The Auswine Forum

I too think this is an excellent topic but there seems to be a some confusion between seminal wines that started the wine "bug" and a list of the best wines ever.

Mahmoud

Mahmoud Ali wrote:I too think this is an excellent topic but there seems to be a some confusion between seminal wines that started the wine "bug" and a list of the best wines ever.

Mahmoud

Look a little deeper into what Tpang and I were talking about. We are not talking about our best wine's ever, but wine's in different categories that "changed everything" at particular points of time. In my case, these wines were consumed mostly in the '80's when I was on a steep learning curve generated by a most generous friend with an unbelievable cellar who literally "fed" me with so many of the wine's I mention. What a way to cut your teeth!

The wine that got me into wine was a 1997 St Henri Shiraz - was gifted to me by a mate for one of my birthdays, and was stashed away for a few years and consumed some time I'm guessing around 2002. Prior to this I'd had some various wines over dinner that my mum had bought (things like Blue Nun, Jacobs Creek Chardonnay - and was not all that impressed). This was a revelation, and set me upon a quest of finding more affordable wine to drink with the assumption all wines must taste this awesome and exactly like this - I ended up settling on Shiraz for a few years, over time added other varietals.

I got the Mrs into wine before she became the Mrs with a 1996 St Henri that I'd found somewhere and shared with a group of friends in early 2007.

Other turning points include Grosset Polish Hill Riesling (about 12 months old) a mate ordered at a restaurant (due to my comment - no I don't drink the white stuff they believe is classed as wine). A big eye opener was when David (dlo) was setting up a tasting group in Canberra - and I discovered just how shallow my wine experience and knowledge was - along with the friendliness, and generous spirit of other wine enthusiasts.

Now days I don't write off entire varietals and have even had two NZ Sauv Blanc that I actually enjoyed (gun to head of course), always on the lookout for something tasty that's nice and affordable. The new house does not have a place to store my wines (yet), however the in laws have generously allowed us to store our wines in a cupboard/room/nook that I built into a cellar, so I am at least able to do the cellaring aspect for aging wines. I love seeing them evolve in the bottle, and now the wife's palate is setting back down post pregnancies and two children, she's getting more adventurous with what she's enjoying and trying!

tpang wrote:As with several others here, I'd struggle to name a single wine. I've turned several corners for red wine (pinot noir, Bordeaux, Barossa), whites (Burgundy chardonnay, Hunter semillon) or even fortifieds.

Pinot Noir - 1990 Romanee Conti La Tache
Bordeaux - 2000 Mouton Rothschild
Barossa - 2004 Torbreck Descendent
Californian - 2001 Sine Qua Non On Your Toes Syrah
Riesling - Donnhoff Spatleses and Ausleses (I've consumed too much sugar from these)
Semillon - Mt Pleasant Lovedale (Multiple vintages)
Marsanne - Tahbilk 1927 (Multiple vintages)
Fortifieds - RL Buller Rare Tokay, Alois Kracher #2 TBA Muscat 2000, Dow Vintage 1945 Port

I was wondering what the 2004 Descendent did for you Terence? I actually have some of that vintage in the cellar, and I also am a huge fan of Lovedale.

The 1984 Lovedale was the white wine turning point for me.

The 1986 Grange was a revelation, when I tasted it on a Saturday morning at The Wine Gallery in Sydney with Gary Collins in the early ninties.
Gary introduced me to Three Rivers, and I bought a doz 1992.

Brucer wrote: I was wondering what the 2004 Descendent did for you Terence? I actually have some of that vintage in the cellar, and I also am a huge fan of Lovedale.
The 1984 Lovedale was the white wine turning point for me.

With the 2004 Descendent, it is a really good wine, made even more so by being at the winery with Dave Powell, talking about why he made the wine, the process, his kids, his favourite things to do in Singapore, his Harley rides down Orchard Rd, and a couple of footnotes about Robert Parker. His attitude to expanding the Torbreck brand and persisting to do things his own way. This latter point might sound repetitive and re-hashed as so many winemakers are described this way, but I think the success of Torbreck outstrips many others. And I loved hearing every bit of his ranting while we drank the wine in front of the cellar door as the sun was going down in the Barossa Valley.

Certainly sounds good. Nothing better then enjoying a good wine with the winemaker.

I've been lucky enough to be around good wine while growing up so it was never a wine that changed everything.
I did however have a vert of Grange a while back now. 75', 74', 73'. They were so complex I had to write it down. It was the first time I decided to start doing tasting notes. Definitely changed the way I looked at wine.

Cheers
Smurf

Mine was probably 1954 Tulloch Private Bin Hunter River Shiraz (was it labelled Burgundy / Claret maybe?) in about 1986. If I remember correctly it was opened for Dad's 40th. I would have been 15.

The wine to make sure I never became a red bigot was the Leo Buring 1973 DWC 13 Watervale Riesling in late 1994. Stunning youthful the sort of wine to dream of how long it would have lasted in screwcap - generations

An anonymous Côtes du Rhône in a pub, instead of a beer. More pertinently another glass of (name long forgotten) red wine the following week, when I was struck by the considerable difference.

2004 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon. Thought it was great (wished I'd cellared some) and realised there is more to wine making than just shoving grapes into a barrel. Got me into Coonawarra which then made me look at the other regions. The start of a journey.

DJ wrote:Mine was probably 1954 Tulloch Private Bin Hunter River Shiraz (was it labelled Burgundy / Claret maybe?) in about 1986.

Actually it was labelled " Private Bin Dry Red". Famous wine, not only for its stunning complexity but also because in one Sydney wine show it won golds in both the claret and burgundy classes - made a fool of classifying classes by wine styles!!

