The Auswine Forum

As i am some what new to the wine drinking world i thought i could ask you guys to recommend me some wines that are a must to taste.

I would like you to recommend both some low cost and high cost wines.




Thanks.

Hey Jaames. I guess this all depends on what you enjoy... Unfortunately , you have a whole lot of tasting to do before you find what you really like!

A few to get started...

Wynns Cabernet (Coonawarra)
Teusner Riebke Shiraz (Barossa)
Mount Pleasant Philip Shiraz (Hunter)
Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir (Victoria)

06 Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon $15
04 Penfolds St Henri $70
82 Chateau Latour $2500 ono
GW

jaames wrote:As i am some what new to the wine drinking world i thought i could ask you guys to recommend me some wines that are a must to taste.

I would like you to recommend both some low cost and high cost wines.

Thanks.

This is not easy. But I'll try. These can be found for:

$6-$20 mostly $15-$20

Jacobs Creek Riesling - SE Aust
Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz - Clare
Thorn-Clarke Quartage Cabernet et al - Barossa
Wynns Coonawarra (Black Label) Cabernet - Coonawarra
Tin Shed Melting Pot Shiraz - Eden/Barossa
Tahbilk Roussanne (I prefer it to the definite must-try Marsanne @ 5yo+)
Tahbilk Cabernet - Nagambie Lakes, Vic
Tahbik Shiraz
Hoddles Creek Chardonnay - Yarra
Di Bortoli Gulf Station range - Yarra/Vic
Metala Langhorne Creek Shiraz Cab
McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon - Hunter
McWilliams Mount Pleasant Philip Shiraz - Hunter
D'Arenberg D'Arry's Original GSM - McLaren Vale
D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz
St Hallett Faith Shiraz - Barossa
Hewitson Miss Sally GSM - Barossa
Brookland Valley Verse One range - Margaret River/WA
Bleasdale Bremerview Shiraz - Langhorne Creek
Bleasdale Mulberry Tree Cabernet
Paxton AAA GSM - McLaren Vale ($20 if you're lucky)


That's it for me for now, just off the top of the head. As I said there are just so many but most of the above should give at least some sense of place - they're regional learners - if you're serious about learning about Australian wines. There are others.........................$20-?

Cheers

daz

PS Knew I'd forget at least one, particularly Teusner Reibke Shiraz - Barossa. I'm not a Pinot drinker but Coldstream Hills Pinot seems highly regarded for value.

Two picks.

The budget pick: Yering Station Shiraz Viognier 2006. Unbeatable value.

The luxury pick: Penfolds St Henri 2004. A gorgeous wine.

SV doesn't appeal to me either.

Feel like I have seen a post like this before. Also depends on what you consider low cost and high cost (I used to consider below $10 low cost and $20 and above high cost - and $50 and above ridiculous - now I consider below $20 low cost and above $50 quite reasonable for the right wine).

I think a good recommendation somebody once gave is to start off trying wines that are done well by certain regions (a recent thread had some discussion of which regions do which wines best). Daryl's list probably does this to a large extent. But some suggestions from me would be (below is from Aus):

Coonawarra Cab Sav - maybe Katnook Founders Block for cheaper (prob find for less than $15), Wynns (cane be found for around $20 to $25), Balnaves Tally/Wynns John Riddoch (for above $60).

Margaret River Chard (hard to find something good for much less than $20 - Vasse Felix (for around $20), Voyager Estate (for around $30), Leeuwin Art Series (for around $80).

Yarra Valley Chard and Pinot - Hoddles Creek (for both - just under $20), De Bortoli Estate (for Chard and Pinot - around $30), Mount Mary Chard (around $80) and Hillcrest Premium Pinot (around $50).

Barossa Shiraz - should be heaps can do at all price ranges but for example could just try the St Hallett range (Faith - for under $20, Blackwell for about $30 and Old Block for about $70) although might swap the Old Block for Glaetzer Amon Ra.

Eden Valley Riesling (not my favourite but should be able to do the range of these at a lower cost) - Pewsey Vale (for around $15), Mesh ($25ish)Leo Buring Leonay Riesling ($35ish)

Maybe also try some NZ sav blancs (although I am generally not a fan) and pinots, and although I am no expert on foreign wines maybe some French Chablis and Burgundy (although prob expensive exercise), some Italian Chianti and some German Riesling.

Quite a lot more others could do with Hunter Semillon/Shiraz, Tasmania Pinot, Mornington Peninsula Chard/Pinot, Margaret River cab sav, McLaren Vale Shiraz, Heathcote Shiraz etc. etc.

[I have edited because I referred to Henschke Mt Edelstone as being from Barossa but it is actually from Eden Valley - you should still try it though - I replaced the reference to this to Glaetzer Amon Ra)

Daryl Douglas wrote:SV doesn't appeal to me either.

