Wolf Blass, Black Label, South Australia

Bit of an enigma this one, A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Malbec, sourced from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Male and Langhorne Creek. Consumed over three nights, initially very closed, dense red through to the edges, big fruit, a bit oaky, smooth tannins and reasonable length, but lacking the "wow" factor in earlier vintages. On night two, still a deep impenetrable red, the fruit showing better, Red and Dark Berries, Cassis and the Malbec backing up the mix, the …

2021 vintage

Still plenty of complexity, excellent length, fruit-driven, blueberry, tart, elegant yet grippy tannins.

1986 vintage

Cork broke so needed filtering and decanting. Although 23 years old it was still vibrant with strong fruit. Excellent example of south Australian cab/ shiraz

2002 vintage

CellarDoor TWE Tasting (Marriot on Pitt Street, Sydney) : Ripe black fruits here though still retaining a slightly dilute smelling freshness, plenty of oak offering spice, alcohol lends a touch of pepper, plummy fruit peeks out from behind this. In the mouth the oak is the dominant factor to the detriment of everything else.

2008 vintage

CellarDoor TWE Tasting (Marriot on Pitt Street, Sydney) : Meaty, savoury, muted black fruits, sweet spice, lots of oak. And the palate is a reflection of the nose. Bah.

2022 vintage

Heaps of Oak (Too much?). Vanilla, Blackberry. Needs plenty of more time for the oak to intergrate further. I would recomend waiting another 5 years. 88

2021 vintage

Deep red with purple tints. Ripe blackberry fruit, vanilla cream, choc mint. Plush texture with grippy tannins. Still very fresh. Drinking very well now but no rush.

2008 vintage

深宝石红，闻香有明显的奶油味，果糖，浓郁青椒气息，黑果香气，一些草本植物和草药味，入口酸度中高，酒液甜美，单宁紧致，颗粒细腻如粉，满口奶香，青椒，黑加仑，梅果混合着辛香料和奶味，成熟甜美风格，酒风强劲，口感饱满，典型的新世界酒。虽然我对甜美风格一致不太感冒，但这酒居然做得浓郁且平衡，非常好喝，让人一杯一杯停不下来。

2007 vintage

Madness and mayhem in Spöland (Spöland, North Sweden) : Day 2: Coconuts are gone, thank God. But still not my cup of tea.

1984 vintage

Some olde sheite SS + ME (Umeå) : Upon plop: 91p Blackish red with deep bricking. Towards brown. The Australian take on Bassett's All Sorts, minty, coconut, asphalt, panfried eggs and many other things. This is a lot to chew. Ridiculously rich and imposing. Long, complex and finishing with Oloroso overtones. Acidity slightly low. Tannins still boldly present. After air: 79p Glögg (glühwein) and Oloroso over coconut shavings. Not for me. Low acidity and jolmigt.

1984 vintage

A little nutty and burnt sherry taste with lots of coconut. A little sweet but long and good. Surprisingly good despite all the coconut.

1984 vintage

Five years on and this has barely changed, colour still youthful, still closed when first opened, but after two hours in the decanter the fruit prevails with background wood, tannins and acid in balance. If anything it is even smoother on the palate, luscious body, excellent length and lingering flavours. Still holds promise for the future in the cellar. 94

2008 vintage

Had it right after 2008 Silver Oak Alexander. This review is on day two. More complex than and similar depth like Silver Oak. Somewhat better for my taste. Very gentle and gentile. Not super refined, but still quite subtle. Winter wine.

2000 vintage

Wonderful wine, coming into its drinking window now. Could do with a little bit more time. Tannins is not fully integrated. Powerful and fruit driven with Shiraz showing prominence. Typical of a wolf Blass style

2008 vintage

Colour is still red. Old but still fruit on the palate. Enjoying drinking it but needs to be drunk. It was my oldest wine in the cellar!

1986 vintage

Very young still - 5 more years needed at least

2002 vintage

Cheries, blackcurrent, cigar box, vanilla and chocolate, great nose. Colour still very dark. Perfectly balanced with a rich smooth velvety mouth feel that lasts and lasts. Very very good. Not at all old and faded.

