The Auswine Forum

I’ve still got some of the 71 ‘Hermitage’ back in Oz, but every time I go to the storage place, my desire to open zillions of boxes to find it and others wanes pretty quickly… and so it will sit there indefinitely

Pat wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 1:43 pm My plan is to purchase wines for another 10 years and then stop and drink them over the following 20 years.

I’ve had that plan for the last fifteen years. Good luck… you’ll need it!

I had the 85 and 86 SSSS a few months ago. Really enjoyable, with just a hint of the mushroom notes that tells me it’s time to drink up.

I’m probably different to some. - I no longer have a single wine I buy every vintage. I have more wine than I’ll ever drink, so now I only buy the better vintages. - I bypass many wines that I actually really like simply because I have too much of them from older vintages, or in the case of certain ...

Sounds good Matt. I often find too many confectionery qualities in SA Grenache

I agree with you on the Setiono. Had to return either the 21 or 22 as it was full of really unpleasant acid. I think the timing of the pick was too early and the wine had acid added...all out of balance. Haven't bought since. Lot of excitement here for Agricola too... suspect the pedigree is pretty...

Genuine question, and I'm not trying to be smart or funny, it's an observation more than anything. Does anyone here actually buy Grange on release? And I'm talking in the past 5 years? Every month I look at what people are buying (monthly thread). No mention of Grange (for that matter HOG). Fair en...

You don’t see much about how vintage Sami Odi’s drink online more just endless chatter of the allocation process & FOMO. Why don’t the Sammi Odi drinkers from the online community get together and hold a vertical? I’d be interested to read this. I have a few of the vintages but dropped off the ...

You don’t see much about how vintage Sami Odi’s drink online more just endless chatter of the allocation process & FOMO. Why don’t the Sammi Odi drinkers from the online community get together and hold a vertical? I’d be interested to read this. I have a few of the vintages but dropped off the ...

Andrew Jordan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 1:45 pm

phillisc wrote: ↑Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:50 am 6 2025 Leo Buring Leonay
Cheers Craig

Same here ... with a $100 voucher came in at $15 per bottle delivered. Happy days!

Also, a mixed dozen of the current Sami Odi release.

Are you aware Riesling is a white wine?

So, what are the top five Australian wines right now? No, not the one-off, special bins, not the fad wine that has been around for the past four vintages, not the 100-case productions that nobody sees. Just, the greatest wine, which has a proven track record and is available for purchase, although ...

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Dec 29, 2025 10:45 pm Thanks Mike... good to hear. I have 4-6 bottles of every other 90s vintage. I'll have to open a few more
Cheers Craig

I’ve consumed / sold / gifted all bar the 90,91,96 and 98. Last bottles of the 92,93,94 were a few years ago and they were starting to look tired.

Thanks Craig, I’ve always liked the 96 BP. And as good as it is, I’d only rank it number four for the decade

1990 Penfolds Bin 90a. I normally rave about this wine, having had it 20+ times. Sadly this and the last one were good but not great. It came across as a typical Coonawarra Cabernet… lots of eucalyptus, mint and cedar… but without many of the normal characteristics I get from Barossa Shiraz from the...

Great to hear the '94 Seppelt Show Reserve is still kicking, I have 3 bottles and will take one to our next Brisbane offline. I also have '04, '08 and '12. Wonder if 4 bottles of Sparkling Shiraz would be too much for a vertical.... I have all those, but thought the 12 was quite pedestrian in compa...

12 x 2008 Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz I got one of these in a mystery pack from cdco and really enjoyed it. It’s very different but very good also ! Where was that offer from again? I think I remember seeing that recently This was from the Langtons Broker Service, which i have found to be...

2013 Henriot Hemera… this was awesome. Citrus meets strawberries.lovely acid finish. I always liked its predecessor Enchanteleurs (indeed the 1959 is the best wine I’ve ever had), and this shows the name change hasn’t impacted the quality. Just a baby. 1995 Dom Perignon…. In a really good place. Pin...

Hi all, I’m hoping to use the brains trust of this forum to help me with potential experience of wine tours in mid August next year. We will be staying in the town of Bordeaux. I am resigned to the fact that we won’t be able to visit the big guns. But I guess other wineries will welcome small bus o...

While I don’t necessarily align with the Winefront critics’ palates, I heard they hammered the 22 BP. Anyone else yet to try it?

In speaking to a few winemakers from the Barossa, they all spoke in glowing terms of 2022, less so of 2023.

Mid-weekers. 2002 Mt Ed and HofG. Lovely wines HofG more concentrated than the herbally Mt Ed. 1994 Mt Ed. Magnificent 1996 Penfolds 389. Poised and balanced. Easy drinking. Ata Rangi 2012 Pinot. With aircrew discount $35 at AKL Duty Free on release. Fine at that price! Bunch of Barolo over the wee...

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay. Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases. Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement. Even their Bin 311 with a few years bottle-age are pr...

Thanks for the notes. While I quite like the chardonnays, their reds are extremely overrated IMO and don’t age well. Your comments seem to reinforce that.

That said, each to their own. Some people with way better palates than mine love them.

Thanks for that Sam. I'm trying another this week - Vinatis, who are based in France and who I've seen recommended on wine pages. Prices from ok to good, and range wide, though it seems a high % of co-ops. They've processed the order within a day, so the recommendation that said they were efficient...

1999 Ornellaia (magnum)… a touch disappointing to be Frank. Average length and a tad mono dimensional with characters bordering on vegetal. 2009 Pontet Canet…lost the vibrancy of youth but not quite what I’d describe as secondary characteristics. I can see why the critics love it, but it was a mista...

Thanks for the write up. I really liked the 14 Graveyard when it was released. I haven’t opened any since, so I’m grateful to read your update.

That’s a cracking line up. Thanks for sharing these notes. I’ve had some of these before and most have been sublime. Shame about the 82 LLC, I’ve always found it to be sensational.

I regret missing my opportunity to try the 84 many years ago, but won’t be paying crazy money for a wine that maybe dead anyway. Had all the rest though and still feel it’s the quintessential Barossa Shiraz.

ticklenow1 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:43 pm '98 is still the best BP I've had. Only been luck enough to have it 4 or 5 times, but every time it impresses me greatly.

It’s an excellent wine, though I prefer 90 and 91. Both are still drinking superbly

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Sun Jul 06, 2025 10:08 am I felt a 1998 BP last night was a considerably more perfected wine then the 2002. Holding- just a wee Hong of leather in this bottle.

Consistent with my comparative experience too