The Auswine Forum

A little variant on the 'best thread'

What dozen bottles would you choose to showcase Australia to someone who had no knowledge and was open to exploring?

Not intended to be the 'best of the best', but 12 bottles you've drunk yourself, to convince someone Australian wines were worthy of interest. Value can be a factor, as a great wine at a very fair price is surely a strong selling point. On the flip side of the coin, don't feel constrained to avoid a pricey wine if you feel it is utterly special.

and I'll throw that invitation out to Gavin to think about as well, as maybe it's an idea for a mixed case to put together, based on his dozen.

I would say get a variety of grapes and a variety of regions. This is some suggestions

Semillon - Tyrrells Vat 1, Andrew Thomas Braemore or Keith Tulloch
Riesling - Pikes the Merle, Grosset Watervale
Chardonnay - Leeuwin Art Series, Cullen Kevin John
Shiraz Cabernet - this is the aussie blend. Penfolds 389, Rockford Rod and Spur.
Shiraz - too much to pick from. St Hallett Blackwell, Eperosa Elevation, Tim Adams Aberfeldy, Bests Bin 0,
Cabernet - Wynns Black Label, Woodlands Margaret, Houghton Jack Mann
Pinot - Hoddles Creek 1er, Dexter

Assuming I can get well cellared (and TCA free!) bottles, I'd have to showcase some old stuff. I'd love to put the likes of Bin 60A 1962, Woodleys Treasure Chest 1955 etc on the list, but that's OTT so I'll try to keep it more realistic. All wines I have tasted and loved.

Arras E.J.Carr Late Disgorged 2000
Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon 1998
McWilliams Mt Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1986
Crawford River Reserve Riesling 2005
Tyrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay 1994
Lethbridge Chardonnay 2012
Bass Philip Premium Pinot Noir 2009
Tyrrell's 4 Acres Shiraz 2007
Best's Thomson Family Shiraz 2010
Penfolds Grange 1971 or 1967
Wynns John Riddoch Cab Sav 1982
Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Muscat (Or if I can find it, Seppelt Para 1888 )

So many others I could swap in, Giaconda Chardonnay, a younger and older Clare Riesling, a Shiraz Cab Blend like Anaperenna 2006, some great 'hipster generation' wines like Jauma etc etc

Hmm, this sounds like an idea for a future offline...

Cheers
TiggerK

Approaching this from the perspective of "regardless of the current vintage" and my own perceived value for money:

Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz (only because 4 acres is essentially sold out before it is even released, regardless, benchmark)
Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon (benchmark)
Hoddles Creek Pinot 1er (value)
Ochota Barrells 'Fugazi Vineyard' Grenache (fresh surprise)
Luke Lambert Chardonnay (style)
Fraser Gallop 'Parterre' Cabernet (value)
Domenica Nebbiolo (style)
Blue Poles 'Allouran' Merlot/Cab Franc (value)
Head Wines 'The Contrarian' Shiraz (style)
Lake's Folly Cabernets (unique)
Leo Buring 'Leonay' Reisling (value)
Mayford Tempranillo (surprise)

No particular vintages, mine would include the following:

Henschke Hill of Grace
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
Taylors St Andrews Shiraz
Yalumba Signature
Rockford Basket Press
Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon
Parish Vineyard Riesling (Tasmania)
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakridge 864 Chardonnay
Penfolds Grange
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir

Ian S wrote:What dozen bottles would you choose to showcase Australia to someone who had no knowledge and was open to exploring?

The unfortunate thing is that most people overseas have been given the wrong impression about what Aussie wine is all about thanks to labels like Yellow Tail. They even had an ad for it at the Super Bowl. The association of Australia with cheap plonk continues. It's also very hard to buy good quality Australian wine overseas, so even those who are open to exploring are hindered by availability. What is available tends to be Barossan fruit bombs.

On the local scene, most people's ideas of what Aussie wine is about is limited to what's available at their local Colesworth. Not a good representation there either.

I'm with Cactus and TiggerK. If I were to showcase Aussie wines to someone I would include a diverse selection of wines that shows all the different terroirs we have, with some aged bottles in the mix. I think they got the mix of Aussie wines about right at the last Len Evans Tutorial -http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15335

sch5252 wrote:No particular vintages, mine would include the following:

Henschke Hill of Grace
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
Taylors St Andrews Shiraz
Yalumba Signature
Rockford Basket Press
Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon
Parish Vineyard Riesling (Tasmania)
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakridge 864 Chardonnay
Penfolds Grange
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir

Difficult to argue with this listing. Any Aussie wine snob would be proud to market this dozen.

