This wine is a bit older than the Saint Esprit Cotes du Rhone, and it's 100% rather than 75% Syrah, but the two wines offer a good comparison/contrast in terroir and winemaking.
The color is a deep ruby, very similar to the Saint Esprit as they are viewed side by side. Smells are also similar--blackberres, black plums, dark cherries plus a herbal lift that is extremely rare in an Australian Shiraz. Aromas are bright and fresh, probably showing their best right now since this cuvee is not a wine for long-term cellaring. On the palate, there is a full range of fruit flavors plus cassis and black pepper. A deeper wine than the Saint Esprit, at least at this stage of its development.
Mount Langi Ghiran's regular estate Shiraz is a serious ageworthy wine, the equivalent of a French Hermitage, that sells for $35 to $40. It is, in my estimation, one of top two or three Australian wines. Billi Billi also comes from estate-grown grapes, but presumably younger vines, and is made for earlier drinking. I bought this at Sam's in Chicago for about $12.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I brought back a bottle of 1997 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz (the regular estate version) from Australia when I visited there in 2000. Still haven't tried it, as I've been saving it for a real special occasion, though I realize it's certainly due to be opened by now.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think the Billi Billi was anything special when I tried it; actually it was sorta mediocre for its price range. Not sure which year I got.
Oh, I agree that the Billi Billi is ordinary compared to the Langhi Shiraz.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any tasting notes on the 1997 and don't actually own any of that vintage myself. But I feel confident it should not be ready to start the slide downhill. I had the 1989 a couple of years ago and was quite happy with it. I should open another soon. Somewhere, if I can find it, I have Trevor Mast's notes on his older vintages. His favorite, as I recall, was the 1995. But my experience is that nearly every vintage up to 1998 was capable of going 20 years at least.