Our worldly exterior of indulgent bonhomie may of course conceal it rather successfully, but we wine writers do have our moods. And while such moods can invariably result from a myriad of causes, nothing upsets a wine writer more than a difficult red vintage. Not only does it affect the reputations and commerce of those winemaker we have come to know, but sooner or later we have to taste it. All of it. Around a year ago it began to become apparent to the more sensitive of us that nature had really done as badly as it had promised, inflicting terrible difficulties upon those trying to make decent red wine in 1997. And to be sure, while some succeeded, far too many didn’t. Most, in fact. So it’s been a sad and trying twelvemonth indeed for us critics of what is meant to be the most joyful of beverages. And nowhere failed as miserably to live up to its reputation as Coonawarra, which produced a mere six wines of gold medal quality as far as my expereinces are concerned. Imagine, if you haven’t already experienced it for yourself, that moment when you first uncork a decent Coonawarra red from the multitude crafted in 1998. Compared to the largely weedy, thin, overworked, under-ripe batch from 1997, these wines offer the same promise of opportunity and adventure that Columbus unquestionably experienced once he’d finally bumped into that big, solid object now known as the US. Their freshness and piercingly intense fragrance emerges like a new dawn whose rising sun brings with it a rare depth and ripeness of fruit, the sort not seen since 1990 and 1991. And since, by and large, most Coonawarra winemakers are making better wine than they were in 1990 and 1991, these are likely to be the best Coonawarra reds for the better part of a generation. While that may be to you a whole pile of over-reactive hyperbola, simply taste the wines themselves and try not to feel the same way. Begin with the possibly the best of all, Petaluma’s Coonawarra 1998. Or perhaps you’d better leave that for last, for there’s clear daylight between this incredible wine and the next best which is, quite possibly, Petaluma’s own Merlot. Petaluma’s 1998 Coonawarra sets a pretty tall yardstick and exemplifies what’s so great about 1998. An exercise in controlled power, it presents as intense and concentrated a wine as the 1990 vintage, but delivers the package with almost contradictory fineness, elegance and restraint. It’s Ali floating like a butterfly all over again and you see a similar hallmark in all of the best 1998s from Coonawarra. Wines like Katnook Estate’s complex and brambly Cabernet Sauvignon, Majella’s sumptuous Cabernet, Zema Estate’s dark, clear and focused Cabernet Sauvignon, Bowen Estate’s plump, pristine and minty Cabernet Sauvignon, Parker’s dense and smoky Terra Rossa First Growth head the strongest pack of cabernet sauvignon and blends Coonawarra has turned out for ages. There are also plenty of top performers in the value bracket, with some genuine class and quality in the cabernets of Brand’s, Robertson’s Well, Zema’s Cluny and even Rouge Homme. Although it still plays second fiddle behind cabernet in Coonawarra, shiraz won’t be ignored either, as stunning wines from Majella and Zema Estate plus a top effort from Bowen Estate certainly attest. They head a solid and affordable group including good wines from Brand’s, Riddoch and Penley Estate. It’s early days and plenty of wines have yet to see light of day, but merlot could well make a late charge and steal the show. Petaluma’s powerful but perfectly balanced blockbuster heads a really hot list which features a similarly assertive Reserve Merlot from Pepper Tree plus a succulent and fine-grained beauty from Katnook Estate. Leconfield’s 1998 is close to its best yet, while the more commercially priced merlots under the Jamieson’s Run and Penley Estate labels are sweet, supple and very approachable. So, how did it happen? The summer of 1997/98 was long and hot, but not dry enough to reduce yields or stress crops, which in Coonawarra ripened perfectly and early. Rainfall was below average, but the crop was even and entirely unaffected by disease. Flavours were ripe but over-ripe, and there’s no hint whatsoever of the green capsicum-like flavours which have plagued the region in recent decades. That, in a nutshell, is why so many wine writers are smiling. It’s a simply a pleasure, not a chore, to taste the delicious, generous, immediately appealing but long-term 1998 reds from Coonawarra. Again and again. And again.
