February 2026 Purchases

[SipAndANibble]

3x Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret Chablis Premier Crus Fourchaume 2023

[Chuck]

6 x Byron & Harold 2023 Gravity Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. Has 10% malbec that I do like.

[Alan Foo]

3 x Mollydooker Miss Molly Sparkling Shiraz 2022
2 x Noon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
5 x Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz Shiraz 2020
1 x Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
1 x Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1972
2 x Two Hands Lily's Garden Shiraz 2001

[Con J]

Few more Christmas wines, Sparkling Reds.

6 X Rockford Black Shiraz, Disgorged 2005.
1 X Rockford Black Shiraz, Disgorged 2018.
1 X 1985 Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz.
1 X 2004 Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz.

I thought hard about the 1944 Seppelts Great Western Sparkling Burgundy but $900 + 15%, I can’t do it anymore.

Cheers Con.

[SipAndANibble]

1x 2020 Gran Enemigo Agrelo Cabernet Franc for 20 bucks out of vinomofo lol

[Alan Foo]

Few more Christmas wines, Sparkling Reds.

6 X Rockford Black Shiraz, Disgorged 2005.
1 X Rockford Black Shiraz, Disgorged 2018.
1 X 1985 Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz.
1 X 2004 Seppelts Show Sparkling Shiraz.

I thought hard about the 1944 Seppelts Great Western Sparkling Burgundy but $900 + 15%, I can’t do it anymore.

Cheers Con.

Yes, the 1944 SGWS Burgundy at $900 + 15% is on the expensive side.
In 2020 I bought 4 bottles of 1975 Seppelts Great Western Sparkling Burgundy at only $53 each from Wickman's. This same wine was selling at Langton's in the same year at $275++

Con, this time I did not want to fight over the 2004 SSSS with you but someone else was also on it.

Cheers,
Alan

[JamieAdelaide]

I low balled a heap of wine at auction an ended up with a $2500 bill. Didn’t expect to get them .

Notables Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay and Sassetti Brunello.

[WineRick]

I low balled a heap of wine at auction an ended up with a $2500 bill. Didn’t expect to get them .

Notables Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay and Sassetti Brunello.

Oops! Done that myself.

[Ian S]

Back in the day, when buyer's & seller's premiums were modest, auction houses used to be able to apply a hard stop on request for individual buyers e.g. I want a max of 4 lots, so cancel my remaining absentee bids if I hit that mark. Now they're charging more, I doubt they offer such service...

On the one occasion I did this (at a South coast UK auction house), I came away with some daftly cheap wines such as Tower Estate Hunter shiraz, Craiglee Shiraz and a few others, at *very* pleasing prices, but the hammer prices were so low that I rather regret being so cautious. Lots such as Koonunga Hill vertical (including the 1976 vintage), some Wynns Cab Sauv, etc. etc. all got hammered for a tiny fraction of retail / value to the right buyer. The local wine buyers seemingly unaware or disinterested in Aussie wines.

[Sean]

Last Sunday, I thought I would pop out and pick up a few bottles of Hunter Valley wine.
It has been a while since I drank any Hunter Valley semillon and shiraz.
I can see why. You just don’t see much of it in Melbourne wine shops.
Both the chains and local independent stores had a couple of token names at best. Or nothing.
Jesus the Brokenwood Graveyard is $399 (Cloudwine) now! None at the Dan Murphy’s stores.
Got some results with Tyrrell’s on the Prince Wine Store website.
The Vat 9 Shiraz is $140. At least you can check if it is in stock in South Melbourne. (It is.)
Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz is $60 if you can find it. I would have to order it online.
Also the Mount Henry Shiraz Pinot ($45). I had both of those a couple of years ago, purchased in a local Dan Murphy’s store.
Retailing is changing they tell me.
Read an article recently (Drinks Trade I think) about the big retailers using AI now to optimise customer service and supply lines.
Joked to Wendy I would have better luck driving to the local IGA in Cessnock.
Pretty obvious not a lot of Hunter Valley wine is sold in Melbourne.
No luck at all buying any shiraz. Unless I wanted to travel across the city or order a case online.
I did not.
Fared a little better with semillon.
The Vintage Cellars at East Brighton used to be a good source for HV wines.
Now all of the Vintage Cellars are Liquorland stores. Much smaller range of wines and generally pitched at lower priced generic offerings.
At the East Brighton store they had Brokenwood Semillon for $28 (it is $23 at Dan Murphy’s). No age on it, you will get either the 2024 or 2025 vintage.
Also had the Tyrrell’s Vat 1, which is $115 these days. You would only buy it for the cellar, not to drink now.
I had checked online and the Liquorland at the Hampton Coles supermarket had the Tyrrell’s HVD listed. The staff kindly confirmed that on their computer (and were astonished they had it).
So I went there and pleasantly surprised to see it was the 2015 vintage. A 10 year old HVD for $40!
Then dropped into Dan Murphy’s at Cheltenham on the way home.
They had the Mount Pleasant Lovedale for $99 (too expensive) and the Brokenwood Semillon.
Thought about it, but decided to pick up the two Tyrrell’s semillons they also had.
The 2019 Stevens Semillon ($40) is the current release.
The 2025 Brookdale ($21) is an entry level label, which will be a retailer exclusive.
Not been to Hunter Valley for well over 20 years. Realise it has changed a lot since then too.
Really need to do a trip there I guess and get on a few mailing lists.
Buying more wine online these days like everyone else.
Directly from the wineries rather than retailers.
So during the week one turned up (a wine club pack) and ordered another.
Pfeiffer Riesling 2024
Pfeiffer Chardonnay 2023
Pfeiffer Sangiovese 2024
Pfeiffer Shiraz 2021
Chalmers Felicitas 2019 (a sparkling Fiano aged for 3 years until disgorgement)
Montevecchio Bianco 2023 (a blend of Italian varieties from the Chalmers Heathcote vineyard)
Chalmers Falanghina 2024 (Wendy can pronounce this right, I never can)
Dott. Ribolla Gialla 2023
Chalmers Mother Block Red 2025 (from their Merbein vineyard)
Chalmers Nero D’Avola 2024

[Andrew Jordan]

Starting the year strong with a few unplanned purchases due to the heavy discounting happening.

x6 2022 Houghton Cabernet Sauvignon Gladstones ($47 per bottle with voucher and discounted price)
x4 2019 Mount Pleasant Wines Shiraz 1965 Vines Rosehill (auction purchase at $55 per bottle!)
x1 2004 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages (another auction purchase ... quite like this Sonoma winery)
x12 2023 St Hallett Shiraz Blackwell (375ml bottles for mid-week drinking by myself)
x12 2022 St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon (same as above)
x6 2014 Grant Burge Shiraz Meshach ($50 per bottle clean skins from winery ... although all bottles received have complete labelling?!? Bargain )

[mjs]

2 x 2022 Ch d'Issan
2 x 2014 Ch Prieuré-Lichine