The Auswine Forum

Just curious to see if others collect with vertical tasting in mind. My best is Rockford 1997 - 2006 and Lake's Folly 1998 - 2007 . I must admit to buying from a number of vineyards irrespective of how good the vintage was

Graham

Ah, do you mean what is the best verticle tasting you've ever done or what is the best one you could possibly do from within your collection?

Best one I've done is the Cullen one we did not long ago but I could do, from my cellar, a 96-06 Rockford Basket Press, a Noons cab or shiraz 99 - 06, a Grosset Polish Hill or Watervale 98 - 07, Petaluma Riesling 98 - 08, Wild Duck Creek Springflat Shiraz 99 - 07, Mount Mary quintets and Pinot 95 - 06, Seppelt St Peters ( and reserve shiraz) 97 - 05, Wynns cab sav 96 - 07 and I'd be pretty close on a Penfolds 389 from 94 - 06 but I think I'm missing 95 and 03 and I'm going to drink the last 94 soon.

I don't buy these with a verticle in mind though. I just tend to buy them every year. There's also some smaller runs in things I've been buying regularly more recently like Hoddle Creek Pinot, Voyager Estate Cab and Chardy, Kalleske Greenock Shiraz and a few others. I'm trying to buy less now though and only from better vintages rather than every vintage.

Best from your collection, the expense gets a bit much sometimes though

[quote="graham"]Best from your collection, the expense gets a bit much sometimes though [/quote]

Absolutely! Gave up on full verticals some years ago, just go for better vintages these days.

Less and less these days...as im finding out actually putting on a vertical tasting is problematic and perhaps its more a conceptual happenning than anything for us wine freaks. Id love to know how often people have actaully done the deed and opened a 10 year vertical collection on one night. Collecting a vertical is just squirrel behaviour, cracking one is the true sign of a devoted fan

As for me, 10 years of eileen hardy shiraz (funny as i no longer like the style but on a cold winters evening it may be a goer!). Too expensive now to continue. About 10 years of coleraine 1995 -> with the lesser vintages missing. Will keep buying this most vintages. every unison selection, every unison syrah, every puriri reserve

i used to have a good string of peg bay rieslings but we verticaled them last summer. used to have a long string of henschke keyneton but it got too expensive for what it was so stopped buying and drank em one by one. all gone now! used to have a long line of dry river gw too but been drinking more than buying of late.

I still have a vertical of Montana Marlborough Sauv Blanc 1980 - 1991 (didn't like the 1992 vintage so stopped buying). Have to admit I'm a bit scared to open them now - maybe only for curiosity - one day - maybe.

Today it is easier to put on a vertical like Craig, Bick, myself and others did with Stonyridge Larose - have each person supply a unique vintage.

Craig is right, prices are getting too expensive to keep collecting some of the wines as their 'cultish' status pushes release prices up.

I've only been cellering wine for a few years, so nothing very impressive, but without trying to do it, I have the last 5 years or so of a few wines: Te Mata Awatea, Bin 389, Pegasus riesling. Seem to get at least a few of these every year. I think that's probably about it! I get Larose ep though, so in another few years that will start to look pretty tasty.

The Grange tastings of the 60's and 70's were pretty good although the 72 was off -
The 15 or so first Wolf Blass Black labels were excellent as well but I think the highlight was:
the complete collection of Wynns Black Labels up to 76 that I bought from Bondi cellars in the early 80's for about $10 a bottle - we couldn't believe how fresh some of these wines were at 20 years of age.

best thus far was Rousseau Chambertin 1990- 2005 and the Beze which as similar with just a few missing.
Crawford River Riesling vertical was good because I was surprised how well the wines aged and looked

Few years ago now, but I was lucky enough to do a 25 year vertical of Balgownie Cabernet with Stuart Anderson & Lindsay Ross.

Stands out as one of the best tastings I've ever done, as the chance to see the progression of the wines across the years was unique. Just wish I owned all of the wines!

probably the one where I remain upright


cheers
Seddo

The best vertical I'd have at the moment is a set of Yalumba Signature magnums 1990-2005 (except the 1992 which for some reason eludes me). The 1986-1997 vertical dinner put together by Wickman's auctions was pretty impressive to try too I might add:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8014&p=58884

I think the most impressive (or at least influential) vertical I've tried would be the De Bortoli Noble One dinner at Chris Jarmer's Restaurant Air, presented by Nick Guy & Julie Mortlock a few years ago:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3654

It was not only a great experience to gather how Noble One ages, but to think a little outside the square in regards to food matching. It also kicked off putting together a vertical of my own with the thought of maybe trying to do something similar in the future...

Cheers,
Ian

When the Wine Gallery was going in Sydney a few years ago, Gary Collins organised some amazing verticals.
The top 2 were 30 years of Hill Of Grace, with Steven Henschke sitting opposite me, and the other was a Grange vertical, cant remember exactly which years, but it was around 25 vintages. I still have the notes somewhere. I do remember it cost $500. But well worth every cent. Would probably cost 4 times that now!
Others included, about 100 bottles of shiraz from the 1990 vintage. I remember Max Lake tasting every one,dragging his chair along as he went, and starting from the other end to everybody else.I do remember when they were unmasked later, he went back to try the Hanging Rock Heathcote shiraz, because it was a really average wine.
Every vintage of Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with James Halliday there.
Bruce

1982 to 1991 John Riddoch a few years back. A great line up only spoiled by a corked 1982.

Thanks to Sue Hodder of Wynns who gave me a 1982 a couple of years after the event during a conversation we were having about cork taint. A great gesture that will allow me to do the same line up again in the next couple of years. There may be a spare spot or two if you are Adelaide based.

When Fosters sold off the Jamieson's Run Coonawarra winery there was a vertical of every Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet made there (bar one I think).
Great way to see the old girl off!