Thanks for the continued input and definitely a few ideas to seek out here. (Not looking for anything to suit a particular taste, just something that strikes you as a very good wine. I am open to trying a lot of different styles)
I am based up near the Hunter so have had A LOT of the HV reds and Semillons…aged semillons are growing on me though an Oaked semillon is something I have not had.
I definitely give a +1 in the Holyman Project X!!! Love that one!
If you like the Holyman Pinot then try Pooley Pinots
Other off the beaten track wines:-
Fianos from Olivers Taranga and Sam Scott la Prova wines
Dal Zotto Sangiovese
Pizzini Sangiovese
Samuel’s Gorge Tempranillo
Eperosa Wines from the Barossa
Ministry of Clous Grenache
Sami Odi wines
Rielingfreak Riesling range
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Shiraz (lesser known than CS & Chard, but every bit as good)
That sounds like some very good suggestions. Guess many mentioned do not make it over here so sample away. I am envious!
Many of the wines I’d think of have already been mentioned. I’d add:
Spinifex
Bindi - Chard & Pinot Noir (plus fizz)
House of Arras fizz
Mount Mary Quintet (check out the RP ‘scores’!!)
Merchant Prince
Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz with some age (1986 is stunning)
Moss Wood Cab
Bill Downie / Thousand Candles Pinot
By Farr Pinots
Yangarra High Sands Grenache
That’s in no particular order. There could also be a list of legends, like Maurice o’Shea, Woodleys, Bins 60A and 67, Lindemans 1590, etc but getting your hands on them might prove more than challenging.
From Victoria
Cabs: Yeringberg, Yarra Yering, Wantirna estate (try 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2015 to be released soon)
More elegant style
Pinots: Bindi, Epis, Hurley
Chardonnay: Bindi, Oakridge 864, Hoddles
Shiraz: Bests bin 0 or Thompson, Giaconda, Yarra Yering Underhill, (for a bigger style you could try Jasper Hill)
Fortified: Morris Old Premium Tokay or Muscat is my fav but there are lots and lots of producers
I can’t agree more with the recommendation of the Clonakilla. The 2001 was one of the best Cote Roties I had in 2016 (yes, I know that it isn’t a CR, but blind it showed more CR character than almost every CR I’ve had in recent years).
Having just visited Mornington Peninsula, these were my favorites:
Yabby Lake SV Pinot and all of their chards
Yabby Lake has a sister winery in Heathcote and we loved their '13 Estate SV Shiraz - it was ready to go!
As others have chimed:
Mooroduc pinots and chards
10 Minutes by Tractor pinots/chards
With age:
Wild Duck Creek Shiraz
Yalumba The Signature
Indeed a very broad remit and taking your ‘any style - give me something unique / harder to find’…
Seppeltsfield 100 year old para port. Not cheap, possibly difficult to find, but meets the brief with ease
Sparkling Shiraz. Personal favourite is Primo Estate ‘Joseph’ sparkling red, but others are worthy of consideration. It isn’t to everyone’s tastes.
Mature Hunter Semillon vs. an immature one A wine that makes a fascinating transition
Tahbilk Marsanne - 1927 vines, but also consider Yeringberg Marsanne/Roussane
Topaque (Tokay) or Muscat from the Rutherglen. They have a defined quality scale, but do taste up & down the scale given the chance. Different styles / intensities
Dry Rieslings, Clare Valley is Riesling central but interesting versions elsewhere as well
New ideas, new blood Murray’s list is a good starter, but there is always something new happening, and whilst old favourites often have a long track record, there has always been a mindset focused on trying something new.
Rutherglen fortifieds.
Sparkling reds.
Ten minutes by tractor Wallis pinot popped up on a list when out to dinner last night. Big hit. Lovely pinot. Cannot wait to try more. Thanks for the Rec on that one!!
Excellent. They do 3 different single vineyard pinots so you’ll need to try the Judd and the McCutcheon as well.
