When I was in University one of the lessons we were taught is don’t let what you think you know get in the way of what you don’t … With that in mind I was asked to go through my friends wine that had been in the basement for a long time. This one was one of them. I was immediately sceptical that there was any chance of this being drinkable. I don’t think of a sweet fruit forward wine like this as being ageable. But then again a Riesling is one of THE most ageable wines. With that in mind I stuck this one in the fridge and proceeded to try it. The cork was fine when cracked, and the color on the wine was pale as it should be … hmmm. On the nose this wine has some sweetness and some alcohol not altogether out of place. On the mid pallet I was shocked that some of the fruit was still present. It was slightly sweet. There were some strong alcoholic notes present but this wine was indeed drinkable. I would not recommend leaving this wine that long but was pleasantly surprised at how ok it was. If I was to rate it I would give it an 85 or so.
From the LCBO web site for the current vintage:
DOWIE DOOLE CHENIN BLANC 2009 VINTAGES 709246 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 16.95
Wine, White Wine 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Region Not Specified, Australia By: Dowie Doole
Release Date: Oct 16, 2010
Tasting Note
Unusually fragrant and crisp; from 70-year-old vines which do not show any impact of the vintage heat; notes of lemon and herb, with good acidity. Score – 89. (James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au, Sept. 2009)
