Around 24 months ago we were approached by Peter and Margaret Lehmann to catalogue their cellar. Just before commencing the monumental task at hand sadly Peter died. It was the wish of this great of the Australian wine Industry to ensure that future generations got to enjoy wines made in the past.
The months of work in the family cellar have been both demanding and extraordinarily rewarding. Sections of the cellar are a snapshot in time of the Australian wine industry and we feel privileged to have been able to catalogue these gems and tap into Margaret’s vast knowledge of the industry of a bygone era.
Over the past few months we have undertaken a re-corking program with Peter and Margaret’s sons, Dave and Phil. We feel privileged to have been able to taste a wide cross section of wines from this vast cellar and I have added my impressions on some of the wines tasted.
1945 Stoneyfell Vintage Port:Really floral spirit, earthy, liquorice ethereal, fine, super long. Rich with a lingering taste of Crème patissiere.
1946 Saltram Shiraz: Leather, spice, strong and savoury, good depth, chewy tannins and bright acidity.
1948 Saltram Shiraz: Mushroom, truffle, anise, still fruit showing through.
1951 Saltram Claret: Sweet, dried flowers. Floral nose. Chocolate, leather. Saltiness, plum character. Brown spice. Lovely. Mushroom and truffle.
1952 Saltram Claret: Blood plum, raisins, leather, sweet and succulent, raisins, opulent. Dense and sweet, still showing some tannin.
1952 Saltram Bin 3: Spice, camphor, cassis, sweet briary heart, super complex, full and really good. Tannins are completely resolved. Very much alive. Heady alcohol.
1953 Saltram Claret Shiraz: Floral, liquorice, sweet and complete. No oxidative characters, stone fruit and berries. Olive tapenade, saltiness.
1954 Saltram Bin 9 Shiraz: Liquorice black olive tapenade, leather. Very savoury but has a fruity core. Quite powerful. Really good.
1956 Saltram Bin 17 Shiraz Grenache Mataro: Sweet leather, brown spices, rich chocolate, salty plum, good volume. Saline lick to the finish.
1957 Saltram Bin 18 Shiraz: A touch of balsamic, salty plum, crunchy blueberries, earth and chocolate. Bright and energetic. Complex, ethereal. Has a suggestion of passionfruit skin that you sometimes see in Northern Rhone wines.
1958 Saltram Vintage Port: Raisins, chocolate, Christmas cake; resolved round complete.
1959 Saltram Vintage Port: Rancio, lively spirit, ethereal, floral, cleanliness of the spirit. Fabulous
1960 Saltram Bin 28 Dry Red: Really chocolate-y dark chocolate. Still structured. Hints of black fruit.
1961 Saltram Bin 32 Shiraz Tokay: Smoky bacon, chocolate, vibrant fruit, vanilla, complex, builds right through the palate.
1961 Saltram Vintage Port: Really fruity, unctuous, rich, cognac-like spirit, perfectly balanced incredibly long. Chocolate, little bit of smoke.
1964 Saltram Vintage Character Port: Nuts chocolate dried fruits, ethereal, integrated, really fine spirit.
1965 Saltram Bin 30 Shiraz: Moss, earth, truffle, still bright and lively in the palate, mid weight but nice balance.
1965 Saltram Bin 12: Still has a suggestion of blackberry fruit. Sweet and full. Good detail. Some earth and leather tertiary notes in the background.
1966 Saltram Bin 42: Red fruit, chocolate, earth, vinous, good volume, (surprisingly long) sneaky length, fresh and bright acidity.
1966 Saltram Bin 44: Meat and leather, quite savoury, some dark chocolate. Full and sweet. Earthy finish.
1966 Saltram Bin 35 Claret: Little leather, floral spice, still bright and crunchy, nice proportion, fine palate, very elegant. Tarry finish.
1966 Saltram 6639-25 Show Reserve Claret Shiraz: White flowers, salty lift, milk chocolate. Quite full and lovely wine. Beautiful balance.
1966 Saltram Mamre Brook: Mint choc and sage notes. Crunchy berry fruit, earthy development. Very savoury palate still vibrant. Perfumed
1967 Saltram No 1: Chocolate, earth, sweet tobacco and tar. Good depth and volume.
1967 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz: Sweet tobacco, still some suggestion of cassis, meaty (beef stock) resolved, complete wine (quite complete) 72% Cabernet.
1968 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz: Minty, sweet tobacco, earth and leather, still Vinous and fruity
1968 Saltram Bin 51 Shiraz Cabernet Tokay: Autumnal leaves, bright fruits, raisins, dried plum, little bit of leather and tar.
1968 Saltram Bin 49: Ripe fruits, Christmas cake spice and chocolate. Full and generous with some earthy savoury traits on the finish.
1969 Saltram Bin 52 Shiraz Tokay: Leather, brown spices, smoke, vinous sweet, lovely balance.
1969 Saltram Bin 54: Quite floral, earth, leather, chocolate, touch of balsamic, still sweet and vinous. Lacy in mouth and quite long.
1969 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz: Leather and chocolate, some spice. Good acidity, reasonably fresh. Good length. A little bit of tobacco.
1969, Saltram Burgundy Shiraz Tokay: Floral, sweet, ethereal, smoky and elegant. Strawberry, raspberry, still has primary fruit showing.
1970 Saltram HP Shiraz: The wine shows great purity of fruit. It is a rich wine with notes of smoked meats, truffle, cherry, blueberry and dark chocolate. It is full and round in the mouth with delicious warm berry fruit flavours and a touch of tar and earth adding savoury complexity. It is velvety of texture and tannins are round and sweet. It is a wine that gains real dimension in the glass and length of flavour is terrific.
1970 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz: Mint eucalypt, chocolate, little bit of earth. Full and rich and lively acidity.
1971 Saltram Bin 88: The 1971 Saltram Bin 88 Shiraz is still drinking beautifully and should continue to do so for another couple of decades with careful cellaring. Margaret Lehmann says this wine has always been one of her favourites and she loves the way the fruit hangs in the mouth, displaying blackberry fruit flavours. It still has a suggestion of blackberry and cherry along with notes of tar, chocolate, a hint of bacon (Schultz of course) and earth. It is concentrated at its heart and has good depth and complexity. It has sweet tannins carrying the finish and one is left with a savoury imprint once swallowing.
1971 Saltram Bin 86 Shiraz Cab: Leathery, tar, dense fruit. Really nice chewy tannin, flavours drive right through the palate, quite a big wine but impeccably balanced.
1972 Stonyfell Metala: Sweet berry, tobacco leaf, chocolate, soft acid, quite round. Sweet-Leather.
1973 Saltram Show Dry Red Cabernet Shiraz: Sweet dense fruit, Christmas cake spice, bit of tar. Very youthful on the palate. Good grip.
1975 Saltram Bin 88: Fresh, vibrant, raspberries, earth sweet fruit, crisp acid, mid weight but lovely balance.
1975 Saltram Mamre Brook: Smokey nose with a suggestion of vanilla. Still has plummy fruit and nice acid.
1976 Saltram Maceration Carbonique Shiraz: So bright and energetic and crammed with sweet cherry fruits. Delicious with outstanding detail and a crisp acid finish.
