There was a bit of hype around 2004 Coonawarra Cabernet, so I bought a few examples but somehow never got around to tasting many. Consequently, I'm coming at this wine a fair while after its release. As an aside, I must be one of the few people on Earth who didn't mind Leconfields "greener" wines from the 90s, and I recall the 1998 as an especially fine release.
This is a different beast altogether, though; there's no hint of unripe fruit here. In fact, there's barely any Coonawarra leafiness either. Instead, the nose is a mushroom cloud of smooth, elegant fruit notes and violets. There's a hint of Christmas cake too, partly in the savoury nature of the fruit, and partly from sweet spice. Quite seductive. In the mouth, more savoury fruit that strikes me as somewhat Italianate. Medium bodied, there's rich tobacco, smoke and licorice. It's almost voluptuous in profile and mouthfeel. Perhaps I served it a tad too warm (easy to do in Brisbane's Summer heat) but the wine seems to gain an extra plushness at this temperature. Tannins are soft and fine, and slightly sweet.
This is a luxury wine.
G'day Julian,
I'm a big fan of the more recent Leconfield releases - the 06 is right up there as one of my favourite Coonawarra Cabs of the vintage (well priced too).
I ridiculed and strongly disliked the green Leconfield's of the late 90's though....
Oo, I'll have to nab a bottle of the 2006. I found this a highly pleasureable wine, and would be happy to drink more Leconfield Cabernets in this style.
The green ones were no doubt a matter of taste, and I acknowledge I'm in the minority. :) Perhaps they stood out (positively) for their difference as much as anything else.
Glad to see you're back on deck with your blog. Always good reading.
I positively loved the Leconfields I tasted at the winery back in 2002: the greenness definitely worked for me. I remember some of them having a definite anchovy note to them as well, somehow; I still have a few bottles lying around here somewhere and should probably get around to drinking them!