2000 vintage

För att vara ett fläskigt Oz-vin (Cab sauv + Syrah) så är det återhållet. Ett helt makalöst köttvin med begynnande mognad. Rik frukt och rejäla tanniner, bra syror, exceptionell balans. WBBL av idag är helt andra viner, inte alls så som de gjordes förr. (m ME, Hjale)

1993 vintage

very fruity and showing more of that barossa chocolatey taste than the cabernet or malbec. Still pretty enjoyable overtime....

2008 vintage

Cork was damaged by age although the cap was perfect. Wine was oxidized and slightly brownish in color. Drinkable but not fair to score the wine. Alas.

1986 vintage

Good color with no bricking but the taste was a little oxidized.

1997 vintage

Not bad for 23 years old! Cherry/berry cola on the nose with a hint of spice, medium bodied with stewed plum, blackberry compote, moved to a bit of sour cherry after a bit more air, cork was dry in the top half but bottom half disintegrated, interesting wine

1995 vintage

Ribena. But good for how old is. Prune, earth, coffee and cola. No fruit, but clear, clean and like a blackcurrant juice that's old but enjoyable.

1995 vintage

Sensational. Great depth and body. Drank with Amigos 29 April 2018

1997 vintage

I do enjoy a cabernet / shiraz blend (this time with malbec as well). The fruit / tannin balance usually works well. This wine the fruit just dominates a little. The tannin and oak is present but just slightly overpowered by the fruit. There is a drying finish which helps. It needs a couple more years during which I hope the fruit mellows a little. Then it has the potential to be really good.

2008 vintage

(random mid-week @beaconhill) Clear dark ruby in glass, with just hints bricking, revealing some clarity. Perfume nose on pouring, soft aromatic spices, blackberries, blackcurrants, black cherries, leather and pepper. Palate is surprisingly fresh, although there is obvious age, along with some port characteristics, but otherwise pure fruited. Tertiary characters, but keeping wonderful elegance and lightness of foot - nothing like the slap-on-the-face vigor of a young cab shiraz! Long savoury finish, showing fine black earth, hints dried longan, and very …

1993 vintage

Nice dark colors, nose of fruit, wood lacking the graphite typical of the French blends. Overall a very enjoyable wine.

2008 vintage

Initially closed when first opened, but after two hours in the decanter the fruit started to show through with background wood, tannins and acid in balance. Velvety smooth on the palate with excellent length and lingering flavours. Drinking really well now and holds much promise for 5 plus years to come in the cellar.

2008 vintage

An 18 year journey, and the wine has evolved beautifully. Cork and bottle condition was good. Nicely integrated, notes of cherry and dark fruit and depth.

1997 vintage

Dark garnet. Fully mature with intense camphor, eucalypt, chocolate and blueberry fruit. Med+ bodied with resolved tannins, sweet and ripe fruit and balancing acidity. Some hints of oxidation appeared on day 2. Long aftertaste. Drink now.

2000 vintage

The 2000 Challenge (Le Petit Sommelier) : This one screamed Aussie blend, big australian warm fruity nose, thick fresh black fruit marmelade, prunes, vanilla, toast, minty too which was nice and offered a note of freshness. Felt fully developed as well. The palate is intune with the nose, fragrant, bright ripe fruit, freshly made jam, runs like silk on the tongue, balanced, very smooth and oh so welcoming, very easy to to drink, med to long finish. Outstanding quality, drink …

2000 vintage

This really has held up well, I really wanted it to be special. It did not disappoint. Still has the acid, the evolved dark fruits, a hint of caramel. Tobacco and vanilla on the finish, with a very fine tannins. It leaves you feeling happy, which is pretty fucking good.

1984 vintage

NobleRottersSydney - Cellar Treasures (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney) : {cork} (Greg) Not decanted, just poured. Developing nose, mostly of chocolate and vanilla. Medium/full-bodied palate, rather big and blocky, with clunky, medium/high dusty tannins; it seems rather uneven in the sense that it comes and goes on the tongue. Medium finish. A bit simple now, but I would happily keep this to see what happens.

2002 vintage

Bottle breathed for 3 hours. Nice clear color with little bright brown rim. Strong Nose of spice dark fruit. Full bodied of ripe fruit, black pepper spices and chocolate in the mouth. Good acidity and round tannin. Med (++) finish.

