TN: Charles Melton Shiraz 1998

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:56 am

Perfumed raspberry and licorice nose, a bit forest floor pongy as well. Showing a bit of EA. Stil tight, some jammy blackberry fruit here. Some hardness on the back palate. Dusty fine tannins, but the acid appears to have softened a lot. While this is in the drink soon category, still a very good wine.

cheers

Andrew

Aussie Johns · Post by **Aussie Johns** » Fri May 07, 2004 9:24 am

Very, very suprised with your notes.
This is a wine I know very well, having purchased three cases of it as a wonderful long-term quaffer.
Last seen in February, we found this wine still quite closed, with marvellous structure, fruit and still-firm tannins.
I rated this 95 points, and noted to have another look in 2006. My drinking window estimation was between 2008-2020+.
Do you think the bottle was representative??

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Fri May 07, 2004 9:37 am

Fruit profile, palate tightness and firm (hard) tannins are common to our thoughts on the wine: seems to indicate the bottle was OK? I thought the acid had softened a lot, and brought the drinking window forward. Others at the table though the same.

The bottle had been in a climate controlled cellar since purchase, no one thought there was anything unusual about the bottle.

This was tased as part of a lineup (which I'll post on as I get time), and others looked like longer keepers,

cheers

Andrew

Aussie Johns · Post by **Aussie Johns** » Fri May 07, 2004 11:30 am

Thanks, Wiz.
Sounds like your bottle was OK, so if I can dig out a bottle from the cellar this weekend, I'll give it a go. Let you know on Monday.
AJ.

Wizz · Post by **Wizz** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:24 pm

Yes, please do. Puzzling that our drinking windows are so far apart.

I should add the lineup (of 98 Shiraz) was tasted blind.

AB