similar notes and condition from previous note 8 years ago. would recommend decant as our last glass at 3 hours was the best. this has years to go. Fantastic. would buy more.
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Decanted 1 hour. Very Barossa, ripe, with sweet but bitter ripe black currant, blackberry, and molasses. For as sweet and as forward the fruit is on the nose and early palate, this gets really dry really fast, lots of acidity in late palate, with dried dill, oregano, and bitter tea leaf tannins. A good Cabernet that's drinking at peak. Drink now-2016.
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Beautiful mint eucalyptus black cherry, tobacco, cigar box, and chocolate nibs nose. Palate added forest flavors. Texture was grainy. Finish was long. Mild tannins. Pairs with a leaner meat.
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Gorgeous mature cab cassis nose with musty dark red fruit, faint eucalyptus aromas. Palate was similar with very grainey tannin structure. No sediment as in other bottles. Fantastic.
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Not decanted. Should've filtered it - lots of sediment. Great nose and mouth feel. Soft/mild tannins. I feel this is approaching its peak and should be consumed within the next few years. Excellent fruit and acid are soft and in perfect balance with the tannins. At 6 hours, the wine had lost some of its nose, flavor, and mouth-feel.
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not decanted. some sediment. followed in the glass now for 3 hours. strong chocolate and complimentary cassis. rounded tannin with a nice remaining injection of bold fruit power. my favorite australian cabernet. as always, in loving memory of david perry.
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Absolutely breathtaking wine. Easily the best Aussie Cab I've ever had and better than the one I had about 2 yrs ago. Lovely dark friut and milk chocolate on the palate. Some oak was apparent but well intigrated and the finish was long.
I'll be drinking my last on around 2015.
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14.5% alcohol. decanted. this is my favorite australian cabernet. in fact, i much prefer to drink this than their more renowned command shiraz. this is the first vintage for this wine, and the vineyard is the family name. perhaps the reason i like it is that it is aged in french oak, and is held to mature in the bottle one year before releasing. there is cassis for sure, and then a strong undercurrent of bold black fruit. before it caught some air, the finish was somewhat candied, but that has fleshed out into a more silky rendition of a young cabernet with plenty of structure to sustain further aging. i don't think this wine is at it's peak, but it is very delicious tonight, and drinking quite well. highly recommended.
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Opened Blind by Benny on Christmas Day 2006. Probably the best Aussie Cab I have ever had. All agreed this was the best wine of the day (against the likes of '99 Octavius and '97 Peter Lehmann Merlot). Perfectly balanced, the use of French oak beautifully complemented the cassis, milk chocolate and leather flavours on the palate. The finish was supurb. I would say this vintage is drinking at its peak now but will hold up for another 5 yeras or so.
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decanted. one whiff of this wine, and you are thinking vanilla; it's quite pleasant. there is also a strong preponderence of cassis. the wine has a very strong backbone with unresolved tannins indicating a long life ahead, and gobs and gobs of fruit. i am generally not a huge fan of 100% aussie cabs, but this one is terrific. purchased on faith after having it recommended to me by david. i have a couple left, and a full case of the 99's and 2000's. this was the first vintage of this wine. recommended.
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14.5% alcohol. barossa fruit. aged in french oak over two years, and then in the bottle for one year. despite the fact that a parker review of the 99 (93) says it's the debut vintage, THIS 98 is the first release.
not decanted. spectacular right out of the bottle. this is hands down my favorite australian cabernet from any producer in any vintage. yes, there is some oak and vanilla notes. in balance. cassis and blackberry for sure, but i also detect some blueberries as well. long finish and terrific overall structure indicates this has 10 years ahead of it. simply, the bomb. highly recommended. my thanks to david perry, the aussie master at prima vini in walnut creek, ca for steering me to this wine. great source for all your wine desires.
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1/5/2022 - arthrovine wrote:
similar notes and condition from previous note 8 years ago. would recommend decant as our last glass at 3 hours was the best. this has years to go. Fantastic. would buy more.
