Vinetasters: Old Cabernet (Park Ridge, IL): Served double blind. Quite light, with a minerality and lightness that the other wines tonight didn't have. Feels like this has a good bit of age, with a mature profile that clearly tilted towards red fruit. Very much ready to drink now. My 4th, group's 7th.
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Found this is a dark corner of the cellar. Didn't know what to expect given the range of views expressed here. This bottle showed good body, with red and black fruits and a serviceable tannic structure underlayment. Clearly old and fading, but a fine bottle for a casual dinner.
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I opened 2 bottles in the last couple of weeks, the first was disappointing, oxidised and flat, no fruit but some savoury interest. The second was much better, amazingly it had vibrant black forest fuits and some balance acidity, the savoury note was still there and added complexity and depth. moderate length. score only on the best bottle
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Bad news folks. If you still have one of this in your cellar I think you may have missed the boat. This was a gift, which I opened as soon as I became aware of the reviews on this site, plus James Halliday’s “drink by” date of 2007! There is still some fruit – black currant pastilles and black olive came to mind – but the wine is tired, with little intensity and no length. Plus, the finish is unbalanced, with sour / acid notes now dominating. Pity…..PS Cork was good actually, so I think the wine is just old....
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Hastily decanted. Surprisingly transparent blood red colour. Fresh attractive nose of light raspberries and fresh sawn box wood...lovely blackberries on thc back end. Palate is very appealing lightlly acidic and light blackberries and raspberries with a lovely light harmony. Sharp, memorable but short finish. This has that signature Henschke elegance. Very good indeed.
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13%. The bottle of The Warren Vineyard left us wanting more. So, pulled this from the fridge. Another Cabernet/Merlot (60/40) blend. Straight from bottle. Even before I nose this, someone shouted "Australian wild flowers!". Unlike the Warren, this familiar nose of eucalyptus, stewed plums and blackcurrant. The palate is little soft with jammy fruits. Resolved tannins and fading acidity. This likely has seen better days, but retained enough complexity to make it enjoyable.
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Consumed on 14th June 2008. This wine has seen better days...the nose was flat, very little bouquet and the palette was highly alcoholic and almost vinegar tinge...perhaps, we should have consume this wime much earlier though I expected this wine to cellar 10 years or more...
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WineFlock - 98 Aussies (Chris' Place): Full open nose has dark fruits, nutmeg, anise and a slightly reductive note. Palate is a lighter bodied with dark fruit and plenty of zingy acidity. Pleasant, but not all that exciting. My #7, Group #5.
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Initially showed lots of dill, charred wood, cassis and plum fruit that veered to prune. The mouthfeel was fresher than the nose with brighter black cherry, iron, and pepper and a clean, low tannin finish. The blind consensus was cool climate cabernet vs Loire cab franc. This likely has seen better days, but retained enough complexity to make it enjoyable.
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Drank with friends over an Australia 1998 dinner organized by Runny at Crown Wine Cellars. Nice colour. Vegetal nose and still very closed. Beautiful depth on the palate. Unusually dense for the Cabernet/Merlot (60/40) blend but reflects the Australian climate, I guess. Fairly good length. It opened very nicely in the glass but still needs 5+ more years, maybe more.
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This is really a good wine, but not a 90 pointer. Not all wines can be a 90 pointer. About three years aog I had this and it was a 91-92 pointer, but it had a lot more lush, brambly fruit on the attack. None of that none, more much leathery, dusty, definitely mushroom on the nose at first which blew off - Bordeaux like. Also color was not as deep blue - more bricking. Then with time developed a real spice to the finish, almost like a Zin or a Syrah. Can't say I'd pinpoint that to a Merlot, but perhaps that's a result of the hot Australian heat. This type of wine, perhaps, is better in its youth, as when I enjoyed it a few years ago, rather than once it ages. It is aging fine and will last at least five years, but is there any reason to wait? I'd say no.
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Wineflock - Henschke 'Master Class' tasting (Home): Group #5, My #9 - Full ruby crimson red. Full tight briar spice with cola hints on the nose. Spicy cola red fruit with some musty notes on the palate. Bitter sour finish.
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Again a lovely jeweled ruby. the nose was full of black plums and dark chocolate, there was some toast as well as anise. Lovely nose. The mouthfeel was quite layered with black cherries, cassis, dark plums, and dark chocolate. Very nice indeed. 91 pts.
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11/5/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Vinetasters: Old Cabernet (Park Ridge, IL): Served double blind. Quite light, with a minerality and lightness that the other wines tonight didn't have. Feels like this has a good bit of age, with a mature profile that clearly tilted towards red fruit. Very much ready to drink now. My 4th, group's 7th.