2002 vintage

What a waste of money! Heavy, overextracted wine that lacks complexity. Not fun at all.

2007 vintage

Vanille omni présente dans ce vin duquel nous nous attendions beaucoup plus, surtout a 91$ le flacon. Pour amateur de style nouveau monde aux arômes masqués par la vanille, aux tannins et a l'alcool assez mordant...

2007 vintage

Casual badly flawed wine offline : Coconut, mint, cedar, spice and redcurrant aromas. Nicely resolved on the palate, there is good length and balance. In a great spot for drinking right now.

1986 vintage

Update: had a couple of glasses left from the night before and this has soften and smoothed out quite a bit. Still dark, thick, rich, ripe extracted and very concentrated, but showing more restraint than the night before, thus a rating of a couple of points higher.

2002 vintage

Dropped into a decanter to get rid of the sediment. Consumed over the next 3 hours. Black cherry, allspice, nutmeg, dried leaves and still showing good acids, fruit and tannins. Exquisite.

1993 vintage

PNP, nearly undrinkable upon opening, thick, harsh and disjointed. After a 2hr decant it stated to come together, still a dense, thick, in you face wine, with big blackberry liquor, sweet blueberry pie, black licorice, black pepper, vanilla and a long sweet, yet tannic finish. Super extracted, ripe and not for the faint at heart!!!! I can see some folks hating this, for me I would not want to drink this on a regular basis!

2002 vintage

t. orange at the rim with red core initially I thought it smelled very much like claret - a little leafy, some pencil shavings and tobacco quite light-bodied, some very supple tannin real fragrance here, very fresh, Tobacco, vanilla and leather on the finish A point I came back to this a bit later and it suddenly hit me what it reminded me of, a really good rioja like a La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva: elegance and freshness wrapped up …

1984 vintage

dense core, just a hint of red at rim - looks like a right beasty smells dense too: meaty, savoury, even a bit of bovril in the mouth more power with just a whisper of oak. So different to the 80s wines. Lovely acidity and freshness spicy Still embryonic but potentially excellent.

2002 vintage

Nice wine with notes of blackberry and cherry. There is some leather and even a hint of fresh grass. I think the bottom has fallen out as there are no tannins to speak of. Overall a nice glass of wine, but I should have opened it a few years ago.

1997 vintage

Agree with some of the previous reviews, but perhaps I'll be a bit more kind as I believe we are experiencing the real, and significant issue related to screw caps (I'm in Canada, so not sure if it was under Stelvin for the others, but by far the most expensive wine we've had under cap), the issue being the trade off between TCI risk, and the glorious breathability of cork to allow a wine to evolve as in my opinion, …

2002 vintage

Mature New World red wines : Gunpowder tea nose. Fruit bomb, didn't enjoy it.

2002 vintage

Mature New World red wines : Very nice comparing it to 2002 and 2005. Lower alcohol, better balance and finesse. In recent years this has become a fruit bomb. Though - may be after some 15-20y in the bottle, they all get much better, who knows.

1993 vintage

Classic Aussie showing good age. A promising light purple pink red somewhat more akin to a burg in an 03 vintage. See the rough colour proves it's worth on the palate which is smooth rounded cassis with black cherries and ripe strawberries rounded off with plums. One could even say delicate for an Aussie. Delicious and holding up v well.

1986 vintage

Martin's Birthday Dinner aka Shiraz Night (Sixty 40, Rochester Mall, Singapore) : Absolutely delicious - this would have been my WOTN if not for a fantastic bottle of Jim Barry Armagh that came after it. In fact, this stood toe-to-toe with an excellent bottle of 1997 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle, and it was hard to say which was the more enjoyable wine. There was a very alluring nose on this, with mellow notes of cassis still laced with some vanilla, …

1986 vintage

Still drinking well, very enjoyable. Decanted for an hour, open up nicely. i'd drink it now if you have one.

1984 vintage

PNP, fruity, smokey nose, lots of dark fruits, with blackberry being prevalent, hints of black licorice, on the one dimensional side and a bit astringent on the finish. Based on this particular bottle I would drink up!

2000 vintage

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Wolf Blass, Black Label, South Australia

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