Buying Australian wine for The Wine Society is one of the joys of my job. There’s the thrill of discovering new wines, the privilege of time spent in vineyards and above all the sheer pleasure of working with some great people, who are warm, collaborative and generous. The challenge comes when I get back to the UK, where the reputation of Australian wine still lags behind the reality.
Any fine wine lover knows that Australia produces some of the best wines in the world but for many the story begins and ends with a handful of famous labels such as Penfolds Grange or Henschke Hill of Grace (both of which are excellent, to be fair!). Wine Society members, thankfully, tend to be more in tune than the average drinker, who may still picture Australian wine as cheap, sweet and sporting a kangaroo-themed label.
That’s why I was delighted when The Wine Society decided to trial a new ‘Fine Wine Spotlight’ format, beginning with Spain over the summer. Spanish buyer Harriet Kininmonth seized the chance, curating a fascinating array of wines that members loved. The focus and scope of this approach worked beautifully, encouraging exploration and creating a sense of occasion – something to really get involved in.
Now it’s my turn, with Australia taking centre stage. Planning began back in February and I wanted to capture the country’s breadth and dynamism through a handful of core themes. The challenge was to do justice to both the rich heritage of Australia’s most legendary fine wine names and shed some light on the thrilling energy of the contemporary scene.
Classic and Contemporary Australia
You can’t tell Australia’s story without both its established icons and its cutting-edge innovators. Importantly, it isn’t about one side eclipsing the other. If anything, each pushes the other forward in the most positive way, reflecting the collaborative ethos that runs through much of the country’s wine culture.
The ‘Classic and Contemporary’ theme reflects this balance, bringing together wines from both camps. Expect benchmarks from historic estates alongside bright, precise and terroir-driven wines from new-wave producers. It’s a selection designed to show the harmony between tradition and modernity, spanning everything from bold, cellar-worthy shiraz and cabernet, to chiselled riesling and textured chardonnay.
Collaboration: ‘It Takes a Village’
Collaboration is perhaps the most striking feature of the Australian wine community. In other regions of the world, producers can be fiercely competitive but in Australia it’s common to find winemakers sharing vineyards, equipment and even ideas.
That spirit inspired ‘It Takes a Village’, a project I’m particularly excited about. This is an en primeur wine made for Society members by no fewer than six producers across five regions and three states. Cabernet from Margaret River is combined with shiraz from Clare Valley, Barossa, McLaren Vale and Geelong, with Vanguardist’s Michael J. Corbett overseeing the blending and maturation. The result is a contemporary interpretation of the classic ‘Aussie Claret’ of old that celebrates friendship, generosity and an impressive pool of shared skill.
It’s the first time The Wine Society has attempted such a project and I believe it’s the sort of collaboration only possible thanks to the trust and relationships we’ve built in Australia over many years. My only concern is it being so popular upon its launch that I won’t be able to get much for myself!
Ancestor Vines: Drinking History
Australia is also home to some of the world’s oldest vines, many predating phylloxera (the vine louse that wiped out most of Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century). South Australia in particular avoided the devastating pest, meaning vineyards could survive on their original rootstocks. Today the oldest known grenache, semillon, chardonnay and shiraz vines in the world are still in production Down Under.
The wines from these ‘ancestor vines’ have a concentration, character and sense of place that is impossible to replicate and which is unique to Australia. To taste them is to experience living history, which is quite mind-blowing. For this takeover, I’ve gathered a special collection made up of Tyrrell’s HVD Old Vines Chardonnay, Cirillo’s 1850 Grenache and Semillon (confusingly actually planted in 1848) and Langmeil’s Freedom 1843 Shiraz, all of which are produced from the oldest vines in the world for their respective grape variety, going back as far as 182 years!
Great Vintages: 2012, 2015, 2018
As well as the misconception that vintage doesn’t matter in Australia, there is also the fallacy that Australia doesn’t produce particularly ageworthy wines. While its size means vintages vary across regions, great years still stand out and the best bottles have impressive longevity.
For this offer, I wanted to showcase three of the finest recent vintages: 2012, 2015 and 2018. Each has its own personality now; 2012s are silky, supple and drinking beautifully; 2018s combine richness with freshness, perfect for long-term cellaring; and 2015s sit somewhere between, in a sweet spot for drinking and showing maturity but still with many, many years of life left ahead.
Thanks to some generous contacts, I was able to track down small parcels that show just how well these vintages shine. The highlight of the selection is a rare three-vintage vertical of iconic winery Yalumba’s ‘The Caley’, a top-class cabernet-shiraz blend and one of the country’s finest wines.
Mount Mary: A Rare Vertical
Speaking of icons, I was thrilled to secure a vertical of Quintet from Mount Mary, the hallowed Yarra Valley estate whose Bordeaux-style blends are revered among winemakers and collectors alike. Mount Mary’s reputation is legendary, yet its wines are seldom seen outside Australia.
To offer three vintages of Quintet to members is a privilege and a first for The Society. Having previously only tasted their wines from very old bottles carefully hoarded by wine lovers who I visited in Australia, this feels like a genuine ‘pinch-me’ moment.
Hidden Treasures from your Society’s cellars
Finally, I raided our own cellars for some special parcels we had tucked away. These include treasures such as 2008 Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace; bottles with nearly two decades of maturity that rarely see the light of day, alongside other enticing gems in very small quantities.
Curating this Australian Spotlight has been one of the highlights of my career as a buyer. The Wine Society prides itself on giving its buyers the freedom to champion wines we believe in but to have the opportunity to focus so extensively on one country’s fine wine offering has been a genuine thrill.
Australia sits at a unique intersection: rooted in extraordinary history yet unshackled by the strict traditions of Europe, producing wines that are as exciting as they are authentic. I hope members will take this chance to discover, explore and enjoy them, now and for many years to come.
Explore our Australia range - check back from Monday 13th and discover our exciting fine wine spotlight.
