The Auswine Forum

At my regular lunch group at T Chow an interesting topic came up - a South African gentleman during the week had challenged one of the regulars to come up with five genuinely world class Australian wines (assuming red or white as it had not been specified) priced under $30 to blow his mind.

Challenge accepted: with reds I think it is hard to pass Majella Cabernet Sauvignon, whites, well pick one of the great rieslings from Clare.

What do you guys think?

Cheers,
Ian

Good game!

I'd agree with a Riesling. So many to choose from that would do the job, but for something a bit different, Crawford a River Young vines 2015 is a super wine.
I thought about a Sem (Thomas Breamore), but think a Chardonnay is probably a better bet. Luke Lambert (around for just under $30) is probably my pick.
In terms of Pinot, 2015 should give something suitable. Maybe Mac Forbes, or the new Giant Steps blend.
Shiraz...well, so much choice. Heart says Head Contrarian 2014. Head says Bests Bin 1.

Sooo much choice...

Collector marked tree Shiraz would have to be one of mine for the red category
$26 direct from the winery
Had a 2008 last night that seriously impressed the whole table of 10

Tyrrells HVD Semillon would also be one of my whites
A bit over the 30 mark from the winery but you can almost always pick it up somewhere retail for just under, just like 5cents!

Great topic, that will hopefully generate a lot of input:
Shiraz - Grant Burge Filsell - Big Bold classic Barossa Shiraz. Even though I have nominated this, not my ideal wine, however a good example that shows well.
Pinot - Patina from Orange (my biased opinion)
Agree with the Reislings - How about Pewsey Vale?
Tahbilk Marsanne (well under budget again)
Chardonnay - hmm lots to chose from uncertain what to nominate
Interested to hear other nominations....

Wynns Black Label Cab Sav.
Got for under 30 at CD.
Pretty darn good VFM i reckon

Depends on whether it has to be current release or not as no $30 Aussie Rizza or Semillon is going to truly impress without 10 years under it's belt. IMHO.

Can we slot a Rutherglen Tokay or Muscat into the line-up? They would fit the bill.

Scotty vino wrote:Wynns Black Label Cab Sav.
Got for under 30 at CD.
Pretty darn good VFM i reckon

You can generally pick it up for around $20 online etc. I agree, fantastic value.

dave vino wrote:Depends on whether it has to be current release or not as no $30 Aussie Rizza or Semillon is going to truly impress without 10 years under it's belt. IMHO.

Can we slot a Rutherglen Tokay or Muscat into the line-up? They would fit the bill.

True
So to be fair you would need to allow the contenders to be aged examples but just retail current release is under $30

Definitely the 2015 Crawford River young vines Riesling. It's even better on the 3rd day than the first.

Other contenders.
2009 Mt Pleasant Rosehill
2015 BK One Ball Chardonnay
2015 Luke lambert Chardonnay under $30?)
2013 Bay of Fires Chardonnay
2015 Bay of Fires Riesling
2014 De Iuliis Stevens Shiraz (hmm maybe $2-$3 over the limit)
Mt Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz
2015 Yangarra Roussane
Head Contrarian or old Vine Grenache (again under $30?)
Marius Simpatico
2015 Ravensworth Shiraz Viogner (hmm maybe a couple of bucks over)
2015 Ravensworth Sangiovese
Bondar Grenache
2014 Adelina Shiraz Mataro

rosewaterwrx wrote:Marius Simpatico

+1 for the Marius

Just for fun, being a Perth boy, thought I would limit my responses to truly "world class" (in a good vintage!) wines from WA and try to mix up the varietals. Price test based on what I paid for recent vintages - some may have crept over $30 for the current release and depends on where you buy it...

Top 5 in no particular order:
Shiraz - Cape Mentelle Shiraz
Cab Sav - Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon
Chard - Fraser Gallop Chardonnay Parterre (2012 was a stunner!)
SBS and various blends - plenty of great WAs for under $30. To pick one, my go to is Voyager Estate.
Rieslings - Castle Rock Estate Riesling

Pinot - Hard to get truly "world class" pinots for under $30 but if you could stretch your budget grab a Picardy... (and this would make it top 6!!)

Michael McNally wrote:

rosewaterwrx wrote:Marius Simpatico

+1 for the Marius

+2

I'll also throw in:-

Seppelt Chalambar
Best's Bin 1

I will focus on reds. We can piss fart around all sots of labels and current faves that are worthy of consideration but really to me there is one stand out. Next year will see the 60th release of Wynns Cabernet, now commonly known as Black Label Cabernet. I have lost count of the number of these that I have tasted but the point is that, perhaps Grange aside, there is no other label with this sort of pedigree. A few weeks ago at a Margaret River vs the World off-line we had a '76 which was absolutely superb. Last night I had a '78 and a '98, the '98 was excellent, that particular bottle of '78 was on that slope downhill but still an enjoyable wine. Have had numerous examples of the '90 and '91 pigeon pair, both excellent. Maybe some of the vintages in the early 00's were a bit questionable but it seems that the regeneration in viticulture in the vineyard has brought the label back to standard in the last 5-8 yrs. Many other vintages worthy of note. Current vintage available at a low $20-ish price point if you shop around. Yeah, its bleeding' obvious, but hard to see a better value wine. It's one of the most cellared wines in Australia and it's a no-brainer for me. The other four are more of a challenge! Riesling, other Cabs, Shiraz, fortified, it's a great question?

I guess the "world class" part throws me off...

In which case I think you can only put aged Hunter Semillon and aged Aussie Riesling in that mix...
In that price range there are probably quite a few examples...
Everything else at that price point can be good value...but if I were taking a wine overseas to a wine geek meet, it would be hard to find anything I'd be keen to show off...