Assuming modern vintages, but somewhere near peak aged drinking:

Arras Grand Vintage
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon
Crawford River Riesling
Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne
Leeuwin Estate Art Chardonnay
Delamere Pinot Noir
Domaine Simha Cab Franc
Wynns V&A Cab/Shiraz
Mount Mary Quintet
Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz
Penfolds Grange
Morris Old Premium Muscat

-I'm hugely impressed with riesling out of Drumborg; they seem more dimensional than the overtly-citric Clare icons.
-Tasmanian pinot will soon become the standard-bearer for Oz.
-You could nearly make a whole case alone out of Simha's fabulous skin-contact rieslings, orange chenins, and weirdly funky pinots. The franc is gorgeous, though they seem between vintages (or they've lost vineyard access) on the website just now.
-Too many of the classic Oz Cab/Shz blends seem over-oaked or over-alcoholed to me lately. Or too simply coconutty & one-dimensional (Malleea, Signature, Anaperenna, Bin 389, Jacob's Johann). An old Bin 389 would be great (1990) but I'm assuming recent vintages, so Wynns is a bit of a default.
-There are a number of other Hunter options; the 1946 vine Mount Pleasant reds, Tyrrells Old Patch.
-Morris gets the nod over Chambers or Campbells Merchant Prince on value grounds only.

I struggle to think of a local grenache or GSM blend to really impress me, although it feels like one should be here somehow.
cheers,
GG

Ozzie W wrote:

Ian S wrote:What dozen bottles would you choose to showcase Australia to someone who had no knowledge and was open to exploring?

The unfortunate thing is that most people overseas have been given the wrong impression about what Aussie wine is all about thanks to labels like Yellow Tail.

and not just at the bottom end of the market. 'Soup'ercharged shiraz the likes of which went into America via The Grateful Palate set a mindset for many of them, that luckily only partially gained ground over here.

Despite the exchange rate being worse (for us) than it was a decade ago, there are still plenty of wines that are equivalent to Aussie prices and at times (blame WET) they are cheaper over here On the downside, some never make it here e.g. most of Seppelt's range, plus plenty of interesting smaller producers.

I do think one angle for the dozen, would be to strongly represent the wines away from the normal impression given.

I'll have a bash myself, but the reality is I see / taste too little to get to the sort of case it should be:
Wynns Black label CS
Woodlands Margaret. Both this and the above wine are wonderful value.
Primo Joseph sparkling red
Whatever Hunter Semillon we can get - let's say Tyrrell's Stevens vineyard
Tahbilk Marsanne
Delatite Riesling (I've not tasted this in over a decade, but the memory lingers on)
A fortified from Rutherglen - I've yet to taste a 'rare', I'll choose a Muscat because I hate the forced new Tokay name Topaque. I've had more of the Seppelts(field) Grand than any other, so let's slot that in. Not the best (the Merchant Prince certainly better), but the price is good.
I have to have something from Best's in there, but possibly the Cabernet Franc for something different (though I do very much like their CS - perhaps more than their Shiraz )
One of the old Taltarnis - made with forceful tannins - let's say mid-late 1980s. To stick two fingers up to the 'Aussie wines are fruit bombs' brigade.
Cullen Chardonnay
Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling (another wonderful bargain, for a great Riesling)
Finishing with a Shiraz from either the Hunter (say Tower Estate) or Victoria (Craiglee), each noticeably different from the clichéd view of Shiraz.

I'm certainly missing much of what has emerged over the last decade, and think there ought to be a place for something more radical.

From my point of view, a list that might showcase the various regions and selection of some of the best examples from those regions and various varietals. Also, a premium selection and a mid range selection.

Premium:
Sparkles:
Arras EJ Carr
Whites:
Tyrrells Vat 1
Seppelt Drumborg Riesling
Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay
Giaconda Chardonnay
Reds:
By Farr Farrside Pinot
Chatto Pinot
Standish 'The Standish'
Marius Symphony
Tyrrells 4A
Moss Wood Cabernet
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet


Mid Level:
Sparkles:
Arras BdB
Whites:
Tahbilk Marsanne
Thomas Braemore Semillon
Burton McMahon 'St George's' Chardonnay
Lethbridge Estate Chardonnay
Ghost Rock Riesling
Reds:
Bay of Fires Pinot
Hoddles Creek Pinot
Samuels Gorge Grenache
Rockford Basket Press
Woodlands Margaret
Wynns BL

Oh, and chuck in a bottle of the Morris Grand Reserve Muscat

Ian S wrote:and not just at the bottom end of the market. 'Soup'ercharged shiraz the likes of which went into America via The Grateful Palate set a mindset for many of them, that luckily only partially gained ground over here.

