Wine Entry : Black Opal Barossa Valley 1999 (Australia)

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Black Opals have a special place in my heart, opened this wine with my family and coincidentally there was a opened cheap plonk from Giant Supermarket. And the contrast was distinct. The Black Opal was opulent with alcohol and an overall fruit explosion even for a 1999. Whereas the plonk was weak thin and diluted. Good stuff, cannot bluff.

A blend of Cab Sav 85% and Merlot 15%. Impressively dark red-purple colour for a 1999 wine.

Smell : Nice aroma of high alcohol, aldehydes and dark currents.

Taste : Smooth flavourful, mid palate of blackcurrents and prunes.

After-taste : Excellent evolved mild tannins which provide good structure

Description at back of bottle :

The limited release Black Opal Barossa has been produced to showcase the best regional characteristics of the varieties for which this most famous of Australian wine making regions is renowned. Sourced from our own Tolley's vineyard, this is a richly textured wine that exemplifies the powerful robust red wine characteristics of the Barossa Valley. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines in this vineyard grow in low fertile, sandy brown/grey soils and have an average age of 40 years. As a consequence the berries are smaller and have greater intensity of colour and flavour.

Both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were fermented in traditional 4 ton open vat fermenters before beng gently pressed in a Basket Press and allowed to mature in French oak barrels for 20 months. This wine is a rich, powerful Cabernet Merlot that displayes concentrated complex fleshy mixed berry and spice characters with hints of violets and chocolate.