Old & Rare

• • Museum Release

  1995 Best's Great Western Bin No. 0 Shiraz - Museum Release

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.
  Due to the age of this wine, some bottles may show signs of advanced maturity and we recommend enjoying it sooner rather than further cellaring.

  Produced by the Thomson family at Best’s Wines, Bin No. 0 Shiraz is one of the flagship wines of Victoria’s historic Great Western region. Sourced from low-yielding vineyards in the renowned Concongella Vineyard, the wine reflects a terroir known for its challenging growing conditions, including poor soils, low rainfall and frequent frost risk. These factors naturally limit yields and contribute to the concentration, structure and distinctive character for which Great Western Shiraz is celebrated.
  Crafted from mature vines and traditionally matured in oak, Bin No. 0 has long been regarded as a benchmark Australian Shiraz. Combining power, elegance and exceptional regional character, it is widely recognised as one of the classic expressions of Great Western and a standout example of the region’s winemaking heritage.
  Alc. 13.5%

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• • Museum Release

  1996 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz - Museum Release

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.

  The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1867 Shiraz plantings, and is only produced in exceptional years with yields typically at less than two tonnes per acre.

  Tasted late 1998: Opaque, deep crimson, with mauve edges. Superb aromas. Spice, vanilla, liquorice, ripe plum, violets and blackberry - intense and refined. The palate meets all expectations. Mouthfilling - with that degree of concentration, only found in old vines fruit. Flavours of spice, plum, blackberry and vanilla fill the palate and continue to encase every possible corner. Exceptional length and depth of flavour. The balance is perfect and the tannins firmer than in previous years - fine, dry and well supported by the volumes of fruit. Very long aftertaste of spice, vanilla and just a trace of black peppers.

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• • Museum Release

  1994 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz - Museum Release

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 13%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.

  The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1867 Shiraz plantings, and is only produced in exceptional years with yields typically at less than two tonnes per acre.

  Tasting Note (Tasted Late 1996): The colour is dense crimson. The nose is not about to yield its array of aromas in a youthful rush. You have to wait a while and quietly the aromas emerge. Ripe plums, blackberry, confectionary with subtle notes of cedar and liquorice - black pepper aromas are absent. The palate slowly rolls out its flavours building up to an unexpected crescendo of totally encompassing black pepper. Plum, liquorice all sorts, confectionary and spice all form forward palate flavours, but the blackpeppers sneak up in a similar way in that mountain pepper berries sneak up on the palate. The harmony is perfect - the tannins are silky smooth, the aftertaste lingering long in the palate like a repetitive chord from Vivaldi - it just stays and stays. This is a sublime shiraz - Unique, an experience not to be forgone. It is the living expression of an age that drove the 20th century and gave it its momentum. Only 350 cases were produced - We need say no more!

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• • 96
  • 97

  • Museum Release

  1997 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz - Museum Release

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.

  Four thousand five hundred and sixty bottles of this extraordinary wine were made from the 1997 vintage - that's a total of 380 dozen available for the entire world. The Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is an International Wine Icon. The vines were established in 1869 by Henry Best and 130 years later the wine enters the new Millennium as one of a wine lover's most desirable possessions.

  TASTED AGAIN EARLY 2023
  Totally opaque black dark red core with a dark red hue. Sailing out of the glass in an intense aromatic profile of blackberry and liquorice which crosses paths with vanillin cedar, mocha, earth, hints of leather and spice. The silky smooth mid weighted palate features blackberry, liquorice, dark plum and vanillin cedar flavours over a back drop of mocha, earthy leather and spice. Velvet smooth tannins. Excellent power with some earthy leather characters lingering right through the long and highly refined finish.
  Alc. 14.5%

  ORIGNAL TASTING NOTE UPON RELEASE: Each November we anxiously await the release of this wine and with each successive vintage our expectations reach new levels, and yet in the back of our minds we have a nagging tall poppy syndrome - Viv Thomson surely can't produce a better wine than he did last year? He has to falter some time! Viv is too smart to be complacent, and as each vintage is blessed with spectacular fruit, he manages to create its perfect bottle expression. However, when nature turns against him as it did in 1999, there was no Thomson made - severe frosts saw to that. The 1997 Thomson is an expression of Shiraz fruit concentrate. This is almost the perfect wine. When tasted, it achieved the remarkable score of 99.3 out of 100, the highest ranking wine in memory at the time. Opaque crimson colour with mauve edges. Exceptional nose of violets, blackpepper, spice, liquorice allsorts, confectionary, vanilla and an aniseed end note. Totally mouthfilling. Concentrate of Shiraz! Flavours of blackpepper, spice, liquorice and blackcurrant, filling every cavity of the mouth. On the back palate the blackpepper flavour explodes and carrys through the after flavour in an exceptional long aftertaste that lasts for 5 minutes and more. Velvet smooth tannins. Perfect balance. AN AUSTRALIAN TREASURE AND A WONDERFUL PIECE OF HISTORY.

  Other Reviews....
  Deep, bright purple-red, it has seductive sweet cherry fruit, a hint of spice and finely balanced oak on the bouquet; the concentrated yet smooth and velvety palate has perfectly balanced tannins and oak.
  97 points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 

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• • Museum Release
  • Reduced

  1995 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz - Museum Release

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  Reduced from $250.00

  $199. 00

  Bottle

  $2388.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.
  Due to the age of this wine, some bottles may show signs of advanced maturity and we recommend enjoying it sooner rather than cellaring further.

  The Great Western district around Ararat in Victoria produces some of Australia's greatest Shiraz wines and yet there are only 58 ha planted out to the varietal (in the old imperial measure that translates to 145 acres) that is an astonishingly small area given that 6600 ha are now planted in Australia.
  Whilst the area produces exceptional Shiraz, from a viticultural point of view it would be hard to find a more difficult district to grow grapes. The soils at Great Western are naturally poor - requiring the addition of lime/gypsum to provide sufficient vine vigor. The rainfall is low - 590mm per year. This lack of rainfall also has an impact upon the yields which are considerably reduced. Worse still is the fact that the area is frost prone which can wipe out entire vintages. In spite of the struggle, Shiraz takes on its greatest expression here - all at a price. In 1995 the yields were down by a third and as a consequence the available stocks of the 1995 Thomson and 1995 Bin 0 Shiraz are very limited. Viv Thomson regards the 1995 Thomson Family Shiraz and Bin 0 Shiraz as the Classic Expression of Great Western - wines with a capacity to cellar for up to 20 years.
  The 1995 Thomson comes from the original 15 rows of vines that were planted by Henry Best in 1867. The wine is living history and will only be available to a handful of very lucky customers as only 200 cases were produced. This is a rare parcel of Australian history. Old vines are extremely shy bearing, however, the level of concentration of flavour is exceptional.
  Alc 14%

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• • 97

  2001 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Cork

  The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1867 Shiraz plantings, and is only produced in exceptional years with yields typically at less than two tonnes per acre.

  Retasted 25/07/2013
  The colour of this wine is holding up very well displaying a totally opaque black dark red core with a dark red black hue. Both perfumed and alluring the nose reveals scents of blackberry and liquorice followed by some subtle vanillin oak, confectionary and spice. Concentrated yet very refined the palate marries flavour intensity and elegance delivering a seamless experience of liquorice and blackberry over some vanillin confectionary followed by subtle leather and spice. Velvet smooth perfectly integrated tannins. Excellent persistence with long aftertaste of liquorice, blackberry, vanillin oak, confectionary and subtle leather.
  Alc 13.5%

  First Tasted 02/09/2004
  Totally opaque black crimson purple colour, with purple hue. Superb nose – a wonderful sniff of violets, cedar and spice followed by liquorice allsorts and blood plum. The palate follows the nose with superb length and structure. Refined flavours of blackberry, spice and liquorice allsorts followed by a very spicy white and black pepper back palate. Fine grained tannins, perfect balance, followed by an aftertaste that lasts for several minutes.
  Alc 13.5%
  97 Points

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• 1998 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $350. 00

  Bottle

  $4200.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1867 Shiraz plantings, and is only produced in exceptional years with yields typically at less than two tonnes per acre.

  Tasted early 2001: Outstanding opaque purple, crimson mauve colour. Magnificent nose with intense aroma of vanilla, violets, spice and blackberries, followed by hints of marzipan and liquorice. This is a rare sniff, that finds the aromas resting high in the temples and staying there. On the palate, the flavours are totally mouthfilling, refined elegant and concentrated, with a remarkable degree of persistence. Flavours of black pepper, vanilla and confectionery are seamlessly welded together and enwrapped by velvet smooth tannins. This is a very special taste experience. Perfect balance, with a profoundly long aftertaste, lasting over 5 minutes.

  PLEASE NOTE: While we do everything possible to ensure back vintage wines are of the finest provenance, OLD WINES ARE NOT GUARANTEED IN ANY WAY. Be aware that flavour profiles can change dramatically in older wines. If you are unsure that you will enjoy the flavours that come with older wines, we recommend you don't buy them. "I don't like it" does not qualify for a refund.
  

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• • 97
  • 96

  • Museum Release

  2004 Elderton Command Shiraz - Museum Release

  Barossa Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

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  Cellar: Drink now - 2 Years (2026-2028)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Stelvin

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.

  Elderton Command Shiraz is a single vineyard wine that has established a formidable international reputation since the first vintage in 1984. Many years later, the wine is regarded as one of the great wines of the world. The Elderton vineyard is located on the southern edge of the Nuriootpa township and planted on deep alluvial silt over red and brown earth and limestone. The majority of the rows are orientated east-west (as opposed to the more common orientation of north-south). This enables cooling breezes from the Barossa Ranges to flow through the rows of vines rather than against them. The Command block is planted out with Shiraz vines that are over 100 years old which contributes to the monumental layers of flavour and complexity.

