NobleRottersSydney - Langtons Classification 'Outstanding'

The First Monday Club met for the first time in 2003 at Lucio’s in Paddington, since our previous venue Darling Mills has seen fit to close down. The theme of the night was wines from Langton’s ‘Outstanding’ classification auction list. As ever, there were a few unplanned departures from the official theme. Such as the first 4 wines, for example (although the two Tyrrell’s wines are at least in the “Excellent” category).

• 1986 Tyrrell's Sémillon Vat 1

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Light yellow with still a hint of green. The nose is classic aged hunter semillon, with some toastiness and perhaps a hint of honey. On the palate there is undeniable fading of fruit, and although acid is still present and fresh enough the wine is now quite soft. It’s nonetheless quite light-bodied and the finish is a bit short too. I think this wine is coming to the end of its plateau and has maybe another 3 or 4 years before decline sets in. And at 17 years, there’s obviously plenty of bottle variation now. Still quite a nice wine for all that.

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• 1986 Tyrrell's Chardonnay Vat 47

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  A glowing yellow colour – significantly darker than its Vat 1 stablemate. Very developed, with some yeast/bread, butter, roasted nuts and light toasty oak hints. Still with some lean freshness on the palate – the acid is respectably persistent. More obviously old than the Vat 1. Certainly has lost fruit freshness, but pleasant enough. Again, finish is a bit short. Maybe Vat 47 hits its peak around 8-10 years – certainly I’ve had some 92s that were stunning, whereas any complexity has faded past 15 years of age. The wine is not falling apart by any means, but I think its absolute peak has passed.

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• 2001 Green Point Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  There are pinots in the Langtons classification (Bass Phillip, Bannockburn, Giaconda, Mount Mary) but this isn’t one of them. Some kind of communication mix-up led to this wine being present at the table. A pale cherry red, it presents clean fresh jam and strawberry fruit aromas – very correct in a New World way. Light bodied, there’s some ripe fruity richness and attractive acid, with a pleasant short finish. Neither faulty nor profound, but generally unmemorable.

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• 1988 Lindeman's Shiraz Steven Vineyard

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  I was horrified to see Geoffrey had brought another bottle of this wine. He claims it to be his last – thank goodness. It was dead when we tasted it 2 years ago, it was not at all good at Lindemans Hunter CD 2 years before that, and it remains dead tonight. It’s black & full of sediment – the nose is all iodine & rotting vegetable - brett perhaps? – and the palate is dried and awful. Get thee behind me, Steven.

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• 2000 Jasper Hill Shiraz Georgia's Paddock

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  Finally, we arrive at “Outstanding”! These two wines provided an interesting look at the old and the new Jasper Hill. This was my first tasting of JH wines, although I’d noted Jeremy Oliver’s changing opinion of the estate over the years. The apparent pursuit of ultra-ripe grapes was evident in the Georgia’s wine, which weighed in at 15%abv. A red-black colour, it appeared to exhibit an almost ‘spirited’ nose, more akin to a young vintage port than a table wine. There were some peppery aromas with a little spice, but on the palate these were consumed by the heat and power of the alcohol. Tannins were surprisingly soft, and in spite of the colour, it wasn’t a struggle to drink, in the way a young McLaren Vale or Barossa shiraz might be. Australia’s answer to Zinfandel, perhaps? I hold serious doubts about it’s future as anything but a 5-year wine, however. I think it needs more acid & tannin to be a long-term wine – macerated fruit and alcohol won’t be enough

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• 1991 Jasper Hill Emily's Paddock

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  So it was with interest I turned to the Emily’s wine. This was a mere 13.5%abv, and displayed a mid red colour, with just a little fading of colour towards the rim. The nose was very soft & muted, with only a gentle indeterminate berry/spice aroma. On the palate the wine was quite anorexic, the fruit having fallen away, leaving fine, furry but very persistent tannins. This wine has been impeccably cellared all its life, and I think many of us were disappointed with it. The finish and length were nothing to write home about – just a persistent astringency. Stephen claimed to have drunk a 91 Penfolds Bin 389 the day before which would knock Emily into a cocked hat, and it was certainly hard to make a case that this is was a Great Wine. Disappointing.

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• 1989 Mount Mary Cabernets

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  This visitor from Langton’s exalted “Exceptional” category, still bearing it’s $45 price tag, was most welcome! This vintage of Quintet has suffered critically at the palate of both Halliday and Oliver over the years, so I was interested to try it. Still quite a deep red colour, it presents a slightly feral nose, very developed and brambly, with multi-layered cedary and smoky notes. On the palate, tannins have pretty much left the scene – the wine is very soft and gentle. It still has the hallmark cleanliness of Oz reds – I don’t think anyone’s going to mistake it for a Bordeaux – but that’s easy for me to say – I wasn’t tasting it blind. Although it’s only medium-bodied, it remains persistent on the finish. I thought it improved with food – others were not so convinced. I suspect it’s a good example of a poor year from a great vineyard. Yet its clear that Mount Mary didn’t build its formidable reputation on vintages like 1989. From what I’ve read previously of this vintage I was expecting something quite ordinary, but this wine was better than that.

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• 1998 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  My third tasting of this wine in 2 years, and it continues to improve. Most of my experience with MtE is with older vintages, so I struggle to comfortably link their presentation young with the development in 10 years. It’s clear that this wine needs a great many years to come together. This is the first time I’ve tasted all the components properly balanced in this wine – earlier tastings did have me wondering whether it would ever work. The more I reflect on them, the more the wine tasted (back then) like it was still unfinished. A deep red, it still smells very raw and young, with lots of spicy blackberries and smoky vanilla oak. Tannins are extremely fine, acid is fresh – the wine simply oozes quality. It’s disjointed – all arms & legs as they say – and I don’t think I’ll be touching my stocks of this until 2010 at the earliest. I can understand people liking it now, but I like a bit more togetherness in my wines, so far me it will wait. But at least I’m not concerned about it any more Great wine.

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• 1997 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  This is every bit as black as the 2000 Jasper Hill, but is constructed along more traditional lines. An inky black menthol nose precedes dark, fine vanillan oak aromas. On the palate it’s quite warm and syrupy, completely belying its 13.1%abv. Tannins are super fine, and the wine has tremendous impact and length on the palate. It’s all primary qualities – there’s no real complexity emerging yet, but the best years are clearly ahead of this wine. It’s not too unfriendly to drink now (a function of the vintage perhaps?), but it really wants a strongly flavoured meal or thuggish cheeses. Another good ‘un.

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• 1994 Dalwhinnie Shiraz Moonambel Pyrenees

  Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Pyrenees

  Still a reddish-purple colour. Rich warm savoury/spice and blackberry nose, BUT, no sign of the kind of chocolate/fruit cake aromas you might get in warm climate S Aust shiraz. Remarkably pure fruit aromas, especially for a 9 year old wine. I can’t be more precise than to say ripe cool-climate characters, which coat the palate as well. Persistent, mouth-watering tannins, with wonderful balance and length. Great wine.

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Didn’t vote for a WOTN, but probably would have been taken out by either of the last two wines. Edelstone was no slouch either.