Somewhat evolved, slightly translucent pomegranate color with a maroon hue. The nose feels quite expressive and rather sweetish but also surprisingly fresh with quite concentrated aromas of blackcurrants and ripe blackberries, some green notes of eucalyptus, light smoky notes of toasty wood, light inky notes, a hint of savory wood spice and an evolved touch of dried fruits. The overall feel is bold but also enjoyably developed. The wine feels ripe, slightly sweet-toned and textural on the palate with a full body and concentrated flavors of ripe blackberries and wizened blackcurrants, some sweet oak spice, a little bit of licorice, light cocoa notes of mocha oak, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of salty liquorice. The structure relies mostly on the surprisingly high acidity, whereas the ample but fully resolved tannins contribute mainly to the rich, chewy texture, not to the structure. The long finish is ripe yet quite dry with complex flavors of juicy blackberries, some sweet notes of toasted oak, a little bit of licorice, light chocolatey notes of mocha oak, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of peppery spice. The tannins lend a very gentle grippy feel to the gums.
A wonderfully harmonious, textural and still relatively youthful Aussie Shiraz. My initial thought was that this must be a new world Cabernet Sauvignon, based on the combination of ripe blackcurrant-driven fruit and subtle green notes. Once I noticed the green notes were eucalyptus and not particularly minty, I went for Australia. Based on the somewhat evolved yet still relatively youthful overall feel I guessed late 1990's to early 2000's. Well, at least I got the country right. Overall the wine is in a wonderful spot right not, but I can imagine it will continue to improve for some years more and keep for much longer. Although the wine is quite ripe and the oak use feels quite liberal, the oak has integrated quite well with the fruit and the overall impression is not too oaky or gloopy, but instead quite nuanced and sophisticated. A lovely example of mature Shiraz.
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Aged in AM oak barrels for 12 mos; 13.5% ABV, 6.60g/L T.A., & 3.42 pH
N: RIPE berries with eucalyptus; Intensity lurking
P: LM body met by some astringent pucker which quite resolves by the very LONG, very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a distinct swtness to the dusty tannins. Certainly approachable now, but may not QUITE have peaked? For now & another 5+ yrs more? 14.3% ABV; My EXC+. [Check wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg for reviews "back in the day," NONE of which seemed to have predicted THIS type of longevity!]
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P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by just a TOUCH of firming astringency which slowly, SEAMLESSLY morphs into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with a swtness to the MINIMAL dusty tannins. Drinking AMAZINGLY with at LEAST another 2 yrs or so left. My EXCEPTIONAL-. [Check wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg for reviews "back in the day," NONE of which seemed to have predicted THIS type of longevity!]
Note: From a collection (storage conditions unclear) with the original $11.99 U.S. price tag still affixed!
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Well as they say, there aren't great vintages, just great bottles. This truly lives up to the motto. Last bottle and the best. Just amazing. Cork in perfect condition. Still a good whiff of primary fruit on the nose to go with the secondary aromas. Has typical Penfolds house qualities and finishes long.
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Quite bricky in colour with slight tawny hues. Nose is earthy/barn yard like and some slight smokiness but still some fruit mainly plum and dark berries. In the mouth the tannins are fine and balanced with some good acidity with a medium finish. Still enough in this wine for it to go another few years I think but drinking really well now.
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Sometimes fate offers up sweet drops of serendipity. Bought this for £10 from a local wine store who were selling a private collection. This is a £10 wine even today so I was interested how16 years aging would have done to a mid level aussie wine. The results are very impressive. Still a deep colour with a tiny bit of bricking on the edge of the wine. Nose - soft fruit, some plums, damp fungus and black olives - still a lot of depth and complexity. In the mouth this has a beautifully aged feeling - mushrooms, peppery fruit, tar - relaxed and complex with a long follow through. This is lovely wine and I've been toying with the idea of sticking some of this stuff in the cellar based on drinking younger versions - now I know I will. Not often you get to drink aged aussie wines of this price range and I have to say they hold up extremely well. Probably has a few year left in it yet. Very good.
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Deep red. Closed on the nose, but with a hint of musk and pepper showing through. Sweet raspberry fruit, gentle acid, the tannins have certainly tamed, and the wine is reasonably together, with an even finish, although slightly short. An attractive, medium-bodied wine.
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Very smooth, almost velvety, mature and soft texture, ripe red fruit and Shiraz spice, good weight, perfect balance, well rounded, rich and elegant; very good length. Excellent wine.
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8/4/2021 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Somewhat evolved, slightly translucent pomegranate color with a maroon hue. The nose feels quite expressive and rather sweetish but also surprisingly fresh with quite concentrated aromas of blackcurrants and ripe blackberries, some green notes of eucalyptus, light smoky notes of toasty wood, light inky notes, a hint of savory wood spice and an evolved touch of dried fruits. The overall feel is bold but also enjoyably developed. The wine feels ripe, slightly sweet-toned and textural on the palate with a full body and concentrated flavors of ripe blackberries and wizened blackcurrants, some sweet oak spice, a little bit of licorice, light cocoa notes of mocha oak, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of salty liquorice. The structure relies mostly on the surprisingly high acidity, whereas the ample but fully resolved tannins contribute mainly to the rich, chewy texture, not to the structure. The long finish is ripe yet quite dry with complex flavors of juicy blackberries, some sweet notes of toasted oak, a little bit of licorice, light chocolatey notes of mocha oak, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of peppery spice. The tannins lend a very gentle grippy feel to the gums.