  Beautifully aged, this is rich, powerful and super silky.

  Dense black dark red colour with a dark brick red hue. Intense dark plum and liquorice aromas overlaid with toasty vanillin oak are complimented by mocha, earthy leather and spice notes. Rich, super silky and highly seductive, the palate is layered with concentrated dark plum and liquorice fruits. Boasting outstanding power it has elements of toasty vanillin oak, earthy mocha, subtle leather and spice lending further complexity. Cashmere like tannins with an exceptionally long, plush and expansive conclusion.
  Superb drinking over the next 1-2 years.
  Alc. 14.5%

  Other Reviews.....
  The 2004 Command Shiraz is from a lovely vintage, and the wine shows this. It has aromas of salted licorice, dark chocolate, blood plum, pomegranate, cracked peppercorn, blood and ferrous. This is a wonderful wine. It closes with licorice, graphite and wet steel as well as dried herbs. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2007-2044.
  96 Points
  Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

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• • Museum Release

  1994 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz - Museum Release

  Clare Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $550. 00

  Bottle

  $6600.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  Please note: this back vintage wine has been professionally cellared in ideal conditions at Nicks for many years, and we have tasted and approved the quality of the stock offered. However, due to the age and natural bottle variation of older wines, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect and we are unable to offer refunds or replacements for bottles that may show faults or variation. Although we doubt there will be faults - please purchase with this in mind.

  First made in 1985, The Armagh is Jim Barry’s flagship Shiraz and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the country’s most revered wines, earning the coveted "Exceptional" rating in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine. The wine is named after the adjoining hamlet of Armagh, settled by Irish immigrants in 1849. The grapes are sourced from a single, low-yielding vineyard planted in 1968. Known for its immense power, complexity, and incredible longevity, The Armagh is a masterful expression of Clare Valley Shiraz.

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• • Museum Release

  1995 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernets - Museum Release

  Yarra Valley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 12%

  Closure: Cork

  The 1995 Mount Mary Quintet is a classic Yarra Valley Cabernet blend, showcasing the elegance, structure and longevity that have made Mount Mary legendary amongst collectors. After nearly three decades of maturation, the wine now reveals beautifully integrated tannins alongside complex layers of cedar, tobacco leaf, blackcurrant, dried herbs and earthy savoury notes, all carried by remarkable freshness and finesse.
  Crafted by the late Dr John Middleton, one of the pioneers of the modern Yarra Valley wine scene, the Quintet was inspired by the great red blends of Bordeaux and has long been regarded as one of Australia’s finest Cabernet-based wines. Mount Mary’s unwavering commitment to balance, restraint and ageworthiness is on full display here.
  A rare opportunity to secure a perfectly cellared museum release from one of Australia’s most revered family estates.
  Alc. 12%

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• 1980 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $999. 00

  Bottle

  $11988.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 12.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Notes Sourced from The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004):
  Outstanding vintage
  Drinking Window: Now – 2025
  Deep crimson brick red. Intense plum/blackberry/menthol/mocha/liquorice aromas. The tannins are pronounced but offset by stylish, rich, concentrated dark berry/chocolaty fruit. A powerful and generously proportioned wine.
  96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Magill Estate (Adelaide), McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. A fine,warm growing season followed by a cool but late vintage. First vintage adopting consistent use of signature red Penfolds capsules.

  ---

  Notes souced from Southcorp.

  Region: Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Magill, McLaren Vale & Coonawarra.

  Grape varieties: 96% Shiraz & 4% Cabernet Sauvignon

  Alcohol: 12.5% Total acids: 6 grams per litre. pH: 3.60

  Growing season/vintage: Generally good growing season with fine and warm conditions followed by a cool vintage. Another unusual vintage in that the grapes ripened late, but very fully.

  Comments: "A good year and quite a good wine", said Max Schubert (with a degree of understatement) in 1993. Rated 96/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990.

  Tasting notes:size> Intense fruit, beautifully balanced and structured. Overall impression of elegance. Great potential. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

  Classy. Developed, but with greater complexity still to come. Beginning to drink well. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

  A very Rhôney wine, with a decidedly smoky Côte Rôtie style. Impressive. (Robert Joseph, WINE [UK], June 1992)

  Deep red to brick red. Sweet, plummy nose with toasty oak, some development and a trace of camphor. Very good fruit intensity and balance in the mouth: powerful and long with concentration but also suppleness. Very good strength and cellaring potential. Drink 1995-2015. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

  Sweet, plum-like, brambly aromas with dark chocolate and earthy characters developing. Tightly-packed, plummy, cedary flavours on the palate combined with lovely ripe but firm tannins and length give this wine both elegance and power. Has the structure and concentration to support long-term development. Another classic. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  Sinewy, with good cassis/cherry fruit. Tannin, fruit and oak all in balance. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  "Medium red/purple. Intense, fragrant chocolate/cherry/prune/dried fig aromas. Dense and chewy with generously ripe, prune/chocolate fruit flavours, pronounced grainy tannins and superb length. Will emerge as a classic Grange. Drink between now and 2015." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

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• • 96

  • Not gift boxed

  2005 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $950. 00

  Bottle

  $11400.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  A blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon this wine was matured for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Deep, dark garnet colour. The nose is a tightly wrapped projection from the glass of dark-berried Barossa fruits coupled with a myriad of barrel ferment complexities. Thereafter, a burst of honey-cured jamon / pancetta aromatically thrust above, with a rich mix of generously basted roasted meats, peat & nutmeg anchored beneath.

  Upon sitting / air these characters descend, revealing beguiling elements of freshly turned volcanic earth and an innocent suggestion of oldgrowth forest floor underlay. On the palate the flavour pool primarily highlights Satsuma plum conserve alongside rhubarb / aniseed / fennel, with liqueur chocolate shyly awaiting mid-palate. Oak absorbed and hidden, not so the muscular tannins, power / extract. Nevertheless balanced, firm, polished.
  Peak drinking: 2012 to 2030.
  14.5% Alc
  

  Other Reviews.…
  Protocol prevented me retasting this wine prior to its release date of 1 May, notwithstanding that no one will have read these words prior to the release of this book in late July. So this is my tasting note from the Rewards of Patience Tasting held in Sept. Colour little different to the 04; tighter, more compact than the 04, yet the fruit line is glossy and smooth, the tannins (and acidity) acting as the brake and giving tightness. These are a different pair, and it will be fascinating to watch their development.
  96 Points
  James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion

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• • 95
  • 92

  • Not gift boxed

  1999 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $899. 00

  Bottle

  $10788.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews….
  The 1999 Grange does not come close to such great Granges as the 1998, 1996, 1991, and 1990. Dense ruby/purple to the edge, with a bouquet of blackberries, mulberries, and floral-like aromas, and medium to full body, the 1999 has an acid punch, but also tremendous layers of fruit and extract. Not massive, but elegant and nicely layered, it requires another 2-3 years of cellaring, and should last for 12-15 years.
  92 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2004
  
  Concentrated blackberry and licorice fruit, the oak perfectly integrated. A powerful, masculine style, a touch more austere than the '98.
  95 points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021

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• 1963 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $4500. 00

  Bottle

  $54000.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 13.3%

  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle is completely original and has not been clinic-ed.
  
  ***This wine is over 60 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***
  
  Other Reviews....
  The first vintage since 1952 to be made from 100% Shiraz, this wine exhibited a fabulously complex nose of smoked meats, Asian spices, sweet, earthy scents, underbrush, licorice, charcoal, black currant, and plum. The wine is very full-bodied, very sweet, creamy-textured with opulence, a load of glycerin, and a seamlessness. Even some blackberry fruit is still present in this fabulously rich, fully mature, yet vigorous wine. It should continue to drink well for up to another decade. A great Grange!
  94 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2002
  
  
  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

  Grape Varieties: Made from 100% Shiraz the fruit was sourced from Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Morphett Vale (Adelaide) and Adelaide Plains.

  Total acids: 6.7 grams per litre. pH: 3.60 Alcohol: 13.3%

  Vintage Conditions: The growing season and vintage were both good with warm, dry conditions.

  Tasting Notes: size> A Grange that has grown in stature with time. Winner of four gold, two silver and one bronze medal between 1964 and 1968.

  Colour: excellent -- strong red, still holding a touch of purple. Bouquet: very full, rich, sweet/ripe fruit though not jammy. Palate: Rich and very complex; very sweet fruit -- again, not jammy - nicely balanced by oak. Low to medium tannin. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

  Superb, complex, elegant flavour. Strong, sweet fruit with balanced oak. Ready to be enjoyed. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

  A great Grange, drinking at its peak and showing all the power and complexity one could hope for. Earthy, toasty and "old cellar" smells mingle with cedar and liquorice, and an overtone of crushed ants. Very concentrated, massive and fruit-sweet, great depth and structure. Has been an under-rated vintage, perhaps living in the shadowof the 1962, but some now consider this the greatest Grange. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

  Intense, complex, gamey/earthy bouquet with liquorice notes. Rich, supple and highly concentrated on the palate with game and liquorice flavours, sweet fruit, integrated tannins and length. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  Mature, complex; gentle and soft with lovely "warm" mouthfeel. Exquisite balance, harmony and style. A Grange of the front rank. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  Deep, sweet mushrooms and really fine demi-glace, lots of baked berries, plums, but with strength within the hedonistic flavours... delicious, about as good as drinking wine ever gets. (Tim White, Aust. Financial Review, Dec. 1994)

  "Medium-full brick red. Concentrated, sweet, plum/liquorice aromas with touches of cedar and leather/spice. Palate is rich, ripe and silken, with sweet, seductive, plum/chocolate berryfruit, underlying earthiness, loose-knit tannins and long finish. A beautifully proportioned wine and a classic Grange. Drink between now and 2005." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

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• 1985 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $1200. 00

  Bottle

  $14400.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 12.9%

  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle is completely original and has not been clinic-ed.
  
