August 2012
With more economic storm clouds on the horizon in Europe, cracks appearing in
multiple economies throughout Asia and exports slowing in Australia (although
the Australian economy appears to be one of the most resilient of the western
economies), more wine is appearing for sale at auctions throughout Australia.
The good news is that prices being asked are reasonable and buyers appear to be
happy to purchase at these new levels. The large volumes of inexpensive but good
quality wine available through multiple online sales channels has affected the
prices of the mid range wines and it remains to be seen just how long the
current price levels can be maintained.
May 2011
Auction volumes across Australia have been teetering on the edge for some time during
2011. For the moment though, good quality stock is clearing more readily and at
better prices than this time last year but the mid range wines are suffering from
a lack of interest, generally until the next lower price barrier is breached, which
suddenly induces a flurry of buying and then selling activity, which fizzles out
again soon after. There is still a lot of cash around for purchasing luxury goods
as can be seen by the sea of Penfolds changing hands in the Eastern states. Mature
vintages are being purchased by large re-sellers and then capitalised into the retail
market at massive mark-ups, which is in turn buoying up many of the prices at auction.
The markets appetite for Penfolds bin 707 shows no signs of abating with demand
for the 1998 vintage rocketing the price to new highs with Henschke Hill of Grace
sitting firmly in the passenger seat. Magnums in general are starting to pick up
in popularity now that the excess volume is starting to drain off while older good quality ports, once the darling
of the investor market of the 70's, which made a
brief comeback in recent years, but have
dropped significantly again, bled as much as 70% of their value as quantities
of stock appeared on the national auction market, got absorbed at bargain prices
and then re-appeared into retail auctions such as EBay.
July 2010
Sales results from around Australia indicate that we are entering a new era of
price rationalisation. Buyers are stronger in the market than ever before but
are strictly controlling the amount paid for core wines. Penfolds Grange is
becoming less and less of an investment option to certain buyers and many
excellent vintages (such as the 1996) have suffered massive price drops
recently, exasperated by some merchants who have been caught short, buying up
massive quantities of stock and then being forced to sell it at a loss to
recover capital. The downward spiral of prices will not get any relief over
the next few years as more and more stock becomes available into the secondary
market. There are however many wines that are still in demand and are
achieving great prices when consigned to auction. The next few months will be
interesting; to say the least.
April
2010
So far this year, the buying trend appears stable, although demand is mixed
with a surge, originating overseas, in demand for certain wines such as
Penfolds bin 707. Grange has not outperformed as some analysts have suggested
it would but remained more or less steady. Later this year should prove very
interesting as many of the "Golden Boomers" start to liquidate their assets in
anticipation of retirement. The infamous 1st of January 2011 is fast
approaching and it will be interesting to see just how this will affect wine
prices.
Brief Analysis & Facts- 1986 Penfolds Grange Bin 95
Ratings
Jeremy Oliver; 95/100 drink 2016 to 2026
Robert Parker; 99/100 drink 2005 to 2030
Australian Market Activity (April 2009 to March 2010)
Yearly high price paid; $652
Yearly low price paid; $475
Lowest price paid for damaged; $301
Average price paid (including damaged/ullaged); $513
Current retail price; $850
Number of bottles offered to auction; 340
Number of those damaged/ullaged: 213
Demand (Amount purchased from offered lots): 67%
A
brief summary of 2009
There are a number of very interesting scenarios developing within the
secondary wine market. The current economic crisis is affecting availability
of stock without a corresponding rise in price, a tipping point is approaching
where the old rules of supply and demand will bring one or the other into
sharp focus. Older classics are in demand and the newer labels are suffering a
backlash. 2010 will see some interesting trends developing.
21st
August 2008
A somewhat lacklustre end for the August wine auction. Although a number of
records were set and a rare bottle of 1961 Penfolds St Henri (estimated
between $150 to $210) fetched $312 at close, quantity was somewhat down with
many buyers taking a cautious approach to prices and volume in the current
economic climate. Grange prices appear to be easing backwards compared with
prices being achieved earlier this year.
