How to sell burgundy champagne and Bordeaux wines in Australia

Selling pre-owned expensive French Wine from Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux in Australia and achieving a high price or a price close to retail is difficult. 

Ultra high end wines such as:

Burgundy:

– Domaine de la Romanee Conti (DRC)

– Domaine Armand Rousseau

– Domaine Dugat-Py 

– Domaine Comte Georges de Vouge

Champagne:

– Dom Perignon

– Salon

– Krug

Bordeaux:

– Haut Brion,

– Cheval Blanc

– Chateau Mounton

– Rothschild Pauilac

– Chateau Margaux

– Chateau Lafite

take time to sell because demand for them isn’t really there. Wine collectors will buy them, the wines will sell but generally buyers aren’t prepared to pay high prices for them.  It could be said that a bottle of French wine sold on the secondary wine market is only worth what someone is prepared to pay.  The most popular French Wines from the better vintages such as 89, 90, 00, 05, 09 and 10 do achieve reasonable prices on the secondary wine market but you will probably still sell at a loss if you purchased them from a retailer. 

Chinese interest in high-end wine has grown substantially over the past decade.  An example is a surge in the secondary wine market price of Penfolds Bin 707.  As little as six years ago 750ml bottles traded for around $100 to $120, now they achieve anywhere between $330 and $400.  Magnums of Bin 707 could be purchased for $250 at auction but now they fetch more than $500. Middle-Class China is ever-expanding and reaching out to the world.  Chinese Wine Collectors in Australia want the best but will only pay a certain price.  They don’t pay overs.  They only want the best vintage wines too.  

If you are investing in wine you should have a long term out look, more than 15 years, even then there is no guarantee for a return.  Some labels may rocket up in value but it is rare, I guess it is all about supply and demand, reviews, established brands etc.     

The secondary wine market is flooded with high end wine.  Every month wine auction houses list wines for sale and clear them out.  It’s all about turn over, get them in and get them out asap.  It is the buyer who sets the price, not the wine auction house.  They want to achieve the best price for you, customer service is always good and honest.  Wine auction house’s pretty much offer the same advice and service with Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux wines. 

In September 2017 I sold the following Domaine de la Romanee Conti (DRC) wines.  They were pre-owned, that is they were purchased by a collector in Sydney from a retailer in Melbourne and sold to a collector in Queensland after owning them for a few years. 

1x 2009 DRC Romanee Conti

1x 2010 DRC Romanee Conti

1x 2009 DRC Montrachet.

The vendor paid approx $18000 for each Romanee Conti and $5500 for the Montrachet.  A total of $41500.  I had the following offers for them.  The four offers were from four reputable wine traders who I highly respect and deal with every week.  It’s just an example of what someone is prepared to pay.  

$3000 for each bottle of the 2009 and 2010 Romanee Conti.

$12000 for each bottle of the 2009 and 2010 Romanee Conti.

$34000 for all three bottles. 

I eventually sold all three bottles for $36500. The sale was completed in under one week.

Personally I believe this was an exceptional return for the vendor.  The arrangement for commission was unique.  I was paid with wine which totalled about 5% of the value of the sale.  I didn’t take 25% like other auctioneers.  The vendor was delighted with his return and the commission and I was wrapped with the wines I received. 

Domaine de la Romanee Conti DRC wines are now in high demand.  As little as 4 years ago I could barely move them, now I have regular enquiries as to their availability. If you have any and want to sell them, drop me an email [email protected] 

SECONDARY WINE MARKET. HOW TO SELL WINE ONLINE AUSTRALIA

The secondary wine market is where pre-owned fine wine is sold, usually via auction, or  Buy It Now and via negotiations between vendors and buyers with the use of an experienced licensed fine wine trader.  Whether the wines are sold via auction or Buy It Now doesn’t really matter, they sell for around the same price as there is enough supply of secondary wine market wines to satisfy demand.  Savvy buyers know the value of secondary wine market wines, it is highly unlikely a bottle of wine worth $50 at retail will sell for $100 or more at auction, even if it is a rare trophy winning wine.  Selling wine for private collectors (vendors) can be hard work as all vendors want to achieve the highest return possible and buyers want to pay the least amount as possible.  Vendors see bottles of Penfolds Grange advertised for $695 or more at fine wine merchants and on online websites and believe their bottle is also worth that price when it is not (which I explain later in this blog).  Online sales have changed the way people buy goods, it is easy for a buyer to send offers (most of which are unreasonable and at times insulting) via emails and text messages.  Buy It Now sales are popular as auctions take time to come and go, frustrating buyers who want the stock as soon as possible and also frustrating vendors who want to be paid immediately.    

Generally, only fine wine is sold on the secondary wine market.  There isn’t the demand for cheaper wine to be traded on the secondary wine market.  There is an over supply of wine in Australia and current vintage cheap wine is readily available.

Pre owned wine is wine that has been purchased by a wine collector from a retailer, winery cellar door or fine wine merchant and then sold by that collector.  It doesn’t matter if the wine was sold the day after it was purchased or 12 months later, it is still sold via the secondary wine market. 

There are a couple of WineAuctionHouse’s who specialise in selling on the secondary wine market.  Generally wines sold on the secondary wine market are done so via auction.  These auctions occur once a month and are open for about 7 days.  It is only in the final 15 minutes that bidding becomes frantic for those highly sought wines, but only if they are priced at secondary wine market levels.  Buyers do not pay retail prices for wines sold on the secondary wine market.  If you have a bottle or two of Penfolds Grange and are expecting and extraordinary result at auction then you will probably be dissapointed.  There is enough fine wine floating about on the secondary wine market to satisfy demand.  A 1996 Penfolds Grange is worth between $380 to $420 to the vendor on the secondary wine market, it won’t sell for a $500+ return to the vendor on the secondary wine market, the demand is not there.    

When a bottle of wine is purchased at retail its price contains 39% tax.  On a $100.00 bottle, that is $39.00.  When that same bottle is sold on the secondary wine market, those taxes are not paid again; therefore it might be fair to argue that bottle is only worth around $61.00.  But the value of a bottle is really only worth what someone is prepared to pay.  Other factors that contribute to pricing and valuations of wine sold on the secondary market include provenance concerns (cellar history) over supply of that wine, wine reviews, poor vintage, label damage and collectors no longer wanting the wine.  Again, your bottle is really only worth what someone else is prepared to pay.   Auctioneers follow the secondary wine market closely; they watch prices, observing any trends and have vast knowledge of wine values.   

Wine Auction House’s will take at least 27.5% of each bottle they sell at wine auctions.  They all charge a vendors fee of at least 10%, most are 12.5% and higher and they all have a buyer’s premium of at least 15%, some as high as 20%.  Buyers will bid for a Penfolds Grange and they might bid to $320.00, the auction house will take 12.5% of the $320.00 from the vendor and the buyer will pay a 15% premium from $320.00.    

$320.00 Buyer bids to this amount at auction and wins the wine.  

$368.00 is what Buyer pays, includes $48.00 buyers premium paid to the Auction House.

$288.00 is the net return to the vendor. Auction House collects $32.00 from sale price.

Total return to the Auction House is $80.00.  It might seem like a lot of money but the auction house has a business to run and bills to pay.  They also ship wine at below cost and need to buy wine boxes for postage, which can be quite expensive. 

Buying wine on the secondary market generally has ‘Buyer beware’ warnings/conditions attached to each bottle sold.  WineAuctionHouse’s cannot be responsible for the condition of wine sold on the secondary wine market.  They do describe wines as best as they can and every bottle of wine does change during its life, for better and for worse.  It is best to avoid wines that have substantial damage to capsules and labels, this could indicate the bottle has been moved often and/or not stored properly.  Serious wine collectors pay a lot of money to store their wines in cellars and in wine fridges; they are generally in tip top condition even at 10 to 15 years of age.  A small stain on a label could indicate another bottle leaked on to it and may not mean that particular bottle is suspect.  It’s always good to ask a question if there is a bottle you are interested in purchasing and there is a note attached to the sale stating “stained / damaged label”. 

Selling large volumes of the same wine at once isn’t something I’d recommend.  If you have a large collection of Penfolds Grange and you are looking to sell them, it is best to release them into the secondary wine market slowly.  For example, if a Vendor has 48 bottles of the 2001 Penfolds Grange, (8 timber cases of 6 bottles) I wouldn’t recommend selling them all of them at once.  Auction reserve prices will be low, the buyers won’t be there, the secondary wine market is all about what someone is prepared to pay for them and, more importantly it is all about moving stock quickly.  Wine sold at retail can hang around a bottle shop for 12 months or more, on the secondary wine market; your wine should be sold at the first auction or at least by the conclusion of the second auction, it’s all about moving excess stock quickly.  No auction house will sell wine at retail prices; the secondary wine market does not work in that manner. 

Please contact us at WineAuctionHouse if you have a collection of fine wine, big or small and we can help you.  Our commission fee for Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace is only 12.5% (no buyers premium so your return will be better) and for all other wines it is 17.5% with no buyers premium.  We work hard to get you the best return, we pay our vendors quickly and we have been selling fine wine for unlicensed private collectors since 2007.  We know the secondary wine market and we know what is hot and what is not.  

SELL WINE ONLINE PENFOLDS GRANGE

At WineAuctionHouse.com.au we specialise in selling fine wine for private collectors. We’ve been selling fine wine online since 2007, we know the secondary wine market and we know what is hot and what is not.  Generally most pre-owned wine sells somewhere between 20% and 50% less than it’s current release price and there are a number of reasons why including taxes (they are not paid when selling on the secondary wine market, they make up 39% of the retail price), demand, over supply, poor vintages, wine reviews, cult wines loosing value, provenance concerns and the amount a buyer is prepared to pay.  Most people don’t realise that it is against the law to sell or to offer for sale a bottle of wine if you do not have a liquor licence.  

