Monday, February 15, 2010

Chateau Reynella McLaren Vale Basket Pressed Cabernet (85%) Merlot (15%), 1993

Aging has done wonderful things for this wine, purchased for $8.99 in the early 1990s. The color is still a deep ruby with no signs of browning or bricking. Like many Australian wines, this McLaren Vale Cab was fairly full bodied, oaky and vanilla tinged when it was young. Tonight it is an elegant mouthful of currants and cherries with just a hint of herbaceous Merlot. The fruit is well defined, and the wine is well balanced with a medium to light body and a strong mid-palate presence. This is my last bottle of 1993 Reynella, but I am looking forward to several more bottles of the 1994.

Not many moderately priced Australian wines on the market today can be expected to age this well. The best candidates, in my opinion, are a few in the Penfold's line--notably Bin 28 and 128 Shiraz and Bin 407 Cabernet--and the Nine Stones McLaren Vale and Hilltops Shiraz.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds cool, I never see this wine, but clearly is a good one, thanks for share.

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  2. is there anywhere in the uk that can supply this cab/merlot or do you have to import it?

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  3. I really don't know about Reynella wines in the UK. I haven't seen this wine in Michigan for several years.

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