Prices realised at Wickman's in recent months for Penfolds Grange;
|
Vintage |
Price |
Auction |
|
Penfolds Grange Collection (1951 - 2002) |
$150,000 |
Jul-08 |
|
1962 Penfolds Grange |
$662 |
Aug-08 |
|
1964 Penfolds Grange |
$376 |
Aug-08 |
|
1965 Penfolds Grange |
$381 |
Aug-08 |
|
1966 Penfolds Grange |
$493 |
Aug-08 |
|
1968 Penfolds Grange |
$452 |
Aug-08 |
|
1970 Penfolds Grange |
$270 |
Aug-08 |
|
1973 Penfolds Grange |
$221 |
Aug-08 |
|
1974 Penfolds Grange |
$350 |
May-08 |
|
1975 Penfolds Grange |
$340 |
Aug-08 |
|
1977 Penfolds Grange |
$300 |
Feb-08 |
|
1978 Penfolds Grange |
$343 |
Aug-08 |
|
1979 Penfolds Grange |
$247 |
Aug-08 |
|
1980 Penfolds Grange |
$235 |
Jul-08 |
|
1981 Penfolds Grange |
$245 |
Aug-08 |
|
1982 Penfolds Grange |
$300 |
Mar-08 |
|
1984 Penfolds Grange |
$234 |
Aug-08 |
|
1985 Penfolds Grange |
$290 |
Feb-08 |
|
1986 Penfolds Grange |
$425 |
Jul-08 |
|
1987 Penfolds Grange |
$246 |
Jul-08 |
|
1988 Penfolds Grange |
$281 |
Jul-08 |
|
1989 Penfolds Grange |
$230 |
Jul-08 |
|
1990 Penfolds Grange |
$466 |
Jul-08 |
|
1991 Penfolds Grange |
$322 |
Jul-08 |
|
1992 Penfolds Grange |
$260 |
Jul-08 |
|
1993 Penfolds Grange |
$265 |
Jul-08 |
|
1994 Penfolds Grange |
$265 |
Jul-08 |
|
1995 Penfolds Grange |
$255 |
Aug-08 |
|
1996 Penfolds Grange |
$331 |
Aug-08 |
|
1997 Penfolds Grange |
$282 |
Jul-08 |
|
1998 Penfolds Grange |
$490 |
Jul-08 |
|
1999 Penfolds Grange |
$292 |
Jul-08 |
|
2000 Penfolds Grange |
$380 |
May-08 |
|
2001 Penfolds Grange |
$400 |
Apr-08 |
|
2002 Penfolds Grange |
$370 |
Aug-08 |
24th
July 2008
A vibrant end to our July sale saw eager bidders competing for the few lots of
Bordeaux on offer with 99% of them selling within their estimated price range
and bidders from Europe driving up the price in the final hours. Penfolds
Grange, 707 and Henschke Hill of Grace saw spirited bidding by trade and
private collectors alike from all across Australia. A rare collection of
Penfolds Grange vintages from 1951 to 2002 was the highlight of this auction,
selling after auction to a private collector in South Australia for $150,000
plus premium. Although not a record for a collection of this nature, it was
still a very good price considering the current economic downturn.
27th
May and 26th June 2008
As we approached the end of the financial year we saw a slowing down of
bidding and prices paid for many of the wines on offer. The expected peak for
many of our premium Australian iconic wines has, I believe, been tested and
found wanting with lower prices than expected being the support level for
many. On the other hand many other premium wines have seen an increase in
demand and price where they have been treading water until now.
29th April 2008
Whilst clearance rates for our April auction were down by about 10% on the
same time last year, the shift towards quality wines at higher prices means
that the values achieved are up by almost 25% for the same volume sold.
Glaetzer, Hardy's, Wolf Blass and Torbreck appeared as the flavour of the
month in heated bidding between Australian buyers with Western Australia and
South Australia slugging it out for pole position in the bidding stakes.
Penfolds Grange continues to be snapped up by buyers from Australia and Asia,
with the majority destined for consumption rather than investment. As the
available quantity is consumed, buyers are anxious to pay higher premiums to
secure their stock. Sellers should beware of holding out for too long however,
as supply decreases, consumers and buyers tend to shift their focus to other,
more readily available wines, and the price can stabilise or even drop.
27th
March 2008
Another excellent auction with high clearances on most iconic Australian wines
(Penfolds, Jim Barry, Rockford, Wendouree) and a little increase in the cult
wines (Noons, Greenock Creek) as well. The secondary fine wine market
continues to show signs that we are entering a new phase of investment fever.
With the turmoil over recent months in the worlds financial markets showing no
signs of abating there are a lot of people waving the "alternative investment"
banner and fine wines inevitably falls under this heading; with prices being
realised for Penfolds Grange trending upwards with noticeable demand being
placed on those vintages with smaller production figures rather than noted
quality.
