Top 50 most collected wines in Australia

Top 50 collected wines

1. Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz
2. Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz Blend
3. Lake's Folly Cabernets Cabernet Blend
4. Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
5. Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
6. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
7. Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot
8. Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
9. Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
10. Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
11. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
12. Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot
13. Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
14. Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend
15. d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz
16. Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
17. Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
18. Penfolds RWT Shiraz
19. Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling
20. Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz
21. Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
22. Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
23. Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
24. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
25. Jacobs Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon
26. Tyrrell's Wines Vat 1 Hunter Semillon
27. Howard Park Cabernet Merlot
28. Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz
29. Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz
30. Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz
31. Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling
32. Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz
33. Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
34. Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
35. Turkey Flat Shiraz
36. Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot
37. Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet Blend
38. Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
39. AP Birks Wendouree Shiraz
40. De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon
41. Seppelt St Peters Shiraz
42. Parker Terra Rossa First Growth Cabernet
43. Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
44. Giaconda Chardonnay
45. Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon
46. Torbreck Runrig Shiraz Viognier
47. Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz
48. Tyrrell's Wines Vat 9 Shiraz
49. Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
50. Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1Cabernet Blend

Wineark, which is a local storage and trading company, came out this week with its list of that the top 50 most collected wines in Australia. Whilst the list does not claim to be the top 50 wines in Australia, it is interesting to see what the collectors are tucking away. When you go down the list, a couple of interesting things jump out. First out there is an almost total absence of any of the wines that Parker recommends. Secondly there are very few of the Barossa/ McLaren Vale fruit bombs which are so common offshore being collected at home. I suppose the final comment is the continued respect for the wines produced by Penfolds. As for me, I have 30 of the 50 ranging in number from the odd bottle to 10 years verticals and there are at least another 10 in the list I wish I had.

Nobody cares about foreign wine?

Or was this limited to domestic wine?

No, just a domestic list.

A slight caveat, that being based in Sydney, there is likely to be a slight NSW bias.

However, when posted earlier on another forum, I as well as others, was struck by how few surprises there were. These wines present IMO a fair reflection on the wines that Aussies choose to buy to cellar, from sought after labels such as Grange, Wendouree, LEAS Chardonnay, ..., through to good solid (high volume) cellaring values such as Wynns BL Cabernet, Seppelt Chalambar, Petaluma Riesling.

Kudos to Kogos ( ) for posting this here, as it does indeed make for a great comparison against the Aussie wines that were hyped in certain places over recent years. I suspect many of these labels will be known to folks on these pages, but then I've never really seen the 'made for US' cult Aussie wines ever get a foothold here.

regards

Ian

[David M. Bueker]

The majority of hte Australian wines that I have actually enjoyed are on that list.

I have every limited experience with quality Australian wines. I've purchased in the past several of the Penfolds "bins". And the Lindemans and Hardys. And heard very good things about the Petalumas. I will say that I've not had one that disappointed.

Quite a few surprises there, between how low Cyril Henschke (not on the list!) and Wendouree rank, and how high Lake's Folly & Bin 389 showed up. And quite a lot of the big Victorian names like Best's Great Western, Bass Phillip, Bindi and Seppelt Dorrien Cab aren't on there either, which stunned me given their repute down under (not to mention the status a few of those have as really sought after collectibles in Langton's).

Salil
Some mitigating factors around the sheer volume, cellarability and continuous production of Bin389
Lakes Folly NSW bias I suspect
Wendouree I guess is pretty high considering the low production numbers - but agree that it's a hugely popular wine with a reputation for needing extended cellaring.
Bindi still quite a new label, hence wouldn't have the large range of vintages of others. Plus Pinots & Chards won't be cellared for as long as some others here, reducing the numbers in long-term storage.
Best's Bin0 being missing is a surprise as it's been continuously produced for decades and is a long termer. Maybe volumes not that high, or that NSW bias coming into it?
Is Seppelt Dorrien big volume? I'd always assumed it was a relatively small run wine - and less sought after than St Peters and the reserve that preceeded it.
Henschke Cyril again maybe not huge volume, but also maybe a victim of a short iffy patch, with some taking their stocks out to have a closer look
Bass Phillip perhaps misses out as numbers are spread across a variety of labels?

For me Wolf Blass surprised by it's absence. A bigger wine in export markets than at home, or just too many labels splitting the vote?

regards

Ian

[Jenise]

Interesting list, of which I have 11 in my cellar and have had others in the past. Was really surprised not to see Bests here. Also, maybe, Vasse Felix, which I thought commanded a lot of respect over there.

I agree with the Vasse Felix omission. Always remember folks...Jenise has the hots for these guys!!!

A slight caveat, that being based in Sydney, there is likely to be a slight NSW bias.

Actually the listing by Wine Ark covers their cellars in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Sunshine Coast and Perth. That means they cover the largest population areas of the country and so would have a pretty good sampling of what is popular in Australia. The survey included some 3,000,000 bottles of wine in their cellars that comprise over 8500 collections across the country. LINK to Wine Ark note on the survey. They also have lists for the Top 10 collected wines for a number of varieties such as Shiraz, Semillon, Riesling etc.