WineAuctionHouse can sell your fine wine for one low fee.  We take care of invoicing for you and the buyer, photographs, detailing and listing the wine for sale, packing and sending the wine and paying out our vendors.

If you want to sell fine wine online at WineAuctionHouse you can submit a list of your wines here.  Most fine wine collectors know the value of their wines, so I’d prefer to discuss large valuations in person or over the telephone rather than providing a written valuation.  We are happy to negotiate with our vendors on pricing and we’d be happy to hear from you.  

How to sell fine wine online at WineAuctionHouse. 

1. Submit your wines to us here, please describe any bottles that may have label damage, ullage concerns, capsule damage, and with price estimates you’d like to sell them for is ideal. 

2. We will assess your fine wines and agree on a sale price.

3. Ship the wines to us at WineAuctionHouse and we will invoice them and send you a copy. We can arrange for this invoice to be sent to you before you send the wines to us, easy!  We can arrange for interstate shipping to us or we can collect the wine from your home if you live in Melbourne or for large collections country Victoria. Please contact us if you are unsure on how to send wine in the post, we can guide you through this. 

4. We list your wines and sell them.  If your wines haven’t sold within a reasonable time frame we will consult with you on pricing.  We won’t change any pricing without first discussing with you.  

5. Once the wine is sold we pay out our vendors within 10 business days of the buyer paying for them. We can pay via cheque, EFT or PayPal, it’s up to you. 

PENFOLDS GRANGE PRICES

Penfolds Grange Bin 95 Shiraz is Australia’s most famous and collected wine.  The only time Penfolds sell Grange is when each vintage is released, generally, they don’t sell back vintages.  Any bottle of Penfolds Grange that isn’t the current release and is for sale at any fine wine retailer, (Dan Murphy, First Choice, etc) is either surplus stock from the previous vintage or it has been purchased by them from the secondary wine market.  The secondary wine market is where private collectors sell their Fine Wine collection and where wine retailers and savvy collectors buy them.  The secondary wine market also sets the price for older vintages of Penfolds Grange and all other fine wine, if demand is high for a particular vintage then it will sell for a higher price.

Only those very early vintages of Penfolds Grange, 1950’s and some 1960’s have increased in value above the price of any current release Grange (more than $750).  Most bottles of Penfolds Grange purchased in the 1970’s, 1980’s and early 1990’s have increased in value from their purchase price but they have not increased beyond the current release retail price.  They generally trade on the secondary wine market about 25% to 40% below this price, currently there is enough stock floating about to satisfy demand.  Some exceptional vintages of Penfolds Grange, post 1960’s, such as 1971, 1976, 1986, 1990 and 1998 do trade at or above the current release RRP because they are in very high demand.

The table below is an estimate of each vintage of Penfolds Grange sold on the secondary wine market. These prices are what private collectors and retailers are paying for older vintages, it is not the price vendors are receiving. Many people still believe that buying a new release of Penfolds Grange at RRP is a great investment.  It may be in 30 years or so but for any shorter term investment, 5 years to 15 years, unless there is some unforeseen circumstance, it is not.  The price ranges in the table below are taken from over 10 years of watching, buying and selling Penfolds Grange from the secondary wine market.  They are estimates only but generally each bottle trades somewhere in between these price ranges and generally at the lower end.

Click here to submit or enquire about selling fine wine with WineAuctionHouse. Our fee’s are low compared to other industry competitors and we have the ability to move large quantities of fine wine very quickly.  WineAuctionHouse – Buy & Sell Fine Wine online, Low Fee’s + Great Results = The Best Return for you.

WineAuctionHouse.com.au Buy & Sell fine wine online, we know what fine wine collectors want.