In general, I'm with you here Daryl. Alot of the SVs around at present overdo the Viognier, and the wine is left reeking of apricot jam. The only one I have in the cellar I think is the Clonakilla.

Also if doing what I suggested above - ideally would pick a good vintage for the region - eg. I think 2006 for Barossa is meant to be good, 2006/7 for Margaret River Chard (don't do 2006 for Margaret River Cab Sav), prob 2006/8 for Yarra Valley (2007 could be good sometimes but more risky).

Thank you guys.

Yeah thats where i'm most lost. Picking what vintage to buy.

Hmmm, a difficult question to answer, as it really boils down to "it depends". I mean, how long is a piece of string?

There will be hundreds of suggestions of wines to try...

Many on the forum (myself included) would advocate however, that you should try as many wines as you could get your lips on, and from there decide for yourself the style you enjoy. Quite often, a highly regarded wine could taste crap to you! All boils down to personal preferences. Also, if you don't try the average wines, how will you know when you are drinking a good or great wine???

As to my personal holy grails.....
- 1986 Chateau Leoville Las Cases
- 1996 Dom Perignon

Cheers,

Monghead.

Hello James,

I have a few trust worthy wines that generally are good year in year out , Like the taylors estate range its about 15 bucks from the clare valley and is always good.

The other from the barossa is Saltram mambre brook range , the 02 cabenet is awesome and so is the 04 . Its about the 20 bucks as well

Then there is the Leasingham bin61 shiraz from clare valley. i find this wine is really good every year .

Wynns shiraz is about 15 bucks and is always good and thats from the coonawarra

There are so many good wines its hard to nail down but these for me deliver every year

Regards Dazza

Go for the "82 Chateau Latour $2500 ono" jaames, either it's really good or GW is trying to unload some

I had a Latour Corton Charlamagne 2005 last week, possibly the greatest chardonnay I've ever drank. Weighs in around $640 a bottle so maybe not one for everyday drinking

On the cheaper side the Toolanghi Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2003, made by Giaconda's Rick Kitzsbrunner (sic - I can never remember how his name is spelled and can't be bothered looking) is a great, and affordable, attempt at a white Burgundy. Lots of oak and malo, and at $70 it's not the cheapest, but it's truly a great wine that should be tried at least once by anyone who loves chardonnay

Eventually you will tire of being told that all Australian wine is in the fruit bomb style. If you have tried a Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier (ariund $75, 2006 probably the easiest to get hold of) you will be able to smile smugly at them and think "amateur".

In my opinion you must try some Aussie greats like Rutherglen Rare Tokays and Muscats plus one of our best affordable blends like Penfolds Bin 389.
If you can find one try a Wynns Centenary, my favourite Red of all time.
Mike.

Laughing Jack Shiraz ($35)
and Jacks Shiraz ($16)

jaames wrote:Thank you guys.

Yeah thats where i'm most lost. Picking what vintage to buy.

It doesn't get any easier there. Most vintage assessments are general by region but well-regarded wineries have been known to produce wines not up to the standard considered to be representative of the vintage nor of that winery. The converse can apply to particular wines from the same winery in lesser-rated vintages. This is further complicated by the ageing process. Wines considered ordinary on release (some up to 5 or more years after vintage), with more age can parallel the ugly ducking fable.

One wine I forgot to mention earlier, Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz in some vintages can be fruit-shy, closed and tannic yet after 4-5 years the tannins become more resolved with the fruit beginning to surface - I have in mind the 2004 - the 2006 reminded me of the 2004 at a similar age last time I tried them both within a few days or so of each other not long after the 2006 was released.

Reading wine reviews by well-regarded critics can be an indicator of vintage quality, some tasters often compare a current release wine to earlier vintages. As well as checking TNs on the fora, I also subscribe to Halliday's online Wine Companion and The Wine Front - between them they review a very large number of wines. The Halliday site includes vintage ratings by region but they're sometimes at odds with general opinions of particular regional vintages.

Cheers

daz

for something a bit different get yourself a bottle of Cullen Mangan - great drink.

The one refinement I would add to the all the comments above, is don't overlook buying on the secondary market. Probably the best wine house at present is Langtons. Many of the red wines above need years to really show their best.

On this basis try for wine like the 1996 Bin 389 from Penfolds. Many 1998 are just starting to hit their stride. Here is an interesting write up, many of which are still available in the secondary market. http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/sho ... p?t=200897

Final piece of general advice, if you are going to try Aus riesling, this variety really needs age. Look for wines from the 2002 vintage such as Petaluma. If you start drinking the current vintage, you will never really get riesling.