One From The Vault

I am still digging deep into my cellar. Last night I found a 1990 Wynns Michael Hermitage. The previous wine in this series was from 1954. They obviously thought the exceptional fruit of 1990 deserved a revival of this label. Yet, this was also one of the most over-oaked wines I had ever come across.

How does it drink now? The good news is, the wine is still standing strong, with a mighty structure, not dissimilar to older Grange, actually. However, the flavour profile remains unappealing. The oak is still dominant, there is smoke and a fair bit of mint. The underlying fruit is not very differentiated. It would go well with well done meat on the barbie.

I have never had a younger 'Michael' and would be interested to know if the oak treatment has been moderated since 1990.

Score: 93/--