What to buy?

graham · Post by **graham** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:10 am

I'm just seeking a bit of advice regarding what I collect etc.
Listed are the wines I purchase each year amoungst others.
Are they considered good "long term" cellar potential? I'm still very much a newbie to wine collecting and am worried that my collection is very narrow . With that in mine are there any wines out there in the $20-60 bracket that are good long term potential I should be looking at to diversify? :shock:

Clonakilla Shiraz Voigner and Hill Top
D'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz
Craiglee Shiraz
Lakes Folly Cabernet and Chardonay
Limestone Ridge
Balmoral Syrah
Mountain Blue
Tyrrells Vat 9, 1, 47, 8, 11
Penfolds St Henri
Penfolds Bin 389
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
Rockford Black Shiraz
Rockford Vine ValePetaluma Reisling
Nobel One

GraemeG · Post by **GraemeG** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:43 am

Depends what exactly you mean by 'long-term' potential. Of the wines you've listed, the only doubts I would have are about the Noble One, which I think is a 5 year prospect at best these days. I've expessed my views on Petaluma Riesling on a number of occasions - suffice to say I think it's a 'drink within 12 months' wine - other disagree I know!

Looking beyond 10 years, you'd need to be fairly vintage specific about Mountain Blue, Limestone Ridge, Vat 8 & 11, even Dead Arm maybe. Lakes will be vintage dependent as well. For consistent long-term aging, among the wines you've listed Vat 1 & St Henri are the best bets.

I've little experience with Clonakilla & Craiglee...

If you do want a riesling, I'd suggest Grosset, Leonay or Steingarten over Petaluma without hesitation.

cheers,
Graeme

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:47 am

Blue chip selection and all long term. All good with a question mark about longevity of Mountain Blue and I think the Rockford vine vale riesling is just ghastly.

You need good cabernet too - something from both Coonawarra and Margaret River i.e. 01 Devils Lair Cab/01 HP Leston Cab and 00 Petaluma Coonawarra/99 John Riddoch etc. Perhaps a Yarra too - Yeringberg or Coldstream Hills Reserve

You have semillon - check.
Hunter Shiraz - check.
Victorian Shiraz - check (possibly include some Seppelt St Peters)

Consider a nice Eden/Clare Riesling instead of the Rockford muck i.e. Leonay or Grosset Polish etc

Perhaps a nice Gt Southern shiraz like Alkoomi Jarrah, Plantagenet, Houghton Gladstone.

GW

Mike Hawkins · Post by **Mike Hawkins** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:21 am

Agree with GraemeG - Grossett is a "must have for riesling lovers.

Craiglee and Seppelts St Peters are two of the best Victorian shirazes, and should cellar. (Also the Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz).

I also agree that some cabs wouldn't go astray. Majella and even the 99 Wynns J/R are within your price range from Coonawarra, and I would definitely consider the 01 Voyager Cab Merlot from Margaret River when released (the soon to be released Moss Wood will likely sell for $80, though I suspect it will be great).

Some Barossa wines that are IMO worthy of consideration include the shirazes made by Beer Brothers, Turkey Flat, Blackwell (St Hallett).

JamieBahrain · Post by **JamieBahrain** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 11:50 am

Mike

Interesting you mentioned Beer Brothers. I am off to see what the excitement is all about today.

Mike Hawkins · Post by **Mike Hawkins** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:13 pm

I'm interested in your thoughts. I thought the 02 shiraz was a beauty - lots of chocolate and plum, but not OTT.

Kieran · Post by **Kieran** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:15 pm

I had a Beer Brothers 98 Shiraz, but opened it last year by mistake...it needed a lot more time.

Kieran

graham · Post by **graham** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:25 pm

Thankyou for the replies. Disappointing to hear about thr Vine Vale- I've been collecting for 5 years and haven't tasted them yet :oops:

I'll certainly be unimpressed if they taste like @#$!. I'll try one tonight :!:

Some very interesting wines proposed....I'll add them to the list.
Now for something completely different....any vinophiles in Brissy who want to start tasting sessions :?:

Guest Trev · Post by **Guest Trev** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:37 pm

graham wrote:Thankyou for the replies. Disappointing to hear about thr Vine Vale- I've been collecting for 5 years and haven't tasted them yet I'll certainly be unimpressed if they taste like @#$!. I'll try one tonight
Some very interesting wines proposed....I'll add them to the list.
Now for something completely different....any vinophiles in Brissy who want to start tasting sessions

Graham

I'm in Brisbane and would be interested in a tasting group. If i can PM you I'll send my details.