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10/22/2022 - LightDancer wrote: 90 Points
Found this is a dark corner of the cellar. Didn't know what to expect given the range of views expressed here. This bottle showed good body, with red and black fruits and a serviceable tannic structure underlayment. Clearly old and fading, but a fine bottle for a casual dinner.
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10/19/2014 - jessegilson wrote: 90 Points
I opened 2 bottles in the last couple of weeks, the first was disappointing, oxidised and flat, no fruit but some savoury interest.
The second was much better, amazingly it had vibrant black forest fuits and some balance acidity, the savoury note was still there and added complexity and depth. moderate length. score only on the best bottle
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9/2/2014 - RieslingFanatic Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Bad news folks. If you still have one of this in your cellar I think you may have missed the boat. This was a gift, which I opened as soon as I became aware of the reviews on this site, plus James Halliday’s “drink by” date of 2007! There is still some fruit – black currant pastilles and black olive came to mind – but the wine is tired, with little intensity and no length. Plus, the finish is unbalanced, with sour / acid notes now dominating. Pity…..PS Cork was good actually, so I think the wine is just old....
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8/19/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 90 Points
Hastily decanted. Surprisingly transparent blood red colour. Fresh attractive nose of light raspberries and fresh sawn box wood...lovely blackberries on thc back end. Palate is very appealing lightlly acidic and light blackberries and raspberries with a lovely light harmony. Sharp, memorable but short finish. This has that signature Henschke elegance. Very good indeed.
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12/2/2008 - windgod wrote: 89 Points
13%. The bottle of The Warren Vineyard left us wanting more. So, pulled this from the fridge. Another Cabernet/Merlot (60/40) blend. Straight from bottle. Even before I nose this, someone shouted "Australian wild flowers!". Unlike the Warren, this familiar nose of eucalyptus, stewed plums and blackcurrant. The palate is little soft with jammy fruits. Resolved tannins and fading acidity. This likely has seen better days, but retained enough complexity to make it enjoyable.
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6/14/2008 - willmark wrote: 75 Points
Consumed on 14th June 2008. This wine has seen better days...the nose was flat, very little bouquet and the palette was highly alcoholic and almost vinegar tinge...perhaps, we should have consume this wime much earlier though I expected this wine to cellar 10 years or more...
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4/3/2008 - Nanda wrote: 89 Points
WineFlock - 98 Aussies (Chris' Place): Full open nose has dark fruits, nutmeg, anise and a slightly reductive note. Palate is a lighter bodied with dark fruit and plenty of zingy acidity. Pleasant, but not all that exciting. My #7, Group #5.
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1/22/2008 - rmodak wrote: 87 Points
Initially showed lots of dill, charred wood, cassis and plum fruit that veered to prune. The mouthfeel was fresher than the nose with brighter black cherry, iron, and pepper and a clean, low tannin finish. The blind consensus was cool climate cabernet vs Loire cab franc. This likely has seen better days, but retained enough complexity to make it enjoyable.
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11/10/2007 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Drank with friends over an Australia 1998 dinner organized by Runny at Crown Wine Cellars. Nice colour. Vegetal nose and still very closed. Beautiful depth on the palate. Unusually dense for the Cabernet/Merlot (60/40) blend but reflects the Australian climate, I guess. Fairly good length. It opened very nicely in the glass but still needs 5+ more years, maybe more.
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12/8/2006 - kkazaks wrote: 87 Points
This is really a good wine, but not a 90 pointer. Not all wines can be a 90 pointer. About three years aog I had this and it was a 91-92 pointer, but it had a lot more lush, brambly fruit on the attack. None of that none, more much leathery, dusty, definitely mushroom on the nose at first which blew off - Bordeaux like. Also color was not as deep blue - more bricking. Then with time developed a real spice to the finish, almost like a Zin or a Syrah. Can't say I'd pinpoint that to a Merlot, but perhaps that's a result of the hot Australian heat. This type of wine, perhaps, is better in its youth, as when I enjoyed it a few years ago, rather than once it ages. It is aging fine and will last at least five years, but is there any reason to wait? I'd say no.
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11/2/2006 - winefool wrote: 85 Points
Wineflock - Henschke 'Master Class' tasting (Home): Group #5, My #9 - Full ruby crimson red. Full tight briar spice with cola hints on the nose. Spicy cola red fruit with some musty notes on the palate. Bitter sour finish.
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7/16/2006 - cct wrote: 91 Points
Again a lovely jeweled ruby. the nose was full of black plums and dark chocolate, there was some toast as well as anise. Lovely nose. The mouthfeel was quite layered with black cherries, cassis, dark plums, and dark chocolate. Very nice indeed. 91 pts.
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7/13/2006 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, very Bordeaux like with cedar, tobacco, sage - ton of secondary but still with good plum fruit. At peak.
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