The Auswine Forum

I even made some notes for this but I've lost them so all from memory. Fortunately Boxing Day was cooler than Christmas in Sydney so it wasn't too hot.

1966 pleasant old wine, drying out
1976 corked - bugger looked like it probably would have been WOTN, potential for good fruit underneath
1978 brought out as replacement for 76, similar to 66
1986 I think this was the first one to have a minty overtone reflecting addition of Clare material. This might even be a transition wine from the 12% of earlier to the riper styles coming.
1990 ripe pleasant drinking, would have liked to see greater complexity
1996 younger version of 90.

This was a slightly disappointing retrospective. While all the wines were enjoyable there was nothing to send one into ecstasy. A similar St Henri retrospective 2 years ago far more enjoyable.

For sheer enjoyment a 96 disgorge Rockford Black Shiraz which started proceedings was wine of the night.

Also 1997 Albert Mann Riesling (can't remember which one) was very good and looked very young.

Would have posted the above earlier - if I had found my notes!

David

Thanks for the notes David.

I've been interested in getting a line up similar to yours, together for a while now. I have a few of those you mentioned and some additional to that list. Some of the older ones I have sampled make me wish I had sampled them sooner. They end up being drinkable but not enjoyable still. At least not in a sense of the same wine at it's peak a number of years before.

Still, I guess it's nice for the sake of experience.


Cheers


Jamie

I had the 1993 on boxing day and it was most enjoyable and wine of the day but then I was drinking beer all day except for that!

No notes taken but it was full, complex and drinking perfectly. I'd say its at its peak right now. I have a couple more bottles and will be looking forward to it.

I just pulled it out for the red drinkers at lunch as it was a beer kinda day but I got quite a few compliments on it such as "What's this crap?", "you always pull out some swill for us", "never coming here again", "God, this is really awful", and so on. Gotta love your sarcastic friends!

I've been increasingly disappointed with 389s of late. I sold off all my 94s and 96s at auction last year, while they were still worth good money. Like you, I found them pleasant but uninspiring, and a little too formulaic for my liking.

Cheers, Celia

Anyone tried the 98 yet? Halliday gave it a big rap ( 94 pts for what that's worth & drinking window 2008-2020) that seems to indicate it's perhaps the best vintage of this wine for some years.

Cheers

daz

Daryl
I have tried a couple of bottles of the 1998. Takes a while to open up but has great fruit. Will be a good solid example of the style but IMO not as good as the 1990. Still years to go on it.
Ben

For what it's worth, my experience with a 12-year vertical about 15 months ago (still archived on WLDG at least) was:

Top rate now, maybe improvement left: 90
Top rate, still getting better : 94
Top rate, too early to drink: 96, 98
Very good, holding: 91
Pretty good, but going nowhere: 89, 92, 93
Fair, going nowhere: 95, 97

I'm sure we had the 99, but I can't remember much about it. Wasn't hugely impressed. Not tasted 2000 yet, and I'm not making much of an effort either.

cheers,
Graeme

Graeme,

I shared your views on the 2000 (couldn't be bothered seeking it out), but was given a bottle. To my surprise it had far greater intensity and power than I expected, perhaps because it got some of the cab grapes normally reserved for the Bin 707.

That having been said, I wouldn't rush out to buy it.

GraemeG wrote:Top rate, still getting better : 94

The last time I had one of these it really surprised me, quite plummy, ripe fruit. Excellent.

Top rate, too early to drink: 96, 98

Agree totally, although the '98 is more approachable than the '96.

Pretty good, but going nowhere: 89, 92, 93

Last '89 I had was almost gone. Must drink my last '92 to find out if it still has anything left. '93 has a bit more than the other two and, for me, will go a bit longer.

Fair, going nowhere: 95, 97

Haven't tried either but have a couple of bottles of each. Going on what you've said, I'd better drink them soon.



Thanks for your impressions.


Jamie