Today I investigated a couple of wines that probably should have been in much better form, thankfully the horses came in. But a day with friends is worth its weight in wine!!
2006 BlackJack Red Label
A bloody big wine that fills the palate but does not offer much in the way of depth, the 06 vintage was quite a good year in terms of heat and consistency of climate but the wine was a little flat, this may be due to the issue of lack of water through the traditionally hot periods of summer. Too often block buster reds do not keep well. The nose offered loads of promise as the oak integrated with the fruit and lead me into the palate, but with such a flat fruit structure, that obviously lacked acid, will this wine last? Nevertheless I have got two of this vintage in the cellar, so we will see. From memory this wine at cellar door is upwards of 30 dollars, so defiantly does not fit into my good value category. [keep in mind that any priced wine can be good value, it is all about quality.]
2006 Coldstream Hills Reserve Shiraz
Absolutely outstanding! Totally surprised me. The depth on the palate and fruit weight crosses between a velvety dusty tannin structure and quite obvious investment in french oak. This wine wants to just relax in your cellar for 5 to 10 years, the acidity really helps to balance the experience and actually lifts the wine into a style of refinement. My only question is that this wine feels rather full-on for Yarra valley fruit. Defiantly good value. Expected value may be $60 retail and up to $120 for older vintages.
2001 St Hallet Blackwell Shiraz
The wine showed loads of stewed fruit, a little oxidised maybe. Given what the Blackwell is like young, this meant that the oak had completely dissipated and the expected balance of Barrosan tannin had become so much like velvet it had caught the same bus as the oak investment. Now I do not expect the Blackwell to keep like its bigger brother ' Old Block' and some may say that its potential is 7 years, so my expectations were not shattered and to be honest I enjoyed the experience. It wasn't anything it didn't want to be.So all I am saying is, if you have the 2001 in your cellar, enjoy it now! I must say that I really enjoy an aged wine, so there is a good chance I will buy a case of this for my own cellar this week. But most likely enjoy it between 5 and 7 years.
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