Vintage	Varieties	Regions	Critics	Bottle Image	Secondary Market Values	Notes
1951 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Magill Estate and Morphett Vale	Jeremy Oliver 87Pts		$30,000-$60,000+	Production of 100 cases / 3 hogsheads. Given away by Max Schubert. Rare hand blown bottles. A hot dry growing season. Australia’s most collectable wine.
1952 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Magill Estate and Morphett Vale	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts		$15,000-$20,000	Top vintage. First commercial vintage. 100/150 cases made some 375ml bottles (pints) also made. Released as Bin 1, Bin 4 and Bun 4A. 9 months in oak.
1953 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale and Kalimna Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts		$13,000-$17,000	Top vintage. 260 cases made, some half bottles 375ml.  The 1953 Penfolds Grange was the first Grange to use fruit from the Kalimna Vineyard.  Released as Bin 2, Bin 10, Bin 86C & Bin 145.  Retail price was about $1.00.
1954 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Magill Estate and Kalimna Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 90Pts		$10,000 – $18,000	Internal criticism led Max Schubert to make a lighter style wine. A cool growing season, 9 months in oak. Released as Bin 11 and Bin 12.
1955 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale, Kalimna Vineyard & McLaren Vale	Campbell Mattinson 97Pts. Jeremy Oliver 96 Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 88Pts.		$3,500 – $5,500	Top Vintage. The most decorated Penfolds Grange. Won 12 Trophies & 52 Gold Medals. Mild to warm growing season. Wine Spectator Magazine Wine of the Millenium.  Bins 13, 14, 53, 54 and 148A.  9 months in oak.
1956 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96% Cabernet Sauvignon 4%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale & Kalimna Vineyard	Campbell Mattinson 91Pts Jeremy Oliver 88Pts		$8,000 – $18,000	A very rare wine. A cool to mild growing season. Released as Bin 14 and Bin 53.  9 months in oak.
1957 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 88% Cabernet Sauvignon 12%	Magill Estate and Morphett Vale	Campbell Mattinson 90Pts Jeremy Oliver 89Pts		$8,000-$16,000	The first of 3 successive “Hidden Grange” vintages. Penfolds Management ordered Max Schubert to cease production due to poor reviews from critics.  Released as Bin 50 and Bin 113.  Matured in 1956 Penfolds Grange barrels.
1958 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale, Kalimna Vineyard and McLaren Vale	Campbell Mattinson 90Pts Jeremy Oliver 87Pts		$8,000-$18,000	The second of 3 “Hidden Grange” vintages. A good growing season, warm and mild vintage. Released as Bin 46, Bin 14, Bin 47 and Bin 49.
1959 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale and Kalimna Vineyard	Campbell Mattinson 91Pts. Jeremy Oliver 90Pts.		$1,500 – $3,500+	The third and last “Hidden Grange”.  Cool to mild growing season followed by a warm vintage. Very rare. Released as Bin 95, Bin 46 and Bin 49.
1960 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 92% Cabernet Sauvignon 8%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale and Kalimna Vineyard	Campbell Mattinson 92Pts Jeremy Oliver 90Pts		$800-$2,000+	The production of Penfolds Grange officially resumes. A hot dry growing season. Released as Bin 95 and Bin 49.
1961 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 88% Cabernet 12%	Magill Estate, Morphett Vale, Modbury Vineyard, Kalimna Vineyard and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 94Pts		$800-$2,000+	A hot dry growing season and hot vintage. Considered a very good Grange but not quite “A” Grade.
1962 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley. Magill Estate and Adelaide Hills	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94Pts		$1,200-$2,000+	Top vintage. A warm dry growing season followed by a warm vintage.  Bottles in good condition are still drinking well. Released as Bin 95, Bin 59, Bin 59A and 456.
1963 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Morphett Vale and Modbury Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94Pts		$1,000-$1,500+	Top Vintage. Another top vintage.  A warm and dry growing season.  Still drinking well, very rare. Released as Bin 95 and Bin 65.
1964 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Magill Estate, Kalimna Vineyard and Barossa Valley	Jeremy Oliver 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 90Pts		$800-$1,500+	A wet growing season followed by a fine but cool vintage. Released as Bin 95, Bin 395, Bin 66, Bin 67 and Bin 68.
1965 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Morphett Vale and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts		$600-$1200+	Winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy.  A warm, dry growing season.  Released as Bin 95, Bin 69, Bin 70 and Bin 71.
1966 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 88% Cabernet Sauvignon 12%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Morphett Vale	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 93Pts		$800-$1,200+	Top vintage A dry growing season, followed by an ideal warm vintage. A rare beast.  Released as Bin 95, Bin 71 and Bin 72.
1967 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Magill Estate	Campbell Mattinson 94Pts. Jeremy Oliver 92Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 90Pts		$600-$900+	Winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy.  A dry growing season followed by a warm vintage. Released as Bin 95 and Bin 74.
1968 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna VIneyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 94Pts. Campbell Mattinson 83Pts		$450-$850+	A hot dry vintage with intermittent rain during the growing season, not a great vintage. The first Grange to use fruit from the Clare Valley.  Released as Bin 95 and Bin 826.
1969 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Clare Valley, Morphett Vale and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 91Pts. Campbell Mattinson 84Pts		$450-$850+	Wet and mild conditions throughout the growing season and vintage. Released as Bin 95 and Bin 826.
1970 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 93Pts. Campbell Mattinson 85Pts		$350-$650+	Standardisation of bin numbering starts with the 1970 vintage and all vintages are now released as Bin 95.  A dry, mild growing season and vintage. Strangely she hasn’t captured the imagination of collectors yet.
1971 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Clare Valley and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 94Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 96Pts		$500-$1,500	Top Vintage. A great Penfolds Grange and a great South Australian vintage (1971) with unusually low alcohol content of around 12.3%. Topped the Gault-Millau Wine Olympiad in Paris in 1979, beating some of the best Rhone wines.  Alcohol originally state 11.5% but analysis reveal 12.3%. A bonza wine!
1972 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Modbury Vineyard and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 90Pts. Campbell Mattinson 90Pts		$450-$600	A very good Grange but a batch was unintentionally oxidised during bottling resulting in significant variation. A mild, dry growing season and vintage.
1973 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Modbury Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 83Pts. Campbell Mattinson 83Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 90Pts		$450 – $600	Retail Price approx. $12.00. The 1973 Penfolds Grange was the last Grange to be made in wax-lined concrete fermenters at Magill Estate.  A dry growing season followed by a cool vintage.
1974 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 93% Cabernet Sauvignon 7%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 89Pts. Campbell Mattinson 84Pts		$450-$600	The first Penfolds Grange to be made in Nuriootpa. Vinification in stainless steel tanks, completed in barrel. A wet growing season made more difficult by the outbreak of downy mildew just before harvest.
1975 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 89Pts. Campbell Mattinson 84Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$450-$600	Retail price of around $15.00.  A cool summer was followed by a mild, dry vintage.
1976 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 11%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Modbury vineyard	Robert Parker Jnr 100Pts. Jeremy Oliver 94Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts		$550 – $950	Top vintage. 25th Anniversary of Grange. Rated 100/100 by Robert Parker Jnr. The first Australian wine to sell (retail) above $20 a bottle. An ideal warm, dry growing season. Bottles into the neck are impossible to find.
1977 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 91% Cabernet Sauvignon 9%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Clare Valley	Jeremy Oliver 92Pts. Campbell Mattinson 89Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94Pts		$450 – $580	Cool mild conditions during the growing season.
1978 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley	Jeremy Oliver 94Pts. Campbell Mattinson 94Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 93Pts		$450 – $580	Considered a very good Grange but not quite “A” Grade.  A warm dry growing season followed by a mild vintage.
1979 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Magill Estate and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 87Pts. Campbell Mattinson 89Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$450-$580	The first Grange vintage to be bottled in Magnums (1500ml).  The last Grange vintage to use white foil capsules. An unusually wet but hot growing season.
1980 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96%Cabernet Suavignon 4%	Kalimna VineyardBarossa ValleyMagill EstateModbury VineyardClare Valley	Robert Parker Jnr 96PtsJeremy Oliver 90PtsCampbell Mattinson 83Pts		$420 – $490	The 1980 received mixed ratings from wine critics.  A fine warm growing season followed by a cool but late vintage.
1981 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 11%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Modbury Vineyard, Clare Valley and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 88Pts. Campbell Mattinson 89Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 97Pts		$450-$525	A warm, hot drought-affected summer followed by a warm dry vintage.
1982 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Modbury Vineyard and Clare Valley	Jeremy Oliver 93Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 97Pts		$450-$525	Penfolds wines from the 1982 vintage possess a particular character often described as exaggerated or oscilating fruit. A mild growing season followed by a hot vintage.
1983 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 96Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$450-$525	Top vintage. 1983 season  will be remembered by the Ash Wednesday bushfires and floods in March.  A very low yielding Penfolds Grange resulting in a wine of immense concentration.  Just starting to come around now and sailing into peak drinking waters.
1984 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley	Jeremy Oliver 90Pts. Campbell Mattinson 92Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94Pts		$450-$525	A cool growing season followed by a cool, dry and late vintage. Retail price was around $60.00
1985 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 99% Cabernet Sauvignon 1%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Modbury Vineyard	Jeremy Oliver 92Pts. Campbell Mattinson 94Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 90Pts		$450-$525	Cool to mild growing season and vintage punctuated by intermittent rains.  Late rain delayed picking.
1986 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 13%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Modbury Vineyard	Robert Parker Jnr 98+Pts. Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 96Pts		$650-$750+	Top vintage. A spectacular Penfolds Grange. A mild a dry growing season and vintage. This is a very successful Grange for Penfolds.  There isn’t a lot of this wine floating about either.
1987 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 91Pts. Campbell Mattinson 87Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$475-$525	A cool vintage, hailstorms and variable yeilds.
1988 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and McLaren Vale	Jermey Oliver 91Pts. Campbell Mattinson 94Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 91Pts		$475-$525	The 1988 Penfolds Grange is popular, partly due to the double eights, 88. It was an ideal growing season followed by a warm, dry vintage.  It’s a good Grange too.
1989 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 91% Cabernet Sauvignon 9%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$475-$525	Hot and wet followed by an ideal warm growing season.  A really good Grange, under rated by the secondary wine market.
1990 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%	Kalimna Vineyard. Barossa Valley. Clare Valley and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94+		$585-$650	Top vintage. A magnificent Grange from a great Australian vintage. Awarded Red Wine of the year by Wine Spectator in December 1995.  A perfectly dry growing season and harvest.
1991 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 5%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 95Pts		$525-$650	Top vintage. Another great Penfolds Grange, an “A” Grader.  Not as popular or as highly sought after as the 1990 vintage.  Retail price was around $150.  A warm, dry growing season with even ripening conditions.
1992 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and McLaren Vale	Jeremy Oliver 94Pts. Campbell Mattinson 89Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 93Pts		$450-$500	Laser etching of bottles was introduced with this vintage. A cool to mild growing season with intermittent rain.
1993 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 86% Cabernet Sauvignon 14%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 89Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 91Pts		$450-$500	Grapes were harvest very late of the 1993 Penfolds Grange. A wet growing season followed by warm, drier conditions. Coonawarra experienced an Indian Summer delivering fully ripened fruit.
1994 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 11%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra	Jermey Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 91Pts		$450-$545	A dry, mild even-ripening vintage in the Barossa. Mild and rain in the McLaren Vale. A warm, dry Coonawarra vintage. Considered a very good Grange.
1995 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 88Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$450-$500	Drought and September frosts reduced potential yields. Warm, dry conditions throughout until late March when drizzle set in and conditions cooled.
1996 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 98Pts. Campbell Mattinson 97Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 93Pts		$550-$650	Top vintage and a very collectable Grange. Winter rains improved soil moistures. Mild, dry weather conditions resulting in an exception vintage. Currently under valued, a great Penfolds Grange.
1997 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96% Cabernet Sauvignon 4%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Bordertown	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 89Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 94Pts		$435-$495	Late spring rains and a wet winter. A burst of hot temperatures during summer but 7 to 10 days of rain in February slowed ripening. Dry and warm during vintage.
1998 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 97% Cabernet Sauvignon 3%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Padthaway	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 97Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 98+Pts		$585-$650	Top vintage. A spectacular Penfolds Grange. An early but mild growing season was followed by very hot weather with virtually all dam water reserves exhausted.
1999 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, McLaren Vale and Padthaway	Jeremy Oliver 96PtsCampbell Mattinson 95PtsRobert Parker Jnr 92Pts		$495-$565	Almost a top vintage Grange. Enough rain fell during November and December to maintain healthy vines. Late rain in March / April slowed ripening in the Barossa Valley. Padthaway experienced a great vintage.
2000 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Barossa Valley	Jeremy Oliver 88Pts. Campbell Mattinson 88Pts		$450-$550	100% Barossa Valley fruit and 100% shiraz.  2000 was a difficult vintage throughout South Australia, a hot summer and rain in February and March.  I’d be buying the 2000 Mount Mary Quintet (magnificent) instead of this wine.
2001 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 100%	Kalimna Vineyard 50% Barossa Valley 50%	Rober Parker Jnr 98Pts. Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts		$450-$55-	The second vintage in a row drawing only Barossa Valley fruit and 100% shiraz.  A very popular Grange.  Good winter rainfall replenished soil moistures which helped vineyards during what was a very hot and dry summer.  Late February saw cooler temperature levels.
2002 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5%	Kalimna Vineyard 50% Barossa Valley 50%	Jeremy Oliver 97Pts. Campbell Mattinson 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 98Pts		$550-$650	Top Vintage. The third vintage in a row to be drawing fruit from the Barossa Valley only.  RRP around $500, some merchants were discounting to $450.  A long cool winter, a dry but cool summer followed by a warm, dry autumn. Considered a great wine.
2003 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96.5% Cabernet Sauvignon 3.5%	Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Coonawarra and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 96Pts. Campbell Mattinson 93Pts		$525-$575	A season of extremes.  Hot and dry drought conditions throughout spring and summer.  Heavy rain in February.  Penfolds Multi District fruit selection was in full play.
2004 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96% Cabernet Sauvignon 4%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 98Pts. Campbell Mattinson 99Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 99Pts.		$550-$650	Top Vintage. A truly great wine.  Rain in winter and spring were followed by cool to mild conditions throughout summer.  A warm Indian Summer resulting in near perfect fruit ripening. Has fallen in value a touch recently (late 2015).
2005 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 95.9% Cabernet Sauvignon 4.1%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 96Pts		$525-$565	A good and even vintage.  Rain fell throughout winter and early spring allowing for good soil moistures.  Mild conditions followed by a dry late summer and autumn leading to excellent fruit ripeness.
2006 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Kalimna Vineyard, Koonnunga Hill Vineyard, Barossa Valley and Magill Estate	Jermey Oliver 91Pts. Mike Bennie 96Pts. Robert Parker Jnr 98+Pts		$550-$650	Top Vintage. A great wine but a short and difficult season.  Good winter and spring rains followed by a mild to warm summer. 50mm of rain late February and a burst of warm weather accelerated ripening.
2007 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 95PtsCampbell Mattinson 94PtsRobert Parker Jnr 95Pts		$495-$550	21 months in new American oak.  A challenging vintage, low temperatures not a lot of rain throughout winter.  A dry growing season and unusually hot temperatures. Fruit ripened quickly and harvest was early.
2008 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 95Pts Campbell Mattinson 97. PtsLisa Perrotti-Brown 100Pts		$650-$750+	Top Vintage. Awarded 100Pts by Robert Parker Jnr’s The Wine Advocate. In great demand and trading at a premium price. Retail $900+ and secondary wine market $750+. 2008 was declared a vintage of two halves.
2009 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2%	Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 96Pts. Campbell Mattinson 95. Pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown 97Pts		$535-$595	Good winter rainfall, a dry and mild spring provided for a good bud burst and ideal start to the growing season. Extreme heat in summer and a cooler February and March allowed the fruit to ripen with balanced acidities and excellent tannin ripeness.
2010 Penfolds Grange BuyNow	Shiraz 96% Cabernet Sauvignon 4%	Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate	Jeremy Oliver 98Pts		$545-$675	A great wine, rated highly by all wine critics.    2010 is a highly regarded vintage and will be sought by collectors in years to come.
2011 Penfolds Grange	Shiraz 100%	Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate			$495	2011 was a difficult vintage, a cold spring and rain in summer but Penfolds are confident this will be up to the mark.  Is struggling on the secondary wine market compared to those vintages surrounding her.
2012 Penfolds Grange BuyNow
2013 Penfolds Grange BuyNow
2014 Penfolds Grange BuyNow
2015 Penfolds Grange BuyNow
2016 Penfolds Grange BuyNow

SELLING PENFOLDS GRANGE

Sell your Penfolds Grange, Penfolds Bin 707 (all Penfolds wines) Henschke Hill of Grace, Henschke Mount Edelstone, Henschke Hill of Roses, Bass Phillip, Mount Mary, Wendouree, Cullen, Moss Wood and all other fine wine at WineAuctionHouse.com.au – We have the lowest fees, quick results and the best returns (based on current secondary wine market valuations).