IIRC Robert Parker awarded 99 points to a Mollydooker wine 5 times. 16-17% ABV
I used to like them way back then when I was first discovering wine. Now it's the antithesis of the styles I enjoy.

Sparkling (white): Arras Grand Vintage
Sparling (red): Primo Joseph
Semillon: Tyrrells Vat 1
Chardonnay: Leeuwin Estate Art Series
Marsanne: Tahbilk 1927 Vines
Riesling: Pewsey Vale Contours
Cabernet/Shiraz: Yalumba Signature
Shiraz: Clonakilla SV
Cabernet: Lakes Folly Cabernets
GSM: Ruggabellus (any of the blends)
Pinot: Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard
Fortified: Morris Old Premium Muscat

interesting hypothetical.

Its a tough one because the folks I have in mind (particularly OS) who I would
present this to would react differently to different combos.
Keeping that in mind and striking a balance;


Crabtree Watervale Riesling
LE chardonnay
Primo Joseph Sparkling
Alpha box and dice blood of jupiter Sang/Cab
Yangarra Estate Old Vine Grenache
Grosset Gaia

Wynns BL Cabernet Sauvignon
Pennies 389
Yalumba Sig
Katnook Estate Prodigy Shiraz
Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz
Morris old rare liquer muscat

Haven't Langtons already done all the hard work for us?? Just ship a mixed case of Exceptional wines.

Grange, HoG, 100YO Seppelt, Giaconda Chardy, LEAS Chardy, Grosset Rizza, Bass Phillip Reserve, Rockford BP, Clonakilla SV, Wynns JR, Wendouree Shiraz, MM Quintets.

I'd be happy with that as a mixed case.

If it's a showcase for people unfamiliar with Aussie wine, I'd probably want to show the diversity and range, so my focus would be on showcasing styles/varieties/regions and some of the uniqueness of Aussie wine style (rather than, as you said Ian, a "best of"):

Semillon: show the traditional Hunter style with age for it's uniqueness (Tyrrell's Semillon Vat 1)

Riesling: show the (internationally) pretty unique Clare/Eden style (Pewsey Vale Contours or Petaluma Hanlin Hill)

Chardonnay: show the modern/new wave style (Lethbridge at an attractive price), the "in-between" (Bannockburn SRH) and what's generally considered among the best (like Giaconda, LEAS or Penfolds Yattarna)

Sweet Riesling: I think these are the best style of stickies from Australia (Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut)

Sparkling Shiraz: it's unique (older Rumball or Rockford Black)

Rutherglen Muscat: it's also unique (a Classic/Grand/Rare probably from Stanton Killeen or Campbells)

Rutherglen Durif: it's pretty unique (Bullers, Stanton Killeen or Campbells)

Shiraz: show an old school Hunter (but they practically don't exist anymore) so maybe an old Brokenwood Graveyard and constrast that with a range of Barossa/McLaren, like Rockford Basket Press, Chateau Reynella Basket Press, Peter Lehman Stonewell.... Glaetzer, Hewitson, Molly Dooker...

Cabernet Sauvignon: compare classic Coonawarra to Hunter Valley and Margaret River, and throw in some even cooler climate Orange, with something like Parker Terra Rossa, Lakes Folly, Cullen Diana Madeline and Patina

Pinot Noir: show a spectrum of Geelong (Bannockburn, Lethbridge and Bass Phillip) beside other VIC (Kooyong, Bindi, Epis....) and Orange (Patina, De Salis, Borrodell)

New Wave natural: with stuff like Lucy Margaux (Pinot Noir), Didi/Tom Shobbrook, Sami Odi, Alpha Box and Dice, Patrick Sullivan, Commune of Buttons...

I probably also wouldn't be able to help myself slipping in a few oddities like Angullong (Barbera, Vermentino), Trentham Estate Noble Taminga, Glenguin Tannat, Tahbilk Marsanne, Cargo Road Gewurztraminer or Zinfandel, Freeman Secco (Rondinella Corvina), Luke Lambert Nebbiolo, Domain Day Sangiovese/Saperavi/Lagrein, a blend from Boireann...

OK, that's way more than a dozen, and I don't actually like all the above, but I think they show some good representation.

Plenty of good Aussie wines available in the UK if you search a little. http://www.bidforwine.co.uk/ had a great 'Stralia Day auction with 450 plus lots. Torbreck Struie (2003) at $25 AUS a bottle delivered was one of the bargains I picked up. Also Henrys Drive, Two Hands, Henschke etc all at between 15 and 25 years of age.

andyled wrote:Plenty of good Aussie wines available in the UK if you search a little. http://www.bidforwine.co.uk/ had a great 'Stralia Day auction with 450 plus lots. Torbreck Struie (2003) at $25 AUS a bottle delivered was one of the bargains I picked up. Also Henrys Drive, Two Hands, Henschke etc all at between 15 and 25 years of age.

