Established: 1974
Location: In the township of Kingower, 11km west of Inglewood. (North-west of Bendigo off the Calder Highway.)
Winemaker: Graeme Leith.
Important Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Cabernet.
I first visited this winery back in 1984 and the reds being produced then had a distinctly eucalyptus/minty flavour - or so it seemed to me. This was by no means oppressive and made for wonderfully flavoured wines. There seems to have been a subtle change of style since those days with the recent vintages exhibiting a wonderful smoothness.
Best Recent Vintages:
I recently (27th May, 1995) tried a bottle of the 1986 Shiraz/Cabernet and it was a wonderful experience. The nose shows a beautiful Cabernet with a hint of pepper, and the wine still exhibits a good fruit palate without the berry element being overpowering . I would reckon that it's drinking beautifully now though Jeremy Oliver recommends from 1994-98. Just goes to show I have a few more years to enjoy the other bottles I have left.
Note that Passing Clouds did not release a Cabernet Sauvignon in 1986 and that the Shiraz/Cabernet is not labelled as such - merely as 1986 Passing Clouds. That's enough.
In their review of the best wines of 1996 Winestate magazine rated the 1994 Passing Clouds Shiraz Cabernet at 4 stars out of 5 and noted: "Cedar spice and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of mint. Elegant structure. Generous oak with spicy aniseed flavours and tannins in balance. Plenty of years for improvement."
This page, and all contents, are copyright © 1995-2001 by Perry Middlemiss, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Last modified: March 30, 2001.