Wendouree
vertical tasting
An incredible tasting of 14 of these rare cult wines from
Australia's Clare Valley
This
was a remarkable tasting, put on by www.findwine.co.uk,
a relatively new UK-based internet wine merchant. Because of the
rarity of these wines, I reckon this could well be one of the most
extensive tastings ever of the legendary Australian wine producer
Wendouree, who I have written about before based on a visit and
tasting a few years back.
Wendouree
wines are special. They are made from incredible old vineyards in
the Clare Valley, and they are made uncompromisingly. These are
wines that age brilliantly. Indeed, they demand long ageing before
they are drinkable. They are the antithesis of the fruit-forward,
sweet, easy going public face of Australian wine, and are noted for
their tight, acidic, fresh, savoury style.
Findwine
should be congratulated on putting on a tasting like this because
wines are really hard to
come by. They are usually not available at retail. Instead, you have
to get on the mailing list. No easy task, and no one – however
important – can jump the queue. [Remarkably, Findwine also have
some of these wines for sale.]
THE
WINES
Wendouree
Shiraz Mataro 1989
Nicely evolved. Earthy, mineral, slightly minty nose, with a
touch of iodine. The palate has some minerality and a lovely complex
savoury character. Very fine and well balanced with some nice, fresh
herby and minty notes. 93/100
Wendouree
Shiraz Mataro 2002
Nicely dense and savoury with a slight roasted edge to the nose.
Fresh and mineral, with just a touch of mint. The palate is fresh
and structured with lovely focused minerally red fruits. Midweight
with lovely structure. Very fine. 93/100
Wendouree
Shiraz Malbec 2000
Lovely vibrant fruit here, showing subtle mint and iodine notes.
Very fresh red cherry and berry fruits. The palate is concentrated
with firm grippy tannins and lovely acidity. Beautiful focus with
purity and minerality, finishing grippy. 94/100
Wendouree
Shiraz Malbec 2001
Lovely sweet, pure dark fruits nose. Rich and pure with nice
definition. The palate is quite rich with lovely sweet, dense fruit,
backed up by lovely spicy structure. Firm but generous. Lovely.
93/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Malbec 1990
Meaty, evolved, spicy nose with fresh mint and iodine notes, as
well as some spicy warmth. The palate has lovely warmth and spicy
mineral complexity under the elegant red fruits. Still firmly
structured, this is elegant and savoury. A thrilling wine. 95/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Malbec 1998
Taut, savoury, mineral nose is very spicy and lively. The palate
is fresh and bold with focused tannic dark fruits. Firmly tannic and
mineral with incredible freshness. Needs time: very firm and
focused. 94/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Malbec 1999
Warm, spicy nose is complex with some iodine character. The
palate is fresh with some evolution. Firmly spicy with good
structure and acidity. Warm and intense: lovely. 93/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Malbec 2002
Intense focused dark fruits nose: pure, lively and mineral with
lovely definition. The palate is focused and intense with pure,
fresh dark fruits and firm tannins. Very high acidity. Amazingly
fresh, pure and taut with great potential. 95/100
Wendouree
Shiraz 1997
Thrillingly open, perfumed nose showing lively, sweet red fruits
with herb, mint and iodine complexity. The plate is elegant and
fresh with lovely precision. So complex and fresh, with red fruits,
tar and minerals. Hints of earth, too. 96/100
Wendouree
Shiraz 1999
First bottle was a little suspect, but second was a little
better, although still closed. Quite fresh, taut and spicy with a
bit of mintiness, as well as some earthy notes. Restrained and taut
with a slightly closed personality. Come back in a few years? 92/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Sauvignon 1992
Very evolved, earthy and dense with some spiciness on the nose.
The palate is evolved and earthy but has nice old wine complexity:
spicy, earthy and perhaps a little faded, but with good acid. Tastes
older than it should. 92/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Lovely rich dark fruits nose with tar, mineral and mint notes.
The palate is fresh with lovely bright, focused dark fruits and high
acidity. Minty and fresh. Very mineral, dense and focused. 94/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Taut, minty and focused on the nose, with dark fruits to the
fore. The palate is vibrant and minty with high acidity. Fresh and
backward with firm structure. 93/100
Wendouree
Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Spicy, minty, mineral nose of dark fruits and warm spices. Fresh
and aromatic. The palate is fresh with high acidity and bright berry
fruits. Mineral undertones. Structured and savoury, this is a lovely
wine. 95/100
See
also:
Visiting
Wendouree
Wines
tasted 11/10
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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