  Other Reviews....
  Considered a more "restrained" Grange, this wine has balance but a somewhat foursquare/monolithic character with dry, astringent tannin in the finish, hence the question mark. The color is still a healthy dense purple, and the wine shows the tell-tale peppery, asphalt, earthy, creme de cassis characteristics, but the tannin seems to be increasingly problematic. As always, it is still a young wine, so the question that begs to be answered with time is, "Is it just unevolved and backward, or is it too tannic?"
  90 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2002
  
  

  Notes Sourced from Southcorp Wines

  Regional sources: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare & Modbury (Adelaide plains)

  Grape varieties: 99 per cent Shiraz & 1 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon

  Alcohol: 12.9% Total acids: 6.1 grams per litre. pH: 3.47

  Growing season/vintage: Cool to mild growing season followed by similarly good conditions at vintage, with late rain delaying picking.

  Comments: Rated 90/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990. Elegant, cool-year wine.

  Tasting notes: Beautifully balanced and structured wine with strong cassis/berry aromas and flavours set against oak with an unexpected touch of clove/spice. The tannins have been judged to perfection. (James Halliday, Weekend Australian, Dec. 1988)

  Sweetly scented with coconut, cherry and plum, a hint of mint. Slightly plain and closed at first, then opening up with more fruit and mint. Quite full-bodied and firmly tannic, without the dense fleshiness of warmer vintages. A good wine; needs several years before drinking, say 2000-2015. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

  Ripe plum and sweet berry fruit aromas, still youthful. Sweet, spicy, plum and cherry-like flavours combine with pronounced, gripping tannins on the palate. An elegant wine. Drink 1998-2015. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  "Medium-full red/purple. Restrained, with earthy/pruney/meaty aromas and leafy touches of. Tightly structured palate with blackberry, cedar, leafy/herbal flavours and a firm backbone of tannin. Great mouthfeel. May develop further in the bottle. Drink between now and 2010." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

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• • 98
  • 95

  • Not gift boxed

  2007 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $899. 00

  Bottle

  $10788.00 Dozen

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  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2022-2027)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  The 2007 vintage of this Australian icon was matured for 21 months in new American oak. Impenetrable inky black colour with deep black crimson hue. The nose is very perfumed displaying great intensity with aromas of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate and liquorice with an overlay of vanillin oak and toast along with some mocha spice like end notes. Dense and opulent the palate delivers a concentrated flavour profile of dark chocolate, ripe blackberry and liquorice followed by some vanillin mocha like characters and spice. Excellent structure with solid, slightly chewy tannins that appear almost velvet like beneath the enormous wall of fruit that overshadows them. Possessing trademark Grange power with very long ripe blackberry, dark chocolate bullets, vanilla, mocha and spice aftertaste. A superb ripe concentrated Grange with ample structure.
  Cellar 10-15 years.
  Alc 14.5%
  
  Other Reviews….
  Full crimson, with a purple rim; a 98/2% blend of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon that exudes power and authority; the bouquet is already complex, the American oak making an impact as it always does when Grange is in its youth, the palate with multiple layers of predominantly black fruits; the tannins, like the oak, need to soften, and should do so well before the fruit starts to fade. Follows the Grange pattern, with 21 months in the 100% new American oak in which it finished its fermentation. A good grange, but not a great one.
  95 points
  Australian Wine Companion 2021

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• 1973 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $1500. 00

  Bottle

  $18000.00 Dozen

  Add

  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle is completely original and has not been clinic-ed.
  
  ***This wine is over 50 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***
  
  Other Reviews....
  Birth year wines must be chosen carefully to stand the test of time. I was fortunate to celebrate my 50th birthday with a beautifully cellared 1973 Penfolds Grange, generously shared by a dear friend. It displayed incredible freshness and showcased Grange's hallmark density, concentration, and complexity, even from a less acclaimed vintage!
  Toni Paterson MW - Australian Wine Companion 2025
  
  

  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines

  REGIONAL SOURCES: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa valley, Magill, Modbury (Adelaide Plains)

  GRAPE VARIETIES: 95% Shiraz & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

  Alcohol: 12.4 % Total acids: 6.3 grams per litre pH: 3.76

  GROWING SEASON / VINTAGE: A dry growing season followed by a cool vintage.

  COMMENTS: This was the last wine made in the open, wax-lined concrete fermenters at the Magill winery. Subsequent vintages have been made at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley. Considered a good wine from an undistinguished vintage. Nevertheless, won a trophy, five gold, four silver and six bronze medals between 1974 and 1982.

  Tasting Notes:SIZE> Colour: medium deep red. Bouquet: particularly complex sweet oak and ripe fruit, something of a surprise. Palate: does not quite live up to the bouquet; much lighter style; sweet but not oxidised. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

  Shows some bottle development. Good depth of fruit flavour and sweet oak. Quite complex. Ready to be enjoyed. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

  Complexity and balance make for an attractive mouthful. Good drinking. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

  Meaty, slightly "animal", mature nose. Lovely, warm, generous wine in the mouth, fleshy and dense with high extract. At its peak. Drink now till around 2000. (Huon Hooke, 1992)

  Meaty bouquet with hints of licorice and sweet chocolate. Sweet toffee and chocolate flavours on the palate, combined with medium extract and good tannin structure result in a richly textured and generously-flavoured wine. A lighter-bodied Grange. At its peak. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  Fully mature, with fruit, oak and aged characters all integrated. Some sweetness remains. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  "Medium brick red. Chamomile, citrus peel and chocolate/berry aromas with touches of soft leather. Very big and mouthfilling with sweet, stocky fruit and notes of tar, leather and nutmeg. Firm, gripping tannins and long finish. More structured style but still has a very good core of fruit sweetness. Drink now." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

  Delivery Information
• • Not gift boxed

  1993 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $850. 00

  Bottle

  $10200.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Notes Sourced from The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004):
  Drinking Window: Now – 2018
  Deep crimson. Very scented apricot/camomile/dark berry/smoky aromas with faint hints of mint. The palate is rich and concentrated with apricot/prune/chocolate flavours and supple grainy tannins. Finishes quite firm. An earlier maturing wine from the latest Grange vintage on record.
  86% Shiraz, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley andCoonawarra. A very wet growing season was followed by warm, drier conditions, resulting in a very late but sound quality vintage fruit. An Indian Summer in Coonawarra delivered fully ripened fruit.

  ---

  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

  Grange is the benchmark by which all other reds in Australia, and, increasingly, overseas, are often measured. The reasons for this are many yet straightforward: Concentration of flavour - Grange is decadently rich with layer upon layer of flavour that coats the tongue and scents the breath minutes after swallowing. This kind of fruit weight can only come from the finest, old vine fruit and low yielding vineyards. Complexity - the profuse aromas that leap from a glass of Grange defy the typical adjectives used by wine tasters. These are hedonistic aromas of rich ripe fruits and spice yet with an "otherness" of which wine tasters speak of in hushed tones. Further, each time the taster returns to the glass the wine has evolved new aromas, new interest, new reasons to get excited. Longevity - Grange blossoms with 15 to 20 years of bottle age, when most other reds have past their best, and better vintages can live and continue developing for decades longer. And finally, Heritage - first produced by Max Schubert in 1951, the '93 Grange represents over 40 years ofwinemaking excellence.

  Vintage Conditions: In many years Grange is a law unto itself, producing wines with a balance and concentration of flavour that seem to defy, or at least exceed, vintage expectations. 1993 was a very good vintage for Barossa Shiraz. It is an outstanding year for Grange.

  Oak Maturation: Matured in 100% new American oak for 18 months.

  Alc/Vol: 13.5% Acidity: 7.3 pH 3.55

  Winemaker John Duval's Comments:size>

  Colour: Dense plum red merging to brick red on rims.

  Nose: Intense blackcurrant and plum with malt, fig and licorice aromas that leap from the glass. This has all the characters of a classic Grange.

  Palate: What is promised on the nose is delivered on the palate - a powerful, concentrated, opulent wine. Layers of Shiraz fruit and first class oak manifest themselves into a seemingly endless variety of flavours - deep plum, licorice, black olive, chocolate, cedar, coffee, etc, all compressed into a silken, round mouthfeel. Forceful, ripe tannins are balanced by sheer weight of fruit. It is hard to believe that 100% new American oak was used - the intensity of fruit has all but soaked it up.

  Serving and Cellaring suggestions: As mentioned above, Grange is a wine that will develop over at least thirty years in the cellar. It is recommended that wine lovers wait at least 10 to 15 years however the wine can be, and often is, enjoyed in its youth for its sheer opulence and power. It is the ultimate match with rich red meat dishes.

