Our new years eve winefest continued with steak and a fantastic bottle of 1996 Brokenwood Rayner Vineyard Shiraz. Immediately upon opening you coudl tell this was the real deal. Although Brokenwood has led the charge away from cork to screw cap the quality of the cork in this bottle was first rate. There was absolutely no seepage and I doubt even the first millimetre was stained by all that lovel fruit.
Although the wine had not been cellared well it has lasted in pretty poor conditions very well (God only knows how the cork was still in the bottle at all given the temperature variations I know this bottle had been exposed to). The wine was also brought by a guest for the night so it got shaken up in the car which reduced the need for decanting, but I did use a decanter to introduce more air to the wine.
1996 Brokenwood Rayner Vineyard Shiraz
As the wine opened up the intense blackberry flavours filled the room. Despite being just from a single vineyard in McLaren Vale this is very much a “baby Graveyard” with many of the same characteristics. To my taste, because it is slightly understated when compared the to Graveyard I actually preferred it.
According to the label (and you can tell you’re drinking well aged wine when the label doesn’t list a website!) the 1996 vintage produced wines of outstanding quality. “Matured in new American oak for eighteen months the aromas and flavours are of plums and chocolate with sweet vanillan oak. The rich friuit is balanced by a soft tannin finish. Suitable for extended bottle maturation.”
All the chocolate and earthy fruit flavours remained. I reckon this could safely be returned to a good cellar for another 10 years if you could keep your hands off it. I noticed an online auction site was listing this wine at about $70 a bottle. and at that price I just might buy some.
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