To move briefly away from the pre-occupation of the media and the market with Southcorp, whose shares are again frozen at the company’s request, I thought I’d briefly mention some of the more impressive older Australian wines I’ve tasted over the last few days. From small Macedon Ranges maker Bindi I have tasted the Pinot Noir 1997, plus the Chardonnay 1997 and Quartz Chardonnay 1995. The Pinot has dried out somewhat from its youth, but retains impressive strength and structure. I expect it to develop the spicy, musky fragrance of the 1995 and 1994 vintages, but it will take longer to do so. The Chardonnay 1997 is so concentrated in citrusy fruit it is almost sweet, but is developing very impressively with complex nutty, smoky and floral complexity. There’s still fatness and roundness on the palate, and the wine has a long way to go. The bottled I opened of the 1995 Quartz, the first wine of this ‘reserve’ series, was a fraction more dried out than I had expected it to be, but it racy length of mineral acidity, floral and bakery-like perfume and superbly controlled fatness and shape on the palate confirm its status amongst the best of its kind. A Lake’s Folly Reserve Cabernet 1993 was intensely flavoured with pristine small berry fruit with hints of dark chocolate, leather and dried herbs. It has ages to go, like the 1996 Cabernet, a leaner, finer red that is just beginning to reveal mature cabernet complexity. The 1996 Parker Coonawarra First Growth Cabernet Sauvignon is a superlatively structured and deeply flavoured claret style of richness and balance, as good as any Coonawarra red from this largely under-rated vintage. Hang onto it if you have it. A couple of Bass Phillip Premiums: 1995 is lightening off, but ultimately reveals smoky smallgoods aromas and a depth of fruit that entirely belies its colour. 1994 is as stellar as ever, almost refusing to age, and totally opulent in its expression of evolving pinot quality. It’s generous and gamey, and deeply flavoured with red and black cherry fruit, duck fat and smoky hints of animal hide. The palate is rich, succulent and entirely seductive. Giaconda’s first effort with Shiraz from 1998 is still a pup. Very Fracophilic, spicy, long and elegant, but now developing some texture and roundness. Dark fruits, savoury French oak, very peppery and miles from the mainstream. 1965 Grange is still alive and kicking. It’s everything you’d hope for from an old Grange, and retains its richness, structure and fruit weight, despite its wonderful expression of polished leather, chocolate and cigarboxes. While it’s unlikely to improve further, it’s not about to fall apart. Stonier’s 1994 Reserve Pinot Noir hasn’t thrown the herbaceousness of its youth, and much to my surprise, looks like it never will. Still an attractive, but very evolved wine, but rather too herbal and sappy. And while there’s a hint of volatility about the nose of Cullen’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1989, it opens up beautifully, gaining in richness, sweetness and weight as it aerates to deliver a typically sumptuous, yet fine and elegant expression of deeply concentrated Margaret River cabernet, with the Cullen stamp of deftly handled oak. Hardy’s 1995 Arras Chardonnay Pinot Noir still youthfully shows why so many people consider it at least the equal of most non-vintage Champagne, Pierro’s 1994 Chardonnay is just beginning to dry out a little, Leeuwin Estate’s 1990 Art Series Chardonnay has well and truly moved into the finer and more seamless and elegant phase these wines show at maturity, Primo Estate’s incredible 1991 Double-Pruned Cabernet Sauvignon from the Adelaide Plains is just beginning to show some maturity and Howard Park’s debut 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon simply gets better and better with age. Obviously a quiet day on the news front, but it’s good to see that Australian wine that was made for cellaring is certainly able to do it well.
