NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2000

A last minute change of theme saw us sitting down to a ‘Penfolds prior to 2000’ dinner in May 09. For some reason I wasn’t expecting to be terribly impressed, perhaps because it wasn’t an especially imaginative theme, and maybe because I was dreading a night of 93 Bin 407s and 97 Bin 389s. At any rate, I sadly underestimated my fellow Rotters; it’s hard to imagine a much better night than this.

• 2001 Jansz Wine Company Vintage Cuvée

  Australia, Tasmania

  [cork, 12%] A lightweight, developing nose of strawberries, biscuits and a little toast. The palate is dry and refreshing, tastes mostly of strawberries, is clean, dry and persistent, but with rather clunky bubbles. Perhaps some bottle age has softened it a little, but it lacks much sophistication. Pleasant if somewhat thoughtless drinking.

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• 1994 Penfolds Chardonnay Barrel-Fermented

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13%] The label of this wine exudes a puppy-dog earnestness; “look, fermenting in the barrel. The cusp of fashion!” Like last year’s fashion however, this is yellowing with age. A leesy, cheesy nose precedes a medium-bodied, acidic but ultimately hollow palate devoid of fruit or interesting secondary characters. Nothing to see here. Move along please.

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• 2000 Penfolds Chardonnay Reserve Bin 00A

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

  [cork, 13.5%] Stone fruits and subdued French oak comprise the barely-developing bouquet here. Essence of refined New World chardonnay here, with soft quality vanillan oak flavours, creamy white flesh fruits, medium-full bodied weight, soft tannins, and a persistent even finish of respectable length. Overall more fruit than earth, and a pretty good wine.

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• 1999 Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13.2%] Distinctly darker than it’s younger ['00 Bin 00A Chard] sibling (verging on gold in colour), this manages a much older-smelling nose of rockmelon and cream. The palate is the big disappointment, watery and bland, with soft nebulous white fruits. All that remains at the finish is a little oaken kick. Might be worth keeping one bottle to see what happens, but if you’ve still got a case you need to have a party soon.

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• 1969 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 12.4%] 5% Cabernet. A graduate of the 1992 Red Wine Clinic. The bouquet has soft leathery aromas, clearly aged, but not feeble. The palate ticks all the ‘medium’ boxes; weight, acid, finish. It’s soft and even, with hints of woody spices and a velvety kind of feel to the texture. Gently persistent, with resolved tannins, and a lingering wispy finish. Perhaps not a great Grange, but a great 40-year-old red. No improvement left, obviously, but ought to make the half-century if you’re a child of ’69…

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• 1996 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28 Kalimna

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13.5%] Back to real life [after the '69 Grange]. At thirteen, this is sailing along very nicely. A developing nose, but there’s plenty of fruit left here. Warm, almost-cinnamon spices, blackberry fruit with a touch of jam on the nose. Solidly built, with acid and chalky tannins jostling comfortably on the palate with plenty of rich fruits. This is only now starting to develop some secondary characters, with a dash of tarriness and a softening finish. Nicely balanced along the palate, it’s a tribute to the vintage and ought to see another 5-10 years easily.

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• 1996 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 128

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

  [cork, 13.5%] This is a lot leaner in bouquet (though it still has plenty of colour) than its Barossa-enforced brother [96 Bin 28], with aromas of spice and white pepper. The pepper remains on the palate, although the very soft tannins give it a cordial-like texture. It just makes medium body in weight, although the balance tends towards the front palate in a rather low-impact way. An honest toiler of a wine which is probably at its peak now.

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• 1996 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13.5%] Varietal characteristics have very capably survived the ‘house’ treatment here. A developing nose offers intense cassis/currant aromas with unashamed overtness, with a little secondary cigar-box twist. The palate is very rich, and almost tastes black, even after all these years. Still, the acid is a little spiky, there are dusty tannins, but little sign of a mid-palate hole; it’s a pretty successful Bin 407, and better than I’d expected on the basis of some hit-and-miss vintages over the years. Another five years won’t hurt this either.

