The best you have tasted

[Shane_86]

Out of curiosity of myself and im sure many others... if you had to narrow it down to the 3 best wines you have ever tasted Under $50, under $100 and over $100 what would they be.

I havnt tasted too many in my time but of everything ive tried ill say

under 50- I quiet enjoyed the 2010 serrafino sorrento
under $100 penfolds 2010 st henri
yet to try any over $100, exept a few sips at the food and wine show but I have no idea what they were so ill leave that one blank

Thanks in advance, this will really help when im looking for a few cracker bottles to purchase over the festive season.

[Redav]

I haven't tasted as much a some either however for me it's;

Sub $50 - Henschke 2008 Keyneton Euphonium

Sub $100 - Tyrrells 2009 4 Acres Shiraz (I don't recall it cost, somewhere around $55?)

Nothing over $100 yet either

[Shane_86]

Nice, I've got a bottle of 2011 henschke keyenton euphonium In the cellar, interested to try it, was a bit hesitant on the vintage but buckled and brought it anyway!

[catchnrelease]

Under $50 - 2001 Killerby Cab Sav
Under $100 - 1990 Wendouree Shiraz (Magnum)
Over $100 - 1986 Penfolds Grange

[tommyplussunny]

Top 3 old wines,
1. 1990 chateau montrose
2. 1971 Penfolds Grange
3. 1985 sassicaia tenuta san guido

Top 3 young wines,
1. 2010 Penfolds St Henri
2. 2009 Cullen Diana Madeline 2009
3. 2010 Clonakilla Shairaz Viognier

[Ozzie W]

This thread is going to be interesting.

Not as easy choice because there's so many good wines, but I'll go with:

Under $25: 2013 Best's Bin 1 Shiraz
Under $50: 2011 Cape Mentelle Shiraz
Under $100: 2012 Standish The Standish
Over $100: 2010 Wynns John Riddoch

[paulf]

Under $50 - Bulas 20 yr old Tawny (caveat - It wouldn't be under $50 if it was available here) or 2012 Crawford River Riesling
$50-$100 - I'm really not sure, maybe one of the Tally
Over $100 - 1900 Brunheda Colheita (another Caveat - it has never been bottled), or non fortified - 1998 Quinta Do Crasto Maria Teresa

[VINH NGUYEN]

Under $50 - 2006 Langmeil Orphan Bank (06 was a great vintage in Barossa for mine)
$50-$100 - 2006 Mt Edelstone (current retail is getting up there, but these could be had for 80 odd when first released)
Over $100 - 1982 John Riddoch (best wine i've ever tasted to date, them 82 Bordeaux's i have better be something else!)

[Mike Hawkins]

Over $100 - 1986 Penfolds Grange

For me, under $50 (at release) would be the 86 Grange, 90 HOG or 91 RBPS

[phillisc]

Under $50, 82 JR, 91 Centenary, 86 BP, 90 HOG, 90 707, 94 Quintet, 81 Grange, 90 Wendouree
Over $50 98 Best Thompson's
Over S100 90 or 96 Bollinger RD

Oh and how did I forget, 55 Michael, purchased in 1984 for $180...unbelievable.

Cheers
Craig

[Michael McNally]

Under $50, 82 JR, 91 Centenary, 86 BP, 90 HOG, 90 707, 94 Quintet, 81 Grange, 90 Wendouree
Cheers
Craig

Not fair. Some of you older folks have an unfair advantage!

Cheers

Michael

[phillisc]

Yes Michael, I will be at the half way mark early next year.
The unfair advantage "finished" nearly 20 years ago now...HOG, 707 and others went from 30 or so to $100 plus in one or two vintages...game over

I am a very very modest PAYE, I used to spend everything I had on wine, before women, house, kids, food, clothes, car....only wish I had spent more

I am truly gobsmacked (try so f*cking hard not to be) but are more than green with envy at some of the buying habits here...good on them too.

It will be a cold day in hell before I can tee off with crates of vintage champers, nice Italians or even a few cases of MM quintet...oh for the days of old.

Still I am happy, looking forward to a BBQ or two where I can pull the corks and sit back and smile and watch others enjoy.

Cheers
Craig

[VINH NGUYEN]

Under $50, 82 JR, 91 Centenary, 86 BP, 90 HOG, 90 707, 94 Quintet, 81 Grange, 90 Wendouree

Yes Michael, I will be at the half way mark early next year.
The unfair advantage "finished" nearly 20 years ago now...HOG, 707 and others went from 30 or so to $100 plus in one or two vintages...game over

I am a very very modest PAYE, I used to spend everything I had on wine, before women, house, kids, food, clothes, car....only wish I had spent more

I am truly gobsmacked (try so f*cking hard not to be) but are more than green with envy at some of the buying habits here...good on them too.

It will be a cold day in hell before I can tee off with crates of vintage champers, nice Italians or even a few cases of MM quintet...oh for the days of old.

Still I am happy, looking forward to a BBQ or two where I can pull the corks and sit back and smile and watch others enjoy.