  "Medium-full red/purple. Deep, intense blackberry/gamey aromas with touches of camphor. Sweet and ripe with plum/cassis, slightly gamey fruit, loose-knit but gripping tannin structure and good overall length. Probably a medium-term wine. Drink between 2005 and 2018." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

  Delivery Information
• • 97
  • 94

  • Not gift boxed

  1994 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $999. 00

  Bottle

  $11988.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews....
  Dense red-purple; the typically rich and powerful bouquet has layers of dark berry fruit and integrated and balanced oak. What makes it unusual is the distinct hint of chocolate, which appears again on the silkily powerful palate. Here there is an array of all of the fruit flavours one could possibly expect, but once again that touch of dark Swiss chocolate adding an intriguing note. The oak balance and integration is better than any five-year-old Grange I can remember, the tannins perfectly balanced into the bargain.
  97 points 
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021
  
  A substantial 11% of the 1994 Grange is Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's most clearly apparent on the elegant, leafy, floral nose. On the palate, it's more clearly Grange and Shiraz-like, with plenty of weight and richness along with flavors of dried fruit, roasted meat and mocha, but there's also a sense that it's starting to lighten and become approachable/mature. Drink now or hold up to another 10 years or so.
  94 points
  Joe Czerwinski - The Wine Advocate 2018

  Delivery Information
• 1967 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $3500. 00

  Bottle

  $42000.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 12.7%

  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle has undergone Penfold's Clinic test in 2004. The cork and foil were replaced.
  
  ***This wine is over 50 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***
  
  Other Reviews....
  A blend of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine showed a very intriguing nose of caramel, coffee, cedar, tobacco, cassis, underbrush, and pepper. The wine is ripe, full-bodied, very well-balanced, soft, and elegant, but clearly not a blockbuster in the style most people associate with Grange. It is fully mature, but then I thought so six years ago, and yet the wine's overall harmony has served it well. Drink it up.
  90 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2002
  
  
  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

  Grape Varieties: A blend of 94% Shiraz & 6% Cabernet Sauvignon the fruit was sourced from Magill (Adelaide), Clare Valley & Kalimna (Barossa Valley).

  Total acids: 5.8 grams per litre. Alcohol:12.7% pH: 3.62

  Vintage Conditions: Fairly dry growing season followed by a warm vintage.

  Tasting Notes:size> First vintage to use Clare Valley grapes. Won the Jimmy Watson Trophy for best one-year-old dry red at the 1968 Melbourne Wine Show. Thought of as a lighter style because it spent less time in oak. Max Schubert considered it under-rated and excellent. Rated 91/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990.

  Colour: strong purple-red. Bouquet: strong minty/camphor oak although the fruit is still a little closed. Palate: very good balance; rich fruit in typical style and nicely balanced tannin. A complete wine, drinking very well. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

  Elegant, attractive, sweet fruit/oak. Good balance, drinking superbly. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

  Gamey, mellow, but firm wine -- still some way from its peak. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  "Medium brick red. Sweet complex and intense stocky/ truffle- like aromas. Developed palate with ripe, concentrated, meaty/ chocolate- like flavours, silky tannin structure and long finish. Well balanced but drink soon." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

  Delivery Information
• • 99
  • 98
  • 98

  • Not gift boxed

  2006 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $1200. 00

  Bottle

  $14400.00 Dozen

  Add

  Cellar: 10 - 20 Years (2021-2031)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle is completely original and has not been clinic-ed.
  
  Originally tasted 2011
  A stunning Shiraz that will no doubt evolve into one of the all time great vintages of Penfolds Grange.
  Super saturated, totally impenetrable, black crimson colour with very deep, black dark crimson red hue. The nose displays great power, yet is still in it’s relative infant stages of development, with a superb kaleidoscope of aromas to unfurl themselves in the coming years. Super ripe blackberry and liquorice aromas are to the fore followed by a touch of violets, dark chocolate, mocha and vanilla. The intensity of the nose indicates that a wine of great power and concentration is to come and one is not let down. Dense, super concentrated and with power to burn, this Grange is destined for a long life of cellaring, although it’s not entirely unapproachable now. Layer upon layer of explosive, opulent fruit unravels itself on the palate in quite magnificent fashion. Dark chocolate, liquorice, blackberry and dark plum flavours, with an overlay of mocha and vanillin oak. Sublime depth and persistence and quite opulent in texture. Very fine grained, but firm tannins that are concealed by the sheer volume of fruit. Exceptionally long aftertaste of blackberry, dark chocolate, liquorice, vanillin oak and spice.
  Cellar 10-20 years (2021-2031)
  Alc 14.5%
  
  Other Reviews….
  Deep crimson; its bouquet has a strikingly complex array of black characters that run all the way from the first whiff to the finish and aftertaste: licorice, tar, bitter chocolate, blackberry, prune and plum. The tannins are prominent, and play their part with each successive sip of the steadily building impact on the very long palate, but they are in balance with the fruit and oak of an extremely powerful Grange.
  98 points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021
  
  Made from fruit coming predominantly from the Barossa Valley this year (97%) and containing 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Grange has been added to my list of favorite recent vintages. Deep garnet-purple colored, it’s still a little youthfully mute, offering notes of warm cherries, black currants, anise, coffee and toast with underlying hints of soy, yeast extract, black olives and Indian spices. Tight-knit and solidly structured on the medium to full-bodied palate, the concentrated fruit is densely coiled around the firm grainy tannins and very crisp acidity at this stage, but promises something very special in the years to come. It finishes very long, complex and layered with the cedar poking through the fruit purity. Patience is required for this vintage; it should begin opening out around 2016 and drink to 2030+.
  98+ points
  Lisa Perrotti-Brown – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 2011
  

  Delivery Information
• • 96
  • 98

  • Not gift boxed

  2001 Penfolds Grange

  Barossa Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $999. 00

  Bottle

  $11988.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews….
  It is extraordinary how this wine has gained power, weight and complexity since first bottled; now majestic black fruits, licorice and chocolate / mocha notes run through the palate.  Great tannins sustain and support the back-palate and finish. Please move to screwcaps; this wine would live forever. Drink 2030
  96 points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021
  
  It is always a treat to taste Australia’s most famous wine, Penfolds’ Grange cuvee (the word Hermitage has been dropped because of legal issues). The 2001 Grange is one of the few vintages of this cuvee to be composed of 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, 1999, and 2000). Aged 17 months in 100% American oak, and tipping the scales at 14.5% alcohol, the 2001 is undeniably one of the top examples of this wine. At this stage, it appears to eclipse the 1998 and 1996. Inky/blue/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earth, it boasts good acidity, huge tannins, magnificent concentration, and a multilayered, textured mouthfeel. It is a big, but impeccably well-balanced Shiraz that should shed some of its structure and tannin over the next 4-5 years, and be at its best between 2010-2030+.
  98 points
  Robert Parker - Wine Advocate (Oct 2006)

  Delivery Information
• • 95
  • 92

  • Not gift boxed

  2003 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $799. 00

  Bottle

  $9588.00 Dozen

  Add

  Cellar: 4 - 30 Years (2012-2038)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews....
  Deep and bright colour; major surprise along the lines of the '00, albeit in very different style; here there is density and structure; the fruit is rich, but not spongy or dead. Ultra careful selection.
  95 Points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021
  
  Penfolds- iconic 2003 Grange is Shiraz blended with 3.5% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra. It was aged for 15 months in 100% new American oak. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up aromas of cedar, cigar box, leather, Asian spices, and blueberry. On the palate it is layered but a bit short on depth and grip with only moderate length. It will evolve for 5-7 years and drink well from 2014 to 2030. This is a good but not great vintage of Grange making it vastly overpriced.
  92 Points
  Jay S Miller - Wine Advocate 2009

  Delivery Information
• 1953 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $33000. 00

  Bottle

  $396000.00 Dozen

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  Closure: Cork

  Note: As pictured, this bottle has undergone Penfold's Clinic test in 1991. The cork and foil were replaced.
  
  ***This wine is over 70 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***
  
  Other Reviews....
  A blend of 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 260 cases of this wine were produced. This is the first Grange to incorporate wine from the Kalimna region in the Barossa. This was a revelation. An astonishing, great wine with remarkable vigor and freshness, this wine has a dark garnet color with considerable amber at the edge. A sweet nose of mushrooms, roasted herbs, tar, red and black fruits, and underbrush is followed by a wine with considerable opulence, flesh, and vivacity. The wine has terrific harmony and a long finish. It is an amazing effort that should continue to drink well for another 7-10 years.
  93 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2002
  
  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

  Grape Varieties: A blend of 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon the fruit was sourced from Magill (Adelaide), Morphett Vale (Adelaide) and Kalimna (Barossa Valley).

  Alcohol: 12.8%

  Vintage Conditions: Dry, mild-to-warm weather followed a good growing season with a cool summer.

  Tasting Notes:size> This was the first vintage to use grapes from the Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa Valley, which Penfolds had purchased in 1945. 260 cases were made. Also bottled in (375ml) half bottles. Wine received minimal handling and was not filtered. One of three Grange vintages (1952 and 1962 are the others) produced in half (375ml) as well as full (750ml) bottles.

  Gorgeous, voluptuous nose; potentially the longest lived of all the wines. Beautiful material. (James Halliday, May 1970)

  Dark, dense red-purple -- astonishing. Rich, incredible depth and character. Giant blackberry/cassis, velvety. Will live forever. (James Halliday, Aug. 1983)

  Wonderful depth and complexity. Mature and great drinking. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed.,1985)

  Considered one of the finest Australian wines ever made. Fragrant bouquet; complex, intensely flavoured palate. "I can't imagine a greater old wine" -- James Halliday. "One of the greatest wines I have ever tasted" -- Len Evans. A first rank Grange. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  ...the colour was still strong red, the bouquet an incredibly complex amalgam of spice, earth and berry, the palate almost explosive in its complexity, intensity and length of flavour. (James Halliday, Weekend Australian, Dec. 1994)

  Deep, rich stewed plums and field mushroom soup aromas. Succulent, smoky, berry flavours, with complex, lingering demi-glace length, both sweet and savoury. Finishes tasty and dry. Staggering!!! (Tim White, Aust. Financial Review, Dec. 1994)

  "Vibrant brick colour. Complex, sweet, truffly/gamey aromas with touches of leather andspice. Soft, silky and delicately balanced with sweet chocolate/berry, game and cedar fruit,very fine, lacy tannins and excellent length. Still drinking brilliantly well. A great Penfolds wine! Drink between now and 2005." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000.)

