Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/552044
{ SOMMjournal.com } 53 Michelle Biscieglia, Wine Director, Blue Hill Farm "It was very interesting to see how these wines evolved. And to see that they were able to express characteristics of vintage and terroir. All older vintages were much more youthful than expected. The 1996 "The Signature" James Wark was my favorite today, nicely balanced and lively. I think it's time to start opening our eyes a bit more to see that there are some pure and age- worthy Australian wines. It's exciting to see what's next." OLD: Yalumba 1973 "The Signature" Wyndam Hill-Smith: "Unique! Dr. Pepper. Cinnamon, clove, less fruit [than 1961 and 1966], a little bitter, but fresh." NEW: Yalumba 2010 "The Signature" Jane Ferrari: "Deeper, darker, more brambly chocolate-covered cherry, more power and structure." Michaël Engelmann, MS, Wine Director, The Modern "Having worked in Australia for four years in a restaurant where we were looking for older vintages, I can say that it is not often that you can find old Australian wines in such great condition, or at least bottles going that far back. Coming directly from the estate, these bottles were in great shape. It was special to see the aging potential of these wines and how youthful some of them were. Tastings like that are quite rare, you don't see that very often, even Down Under." OLD: Yalumba 1966 "The Signature" Alfred Wark: "Cocoa, toast, coffee, wood! Lush fruit, nice tannin bite, youthful, sweet. This ended up being my favorite; the wine changed a lot, evolved. I didn't love it at first. I enjoyed the tannin bite; it kept me going back. Very good condition bottle." NEW: Yalumba 2012 "The Signature" Robert Hill-Smith: "Dry, fresh, light menthol, cough syrup, medium bodied, soft tan- nins, juicy fruit." Christy Frank, Owner, Frankly Wines "This is one of several opportunities I've had to taste through verticals of some of Australia's historic wines and I'm always amazed at how wonderfully well they age. It's a reminder that the big purple-teeth wines that made such a splash ten years ago were a bit of an anomaly ; they don't really reflect where much of Australia is today—or ever was." OLD: Yalumba 1961 Galway Show Reserve Claret: "Cedar, tobacco, ghosts of cherry on the nose. Still quite intense, remark- ably fresh. Quiet on the palate but still has red fruits, nicely inte- grated. Tobacco, cedar, wee bit of cheese rind." NEW: Yalumba 2001 "The Signature" Geoff Linton: "Dark fruits, sweet oak, plush, juicy and classic. Carries through on the palate [with] baking spices, firm tannins, a touch of velvet. Dense." Michael Madrigale, Head Sommelier, Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud, Épicerie Boulud "I enjoyed the Yalumba tasting for what it was: a snapshot in the history of the estate . . . warts and all. Some vintages were better than others, but every wine tasted was unmistakably Yalumba. My appreciation for the estate grew as a result of this opportunity to taste these wines at one sitting." OLD: Yalumba 1996 "The Signature"James Wark: "Balanced and vibrant—my favorite." NEW: Yalumba 2005 "The Signature" Greg Pullen: "Earthy, hay, peanut shells. Baked fruit and menthol. Full and plump mouth- feel with cherry and great fresh flavors. Very well made." Natalie Tapken, Wine Director, Mercer Street Hospitality "The Yalumba tasting was proof that Australian wines can be as age worthy and complex as their old world counterparts and move beyond the blockbuster jammy reds they are often pegged for making. The vertical tasting showed medium-bodied wines with great aromatics and layered complexities demonstrating an expres- sion of the terroir where 'The Signature' series was born more than five decades ago. There is not a trendy new Australian movement being born at Yalumba, but a continuation of a long-standing family tradition offering much more than 'sunshine in a bottle.' " OLD: Yalumba 1975 "The Signature" Walter Smith: "Quite spicy, with pepper on the nose. Shows the oak on the nose. Lots of mocha and leather rounding it out. More structured than the '75. Olive juice on mid-plalate." NEW: Yalumba 1987 "The Signature" Dudley Ward: "Herbaceous on the nose with red berries. More herbal than the rest, which shows the coolness of the vintage with great tact. Red berry notes. Combination of spearmint and sweatiness on the finish—quite minty. Shockingly refreshing with mint quality." Pascaline Lepeltier, Sommelier, Rouge Tomate OLD: Yalumba 1961 Galway Show Reserve Claret: A really nice, complex and layered nose, with no feeling of alcohol. Great combination of ripe, dried berries, a lot of raspberry, dried rose, fennel frown, licorice, tobacco, forest floor. Here again some little brett, but enhancing the savory elements of saddle, leather, roasted pepper and beef broth. A really great-showing bottle with a great structure, still balanced and not dried out. Some dried earth in the very back. My second favorite after the 1987, because this '61 should be probably enjoyed in the next years while the '87 can still hold a little more. NEW: Yalumba 2012 "The Signature" Robert Hill-Smith Very concentrated, powerful and dense. Dark fruits, Lebanese plum, heavy rose water, very little herbal or vegetal notes except black licorice, a lot of roasted spices and hints of toasted oak. Palate is very dense and rich, still very primary both in its texture and aromas. Tannins and oak are powerful, and not totally integrated yet. A very young, powerful wine. Waltzing Yalumba Under Hill-Smith's direction, the New York tasters began with the 1961 Galway Show Reserve Claret and ended with the most recent vintage of "The Signature," 2012. Here are their comments.