Wine Week 100: The four best wines in Australia.
To mark our milestone 100th episode we thought we would have a special episode where we look at four of the best wines in Australia. To narrow it down a little we decided to break it up into four categories.
The first category is a white, and unusually for us the top wine is a chardonnay, and not a riesling. It’s a great drop from the Margaret River region and will be no shock to anyone being named Australia’s best white, especially given the current vintage.
Our next top wine is a cult wine, from a relatively new producer. It’s a big, powerful, red from a Barossa producer who has a legion of fans across the globe thanks to some great reviews from the top wine writers. But it’s not all about power with this red, as a splash of viognier adds subtlety and grace to the super old shiraz vines.
Of course no list of Australia’s top wines would be complete without our next wine. A true icon of Australian winemaking, the name is known across the world. People who don’t drink wine know this wine’s name and know it’s reputation as Australia’s finest drop. This red is ideal for cellaring for the long term, and is the wine that so many Australians have celebrated important milestones by opening.
To round things out we thought we would include a wine that is uniquely Australian. The fortified wines of the Rutherglen region are truly distinctive and recognised as singularly exceptional when at their best. Some producers from the region have stock of old wine dating back many generations. Our pick has dipped into some incredibly old wine to offer a blend that is exceptionally rare and worth every dollar of it’s high price tag.
In this episode we recommend:
- Leeuwin Estate Art Series chardonnay 2005 ($80+)
- Torbreck RunRig 2005 ($220+)
- Penfolds Bin 95 “Grange” 2003 ($500+)
- All Saints Museum Muscast NV ($1000)
Download the video: (8 min 06 sec)
Windows Media (29.5 Mb) | Mpeg4 (24.8 Mb) | Ipod (33.2 Mb)
Cheers… and happy wine buying!
Brad and Danny
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Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay…probably a good choice as “best white in Australia”
Torbreck “Runrig” Shiraz…no way that this should be counted among the best reds in Australia. Not consistent enough. This is an overhyped wine, and you guys took the bait.
Penfolds Grange…obvious choice. No question this should be in any list of Australias greats, even world greats.
Dessert Wines…you chose All Saints. I’d suggest Seppelt 100 year old may top it. Would you consider that wine in the same judging category ?
December 1st, 2008 | #
Thanks tom. The choices were always going to prove difficult, and we’re happy for there to be discussion and even disagreement! We’re happy to stand by the Run-Rig and All Saints. The Run-Rig does get a lot of hype, which is why it is a cult wine. But it’s also a brilliant wine when at its peak… anyone who’s had one of the great vintages will agree I’m sure. As for the All Saints museum, we’re lucky enough to be some of the very few people to have tasted it so far…. It’s a spectacular wine and definitely worthy of going toe-to-toe with the 100 y.o. One thing about All Saints favour is it is a very Australian specific wine, which may have helped it across the line for us… and Danny in particular who is very partial to the Rutherglen tokays and muscats.
December 5th, 2008 | #
I agree, the Run Rig does get a lot of hype. I’ve had it, it is amazing. Hands down, should be in the top 4. If you can’t afford it, try one of the other Torbrecks. David Powell does makes some bangin’ juice at all pricepoints. The Pict, the Descendant and Woodcutters are some faves of mine as well.
December 5th, 2008 | #
Have 3 out of your top 4 tucked away in ‘Vinnie’ (the affectionate name of my little Vintec wine fridge). Haven’t had a Run Rig before but decided to grab a bottle of the 2004 to see what all the fuss is about … will report back in 10 years
Enjoy your videos immensely!
Salute!
December 9th, 2008 | #
Brad and Danny,
Wot’s yer go here boys? I have just come across to you from WineLibrary TV (Gazza) to watch a pair of locals do a wine video blog. I have checked out a few of your ‘Wineweeks’ and I am thinking – you teasers! Nothing is popped and poured before our eyes, you fondle the expensive bottles, but there is hedonistic follow-through, no ‘sniffy-sniff’ action, or slurping and spitting. Then it sounds as though you are reading TNs from Halliday – or someone less colourful – Oliver!! Maybe from CellarTracker..
Don’t worry about the costs – we all want to see you crack those bottles on camera (unless you have them on loan from someone). The suspense is killing us..
Come-on, go for it…
BTW, in a late 2007 tasting, I really adored the 2002 Torbreck Runrig – a cool vintage and its aromatics matched some single vineyard North Rhone Guigals served at the same time. I think its is better than other vintages 2003 to 2005. Recently had a 2001 Torbreck Descendant – sweet and seductive with some complexity…
But, the problem with Torbreck is the price..over really
Cheers
NARB
August 10th, 2009 | #