  Delivery Information
• • 98

  • Not gift boxed

  1990 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $1200. 00

  Bottle

  $14400.00 Dozen

  Add

  Cellar: 15 - 20 Years (2015-2020)

  ABV: 13.8%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews....

  Blackberry, blueberry, spice and dark chocolate aromas. Full body, deep and powerful. Just a baby. Layered. Goes on for minutes. Drink or hold.
  98 points
  James Suckling

  Destined to be one of the greatest Granges. A beautifully weighted and concentrated bouquet, with seamless fruit and oak; masses of dark cherries and plum. In the mouth a superb wine; while the fruit is opulent, it is not excessively so; indeed there is a touch of near austerity to the fine tannins to give the wine both character and balance. The iron fist in a velvet glove.
  97 points
  James Halliday's Wine Companion

  
  Notes Sourced from The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004):
  Outstanding vintage
  Drinking Window: Now – 2040
  Deep crimson. Immensely concentrated, beautifully perfumed wine with deep, dark, chocolate/spicy/mocha/malty aromas. A very rich, ripe, supple palate with deep blackberry/chocolate/liquorice fruit, malt/vanilla oak nuances and satin smooth tannins. A superbly-balanced wine. A very great Grange vintage with tremendous finesse and understated power.
  95% Shiraz, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. Voted ‘Red Wine of the Year’ by Wine Spectator magazine in December 1995. A very great Australian vintage with a perfect warm, dry, growing season and harvest.

   

  ---

   

  Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines

  Regional sources: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley & Coonawarra.

  Grape varieties: 95% Shiraz & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

  Alcohol: 13.8% Total acids: 7.1 grams per litre. pH: 3.36

  Growing season/vintage: A totally trouble-free growing season enabled grapes to ripen perfectly. Vintage conditions were also ideal, enabling fruit to be harvested and processed without compromising quality in any way.

  Comments: The 1990 vintage was the kind that winemakers only expect to see once or twice in an entire career.

  "The 1990 is without doubt a classic Grange."

  Tasting notes: Deep, fresh, purple colour. Very intense, concentrated plummy nose showing perfect fruit ripeness and stylish oak in fine harmony. A sumptuous wine to taste, amazingly complex at three years old, loaded with fruit and tasting of coffee, cedar, vanilla and dark berries. A very great Grange. Drink 2005-2025+. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

  Beautifully weighted and concentrated wine combining intense, perfectly ripe, plummy aromas with smoky vanillin oak. Already the wine is complex and harmonious, with ripe, savoury, smoky, coffee and plum-like fruit, integrated oak, fine tannins and length. This is a superbly balanced and opulent wine showing restrained power -- "an iron fist in a velvet glove". Destined for greatness. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  Perfectly ripened fruit. A singularly great wine. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  Dark berry scented, masses of integrating new wood, as rich and heady as newly-laid tar. (Tim White, Aust. Financial Review, Dec. 1994)

  "Medium-full red/purple. Deeply concentrated, with strong, plum/prune/liquorice aromas and touches of aniseed and exotic fruits - all underpinned by well-seasoned oak. Palate is deeply set with spicy, plum/mocha/liquorice fruit, sweet spicy oak, and ripe but fine, velvety tannin structure. Long and flavoury finish. Perfectly tensioned and balanced. May outlive us all! Drink between now and 2030." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

  Delivery Information
• • Reduced

  1976 Penfolds Grange Hermitage - DAMAGED LABEL

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  Reduced from $2,950.00

  $2450. 00

  Bottle

  $29400.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 13.9%

  Note: As pictured, this bottle has undergone Penfold's Clinic test in 2022. The cork and foil were replaced.
  
  ***This wine is 50 years old and almost certainly past its prime. Please consider carefully before purchasing***
  
  Other Reviews....
  Consistently one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange, this blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol) was the first Australian wine to cost $20 upon release. I have had this wine six separate times, every time rating it between 96 and 100. It had a phenomenal showing at Penfolds' Magill estate. The color is an opaque purple, the wine massive, full-bodied, and to me, the quintessential Grange. Notes of blackberry liqueur intermixed with cassis, charcoal, new saddle leather, and underbrush resonate from the glass. Huge, thick, unctuously textured, with extraordinary concentration but perfect harmony among all of its elements, this is a prodigious Grange that is still not fully mature. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. A legend for sure!

  100 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate 2002

  Notes Sourced from Southcorp Wines

  REGIONAL SOURCES: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Magill, Barossa Valley & Modbury (Adelaide Plains)

  GRAPE VARIETIES: 89 per cent Shiraz & 11 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon

  ALCOHOL: 13.9 per cent

  TOTAL ACIDS: 5.1 grams per litre pH: 3.73

  GROWING SEASON/VINTAGE CONDITIONS: Very good with ideal conditions throughout. The warm vintage resulted in big, rich, concentrated wines.Comments: The year of the takeover of Penfolds by the brewer, Tooth & Co, ending three generations of family control. Although 1976 was considered an excellent vintage, the 1976 Grange won only a bronze and two silver medals in Australian wine shows. However, rated 98/100 by Robert Parker in 1990. "More in the old style; a good vintage", said Max Schubert.

  Tasting notes: Colour: dense purple-red. Bouquet: pungent aromas; some estery, volatile characters and a ripe mint overlay. Palate: huge fruit, sweet and minty; very ripe but well-balanced fruit flavour; tannin fairly low, oak in balance. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

  Very big Grange. Huge fruit, rich and minty. Well-balanced oak. Solid tannin. Needs time. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

  Still a trifle adolescent, but as muscular as a builder's labourer and as poised as a ballet dancer. (Paul Lloyd, Adelaide Advertiser, 1986)

  Mammoth Grange, showing developed "coffee bean" and "leather" characters. Firm, but well-balanced. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

  Rich, dark hue. Sweet, leathery, meaty, honey and plum bouquet. A monumental wine, grippingly tannic, dense and concentrated. Very long term. One of the biggest post-Schubert wines, needing food. Drink from 1995 to 2010. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

  Intense licorice/coffee-like, meaty bouquet with hints of plum. Highly concentrated palate with densely-packed, meaty, dark chocolate and licorice-like flavours. Strong but in-balance tannins, fine medium acid and sweetnes of fruit combine to produce a wine of structure and power with excellent long-term potential. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

  Mellow, with tannin in balance with other flavours. Still improving. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

  "Youthful purple/red. Intense and concentrated liquorice/chocolate/berry/truffle aromas with touches of earthiness. Palate is very powerful with rich plum/chocolate/berry/ liquorice fruit flavours, thick velvety tannin structure and excellent length. Should be a very long-lived wine. Drink between now and 2015." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

  Delivery Information
• • 98

  • Not gift boxed

  2014 Penfolds Grange

  South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $899. 00

  Bottle

  $10788.00 Dozen

  Add

  Note: There is a small amount of damage on the back label. No information is missing.
  
  Other Reviews….
  Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. Drink 2025-2050.
  98 points
  Joe Czerwinski – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

  Delivery Information
• • 95

  2006 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz

  Barossa Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Other Reviews....
  The brown glass, high-shouldered proprietary bottle gives the right message: this is a classic, gently understated Barossa Shiraz that will sail on for decades if the dubiously short cork permits. Drinking it sooner would not be a capital offence.
  95 points
  James Halliday’s Wine Companion

  Delivery Information
• • Museum Release

  2006 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz - Museum Release

  Heathcote, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $69. 99

  Bottle

  $839.88 Dozen

  Add

  ABV: 15.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Established by Nick Chlebnikowski and Bill Spring, Tatiarra quickly became one of Heathcote’s cult Shiraz producers, earning a strong following for wines that captured the power and richness of the region’s famed Cambrian soils. Working alongside highly regarded winemakers including Ben Riggs, the winery developed a reputation for producing bold, cellarworthy Shiraz with immense concentration and unmistakable regional character.
  The 2006 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz is a museum release from one of the estate’s flagship labels, offering a snapshot of an important era in Heathcote winemaking. Now with significant bottle age, the wine displays the evolved savoury complexity and maturity that collectors of aged Australian Shiraz appreciate, making it a fascinating addition to any cellar.

