for my simple palate. The tannins are fully resolved and the finish is long. This wine exudes classic cabernet sauvignon flavours and is as good as I've ever had of this magnificent expression of the variety. An utterly pleasant surprise.

I hesitate to say that it would improve but to seek improvement at this level would be supererogatory and superfluous. I felt as if this wine was at its peak but could easily and gracefully maintain this peak for another five years. I'd go out of my way to obtain another bottle.

Do you wish points? Well, I refuse to give them in relation to wines of this calibre. To assign points in this case would simply cheapen the wine and the experience. I paraphrase Camw when he recently stated – correctly, in my opinion – in relation to the Penfolds Bin 60A that points are meaningless in reference to some wines. Unlike him in that case, I wouldn't give this wine 100/100 but I adopt his sentiments.

PJ.

prester john wrote:Basedows Reserve Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 – I don't know what happened to the Basedow winery (although I recall it as a winery of some repute all those years ago) but if this wine proffers any indication of the winery's general quality it should be a roaring success by now. However, the dearth of news about this winery leads me to suspect that it has long been swallowed up by some larger player.

I heard Basedow went broke in the early '00s - I vaguely recall they went through a massive expansion/change in promotion strategy but it all backfired. The last wine of any substance by them was the 1996 Johannes (their first flagship release) which was very nice but the market viewed it as overpriced and it didn't sell. The last of their regular labels that I recall were 1999 or 2000 and weren't much chop. Grant Burge bought any remnants that were left and has a second cellar door on the former Basedow site.

I still have a couple of old Basedows myself - magnums of the 1990 & 1996 Shiraz, and 1998 Grenache Cabernet. Hopefully they're all drinking just as well.

Cheers,
Ian

Basedows !
Its now Grant Burge Illaparra winery in Tanunda ! This is the ex Basedows winery site , although there are three Basedow brothers now peddling a label, whom are decendants of Oscar Basedow, which had been around the Barossa for over a century ! ( and won the Jimmy Watson Trophy in I think 1969!)
and they have a great eden valley riesling !
Basedows was bought out by a Sydney company after the demise of MS Mclouds, who at the time also owned Peter Lehmann. ( early 90's) Lehmanns floated , and left basdows to float in its wake ! The Sydney company , whom ran it for maybe 5 years or so ,also owned 2 Mclaren vale wineries, fell over in the later 90's . In the latter years of Basedows Grant Burge's winemaking staff were making the Basedows wines under contract!
The 90 vintage you would have drank would have been made my Roger Harbord, whom now has a great range of wines released under his own label , ( Harbord wines) and are worth checking out ! They are available through the small winemakers centre based at Chateau Tanunda .
I hope this has made for an interesting read !

cheers
kem

kwine wrote:Basedows !
Its now Grant Burge Illaparra winery in Tanunda ! This is the ex Basedows winery site , although there are three Basedow brothers now peddling a label, whom are decendants of Oscar Basedow, which had been around the Barossa for over a century ! ( and won the Jimmy Watson Trophy in I think 1969!)
and they have a great eden valley riesling !
Basedows was bought out by a Sydney company after the demise of MS Mclouds, who at the time also owned Peter Lehmann. ( early 90's) Lehmanns floated , and left basdows to float in its wake ! The Sydney company , whom ran it for maybe 5 years or so ,also owned 2 Mclaren vale wineries, fell over in the later 90's . In the latter years of Basedows Grant Burge's winemaking staff were making the Basedows wines under contract!
The 90 vintage you would have drank would have been made my Roger Harbord, whom now has a great range of wines released under his own label , ( Harbord wines) and are worth checking out ! They are available through the small winemakers centre based at Chateau Tanunda .
I hope this has made for an interesting read !

cheers
kem

** Nice input! But why the hell do you finish every sentence with an exclamation mark! Makes for very difficult reading! Just my opinion!

Stuart!

Maybe the full stop key's broke!