Wynns Black Label 1996
Coonawarra, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon. 13% alcohol. Cork. Approx $A25 on release.
I have wine all over my house. Most stored in ideal conditions (temperature controlled cabinet), but some bottles contend with more fickle circumstances. This bottle has seen several Summers of suboptimal cellaring, having been relegated to my drink soon collection (five years ago), where it was then forgotten. . .
25th November 2007. Fully mature. Rosewood, polish, ginger, and a flourish of ripe blackcurrant. 1996 was a cooler than average, though sunny vintage, but even so I was surprised by the notable acidity - which is now no longer supported by fruit and softness. The tannins are very fine and nicely attenuated, though this is clearly a wine that is fading and starting to dry out. The decay hastened no doubt by its storage and the heat of too many Australian Summers. 87. Now - 2010.
3rd November 2009 and I needed something to accompany some surprisingly good supermarket sausages (Coles - Lamb leek and mint). While rummaging, I found another bottle lurking in my son's wardrobe, pleasingly, it was much better than the one above. Aged and stooped, but still holding on and showing plenty of sinew and grip. Malt and bonox nose with rosewood and plenty of spice and interest in the mouth. 90.
technorati tags: wine, australian wine
4 comments:
Serendipitous! I sadly imbibed my 96's too early in my fickle wine drinking youth. I have high hopes for the 98's however ;)
As of that 37 degree Saturday a while earlier, the majority of the babies have been given a cooler climate to rest in.
cheers
Carl
Griff,
Thanks for reminding me about the 98's. I have some stashed away in another wardrobe!
At the start of my collecting, these (all my black labels) were well stored, but as I started becoming more disordered and obsessive in my wine drinking (and bottles started creeping up in price), these were all relagated to cupboards and wardrobes. . .
Good timing perhaps? A couple more years Edward and maybe your son would've got to it first!
Would you believe a Man Durphys in Adelaide retails bottles of the '96 in their 'cellar release' section for $70?
There's gotta be a profit line there somewhere ;)
Chris P
Chris,
Hopefully a there will be decade more before my son starts coveting my wine collection!
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