Their website provides some of the most detailed information about the sites that I have come across if you want to geek out about the micro climates http://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au/The-Estate/Vineyards
If you find yourself on the Mornington Peninsula, be sure to have lunch at 10 min X Tractor - excellent setting, even better food and a very nice wine list including a good selection of their own wines with age and nice pricing. We had a 2010 estate chard which was sensational.
The Jasper Hills Emily is a Shiraz/Cab Franc blend. Recently has a 1998 that was absolutely singing.
Aussie Chardonnay has come along in leaps and bounds. Try something from Vasse Felix, Oakridge, Tolpuddle, Holyman or Deep Woods. The old guard are still making great Chardonny but perhaps a little tighter. Leeuwin, Giaconda and Cullen are great examples.
From the Barossa I’d look for Sami Odi, Ruggabellus, Standish, Cirillo, David Franz, Max and Me, Spinifex and the like. Plenty of wines with soul. The big companies are also making very good wines and Penfolds Bin range of wines in both colours are generally very well made. Try an old Grange or St Henri. Yalumba are making some seriously good Grenache.Henschke have an excellent range of wines from the Barossa and Adelaide Hills.
The Clare is ground Zero for Riesling. Grosset are excellent. I really Like Pike’s Merle Riesling, seriously piercing and tight. The Clare is also home to Wendouree. Wonderful wines but try and find one with 20+ years of age on it.
Glad you have tried the Holyman Profect X, a beauty. Another newish label worth checking out is Ministy of Clouds. The '15 Grenache is a cracker.
Clonakilla make outstanding Shiraz based wines and winemaker Bryan Martin is making exciting Sangiovese and Shiraz/Viognier under his Ravensworth label.
For Cabernet Balnaves, Moss Wood, Woodlands, Cloudburst and Cullen are at the top of the tree.
I reckon Aussie Fortifieds are absolutely under-rated. Obviously the Muscats and Tokays of Rutherglen do get a bit of airtime but there are some wonderful old Sherries, Tawnys and Vintage Ports out there from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s (although they are getting harder to find). The 100 year old Para at Seppeltsfield is a treat.
This is my very first post and am just starting to build my wine collection.
But one of the wines I do enjoy from Australia is Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz. Seems to be consistently quite good from year to year. Penfolds Grange is also good but more common. A cheaper option I would recommend is Rockford Rod and Spur.
Helping out at a tasting downtown this evening…all 2008 Museum releases from d`Arenberg!! Stay tuned forumites.
2008 d’Arenberg The Custodian Museum Release Grenache (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $32.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Museum Release (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $32.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg Galvo Garage Museum Release (South Australia, Australia)
Wine - Red $44.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg Sticks and Stones Museum Release (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $44.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Museum Release Shiraz-Viognier (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $44.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg The Wild Pixie Museum Release (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $44.99 (750mL)
2008 d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Museum Release Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia)
Wine - Red $89.99 (750mL)
A lot of the old-guard Aussies being mentioned here. The industry is rapidly changing in Australia and there is a lot of interesting stuff being produced now. Not much of it makes it to export so if you’re here for a short time I suggest checking out some of these producers, who in my opinion are making genuinely exciting, regional expressions:
Deep Woods Estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay (Margaret River, WA)
Xanadu Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay (Margaret River, WA)
Tripe.Iscariot: Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Syrah (Margaret River, WA)
Cloudburst Wine: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River, WA)
Blue Poles: Merlot, Cabernet Franc (Margaret River, WA)
Pierro: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River, WA)
Frankland Estate: Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon (Frankland River, WA)
Clos Clare: Riesling, Shiraz (Clare Valley, SA)
Jim Barry: Riesling, Assyrtiko, Shiraz (Clare Valley, SA)