  Retasted 14/4/2016:
  At ten years of age this wine is still in tip top shape. It opens with an impenetrable inky black core and a very deep dark red hue. Elevated aromas of liquorice, ripe black cherries and blackberry invade the nostrils followed by vanillin oak, dark chocolate and spice. Exceptionally concentrated and rich the palate is saturated with liquorice allsorts, blackberry, confectionary, vanillin cedar and blackpepper flavours. It shows virtually no signs of development. Very fine grained, velvet like tannins with an underlying rock like structure. Superb length. Exceptionally long aftertaste of liquorice, confectionary, ripe blackberry, vanillin oak and blackpepper.
  Alc 15.5%

  First Tasted Nov 6 2007:
  As with previous vintages, this wine is a saturate of colour - black purple with black purple hue – a hallmark of all Tatiarra wines. Superb lifted nose of cedar, vanilla, violets and freshly crushed blackberry followed by spice and nuances of liquorice. A seamless explosion of flavours with black and white pepper melting into blackberry, violet infusions and liquorice allsorts. Perfectly balanced with fine velvet tannins. Exceptional length and depth with very long aftertaste lasting for minutes. A triumph for the viticultural and wine making team.
  Alc/Vol: 15.5%

  Delivery Information
• • Reduced

  1998 Barossa Valley Estate E&E Black Pepper Shiraz

  Barossa Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  Reduced from $150.00

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Closure: Cork

  Tasted 8/01/2001
  A classic E&E, which reflects both the exceptional quality of the vintage and the consistent performance of the brand. Totally opaque, black crimson colour. Magnificent nose, with intense aromas of vanilla, violets, cedar, spice, ripe plums and dark chocolate. The palate is mouthfilling, generous with wonderfully ripe Barossa fruit. A concentrate of flavours – plum, cedar and spice are counter pointed by careful use of oak, and supported by fine dry tannins. Perfect balance, outstanding length, with an aftertaste that persists for minutes. Cellar 5-8 years. Stocks are extremely limited.
  93 points

  Other Reviews…..
  Beautifully expressive, this is a wine of many layers that interweave intriguingly as they play out their cherry and raspberry fruit against exotic spice and minty, earthy nuances. Impressive for its harmony and supple structure. This is just coming together, but it feels like it has many years ahead of it.
  95 points
  Wine Spectator

  Delivery Information
• • 98

  2002 Barossa Valley Estate E&E Black Pepper Shiraz

  Barossa Valley, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 3 - 4 Years (2008-2009)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  A magnificent Shiraz displaying a real sense of refinement.The Barossa Valley Estate winery was established in 1985 by a group of Barossa Valley grape growers as a cooperative effort to make and market premium wine. Today it is a part of the Global BRL Hardy / Constellation Group. Winemaker STUART BOURNE manages to produce a consistent, powerful Shiraz that has been described as the "quintessential Barossa Shiraz." A magnificent Shiraz that displays a real sense of refinement. Opaque black crimson colour with deep crimson hue. Aroma of violets and liquorice allsorts, followed by cedar, spice and nuances of coffee and chocolate. Mouthfilling, refined palate profile with very fine tannins. Flavours of vanilla and white pepper appear on the back palate. Fine, dry, persistent tannin structure. Cellar 3-4 years (2008-2009) Alc/Vol: 14.5%

  Other reviews... Ripe black fruits with obvious mocha/vanilla oak; full-bodied blackberry and sweet chocolate flavours; good texture and weight; round, ripe tannins. Drink by 2017.
  95 points - James Hallidays Wine Companion

  Delivery Information
• • 97

  2008 Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $125. 00

  Bottle

  $1500.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Screw Cap

  The nomenclature “Bin No. 0 Shiraz” has always been somewhat of a mystery. Best’s early records indicate that the numbering system was developed by local General Merchants who used it as a means of classifying the quality of the wine. Bin No. O being of the highest quality was sold for around 2 shillings a bottle in 1900, No. 1 slightly less and finally No. 5 was the rough stuff for weary workers looking for a cheap palliative.

  An outstanding Bin 0, one of the best in recent memory.
  Opaque, black crimson purple colour with very deep, crimson purple hue. The nose is a touch reserved upon first approach, with aromas of blackberry, blackpepper, liquorice, dark plum and a meaty earth like overlay, slowly evolving to deliver a perfumed sniff. The palate balances richness and power against elegance and refinement, displaying opulent flavours of blackberry, dark plum and liquorice, followed by some spicy blackpepper and dried meat characters. Exceptional length with super fine grained, perfectly integrated tannins and very long aftertaste of blackberry, liquorice and spice.
  Alc 14.5%

  Delivery Information
• • 97

  2001 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz Magnum (1500ml)

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 8 - 10 Years (2012-2014)

  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  This is one of the Great Wines of the world, and now clearly established as a major investment piece. Produced from old vines, planted in 1866, this wine is a national treasure. Production is minuscule and limited to around 350 cases per year when produced - the wine is only made in great years, with no Thomson being produced from the 1993, 1999 and 2000 vintages. The Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz has established itself as one of Australia’s great shiraz alongside the likes of Henschke Hill of Grace, Penfolds Grange Hermitage and Clarendon Hills Astralis.

  An exceptional wine, produced from old and rare vines planted in 1866. Totally opaque black crimson purple colour, with purple hue. Superb nose – a wonderful sniff of violets, cedar and spice followed by liquorice allsorts and blood plum. The palate follows the nose with superb length and structure. Refined flavours of blackberry, spice and liquorice allsorts followed by a very spicy white and black pepper back palate. Fine grained tannins, perfect balance, followed by an aftertaste that lasts for several minutes.
  Alc/Vol: 14.0%
  RATING: 97/100

  Delivery Information
• • 94

  1998 Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 13.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Opaque crimson, brick red colour, showing some signs of bottle age. The wines still holding up well, with years of bottle life left. Aroma of spice, blackberry and liquorice are overlaid by plum and cedar. The palate has excellent weight and depth of flavour, with cedar, spice, stewed fruit and white pepper emerging on the back palate. The white pepper characters began to evolve on the back palate and continues to grow running right through to the aftertaste, which lingers for some time.
  Alc/Vol 13.5%
  RATING: 94/100
  VALUE: XXXXX/5

  First Tasted: November 2000
  A spectacular Great Western Bin O and arguably the best ever. The International demand for this wine has exploded to the point that domestic stocks have been dramatically reduced, and our major headache with this wine will be how to allocate the stocks.Outstanding opaque purple crimson mauve colour. The magnificent colour heralds an exceptional nose and palate. A superb sniff, with aroma of plum, spice, blackberries, vanilla and subtle earthy end notes. The palate flavours are very concentrated and totally mouthfilling. Strong flavours of spice, earth, ripe blackberries, vanilla, plum and exceptionally peppery back palate, with again exceptional palate length. Perfect balance, velvet smooth tannins with a perfect aftertaste that lingers for minutes of spice and blackpepper.
  RATING: 98
  VALUE: XXXXX

  Delivery Information
• • 98

  1999 Best's Great Western F.H.T. Shiraz

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $130. 00

  Bottle

  $1560.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 8 - 10 Years (2009-2011)

  Closure: Cork

  FROM ADVERSITY COMES A SPECTACULAR SHIRAZ!!!

  The 1999 vintage from Best’s Great Western was virtually wiped out by spring frosts occurring in 1998. This reduced production of both the Great Western and Thomson Family Vineyards by 80%, and as a result Viv Thomson felt there was not enough fruit to justify production of the either 1999 Best’s Great Western Bin O Shiraz or Thomson Family Shiraz. In previous vintages where Best’s have felt the quality of the Thomson Family Shiraz has not been up to the required standard, they have blended the fruit in with the Best’s Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz. However, the drastically reduced yields combined with ideal ripening conditions produced fruit of extraordinary concentration. Such was the quality, it was decided that no Bin 0 Shiraz or Thomson Family Shiraz would be produced for the 1999 vintage. Instead the entire crop was blended into a new wine, labelled FHT Shiraz, in honour of Viv Thomson’s father – Frederick Hamill Thomson. City folk don’t often experience such heartbreaking events, where a year’s work is decimated, but such adversity is just part of the farming process.

  This is a spectacular wine, and demonstrates that even in tragic situations, there can emerge great joy and a renewal of inspiration and energy Tasting notes: Produced from vines between 30 and over 130 years old. Opaque crimson black colour, with deep crimson mauve hues. Superb nose of confectionary, marzipan, spice and violets. The palate has the power of Thomson Family Shiraz, with an explosive, mouthfilling flavour of blackpepper, vanilla and liquorice allsorts. The palate flavours are exceptionally long with the blackpepper component remaining very prominent. Fine grained tannins. Perfect length and balance. Aftertaste of blackpepper, spice, vanilla and cedar. Cellar 8 – 10 years. (2009 – 2010). An outstanding wine and a must for collectors.

  Delivery Information
• • 99

  1998 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz Magnum (1500ml)

  Great Western, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

  $449. 99

  Bottle

  $5399.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 14.5%

  This is one of the Great Wines of the world, and now clearly established as a major investment piece. Produced from old vines, planted in 1866, this wine is a national treasure. Production is minuscule and limited to around 350 cases per annum. The wine is only made in great years, with no Thomson being produced from the 1999 vintage due to frost damage of the vines.When we first tasted the early vintages of this wine it was very obvious to us, that in a few years the Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz would establish itself on an equal footing with other Great Australian wines (such as Hill of Grace, Grange Hermitage, Astralis and the like).

  In a recent re classification of top Australian red wines, we ranked this wine as equal to the very best that Australia had to offer, and asked International and Australian wine lovers to comment. The response has been universal. This is a Great Australian Wine, and amongst the Great wines of the world.A few years ago, this wine made front cover of every Vintage Direct upon release. Today, the demand is such that collectors needs can not be met, and thus a very large part of the stocks are already gone.The Success of the 1998 vintage needs no further elaboration. It was without any doubt the vintage of the last century in Australia, which makes this wine even more collectable.What is the quality that makes this wine so special? The age of the vines is one factor. The rarity of the production is yet another, there are only 15 rows of these pre phyloxera vines left standing. Finally the pure concentration of flavour and remarkable persistence on the aftertaste makes this wine simply extraordinary.

  The historic perspective that accompanies this wine is mind boggling. Cast the mind back some 134 years, and imagine the native country side around the township of Great Western. The paddocks were not cleared. All work is being done by horses and manual labour. Henry Best is grubbing his way over his selection, whilst in Europe, the Great men of the 19th century are establishing there mark on the world. Alfred Noble, Karl Marx, Guiseppe Verdi, Dostoyevsky are creating a legacy that would last for centuries, and unknowingly so is Henry Best. A bizzare parallel. The humble farmer gains a place alongside the geniuses of his age. Contemplate that fact for a moment – then enjoy the wine.

