— Sarah Ahmed · 1989 Vintage
Tasted: 26 Apr 2011
Deep aubergine with mahogany notes. The nose is restrained with hints of caramel, while the palate shows camphor notes alongside tight tannin and acidity. Chocolate cherry truffle characters emerge, though the wine presents as firm and structured.
The 1989 vintage followed a challenging growing season marked by heavy rainfall and variable conditions. Despite this, the Hunter Valley dried sufficiently late in the harvest to produce clean, ripe fruit. When young, the wine showed appealing balance with oak supporting a mid-weight fruit palate. With age, it developed lifted leather, briarwood, earth and cedar characters, remaining distinctly Hunter Valley in style.
Tasting Notes
Colour shows a slight reddish-brown rim while remaining dense. Mature leather Shiraz with earth and cedar characters. The mid-weight palate has developed flavours of tobacco and bitter chocolate with gamey overtones, softening tannins through the midpalate and flavours that carry through to the finish.
Specifications
Vintage: 1989
Grape Variety: Shiraz
Region: Hunter Valley / New South Wales / Australia
Alcohol: 14.0%