Mature Red Wine Bargains
The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia
19 April 2011
Fine Wine Club focuses on reviewing and recommending new release wines to our readers. Often these wines need a few years to show their best, so patience and storage space are both useful.
Recently we came across an outfit called Cellarit, which offers wines for sale and various storage services. Much like the auction houses, they have a wide selection of older vintage wines available for sale. The difference is that the wines are fixed price.
What caught my eye was the range of premium wines that were being sold at great prices. Many of these are wines that were initially purchased under an investment scheme that later collapsed. The prices offered represent a significant discount on what the wines probably sold for at the time, and what current vintages sell for now.
The highlight was undoubtedly the Kilikanoon Covenant. This received unanimous support from the audience and represents spectacular drinking for the price. I am personally a big fan of the Mt Langi Giran, while the Chateau Leamon was a steal at around $10 dollars.
I suggest you stock up while you can as the wines reviewed below represent outstanding value. You can find them at Cellarit. Please be aware that as a wine become more popular, the price tends to go up.
A special thanks to the staff at Prego Restaurant in Floreat. They served a brilliant meal to accompany the wines!
Reviewed
Kilikanoon - Shiraz - Covenant - 2002 (18 - 18.5). Textbook shiraz nose. This is plush and ripe, with succulent, almost juicy fruit to the fore. The palate is dense and structured, this is just a baby. There is licorice and black fruits, and the length is excellent. A touch linear right now, this will flesh out with age. A clear favourite on the night and a joy to drink. ($25)
Somerled - Shiraz - 2002 (17.9). Classic McLaren Vale fruit. There is the plush, ripe fruit that is so seductive of this style of wine. The palate is still quite firm and tight. There is good attack and excellent line and length, though this should get more generous with time. ($15)
Mt Langi Giran - Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot - 1998 (17.8). There is a lovely balance to this mature wine. There is still some primary blackcurrant fruit characters running though the wine, but there are plenty of secondary notes of earth and cedar. A delight to drink. ($21.50)
Carlei Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon - Green Vineyard - 2002 (17.7). Dense fruit on the nose and palate, with sweet ripe fruit flavours to the fore. This has cooler fruit characters, but the ripeness is spot on. The palate is fresh, vibrant and inky, with cassis and plum fruit notes. Youthful, long, mouth-filling, generous and generally quite delicious. ($14)
Binder-Mitchell - Shiraz - Dovetail - Baroota - 2002 (17.4). Just a touch of funk here. Dense, mouth-coating and lots of flavour. Yes, it is a more earthy style, but it is a very good drink. ($16.25)
Chateau Leamon - Shiraz - 2002 (17.2). Opens with some pepper and herbal notes. This is a smart wine, with licorice, spice and real length. Still quite youthful and has a touch of vanillin oak to close. Good balance here and a very gooddrink at the price. ($9.50)
Secret Places - Shiraz - 2002 (17). Popular with the audience. Quite restrained. Licorice, tar and plum and a fairly tight palate. Good length and texture. Made by Kilikanoon. ($16.90)
Charles Cimicky - Cabernet Blend - Red Blend - 1998 (16.9). Mature, soft and round.