Mike

Mike
I take that back then - I'd understood from the other forum that it was either Sydney based or with more bottles in Sydney than anywhere else.
regards
Ian

The sale of Australian wines has really dropped of in our store. I've heard all kind of reasons but nothing that sounds very reasonable.

Salil,

I think Ian's observation is correct that volume and accessibility did impact whether a wine can make it onto the list or not. Whilst I know the Bindi reputation well, I have only ever had it once in Sydney. Most of the production appears to sell down in Victoria. As for Lakes Folly, they produce a stunning cab blend off what are now quite old vines. With 10 years or so in the bottle I would happily drink it in the company of 3rd or 4th growth bordeaux.

As for other small growers who sadly did not make the list, Castagna is one that always deserves a mention. I had tired of shiraz sometime ago when I opened a bottle of the 2002 I had purchased off a friend a few years before. Another Victorian wine produced biodynamically, this wine has a wonderful depth of flavour built around red berry fruit with a great saviour finish. The complete anthesis of the likes of mollydooker, et al, which were really only created for the US because that was what was getting the big RP points. Sadly this strategy has backfired on the wine exporting companies who openly admit the majority of foreign wine consumers now sterotype all Australian reds into big red fruit bombs.

Recently the industry has sought to address this perception but bring togther a group of leading wine commentators from around the world for a one week intensive tutorial on what the country really can produce. The details of the masterclasses and the concept itself was written up recently in the Aug/Sept Gourmet Wine Traveller magazine. As I am not so sure how widely distributed the magazine is offshore, here are some links to some of the particpants including Jamie Goode in the UK. The wines sampled make for interesting reading. And perhaps the day will come again when people don't need to have a gun held to their head to drink and enjoy Aus wine outside the country

http://www.wineanorak.com/Landmark_Tuto ... uction.htm
http://www.landmark-wineaustralia.com/

Salil,

I think Ian's observation is correct that volume and accessibility did impact whether a wine can make it onto the list or not. Whilst I know the Bindi reputation well, I have only ever had it once in Sydney. Most of the production appears to sell down in Victoria. As for Lakes Folly, they produce a stunning cab blend off what are now quite old vines. With 10 years or so in the bottle I would happily drink it in the company of 3rd or 4th growth bordeaux.

Bindi is not that small in terms of distribution (heck certainly a lot easier to find than Wendouree) - I've seen a number of their wines showing up in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, and qualitatively they are one of the finest and most elegant and consistent producers I've come across down under.

Re. Lakes Folly, I agree the wines are excellent - I just haven't found them to be in the league of Cyril Henschke, John Riddoch, Cullen, Moss Wood or the other great Aussie Cabs for my money. Certainly the wines can stand up to good Bordeaux - but for me they don't stand apart (while remaining on the same qualitative level) as singular, great wines which the others do. May be my bias towards that polished, rich Henschke or Cullen house style - but I would much rather spend that money on a bottle of Cyril or Diana Madeline at any age rather than Lakes Folly.

Haven't heard of Castagna - but shall have to keep an eye out for those wines as well. Thanks for the links re. the masterclass. Can only hope it works - particularly as I'm sick and tired of seeing the shelves of Australian wine in the US dominated mostly by the big Barossa bombs, with only the bigger Victorian wines like Tatiarra and Wild Duck Creek for variety.

Regarding Castagna, the proprietor of this boutique biodynamic winery has a piece on his website regarding just this issue. Under the heading "On the future of Australian wine", he writes (in part):

The fact is, there are very many small Australian producers making wine, at many price points, that the world actually wants to drink. We simply are not communicating that fact. Our industry bodies are meant to represent all wineries in Australia but seem incapable or unwilling of supporting all sections of our industry equally. If ever there was a time for the small serious producers to take matters into their own hands, it is now. If we leave it to those who seek to lead us, Australian wine will continue its slide into sameness and mediocrity.

Castagna's web site is at http://www.castagna.com.au/

Haven't heard of Castagna - but shall have to keep an eye out for those wines as well. Thanks for the links re. the masterclass. Can only hope it works - particularly as I'm sick and tired of seeing the shelves of Australian wine in the US dominated mostly by the big Barossa bombs, with only the bigger Victorian wines like Tatiarra and Wild Duck Creek for variety.

Salil

I do think it is a great pity you appear to have such limited exposure in the US to the diversity of wines produced down under. I am a reasonably obsessive collector with far more wines that I would ever admit to my darling wife. So when I started this thread the other day, I had a look at the cellar list to see what portion of the shiraz component is actually from South Australian. Whilst shiraz makes up something like 20% of the overall cellar, SA shirz is just under 5%. Most are from Victoria followed by NSW (NSW includes Clonakilla and Brokenwood Graveyard ). Hopefully the recent initiative may help to educate and encourage US retailers and in due course the general wine buying public to try wines from different regions.

Mark

I do think it is a great pity you appear to have such limited exposure in the US to the diversity of wines produced down under.....Mark writes.