WineAuctionHouse Pty Ltd is the easiest place to sell Penfolds Grange, Penfolds Bin 707, Henschke Hill of Grace and all of your other fine wine online (Bass Phillip, Clonakilla, Mount Mary, Cullen, Moss Wood etc).  We work with a number of trade customers and wine reps, we have long standing excellent working relationships with big business.

Bottles of Penfolds Grange, Penfolds Bin 707 and Henschke Hill of Grace are in high demand at the moment (March 2018).  Click here to see the current secondary wine market valuations for Penfolds Grange, as of Jan 2018.

Our commission fees are as follows (Grange, Bin 707 & Hill of Grace) there are no other fees:

– One bottle 12.5% (+gst) 

– Two to six bottles 10% (+gst)

 – Seven or more bottles 8.5% (+gst) for large quantities more than 25 bottles we are happy to chat and negotiate commission. 

Fine wine collections that do not include Grange, Bin 707 and/or Henschke Hill of Grace we may be able to offer low commission fees as well, depends on the wines, vintages and quantities, so please don’t hesitate to ask us, you can email your collection in to us [email protected] 

Some reasons why you should sell your wine with us:

• Auctions can be painfully slow…..  yawn 🥱. Why would you send your wine to an auction that is one week in duration?  In that one week, I’ll have your wine sold, you’ll be paid out and spending all that money on something you can really enjoy.  👍

• Some auction houses charge handling fees and high commissions.  They also can take up to 8 weeks to pay you out.  If your wine doesn’t sell, you’ll be waiting another 4 weeks for the next auction 👎……

• And not to mention the lead time in sending your wine, waiting for the auction to start, geezers… it could take ages 👎 😒

• 👍 We have trade buyers waiting to purchase Penfolds Grange, Bin 707, Henschke Hill of Grace and other fine wine.  We pay out our vendors the same day the wine arrives to our cellars, there is no waiting.  Sale prices are at the high end of secondary wine market valuations too, so don’t waste your time at auctions.  Valuations are subject to inspection of bottles.  

Click here to see secondary wine market valuations for Penfolds Grange. 

• No stress about the low reserve prices set and no need to worry if buyers will bid on your wine 👍

• You are paid via EFT the same day your wine arrives at our cellars 👍

• We prepare a detailed inventory for you which shows exactly what prices are achieved, commission fees charged and what your return will be.  You know exactly what is going to occur before you agree to sell with us, subject to inspection of all bottles.

• We have been selling fine wine for private collectors (vendors) since 2007 👍 We know what fine wine collectors want!  You can read about us here 

• We know the secondary wine market and its current trends. Prices can change quickly 👍

• We can can sell 1 bottle or many dozens of bottles of Penfolds Grange, Penfolds Bin 707 and Henschke Hill of Grace very quickly, we have buyers waiting 👍

• We are always happy to talk. discuss, answer questions and meet with you, customer service is important 👍

• Getting your Penfolds Grange, Penfolds Bin 707, Henschke Hill of Grace and other fine wine to us is easy!  We have couriers who will collect from your home or work (Sendle – insurance is also available subject to Couriers Terms) 👍

• We can guide you through packing your wine into boxes.  It takes a little time, you’ll need some strong boxes, bubble wrap and sticky tape but when you get rolling it is easy 👍

• I am a nice bloke, I may even pay for the freight to get your collection to us in Blackburn, Melbourne. 

• In July 2015, we returned a vendor more than $100,000 within 5 days.  This vendor’s collection consisted of Penfolds Grange, Bin 707, Henschke Hill of Grace and a substantial amount of other Australian and French Fine Wine.  

• In October 2015, we returned another vendor more the $75,000 in 3 days, this collection was mainly Penfolds wine including St Henri, Grange, Bin 707, RWT and Bin 389.  

WineAuctionHouse Pty Ltd will return you prices towards the higher end of current secondary wine market valuations.  Auctions can disappoint, don’t waste your time hoping to achieve high prices at auction, there is enough fine wine floating around on the secondary market to satisfy demand, it is not often Penfolds Grange achieves extra ordinary prices at auction and if it does it is usually one bottle only.

THE PROCESS

– Contact us – [email protected] or 0423 021 028

– Tell us what wine you have to sell.

– Let’s agree on pricing and commission fees, subject to inspection of wine.

– WineAuctionHouse will send you an Inventory – this is your receipt, which details your wine, agreed reserves (pricing) and commission fees.

– Ship the wine to us – we can arrange couriers or send wine boxes to you. We can collect – Melbourne Metro and Victoria (A/H or weekends) or you can deliver them to us.

– WineAuctionHouse will then sell your wine as per the agreement.

– We pay into your Bank Account the same day your wine arrives to our cellars.

If you are interested in our services, please contact [email protected] or click here to submit your wines for a valuation.

Please click here for valuations, Ratings and Information about Penfolds Grange.

WineAuctionHouse, low commission fee’s & great results.  We know what fine wine collectors want and we know the secondary wine market.  We’ve been selling fine wine for unlicensed private wine collectors since 2007.

WINE DICTIONARY

Acidity is the quality of wine that gives it its crispiness and vitality. A proper balance of acidity must be struck with the other elements of a wine, or else the wine may be said to be too sharp – having disproportionately high levels of acidity – or too flat – having disproportionately low levels of acidity. The three main acids found in wine are tartaric acid, malic acid and lactic acid. The first two come from the grapes and the third from Malolactic fermentation which often occurs in the winemaking process.

A.O.C. is the abbreviation for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, (English: Appellation of controlled origin), as specified under French law. The AOC laws specify and delimit the geography from which a particular wine (or other food product) may originate and methods by which it may be made. The regulations are administered by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO).

Appellation is a geographical based term to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown.

Aroma is the smell of a wine. The term is generally applied to younger wines, while the term Bouquet is reserved for more aged wines.

Balance is the harmonious relationship of the components of wine – acids, fruit, tannins, alcohol, etc. – resulting in a well proportioned, or well balanced, wine.

Barrel is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wood staves, used for fermenting and aging wine. Sometimes called a cask.

Barrique is a French name for a 225 litre Bordeaux style barrel ( Bordeaux hogshead). Will yield 24 cases of 12 bottles each.

Baumé is a measure of the sugar concentration in the juice or wine, particularly referred to by winemakers and wine grape growers.

Biodynamic wine is wine produced by the principles of biodynamic agriculture.

Blanc de Blancs is a white wine, usually sparkling, made exclusively from white grapes, often Chardonnay.

Blanc de Noirs is a white wine, usually sparkling, made from red grapes.

Body is a tasting term describing the weight and fullness of a wine that can be sensed. A wine may be light-, medium-, or full-bodied. A less specific term than texture, wines rich in concentration, extract, alcohol, glycerol and tannin may be described as full-bodied.Bottle descriptions on Wine Auction House

Bottle Name	Champagne	Bordeaux	Burgundy	Volume
Equivalent standard bottles
Half Bottle	½	½	½	375 ml
Standard	1	1	1	750 ml
Magnum	2	2	2	1,500 ml
Double Magnum	4	4	n/a	3,000 ml
Piccolo	¼	n/a	n/a	187.5 ml
Chopine	n/a	1/3	n/a	250 ml
Clavelin	n/a	n/a	n/a	620 ml
Marie Jeanne	n/a	3	n/a	2,250 ml
Jeroboam	4	6	4	3,000 / 4,500 ml
Rehoboam	6	n/a	6	4,500 ml
Imperial	n/a	8	n/a	6,000 ml
Methuselah	8	n/a	8	6,000 ml
Salmanazar	12	n/a	12	9,000 ml
Balthazar	16	16	16	12,000 ml
Nebuchadnezzar	20	20	20	15,000 ml
Melchior	24	24	24	18,000 ml
Solomon	28	n/a	n/a	20,000 ml
Sovereign	331/3	n/a	n/a	25,000 ml

Bottle variation is the degree to which bottled wine of the same style and vintage can vary.

Botrytis cinerea is a mould that can pierce grape skins causing dehydration. The resulting grapes produce a highly prized sweet wine, generally dessert wine.

Brut is a French term for a very dry champagne or sparkling wine. Drier than extra dry.

Bung is a stopper used to seal a bottle or barrel. Commonly used term for corks.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with Chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the world’s noble grape varieties.

Capsule is the foil that covers the cork and part of the neck of a wine bottle.

Carbonic maceration is a winemaking practice of fermenting whole grapes that have not been crushed.

Cellaring is a process to age wine for the purpose of improvement or storage. Cellaring may occur in any area which is cool (12-15°C), dark, free from drastic temperature change, and free from vibrations. Bottled wines are typically cellared on their sides.

Chaptalization is a winemaking process where sugar is added to the must to increase the alcohol content in the fermented wine. This is often done when grapes have not ripened adequately.

