Peter Lehmann 1998 Stonewell Shiraz Aug 03

I have had a love hate relationship with this label over the past few years. Loved the 94 and prior vintages, didn’t like the 96 as it was so clinically clean and perfect it was characterless and the 97 fruit characters was bordering on being over the top and not to my taste. I decided to splash out and buy a 98 to try and decanted the wine at lunchtime to give it a chance to open up; would I be happy and want more or would I feel I had wasted $70?

A rich but not over the top brooding nose of obvious high quality black fruit, milk chocolate and vanilla with some subtle menthol characteristics. The abundant powdery tannins are fine grained with enough youthful acid to balance and make this a reasonable cellaring proposition. The fruit is intense and deeply seated without being over the top in terms of weight or extraction, however the grapes are very ripe and into the prune spectrum. All in all after one sip it’s obvious this is a full bodied high quality well made wine. There is both a sweet and sour element to the flavour profile that finishes with the taste of lead pencil.

Technically it’s a very a smart wine that’s already harmonious but will be much better with another five years (plus) in the cellar. Currently rated as Excellent with *** for value. It may not be my style but you can’t fault it, well done Andrew Wigan, you have a winner here.