Jacob's Creek St. Hugo 2003

Here's a review from Vasco da Gama that I lifted from the Make a Suggestion thread. Despite the review, because there are so few bottles left I haven't listed it as "Recommended" in the price range.

--- Vasco da Gama's review ---

Secret Opportunity for Fredericton readers of this blog!!!

Last week I tasted the 2003 Jacob's Creek "St.Hugo" Cabernet from Coonawarra. This was at a restaurant and I heard NBLC was sold out of it.
I found that actually there were 11 bottles left in Saint John, so I had them bring in 3 for me. They ended up shipping in all 11, so there are 8 more up at Prospect St NBLC, as of this afternoon.
This is a blockbuster beautiful cab with rich layered fruitiness, and possesses great new world characteristics, along with licorice...mmmm. This has a proportionate amount of tannins and acidity to carry it another few years, should you wish to hold a bottle or two. One of the nicest Cabs I've had. Coonawarra region can produce some awesome Cabs...I would highly recommend!!
Looking at the NBLC website, this no longer shows up, so I can't give you the UPC code

Price: $37.99
Score: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
UPC: 9300727483232

Penfolds Bin 128 1998

This wine probably started out as a fairly standard Aussie Shiraz: fruity and peppery and semi-complex, solid and tasty; but the sort of Shiraz you can buy any day at ANBL for around $26 if you choose carefully. But Norman is a bit of a collector. When he finds things he likes - and he likes wine - he squirrels it away for future enjoyment. And so we find ourselves in 2009 enjoying a 1998 Aussie Shiraz.

The nose is lush with ripe blackberries, juniper, tobacco, tar, dried flowers, and a touch of vanilla. The palate confirms the nose, and is long and fullest and the end, which reminds me of the floor of a coniferous forest. This Bin 128 is elegant, fruity, and rustic all at the same time.

I expect that many people would say Australian Shiraz of this style is meant to be drunk young, and that its abundant fruit is its distinguishing and best characteristic. I like those things, but I also like the way the fruit and oak characteristics (which I find can be overpowering in a young Shiraz) develop and mellow to reveal other elements. Penfolds advises peak drinking from 2002 to 2012, and I agree. We would have paid about $30 for this bottle in 2002 or so, but we have also had great success with shorter-term cellaring of $14-26 Shirazes. It can be a bit of a gamble, but if you find an affordable wine you like that seems to have fruit and tannins to support aging, I recommend buying maybe a case and drinking a bottle per year through its drinking window as a worthwhile and interesting experience.

Price: $38.29
Score: 91
Value: 4/5
Region: Coonawara, Australia
Grape: Shiraz
Tasted: March 2009
UPC: 012354071704

Rymill Coonawarra Shiraz 2004

Here is a review from Chris MacDonald, ANBL's wine buyer:

"The appearance of this wine was definitely not bright or intense..it was closer to mildly dull and weakly hazy. The aroma was medium in intensity but there was a lot in there...a mix of primary fruit aromas, oak influence, fragrant spice(take your pick!) and some more mature notes on the leather and tobacco side....definitely complex.

The taste revealed its cooler climate roots..good acidity paired with medium soft tannins and the flavour was more on the spicy side than fruity. The finish was long and satisfying."

Price: $25.99
Value: 4/5
Score: 91
Region: Coonawarra, Australia
Tasted: Nov 2008
UPC:9315128981034

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2004

After trying the 2005 I was keen to crack open the '04 for comparison. It does seem to have gotten better -- it's better than I remember it being, and it's better than the '05 is now. The hit you over the head fruit has mellowed (and I suppose "the oak has integrated" as they say) and it's picked up a bit more interest. Even so, it is still a bit jammy and over-the-top, though well done in a jammy over-the-top kind of way. It's still got plenty of fruit in the cherry / raspberry end of the spectrum, though it's not very complex and doubtless never will be.

Since the '04 isn't available anymore, this is of more interest because it suggests that the '05 will improve as well.

Price: $22 (approx)
Value: 3/5
Score: 88
Alcohol: 13.5%
Tasted: Sept 2008
ANBL UPC: 012354051003 ('05)

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2005

This is a tricky one. It's a classic well made, fruit forward Aussie Shiraz - a worthwhile step up from Aus Shiraz in the sub-$20 price range. It's definitely got character and I like it better than the Norton Privada or the High Trellis (both of which are more expensive) for that reason. But right now it's got way too much vanilla / grape / jam for my taste. As Kelly put it, "It's a cartoon of a wine."

Will it improve? We bought a bunch of the Wynn's 2004 a couple of years ago - it was jammy then as well, but there was lots of good fruit so we crossed our fingers and hoped. If I can trust my memory, the '04 then tasted quite a lot like the '05 now. I'll pull a bottle of the '04 out soon and see how it's done.

Right now I think I'd give it 87. I can't quite recommend it, but even now it's a close call at this price. You can drink it now if you like a fruit bomb style and even if you like a mellower style a year or two the cellar might be rewarding. Wine Spectator has a ten year drinking window for the '04 and '05 is supposed to be a better vintage, so you might be able to keep this until 2015. But if you like an old world style, this wine is probably not for you. Certainly not now, and probably not ever.

Price: $21.49
Value: 3/5
Score: 87
Alcohol: 14%
Tasted: Sept 2008
ANBL UPC: 012354051003