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9/21/2014 - Giggs wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Very Barossa, ripe, with sweet but bitter ripe black currant, blackberry, and molasses. For as sweet and as forward the fruit is on the nose and early palate, this gets really dry really fast, lots of acidity in late palate, with dried dill, oregano, and bitter tea leaf tannins. A good Cabernet that's drinking at peak. Drink now-2016.
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1/21/2013 - arthrovine wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful mint eucalyptus black cherry, tobacco, cigar box, and chocolate nibs nose. Palate added forest flavors. Texture was grainy. Finish was long. Mild tannins. Pairs with a leaner meat.
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3/24/2012 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous mature cab cassis nose with musty dark red fruit, faint eucalyptus aromas. Palate was similar with very grainey tannin structure. No sediment as in other bottles. Fantastic.
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10/31/2011 - AK37 wrote: 88 Points
Peaked out.
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5/9/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Not decanted. Should've filtered it - lots of sediment. Great nose and mouth feel. Soft/mild tannins. I feel this is approaching its peak and should be consumed within the next few years. Excellent fruit and acid are soft and in perfect balance with the tannins. At 6 hours, the wine had lost some of its nose, flavor, and mouth-feel.
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9/29/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
decanted. holding well, unlike many shiraz from this year. always a favorite. previous notes have details. drink.
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6/21/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
not decanted. some sediment. followed in the glass now for 3 hours. strong chocolate and complimentary cassis. rounded tannin with a nice remaining injection of bold fruit power. my favorite australian cabernet. as always, in loving memory of david perry.
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5/4/2009 - tonsta wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely breathtaking wine. Easily the best Aussie Cab I've ever had and better than the one I had about 2 yrs ago. Lovely dark friut and milk chocolate on the palate. Some oak was apparent but well intigrated and the finish was long.
I'll be drinking my last on around 2015.
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4/23/2007 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
14.5% alcohol. decanted. this is my favorite australian cabernet. in fact, i much prefer to drink this than their more renowned command shiraz. this is the first vintage for this wine, and the vineyard is the family name. perhaps the reason i like it is that it is aged in french oak, and is held to mature in the bottle one year before releasing. there is cassis for sure, and then a strong undercurrent of bold black fruit. before it caught some air, the finish was somewhat candied, but that has fleshed out into a more silky rendition of a young cabernet with plenty of structure to sustain further aging. i don't think this wine is at it's peak, but it is very delicious tonight, and drinking quite well. highly recommended.
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12/26/2006 - tonsta wrote: 96 Points
Opened Blind by Benny on Christmas Day 2006. Probably the best Aussie Cab I have ever had. All agreed this was the best wine of the day (against the likes of '99 Octavius and '97 Peter Lehmann Merlot). Perfectly balanced, the use of French oak beautifully complemented the cassis, milk chocolate and leather flavours on the palate. The finish was supurb. I would say this vintage is drinking at its peak now but will hold up for another 5 yeras or so.
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7/3/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
14.5% alcohol. barossa.
decanted. one whiff of this wine, and you are thinking vanilla; it's quite pleasant. there is also a strong preponderence of cassis. the wine has a very strong backbone with unresolved tannins indicating a long life ahead, and gobs and gobs of fruit. i am generally not a huge fan of 100% aussie cabs, but this one is terrific. purchased on faith after having it recommended to me by david. i have a couple left, and a full case of the 99's and 2000's. this was the first vintage of this wine. recommended.
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12/7/2004 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
14.5% alcohol. barossa fruit. aged in french oak over two years, and then in the bottle for one year. despite the fact that a parker review of the 99 (93) says it's the debut vintage, THIS 98 is the first release.
not decanted. spectacular right out of the bottle. this is hands down my favorite australian cabernet from any producer in any vintage. yes, there is some oak and vanilla notes. in balance. cassis and blackberry for sure, but i also detect some blueberries as well. long finish and terrific overall structure indicates this has 10 years ahead of it. simply, the bomb. highly recommended. my thanks to david perry, the aussie master at prima vini in walnut creek, ca for steering me to this wine. great source for all your wine desires.
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