"st.helier" > wrote in message
...
> 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
> ears" - at the half way mark, I cannot dispute this statement.
>
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