Rosemount Estate Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 2000
For casual sipping by the fire on a cold winter evening, I pulled a classic Aussie Shiraz (aka Syrah) - a single vineyard designated bottling from a well known high volume producer. Rosemount Balmoral Syrah is made from grapes grown in 50-100 year old vineyards. We hold nearly a dozen vintages of this label and still hold six-pack cases from several vintages including this 2000 obtained upon release.
I note regularly in these pages that a key of having a wine cellar collection is to drink a wine over a period of years to witness how that wine ages. This is a testament to that process, for a wine that has longevity and has evolved gracefully over a dozen years or so.
This is a classic Syrah that interestingly is aged two years in American Oak. The winemaker's notes say it should cellar for fifteen or more years. My tasting notes back in 2010 spoke to the full aromatics and flavorful ripe black raspberry, raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar and cedar flavors that turn to an aftertaste of currant and a hint of plum." At ten years of age I noted it was "starting to show age a bit. Drink over next year or so."
In 2012, at twelve years of age, I wrote consistent notes that spoke to revealing the aging effects of this wine... "Dark inky purple color. Medium-full bodied. Aromatic, leather, slightly
earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe
black raspberry, raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco that
turns to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the
course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave
way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.
While I gave it a 92 initially on opening, by the end of the night I
gave it a 90."
Now, at fifteen years of age, this reveals the same tasting and aging profile, consistent with earlier notes. Bright aromatics fill the room upon opening, the same dark inky purple color and medium body persists.
The notes from 2012 reflect tonight's tasting as this wine seems frozen in time at this stage of its life, still holding its own and showing no further diminution of aging.
This is consistent with other Cellartracker members' where on 1/7/2012 - monkeylug wrote, "drinking well now even though at the end of its window." and then as late as just recently on 11/24/2005 - rkorchid wrote, "there are still slightly dry tannins, so there is plaenty (sic) of life left in this."
At fifteen, this wine is aging gracefully and still holding its own, aging consistent with earlier notes back in 2010 and 2012 ...
Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14749
I note regularly in these pages that a key of having a wine cellar collection is to drink a wine over a period of years to witness how that wine ages. This is a testament to that process, for a wine that has longevity and has evolved gracefully over a dozen years or so.
This is a classic Syrah that interestingly is aged two years in American Oak. The winemaker's notes say it should cellar for fifteen or more years. My tasting notes back in 2010 spoke to the full aromatics and flavorful ripe black raspberry, raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar and cedar flavors that turn to an aftertaste of currant and a hint of plum." At ten years of age I noted it was "starting to show age a bit. Drink over next year or so."
Now, at fifteen years of age, this reveals the same tasting and aging profile, consistent with earlier notes. Bright aromatics fill the room upon opening, the same dark inky purple color and medium body persists.
The notes from 2012 reflect tonight's tasting as this wine seems frozen in time at this stage of its life, still holding its own and showing no further diminution of aging.
This is consistent with other Cellartracker members' where on 1/7/2012 - monkeylug wrote, "drinking well now even though at the end of its window." and then as late as just recently on 11/24/2005 - rkorchid wrote, "there are still slightly dry tannins, so there is plaenty (sic) of life left in this."
At fifteen, this wine is aging gracefully and still holding its own, aging consistent with earlier notes back in 2010 and 2012 ...
Aromatic, leather, slightly earthy aroma that gives way to complex flavorful blue fruit and ripe black raspberry fruits that turn to raisin, black cherry, cassis, tar, and tobacco turning to an aftertaste of smoke, currant and a hint of plum. Over the course of the evening, the wine seemed to age as the berry fruits gave way to the more fig raisin aged feel while the deep aromatics lingered.
RM 90 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=14749
