February 16, 2024 - Pnp with microwave enchiladas (chicken of course) Rich nose of berries. Tannins fully resolved, just stunning. Medium finish, with no hard edges but plenty of life. Probably the best 35 dollars I've spent in a long time. I hesitate to write this note as it'll send a bunch of others in search of what I want to keep to myself.
April 22, 2023 - Really singing! Full fruit, nuance (Patchouli, chapstick/radish) long finish. At 25 yrs, this is classic!
January 21, 2022 - Still going pretty strong, good but not great. This bottle had a touch of spiky acidity and the tannins came on stronger over the 2 hours we enjoyed it. A 98 with a tannic kick like a 96. Fruit took 30 minutes to integrate with air and there was a bit of a menthol note around the edges.
October 23, 2014 - Very good, but these bottles are highly variable. I've had eight bottles of this: 10% are in the 94-96 range; 70% are 91-93; and 20% are 89-90. They are highly variable in terms of fill level as well, but this seems to have no correlation with quality. The best bottle I had of 1998 Springflat had a fill in high shoulder. The best fill level (into the neck) was a 91-point bottle. When it's good, it's really good. If it could deliver that level of quality each time, it would certainly be a legendary bottling. Drink now-2017.
May 26, 2013 - Memorial Day Cabin Dinner; 5/25/2013-5/26/2013 (Cleveland, GA): Decanted 1 hour. Aggressive menthol, spearmint, and eucalyptus on the nose, mesquite wood smoke, wild raspberry nose. Palate is full-bodied, with tangy red berry fruit, white and red pepper with mesquite wood, great length to the flavors, and a long, rich finish with pepper and spice notions throughout.
April 16, 2013 - Decanted briefly for sediment and followed over the next 90 minutes or so. First glass has concord grape, red cherry, red currant, and cranberry. With more air, subsequent glasses pick up intense spearmint aromas (like mint toothpaste), barbecued meat, mesquite wood and spices, especially ground red and white pepper, and dark chocolate notions. Expressive, delineated, tangy red currant palate, red cherry, nice acidity, with fully integrated tannins and an impressively long, soft, ripe finish. Ideal drinking now, but unlikely to improve. Drink through 2015. 95-96
December 31, 2012 - schön gereifter Shiraz mit ordentlicher Säure, die ihn noch sehr stabil zusammenhält; 2 jahre +
December 25, 2011 - Not showing much maturity, quite intense, sweet berry and red cherry fruit, nice juicy finish
October 7, 2011 - Still a pretty big wine. Tons of eucalyptus in this wine. Quite good.
November 2, 2010 - Wow, this bottle was drinking great. The previous poster is right on. I've consumed some good and some not so good '98 Wild Duck shiraz. Happy to have one bottle left.