Chardonnay is a type of wine, one of the “noble” white varietals.

Charmat process or bulk process is a method where sparkling wines receive their secondary fermentation in large tanks, rather than individual bottles as seen in Méthode champenoise.

Chianti is Italy ‘s most famous wine; derived from the sangiovese grape.

Claret is the British name for Bordeaux wine. Is also a semi-generic term for a red wine in similar style to that of Bordeaux.

Clarification is a winemaking process involving the fining and filtration of wine to remove suspended solids and reduce turbidity.

Cleanskin is wine bottled without a commercial label, usually sold cheaply in bulk quantities.

Cork taint is a term referring to a set of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine, especially spoilage that can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening. Cork taint can affect wines irrespective of price and quality level.

Crémant is French sparkling wine not made in Champagne region.

Crust is the sediment, generally potassium bitartrate, that adheres to the inside of a wine bottle.

Cuvaison is the French term for the period of time during alcoholic fermentation when the wine is in contact with the solid matter such as skin, pips, stalks, in order to extract colour, flavour and tannin.

Cuve is a large vat used for fermentation.

Cuvée is a wine blended from several vats or batches, or from a selected vat. Also used in Champagne to denote the juice from the first pressing of a batch of grapes.

Decanting is the process of pouring wine from its bottle into a decanter to separate the sediment from the wine.

Dégorgement is the disgorging or removal of sediment from bottles that results from secondary fermentation.

Demi-sec is a moderately sweet to medium sweet sparkling wines.

Doux is the French word for sweet. Usually refers to the sweetest category of sparkling wines.

Dry refers to wines with zero or very low levels of residual sugar. The opposite of sweet, except in sparkling wines, where dry means sweet.

en Tirage is French for “in pulling”, refers to the period of time in which bottled sparkling wine is rested in contact with lees generated during secondary fermentation. Part of the Méthode Champenoise process.

Extract is everything in a wine except for water, sugar, alcohol, and acidity, the term refers to the solid compounds such as tannins. High levels of extract results in more colour and body, which may be increased by prolonging the wine’s contact with the skins during cuvaison.

Extra dry refers to a champagne or sparkling wine with a small amount of residual sugar (slightly sweet). Not as dry as Brut.

Fault refers to an unpleasant characateristic of wine resulting from a flaw with the winemaking process or storage conditions.

Fermentation is the conversion of grape sugars to alcohol by yeast.

Finish is a tasting term for the lingering aftertaste after a wine has been swallowed.

Free run is the juice obtained from grapes that have not been pressed.

Gewürztraminer is a white wine grape variety from the wine producing region of Alsace in France.

Grenache is a red wine grape of the Rhone Valley of France, and elsewhere (especially Spain ). In the southern Rhone , Grenache replaces Syrah as the most important grape (Syrah being more important in the north).

Hogshead is a wine barrel that holds approximately 239 litres.

Jeroboam is a large bottle holding three litres, the equivalent of four regular wine bottles.

Late picked wine is wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual. Usually an indicator for a very sweet or dessert wine.

Lees is the wine sediment that occurs during and after fermentation, and consists of dead yeast, grape seeds, and other solids. Wine is separated from the lees by racking.

Legs is the term that refers to the tracks of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled. Often said to be related to the alcohol or glycerol content of a wine. Also called tears.

Liqueur de tirage is a French term for a liquid containing sucrose and yeast used to effect the second fermentation in sparkling wine production.

Liqueur d’expedition is a French term for “shipping liquid”, used to top up and possibly sweeten sparkling wine after disgorging. Usually a solution of sucrose in base wine.

Maceration is the contact of grape skins with the must during fermentation, extracting phenolic compounds including tannins, anthocyanins, and aroma. See also cuvaison.

Madeirized is a term referring to a wine showing Madeira-like flavour, generally evidence of oxidation. Sometimes used to describe white wine that has been kept long past its prime.

Magnum is a bottle holding 1.5 litres, the equivalent of two regular wine bottles.

Malolactic fermentation is a secondary fermentation in wines by lactic acid bacteria during which tart tasting malic acid is converted to softer tasting lactic acid.

Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification conferred by The Institute of Masters of Wine, which is located in the United Kingdom.  More people have travelled into space than there are Masters of Wine.

Mead is a wine-like alcoholic beverage made of fermented honey and water rather than grape juice.

Merlot is a variety of wine grape used to create a popular red wine.

Méthode Champenoise is a process whereby sparkling wines receive a second fermentation in the same bottle that will be sold to a retail buyer.

Methuselah is a large bottle holding six litres, the equivalent of eight regular wine bottles.

Microoxygenation is the controlled exposure of wine to small amounts of oxygen in the attempt to reduce the length of time required for maturation.

Midpalate is a tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine when held in the mouth.

Mis en bouteille au château is French for “bottled at the winery”, usually in Bordeaux.

Moelleux is a French term usually used to describe wines of mid level sweetness or liquoreux.

Nose is a tasting term for the aroma or bouquet of a wine.

Nebuchadnezzar is a large bottle holding 15 litres, the equivalent of 20 regular wine bottles.

New world wine is the term for wine produced outside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa (i.e. Australia , Chile , South Africa , United States ).

Oak chips refer to small pieces of oak wood used in place of oak barrels in fermenting and/or ageing wine.

Oenology is the science of wine and winemaking.

Old vine refers to wine produced from vines that are notably old.

Old world wine is the term for wine produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa .

Palate is a tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth.

pH is a measure of the acidity. The lower the pH, the higher the acidity. The term comes from the French Pouvoir Hydrogéne meaning “hydrogen power”. pH is a shorthand for its mathematical approximation: in chemistry a small p is used in place of writing log10 and the H here represents [H+], the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Phylloxera is a minute underground insect that kills grape vines by attacking their roots.

Pomace refers to the skins, stalks, and pips (seeds) that remain after making wine. Also called marc.

Port is a sweet fortified wine, which is produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro region of Portugal . This wine is fortified with the addition of distilled grape spirits in order to boost the alcohol content and stop fermentation thus preserving some of the natural grape sugars. Several imitations are made throughout the world.

Potassium sorbate is a wine stabiliser and preservative.

Punt is the indentation found in the base of a wine bottle. Punt depth is often thought to be related to wine quality, with better quality wines having a deeper punt.

Reserve is a term given to wine to indicate that it is of higher quality than usual.

Residual sugar is the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine. See also sweetness of wine.

Reverse osmosis is a process used to remove excess water from wine.

Riddling, also known as “Rémuage” in French, part of the Méthode Champenoise process whereby bottles of sparkling wine are successively turned and gradually tilted upside down so that sediment settles into the necks of the bottles in preparation for degorgement.

Riesling also known as White Riesling in countries outside of Germany . Riesling is a variety of grape used to make white wine. It is grown mainly in Germany , where the relatively cold climate enables it to produce grapes for some of the best white wines in the world. Riesling grapes are also used also for high quality wines in Austria and can be found in countries like Australia , South Africa and Canada . Riesling is famous for its vivid acidity and fruitiness both in the nose and on the palate.

Rosé wines are produced by shortening the contact period of red wine juice with its skins, resulting in a light red colour. These wines are also made by blending a small amount of red wine with white wine.

Salmanazar is a large bottle holding nine litres, the equivalent of 12 regular wine bottles.

Sangiovese is the main grape for making the Italian wine known as Chianti.

Sec is French for dry, except in the case of Champagne , where it means semi-sweet.

Secondary fermentation is the term is used to refer to the continuation of fermentation in a second vessel – e.g. moving the wine from a stainless steel tank to an oak barrel.

Sherry is a fortified wine that has been subjected to controlled oxidation to produce a distinctive flavour.

Shiraz or Syrah is a variety of grape used to make a distinct red wine.

Sommelier is a trained wine expert who often works in fine restaurants.

Sparkling wine is effervescent wine containing significant levels of carbon dioxide.

Spumante is Italian for “sparkling”.

Still wine is a wine that is not sparkling wine.

Sulfites are compounds (typically: potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite) which are added to wine to prevent oxidation and microbial spoilage.

Sulphur dioxide is a substance used in winemaking as a preservative.

Sweetness of wine is defined by the level of residual sugar in the final liquid after the fermentation has ceased. However, how sweet the wine will actually taste is also controlled by factors such as the acidity and alcohol levels, the amount of tannin present, and whether the wine is sparkling.

Stelvin cap is a metal screw-cap developed by the Alcan Packaging company to replace wine corks to reduce the occurrence of cork tainting. It also incorporates a small ventilation system to allow tiny amounts of air into the wine bottle to aid the wine maturation.

Tannin is a polyphenolic compounds that give wine a bitter, dry, or puckery feeling in the mouth.

Tartaric acid is the most important acid found in grapes.

Terroir is French for “soil”, the physical and geographical characteristics of a particular vineyard site that give the resultant wine its unique properties.

Vintage is the year in which a particular wine’s grapes were harvested. When a vintage year is indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year.

Ullage is the term used to describe the fill level of wine in a bottle. Here is how Wine Auction House describe fill levels.

• Into the neck
  If no fill level is indicated, that means that the wine level is higher than the base neck.  We do not generally differentiate between levels that are in the neck since much of that difference can be due to variations in fills at the time of bottling. We consider anything that is into the neck to be a perfect fill level for any bottle of any age.
• Base of neck
  Indicates either a slightly low fill at the time of bottling and/or a slight natural reduction due to an easing of cork and evaporation through cork and capsule. This is still a good fill level for any wine more than 20 years old.
• Very high shoulder
  On the very high slope of the shoulder, this is a very good and acceptable fill level for wines 25 years of age and older. It is a very good fill level for wines 35 years of age and older.
• High shoulder
  Generally OK for bottles around 30 years age or older.  If the bottle is substantially younger there could be a risk of oxidisation.
• Mid shoulder
  Suggests ullage during the life of the wine due to easing of the cork and/or inconsistent storage conditions. Though this may be normal for a wine that is 40 years old or older, it is still risky as it may not be drinkable.
• Low shoulder
  This is a poor fill level for any wine.
• Two centimetres or less
  Considered an excellent fill for any age and does not need to be mentioned.
• Three centimetres or less
  A perfectly normal fill for wines 12 years of age and older. It is an excellent fill level for wines 25 years of age or older.
• Four centimetres or less
  Considered a normal fill for wines more than 20 years old and excellent for wines more than 35 years old. However, it should be cause for concern in wines 15 years old and younger.
• Five centimetres or less
  Not uncommon in older wines of 30 years and more. However, at this level, some oxidation is likely to have occurred and the remaining wine may be fragile at best and undrinkable at worst.
• Six centimetres or more. This is a poor fill level for any wine.