  Outstanding opaque purple, crimson mauve colour. Magnificent nose with intense aroma of vanilla, violets, spice and blackberries, followed by hints of marzipan and liquorice. This is a rare sniff, that finds the aromas resting high in the temples and staying there. On the palate, the flavours are totally mouthfilling, refined elegant and concentrated, with a remarkable degree of persistence. Flavours of black pepper, vanilla and confectionery are seamlessly welded together and enwrapped by velvet smooth tannins. This is a very special taste experience. Perfect balance, with a profoundly long aftertaste, lasting over 5 minutes.
  Cellar 10-15 years (2011-2016)

  Delivery Information
• 2001 Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz

  Hunter Valley, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA

  $175. 00

  Bottle

  $2100.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 13.3%

  Closure: Cork

  Notes sourced from Brokenwood

  This is a more typical Graveyard (1994, 1996?) with mid-weight frame and long soft, earthy briar flavours.
  
  Vinification: Bottled August 2002. 4 day cold soak, 5 day ferment in 2 tonne open fermenters, malolactic fermentation in new oak, 70% French and 30% American.
  
  Tasting Notes: Mid density, with purple tints. Hallmark Hunter/Graveyard aromas. Principally of red fruits – cherry and red currant, with briar wood and sweet earthy notes. Subdued oak (surprisingly, as was nearly 90% new), so vanillin in background to red cherry, and mocha. The wines class/pedigree shows in the long savoury tannins and lingering sweet fruit. A refined subtle Hunter Shiraz that, at first, hides it power.
  Alc/Vol: 13.3%

  Other Reviews...
  The dense purple-colored 2001 Shiraz Graveyard, while tight and backward, is very concentrated, pure, medium to full-bodied, and impressively endowed with chocolate, smoke, black currant, and licorice aromas as well as flavors. However, patience is warranted. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2014.
  Rating 90 points
  Robert Paker - Wine Advocate #148 (August 2003)

  
  
  
  The black fruits of the bouquet have touches of regional earth backed by subtle oak; the palate offers much sweeter flavours, mixing blackberry and cherry through to a long finish.
  Drink by 2021
  95 points
  James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion

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• • 96
  • 96

  • Reduced

  2004 Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah Magnum (1500ml)

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  Reduced from $1,200.00

  $850. 00

  Bottle

  $10200.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2016-2021)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Was $1200, Now $850

  This is a restrained, brooding Astralis. Opaque black purple colour with purple hue.  The nose is perfumed with a degree of restraint, only gradually yielding its splendour.  Aroma of liquorice allsorts, blackberry and violet infusions.  The palate is again refined and tight, showing very good complexity but without the explosive power and super concentration that the 2003 delivered.  Flavours of plum, cherry and stewed fruit emerge.  Very fine grained tannins, well balanced to the fruit.  Very long aftertaste of plum, black cherry and stewed fruit.
  Cellar 10-15 years (2016-2021)
  Alc/Vol: 14.5%

  Robert Parkers Review:
  Clarendon Hills' flagship Syrah is the 800-case cuvee of 2004 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. One of Australia's most prodigious offerings, Astralis is a 20-30-year wine (some of the early vintages, such as 1996, are still babies in their evolutionary progression). Produced from 75-year-old Syrah vines, it coats the mouth with a viscous texture, but never comes across as heavy or over the top. An opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary nose of graphite, roasted meat, new saddle leather, truffles, violets, and blackberries. Full-bodied with superb purity, great definition, and a refreshing, zesty acidity that buttresses its enormous weight and richness, it is a tour de force in winemaking from Roman Bratasiuk. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2030+
  96-98 Points
  Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #161 (Oct 2005)

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• • 99

  2001 Clarendon Hills Romas Vineyard Grenache

  Blewitt Springs, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2012-2017)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  The Romas Vineyard is the highest and steepest section of the Blewitt Springs Vineyard and also produces the lowest yields – between 0.5 and 1 tonne per acre. The vines are between 70-75 years old. The winemaking process is essentially the same as for the other Clarendon Hills Grenache wines, except that the barrel composition has changed. 80% of the casks are one year old whereas 20% are two year old French casks. The minor change in composition compensates for the exceptionally low yields but as with the previous Grenache wines, the purity of fruit flavour is superbly expressed.
  This wine is the ultimate expression of Grenache – and is comparable to the finest from any region, anywhere in the world. Totally opaque crimson, purple colour. The nose is superb with wonderfully concentrated aromas of blackberry, spice, blackpepper, violets and just a hint of earth. The palate takes the variety into a realm of its own; total concentrate. It’s hard to even imagine that the humble, often neglected Grenache grape which has for years been blended back with other varietals, can take on such dimensions of flavour. Exotic layers of berries are woven together with flavours of blackberry, blackpepper, spice and liquorice allsorts. The tannins are perfectly balanced and echo the aftertaste of raspberries, exotic plum, blackberries and pepper.
  Cellar 10-15 years.
  Alc./vol. 14.5%

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• • 98

  2002 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2013-2018)

  ABV: 14.8%

  Closure: Cork

  This is the wine that Roman refers to as ‘My Latour’ and is not afraid to draw parallels and even admit that is where the inspiration came from. This is the biggest Cabernet – a wine of monumental structure yet displaying a degree of flamboyance.

  Tasting Note: Opaque black crimson colour with deep crimson hue. The nose is relatively tight, but that is almost expected of this wine. Notes of violets and blackcurrant emerge over a subtle spice end note. The palate takes one by surprise, it’s far from being tightly knit, and is explosive with flavour and delivers exceptional length and depth. Flavours of blackcurrant, blackpepper and spice are enhanced by a hint of confectionary and fine dry tannins. Perfect balance, with exceptionally long aftertaste of blackcurrant, blackpepper and spice.
  Cellar 10-15 years (2013-2018)
  Alc/Vol: 14.8%

  RATING: 98/100

  VALUE: XXXXX/5

  Robert Parker's Review
  The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Hickinbotham Vineyard may be the finest Cabernet I have yet tasted from Clarendon Hills. While stunning from barrel, it is even more prodigious from bottle. An explosive bouquet of creme de cassis, melted licorice, new saddle leather, cedar, and Asian spices is followed by a full-bodied, marvelously concentrated effort that tastes like an Australian version of the profound 1990 Lynch Bages. Huge, concentrated flavors inundate the palate. The wine is seamlessly constructed with a brilliant integration of acidity, tannin, and wood. This fabulous, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon should be at its finest between 2008-2020+.
  (Notes sourced from Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155)
  ROBERT PARKER'S RATING: 95 points

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• • 98

  2002 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Vineyard Syrah (Shiraz)

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $110. 00

  Bottle

  $1320.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2013-2018)

  ABV: 14.8%

  Closure: Cork

  The yields from the Hickinbotham Vineyard were down 50% on average due to the poor fruit set. The closely planted vines, at one metre spacings, were planted in 1965. This is a wine that displays great power, whilst still expressing great finesse.

  Tasting Note: Totally black purple colour. The nose is an essay of liquorice, violets, spice and blackberry. The palate explodes with flavour, powerful layers of blackberry, liquorice, spice and white pepper, enhanced by fine grained tannins. Perfect balance with very long aftertaste of spiced plum, black cherry, confectionary and anise.
  Cellar 10-15 years (2013-2018)
  Alc/Vol: 14.8%

  RATING: 98/100

  VALUE: XXXXX/5

  Robert Parker's Review
  The stupendous 2002 Syrah Hickinbotham Vineyard exhibits a saturated purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of ink, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, smoke, licorice, and espresso. Massively endowed, with great concentration yet tremendous structure and definition, it is an example of what Roman Bratasiuk does so well ... marry old vine power and concentration with extraordinary definition and elegance. It may be the finest example I have yet tasted from this vineyard. While approachable, it should last for 20+ years.
  (Notes sourced from Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155)
  ROBERT PARKER'S RATING: 97 points

  #Clarendon2808

  Delivery Information
• • 99
  • 96

  2001 Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Vineyard Syrah (Shiraz)

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $225. 00

  Bottle

  $2700.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 15 Years (2012-2017)

  ABV: 14.8%

  Closure: Cork

  Perfumed, the tannins have melded beautifully to the rich opulent fruit and this wine is really beginning to sing as it enters its peak drinking window.

