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Ten Years On: The 1992 Vintage
As vintages go, 1992 wasn't a year of great success for much of Europe. In Bordeaux it was a fairly dismal year, although not quite as bad as the washout that was 1991. Burgundy produced some decent reds and whites from a huge crop, from the usual domaines, but the vintage does not have an exalted reputation. Neither was it a great success in the Rhône. In fact in much of Europe it was an unexciting vintage, with neither Spain nor Italy having great success. Germany, though, did produce a decent spread of wines. Where the quality did appear was in Portugal. Although it was a small crop, there were some excellent Vintage Ports and Single Quinta wines made, although not all houses declared, some opting for the 1991 vintage instead.
The New World enjoyed greater fortune than the Old this year. The crop in California was large, but quality was high, and these wines have endured well. The vintage wasn't an overall success in the various regions of Australia, but there are still some wonderful wines. It was quite good in New Zealand, but at that time wines suitable for ten years in the cellar weren't New Zealand's forte. (11/12/02)
The 1992 Vintage - Tasting Notes
Tasted in December 2002. Click
to locate
stockists.
Chateau Cheval Blanc
(St Emilion) 1992:
A pale red-brown colour, much paler than other wines here. Some complexity
on the nose - mature toffee and stale coffee, with vegetal and tobacco notes.
Good attack on the palate, which is medium-full bodied. Smoothly textured, with
mature, earthy flavours. Seems a touch rustic, and has strong acidity. I would
guess that this is at peak. Drink sooner rather than later. 16.5/20
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Dauvissat-Camus Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 1992: Quite a
unusual nose! Aromas of cheesy, sweaty animal fur or woollen blankets. There's a honey, buttery edge, and also
a floral element. Good texture and weight on the palate, with flavours mirroring
the nose - foxy, hairy characteristics, and also honeycomb, although there's no
suggestion of sweetness. Somewhat disjointed, with prominent acidity and a pepper
and spice edge on the finish. On the way downhill - drink up! 15/20
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Domaine Tempier Cabassaou (Bandol) 1992:
A mature colour. Difficult to assess on the nose - seems closed, but there are
some unusual aromas coming up - rotting vegetables? Seaweed? On the palate it is
hard and backward. It lacks a little weight I think, although it may yet fatten
out as it continues to develop. Good acidity. Short finish. I can only hope this
will develop in bottle. 15+?/20
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Muller-Catoir Haardter Herzog Riesling
Spätlese Trocken (Pfalz) 1992: This wine screams Germany and
Riesling on the nose. Plenty of honey with fresh limes. Lovely balanced
palate, bright and brilliant with fresh, clean, piercing limey acidity. Crisp
fruit with an almost tropical edge. Full and rounded texture, great weight, yet
no great sweetness. Lovely stuff. It carries it's 13% alcohol incredibly well. 16.5/20
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St Hallett Old Block Shiraz (Barossa Valley, SA) 1992: A deep colour,
but also showing signs of maturity. On the nose there is sweet, intense, almost
jammy fruit, with a vein of American oak. Full and sweet on the palate, with an
almost velvety texture. Great fruit and good balance. A little grip gives structure, but drinking well
now. 17/20
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Mitchelton Print Shiraz (Victoria) 1992: An amazing youthful purple colour. This wine looks
two rather than ten years old. An intensely youthful nose also - dark chocolate
mint creams and exuberant black fruits. Pickling spice aromas. Rich yet smooth and
seamlessly textured on the palate. Big and lush, yet with good structure and balance, sweet
jammy fruit and an earthy extract. This is a wine on the way up. 18+/20
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Katnook Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, SA) 1992:
A youthful colour.
Sweet, plump black fruits, some floral elements and the coconut aromas of American oak.
A brilliant impression on the palate, full of ripe and sweet fruits, but
correct acidity and great balance. Overall it has quite an elegant
stance. There are some ripe tannins evident towards the finish, but it
is quite ready. 18/20
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Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Shiraz (South
Australia) 1992: Another wine with a very youthful appearance, and the nose has
the same brilliant character - intense, youthful fruit. Notes of liquorice, oak
and eucalyptus. What a palate! Huge, mouthfilling weight, a great presence of
tannins providing a structure, and lovely acidity keeping it fresh. Firm yet
smoothly textured. Even a touch of lushness. Rounded off by a superb length.
This is wonderful stuff. 18/20
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Penfolds Grange (South
Australia) 1992: What an amazing colour. There
are some dense and youthful wines in this tasting, but this beats them all.
Deep, purple-black wine. On the nose there are some intense ripe fruits. The
palate is again massive, eclipsing that of the previous wine. Lush, yet
structured, with integrating tannins. A behemoth of a wine, and yet almost
paradoxically it is seamlessly put together, elegant even, with finely balanced
acidity. It glides across the palate. There is some pickling spice complexity to
the plentiful fruit. Bags of potential here. Wonderful. No surprises when the
label was revealed - this had to something special. 18.5+/20
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Shafer Vineyards Merlot (Napa Valley) 1992:
A good, mature colour, yet not giving too much on the nose. Full, round and richly textured on the palate, with some sweet raspberry fruit. Still has some tannin, but overall it's
quite soft, giving and almost voluptuous. Very easy to drink, and a great length.
17.5/20
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Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon (Stag's Leap
District) 1992: Greater maturity here. A delightful nose - lean
black fruits, with a mineral trace. There's some cigar box and smoke notes also,
hinting at grape variety. Very stylish. On the body it is full but well
structured, with elegant black fruits, ripe tannins and nicely balanced acidity.
Some citrus peel character on the finish. Wonderful stuff. 18/20
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