Rieslingfreak: Riesling (Clare Valley/Eden Valley, SA)
Ruggabellus: Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz, skin-fermented Riesling/Semillon (Barossa Valley, SA)
Tom Shobbrook: Riesling, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz (Barossa Valley, SA)
Cirillo Wines: Grenache, Semillon (Barossa Valley, SA)
S.C. Pannell: Grenache, Shiraz, Tempranillo (McLaren Vale, SA)
Brash Higgins: Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Nero D’Avola (McLaren Vale, SA)
Shaw and Smith: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills, SA)
La Prova: Pinot Nero, Sangiovese, Fiano (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Gentle Folk: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling (Adelaide Hills, SA)
Best’s Great Western: Shiraz, Riesling (Grampians, VIC)
Crawford River: Riesling, Cabernet Franc (Henty, VIC)
Bannockburn: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Geelong, VIC)
By Farr: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Geelong, VIC)
Syrahmi: Shiraz, Mourvedre (Heathcote, VIC)
Granite Hills: Riesling, Pinot Noir (Macedon Ranges, VIC)
Cobaw Ridge: Pinot Noir, Lagrein (Macedon Ranges, VIC)
Simao & Co.: Ugni Blanc, Shiraz, Fortified wine (Rutherglen, VIC)
Domenica: Chardonnay, Roussanne/Marsanne (Beechworth, VIC)
Sorrenberg: Gamay, Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc (Beechworth, VIC)
Billy Button: Riesling, Friulano, Saperavi (Alpine Valleys, VIC)
Luke Lambert: Nebbiolo, Shiraz (Yarra Valley, VIC)
Mac Forbes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Yarra Valley, VIC)
Timo Mayer: Pinot Noir, Syrah (Yarra Valley, VIC)
The Wine Farm: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling (Gippsland, VIC)
William Downie: Pinot Noir (Gippsland/Mornington, VIC)
Onannon: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Mornington, VIC)
Moorooduc Estate: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Mornington, VIC)
House of Arras: Sparkling Wine (Pipers River, TAS)
Holyman: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (Tamar Valley, TAS)
Two Tonne: Pinot Noir, Riesling (Tamar Valley, TAS)
Meadowbank: Sparkling Wine, Pinot Noir, Gamay (Derwent River, TAS)
Glaetzer-Dixon: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Shiraz (Coal River Valley, TAS)
Tolpuddle: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (Coal River Valley, TAS)
Chatto Wines: Pinot Noir (Huon Valley, TAS)
Clonakilla: Shiraz-Viognier, Riesling (Murrumbateman, NSW)
Ravensworth: Shiraz-Viognier, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese (Murrumbateman, NSW)
Eden Road: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling (Murrumbateman, NSW)
Philip Shaw: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc (Orange, NSW)
Brokenwood: Shiraz, Semillon (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Silkman: Chardonnay, Semillon (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Andrew Thomas: Semillon, Shiraz (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Margan: Semillon, Shiraz (Hunter Valley, NSW)
I always think of Semillon as being the most interesting Aussi wine. Is there a must buy?
Young Hunter Semillon is a bit austere and some examples are absolutely, searingly brutal. Many of them are picked at 9-10 Baume. Tyrrell’s release their top Semillon at 5 years old for this reason, but under screwcap, so it’s still a baby at 5. I’m of the opinion that mature examples almost don’t exist, because the industry switched to screwcap in the early 2000’s after a series of cork quality and premature oxidation problems caused companies like Tyrrell’s and Mount Pleasant to write off a whole lot of affected stock. If you manage to find a Hunter Sem from the mid to late 90’s, chances are it’s going to be cooked (but if it’s not, it will be magical). I think Tyrrell’s had switched fully to stelvin by '04, and by then most of the other major players had done the same. I had an '05 Tyrrell’s “Vat 1” last year under stelvin which was still looking very young and tight, only beginning to show secondary toasty characters. I also had an '02 of the same wine under cork, which I was expecting to pour down the drain given my track record. It beat the odds and was great but still a bit tightly coiled, edgy and not fully mature. These wines always took a long long time to reach their peak, and I think that’s exacerbated by them now being sealed under stelvin.
All that is to say that there are no “must buy” producers; if you can find a mature Hunter Sem and want to roll the dice… ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Gareth, thanks matches my experience with a 1994 Penfolds I had little expectations of. It was great which got me thinking about what to look for 20 years on.