Sterling Wine Auctions Australia

UPDATE Is the Tyrrells Vat1 Semillon or the McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon??

In September we proclaimed The Tyrrells pair, Vat 1 Semillon and Vat 47 Chardonnay the greatest wines on the planet according to success at Wine shows in Australia and around the World.

Before the Coronation all pretenders to the throne must be given their say.

The question was asked, who can beat the monumental achievements of either Vat 1 or Vat 47?

Don’t forget good old McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon. Funny enough Mount Pleasant's Lovedale Vineyard is just up the road from Tyrrells.

Maybe I should duck for cover and pronounce the Hunter Valley the World's best White wine producing area instead!

Click here to check out the McWilliam’s web site for the full story.

The current/recent gong count for Lovedale Sem is:
Championships 3
Trophies 59
Gold medals 138
Medals of other colours over 200

October 2006

The wine world rarely makes sense, but on occasion the punter can cash in on a gap that really just shouldn’t exist.

The Tyrrells Vat 1 and Vat 47 story is just about the craziest situation I have come across. How do you explain the mad low auction prices for wines that are world famous and loaded down by almost 500 Aussie gold show medals and almost 120 Show trophies?

I am not going to rabbit on with reasons why these wines should be fetching huge auction prices. Just get into your catalogues and buy the back vintages.

Everyone knows that the Hunter can not make a good chardonnay. Sadly no one told dearly departed Murray Tyrrell who just went out and did it.

Lets get over the Hunter thing, after 34 vintages and a barn full of prizes give the Tyrrells their due.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to drink the 1989 Vat 47. Breathtaking! Stunning! Liquid silk that lingered on the palate for hours. Poor me, I paid under $30 at auction for it! It gets better! The 1984 Vat 47 is one of the best white wines I have enjoyed. Fabulous flavours threaded together by delicate fresh acid, a golden gossamer! Yes I liked this one Very Much!

Ok we know that Hunter does good Semillon, McWilliams Brokenwood etc. How about the 1997 Tyrrells Vat 1? It won big gongs at the Hunter and Melbourne Wine shows this year. Better still, it won the best new world white wine at the London International Wine Challenge.

Tell me, how can such a wine sell at auction for under $40?

If my son James (a 1986 baby is very good, the bottle of 1986 Vat 1, which I have tucked away might be shared for his 21st. Vat 1986 is a sad excuse for a wine which only won 5 trophies and 25 gold medals)

Click here to look at the table of vintages and medals, which does not include the number of show championships.

Of course there is more to the Tyrrell’s Sem story than just the flagship Vat 1. Try the HVD, Stevens and Belford.

As a footnote, Bruce Tyrrells tells me that there are a lot of closet sem drinkers. Apparently production and sales have gone up a very healthy 400% over the past five years.

September 2006