I believe it's actually "Straya Day"

dave vino wrote:Haven't Langtons already done all the hard work for us?? Just ship a mixed case of Exceptional wines.

Grange, HoG, 100YO Seppelt, Giaconda Chardy, LEAS Chardy, Grosset Rizza, Bass Phillip Reserve, Rockford BP, Clonakilla SV, Wynns JR, Wendouree Shiraz, MM Quintets.

I'd be happy with that as a mixed case.

Yes, but would you respect them in the morning.....

andyled wrote:Plenty of good Aussie wines available in the UK if you search a little. http://www.bidforwine.co.uk/ had a great 'Stralia Day auction with 450 plus lots. Torbreck Struie (2003) at $25 AUS a bottle delivered was one of the bargains I picked up. Also Henrys Drive, Two Hands, Henschke etc all at between 15 and 25 years of age.

Indeed, though numbers did drop when the currency bombed.

FWIW I'm comfortable that Torbreck, Two Hands, Henry's Drive are not my preferred style of wines. Indeed there are a lot of the bigger South Australian wines rotating around the auction houses at the moment. I suspect they were unwisely bought as investment wines.

However if you see any Drumborg Riesling show up... that I would love to try.

Lots of good suggestions already,
I reckon i'd be tempted to through a curve ball into the mix and that curve ball would be Bests Pinot Meunier

Ian just got another dozen of the '16 Drumborg, its passing Steingarten and Merle as my favourite now.

Another curve ball Paulf...Wynns Centenary anyone?

Cheers
Craig.

paulf wrote:Lots of good suggestions already,
I reckon i'd be tempted to through a curve ball into the mix and that curve ball would be Bests Pinot Meunier

This is my favourite wine from the Best's portfolio, in particular the 'old vine' version. It cellars so well. Had a 1994 to celebrate the New Year and it was amazing. The last vintage I've got is the 2012 which I purchased in 2015. I don't think there's been a release since. Any idea when the next one is due?

I think I need to try their Pinot Meunier. Not cheap, which sort of put me off, but you've rectified that!

Hi Ozzie
A UK merchant has 2003 listed and wine searcher suggests 2005 & 2010-2014 were produced & still available somewhere in the world.

Ian S wrote:I think I need to try their Pinot Meunier. Not cheap, which sort of put me off, but you've rectified that!

To date the PM has been cheaper at release than Bin 0. I think it's amazing value.
Their museum stock PM (and others) is a different story though. Very expensive.

Ian S wrote:Hi Ozzie
A UK merchant has 2003 listed and wine searcher suggests 2005 & 2010-2014 were produced & still available somewhere in the world.

I believe the 2014 was the 'Young Vine' version, from vines planted in 1971. The 'Old Vine' version is from vines planted in 1867.

No particular vintage,

Henschke hill of grace
Rockford black Shiraz
Campbell's the Barkly Durif
Clonakilla SV
Frankland estate isolation ridge Riesling
Tahbilk old vine marsanne
Chambers/Campbell's rare Muscat
Mosswood Cabernet
Giaconda Chardonnay
Sorrenberg gamey
Picardy Pinotnoir
Brown brothers Patricia sparkling

Well that's my idea of Australia in a bottle!

Hi all, I had a think about what I’d show to people overseas, and decided that I wanted to show good quality – but also great value. Most wines listed here are available for mid-$30’s (or a little less). I also wanted to highlight (in general) small producers. And lastly, I wanted to highlight wines from many regions, to dispel the idea that Australian wines were all “sunshine in a glass”…here we go:

Sparkling: Arras Grand Vintage
Semillon: Thomas Braemore
Riesling: Crawford River Young Vines
Chardonnay: Bicknell FC
Gamay: Eldridge Estate
Pinot Noir: Giant Steps (non-single vineyard)
Grenache: Head Wines Old Vines Grenache
Cool climate Shiraz: Clonakilla O’Riada
Warm climate Shiraz: Marius Simpatico
Cabernet Franc blend: Blue Poles Allouran
Cabernet dominant blend: Woodlands Margaret
Something sweet: Chambers Rosewood Old Vine Muscat

Some could have had multiple wines (Semillon / Riesling / Pinot Noir / Shiraz / Muscat), but I concluded on the wines listed due to strong consistent performances from the producers. Great question by the way!

Ozzie W wrote:

Ian S wrote:Their museum stock PM (and others) is a different story though. Very expensive.

Ah yes, I remember seeing an offer a few years ago for late release museum stock. Compared to the normal good to excellent value, those prices were sky high.