Mildara, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

A wine affectionately known as Peppermint Patty. The peppermint note was not as evident in this one but its still there along with other methoxypyrazine derived traits. The colour was indeed much lighter than a bottle we had a decade ago and it was good but didn’t thrill. It is very savoury in the mouth with an Amaro-like bitter edge.

Subdued chocolate aroma Hints of cherry and red fruits. Soft tannin along the side of the tongue Drank beautifully with steak

An incredible birthday dinner : Peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, meat and tar. Lovely resolved flavours with savoury flavour and still the presence of good red fruit flavour. Great flow and control, this is an excellent bottle of this wine and pretty much as good as you could hope for at this stage of its life.

I have been so fortunate to have seen this wine dozens of times over the past 40 years, for me the greatest wine I have ever seen, and easily the greatest Australian made. My last two tastings, about 5 and 7 years ago, suggested that this was in graceful decline. So my expectations for this bottle were high, but not the bottle of perfection I have seen so many times long ago. However, this particular bottle defied all my notions …

A really nice bottle of Peppermint Patty with some of the after-dinner mint character that made this wine famous. It is quite spicy and complex with notes of green bean, tobacco, meat and earth. The palate is fresh and cassis fruits bright and crisp. It is full and velvety and flavours persist for a long time after swallowing.

Affectionately known as ‘Peppermint Patty, this wine is one of the greatest ever produced in our country. Paul’s bottle was sublime, offering up a red tulip after dinner mint, coupled with bright, cassis fruits and some camphor and earth. There is real freshness and volume in the mouth and the wine still shows youthful exuberance and fabulous creamy texture. There’s terrific drive to the finish and whilst it is a little idiosyncratic with its mintiness I’m pretty sure it could …

Sydney Offline: Birthyear Wines : This was low to mid shoulder in level. There were a series of approving noises being made about the medium garnet colour of this while it was being poured into the decanter. There was just a slight tinge of brick-red around the edges in the glass. What an amazing set of aromas it produced - smoke, leather, blackcurrant, dried flowers, a slight mulchy element, caramel, vanilla and even a touch of peppermint leading into eucalyptus. …