Parker Coonawarra Estate, First Growth, Coonawarra

A beautifully evolved and resolved Bordeaux blend which can give a lot of good vintage 1990’s left bank Bordeaux’s a run for their money. Popped and poured with tasting notes taken for the first 2 hours. Apart from having a vague idea that this is a top notch Coonawarra, I was so under researched for this wine. For the first hour I kept tasting and thinking this is more like a left bank bordeaux than a Coonawarra Cabernet. It was …

1999 vintage

Nose was fantastic. Taste clearly on the gentle downward slope, suggesting peak was 5-10 years ago. This is still very drinkable and enjoyable, but further delay won't offer reward. Taste of eucalyptus, cherry, brush, as others have noted. Nice showing for a 24 year old wine.

1999 vintage

10 years too young.

1999 vintage

Over the hill

1999 vintage

Still drinking well after double decanter and return to bottle after a wash out of bottle. It gives back so much life to the wine.

1999 vintage

This wine is in a great place now! Attractive nose with dark fruits, wood, leather and bell-pepper, some eucalyptus. Silk and smooth on the palate, rich in dark fruits. Good acidity, well-balanced. Long-lingering, well integrated smooth tannin. Very well crafted wine. Should hold well for (at least) another 5+ years.

1999 vintage

Wednesday night at Chateau Davyd. Tasted blind. Slow-oxed in bottle for 1 hour before drinking. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of cracked black pepper, underbrush, earth, ripe dark red cherries, black cherries, eucalyptus with more air and on hindsight. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), grippy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet dark red cherries, black cherries, blackberries, black pepper, underbrush …

1999 vintage

Slowly getting there. I'm leaving my other three alone for a few years yet. Perfect cork. Bright deep red with just the first signs of age creeping in to the wine. The nose is still quite primary but the palate is softening. The acid is more subtle, the tannins more silky but the tertiary flavours are yet to come through. Decanted for two hours. Hold for another 4-6 years at least.

1999 vintage

Glass from bottle at Joni's. So big and so much going on it's somewhat hard to make sense of it all. Pours deep garnet with decent legs. So many flavors happening- fruit on the front (berries and cassis). Moves into tar, leather, earth, cedar, oak, iron, eucalyptus and #2 pencil. Really. Nice structure and great finish. Acidity makes me wish I were having it with dinner. Tannins are there but aged enough to be helpful rather than intrusive. Warmth and …

1999 vintage

Attractive ripe nose with thick ripe dark cherries, iodine and pencil plus autumn notes. On the palate full and concentrated, ripe dark fruits, iron and a long finish with jammy fruit notes. Good acidity, perfectly ripe but no hurry to finish these bottles (lucky to have another 7 bottles).

1999 vintage

Drank this with wagyu beef for my birthday. Upon popping the cork beautiful, oaky aromas were immediate. A small sample revealed a richly flavoured, med plus bodied wine with ample dark fruits and oak. I only decanted for 1 hr and this proved correct as it was drinking beautifully upon opening. Rich cassis, plums, cedar, vanilla and graphite pencil shavings abundant. Hints of mint, well rounded with still ample concentration, acidity and tannin to ensure another decade up it's sleeve, …

1999 vintage

Better than the previous bottle had six months ago. The acid has softened out and the palate is ticking along nicely. Excellent with pizza! Got the structure to got another 5 years easily.

1999 vintage

Deep dark crimson to black. Vital and dense. Aromas of Ripe Dark Berries, mostly Cassis and Cedar, aromas come with Toasty Notes, Leather and Tar. Licorice and Earth. Some Fruit in Rum. Sweet Floral Traces with subliminal Minty Coolness. Beautiful play of freshness, ripe fruit and secondary characters! Flavors of Ripe, Dark Berries and Plum. Fruit in Rum. Pleasant Exotic Spices (Cloves), Mocha and Floral characteristics. Soft, but vivid tannins and healthy acidity provide a perfect structure. Finishes long with …

1999 vintage

Decanted for 1-2 hours and then drunk over two days. Better on the second day but with the acid still just sticking out from the palate. Lovely bordeaux-blend tertiary elements coming through but my guess is that there is no rush with this wine. I just hope that the tannin drops into the background.

1999 vintage

Swabs birthday dinner

1999 vintage

Wow, this is pretty good. Deep ruby. Expressive and quite detailed nose, reminiscent of good Bordeaux (St Estephe). Cassis, pencil shavings, bacon fat. Fresh and quite intense cabernet led palate. Acid dominating the tannin, which is reasonably subdued and starting to mellow. Drinking very well now, but would expect some further improvement/development.

1999 vintage

A much better bottle than the last one of these I had. Surprised to see so much bottle variation across this case, all stored consistently. This is big, dark loaded with black fruit and eucalyptus. Rescued me from a bottle of 1986 pichon comtesse that had been planned for the night that was a big let down.

1999 vintage

Drinkable, but past its prime with muddling of the fruit, acid falling out...

1999 vintage

Tried this alongside the 2001. It seems to be fading fast. I have fond memories only a year ago of this being better. Today it was more farm than fruit and the usual strong eucalyptus taste had dulled significantly. Perhaps it was unfair as the 2001 is still going strong and so eclipsed this wine. I don't think the last couple of bottles I have will be held on to for long though

1999 vintage

lovely sweet fruit and great balance.

1999 vintage

Dinner with R&Y, H&S, G&L (Home) : Slightly minty nose, some eucalyptus, obviously cab-sauv on the nose. Tighter and more focussed than my previous bottle of this that seemed a little stewed / evolved by comparisson. Lovely Coonawarra fruit balanced by fresh acidity ***(*)

1999 vintage

Aromas of cherries, berries, and oak. Medium body. Soft tannins all the way through from start to finish. I think it was a little too acidic for my taste.

1999 vintage

Dark colour, elegant nose with dark fruit and a kind of undergrowth/vegetal edge to it. Med weight palate, smooth, well balanced with longish finish, probably not for long cellaring now.

1999 vintage

Deep, dense dark red, still some purple at the rim. Very focused nose of damson with hints of tar, blackberry and smoke. Good fruit on the attack, integrated and smooth tannin with decent length and nice acidity. Classy. Lovely balance.

1999 vintage

This one started out tight and tannic, but opened up to reveal some pleasant and subtle fruit notes and ended with an ample finish.

1999 vintage

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Parker Coonawarra Estate, First Growth, Coonawarra

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