Unoaked or unwooded , refers to wines that have been matured without contact with wood/oak such as in aging barrels.

Varietal is a term for wines made from a single grape variety.

Vertical and horizontal wine tasting are two tasting formats. In a vertical tasting, different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery are tasted. This emphasizes differences between various vintages. In a horizontal tasting, the wines are all from the same vintage but are from different wineries. Keeping wine variety or type and wine region the same helps emphasize differences in winery styles.

Vigneron is French for vine grower.

Vin is French for wine.

Viniculture is the art and science of making wine. Also called enology (or oenology). Not to be confused with viticulture.

Vinification is the process of making grape juice into wine.

Vintage is the year in which a particular wine’s grapes were harvested. When a vintage year is indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year.

Vintner is someone who makes or sells wine. A wine merchant.

Viticulture is the cultivation of grapes. Not to be confused with viniculture.

Volatile acidity is the level of acetic acid present within a wine.

Waiter’s friend is a popular type of corkscrew used commonly in the hospitality industry.

Wine fault is an undesirable characteristic in wine caused by poor winemaking techniques or storage conditions.

Wine-press is a device, comprising two vats or receptacles, one for trodding and bruising grapes, and the other for collecting the juice.

Yeast is a microscopic unicellular fungi responsible for the conversion of sugars in must to alcohol. This process is known as alcoholic fermentation.

Young refers to wine that is not matured and usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage.

Zymology is the science of fermentation.

AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPENSIVE WINES

Australia’s most expensive wines. The prices shown are the RRP$ upon release of the wine for a single 750ml bottle. Older wines, for example the 1951 Penfolds Grange can fetch $50,000 per bottle, highly sought wines that sell on the secondary market such as the 1951 Penfolds Grange have not been included.

Some Australian wines do increase in value for any one of a number of reasons, such as;

high ratings from a wine critic, a James Halliday rated 97 point wine usually creates a buying frenzy and headlines. Wine collectors will drop everything to seae net for availability or make a phone call and secure a case.

a Robert Parker Jnr rating of 99/100 or 100/100 generally sets off another buying frenzy.

limited quantities for a particular vintage, such as the 2002 Seppelt St Peter’s. 2002 was an excellent vintage and the 2002 St Peter’s shiraz is one of the best Victoria Shiraz’s made, sadly production was limited to only 500 cases. Another example is the 2007 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, only 1500 bottles were released, Clonakilla HQ went into melt down upon release of this wine. Both James Halliday and Jeremy Oliver awarded this wine 97 points.

iconic wines such as Wendouree Shiraz, Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, Penfolds Bin 707 and Noon Reserve Shiraz from the best of the best vintages, such vintages being 1990, 1998 and 2004.

wines that are made in tiny volumes such as Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir, Domaine Epis Pinot Noir, Noon Reserve Shiraz and Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon. Generally there isn’t enough to go around and satisfy demand.

available to mailing list customers only and there is a 10 year wait to get on the mailing list, Rockford, Wendouree & Noon.

can or will an every day, average $20.00 bottle of wine be worth $100.00 in two or three years time? Unless one or more of the above circumstances apply the answer is no, and generally it will be worth less than the purchase price, so drink up.

• Chris Ringland Shiraz. $1000.00
• Penfolds Special Bin 620. $1000.00
• Torbreck’s The Laird. $700.00
• Penfolds Grange Bin 95. $650.00
• Henschke Hill of Grace. $570.00
• Clarendon Hills Astralis. $515.00
• Penfolds Bin 60A. $495.00
• Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir. $400.00
• Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. $350.00
• Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz. $216.00
• Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon. $216.00
• Jim Barry The Armagh. $205.00
• Two Hands Ares Barossa Valley Shiraz. $165.00

GREAT AUSTRALIAN WINES

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir, Gippsland – VIC

Regarded as Australia’s best Pinot Noir, this wine is made from five rows of vines, it is unfiltered and matured in Alliers oak for 20 months. Made in minute quantities, if you are searching for a bottle to buy and you happen to find a bottle or two for sale, I’d recommend that you buy them as it is one of the hardest Australian wines to find for sale.  If Pinot Noir is your favourite wine it is well worth paying the entry price.

Best’s Thomson Family Shiraz, Grampians – VIC.

A wine made predominately from 15 rows of vines which were planted in the late 1860’s, the Thomson Family Shiraz is one of VICtoria’s if not Australia’s super premium shiraz’s. Matured in 50% new and 50% old American oak for 24 months, the Thomson Family Shiraz will cellar for 25 years or more. These priceless old vines are located in Concongella Vineyard, in the Grampians region of VICtoria. Thomson Family Shiraz is made in miniscule quantities, this is a very highly regarded wine which is eagerly sought by wine collectors. A top shelf wine.

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River – WA.

Cape Mentelle’s produces a Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional quality and consistency. The wine is made from a single vineyard which was planted in the early 1970’s. Matured in French oak for up to 2 years this is a great Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, displaying regional characteristics and will reward with extended cellaring. A great Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra – ACT.

Australia’s benchmark Shiraz Viognier which has a very loyal following. Winemaker Tim Kirk consistently produces a very high quality wine which has recently got all the critics raving.  It is one of James Halliday’s favourite wines. The Viognier component of this wine now accounts for between 5% and 10%. The Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is matured in French oak, it is a very aromatic wine and is a splendid drinking experience. Handing a bottle of this wine to someone for their 40th or 50th birthday would be a top call.  The best vintages will cellar for many years, 20+

Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz, McLaren Vale – SA.

Sourced from a single vineyard in the McLaren Vale wine region in South Australia, the vines were planted in 1919. Coriole Reserve Shiraz is matured in French oak, approximately 40% is new. This is a wine of great intensity and will cellar for many years. The 2002 vintage was the first Lloyd Reserve Shiraz produced using French oak rather than American oak.

Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Margaret River – WA.

From vines planted in 1971, this beautiful wine is generally a blend of about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Matured in new and one year old French oak for 18 months, the wine is deeply coloured with great depth of flavour, fine grain tannins and outstanding cellaring potential. The philosophy of Cullen Wines is to search for the best quality expression of the vineyard in the wine. The maritime climate, rocky soils, dry farming, and biodynamic practices all help to create individual and diverse wine styles which are unique to Cullen. The best vintages of this wine will cellar for in excess of 35 years.

Dalwhinnie, Moonambel Shiraz, Pyrenees – VIC

Dalwhinnie’s Moonambel Shiraz is a high class wine made from vines planted in 1976 in the Pyreness wine region of VICtoria. The vineyard is situated in a unique amphitheatre that has its own meso climate. The site is totally frost free and allows the fruit to reach complete physiological ripeness in 9 out of 10 years which is very important in establishing a long term premium label. The fruit is basket pressed and the wine is matured in a combination of new and old French and American oak for up to 16 months.

d’Arenberg, The Dead Arm Shiraz ,McLaren Vale – SA

The Dead Arm is a vine disease that randomly effects vineyards all over the world. Vines affected are often severely pruned or replanted. One half, or an arm of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side maybe lifeless but the remaining side of the vine produces fruit with amazing intensity. Traditional foot treading takes place prior to basket pressing and the wine is matured in new and aged French and American oak for 20 months. Every barrel is tasted and only the best barrels are selected to be bottled as The Dead Arm.

Giaconda, Chardonnay, Beechworth – VIC

First released in 1986, Giaconda Chardonnay is considered to be one of Australia’s best Chardonnay’s. Located in the Beechworth wine region, north eastern VICtoria, the Giaconda Vineyard is nestled in a small valley. Wine Maker Rick Kinzbrunner purchased the land and planted 3Ha of vines in the early 1980’s; there are now 6ha under vines at Giaconda. These are rare long lived Chardonnay’s; expect a complex wine with a creamy structure and mineral notes. These wines are still quite fresh and youthful after 10 years of cellaring.

Grosset, Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley – SA

Grosset Polish Hill is a single site wine from the Polish Hill vineyard, planted at 460 metres above sea level on sandy loam over shallow clay with underlying gravel, shale and slate. It has been made each year since 1981. This is an exceptionally powerful and vibrant dry riesling, drinking beautifully when young but with the structure to reward those who wish to cellar this wine for up to fifteen years.

Hardy’s, Eileen Hardy Shiraz, McLaren Vale – SA

Eileen Hardy Shiraz was first released as a Cabernet Sauvignon but it is now a Shiraz made from the best parcels of fruit from the McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Padthaway wine regions in South Australia and the Franklin River wine region in Western Australia. The wine is matured in 100% French oak for about 18 to 20 months and the Eileen Hardy Shiraz is a very opulent and perfumed wine. Eileen Hardy’s Shiraz should comfortably cellar for 20 years.

Henschke, Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley – SA

An exceptional wine, steeped in history and tradition, this is one of Australia’s finest shiraz’s. The 8ha Hill of Grace Vineyard (4ha planted to shiraz) with vines planted in the 1860’s, is located in the Eden Valley, South Australia, about 4kms from Henschke cellars. Cyril Henschke, the fourth generation, made the first single-vineyard wine from these vines in 1958. The original vines are now over 145 years old. The grapes are hand picked and the wine is matured in new American and French oak hogsheads for 18 months, sometimes longer, depending on the vintage. The wine is then blended and bottled. Hill of Grace is a highly sought wine, it sits alongside Penfolds Grange as an iconic Australian wine.

