Bob McDonald

9.0

Initial aged savoury notes featuring coffee grounds. See if I can continue this note. Wendouree Shiraz produced from ancient vines provides one of Australia’s iconic wines. This however was a little disappointing at 28 years from a big ripe vintage. I must say it still had a full bodied palate with amazing length and persistence with mid palate concentration. Ultra savoury. Despite this I have had better Wendourees. Similar to my sentiments on a previous Delectable note in November 2015. — a month ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Delectable - this is the Mourvèdre - not in your Database. Requested an expert review. Notes of plum and black to blue fruits - spicy, umami - finishing with a touch of tar. Easy to drink. I have always thought that McLaren Vale does Mourvèdre well. Also some old vineyards in the Clare Valley as with Wendouree (Mataro). Although one must acknowledge the Old Garden from Hewitson in the Barossa, planted in 1853 and reputedly the oldest Mourvèdre vines in the world. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Very deep crimson in colour. More cassis than tomato bush - throw in some mint and liquorice. Medium to full bodied yet with great intensity in this excellent Clare Valley Cabernet: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc. Thankfully (IMO) no overt Clare Valley menthol (like Wendouree can be). Palate has lovely black currant flavours with fine persistent tannins. Jeffrey Grosset is better known for his award winning Rieslings but has made a beauty with this Cabernet. Has the fortitude to go another 10 years if so desired. — 6 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.8

Magnum
I've always wanted to taste an old malbec from them
Still embarrassingly young and fresh
Kaleidoscopic nose
Hard to describe mouthful
We start with eucalyptus, then berries of any kind, from raspberry to blueberries or blackcurrant
Leather, cinnamon, star anise, soya, graphite, gunpowder, coriander, curry
Neverending
Intensity, vibrancy and length
I honestly am so bloody curious to see this in decades
I keep thinking of Bordeaux when I drink Wendouree maybe cause they freeze the time
It starts the hunt for more — 7 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.4

It started with wisteria violet and a big fruit
Developed with liquorice, gunpowder, graphite, roasted chestnuts, chickpeas, curry, forest floor, apple crumble, tobacco, leather, rose, cured meats, cardamom
Intense and very persistent
Maybe the freshness is not its first quality, but an amazing complexity
Fading from its peak perhaps too, but still very enjoyable, fascinating and interesting — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Delectable this is the PRESSINGS based on Shiraz. They also make a PRESSINGS based on Malbec which is a rarer beast. An heroic rich Full Bodied Red just bursting with favour and intensity- maybe best suited to Winter more than Summer. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Aromas of black currant mint and menthol- some rusticity. This is the telltale Menthol/Eucalyptus character of old vine Clare Valley Cabernet, just like Wendouree. Medium bodied with Medium plus Intensity. Sweet Palate. A very satisfying Cabernet with a Cape Grim Rib Fillet. — 9 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.2

Good to be back home with my cellar🥰
The wine took a while to open up, but then it showed all the elegance of the Wendouree Shiraz and the muscular intensity of the allegedly oldest vines of Malbec in the world.
It is always something special to open this producer.
Definitely not a typical Australian wine; extremely good with food. I would say supportive with the meal. Long and reassuring.
@Delectable Wine i am having a big issue, about 1500/1600 wine reviews of mine have gone. I can't visualise them anymore..could you please help?🙏thanks — a month ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.2

Bit of a change of gear following the Wendouree shiraz. Probably still a bit too young, but pretty and with firm texture. Red fruits and florals. I’d give it a few years and a lot more time to breathe. — 3 years ago

with Sam

Bob McDonald

9.5

Lunch with friends on Saturday. Excellent as always. See previous notes. Yalumba’s premium red from a good vintage. A classic Cabernet Shiraz from the Barossa. Preferred by most over the 2002 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec. Had another bottle 132 weeks later on 12th January 2024. This was my 2nd last bottle of an original dozen. Have the last one in mid 2025 or 2026 when 20 years old. This tasting predictably good. The mint of the Cabernet coming through (69%). All of the flavours balanced and interwoven. — 5 years ago

Steven Lee

9.2

Xmas 19 bottle 1. Rye. Nose of eculyptus, mineral and bubblegum. Abit savoury and bitter finish. Crushed rocks and woody bark, crystaline, blue fruits, tea bag and spicy. Talcum powder — 6 years ago

Charles Antin

Senior Wine Specialist/Auctioneer Zachys

9.4

Eucalyptus and mint. — 7 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.5

Outstanding!!
Powerful, but elegant
Fruit, spices and a lot more going on on the nose.
Kaleidoscopic taste
Super persistent
Long life ahead
🙏🙏🙏
— 8 years ago

Margaux Burgess

9.5

Sneaky little aussie Pinot that is just too hard to come by - 3ha in the Adelaide Hills. Founded by Stephen George, also known as the winemaker at famed Australian winery Wendouree - impeccable heritage and beautifully precise expression of Pinot Noir — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

I donated my 3 bottles to a Rare and Collectible Shiraz Dinner at the Downs Club to go with a 2018 Wendouree Shiraz, 2022 Standish Lamella, 2020 Rockford Basket Press and a 2021 Langmeil Freedom. The Sami Odi Little Wine finished middle of the field in this stellar lineup. It was an unvintaged assemblage of 8 different vintages starting with 2022 (49%) through to 2015 (2%). Lush and medium bodied with fluid tannins and great length. Brambley. Fraser likes to drink Little Wine when young and fresh like this is now. Purchased 2 years ago in mid 2023. The consensus winner of the 5 wines was probably the Rockford or the Standish Lamella. Erin Larkin gave the latter 100 points. All 5 Shiraz were outstanding. — a year ago

Simon Gilligan

9.5

Amazingly found this bottle at rustic pizza, Clare Valley at a $130. Thought this might be our only chance to drink a Wendouree so grabbed it. Beautifully fresh fruited, lovely balance, crisp acidity, medium bodied. Black/red fruited with violet highlights, spice, earth, eucalypt, silky dry tannin. The longer we sat with it the leather and tannin became quite firm, perhaps overwhelming some of the earlier fruit flavours. Drunk too young but still memorable. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Woody Oaky notes with Blackberry and menthol/eucalypt aromas like a typical Clare Valley Shiraz best exemplified by Wendouree for the menthol. On the palate oodles of Blackberry and briar. Full bodied and rich with sweet fruit flavours and softening mellow chocolatey tannins. A typical South Australian Shiraz - in this case Clare Valley. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Another full bodied Wendouree from my brothers cellar. Nice and savoury with softening grainy Tannins and again the Eucalyptus kept in check. Don’t go near these Wendouree reds until at least 10 years from vintage. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Earthy aromas with cranberry and Basil. Some Clare Valley menthol but not as much as Wendouree from Clare. Oak influence has minimised but it would have got a fair hit when made. To summarise a medium to full bodied Clare Valley Shiraz drinking well. — 7 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.4

Young producer, but old vines
Vineyards adjacent to the Wendouree ones
European style
Great minerality
Persistent
I was told this was good, but truly I didn't expect it to be this refined 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽💥 — 8 years ago