The Auswine Forum

Every now and then someone poses this question, and here we are again. Over a 5 - 10 year period winery representations rise and fall, including mine. What are your top wineries? if you wish, please also give a guide as to why some wineries push their way to the top of your list. Maybe we should also start a thread as to why some wineries fall away, as well. Just to be clear, I'm asking wineries, not individual wines, although you can write what you wish!

My top wineries are:
Tyrrell's the reason being, I joined their membership about 6 years ago and their various wines are top notch. Vat 9, Vat 47 and the special sites are magnificent wines and top value.
Standish because they are amazing and I have been on their mailing list since 2014. However at the current price point I may move on to other Barossa wineries like Callum from Agricola and others.
Sami-Odi because they are so individualistic and Fraser lives and breathes his product with passion.
Wendouree because I have been on their mailing list for eons and so many journalists (Winefront et.al.) are such good marketers of the wines. However whilst I admire the winery and it's history they aren't my go to winery, but I'd never let my subscription go.
Houghtons because I love Margaret River. It is really a tie with Woodlands but most MR wineries produce beautiful wines, both red and white, and we are collectively spoilt for choice.

Hmmmmmmm

Australia -Wendouree 841 bottles. 3 magnum.

International- Cappellano Barolo Franco & Rupestris & Chinato. 174 bottles 18 magnums 6 Chinato

Wendouree was an early discovery for me and it took me on a thankfully early journey to Northern Italy. I’ve been a great ambassador internationally for Wendouree not that it’s needed. Many devotees of my wine events and one of our tasting group did a two day Shiraz vertical back to 60’s

Cappellano was a very early catch for me too. $60 AUD a bottle til a decade ago abroad. Hoovered them up as well as older stock and participated in drinking their wines back the the 1920’s.

Wynns 1000+ but don't really know.
Wendouree, 400-500 bottles, again really don't know.
Rockford 400 bottles

Then there would be 12-15 wineries in the 100-200 range.

Cheers Craig

Being a novice with much less knowedge and a much smaller collection:

Tahbilk - have a soft spot for their history and cellar door experience, and their reds are just enjoyable to drink - 35
Wild Duck Ceek Estate - relatively new to their mailing list, reds for me and whites for the father-in-law, bloody good value - 22
Warrabilla - love their Durif and Shiraz - 18

Clearly very Victorian centric which needs rectifying. I am finally on the receiving end of some Wendouree, and am looking to build up stock of Gibson and Bowen Estate as they are some that I have enjoyed in the past at a price point that is accepted by the minister of finance.

841 bottles of Wendouree just amazes me!!

phillisc wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 1:26 pm Wynns 1000+ but don't really know.
Wendouree, 400-500 bottles, again really don't know.
Rockford 400 bottles

Then there would be 12-15 wineries in the 100-200 range.

Cheers Craig

Oh wow critical mass surely? I’ve hit that with a smaller cellar and have to drink 20 + mature wines a month to tame it!

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 3:38 pm

phillisc wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 1:26 pm Wynns 1000+ but don't really know.
Wendouree, 400-500 bottles, again really don't know.
Rockford 400 bottles

Then there would be 12-15 wineries in the 100-200 range.

Cheers Craig

Oh wow critical mass surely? I’ve hit that with a smaller cellar and have to drink 20 + mature wines a month to tame it!

Indeed, storage unit overflowing, cardboard aerobics every time I want to find something!!

Said some time ago right here if I recall correctly, that 2012 vintage would be the end
And now its 2022, although 2024 could be the final hurrah. The above three wines might still get a look in and the lad has his eyes on a couple of other labels, but yes time to stop.

It will be a relief actually, to see the end in sight
Yes need to really get going on opening many many bottles.

Cheers Craig

Taittinger
Dom Perignon
Rockford
Grosset
Pierre Peters

Wendouree
Grosset
Wynns (recent V2022 purchases moved this one up a few rungs)
Sevenhill Cellars
Then a tie between Kaesler Wines, Marius Wines & Wild Duck Creek

Serrat
Wynns
Hoddles Creek
Craiglee
Mount Mary

1. Wendouree
2. Lakes Folly
3. Sami
4. Rockford

Moving away from Barossa Shiraz as a whole though as tastes change more towards European styles.

Australia
1. Woodlands (WA)
2. Seppelt (VIC)
3. Mount Pleasant (NSW)
4. Rockford (Barossa, SA)
5. Wynns (Coonawarra, SA)

International
1. Te Mata Estate (NZ)
2. Stonyridge Vineyard (NZ)
3. Chateau Lafon-Rochet (FR)
4. Paul Bara (FR)
5. Pol Roger (FR)

Rockford
Wendouree
Sami Odi
Eperosa
Hoddles Creek

My collection is small, but there is a few recurring names:
Penfolds
Agricola
Sorrenberg
Wynns

Some interesting lists. Mine:

150+ Marius Wines
100+ Wild Duck Creek; Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Tyrrell's
60 Seppelt (mainly Drumborg Riesling); St Hallet (mainly Blackwell half bottles); Rockford and Stanton and Killeen (all VP)

Cheers

Michael

probably like this ...

Wynns
.
.
daylight
.
.
Balnaves
Bowen Estate
Majella
Penfolds
Pooley

Probably still Rockford, Grosset, Tyrrell's, Wendouree and Marius for me, probably now matched by assorted Bordeaux but without any one producer matching that same level of concentration.

1 Hoddles Creek
2 Blue Poles
3 Seppelt
4 Wynns
5 Mt Pleasant

1 Marius
2 Wynns
3 Penfolds
4 Seppelts
5 Rieslingfreak

Unfortunately Marius will only continue to go down but I should be able to stretch 133 bottles over a year or two

1 Marius
2 Wynns
3 Penfolds
4 Seppelts
5 Rieslingfreak

Unfortunately Marius will only continue to go down but I should be able to stretch 133 bottles over a year or two

1. Chateau La Conseillante
2. Domaine Fourrier
3. Vieux Chateau Certan
4. Domaine Denis Mortet
5. Chateau Montrose

I'd be confident there are lots of Cullens, Wynns and Wendouree there too, but I'm too lazy to dig them out. Will eventually send them off to auction when I can get off my bum and rescue them.

felixp21 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2024 8:27 pm 1. Chateau La Conseillante
2. Domaine Fourrier
3. Vieux Chateau Certan
4. Domaine Denis Mortet
5. Chateau Montrose

I'd be confident there are lots of Cullens, Wynns and Wendouree there too, but I'm too lazy to dig them out. Will eventually send them off to auction when I can get off my bum and rescue them.

Now that Ross Duke (RIP) doesn’t bring in Fourrier to Oz, who does?

Fourrier? Bunch of Korean bandits. Now, of course, absorbed the emperor's new clothes (Bass Phillip) into the consortium.
JM has lived on reputation for many years now, last excellent vintage across the board was 2010.
His Maison stuff is bog average, and to make things worse, plenty of merchants in Australia are selling his Maison stuff as "Domaine"
naughty naughty
2014 was my last vintage, like 2008, an across-the-board failure for Fourrier. Gave up after that, but fortunately have mountains of stuff from 1996-2010 which are, in general, fabulous (excluding 2008)_and were sublime value under Ross. Both the Griotte and CSJ from this time were consistently amazing, and his CSJ was almost always better than Rousseau.