A wonderfully harmonious, textural and still relatively youthful Aussie Shiraz. My initial thought was that this must be a new world Cabernet Sauvignon, based on the combination of ripe blackcurrant-driven fruit and subtle green notes. Once I noticed the green notes were eucalyptus and not particularly minty, I went for Australia. Based on the somewhat evolved yet still relatively youthful overall feel I guessed late 1990's to early 2000's. Well, at least I got the country right. Overall the wine is in a wonderful spot right not, but I can imagine it will continue to improve for some years more and keep for much longer. Although the wine is quite ripe and the oak use feels quite liberal, the oak has integrated quite well with the fruit and the overall impression is not too oaky or gloopy, but instead quite nuanced and sophisticated. A lovely example of mature Shiraz.
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12/15/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 5 *shared* Reds] from 12/14/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK you, Oscar! :) And, believe it or not, this was actually my 2nd opportunity to try this vintage!
Aged in AM oak barrels for 12 mos; 13.5% ABV, 6.60g/L T.A., & 3.42 pH
N: RIPE berries with eucalyptus; Intensity lurking
P: LM body met by some astringent pucker which quite resolves by the very LONG, very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a distinct swtness to the dusty tannins. Certainly approachable now, but may not QUITE have peaked? For now & another 5+ yrs more? 14.3% ABV; My EXC+. [Check wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg for reviews "back in the day," NONE of which seemed to have predicted THIS type of longevity!]
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7/7/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 4 *shared* bottles] from 07/06/18] (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK you *so* much for sharing this, Dr. Tom! :)
Aged in AM oak barrels for 12 mos; 13.5% ABV, 6.60g/L T.A., & 3.42 pH
N: Closed; RIPE, smoke, poss tobacco & flowers? Intensity lurking
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by just a TOUCH of firming astringency which slowly, SEAMLESSLY morphs into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with a swtness to the MINIMAL dusty tannins. Drinking AMAZINGLY with at LEAST another 2 yrs or so left. My EXCEPTIONAL-. [Check wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg for reviews "back in the day," NONE of which seemed to have predicted THIS type of longevity!]
Note: From a collection (storage conditions unclear) with the original $11.99 U.S. price tag still affixed!
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3/13/2012 - STM82 wrote: 83 Points
Barely drinkable and disappointed it's past its prime.
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1/23/2012 - wp_drinkers wrote: 91 Points
Well as they say, there aren't great vintages, just great bottles. This truly lives up to the motto. Last bottle and the best. Just amazing. Cork in perfect condition. Still a good whiff of primary fruit on the nose to go with the secondary aromas. Has typical Penfolds house qualities and finishes long.
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4/24/2011 - wp_drinkers wrote: flawed
Not rated as slightly oxidised :(
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3/27/2010 - wp_drinkers wrote: 89 Points
Quite bricky in colour with slight tawny hues. Nose is earthy/barn yard like and some slight smokiness but still some fruit mainly plum and dark berries. In the mouth the tannins are fine and balanced with some good acidity with a medium finish. Still enough in this wine for it to go another few years I think but drinking really well now.
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4/18/2009 - pjaines wrote:
Sometimes fate offers up sweet drops of serendipity. Bought this for £10 from a local wine store who were selling a private collection. This is a £10 wine even today so I was interested how16 years aging would have done to a mid level aussie wine. The results are very impressive. Still a deep colour with a tiny bit of bricking on the edge of the wine. Nose - soft fruit, some plums, damp fungus and black olives - still a lot of depth and complexity. In the mouth this has a beautifully aged feeling - mushrooms, peppery fruit, tar - relaxed and complex with a long follow through. This is lovely wine and I've been toying with the idea of sticking some of this stuff in the cellar based on drinking younger versions - now I know I will. Not often you get to drink aged aussie wines of this price range and I have to say they hold up extremely well. Probably has a few year left in it yet. Very good.
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6/5/2001 - graemeg wrote:
Deep red. Closed on the nose, but with a hint of musk and pepper showing through. Sweet raspberry fruit, gentle acid, the tannins have certainly tamed, and the wine is reasonably together, with an even finish, although slightly short. An attractive, medium-bodied wine.
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8/7/2000 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 1992 (blind) (Darling Mills, Glebe): Coconut, pepper & spice nose. Quite astringent on palate, although the tannins are quite fine – fruit is clearly dominated by oak. Not unripe, but fruit is in the background. Medium length.
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1/21/1997 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Very smooth, almost velvety, mature and soft texture, ripe red fruit and Shiraz spice, good weight, perfect balance, well rounded, rich and elegant; very good length. Excellent wine.
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