But if I had to add others....just on their price and ability to age..
Tahbilk Marsanne
Wynn Black label

Are great examples of value wines that can really age fantastically well...

The breadth and depth of the sub-$30 category is absolutely huge, so many good wines out there from all over Australia, but "mind blowing" is obviously subject to interpretation/personal taste.

If I were to pick my own personal top 5 at this point in time I would consider it to be:

2015 Pikes Traditionale Riesling
2014 Taylors Wines Jaraman Shiraz
2014 Henschke Henry's Seven
2013 O'Leary Walker Cabernet Malbec
Fifth would be a toss up between: 2015 Tonic Chardonnay or 2016 Tim Adams Pinot Gris

If you consider Scan Data (which excludes Dan Murphy's sales) the top selling Shiraz is Pepperjack Shiraz. I find with some air time it drinks quite well.

This article was from the Wine Companion on the weekend:
http://www.winecompanion.com.au/news/news-articles/2016/july/50-great-reds-part-2?utm_source=taguchi&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekend+reading

I'll be + 4 on the Marius Simpatico.

Also:

Hoddles Creek chardonnay (a few years old)
Tahbilk Marsanne (more than a few year old)
Blue Poles Allouran
Woodlands - whatever cabernet or associated blend you could locate under $30 on the day

And I've committed a cultural crime but not including a riesling, but sue me - it's winter!

Steingarten, Leonay, Drumborg, Wigan/PL??( still under $30), Contours, Petaluma...there's 6 just in the Riesling department.
Wynns BL
Seppelts mid range Muscat/Tokay
Noble One..but sadly a half these days to be under $30

Struggling in the Shiraz department

Cheers
Craig

Realistically I think the only "world class" wines Australia has under $30 are Riesling and Hunter Semillon, perhaps some Rutherglen fortifieds.

Don't think there are any reds that qualify...not that it's a bad thing though, there's not that many wines in the world that are genuinely world-class at $30.

In terms of our "classics", Wynns BL Cab Sauv probably the main red. Marques de Murrieta Reserva Rioja and Marques de Riscal Reserva Rioja the only other classic reds I can think of worldwide at this pricepoint with the same pedigree and longevity.

I think it depends on whether it is Aussie wines <$30 against overseas wines at any price, or if you mean "world class <$30 / £15 / €17 / US$23" for example.

I think it has to be the latter right? And I think in the value for money stakes, Australia does extremely well...

Grange '71, released at $11.90 ... Did the challenge specify the wine had to be currently available at that price?

sjw_11 wrote:Grange '71, released at $11.90 ... Did the challenge specify the wine had to be currently available at that price?

Bugger, it cost me $35/b when I bought some in '86 from Gatehouse Cellars
Otherwise it would be a no brainer

sjw_11 wrote:I think it depends on whether it is Aussie wines <$30 against overseas wines at any price, or if you mean "world class <$30 / £15 / €17 / US$23" for example.

I think it has to be the latter right? And I think in the value for money stakes, Australia does extremely well...

Agree with that!

Any love for Metala...it is in my top 5 under thirty.
But then, I've never been considered world class

Cheers
Craig

I am amazed no one has mentioned the Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. Heck its under $20 and released with age. i would also add my vote for the Pikes Traditionale and the Wynns BL.

rooman wrote:I am amazed no one has mentioned the Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. Heck its under $20 and released with age.

Totally agree!

sjw_11 wrote:I think it depends on whether it is Aussie wines <$30 against overseas wines at any price, or if you mean "world class <$30 / £15 / €17 / US$23" for example.

I think it has to be the latter right? And I think in the value for money stakes, Australia does extremely well...

I agree with this comment too (and puts the comparison into perspective).

When it comes to International Wine Show Results, Aussie wines in this price bracket perform very well, hence I would say definitely world class.

I had (mis)interpreted "five genuinely world class Australian wines (assuming red or white as it had not been specified) priced under $30 to blow his mind" as more quality demanding than "value for money". I was thinking this could be interpreted as what under $30 Aussie wines would "...hold there own amongst a basket of more expensive international wines" rather than "...shine amongst a basket of similarly priced international wines".

Both are interesting discussions and I expect would have many of the same wines in both!...

bdellabosca wrote:I had (mis)interpreted "five genuinely world class Australian wines (assuming red or white as it had not been specified) priced under $30 to blow his mind" as more quality demanding than "value for money". I was thinking this could be interpreted as what under $30 Aussie wines would "...hold there own amongst a basket of more expensive international wines" rather than "...shine amongst a basket of similarly priced international wines".

The "mind blowing " aspect does suggest that... but I am bored of foreign wine snobs lazily bashing Aussie wine and I don't want to encourage it by way of unfair comparisons

"Oh my god, that Yering Station Little Yering Pinot for $14.99 is not a patch on this Armand Rousseau Chambertin, I knew Australian wine was garbage"

For me if we are really wanting world-beating under $30 it is going to be SA Riesling and NSW Semillon all the way. Or Tahbilk Marsanne.

I have plenty of sub-$30 reds in my cellar which I think will be great with 5-10yrs on them and represent world-beating VFM and enjoyable drinking... but will be unmistakedly Australian wines, and do I want them compared to the best of Bordeaux or Piedmont or Burgundy which are stylistically completely different??

I reckon the Killikanoon Prophecy Shiraz does pretty well for $20/bottle. You've just got to put up your hand REAL quick.

Thinking outside the square for something uniquely Australian, how about Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz?