February 10, 2024 - This bottle is from a batch of several dozen bought 16 years ago from the winery and cellared commercially. This is 17th year of drinking this wine. There was a retreat at 5 years old scoring 86 and then it peaked with a score of 96 at 13 years old. Then, it retreated again scoring 88 when it was 16 but has gloriously re-emerged. As to what it will do from here -who knows? At this stage there are no signs of decrepitude. It's siblings 2008 and 2010 are far more boring having improved predictable with age a couple of points so far.
This wine has a rare quality of sense of deep silence in the bouquet, a very abstract but real phenomena. I have noticed the same in St Julien wines such as Leoville Barton and Leoville Las Cases and in a Rugiens from Pommard I had recently. I watched a movie called Back to Burgundy (2017) where the comment was made that their Rugiens was "peaceful".
Appearance: Deep garnet. Near opaque core. Red colored copious legs.
Bouquet: Aged predominantly. Black cherries. Chocolate coconut (Cherry Ripe) nutmeg. Cinnamon. mint tomato vine Olives. Dirty water. Tobacco. Hessian bag. Milk Coffee. Eucalyptus.
Palate
Full bodied. Integrated. Soft mouth feel. Balanced. Elegant. Opulent. Mod to high tannins. Good length. Flavors reflect aroma.
Personality: Feminine introverted with a sense of deep silence
Technical: Slight closed at opening. Best at 45 mins. Riedel Bordeaux glasses. Drinking temperature on first pour 13 to 17 deg C. No signs of over age.
July 9, 2023 - So so young for a 19 year old wine. Would recommend a min 1 hour decant. Blackberry, blackcurrant, some leafy notes, licorice, ever so small touh of cedar. Tannins still very much assertive & not fully integrated. Still not at its peak and on the accent IMO. Wonderfully long finish. I would personally wait for another 5-7 years before opening another bottle. Thanks for opening Brad. 96+
December 25, 2022 - In the decanter 2 hours prior to drinking. Initially dark ruby with a purple hue, which faded with time open. Cool refreshing menthol, but in a good way, with floral undertones of red currant, dried herbs and gravel. Palate is super powerful yet very elegant and pretty. Final glass the very fine and long tannins round out and integrate. Up there with the best cabernet I recall tasting. Holding up well.
September 15, 2022 - The road goes on forever... a little like the finish of this very pleasing Cabernet. It isn't hard to rate it as 'Outstanding'.
2004 was one of those years that went under the radar a little, after the savage bushfire year of 2003; it was warm, but not hot, dry and easy for winemaking. The wine is under screw cap, thank God.
The colour is very dark garnet with some ruby - she is in good shape after 18 years. The nose starts very Coonawarra Cabernet - ripe cassis, a touch of mulberry, some sweet vanilla oak and a little tobacco leaf. This is fine but after about 4 hours the vanilla recedes (good riddance) and we start to see more polished leather, a touch of earth, a little cedar ad cigar box. Now this is much more to my liking. The sweet, clean fruit is still there but I like the balance better and there is a lot more complexity.
The palate has great intensity and length. Tannins are firm, fine and finish dry, but they play a lovely bass line to support the sweet fruit and all those splendid savoury notes. I think good palates would have no trouble picking this as Coonawarra in a blind tasting, however, the savoury aspects and the tannin structure whisper 'Tuscany' and it is the complexity that causes me to rate this as outstanding rather than excellent.
Isn't it lovely when a wine you felt would be good but a little simple turns out to offer real pleasure and interest? I doubt tonight's rugby match between a witless Oz side and a Kiwi unit that are not at their usual stratospheric level will achieve as much, but one might hope.
In terms of music this takes me to the surprise of finding that the Faces and Humble Pie offered more than expected; don't take it too far, of course - first and foremost they are entertainers but dig a little deeper...
August 13, 2021 - Appearance: deep ruby with onion rim.
Nose: medium plus intensity; aromas of dark cherry, blackcurrant, dark plum, cloves, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, black olives, sweet tobacco, perfumed, roasted almond, coffee bean, black tea, minty, dried mushroom, fennel seed, licorice. It’s developing.
Palate: dry, high acidity, medium plus tannins, medium plus alcohol, medium plus body, pronounced flavour intensity, very well defined with dark chocolate lingering. The finish is long.
Overall, it’s an outstanding wine. Can drink now, has potential for further ageing.
Very fresh and vibrant! Really complex on the nose with great development cellared in Wine Ark. There’s evolvement in aroma with every swirl. The acidity gives a great balance with the alcohol and tannins. Super well defined flavours on the palate exactly same as nose. Impressive finish with layered flavours lingering. This is the first vintage of John Riddoch sealed under screw cap.
January 15, 2021 - Typical cab sav
Aged appropriately
Ready to drink now
Pepper, olive nose
July 10, 2020 - Ruby/mahogany. Opens fully at one hour. Blackcurrant, blackberry, cherries, eucalyptus,cigar box, mint, dark chocolate, manure and some aged cabernet. Firm tannin, good balance good length. The wine seems to have retreated recently. Riedel Bordeaux glass. 16 deg C. NS
January 16, 2020 - Scored much lower than recent tastings of the same vintage. Closed and dumb but otherwise intact. The wine shut down for several years when 5 years old. Could this be a second retreat or a one off bad bottle? Will try another soon. NS
January 11, 2020 - Lovely quality wine still in or reaching peak - no signs of fade. Beautiful depth of colour. Balance signs of evolution but yet fresh and firm acids. Dark and generously fruited with wonderful depth and layers of complexity. Classic cedar, cigar and tar/charcoal.
November 8, 2019 - Inky black. Mature bouquet with earth,forest floor,mushrooms also tobacco, blackcurrant, blueberries,cherries,roses,mint,black olives and tomato vine. Well balanced palate integrated firm tannins good length changeable, fullbodied, elegant velvet mouth feel. At 15 years old it is going strong. Reminds me of a good St Julien like Leoville Las Cases or Ducru Beaucaillou. Drunk at 16 degrees Riedel bordeaux glasses. Good from opening till finished at 90 minutes. NS