Had a great dinner with friends tonight comparing two Shiraz:
2004 Domaine Jean Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru
After a Perrieres on Valentines day that was obscenely reductive we went to what we thought were extremes and splash decanted this a little over two hours before serving. Fortunately we did as the wine was now driven by profuse wet stone aromas, interlaced with citrus and ripe/underripe tree fruits. While wood was lightly present, it seemed a little more integrated then the Henri versions of late. A slight creaminess on the mid-palate balanced out the the taut structure which drove the wines long finish. Even with the splash it still took another hour for this wine to really get going. 3 hours splash next time?
1998 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
A clash of Aussie heavyweights. HOG being my normal preference, this bottle unfortunately started out with some off almost brett/barnyard aromas. You could glean the concentrated wine underneath through it, but it was more akin to peering through a foggy window. We set it aside while we worked on the Ringland and low and behold the off aromas cleared up an hour later. What was left behind was a very nice bottle of HOG. Ripe fruit, to the point of being liqueur like, it was balanced by an abundance of savory herbs and pepper. Tannin was just moderate plus with moderate acidity. A little too ripe of a version of HOG for my taste, but still with time the winner tonight.
1999 Chris Ringland Shiraz
Always amazed for the first hour or two how marvelous and balanced these wines that tout their 15.1% abv on the label can be. Started out magnificent right of the gate, showing up the HOG. Great concentration, but also showing many layers of fruit and tertiary characteristics. A monumental wine that as time went on, began to become too much. The fruit began to overwhelm and become too ripe. The alcohol began to peek out from beneath the shroud it previously had. While in the end probably the better wine, for me tonight this was the sprinter and the HOG the marathoner.
I think we are planning next to have the 1996 Ringland next to a tamer vintage HOG. Should make for another fun and interesting juxtaposition.