WTN: Seppelt Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Barossa Valley
This seven hectare vineyard features vines more than 50 years old.

Decanted for about 30 minutes before supper.

Dark red in the glass.

A lovely nose: chocolate, light spices, earthy, pencil shavings, black licorice.

Medium weight, black cherry, raspberry, ginger, tangy acidity, quite rich, with an annoying and distracting alcohol burn toward the end.

With time, the wine shut down a little, turning rather simple, still tasty, but simple.

Coaco, raspberry and red licorice on the very long finish.

Went rather nicely with BBQed steaks.

[Jenise]

Enjoyed your note--I thought by 96 the Dorrien vineyard had already been tragically re-assigned to an anonymous blend, but I quite liked--no, LOVED--the 89, 90 and 91 vintages of this wine and those remain, to my mind, the single best Australian wines I've ever had.

Enjoyed your note--I thought by 96 the Dorrien vineyard had already been tragically re-assigned to an anonymous blend, but I quite liked--no, LOVED--the 89, 90 and 91 vintages of this wine and those remain, to my mind, the single best Australian wines I've ever had.

The last vintage of Dorrien was the 1999, Jenise.

David

Interesting note. I have not tried the Dorrien C/S before but I did recently pick up a 94. I have a business dinner coming up soon with overseas friends and was thinking of opening it at that dinner along with a 99 Vat 1 and a 98 St Peters. Based on your note, I may think of replacing it with another Aus wines I have tucked away in the cellar

Mark