Sterling Wine Auctions Australia

The Grip of the Grange

Never underestimate the power of Penfolds Grange and its grip on the imagination and our collective wallets.

In may Sterling ran a “Dream wine” promotion. “win a bottle of your dream wine if it is the peoples choice”. The list of contenders was from heaven, every great wine you can imagine was lined up. The 1945 Mouton, the 1982 Petrus even the 1921 Y’Quem all played second fiddle to the mighty Grange! The winner, by a mile, was the 1990 Grange. Add insult to injury for the worlds big wine guns second place was the 1976 Grange. The podium looked like a Max Schubert re-union with the 1983 Grange coming in third!

Go to the website http://www.sterlingwine.com.au/windream.php for the full list and to understand the joys of a Krug-athon.

There is a lot of Grange news about these days. The release of the current vintage 2002, sparked a mini panic with retail outlets being hounded by mums and dads desperate to pay over $500 to take home their own piece of wine history.

The auction scene is accustomed to loony Grange prices. But how about these breath takers. 1976 Grange is now regularly pulling hammer falls of $700. 1971 Grange is in the same bracket with loony prices pushing the $800 mark. These are not show off pissy charity auction results. This is the real thing serious and sober. The news also gave up the latest grange vertical value. Put $150K aside if you want the set 1951 to 2002.

There are enough sales for the skeptics to be satisfied, It is hard to believe the “market value” of 1951 Grange. How on earth could someone of sound mind dig out $51K for a bottle of 1951 Grange?

I would like to see the alternatives, surely that price makes the 1951 grange the most valuable bottle of post WW2 wine?

The wine auction scene is cranking along with demand for fine back vintage generating solid prices.

The drink less drink better maxim demanded by our medicos and our ever vigilant brothers in Blue must be having an effect.

Flash Charlie’s keen to impress with conspicuous over consumption are also shouldering the load.

It is worth considering just how much impact wine education has had on the price points we are happy to enjoy frequently?

Good old supply and demand is an influence that musty be observed.

I remember the days after the release of 1990 Grange in 1995. Today’s dream wine was the first Grange to be released at over $100 a bottle. Even with the best wine in the world tag given by the American wine spectator, the “experts” were up in arms and voting with their feet. In those days Grange was not on allocation and retail “regulars’ would be able to take home a dozen or two. $100 was too much and many experts refused to take their “allotment” because it was too highly priced.

The 2002 Grange has set a example closely followed by the 2002 Henschke Hill of Grace. Retail for this “legend on launch” stunner will be way over $500 a bottle.

Simple pleasures are so often the joys that form lasting memories. For me simple wine experiences that stay under the radar are so much fun.

Every winner must create many losers. The Dream wine, 1990 Penfolds Grange has a smarter and faster sister that is just about forgotten. The Penfolds Bin 90a was made from shiraz too good for Grange and cabernet exclusively from one of the worlds greatest vineyards. Cut to the same measure as the iconic Bin 60a the 90a is a good buy at auction for under half the price of the 1990 Grange.

My list of simple pleasures, includes the Penfolds Magill Estate. Made from the vineyard now considered Adelaide metro, to the same standard as original the Grange. This is a product that is too historical to kill off and too tiny to promote so it floats along under the radar and sells at a small fraction of the Grange.

Any premium Riesling is just TOO cheap at both retail and Auction. Mark my words, the days of stunning world beating Riesling for under $40 will end. Maybe sooner than we might think.

Orlando Jacobs Creek are a funny mob of French driven Aussies managing to be very popular all over the globe. Why does the Centenary Hill single vineyard PREMIUM shiraz sell at auction for under $30 (I buy them, send them all to me!! The 1995 is a wonderful thing)

Better still, the newly badged Johann premium best vineyard Shiraz Cabernet sell at auction for around $35. How does that work?

Will Nairn from Peel Estate makes a world Class Shiraz that proves it is the running mate of the biggest buck pretenders every year. The Peel shiraz tasting stack Wills wine up against Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill and the twenty best world Shiraz from each vintage.

Why bother with this annual trial by fire, (I wouldn’t have the guts to do it year in and out) when the wine world pays $30-40 for Peel Shiraz at auction.

Try the Peel Zinfandel, buts that’s another story!

Will Nairn knows me to be a shy and complicated chap with extreme sensitivities. He suggested I try some back vintage entry level Rhone wines. At auction basic “cote du rhone” shiraz pull up around the $20 mark. Wow, look at a 1995 1998 or even the current retail 2003. Little honeys that just love a stretch in a cool cellar.

With more of us looking to back vintages from the classic Italian and French regions producers, there is more and more confusion and disappointment. At the risk of giving granny some egg sucking tips, consider the following SUGGESTIONS when approaching quality old continentals (in fact lets try to use these suggestions every day).

Machines with gears, levers and screws should never go near a quality cork, If you must use a transformer / desceptercon contraption to snap out your trusty and aged premium cork closure, please, give the process more that 3ms. I usually take around 30 seconds if using a machine to remove the cork. Go for a simple old fashioned hand powered job, the chicks love it.

Many / Most premium imported wines are cranky precocious and moody. Approach slowly and engage quietly and tentatively. Decanting is an option. My preference is for the timed approach. If a stunning wine is all gone in under an hour, you have rushed and missed the pleasure.

DON’T judge a beautiful continental wine by first appearances. Fresh out of the bottle she might be a little shy even awkward, let her freshen up and slip into something very comfortable before you start judging. At least 10 minutes should pass before pronouncements are considered.

Those who love to jump ahead have already anticipated and solved this one. Yes, life is too short to drink out of cheap wine glasses. The big secret…. Open and drink two or more bottles at the same time. The no prisoners rule went out with the Geneva convention. Yes you can put left overs away for the next day. Try pouring remains into smaller 375ml wine bottles you should be able to completely fill the airspace with wine. Pop them in the fridge. They will stay fresh there for up to a week.

The biggest MUST is the most obvious and the most difficult. If you are in a hurry to bung some squirt into a bucket to slosh down with a burger in front of the footy relay, don’t expect heaven and earth to move for you.

Any great wine has taken years to make. Give it the respect and appreciation needed and you will be the winner.

How do great wine makers and great Wineries find fame and fortune?

How do recognition and riches come to the worthy?

Parker recognition has helped the bank balances on many formula driven South Australian producers.

Much is made of the “Parker” preferred style and how easy it is to please the big man’s palate by pandering to his ego and taste.

I have spend some energy and time on this subject and have concluded that making great wines year after year is not about formulas nor is it about chasing favor with a single critic.

There are a small number of producers that have managed to create something special that has struck a commercial cord. I will leave you with a challenge. Not an in expensive one mind you. Look at the entry level and mid level wines from the following producers and make up you own mind on how they run their businesses.

Greenock Creek; D’Arenberg; Noon; Torbreck; Clarendon Hills; Kay Bros.Amery;

The list does have a regional bias, not deliberate, but maybe telling. More about evolution of science, art and business practices that a place on the map?

The wine industry has been booming and busting in South Australia for over 150 years. Also interesting that the last three Jimmy Watson Trophies have come from McLaren Vale.

Get out there and get a grip before Penfolds Grange fever Grips you!!



August 2007