Henschke, Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Eden Valley – SA

Mount Edelstone shiraz is regarded as one of Australia’s great single vineyard wines. Located in the Eden Valley, South Australia, the Mount Edelstone Vineyard was planted in 1912. These priceless old vines produce a Mount Edelstone Shiraz with depth of colour, concentration of flavour and maturity of tannins unique to old-vine shiraz. Matured in predominately new French and American oak hogsheads, Mount Edelstone Shiraz is a highly regarded wine. Wine collectors love this wine.

Jasper Hill, Emily’s Paddock Shiraz Cabernet Franc, Heathcote – Vic

Jasper Hill, the winery that has placed the Heathcote region firmly in the minds of Shiraz lovers around the world. So much so that the legendary Chapoutier’s of the Rhone Valley have invested in a joint venture with Jasper Hill founders’ Ron and Elva Laughton to develop a vineyard adjacent to the existing property. Beyond the sensational site, it’s the commitment to low yields, dry farming and non-interventionist, organic viticultural practices that place this estate among the top few Australian Shiraz producers. The Laughtons know the vineyard inside out, establishing it themselves in 1975 (they went as far as to hand build their own home on the property) and then nurturing the vines back to health after bushfires ravaged the estate in 1987. Jasper Hill’s two vineyard sites, around one mile apart, are named after their daughters Emily and Georgia.

Jasper Hill, Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz, Heathcote – Vic

Jasper Hill, the winery that has placed the Heathcote region firmly in the minds of Shiraz lovers around the world. So much so that the legendary Chapoutier’s of the Rhone Valley have invested in a joint venture with Jasper Hill founders’ Ron and Elva Laughton to develop a vineyard adjacent to the existing property. Beyond the sensational site, it’s the commitment to low yields, dry farming and non-interventionist, organic viticultural practices that place this estate among the top few Australian Shiraz producers. The Laughtons know the vineyard inside out, establishing it themselves in 1975 (they went as far as to hand build their own home on the property) and then nurturing the vines back to health after bushfires ravaged the estate in 1987. Jasper Hill’s two vineyard sites, around one mile apart, are named after their daughters Emily and Georgia.

Jim Barry, The Armagh Shiraz, Clare Valley – SA

The name of ‘Armagh’ was bestowed by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849, and named the lush rolling hill after their homeland.  The vineyard was planted by Jim Barry in 1968 with shiraz clones originally sourced from Israel, the vineyard yields less than 2 tonnes per acre. The soil is sandy-gravel and receives an average rainfall of 24 inches per year. The vineyard lies on a north-west facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the fruit is always fully ripened when picked.  The Armagh is a powerful, intense and very high quality Clare Valley Shiraz.  The wine is matured in new American and French oak for 12 to 14 months. This is a top notch wine that his highly regarded and will cellar for many years.

Katnook Odyssey Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra – SA

Katnook Odyssey Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Katnook Estate’s two iconic wines, the other being Prodigy Shiraz. Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon was first released in 1996 from the 1991 vintage – to celebrate the centenary of the first vintage in Katnook’s woolshed. Odyssey defines quintessential Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from the region’s distinctive terra rossa soils and crafted with the luxury of great attention to detail. Matured for 3 years or longer in American and French oak or just French oak (as in the 2000 vintage). Katnook Estate’s Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Australia’s premier Cabernet Sauvignon’s.

Langmeil, The Freedom 1843 Shiraz, Barossa Valley – SA

This is a great Barossa Valley Shiraz, made from what are believed to be the oldest shiraz vines in the world, a small 3.5 acre vineyard, planted in 1843. The Freedom 1843 Shiraz has been a single vineyard wine since 1997 and it’s a very classy wine. The priceless vines are hand pruned and the fruit is hand picked. The vineyard produces a low yielding crop of 1.5 to 2 tonnes of fruit per acre in optimum vintages; thereby producing fruit with very intense colour and flavour. The Freedom 1843 Shiraz is a fantastic wine which is eagerly sought by wine collectors, matured in a combination of French and American oak this wine will cellar for many years.

Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River – WA

Produced from a vineyard at Leeuwin Estate known as Block 20, this is without doubt Australia’s best Chardonnay. Matured in French oak for approximately 12 months, it is consistently brilliant. Expect a creamy palate with stone fruit, citrus and melon flavours. The Art Series Chardonnay is a rare long lived Chardonnay that always receives high ratings from wine critics, great value for money.

Majella, Malleea Cabernet Sauvignon – Shiraz, Coonawarra – SA

The Malleea” by Majella is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz it continues the great Australian tradition of this blend. Majella uses the ripest parcels of fruit from their oldest vines, ferment them gently in a modern fermentation cellar, and then finish off the ferment in new French oak hogsheads. The wine is then aged for another 29 months in these barrels before bottling in imported fine Italian bottles.

Mitchelton, Print Label Shiraz, Nagambie Lakes – VIC

Print Label is the pinnacle of wine making at Mitchelton. Select parcels of fruit from low-yielding vines on the oldest blocks of the Mitchelton estate are harvested in small batches. All combine to create this finest and most distinctive example of VICtorian Shiraz. Print Shiraz is a finely boned wine which balances the power of fruit and a delicacy of structure. It displays intense deep purple and violet hues. Rich aromas of brandied cherries, smoky charcutterrie and Christmas pudding accentuate the opulence of the wine. The wine is matured for 18 months in French oak (50% New & 50% two year old).

Moss Wood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River – WA

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon’s. Matured in French oak for 24 months, Moss Wood includes up to a combined total 4% of Cabernet Franc for its cherry like fruit aromas and 4% of Petit Verdot for its berry aromas and firmer structure. This wine is very perfumed and finely structured, a truly great Cabernet Sauvignon. The best vintages will start to reveal themsleves after 15 years of cellaring, but will cellar for 25 years before reaching full maturity.

Mount Mary, Quintet, Yarra Valley – VIC.

One of Australia’s best wines and a regular on Qantas First Class. Mount Mary Quintet is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pettit Verdot and Malbec. Sold via mailing list, this wine is made in small quantities and has a very loyal following. The fruit comes from vines at Mount Mary vineyard which was planted in the mid 1970’s. The wine is matured in French oak for 22 months, 25% of the blend in large 1500 litre – or larger barrels, and 30% in new 225 litre barriques. The Quintet is a long lived; a fine and elegant wine with lower alcohol levels, usually around the 12.0% and 13.0% alc/vol which makes for a nice change come the morning if you happen to consume an entire bottle in one sitting, which is quite easy to do, believe me!

Mount Mary, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley – VIC

Mount Mary Pinot’s are very classy and stylish, they are produced in small quantities from vines planted in 1972 at Mount Mary. Mount Mary’s Pinot vines were sourced from Western Victoria in 1971 and Mount Mary’s plantings are a mixture of many clones. The wine possess typically strong Pinot Noir varietal characters and it does benefit from cellaring. Matured in oak, 25% of the blend in large 1500L and 15% in new barriques 225L. Fine and elegant, this is one of Australia’s best Pinot Noir’s and a great drinking experience.

Mount Mary, Chardonnay, Yarra Valley – VIC

Mount Mary’s Chardonnay is one of few Chardonnay’s which can be confidently cellared for many years. The wine develops more creaminess, complexity and richness when cellared but when consumed young the wine is very approachable but a touch lean and minerally. 20% of the Mount Mary Chardonnay is matured in French barriques for 10 months, with the remainder in older barrels and large casks 1500L. Consistently rated highly by wine critics; it is one of Australia’s best white wines, available by those who are registered on the mailing list at Mount Mary.

Mount Pleasant, Maurice O’Shea Shiraz – Hunter Valley – NSW

First produced in 1987 this wine is made as a tribute to legendary winemaker Maurice O’Shea. Made from vines in the ‘Old Hill’ Vineyard planted in 1880 and another small portion of vines planted by Maurice O’Shea in 1921 ‘The Old Paddock’. This is a great Hunter Valley Shiraz which is matured in new American and French Hogsheads. The 2000 vintage is a classic wine with a great cellaring future.

Penfolds, Grange Bin 95 Shiraz, Barossa Valley & Multi Region – SA

Penfolds Grange, Bin 95 Shiraz, Australia’s most recognised wine around the world. Penfolds Grange is a multi regional blend, with large portions of fruit coming from the Barossa Valley and is made from the best fruit available to Penfolds. Grange is predominately Shiraz however, small quantities (up to 10%) but more recently around the 1.5% to 2.0% of Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with the Shiraz. The 1999 vintage Grange is a 100% Shiraz wine, one of only two such vintages. The wine is matured in new American oak for around 14 months then bottled and cellared for 5 years before release. Grange is a big and powerful wine, if drunk in its youth it requires decanting hours before consuming. Some of the ‘A’ grade vintages, such as 2004, 2002, 1998, 1996, 1991, 1990 1986, 1983, 1976, 1971, 1966, 1963, 1962 and 1955 will cellar for 40 years or more. Penfolds Grange is the sort of wine many people buy and put in their trophy cabinet.

Penfolds, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi Region Blend – SA

A wine of immense concentration, power and richness, regarded by many as Australia’s benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1998 vintage Bin 707 is said to be the perfect Cabernet Sauvignon. Bin 707 is a wine that develops into a wonderfully complex and engaging wine. It is a multi-regional blend wine, only the best parcels of fruit are selected and wine makers are looking for ripe Cabernet characters, concentration and chocolaty tannin structures. Only released in years where the fruit passes extremely high standards, Bin 707 is matured in American oak for about 14 months and should rest in your cellar for many many years. Not released in 2000 or 2003 or 2011.

