TN - Jacobs Creek Limited Release Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

This wine, from the excellent 1998 vintage, was released in 2001 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the first wines under the Jacobs Creek brand.

Nowadays, of course, Jacobs Creek is one of the worlds most recognised [wine] brands, Orlando (Pernod-Ricard) marketing a plethora of wines in the Jacobs Creek range.

I was given this bottle as a "thank you" from a client, who had, in turn been gifted the bottle five years ago: it had been stored in somewhat less-than-ideal-but-not-diabolical conditions in the intervening years.

The cork was a little spongy, but the initial impression in the glass was deep, inky colour - not what one might expect of a wine in its tenth year.

A ripe, savoury, fruit-intense nose, with surprising complexity

Rich and concentrated with beautifully integrated oak, blackcurrant, with a hint of eucalyptic mint; add to that a touch of spice (cinnamon and even a nuance of pepper?), there was also an underlying subtle sweetness, black berry fruits (cherries and currants) underpinned with nicely resolved tannins.

The back label states that "this wine can be enjoyed for up to 20 years" - at the half way mark, I cannot dispute this statement.

Reply to
st.helier
Loading thread data ...

st.helier wrote on Thu, 4 Oct 2007 21:24:00 +1300:

sh> Nowadays, of course, Jacobs Creek is one of the worlds most sh> recognised [wine] brands, Orlando (Pernod-Ricard) marketing sh> a plethora of wines in the Jacobs Creek range.

sh> The back label states that "this wine can be enjoyed for up sh> to 20 years" - at the half way mark, I cannot dispute this sh> statement.

Does the lifetime quoted betray a lack of confidence given the ages of many available French wines?

James Silverton Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Reply to
James Silverton

I had a similar experience with a $4 bottle of Wynn's Coonawarra CS 1973, that I opened in 1998. I didn't keep the notes but remember that it still had life left and everyone enjoyed it. There was no oak left and the fruit was amazingly "fresh". Graham

Reply to
graham

"James Silverton" wrote ..........

Jim, I mulled this over for a day or two while I considering your comment, then a response.

A shall make a couple of points:

Having now clocked up nearly 45 years as a wine drinker, and having traversed the scale from teen totter, to enthusiastic amateur to professional (marketer) within the industry to educated enthusiast, it is my considered opinion that nothing has done as much to inform and educate the novice buyer/consumer than the advent of the back label on bottles.

And while the educated buyer has no need, this has now become, IMESHO, the most powerful influencer in respect to the buying / drinking decision.

I have spent thousands of hours in hundreds of wine retail outlets around the world, and while I shall restrict this comment to English speaking countries, I have never been in one shop where a customer did not pick up a bottle and read the back label, before either putting the bottle back on the shelf, or into the shopping basket.

I know from experience, when the winery started putting descriptive back labels on our wines, sales tripled !!!

And I for one, applaud wine producers, large or small, who have the wisdom and foresight to communicate with the end user.

And consider this, it is an accepted fact that upwards of 90% of all wine sold, is consumed within 24 hours.

So, why not inform the buyer that the wine is ready to "drink now" or "will reach optimum drinking in 5/10/20 years"?

And I would have thought that this is particularly relevant in the USA where the number of wine drinkers is still in the low single figure %.

"Demystify the product - and double the sales" would sound like a pretty good marketing strategy to me.

I shall pick you up on another point you made.

I live in New Zealand. How do you know the age and availability of any French Wines here - or in any other market?

(In the case of NZ and Australia, it is negligible)

Even within the USA? How conversant are you with the stocking situation in Omaha, Nebraska or Bakersfield, Ca?

What about Butte, Montana or Springfield, Illinois?

My point is that *you* as an educated consumer and enthusiast in Potomac, may not need such information, but your neighbour, venturing forth into this world-of-wine which so captivates you and I, just may appreciate all the guidance and direction he can get, from whatever source.

With the greatest of respect (and I mean it, James) I find your comment rather "elitist".

Regards from springtime downunder.

st.helier

Reply to
st.helier

st.helier wrote on Sat, 6 Oct 2007 12:43:00 +1300:

sh>

sh> My point is that *you* as an educated consumer and sh> enthusiast in Potomac, may not need such information, but sh> your neighbour, venturing forth into this world-of-wine sh> which so captivates you and I, just may appreciate all the sh> guidance and direction he can get, from whatever source.

sh> With the greatest of respect (and I mean it, James) I find sh> your comment rather "elitist".

sh> Regards from springtime downunder.

Hi St.helier!

In making what I thought was a wry comment, I did not mean to show eletism, far from it, and I am very grateful for the measured response. Actually, my thought was that it seemed a pity that the maker of an antipodean wine of probably very high quality might sound inferior to a French one. I can't say that I can bring myself to attend wine auctions and pay large sums of money for "well aged" wines so I won't comment on their actual value.

Best wishes!

Jim Silverton, Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Reply to
James Silverton

st.helier wrote on Sat, 6 Oct 2007 12:43:00 +1300:

sh> "James Silverton" wrote .......... ??>>

??>> Does the lifetime quoted betray a lack of confidence given ??>> the ages of many available French wines? ??>>

sh> Jim, I mulled this over for a day or two while I sh> considering your comment, then a response.

I'd like to continue this discussion but openly on the news group does not seem appropriate. Perhaps, you could provide an e-mail address, even if munged like mine or use mine for contact.

Might I say that I have always read your posts with interest and have appreciated and benefited from your advice on NZ wines.

James Silverton Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Reply to
James Silverton

"James Silverton" wrote .......

Hi Jim

Drop me a quick email to snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com

Will reply from my home address.

Regards

A B (st.h)

Reply to
st.helier

Perhaps it's a disclaimer by the legal department. :-)

Jon

Reply to
Zeppo

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.