Costing near $5 then, with 12% alcohol, the 24 year-old wine, Black Opal 1996 Chardonnay from South Australia, scored 15 Dionysian points out of a possible 20. It looked completely shot! No yellow or even gold left, just amber brown in color, but the nose was like a pie of tropical fruits. It wasn’t make to age, but I’d lost it with a mix of older wines.
The wine lasted for over half an hour before fading in aroma and flavors. Sometimes you just have to be willing to wait if you want to learn. I love the complex flavors older wines develop and this was a unique experience. I do, however, drink most Australian whites rather young. In Vino Veritas.
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