to much bigger and better wines. 1966 Tyrrell’s Vat 10 Dry Red was still holding up quite well, but was more advanced than the previous Mount Pleasant bottlings. Still, the concentration and depth suggested that the wine had been strong and flavourful at youth. Nonetheless, the sweaty saddle aromas and ‘Band-Aid’ characters were pronounced. 1966 Tyrrell’s Vat 10 Dry Red (Shiraz) Hunter Valley – New South Wales 2 Medium-deep crimson. Earthy, walnut, wet bitumen, leather, pondwater aromas with elevated medicinal/Band-Aid notes. Better in taste, but over-advanced and soupy. Not quite as bad as the notes suggest, but definitely past! From 1964 to 1969, Max Schubert was attempting to emulate his Grange success with Cabernet Sauvignon. With assets like Block 42 at Kalimna and vineyard blocks in Coonawarra, it was hoped that a breakthrough would be made. But 1969 was the last Bin 707 made, until the release of the 1976 vintage. While it was possible to make high-quality Cabernet, the performance of vineyards was quite variable. Unfortunately, the 1969 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon was corked. It was never considered a great vintage, but Chris Aarons had tasted another bottle some months before and thought it was terrific. In the latest Penfolds Rewards of Patience , Edition 9, I report ‘that it comes from a poor wet vintage and hasn’t lasted’. It just goes to show the lottery that comes with age and cellaring conditions! 1969 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia Corked. A pity! Rated as a lesser vintage. The mid-to-late 1960s were golden years and saw a return of Australia’s fine wine scene (which had almost disappeared by the 1920s). Investment in new vineyards was beginning to flow across the country, with a fine wine scene rapidly emerging. Brown Brothers, d’Arenberg, Coriole, Henschke, Lakes Folly, Leo Buring, Lindeman’s, McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant, Moss Wood, Penfolds, Chateau Tahbilk, Tyrrell’s, Vasse Felix, Wirra Wirra, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Yalumba, Yarra Yering, and others appeared as leading marques during the 1970s. But at this point of the tasting, we entered a purple patch. Yet the decade comprised many brilliant wines, including the famous 1971 and 1976
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The Vintage Journal – Australian Wine Through 30 Bottles
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