Wendouree Shiraz/Mataro

I have quite a few Wendouree bottles in my cellar, but have not a lot of experience in drinking them. This is because they are probably the most unyielding of all Australian wines at a young age.

However, last night felt like a Wendouree night, cold and miserable. I opened a 1999 Wendouree Shiraz/Mataro. Next to the straight Shiraz, this is probably the highest quality wine in the stable. Out of curiosity, I had a look at the suggested drinking window in Jeremy Oliver's book. Wow, he suggests 2019-2029. Obviously, I am sceptical. Only good after 20 years?

Now to the wine. After decanting it for a couple of hours, I was certainly amazed to find this ten year wine very fresh. I am having difficulty to describe the wine, though. The fruit, mainly plum, is overlayed by quite a strong eucalypt flavour. The wine has a good and balanced structure and a long, somewhat acidic finish. However it is quite linear, not as big as I expected, and a little harsh. Overall, it is not a very sympathetic wine. And... I probably opened it too early. It may come around more in years to come. It certainly has the structure to hold for a long time.