Well, I am with Salil. I guess the wine buying public, with the bucks,want the big-name fruit bomb wines. My local store downtown has over 150 reds to choose from and with the price structure around here, most of those are starting around $50. And you ain`t gonna get much for fifty.
Lower down the market, a few good ones but I want to taste first. Vasse Felix is my go-to winery, $25 for the Adams Rd range. Alas shortly to be discontinued.
I used to see/buy Taltarni and Tahbilk but no agent at this time. Sorry state of affairs. Anyhows, keep those posts coming Mark.

I do think it is a great pity you appear to have such limited exposure in the US to the diversity of wines produced down under.....Mark writes.

Well, I am with Salil. I guess the wine buying public, with the bucks,want the big-name fruit bomb wines. My local store downtown has over 150 reds to choose from and with the price structure around here, most of those are starting around $50. And you ain`t gonna get much for fifty.
Lower down the market, a few good ones but I want to taste first. Vasse Felix is my go-to winery, $25 for the Adams Rd range. Alas shortly to be discontinued.
I used to see/buy Taltarni and Tahbilk but no agent at this time. Sorry state of affairs. Anyhows, keep those posts coming Mark.

Bob,

you indirectly raise an interesting point that one of your posts the other day made me wonder about. I buy close to 90% of my wine online. I actually can't remember the last time I went into a bottle shop. This is both for convenience and pricing. The price on wine on line in Aus tends to be much cheaper than the local bottle shop. I also buy in bulk as I generally prefer to get 4-6 of something to down. The question was are you able to buy online and if so do you?

Mark

[David M. Bueker]

I do think it is a great pity you appear to have such limited exposure in the US to the diversity of wines produced down under.....Mark writes.

Well, I am with Salil. I guess the wine buying public, with the bucks,want the big-name fruit bomb wines.

I'm not so sure anymore. Lou reports sales of Australian wines down. My favorite shop has nearly ceased bringing in the wines because they cannot sell them. If Australian wine is not going to fall of the map in North America there will have to be some re-education on what Australian wine really is, and the diversity of style available from such a huge country.

[Jenise]

I'm not so sure anymore. Lou reports sales of Australian wines down. My favorite shop has nearly ceased bringing in the wines because they cannot sell them. If Australian wine is not going to fall of the map in North America there will have to be some re-education on what Australian wine really is, and the diversity of style available from such a huge country.

I'm not either. Even the type of U.S. buyer who routinely shops in the under $15 range seems to have tired of the fruit bombs, while the rest of us moved on years ago. And yet it was true one year ago when I was shopping for Aussie wines to do a tasting featuring the range and depth of Australian Shiraz "Beyond Yellow Tail", as we billed it, I could not find a single--not one!--bottle of Australian Shiraz on the shelves in the place I live, which actually offers quite a bit of diversity in wine shopping, that wasn't a usual suspect from the McClaren Vale or Barossa. Blame the importers and the distributors, not the buying public.

Generally a more positive story here, but still one that warrants concern.

Australia rose up here many years ago and it did it off the back of tireless efforts from the Aussie wine bureau, based in UK. Arguably in the UK you can forget Len Evans (founder of AWB), even James Halliday - it was Hazel Murphy who developed the UK market, getting all and sundry to taste the best that Oz had to offer - but most importantly it was the wines that had a track record in Australia already.

At the top end, I'd say we get a pretty representative spread of the wines that have been successful in Australia. There are exceptions (Seppelt plus the cheaper but representative Hunter Semillons). There are a smattering of Parker followers and hence some of the new cult wines are seen, but there's just not the same hunger for hanging on his every 95+ pointer. On the whole he's a peripheral figure for Aussie wines here (and the same goes for his friend Dr Miller). Perhaps we see Halliday, Hooke, Oliver and others are see a lot more experience and local insight - and listen to them. Beyond them, Oz Clarke still has reasonable influence, but I doubt anyone chases his scores.

So on the whole, we've tended to follow the established stars, with perhaps slight resistance to the up and coming challengers. Not a bad approach IMO

However it's not all rosy and the cheap big river region wines have established a name and get plenty of coverage - to the point that many associate Oz with the old (cheap) sunshine in a bottle. Simple, soft, fruity, sweet tasting. Recent efforts to organise tasting roadshows have been notable by their absence and thus the balance is at risk. Whereas there is some merit in the Landmark Tastings, I've seen nothing to back this up for ordinary punters - no grand tastings, no regional roadshows. If this silence persists, then the Landmark tastings might just end up as a lovely jolly for a select few journos - which would be a massive waste.

The marketing strategy is fine, highlighting the strengths in various sectors, but the tactical deployment of this strategy seems lacking.

regards

Ian

To be polite and reply Mark asked me......The question was are you able to buy online and if so do you?

Nope never brought on line, Mark.
I will be honest, today I went into my local hot spot DeVines. I looked over new wines just arrived, went over to Portugal, the dessert wine corner, Argentina and France...Loire and Languedoc as usual. I looked for Brokenwood, found the Semillon and wowed the $23 price tag. Great value.

That was it.

[Jenise]

This post caused me to buy a few bottles of the Parker First Growth today at $29 per.