The Auswine Forum

Hi,
I have heard that O'Leary Walker are releasing a 2002 Reserve Shiraz at around the $100 price point. I wonder how they came up with this figure? Considering that the standard Shiraz is $20-ish I wonder if the Reserve is 5 times better?

cheers
anthony

Another producer with delusions.

Basdow tried it with the Johannes and even with a mega buck advertising campaign behind it months after launch and the wines did not sell, the stuff still sat on the shelves for ages. That was only $55 too.

I sincerely hope that this is false. I think OLW have distinguished themselves in the last few years by offer excellent quality wines at affordable prices, performing above their price points.

Let's hope for the "Steve Hoff approach" to pricing - if it costs double to make, charge double for it - I'd have no problem paying $40 for an OLW Reserve. (Speaking of Steve Hoff, when is the Rosscos 2002 out? It should be a cracker)

Ged

Yeah wasn't that great, also a really good article by max allen in the weekend australian. I am 99.99% sure of the price point and when I first saw it I was astounded because normally all their wines over-deliver for the price.
I'd rather see them maybe start out their reserve at $40-50 then work from there. maybe increase $4-5 every year. Seems rather odd.

cheers
anthony

Big call as I think a $100 will go a long way. Even in the sexed up 02 vintage.

My $100 will get me the following 02's ( or thereabouts )-

Wendouree Shiraz 2002 x 2.

Rockford Basket Press 2002 x 2.

Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz 2002 x 2.

Burge Family G3 2002 x 2.

Turkey Flat Shiraz 2002 Magnum x 1. Etc etc.

With no pedigree will it need to be Parkerised to sell?

Ric, I just read ur TN in ur site. Is this the pretender to the ARMAGH?

MC,

I must admit when I heard about it, as you can see from the above post, I was very skeptical.

The wine is very classy stuff and worth the $70-$90 going rate. As to being the "Armagh pretender" not sure that is a good description. It comes from the vineyard next door and is very fine wine in its own right. Armagh is about $150 now and it has over 10 vintages under its belt, the O W has one. Time will tell, but I am glad I have it in the cellar.

This wine lands in store for $61, add GST 10% = $67, then 20% profit = $80

Any retailer selling this for $100 is making 50% profit

35% is the accepted retailer margin on wine. Some charge 25-30%, others charge 40-45%, but the general rule of thumb is 35%. Take $67, add 35%, and you get an RRP of a tick over $90. I am not a retailer, but that's how the sums work for me.

Which is a hell of a lot of money for a 1st effort wine from a producer known for value for money.

I could buy a top 1999-vintage Delas Freres for that (and have some change).

Maybe Australian wines aren't as cheap as they think they are.

G.

I don't know what some of these producers are thinking sometimes. $100 for a wine without a pedigree seems a bit rich. ...Give me two bottles of Turkey Flat Shiraz any time.

Gerard Connors wrote:

Let's hope for the "Steve Hoff approach" to pricing - if it costs double to make, charge double for it - I'd have no problem paying $40 for an OLW Reserve. (Speaking of Steve Hoff, when is the Rosscos 2002 out? It should be a cracker)

Ged

Agree totally. A very good winery with top wines at very reasonable prices. BTW the 02 Rossco's is already out.


cheers
BA

Agree with everything that has been said here and I was just as sceptical as you guys were until I tasted the wine. A couple of comments that may be worth considering.

Firstly, the winemakers are not exactly new at the game, and they do have an established track record but it was with other wineries. The Annies Lane Copper Trail shows they can make good wine that ages well. The 95 is doing very well and is just getting into its window, and that was not from a good year. (This new wine is a lot lower production than the Copper Trail.)

Having tried the wine, I bought it without a second thought and I normally think very carefully when spending over $50 a bottles. When/if you have tried the wine you will know why its worth the money, or not, as the case may be depending on your point of view.

At the show, there was a wine called Renschke Empyeron that sells at $115 for the first vintage. Madness, I though so till I tried the wine. Its stunning and although I didnÂ’t buy it I sure thought about it.

I tried this wine recently at WineAus - it was one of those "under the bench" bottles and boy, did it deliver

I've always been a supporter of O'Leary Walker (whites + reds) and since tasting the Reserve Shiraz 2002, I've been debating if its worth the $90-$100 per bottle too.

In the meantime, I've purchased some Wirra Wirra RSW 02 which is less than half the price per bottle

.....ok, call me a cheapie !

Certainly NOT. You are a lady of esteem taste. I bought the WirraWirra McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002 at half price of the RSW.

Hi All,

Anthony, I have seen this for $88 in a shop already but I am with you it is a hefty price for a first up.

Cheers
Popov

WOW! I am speechless Tasted this over the weekend, notes to follow shortly.
Wat can I say... the most satisfying wine I had in the last 12mths. Shaded the Wolf Blass Platinum 2001(RRP $160+) by a furlong.

What region anyone?

If, as TORB said, it comes from the vineyard next door to the Armagh, it's probably Clare.

Kieran

JamieBahrain wrote:What region anyone?

Jamie, the O'Leary Walker Claire Reserve Shiraz 2002 is 100% Clare Valley Shiraz. I've tried the 2003 standard shiraz and thought it was pretty good. Albeit, not a wine I'd drink everyday and if I dare say so will cellar quite well, but still highly recommended. Have been tempted with splurging on a few bottles of the reserve shiraz, but the price is a bit steep.

Gerard,

The 02 Rossco's was on sale when I last went to the BV in the middle of last year, and its a beauty for the price. I hate to tell you, but its probably sold out by now.

Mike

Thanks Kieran

Either I subconsiously ignore what Torb has to say or lack sound comprehension skills!

For those who have tried, was there much regionality in this wine, or is it a blockbuster and attention getting style?

Guest wrote:This wine lands in store for $61, add GST 10% = $67, then 20% profit = $80

Any retailer selling this for $100 is making 50% profit

So what?
Who cares what the margin is?

Save your $ and go buy some Shaw and Smith Shiraz.

Anonymous wrote:Save your $ and go buy some Shaw and Smith Shiraz.

I recently tried the Shaw and Smith latest Shiraz offerings and whilst they were quality, credible wines, they are not anywhere near the class of the O'Leary Walker Reserve.

How can a reknown white winemaker make a decent red? :puzzled:

The ONLY Red Shaw&Smith produced is a weedy merlot.

Anonymous wrote:The ONLY Red Shaw&Smith produced is a weedy merlot.

Not true, they also make a very credible Clare Shiraz!

I thought the S&S Merlot at WineOz was the best that I tried - powerful but balanced. Merlots in general were all over the place, from Uleybury and La Testa (big, ballsy and oaky) to thin and weedy (can't remember the makers).

Kieran

Anonymous wrote:The ONLY Red Shaw&Smith produced is a weedy merlot.

Clear nonsense!

Anonymous wrote:The ONLY Red Shaw&Smith produced is a weedy merlot.

Bullsh!t. I have a case of their 02 shiraz in the cellar.

Ric, is the 03 from Clare? The 02 is Adelaide Hills, from a vineyard in Macclesfield. and it is very good.

AB