Penfolds, RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley – SA

RWT, stands for Red Wine Trial, an unusual name for such a top notch wine, but it is a wine that is rapidly making an impressive name for itself. The RWT is very different to Grange – as it is matured in French oak (Grange in American oak) and is Barossa Valley fruit only. The RWT sits below Penfolds Grange in the Penfolds ‘chain of command’ however, it is such a good wine and is highly sought by wine collectors. Some critics believe that the best Barossa Valley vintages can produce a better RWT than some not so great Grange vintage’s, for example the 1998 RWT and the 1997 Grange. If you don’t want to pay $500 for a Grange then perhaps the RWT for around $150.00 is for you.

Penfolds, St Henri Shiraz, Multi Region – SA

St Henri is a beautiful elegant wine, a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, strangely enough St Henri wines are quite under rated and represent excellent value for money. The first commercial release of St Henri was in 1957. Penfolds have worked as long and hard with St Henri as they have with Grange. The wine is matured for 18 months in large 50 year old 1460 litre oak vats. After 10 to 15 years of cellaring, St Henri is said to have similarities to Grange, they certainly possess that ‘Penfolds style’. Labelled Claret until the 1989 vintage, the best vintages of St Henri such as 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 should cellar for at least 35 years.  Think about this, you can have six of these for the price of one Grange.

Penfolds, Yattarna Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills – SA

Yattarna Chardonnay is Penfolds flagship white wine. Designated Bin 144 and also nick named the ‘White Grange’ by wine writers and the media because of the amount of work the Penfolds Wine Making team put into this wine in the early 1990’s. Yattarna is generally a Multi-district blend made from the best available fruit each vintage. Penfolds have used fruit from Henty in VICtoria, Derwent in Tasmania however fruit for Yattarna is primarily sourced from the Adelaide Hills region in South Australia. Yattarna Chardonnay is a fine and elegant wine which should cellar comfortably for 8 to 10 years from release.

Penfolds, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, Multi Region – SA

Penfolds Bin 389 is a multi regional blend from South Australia. Often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’ because some of this wine is matured in American oak barrels that contained the previous vintage Grange. Bin 389 is an Australian favourite, wine collectors love it, because it is great value for money, it is reliable and cellars remarkably well. The Bin 389 is a medium to full bodied wine, of typical Penfolds style, dark fruits, richness and intergration of new oak. The 1996 and 1998 vintages are both exceptional wines, they truly are amazing value for money. The 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintage’s will all be great Bin 389’s for your cellar.

Pierro, Chardonnay, Margaret River – WA

Pierro Chardonnay is one of Australia’s great Chardonnay’s. At the winery there are three distinct blocks of chardonnay on the property. About 95% of the Pierro Chardonnay is the Gin Gin clone, which produces the best quality wine, and one that has been particularly successful in Margaret River. Wine Maker Mike Peterkin puts his Chardonnay through one hundred per cent malolactic fermentation which helps achieve superior texture, mouth feel and a more refined and persistent flavour. The wine has won many awards over the years and is well entrenched in the top three Chardonnays of Australia. Pierro Chardonnay is a wine of great finesse yet impressive power, tight structure yet generosity of flavour; ripe melony, peachy characters yet noticeable restraint and subtlety; an unctuous mouth-feel yet with taut, fine acidity on the finish.

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, Barossa Valley – SA

Rockford Wines, located in the Barossa Valley, South Australia makes some of the finest shiraz in Australia. Rockford’s Basket Press Shiraz is made from vines that are between 60 and 140 years of age. Fruit for the Basket Press Shiraz is sourced from a number of local growers, many of the best dry grown old vine Shiraz vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The wine is hand made, matured in both French and American oak, it is a wine of great power and richness, with strong ripe blackberry and chocolaty flavours. Rockford also make a Black Shiraz, a sparkling red that is almost black in colour. Both the Basket Press and Black Shiraz are exceptional wines.

Seppelt, St Peters Shiraz, Grampians – VIC

St Peters, Grampians Shiraz, is a legendary wine from the House of Seppelt that combines low yielding old vines with one and a half centuries of experience. This is a wine that embraces the distinctive style of the Grampians region in Western VICtoria and demonstrates the affinity between the Great Western vineyards and flavour and immense ageing potential. St Peters Shiraz is clearly one of the best value for money premium wines available in Australia. The fruit is sourced from the Imperial and Police vineyard’s at Great Western and the wine is matured in French oak (60% new and 40% 1 and 2 years old) for 18 months. The Grampians region in western VICtoria is an outstanding region for shiraz.

Tahbilk, ‘1860 Vines’ Shiraz, Nagambie Lakes – VIC

First released in 1979, Tahbilk’s ‘1860 Vines’ Shiraz is produced from a 1/2 hectare un-grafted, pre-phylloxera original Estate planting – amongst the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Handpicked and fermented in century old oak vats. Matured in French oak for 18 months prior to bottling and then a further 4 years ‘bottle-aging’ before release. Appropriately an original Tahbilk label dating back to the 1870’s has been tailored for this rare and unique wine.

Tim Adams, The Aberfeldy Shiraz, Clare Valley – SA

The Aberfeldy vineyard is a unique site – friable red loam over limestone nestled at the bottom of the easternmost hills of the Clare Valley, just five kilometres south-east of the Clare township. When the Birks family of Wendouree fame settled the area they planted this site with Shiraz in 1904. Many of these vines remain and those which have perished have been replaced with root lings of the same clones. The cropping level in the vineyard is never more than 1.5 tonnes per acre, producing grapes with intense colour, flavour and tannins. After basket pressing the wine spends 12 months in one-year-old oak, mostly American, before transfer to new three to four years air dried American oak for a further eight months. This is a powerful and masculine wine.

Tyrrell’s, Vat 47 Chardonnay, Hunter Valley – NSW

Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay is a rich Chardonnay with white nectarine stone fruit characters on the nose throughout the entire palate, with an underlying savoury lift from subtle oak usage. The fruit for Vat 47 comes from 3 separate vineyards, the HVD Vineyard, planted with the original Penfold clone in 1923, the NVC Vineyard and Tyrrell’s Short Flat. The wine is matured in new French oak for between 3 and 7 months. No malolactic fermentation ensures a balanced and tight wine style with lingering fresh acidity that promises to age well.

Wendouree, Shiraz, Clare Valley – SA

Made in minute quantities and regarded by many wine enthusiasts as Australia’s best Shiraz, Wendouree Shiraz is made from bush vines planted in 1893 and 1919. This is a long lived wine, the best and most recent vintages are very approachable upon release, however these wines will benefit from extended cellaring. Wendouree is an iconic producer of red wine. It is quite difficult finding a bottle of Wendouree Shiraz for sale, as it is only released from the winery and to those on the mailing list.

Wendouree, Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley – SA

A straight Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted in the 1970’s, the wine is matured in new (25%) and used French oak for 12 months. There isn’t a lot of this wine made, it is only the long term mailing list customers at Wendouree who have any chance of securing up to the 6 bottle allocation upon release.  This is a highly sought wine which really does require extended cellaring, a minimum of 15 years.  If you own a few bottles of Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon then start bragging about them during your next wine discussion!

Wirra Wirra, RSW Shiraz, McLaren Vale – SA.

Named after Robert Strangways Wigley, a noted South Australian cricketer who established Wirra Wirra in 1894. Matured in predominately French oak and a small amount of American oak, this is a great wine from a region that is blessed with climatic conditions and soil types for growing Shiraz. Very well priced – a great wine for your cellar.

Wolf Blass, Platinum Label Shiraz, Various Regions – SA

The wine making team at Wolf Blass have identified a small number of vineyards in the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills regions as ‘Platinum selected’ vineyards which are amongst the best in Australia capable of providing fruit for this unique Shiraz. These vineyards produce the greatest, most intense shiraz fruit and are now set aside for this label. Platinum Label Shiraz is matured in new and one year old French oak barriques, from a variety of forests and with a combination of toast levels for up to 20 months. Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz was first released in 1998 and has already established itself as a great Australian wine.

Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra – SA

John Riddoch is the definitive Cabernet Sauvignon of Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate. Using only the top 1% of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit available and only in years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available. Matured in French oak for up to 26 months, in its youth John Riddoch is intense almost black in colour. Rich ripe and complex this immensely powerful Cabernet Sauvignon requires long term cellaring – 10 to 20 years to fully appreciate its complexity. Recent vintages are 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate, Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra – SA

Only produced in exceptional vintage’s using the top 1% of Coonawarra shiraz available the Wynn’s Michael Shiraz is matured in American oak for up to 18 months. It is deep red in colour with strong mulberry, peppery Shiraz berry aromas enriched with coffee bean American oak in the nose. The palate is rich and full bodied with sweet ripe fruit contained with in a firm, superbly balanced tannin structure that will grow in complexity with 10 to 15 years of bottle age. Recent vintages are 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Yalumba, The Octavius Shiraz, Barossa Valley – SA.

From Australia’s oldest family owned winery comes a very highly regarded Shiraz, which its inaugural vintage was only back in 1990. The Octavius is made from fruit which is sourced from a number of very old vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The wine is matured in 90 litre American oak barrels and is the only red wine in the world matured in such small oak barrels. Yalumba has its own cooperage at the winery and the oak used for these octave barrels is seasoned for 8 years before being made into barrels.

Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1, Yarra Valley – VIC.

Classic claret-style. This is the blend on which Yarra Yering’s reputation was initially built. Always medium-bodied and low in alcohol suggesting delicacy, but nonetheless is a sleeping powerhouse of precision, intensity & concentration that demands a requisite amount of time in bottle to unfurl & allow the drinker in. Principally Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Malbec and a little Petit Verdot added, it swallows every ounce of its 100% new oak and sniggers “Is that all you’ve got?” Consistently of the highest order in its balance and depth of flavour. Jancis Robinson has included this blend in her 1989 book of the world’s top 40 wines.