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• 1990 Penfolds Bin 389

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13.5%] According to Chris (Southcorp employee at the time) Penfolds made a staggering 125,000 cases (ie. dozens) of this wine. Has there ever a been bigger production of a wine of this quality in all history? Nominations on the back of an envelope – good luck. [OK, someone mentioned Dom Perignon...] Unbelievably intense nose. Parades the full armoury of the Penfolds style; meat, tar, quality vanillan oak, developing red fruits. The palate is intense, rich and lavish, with chalky tannins, ripe fruits, spicy oak, warm fruit-cake flavours and a dash of earthy/compost complexity (not VA, but more intriguing). A long even palate and a balanced finish - this wine has it all. It’s not a monster in size, just wonderfully intense. Lavish, but not exaggerated. An absolute triumph, and this bottle had easily another ten years of development left.

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• 1996 Penfolds Bin 389

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 13.5%] Two bottles of this, from different cellars, spoke the same language, but with faintly different accents. In general this is a classically youthful version of the 1990 (oh, joy!), with the ripe red fruit / chocolate flavours predominant in a primary kind of way. One bottle displayed a faint touch of reduction, the other was a little more taut and closed. The palate is still powerfully tannic, not too oaky, full-bodied, with ripe red fruits. Seems more shiraz than cabernet at this age. Minimal aging evident so far. If the ’90 is a guide, this could be left for another twenty years.

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• 1996 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 14%] This is a patrician, majestic wine. At this youthful stage of its life, the lavish, velvety ripe-red fruit predominates on the nose. The palate is an exercise in controlled power, the powdery tannins packed tight into a bed of rich elemental fruit. A long even palate; the balance is a joy to behold, but the rest of the wine is not interested. Drinkable now, but only as an academic exercise; this wine is all about potential. Two bottles, no noticeable differences between them. This really needs to sleep for another twenty years to reveal all it has to offer.

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• 1999 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 14%] This is more open and friendly than the ’96, in fact it’s almost voluptuous in comparison. Plummy, faintly reductive fruit aromas precede a ripe palate of red berries & plums, nicely balanced with strong but fine powdery tannins, medium-bodied weight and a decent finish which is even a bit simple at this stage. There’s some evolution here; it doesn’t have the bank-vault integrity of the 96, yet is still only offering a fraction of its potential. Give it five years at least.

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• 1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707

  Australia, South Australia

  (Coonawarra, Padthaway, Barossa, McLaren) [cork, 13.5%] Usual problem here – Bin 707’s not ready until it’s 20 years old. This could nearly be a barrel sample, so strong are the coconut, dill & currant aromas. Noticeably cabernet, though, it is true to its origins. Despite the power and ripeness of the blackcurrant fruit (no herbal tinges here) it still can’t escape the cage of fine tannins. Big, long, powerful; but an age from being ready to drink.

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• 1984 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  [cork, 14.2%] 5% Cabernet. 14.2% alcohol on the Penfolds website – the bottle says 13.6%. Either way it’s not noticeable. A big, aging nose of blueberries and Christmas cake. All very lavish. The palate remains dustily tannic, oaky, big and brawny. More visceral than cerebral, that’s for sure. Full bodied and intense, with ripe fruits, but never quite overcomes a blockiness that’s stops it short of being a truly memorable wine. Can’t see it improving, either.

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• 1992 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  (Barossa, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale) [cork, 13.5%] This is a less flamboyant version of the 89 Grange. With exotic jammy boysenberry and blueberry fruit, powerful tannins and a big forceful finish, it goes off like a firecracker in the mouth. There’s a long finish, and good structural balance along the tongue, but the wine can’t escape a certain simplicity of flavour which pervades its impact. I’m not sure that ultimately the fruit will outlive the tannins either. It’s not a quite a wine on steroids, but it does feel a bit puffed up nonetheless. Probably best to drink sooner rather than later.

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• 2006 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon Moss Wood Vineyard

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  [screwcap, 14%] Served blind. Perhaps it was unfair to serve a wine this young so late in the night, and following such lavish South Australian [Penfolds] offerings, but anyway…. A faintly herbal nose, with overtones of light cherry fruit. Dry, medium-bodied, with dusty tannins and medium intensity, it’s a tight, possibly pleasurable wine, but it is hardly a tribute to its label.

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• 2005 Jeir Creek Botrytis

  Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

  Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc [375ml, cork, 13%] All the way from our CD visit in 2007. Has aged considerably now, with distinct coppery note now in the bouquet, and a touch of that similar brassy quality on the palate. Warmly alcoholic too, with rich botrytis apricot/caramel flavours. In all though, perhaps a bit simple. And no more age needed either.

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A great night overall. No losses to cork either. As far as Penfolds reds go, I can’t help thinking that the first five years of the 21st century will struggle to match the quality of the last five of the twentieth.