Cheers

paul

Rossco wrote:This is a great topic, and one very interesting way to trace back my appreciation of wine over the years.

I can specifically remember the moment I thought this wine caper might have some merit.

I was 18 and trying to impress a girl. So what does an 18 year old do except thinks of the classiest place to
take a lady he was trying to woo...... colonial tramcar restaurant in Melbourne.

ANYHOO.......there they served Tahbilk Shiraz...think it was the 96, but could have been 97.

I remember thinking WOW... where have you been all my life tahbilk shiraz! And it has never left my
side ever since............ unlike said lady who was being wooed.

Evolution of my wine preferences:

18 - Started drinking Reds (thought whites & bubbles were for sissies..... please remember I was only 18) - 96 or 97 tahbilk shiraz

25 - started REALLY appreciating some whites (mainly Riesling) - Moores Hill was the wine I turned for

28 - stared loving chardonnay & champagne - 1995 Dom & Toolangi Estate Chardonnay

Relace the wine with a '85 Wynnes Black Label and the restaurant to a Japanese place in Fitzroy which no longer exists and you have me !......

97 Maxwell Limestone Cave Cabernet - an off vintage and a varietal not known for success the the vale but it is still far and away the best Australian Cabernet (think dry red) I have had.

After growing up near the ValeI had drunk red wine, but only when beer was not available. Sadly I only came to appreciate the red grape after leaving for Qld. Another reason to go back now!

a few Australian wines that set me on the way...
1980 Petaluma Riesling
1981 Mt Mary Quintet
1982 Diamond Valley Pinot Noir
1997 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier
1997 Stanton and Killeen Vintage Port
Morris 19th century unknown varieties fortified (ex-barrel)

I've had a few profound moments including:

- A 1993 Reynell (Chateau Reynella) Shiraz - sometime after 2000. It was the first wine that I tried that wasn't really what I would describe as 2 buck chuck. The fruit quality and flavour were pretty amazing. It's so sad to see the demise of this once great estate.

- A 1991 Riesling - (Ken) Helm Winery - it was the epiphany I had to have Tasted sometime in 2007 all I got was lovely apples - this wine should have been long dead given where it had been stored but it did the trick. I can't get enough of the German gear now and I can certainly say that there's nothing like an Aussie lemon lime bomb to quench a thirst. Such good value for money!

- A 1983 Penfold's Bin 707 - I think it was consumed in 2007 - it was an auction purchase and a magnum at that (...back in the days of no kids and what seemed like a massive disposable income!) I took it to wine night at a mate's place and we were all blown away. Textbook cigar box, cassis and chocolate...the memory lingers still.

There have been others in recent times, particularly European wines (German Rizza, Grenache dominant blends from the Cotes du Rhone, Booj, Bordeaux and of course Burgundy - my wallet is permanently stuffed), but these were the wines that got me started

I wouldn't say the wine "that changed everything" was what got us into wine, since we were introduced to wine appreciation by our grandfather as teenagers, but the wines that opened my eyes to the world beyond big bombastic barossa shiraz and coonawarra cab.

One of those moments was tasting the phenomenal floral complexity of Bass Phillip Premium & Reserve Pinot Noirs.

I will relate two (and a bit) stages of my growing experience with wine that "changed everything", althjough there have probably been many other significant steps in this enjoyable journey.

Growing up in Adelaide in the 60's in a hard working methodist family, we only saw our father with the occasional bottle of Southwark beer or Coopers stout in the house, certainly there was no wine. University days changed that a bit, particularly visits to Mt Gambier in the early 70's for easter basketball tournaments and motorcycle races at MacNamara Park. Naturally we stopped at Coonawarra and sampled some produce. For me it was being served by Arthur Hoffmann at Redmans and trying what seemed to be these fairly astringent reds (Redmand Claret and Cabernet, and they probably weren't that astringent in hindsight) and thinking "well, they are supposed to be good". Moments like that forged many years of purchases from Redmans and other makers in Coonawarra and it still remains my favoured location. Over the journey, Redmans has perhaps dropped off a bit, but the label remains a sentimental favourite. You can never have too many magnums.

Quick plug for Southern Vales 1975 Trophy Cabernet, enjoyed from several visits to Mclaren Vale in the late 70's.

Then, fast forward some years later living in Melbourne (via stints in London and SE Asia), the real "epiphany" was a Coonawarra Masterclass at the dining room at the G, held as part of the annual Coonawarra celebrations (but not in Coonawarra). Might have even been the first one. I think it must have been early-mid 90's (I still have the wine stained paper placemat at home somewhere). It was hosted by Huon Hooke and people like Eric Brand and Doug Bowen were there. We tasted 10 wines, all of which had been poured into ISO glasses before we entered the room (probably 30-40ppl). Well, I have never before (or since) seen a more unlikely looking flight of what turned out to be the most unbelievably fantastic wines. Most of them looked brown or a little like tawny ports. BUT, we are talking Woodleys Treasure Chest (couple thereof), Mildara Peppermint Pattie, Penfolds Bin 7 and 1962 Bin 60A, some Rouge Homme, some Wynns Black label from the 60's and a relatively recent JR (not the 82 unfortunately). The old wines just blew us away, all in good nick and with so much complexity. Could have sniffed the glasses for hours. It really showcased what the industry is capable of and has achieved over the years. The Bin 60A was absolutely stunning. It was an absolute privilege to experience the history demonstrated by these wines and the heritage they provide for us today. After that there was only one thing to do, so the four of us went off to Langtons restaurant in Flinders Lane for a late lunch which included some Grange and one or two other things! Great day and long may my credit card suffer!