Cheers
Craig

LMAO, what do you have to be jealous of? I'ld be f**king laughing if i was drinking 82 JR, 91 Centenary, 86 BP, 90 HOG, 90 707, 94 Quintet, 81 Grange, 90 Wendouree for under a fiddy

[felixp]

The big jump in Grange came with the release of the 1990 vintage…. Wine Spectators wine of the year. Pennies jumped on that and doubled the release price to $100. As other old-timers will remember, in the late seventies and early 80's, both Wolf Blass Black Label and Leeuwin Estate chardonnay were priced higher than Grange. I remember getting a case of the 76 Grange at release from uncle Dan's for $17 a bottle, which was the same price as MM Quintet at the time. I ummed and ahhhhed between the two, but eventually went the Grange. Good decision!!!1
The $80 Grange was even cheaper, around $16 on release.
At one stage, I had certainly more than 20 cases of Grange from the 70's and 80's, but only a handful of bottles left.
Because it was not so expensive, I drank far too many way too young.

Anyway, I can cheat too, and say that the 63 Mildara Cabernet fits into all three categories for me, although I got most off my dad.
Still remains my greatest wine, home or abroad, I have ever seen.

For post 2000 release, in the interest of fairness, AND purchased in Australia:

sub $50: 2009 Fleur de Bouard, Lalande de Pomerol/ 2010 Gloria St Julien. (dead heat)
$50-100: 2010 Bosquet de Papes CNDP "A la Glorie de mon Grandpere"
$100-200: 2010 Clos St Jean CNDP "Deus ex Machina"
more than $200: 2010 Vieux Chateau Certan/ 2009 Montrose (dead heat)

[Hacker]

Under $100 - 1990 Wendouree Shiraz (Magnum)

That was (in retrospect) one of the great bargains, although at the time I only bought one bottle. Released at $100 per bottle, and pretty soon jumped to over $300 on the auction circuit.

I saved mine for years, waiting for the right celebration, and finally opened it at my mum's wake earlier this year, and it was lovely. Not the event I was planning on, but a celebration nonetheless.

[dan_smee]

Great thread.

Sub $25 - 2013 Wickhams Gippsland Pinot Noir (this came second in a blind pinot night we had including some grand and 1er cru Burgundies, and some classic Aussie/NZ pinots)
Sub $50 - 2005 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon
Sub $100 - 1996 Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Over $100 - 2002 Torbreck Descendant

[phillisc]

Vinh my good man, laughing my arse off too, when 86 389 was less than a tenner, as was 86 to 90 Wynns BL, 86 Wynns shiraz $20 by the dozen, 86 Kyneton Estate $5...and so it goes on.

Of course I am completely jealous...I have had what I class as really good French (vintage Champagne and the odd first and second growth) on just a handful of occasions.
Christ, who would not want that every week ...in my case the novelty would take decades to wear off

But yes quite happy that I have reasonable stocks to share with my lads and others.

Cheers Craig

[michel]

T

3. 1985 sassicaia tenuta san guido

r

Yep I have tried that and it is a life changer

[Avid]

I usually just lurk here but can't resist this thread.

Sub $50
2005 Tyrrell's Sémillon Reserve Stevens

Sub $100
2009 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
(plus honourable mention to 2006 Tyrrell's Sémillon Vat 1)

Over $100
1909 Domaine Sainte-Croix Rivesaltes (fortified)
Have only ever drunk two bottles over $100, and sharing this with my 1918 vintage Grandmother was more memorable than drinking the '94 Grange for my '94 vintage daughter's 18th, although I can't objectively say it was the better drop.... completely different beasts. Quite something to drink a wine where the grapes were grown before my Grandmother was born, and while doing so imagine how life might have been for the winemakers in 1909.


Seeing the above it'd come as no surprise that I'm backing up the truck on the fantastic recent vintages for Hunter Semillon (2013 & 2014), and Canberra reds (2013).

[simon1980]

Great thread. Avid, love your work...that Stevens '05 was the wine that opened my eyes to Semillon...and I'd be pretty supportive of Clonakilla SV '09 for sub $100 too.

However, I thought I'd go for some Pinots, as they seem pretty under represented so far, and it is very much my favourite tipple:

Sub $25 - 2012 Bellingham Estate Mornington Peninsular Pinot Noir (disclaimer: I have sold some of this wine on behalf of the brand owner on occasion)
Sub $50 - 2008 The Wanderer Upper Yarra Pinot Noir
Sub $100 - 2010 Moondarra Conception Gippsland Pinot Noir
Over $100 - 2012 Bass Phillip Reserve Gippsland Pinot Noir

Simon

[Luke W]

1986 Mt Mary Cabernet ($24) and Brewery Hill Shiraz 1998 ($12.50) and Wynns BL 1976 ($4),
1979 Penfolds 707 ($10), Penfolds Bin 389 1976 ($5), and Wynns JR 1986 ($18) all scored 99 points for me.
Rockford SVS Hoffman 1996 (courtesy gpk), 1999 Rockford BP and 1995 Rockford RR are more recent 99s.
The only wine to get full points was the 1955 Grange in 1983 ($120).
If I had to pick favourite wines in each price bracket I'd go for Rolf Binder Reserve Shiraz 2010, Rockford Black Sparkling and probably Grange.

[tarija]

The question has to be restricted by time, otherwise $10 probably buys a bottle of Lafite-Rothschild back in 1920...however $10 then is worth a lot more than $10 now!

In any case...

Under $50: Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Villa Gemma 1998, J Vidal-Fleury Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde 2000
$50-$100: JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr / Graach Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkaps, Christoffel Erben Riesling Eiswein 2004
$100+: Barbeito Malvasia 1834, D'Oliveiras Verdelho 1912, Oremus Tokaji Essencia 2003, Chambers Rosewood Rare Muscat NV

[daz]

Recently, Penfolds St Henri 1996.