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1997 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (1/19/2018)
This is one of a pair that I bought - the other is the bottle that The Count wrote a note on dated 9/10/2014. The wine had done very well with three additional years of age. I would to have a few more to space out over the next ten years to watch it continue to develop. It is now entering what I suspect is its prime drinking window.
Decanted for about 30 minutes then followed for 3 hours. used a regular corkscrew after saying that I should use the Durand on anything over 20 years old, but the cork was sound and barely infused with wine for the bottom one or two millimeters. The decant should have been an hour to 90 minutes. Color was moderate to dark with no bricking but not inky like many young Aussie wines.
The nose was subdued but the palate was a complex mix of acidity giving it a citrus component, dark red fruit, and a roasted meat character. In the background, there was the start of that earthy/leathery flavor that you get from a well-aged left bank Bordeaux. The most surprising component was the acidity, which in addition to the citrus component gave the wine great balance. None of the flabby, sweet, blueberry pie characteristics that so many people complain about in Aussie wines.
I find that the 1996 to 1999 Aussie Cabs and Shiraz are entering an excellent drinking window.Patience is a virtue. (94 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker