The Auswine Forum

At a recent Brisbane wine event with 32 'serious' wine lovers, there were 6 equally serious wines presented. Now the rationale behind this wine tasting was to see how these wines stacked up against Australia?s most iconic wine ? Penfolds Grange.



Unlike most tastings of this ilk the wines were served blind, six wines in six decanters numbered 1-6, one of which was Grange. All that was required of the tasters was to rank these wines from 1 (favourite) to 6 (least preferred).

After an hour passed and everyone had revisited the wines several times two simples questions were put to them:

1. What was your favourite wine?
2. Which one do you think is Grange?








The response to question 1:
Wine Number 1 - 5 votes
Wine Number 2 - 12 votes
Wine Number 3 - 4 votes
Wine Number 4 - 5 votes
Wine Number 5 - 3 votes
Wine Number 6 - 3 votes

The response to question 2:
Wine Number 1 - 6 votes
Wine Number 2 - 15 votes
Wine Number 3 - 1 votes
Wine Number 4 - 5 votes
Wine Number 5 - 2 votes
Wine Number 6 - 3 votes








It was at this point the wines were revealed:

1. 2008 Paracombe Sommerville Adelaide Hills Shiraz ($55)
2. 2010 Kalleske Johann Georg Shiraz ($120)
3. 2006 Penfolds Grange ($650)
4. 2006 Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz ($65)
5. 2009 Turkey Flat The Twist Barossa Shiraz ($80)
6. 2009 Mollydoker Velvet Glove Shiraz ($170)

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Nice post. Wish I had been part of the tasting!

Would be interesting to do a "Judgement of Paris" thing, and line up the same bottles in 10 or 20 years time and see if the results change.

Either way, glad I have purchased every release of this label since its initial release in 2003.

Looked likw an awesome dinner. Can i get invited to the next one

UFO,
I remember it like it was yesterday, but was privelidged to be at the Rockford cellar door the day Robert released the 1996 SVS's. There were about 10 of us ordinary punters there late on a cold day in winter and he put his three wines up against a Grange, (and without upseting others) a couple of very expensive Barossa shirazes, both single vineyard, both well established wines of many vintages. All of the wines were 1996s tasted blind. We assumed ( and were correct) that some of the 6 wines were Rockford, but were not informed of the other three till afterwards

Of the 10 tasters Grange was 5th or 6th in order of preference. Apart from Robert, the rest of us had never tasted any of the 6 wines. Interesting, the power of a label...

Cheers
Craig.

phillisc wrote:UFO,
I remember it like it was yesterday, but was privelidged to be at the Rockford cellar door the day Robert released the 1996 SVS's. There were about 10 of us ordinary punters there late on a cold day in winter and he put his three wines up against a Grange, (and without upseting others) a couple of very expensive Barossa shirazes, both single vineyard, both well established wines of many vintages. All of the wines were 1996s tasted blind. We assumed ( and were correct) that some of the 6 wines were Rockford, but were not informed of the other three till afterwards

Of the 10 tasters Grange was 5th or 6th in order of preference. Apart from Robert, the rest of us had never tasted any of the 6 wines. Interesting, the power of a label...

Cheers
Craig.

That's why I never believed in anything other than blind tasting. I can already see contradicting replies coming in

Arnie, can you add some more colour about the tasting? Who organised it, was it a commercial event, were the tasters wine geeks like us, or ITB? How did you hear of it. Sounds like a great event.

I have some 05,06 and 08 Kalleske Johann Georg stashed away. Only tried one bottle of the 05, as was a bit disappointed. Will have to try the others, but they are made for the long haul.

Sounds like a tasting Wine Direct put on pretty regularly - reckon Phil hosted this one... such good fun