  The Piggott Range vineyard vines are 25-30 years old, and are planted in rock and shale, with only 10-13 mm top soil. The vine roots work hard to establish themselves and force their way downwards between cracks in the rock and shale to find water. The yields are extremely low at one tonne per acre. The Piggott Syrah is matured in 100% new French oak barriques.
  Totally opaque black, purple, crimson colour. Superb lifted nose, even more intense than the previous wines. Lifted notes of plum concentrate, blackpepper, spice, blackberry, violets and earth. A sniffers paradise! The palate overwhelms. This is concentration plus, and its hard to believe that the Astralis could surpass this flavour profile. Concentrated flavours of liquorice, blackberry and spice, with a degree of voluptuousness that is almost too much to handle – a sensuous overload. Roman describes this wine as the complete deal ‘steak, eggs and cigar’, one could add sex to that description as well. Layers of strong liquorice, spice and blackpepper followed by a hint of earth and subtle toasted oak. Fine firm tannin structure.
  Cellar 10-15 years.
  Alc/Vol 14.8%

  Other Reviews.....
  The 2001 Syrah Piggott Range may be one of several Clarendon Hills’ Syrah cuvees that stand toe to toe with its 2002 sibling. A giant Syrah, it boasts an enormously rich nose of black fruits, subtle vanilla, smoke, and a hint of graphite. Extremely full-bodied, thick, and prodigious, it will be at its finest between 2008-2025.
  96 points
  Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate

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• • 98

  2012 Clarendon Hills Piggott Range Syrah

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $270. 00

  Bottle

  $3240.00 Dozen

  Minimum 6 bottles

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 10 - 12 Years (2026-2028)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  Magnificent colour displaying an impenetrable inky black core with a very deep dark purple black hue. Powerful aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plum and liquorice are followed by some smoky vanillin cedar, light earth and pepper. Rich, concentrated, powerful and structured the palate delivers mouthfilling flavours of liquorice, ripe blackberries and black cherries over smoky vanillin cedar, some meatiness, a touch of earth and spicy pepper. Chewy mouthfeel with a firm muscular tannin structure. Exceptionally long liquorice, blackberry, black cherry, vanillin cedar, scorched earth, dried meats and blackpepper aftertaste.
  Cellar 10-12 years.
  Alc 14.5%

  Delivery Information
• • 99

  2002 Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah (Shiraz)

  Blewitt Springs, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $599. 00

  Bottle

  $7188.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 15 - 20 Years (2018-2023)

  ABV: 14.8%

  Closure: Cork

  The 2002 vintage was uniform across the Clarendon Hills range, with all wines performing superbly. The wine differs from the 2001 in that only two new barriques were used whereas 100% new oak was used the previous year. This wine differs from the previous vintage in body weight and structure. 2001 Astralis was comparable to Penfolds Grange – a monumental concentrated Shiraz. The 2002 Astralis is comparable to a Henschke Hill of Grace. The difference in style is attributable to the climatic variation due to the vintage.
  Totally black purple colour. Superb lifted nose of violets, leather, blackcurrant and spice. The palate structure is very reminiscent of Henschke Hill of Grace with a sophistication and elegance that is rare in Australian wine. The vintage yielded crops of ½ to 1 tonne per acre, compared with 2 to 2 ½ tonnes in the previous year. The wine is still very voluptuous on the palate with concentrated powerful flavours of plum, spice, anise and white pepper very evident. Fine grained tannins with an exceptionally long aftertaste of plum, spice and white pepper. An exceptional red that continued to blossom in the glass. Bratasiuk draws parallels of this wine to the 1992, and just to demonstrate the parallels, he opened a bottle of the 1992.
  Cellar 15-20 years.
  Alc/Vol: 14.8%

  Other reviews....
  The 2002 Syrah Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration, full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and crafts them into wines that are quite European in style ... just richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+.
  99 points
  Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155

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• • 99

  2002 Clarendon Hills Romas Vineyard Grenache

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $150. 00

  Bottle

  $1800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Closure: Cork

  An extraordinary expression of Grenache. The vineyard is situated on the highest and steepest section of the Blewitt Springs Vineyard and yields miniscule quantities of highly concentrated small berries.

  Tasting Note: Totally opaque black purple crimson colour. Perfumed nose – wonderful lift of spice, violets and white pepper. The palate is exceptional with a profound length and depth of flavour not found in the previous Grenache tasted. Again in 2002 this is the superstar of Grenache with layers of flavour – liquorice, spice and blackberry which are overpowered by an intense white pepper background. Perfect balance and exceptionally long white pepper aftertaste.
  Cellar 15-20 years (2018-2023)
  Alc/Vol: 14.8%

  RATING: 99/100

  Robert Parker's Review
  The 2002 Grenache Old Vines Romas Vineyard’s saturated ruby/purple color is followed by a superb bouquet of black fruits, truffles, Asian spices, figs, and licorice. Powerful, rich, and upfront, this layered, intensely concentrated Grenache can be drunk now or cellared for 10-12 years.
  (Notes sourced from Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155)
  ROBERT PARKER'S RATING: 96 points

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• • 98

  2001 Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - Museum Release

  Blewitt Springs, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $76. 99

  Bottle

  $923.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: Drink now - 5 Years (2010-2015)

  ABV: 14%

  Closure: Cork

  Clarendon Hills has built a global reputation for its Syrah and Grenache, with the best examples commanding large dollars, and justifiably so. However, over the years the line up has consistently revealed three bargains, with one absolute bargain, and they were all Cabernet Sauvignon. It's hardly surprising that the Cabernet Sauvignons have been passed over in favour of Syrah and Grenache - after all it’s the latter varieties that McLaren Vale generally does best with.

  Roman Bratasiuk again proves the point that with the right terroir, old vines, and the right viticulture, exceptional Cabernet can, and is, being produced.
  The vines were planted in 1940, and are the old Reynella Cabernet clone. These clones were originally sourced from Chateaux Lafite in the 1840’s and bought to Australia as cuttings. “So what?”, you might ask, but there is significance in this fact. The 1840’s cutting are pre Phylloxera, and consist of the original Lafite vines, prior to planting post Phylloxera with more resistant, and less flavour filled clones. What Bratasiuk has done with these old vines is take us back to the flavour experiences of the 1800’s, and moreover his winemaking techniques remain ‘Old Time French’. As with all his wines, fermentation takes place with wild yeast strains which add layers of complexity to the Cabernet. The wine has been matured in 80% new and 20% one year old French barriques. The yields are between 2 and 2.5 tonnes per acre. Retasted November 2010:
  The Brookman Cabernet displays an opaque, dark red colour, with deep, dark brick red hue. Perfumed aromas of violets, blackcurrant and cedar, followed by some spice and earthy leather like end notes. The palate shows slightly more richness and a touch more weight than the 2001 Sandown. Evolving very gracefully with flavours of blackcurrant and spice to the fore, with a cedar background and some cigar box characters making an appearance on the back palate. Fine grained tannins, superbly integrated with the fruit and very long aftertaste of cedar, blackcurrant, spice and earth.
  Superb drinking now but it also has at least another 5 years left in it (2010-2015)
  Alc 14.0% First Tasted July 2002:
  Bratasiuk regards this wine as a parallel with Ducru Beaucaillou. Opaque purple black colour. Superb nose, with distinct Bordeaux lift and expression. Superb aroma of cedar, blackcurrant and spice. The palate is a delight, with wonderfully ripe and concentrated blackcurrant flavours. Absolutely no hint of leaf or mint – this is beautifully ripe sweet fruit. In the background the cedar oak and spice merge to produce the impression of a complete wine. The mouth feel is generous, reflecting the warm vintage. Outstanding depth and persistence. Fine, firm tannins, yet perfectly balanced followed by a very long spice and blackcurrant aftertaste.
  Cellar 10-15 years (2012-2017)
  Alc/Vol: 14%
  98 Points

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• • 100

  2001 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

  Clarendon, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  Cellar: 20 - 25 Years (2022-2027)

  ABV: 14.5%

  Closure: Cork

  “This is My ‘Latour’”, beams Roman, and indeed this is a formidable wine, and on a relative basis, an absolute bargain. The 2000 Chateau Latour, (from a comparable great year), was priced at around A$700 a bottle on the early futures market. Is the pleasure of a bottle of Latour as a good as the pleasure from nearly a dozen bottles of 2001Clarendon Hills Cabernet? Certainly Clarendon Hills does not have First Growth status, but on a quality basis Roman over delivers.

  Tasting Note: Totally opaque black crimson colour. Magnificent aroma of liquorice allsorts, blackcurrant, spice, cedar and violets. The palate is a powerhouse of Cabernet flavour and has a richness and depth that the previous two Cabernets don’t have. A “ supersaturated” wine. The alcohol is 14.5%, reflecting the fact that this is the last block of Cabernet to be picked. There is monumental power and structure, with voluptuous blackcurrant, and spice flavours filling every corner of the palate. Layers of confectionary and cedar are enhanced by the re occurring violet character. Very fine, very firm dry tannins, perfectly balanced, with a long powerful aftertaste of cedar and blackcurrant.
  Cellar 20-25 years (2022-2027)
  Alc/Vol: 14.5%

  RATING: 100/100

  VALUE: XXXXX/5

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• • 99

  2002 Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah Magnum (1500ml)

  Blewitt Springs, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $1200. 00

  Bottle

  $14400.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 14.8%

  Closure: Cork

  The 2002 vintage was uniform across the Clarendon Hills range, with all wines performing superbly. The wine differs from the 2001 in that only two new barriques were used whereas 100% new oak was used the previous year. This wine differs from the previous vintage in body weight and structure. 2001 Astralis was comparable to Penfolds Grange – a monumental concentrated Shiraz. The 2002 Astralis is comparable to a Henschke Hill of Grace. The difference in style is attributable to the climatic variation due to the vintage.

  Tasting Note: Totally black purple colour. Superb lifted nose of violets, leather, blackcurrant and spice. The palate structure is very reminiscent of Henschke Hill of Grace with a sophistication and elegance that is rare in Australian wine. The vintage yielded crops of ½ to 1 tonne per acre, compared with 2 to 2 ½ tonnes in the previous year. The wine is still very voluptuous on the palate with concentrated powerful flavours of plum, spice, anise and white pepper very evident. Fine grained tannins with an exceptionally long aftertaste of plum, spice and white pepper. An exceptional red that continued to blossom in the glass. Bratasiuk draws parallels of this wine to the 1992, and just to demonstrate the parallels, he opened a bottle of the 1992.
  Cellar 15-20 years (2018-2023)
  Alc/Vol: 14.8%RATING: 99/100

  VALUE: XXXXX/5

  Robert Parker's Review
  The 2002 Syrah Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration, full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and crafts them into wines that are quite European in style ... just richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+.
  (Notes sourced from Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155)
  ROBERT PARKER'S RATING: 99 points

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