Trev

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 4:00 pm

Mike Hawkins wrote:Craiglee and Seppelts St Peters are two of the best Victorian shirazes, and should cellar. (Also the Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz).

What are ppl's thoughts on Craiglee Shiraz 2001 and Seppelt St. Peters 1999? I'm considering purchasing. Thanks.

Alex

radioactiveman · Post by **radioactiveman** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:15 pm

GraemeG wrote:Depends what exactly you mean by 'long-term' potential. Of the wines you've listed, the only doubts I would have are about the Noble One, which I think is a 5 year prospect at best these days. I've expessed my views on Petaluma Riesling on a number of occasions - suffice to say I think it's a 'drink within 12 months' wine - other disagree I know!

Looking beyond 10 years, you'd need to be fairly vintage specific about Mountain Blue, Limestone Ridge, Vat 8 & 11, even Dead Arm maybe. Lakes will be vintage dependent as well. For consistent long-term aging, among the wines you've listed Vat 1 & St Henri are the best bets.

I've little experience with Clonakilla & Craiglee...

If you do want a riesling, I'd suggest Grosset, Leonay or Steingarten over Petaluma without hesitation.

cheers,
Graeme

I'd pretty much agree with Graeme here. I would only add the Clonakilla Hilltops as a doubt for a long term (10+) wine, but it's one to watch closely at least. Totally agree with the Petaluma riesling comments, not a long term wine. At the latest Australian riesling challange here in Canberra, a wine I was extremely impressed with (apart from the fantastic German rieslings) was Orlando St Helga. After tasting vintages back to '96, I am very impressed with this wine and have since bought a case of the '02. Very good ager, and a well kept secret.

The only thing I would add to your list was something I bought when I was just starting, McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. This will easily go 10 years in a good vintage and the Lovedale Semillon is a step above again. Worthwhile putting a few of these away for the future.

Cheers

Jamie

merlot 128 · Post by **merlot 128** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:28 pm

One wine you should have a good look at is the 1999 and 2001 Jack Mann
I had the 99 last night at it's still only now setteling down.

The 2001 Jack Mann is not out yet Hardy's are still trying to sell the 00 which is nowhere near as good as any of the others.
anyway the 2001 is a monster of a wine almost 100% Frankland Cab and at last year Quantas Wine show looked tight and only started to show it's true colours after about 8 or 9 hours later.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:30 pm

2003 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling! Retails for about $22.50, although I bought a few this week for $17.90. Will cellar for quite a while, and rated 97/100 by James Halliday (if ratings interest you). It's my personal very close second favorite riesling next to the Grosset Polish Hill, but at $15 cheaper, this would be my pick

Coonawarra cabernet - Balnaves ($30) , Majella ($30), Murdock ($35) or Petaluma ($42)(Cab/Merlot blend)~ Don't know it all these will keep 20 years (long-term), but they'll definitely keep for 10 (subject to vintage)

guest · Post by **guest** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 9:00 pm

graham wrote:Thankyou for the replies. Disappointing to hear about thr Vine Vale- I've been collecting for 5 years and haven't tasted them yet I'll certainly be unimpressed if they taste like @#$!. I'll try one tonight
Some very interesting wines proposed....I'll add them to the list.
Now for something completely different....any vinophiles in Brissy who want to start tasting sessions

In these days of copy-cat winemaking so many winemakers endeavour to emulate the trendiest, most marketable and bankable wine styles. There is a real danger of creating an Australian and indeed a global wine landscape where so many wines look very similar.

It's a bit like perusing the catalogue of recordings of Beethoven's 5th Symphony; so many similar renditions, yet new, similarly non-groundbreaking recordings are released with monotonous regularity. How often do you return to recordings made by great masters such as Furtwangler, Toscanini or Reiner to capture a real freshness of approach?

Robert O'Callaghan, with wines such as Black Shiraz, Basket Press Shiraz and possibly most notably with Vine Vale Riesling has reminded the market place that great wine isn't produced in the bottle. Instead, it is an expression of a region and a vintage. In the case of Vine Vale, it is an expression of a tiny vineyard planted in 1886. Being a single vineyard wine from the "floor" it expresses "vintage" more effectively than any other Australian riesling that I know of. Robert and Chris lovingly guide the fruit into a wine that is also consistent with the house style: with fuller, softer fruit characters yet with soft, balancing acid that you only notice if you think about it, yet which enables the best vintages to develop in the bottle for over ten years. For me the 1997 is one of the greatest rieslings I have ever tasted. It is a wine like Furtwangler's Beethoven: uncompromising, honest, profound; a wine that perhaps says as much about its devotees as about the 118 year old vines and the men who crafted it.