2016 Paradise IV Chaumont Moorabool Estate
Community Tasting Note
Rote Kappelle wrote:
Sunday, April 21, 2024 - This is a wine that is at the extreme edge of the cool climate style and how you feel about it will depend on how you feel about the oak treatment, the herbal/vegetal element and the fruit. I had moments where I really liked parts of it but I struggled to get into the wine as a whole. I wrote this note based on two day's observation of the wine, decanted. It is under screw cap and was a small production, so there should be a fair bit of consistency across bottles.
The first thing I will observe about all the PIV wines I have tried is that they are at their best after at least half a day open and the reds often need at least a day.
On first opening, the smoky, perfumed oak is nearly overwhelming. The other really strong character is green pea and wet lawn clippings. There is some subdued darker fruit, although it is a little murky and hard to define. Still this aspect is pleasing enough. Some people are going to love what the oak imparts and that is fine. Wine is a drink and if it has characters you like, I am not sure it matters how it gets there.
After about 6 hours the fruit does come up to stand level with the earlier noted characters. I don't get a lot of integration at this time - each element stands fairly separate. This is not a criticism - to my mind this is about where the wine is at on its journey. It is probably about 5-8 years off achieving integration.
There is plenty of intensity and length, good acid lift and sufficient tannin, although I think there are some distinctly green aspects to the tannin bitters.
I don't look to drink Barossa Cabernet styles, but this is bordering on too much cool for me and the oak really tests my limits. As I see this wine is about a quite deliberate statement of style, I have to say it is very successful and vive la difference. I have scored it based on my assessment of what the maker has tried to achieve and not my subjective enjoyment.
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