Auction wines

[Sipper]

Hi al,

Looking for some experience and knowledge.

I am very interested in trying new wines and getting involved with older wines. I bought a few wines from a recent auction and tonight with my wife cracked two of them just for some fun. I did not expect anything great nor expect I would be rewarded given the cost. IMO you only get what you pay for. However....

The two wines displayed the same taste and nose that I have tasted and smelt before. I would really enjoy knowing what I experienced/tasted. I will try to explain.

Firstly, the wines were a 2001 Tyrells Shiraz Vat 5 NVC and a 2001 Richmond Grove Cab Merlot. The corks and capsules were intact. The wine has a great colour about it and I decanted them both. Tried them straight away and at 30 mins. Same same.

By no means were these wines undrinkable and vinegary but they has a scent and taste that was slightly acidic and burnt/slightly mouldy/swimmimg towel left in the bag for a couple of days....? Was this wine indicating it has surpassed its peak or is this indicative of poor cellaring? We chose to park the two bottles and finished the night with a lovely victorian pinot.

Your help and knowledge is really appreciated.

Sipper

[rens]

Sometimes older bottles will give a bit of a funky smell. Normally this does blow off in time. Without having tasted them it is difficult to say what it was.
Rather than Auction wines (which I refer to as the lottery) some older bottles with good provinence can be found at retailers. I'd start there rather than auction to see if you like aged wines. Buying from retail removes some of the unknowns inherent with auctions. The big boys have a good selection of older stuff in their places at reasonable prices. (Appologies to Gavin for advertisingf the competition (feel free to remove if you like) This site-Auswine has a few older bottles in its inventory that would be good to try. Plus Gavin gives forum people a little discount too.

[odyssey]

Like rens it is hard to say without tasting. The acidic/burnt character could indicate largely oxidised but not yet completely (vinegariness would be completely oxidised). The mouldy wet towel descriptor indicates you might been unlucky enough to have two TCA affected corks. Did they smell like wet cardboard and mouldy/stale bread? If it was stored too warm it would probably have tasted like stewed fruit, or it could get a brett bloom and have tasted like bandaids.

Or any combination. I think everyone has come across a wine at some point that was so toxic smelling that it wasn't possible (or even worth it) to identify the faults.

Certain bad characteristics can blow off with air - if you still have the bottles, give them another whiff tonight.

I have found that auctions have better chances for foreign and rare wines, and a bit riskier for Aussie wineries which were once, or are still, common.

Perhaps it is that people who are likely to collect foreign producers and rare wines are more likely to have better cellarage (rather than mum & dad sellers who stored their favorite local drop in a 35 degree garage).

Also people who are selling half-dozens of a good wine (eg. John Riddoch) can be more likely to have cared enough about their wine to have stored it well.

But it's still a lottery, more just a case of doing due diligence and using common sense to improve your odds, ie. what is more likely to have been stored well?

[sjw_11]

Ive personally had a pretty good hit rate at auction and have always in the past bought a fair bit that way (slightly disturbingly I just toted up my Oddbins invoices and between June 2011 and June 2013 I spent $4,640 with them which must be ~150 bottles)

I find if you buy "better" wines in the $30-50 at auction bracket, the hit rate is very good... my personal love is buying a lot of the cheaper oddball wines (some examples: Wolf Blass Brown Label 1993 $12, Wynns Shiraz 1991 $20, Frankland Ridge 1996 $12, Bowen Estate Riesling 1991 $7) and finding the oddball freak wines which are amazing & have a lot of curiosity value.

For the few "top/brand name wines" I bought at auction (mostly Wendouree) I would say I have about a 85-90% hit rate (allowing for wines you know will be less good, e.g. weaker vintages) ... for stuff $20-25 or below but with no level issues, I reckon it works out about 50% "good" (of which maybe 15% astounding (for price/age)), then 25% OK, and 25% "maybe well open something else". And I buy a lot of weird stuff.

Sometimes it just doesn't work, e.g. a half dozen Grosset Springvale 1999 which should have been at least drinkable, and 5 of the 6 went straight down the sink. But at about $22/bottle vs $37 current release was that worth a punt?? I thought so.

I personally enjoy aged wines, and can deal with slightly "over aged" for the curiosity value, and enjoy the auction hunt... but I also agree with above if you dont know yet if you like aged wines, dont assume you dont because you haven't liked a couple of cheap auction buys... You may also find you enjoy semi-aged wines like 3-5yrs or only enjoy very aged cabernet, say. Certain wines are also better and worse value at auction... e.g. Wendouree is suprisingly cheap, Penfolds is over priced.

Auction buying is a lottery, but one I personally enjoy playing... I should add, particularly as a younger guy without the decades of cellaring some of our fellow posters have!

[Rossco]

I have had very good results with wine purchases recently. Especially when buying in lots
of 6 or 12.

Sometimes the lot may stipulate if there is GST on the sale. This usually means its from a
retailer/winery either reducing inventory or a liquidator rather than from a private seller.

I have had NO luck buying fortifieds though. On both occasions the auction site didnt make mention of
the fact they were older lables/bottling, and as such everything was just cactus. Its disappointing but thats
risk you run. I have since stopped buying fortified in any way, shape or form from auctions anymore.

Recently however the issues have not been with the wines, but with (one in particular auction house) delivery.
Even after waiting the mandatory 21 days from payment the wine just sits on the account as not delivered yet.
Im getting a bit sick of having to constantly call/email asking why the automated delivery process is taking so
long!

