Sterling Wine Auctions Australia

POST SCRIPT

Amazing stuff! The 1996 Graveyard shiraz was pushed up to a record price of $130 a bottle in the April auction.

Must be time to organise a taste off. Top Parker pointed dry red table wines from each state.

From WA
The 1999 Happs Three Hills Shiraz

From NSW
The 1996 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz at 95 points

From VIC
The 1997 Wild Duck Creek Duck Muck Shiraz Cab at 99 points (yes we know there are perfect score VIC fortifieds, we will get to them next)

From SA
Big trouble, Big bucks We need help! There are no fewer than twelve Robert Parker 100pt wines from SA Must be a record!

Ten dry red table wines two fortifieds
Greenock Creek has a staggering Six perfect wines
Penfolds Grange 1976 is also on the ton
Chris Ringland Three Rivers has Three wines that have hit 100pts

A solution? How about the SA banner being carried by the 1996 Greenock Creek Roenfelt Road Shiraz ? the house deserves it, shiraz is the go and the vintage fits with the other interstate players.

According to Mr Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and the erobertparker web site only one of the 120 NSW wines reviewed have ever scored 95pts. The 1996 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz.

There is no doubt that the Graveyard 1996 is a seriously good wine. When ever it is wheeled out it challenges for top spot. Judges from America, Australia and Iceland all agree on that.

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. And we don’t need to go looking for the ghosts of kings wandering the palace walls. The State of New South Wales is Australia’s and one of the worlds oldest producing wine regions. How is it that Mr Parkers systems that has reviewed over 5,000 Aussie wines has looked at a measly 120 from NSW? I don’t know the answer. But I do know that many wine producers, who don’t like Mr Parkers system, do not supply him with wine samples.

It’s a shame that Robert Parker doesn’t see more NSW wines because “he likes this one” read on and be warmed by the generous praise!

The 1996 Shiraz Graveyard Vineyard, a well-known vineyard in the Hunter Valley whose vines average 28 years of age, is spectacular. When I put my nose in the glass of this wine, three wines came to mind - the famed Chateauneuf du Pape, Rayas, the renowned Pomerol micro-estate of Lafleur, and the grand cru Burgundy, Musigny. Incredible scents of black raspberry liqueur intermixed with flowers, kirsch, and spice soar from the glass of this profound, concentrated, multidimensional effort. Amazingly, the wine has been aged in American oak, but reveals none of the aggressive whiskey barrel scents that American oak sometimes imparts. The Graveyard Vineyard is multidimensional and complex, with extraordinary concentration, and an ethereal sense of richness and length. The finish lasts for nearly 50 seconds. This fabulously suave, yet remarkably concentrated and well-delineated wine is a wine making tour de force as well as one of the most exceptional old vine Shiraz I have tasted from Australia. Anticipated maturity: now-2015.

wine advocate # 122 April 1999

The Brokenwood Graveyard 1996 is the winner as the highest pointed NSW wines in the Parker system.

It is interesting to note the next level, 94point wines, is only one lonely wine the Canobolas Smith Alchemy Proprietary Red 1996. Just two 93 point wines from the NSW, the Margan Family Winery Semillon Botrytis 2005 and the Clonakilla Viognier 2005. There are just 6 wines making the 92 point grade.

Are you registered as a bidder? Its free! Click here to join and go to Lot 143 - 148 of the current catalogue.