The Auswine Forum

I popped over to the QuizmasterÂ’s dungeon, but he and his apprentice are apparently otherwise engaged. Besides the place looks frightful. In the meantime, I though I might put to use a little data I have (which with a bit of luck is un-googleable, though I wouldnÂ’t know as IÂ’ve never done it).

So, this question concerns wine rankings. Many of you will own some of Jeremy OliverÂ’s annual wine guides. Beginning with 1998, he began to rank wines on a cru-classe-type scale of 1 to 5, according to the wineÂ’s overall quality level. Seven of these annual guides have been published.

Q1. In that time, only 7 wines have retained a ranking of 1 in every edition. What are they?

Q2. If youÂ’re really good you might care to name the other 16 wines which have held the exalted ranking for one edition at leastÂ…?

Q3. Which wine began the 1998 edition ranked as 1, but by 2002 had spiralled down to a rank of 4?

Answers only forthcoming until 2pm, at which point I have an urgent meeting on the first teeÂ…

Cheers,
Graeme

1:

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir
Giaconda Chardonnay
Grosset Polish Hill
Henschke Hill of Grace
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay
Penfolds Bin 707
Penfolds Grange

2:

Bannockburn Serre
Best's Thomson Family
Cullen Cab Merlot
De Bortoli Noble One
Katnook Odyssey
Moss Wood Cab Sav
Mount Mary Quintet
Petaluma Chardonnay
Petaluma Coonawarra
Petaluma Tiers
Pierro Chardonnay

Giaconda Pinot Noir
Henschke Mt Edelstone
Wynn's John Riddoch
Tim Adams the Aberfeldy
Rosemount Balmoral
Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir

3:

Henschke Mt Edelstone. Or maybe Wolf Blass Black Label

Kieran

OK, so Kieran's nailed a few here:

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir
Giaconda Chardonnay - YES
Grosset Polish Hill
Henschke Hill of Grace - YES
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay - YES
Penfolds Bin 707 - YES
Penfolds Grange - YES

2:

Bannockburn Serre - YES
Best's Thomson Family - YES
Cullen Cab Merlot - YES
De Bortoli Noble One - YES
Katnook Odyssey - YES
Moss Wood Cab Sav - YES
Mount Mary Quintet - YES
Petaluma Chardonnay - YES
Petaluma Coonawarra - YES
Petaluma Tiers - YES
Pierro Chardonnay - YES

Giaconda Pinot Noir
Henschke Mt Edelstone
Wynn's John Riddoch
Tim Adams the Aberfeldy
Rosemount Balmoral
Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir

3:

Henschke Mt Edelstone. Or maybe Wolf Blass Black Label


So, still need 2 wines in question 1,
another 5 in question 2
and the answer to 3...

cheers,
Graeme

Presumably, we can add the two for question one from my list for question two, since I had a couple of the guides onhand when I made the list.

I'll nominate: Petaluma Chardonnay, Petaluma Coonawarra.

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot and Grosset Polish Hill get added to the list for question two.

Kieran

Kieran wrote:Presumably, we can add the two for question one from my list for question two, since I had a couple of the guides onhand when I made the list.

I'll nominate: Petaluma Chardonnay, Petaluma Coonawarra.

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot and Grosset Polish Hill get added to the list for question two.

Kieran

Correct for BP & PH - they're on the second list. But neither Petaluma makes the first...

cheers,
Graeme

Don't have my guides with me, but you can move Mount Mary Quintet to 1 no problem. I think Cullen Cab Merlot may also always have been a 1 as well. Racking my brain about the fall from grace though.

Could it be Cyrill???

Yes, Quintet is a No 1 through and through. Other conclusions wrong...

The whole point was NOT to look it up in the guides, of course!

So still seeking one wine from No1 list, and several for the 'has-beens/wannabe's' list.

And the mystery 'disgraced' wine, of course

cheers,
Graeme

Must be Noble One in the "1" list then.

Gasman wrote:Must be Noble One in the "1" list then.

Nup...dropped to a 2 in the 2004 edition

Graeme

The A list: Best's Thomson Family?

The Has-Beens: Leonay, Graveyard

Fall from grace: Howard Park Cabernet Merlot (/Cab Sav)

Kieran

I think the Thompson family is only a recent addition, and I've never seen Leonay or Graveyard in the 1 list.

That last post was me by the way. I think I have it. It's the Pierro chardonnay in the 1 list.

No to all of those, Keiran.

We have - the 1's

Giaconda Chardonnay
Henschke Hill of Grace
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay
Mount Mary Quintet
Penfolds Bin 707
Penfolds Grange
??????????????

The comings and goings:

Bannockburn Serre
Bass Phillip Reserve
Best's Thomson Family
Cullen Cab Merlot
De Bortoli Noble One
Grosset Polish Hill
Henschke Cyril (giving Gasman credit)
Howard Park C-M (giving Keiran credit)
Katnook Odyssey
Moss Wood Cab Sav
Petaluma Chardonnay
Petaluma Coonawarra
Petaluma Tiers
Pierro Chardonnay
??????????? - 2 needed (including FfG wine), or 3 if you think one of these should be in the first list....

Fall from Grace = ????????

cheers,
Graeme

Gasman wrote:That last post was me by the way. I think I have it. It's the Pierro chardonnay in the 1 list.

Yes, Pierro has been "1" all the way. So we need 3 more wines in the second list, 1 of which is the Fall from Grace wine

cheers,
Graeme

What about Wendouree Shiraz as a number one ?

It would be odd if a Wendouree did creep into the list, since there's no Wendouree entry in the last two books.

Kieran

No, no Wendouree.

Of the missing 3, one is distinctly unfashionable these days.

And one is related to a wine already on the list.

And the third is the Fall-from-Grace wine (not yet mentioned)...

Answers in an hour
cheers,
Graeme

Related to a wine in the list - my ideas are:

Bass Phillip Pinot Noir (most likely)
Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Grosset Watervale (unlikely...hard to see how recent vintages would knock it off the list).

Unfashionable: Orange Muscat and Flora? No, more likely Seppelt Show Sparkling or (most likely) Chateau Reynella VP.

Fall From Grace: (thinkthinkthink) Irvine Grand Merlot

Kieran

Kieran wrote:Related to a wine in the list - my ideas are:

Bass Phillip Pinot Noir (most likely)
Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Grosset Watervale (unlikely...hard to see how recent vintages would knock it off the list).

Unfashionable: Orange Muscat and Flora? No, more likely Seppelt Show Sparkling or (most likely) Chateau Reynella VP.

Fall From Grace: (thinkthinkthink) Irvine Grand Merlot

Kieran

Chat. Reynella - YES!
Just 2 left...

Graeme

Gotta go - so here it is

Bannockburn Chardonnay (slipped to 2 when Serre came out), and




Jasper Hill Emilys Paddock - scored a 1 in 98, 99, then marched down to a 4, and has recovered to 3.


cheers,
Graeme

GraemeG wrote:Gotta go - so here it is

Bannockburn Chardonnay (slipped to 2 when Serre came out), and




Jasper Hill Emilys Paddock - scored a 1 in 98, 99, then marched down to a 4, and has recovered to 3.


cheers,
Graeme

Graeme

Great fun, thanks for taking the time and effort!

Very odd that Emily was a 1, given that neither of the last two books list a single vintage in which Emily scored 18.8 (his standard for a 1).

Kieran

Kieran,

He is not afraid to revise his rating downwards based on subsequent tastings which is what I believe happend with the Emily.

Scott