[llredwine]

my personal love is buying a lot of the cheaper oddball wines (some examples: Wolf Blass Brown Label 1993 $12, Wynns Shiraz 1991 $20, Frankland Ridge 1996 $12, Bowen Estate Riesling 1991 $7) and finding the oddball freak wines which are amazing & have a lot of curiosity value.

I try to do the same way.

I personally enjoy aged wines, and can deal with slightly "over aged" for the curiosity value, and enjoy the auction hunt... but I also agree with above if you dont know yet if you like aged wines, dont assume you dont because you haven't liked a couple of cheap auction buys... You may also find you enjoy semi-aged wines like 3-5yrs or only enjoy very aged cabernet, say. Certain wines are also better and worse value at auction... e.g. Wendouree is suprisingly cheap, Penfolds is over priced.

I agreed. every auction site, you can find out that penfold brand, even 128, 28(aged wine), are selling for at least 3 digit.

Auction buying is a lottery, but one I personally enjoy playing... I should add, particularly as a younger guy without the decades of cellaring some of our fellow posters have!

feels good and have more fun in auction. some times you will feel the anger from other bidder by look at bidding history.

[odyssey]

Recently however the issues have not been with the wines, but with (one in particular auction house) delivery.
Even after waiting the mandatory 21 days from payment the wine just sits on the account as not delivered yet.
Im getting a bit sick of having to constantly call/email asking why the automated delivery process is taking so
long!

I know which one you are talking about, they have been that way for quite a while now even before the move. It was OK when you could pick it up 1-2 days after payment, but now that option has been taken away you have to wait for their painstakingly slow warehouse. Why they could pick the stock in 24 hours for collection, but can not post in 24 hours is beyond me.

Nowadays I only buy from them if it is something I do not need to drink in the near future.

[Scotty vino]

I've threatened to buy from an Adelaide based Auction house many times. So far I've completely forgotten about the deadline until the eleventh hour when it's too late. There's so many wines and so much to choose. The other issue is I frequent the Adelaide wine regions fairly consistently so i'm always arriving home with cases or individual bottles of decent quality on a regular basis. Also, getting a green light from 'upper management' is always easier at the 3rd cellar door in a row rather than unseen auction bottles.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Firstly, the wines were a 2001 Tyrells Shiraz Vat 5 NVC and a 2001 Richmond Grove Cab Merlot. The corks and capsules were intact. The wine has a great colour about it and I decanted them both. Tried them straight away and at 30 mins. Same same.

By no means were these wines undrinkable and vinegary but they has a scent and taste that was slightly acidic and burnt/slightly mouldy/swimmimg towel left in the bag for a couple of days....? Was this wine indicating it has surpassed its peak or is this indicative of poor cellaring? We chose to park the two bottles and finished the night with a lovely victorian pinot.

Sipper,

There is no way these two wines should be drinking the way you described them. In my books they are mature wines and at 12 years of age should be at their peak of maturity and likely to last a bit longer. I myself have a bottle of the 2000 Tyrrell's Vat 5 and have no fear of it falling over though perhaps it might have been a better Hunter Valley vintage.

It sounds to me like the wines were "cooked" in that it has had heat damage. Judging by other comments you might have better luck next time.

Cheers.........................Mahmoud.

[sjw_11]

Sipper, I might add to all of the above - I am not sure what city you are in but why not consider heading along to an offline if your in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide? The people from this forum rarely bite nor do they judge whatever contribution you make and it would be a great chance to try a whole range of older wines often from excellent provenance...

[Rossco]

I know which one you are talking about, they have been that way for quite a while now even before the move. It was OK when you could pick it up 1-2 days after payment, but now that option has been taken away you have to wait for their painstakingly slow warehouse. Why they could pick the stock in 24 hours for collection, but can not post in 24 hours is beyond me.

Nowadays I only buy from them if it is something I do not need to drink in the near future.

Thats the trouble, I only ever picked up, so didnt know about the slow delivery till they made it the only option.

I can actually get cases air freighted from other countries quicker than these people who's 'state of the art' warehouse is apparently in Victoria.

Apart from buying some more off Gav, I might give Wickman's a go, as I would rather support a fellow auswine member than
some multinational. My only concern would be the transport, but at the moment its non-existent anyway

[rens]

I know which one you are talking about, they have been that way for quite a while now even before the move. It was OK when you could pick it up 1-2 days after payment, but now that option has been taken away you have to wait for their painstakingly slow warehouse. Why they could pick the stock in 24 hours for collection, but can not post in 24 hours is beyond me.

Nowadays I only buy from them if it is something I do not need to drink in the near future.

Thats the trouble, I only ever picked up, so didnt know about the slow delivery till they made it the only option.

I can actually get cases air freighted from other countries quicker than these people who's 'state of the art' warehouse is apparently in Victoria.

Apart from buying some more off Gav, I might give Wickman's a go, as I would rather support a fellow auswine member than
some multinational. My only concern would be the transport, but at the moment its non-existent anyway

I've sold and purchased via Wickmans. Always been happy with the service. I had to have an Auction purchase from Wickmans delivered by a certain date not long after the auction closed. A quick email to Mark and he was more than happy to help. Had it deliverd to Brisbane before time. I was very happy.