The Auswine Forum

Or do as I just did tonight. Bottle of 2024 Chablis from Ch de Fleys and a bottle of 2016 Ch Lannesan at Kin Kin in Hutt Street. Great flavours, wine went ok and bugger all corkage. Got out of there for less than $200 for four

A few scant notes from the last weekend in Coonawarra for Cabernet Celebration Traditional Friday afternoon tasting at Balnaves, beautiful sitting out on the deck next to the lake, 2025 Chardonnay a standout, 2021 Cabernet and 2022 Tally also excellent. Lots of good wine at the Decadence tasting on ...

Also remember having a chat with Brett Sharpe a few years ago. He got out because he was pi$$ed off at the demolition job that Treasury inflicted on the Trio wines, which we both lamented. Criminal really. Plus losing the talent. It will just be Pennies and Wynns before too long.

Jamie,
Agree with this, I don't mind paying that sort of corkage for a good bottle which would obviously be $$$ if it was on the wine list. For example, took some good bottles to Chianti this week.
cheers, Malcolm

If you’ve stored them in a climate controlled facility the corks will be perfect for some time! My mid 90’s dark stains no runs down the side. Incredible. Had an argument with a Aussie sommelier online about this. He thought it normal for cork to have runs and stains beyond the base. My experience ...

There was about a glass of each of the Wendouree and The Tally left in the decanters. Just had that with the leftovers of the coq-au-vin from last night (which is arguably better the next day!). Tally was still holding up, the Wendouree was a bit drier than last night, but both still very good. Supp...

Just coincidentally, had an '87 JR last night with phillisc and wives (courtesy of phillisc). Was outstanding in amongst some tough competition.

Great tasting, great to see them all lined up. Pity about the cork issues, you seemed to have higher strike rate than what my experience has been. I think I've had most if not all vintages of JR (and BL) being a rusted on Coonawarra-phile with Wynns as my special subject. So, just a couple of points...

3 more '24 Moss Wood Cabernet
3 x '24 The Standish

Might just go out again this weekend and double check that my stash is ok and whether the app works for entry.

When out there last time, I did think that the door panels are a bit flimsy and could be jemmied

Not to mention '21 and '22, we are spoiled for choice

Just to support what Craig is saying, and its not just Coonawarra in 2017, but my group of wine buddies bought half a tonne of A grade grapes from the premium vineyard (dead something or other!) of a well known winery in Coonawarra in 2017 (as we seem to do from various vineyards in Barossa, McLaren...

Not sure if it's related, but just received yesterday a phone app from National Storage that opens the key panels via Bluetooth. Not sure that it's any more secure, might even be less secure if you're a tech wiz, but it does seem a less fiddly way of opening the three locks to get in and two locks ...

Great notes thanks Graeme, The dinner in Adelaide was nowhere near as expansive, I can imagine it was an impressive line-up. I have been a Wynns (and Coonawarra) fan and CD attendee for well over 50 years and I think the wines of the last decade are just fantastic. My Avatar of the label from a bott...

Agree with 2019 Dead Arm, it was being flogged for $25 a bottle, and for me that's about where it sits. Bit of a shame the treatment of this label.. D'arenberg's proliferation of single vineyard wines at much higher prices is a bit of a head scratcher for the collector- I count 14 different SV Shir...

Not sure if it's related, but just received yesterday a phone app from National Storage that opens the key panels via Bluetooth. Not sure that it's any more secure, might even be less secure if you're a tech wiz, but it does seem a less fiddly way of opening the three locks to get in and two locks t...

6 x 2021 Majella The Malleea
(25% off sale at present)

My three go to BYO's on the northern side of Melbourne are Paris Go, Scopri (outstanding) and Matteo's. The Recreation is also good. There's also heaps of Asian joints with byo at a pittance for corkage. I think we took byo to Ti Amo in Lygon St some years ago, if you want Italian in that area, Wait...

Yes I'm aware people use extra security... additional hidden cameras or air tag set ups. I'm tempted to get a texta or pocket knife and write on/score every label...haha. Making it an absolutely hopeless proposition if some arsehole wants to shift bottles on the second hand market. We'll see what d...

Reposting l: Admin pls remove this if inappropriate. Good day everyone. I want to alert this community to a serious break-in at National Storage, Klemzig (SA), （Wine Ark） where a number of wine vaults were compromised — reportedly at least 10 — resulting in the loss of many rare and fine wines. It’...

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2026 9:25 am Australia got too boring so I fly US cargo jets every second month. We had a Sydney contract and for all my wine back from HKG.

Atlas Jamie? My 32yo son was FO with them a couple of years ago, but is just now finishing captain training with Jetstar out of Melbourne

Jamie, I tend to agree with you on the '21 Petaluma. I was a little disappointed, not like previous vintages as you say, I was expecting more of that vintage.

I ordered some stuff from CellarONe and got the HRB as a freebie, and didn't even realise it was coming. Just a quaffer and now all gone

As I have mentioned before, I really struggle with Bass Phillip. Too many bottles that had wine making faults. In no way can I justify $265 for a BP premium Pinot

Ed, I made some comments on the equivalent post on Facebook. A great tasting, I am well aware of Con's Wynns stash and his generosity, if only I was still living in Melbourne. Pity you didn't try an older bottle of the Wynns Coonawarra riesling. Had a 2010 a few years ago and it was stunning. Anyway...

Waiters Friend wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2026 10:47 pm Great notes as always, Craig - many thanks

I have already picked up a six of BL (as I do every year). Tempted to go another six on the basis of what I am reading.

Cheers
Allan

Allan, you won't go wrong

I was also at Wednesday's dinner in Adelaide, same as Craig. General concur with Craig's notes, although I am perhaps not quite as cynical, certainly my view of the previous '23 vintage is not quite so negative. Wynns wines tend to age well, for example I have some 2011 BL Cab in the cellar and the ...

JR is selected by the barrel each year. So, that does mean the best, or most appropriate barrels go to JR. That doesn't mean that BL is poor cousin in that instance, there's still plenty of good juice to go around. What's the BL production, 100,000 dozen or so?

RobK wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2026 1:55 pm Why only SA? From what I gather it's going to cost but why wouldn't each state kick in or is the Australian Good Food Guide "the thing" for the rest of us?

It's a State based thing apparently. Only SA has signed up (or more accurately stumped up the cash).

Can't be a bad thing

Agree with Fermentasian

At phillisc's request, re-starting this month, as my last purchase just scraped into June 6 x 2022 Katnook Odyssey Also got my mid-year Wynns order coming today (and release dinner next week) 12 x 2024 Wynns Black label 6 x various ('24 V&A Cab Shiraz and Shiraz and BL Cab, '23 O'Deas single vin...