AUSTRALIA'S WOLF BLASS WINES

AUSTRALIA'S WOLF BLASS WINES

Reading the title you may wonder, “Where have I seen the name Blass?” The answer is, Beringer Blass Wine Estates, formed in a 2000 merger between Beringer of Napa Valley and Wolf Blass of Australia. German-born Wolfgang Blass founded his winery in Australia’s Barossa Valley in 1966. A short time later, in 1974, he won the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, which is awarded to the best one-year-old Australian red wine. Blass won the Trophy again in 1975, 1976 and, most recently, in 1999. This is the most prestigious wine award given in Australia. Typically, more than 700 wines, all barrel samples, compete for this honor.

Beginning with the 1973 vintage, Wolf Blass Black Label was produced. This red wine, made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, became the flagship for the winery. The 1998 Wolf Blass Black Label, Barossa Valley, won the 1999 Jimmy Watson Trophy. It is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley, with smaller amounts of Langhorne Creek Shiraz and McLaren Vale Merlot. The 1998 vintage in South Australia is considered one of the best ever.

Chris Hatcher, the son of an Australian Methodist minister who extolled the evil of wine, is Chief Winemaker. He joined Wolf Blass in 1987, and assumed his current position in 1997.

Although it’s difficult to find Wolf Blass wines in California, that will change soon. My tasting notes follow. Wines were tasted April 22, 2002.

1996 Wolf Blass Black Label, 88 pts, C4+N3F3-A3T4E3-TFR3?: Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon (Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley) and 28% Shiraz (Barossa Valley), this wine was taken out of American oak and placed in French oak during the barrel aging phase of its life. From 1998 onward, Black Label has been aged exclusively in French oak. The wines precipitous finish improved with time in the glass, as it became softer and lengthier. It should improve with one or two more years in the bottle.

1998 Wolf Blass Black Label, $50, 95+ pts, C5-N4F4+A3T4E4+TFR3: Composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon (Barossa Valley), 6% Shiraz (Langhorne Creek), and 5% Merlot (McLaren Vale), this wine was awarded the 1999 Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show as the best one-year-old red wine. Beginning with a deep enticing purple-red color and a captivating, lush fruit driven nose, followed by rich, concentrated flavors, this wine is worthy of all the awards it has won. The fine, soft tannins and budding complexity are evident in a long, rich finish. Although this beauty will gain more complexity with a few more years in the bottle, I wouldn’t hold it for more than 2-3 years and risk losing the pleasure this wine has to offer. 5000 cases produced.

1999 Wolf Blass Black Label, $50?, 90+ pts, C4+N4F3+A3T4E3+TFR3: The composition of this wine is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon (Barossa and Langhorne Creek), 47% Shiraz (Barossa and McLaren Vale). Lighter in color than the 98, very appealing vanilla tones massage the nostrils. A excellent, well-made wine with good balance, but lacking the concentration of the 98. It exhibits a long, sweet fruit finish and is very drinkable now. Scheduled for release in 2003, only 1200 cases produced, indicating a severe selection process indicative of a poorer quality crop.

2001 Black Label Lot Component Barrel Sample: Deep red, thick glass coating color. Young fruity, rich flavors. Great mouth-feel. Exhibits great potential.

The following notes are offered for two excellent wines that were not part of the formal tasting.

2001 President’s Selection Chardonnay, South Australia, $16: This rich, buttery, semi-decadent Chardonnay is ready to drink. Barrel fermentation in a mix of French and American oak was followed by extended lees contact and barrel aging for five months. Some lots underwent malolactic fermentation.

1998 Wolf Blass Shiraz, Platinum Label, $34: Wow! Concentrated, rich and very tasty. Can be consumed now or cellared for a few years. Don’t wait too long as this wine is delicious now. It was produced from a 50 year old vineyard in the Eden Valley, which is a cooler area east of the Barossa at slightly higher elevation. The Shiraz was aged 18 months in new French oak barrels.

Contact: alchemist@wineperspective.com