1968 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra)

1968 was not exactly a dull year. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated. The Tet offensive shattered the perceptions of many about the conflict in Vietnam. Massive student protests rolled through Western Europe. The Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia. Things in Australia were a little less drama-filled, though apparently the Postmaster-General decreased the number of mail deliveries per day from two to one.

At the same time, in a remote pocket of South Australia, Wynns were making their 15^th vintage of their cabernet sauvignon. Fast forward to today and Wynns have released 55 vintages of the Black Label, and it has become in that time one of Australia’s great wines.

This bottle was a random purchase from my offsite cellar provider. A punt on a piece of tree bark having kept a wine that almost always cellars well beyond initial expectations.

The ullage levels were mid-high shoulder which is pretty good for a 45 year old wine. Still at that age it is very much a lottery, and I thought it’s opening would reveal either a ruined offering or something quite exceptional. As it turned out it took a kind of middle road, in that what evolved in the glass was simply a lovely aged Cabernet. It smelt and tasted aged, but I would have never have picked it for a 45 year old wine. There was still plenty of fruit, and cork permitting, there’s no reason it wouldn’t continue to live for a while yet.

Beautiful blackcurrant, old furniture mustiness, mint, and a lovely earthiness. Soft and supple, the flavours are carried by some tannin that’s still holding in there and some nice acidity as well.  The finish actually lengthened as it opened up in the glass, giving that extra dimension of enjoyment. Four of us finished the bottle in good time with slow cooked lamb-shanks as the match. Remarkable that such a humble wine has aged so well and it bodes well for recent vintages of this wine that are now under screwcap.  Love my Wynns.

1993 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot (Coonawarra)

This was courtesy of my aunty and uncle in Canberra, while I was down there last week. They have a fantastic cellar, which includes Semillons and Rieslings from the 70s. While there we opened a ’76 Leo Buring Riesling, but sadly, while drinkable, it was well past its best.

The 1993 Petaluma Coonawarra, however, is certainly not past it, and indeed is drinking very well right now. At twenty years of age there’s still plenty of beautiful blackcurrant fruit, along with sweet cedar, and just a hint of eucalypt. There’s a lovely earthiness that runs its length and sees it finish long and savoury. The acidity and tannins are there if you go looking for them, but they are perfectly folded into the wine at this stage. I’d suggest it’s at its peak now, though it should still age gracefully over the next 5-10 years, cork permitting. Simply put it’s a lovely aged Coonawarra Cabernet and the kind of wine I love drinking.

Rated:

 

 

 

Drink: 2013-2018

Website: www.petaluma.com.au

 

 

 

Red

2008 Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot – Coonawarra - $10

Wynns were one of the first wines I remember drinking, and it has been a bit of a staple in my family. In my own cellar, Wynns are the best represented winery.

I’m not sure of the RRP on this wine but I picked it up for $10 a bottle, and it has to be just about the best quality $10 red wine I can remember having. The colour of the wine is a lovely deep crimson and it smells of dark fruits, to a lesser extent red fruits, some nice oak, and a hint of smokiness. On the palate it has good structure, with some nice tannins that give the wine a really nice chewiness and grip. There’s lovely quality fruit, with some chocolate, pepper and a slightly bitter finish. Given the quality of this wine and the pedigree of Wynns wines in the cellar more generally, I’d reckon this wine has a solid 10 years ahead of it. Not bad for $10 . . .

Red