28th
February 2008
The market in fine wine has certainly turned around over the last few months.
What was once popular (Noons, Torbreck, Greenock Creek) has slipped from
buyers radar screens and our local icons such as Penfolds Grange, Penfolds
707, early Seppelts Para ports, Rockford Basket Press, D'Arenberg etc. have
rallied and are commanding excellent prices compared to the same time a year
ago.
31st
January 2008
Just before the closing a a huge surge in bidding cleared most of the wines
for this first wine auction of the year. Seppelts Para Ports are making a
comeback with record prices being paid for pre-50's bottles. Whilst most
bidders were from Australia, a larger than normal percentage of bidding came
from Europe, Asia and the USA, with D'Arenberg, Wendouree and Rockford being
in favour.
7th
November & 4th December 2007
A drop in clearance rates as we neared the end of the year, although many
record prices were again paid for quality wines of proven provenance in both
of the remaining auctions for 2007. Large formats were achieving well above
their previously estimated high range with a lot of active bidding and most
Penfolds wines achieved the higher end of their estimated range.
9th
October 2007
Although many excellent prices (in some cases record values) were achieved for
many of the wines, the volume of wine cleared from the catalogue was
significantly down compared to the last few months. Quality rather than
quantity appeared to be the order of the day with the most significant and
heated bidding occurring over the lots with Guaranteed Provenance, with more
and more buyers eager to pay a premium for wine that has been correctly
cellared.
18th
September 2007
The best clearance rates so far this year and a mixed bag of results. A very
rare 1962 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Romanee Conti went for an absolute
steal at $2,500 while a couple of bottles of 1982 Cheval Blanc were bid up to
$1,100 each and a bottle of 1976 Chateau Latour was knocked up to $225. On the
domestic scene a bottle of 1965 Penfolds Grange was snapped up for $350,
numerous vintages of Rockford basket press are attracting $100+, magnums from
most classic and cult wineries seem to be the flavour of the month and a
bottle of 1996 Jim Barry The Armagh went for an unbelievable $209.
22nd
August 2007
Another auction ending with great clearance rates with most of the bidding
activity occurring on the closing day of the auction with frantic bids being
placed in the last few hours, seeing some record prices being paid for a
number of classic and cult wines.
31st July 2007
An excellent auction with the best clearance rates so far this year, with the
next few months looking to be even better. There was a lot of active and
competitive bidding for many of the favourites, classics and cults with an
increasingly rare bottle of 1962 Penfolds Bin 60a selling for over $3000, a
bottle of 1992 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild knocked down to over $990, 1993
Petrus at the bargain price of over $750, 1995 Duck Muck selling for just
under $300 and Penfolds Grange of various vintages fetching in the mid-range
of the prices estimated. Thanks to the generous support of a number of Barossa
wineries and the dedication of some local businesses we auctioned off a number
of donated wines and raised over $1350 for a couple of sight impaired local
lads - Thank you so much to all those wonderful bidders who helped raise this
money.
27th
June 2007
Quite a sluggish end of financial year auction, with below average clearance
rates, possibly attributed to the massive amount of wine released from the
failed Heritage investment fund absorbing large amounts of buyers funds.
29th
May 2007
A reasonable auction with good overall clearance rates but with the market
showing caution and restraint.
30th April 2007
A very slow auction with only moderate clearance rates, although very good
prices were achieved for a those wines that were on offer.
27th March 2007
A good auction with a very good clearance rate and some excellent prices
realised for many of the wines on offer.
28th February 2007
I should get around to posting results from the second half of last year and
the opening of this year sometime this century.
31st January 2007
To be announced. (This was a very good auction with excellent clearances).
20th
June 2006
At the request of vendors, Wickman's launched a surprise, end of financial
year wine auction. Many vendors have been clearly concerned with the fall in
price of fine wine on the secondary market and the glut of wine at the mid to
lower end that keeps soaking up cash from the higher price points. Vendors all
around Australia recently requested extra wine auctions to be held so as to be
able to shift their wine in advance of the flood that is now hitting the
secondary wine market and before the end of the financial year. Vendors
holding on to large stocks of wine that they had purchased with a view to
making a profit are clearly concerned that they will be left holding wine that
will be worth a tiny fraction of what they paid for it and are trying to cut
their losses now.
Wickman's June wine auction provided a fitting end to a successful financial
year for our vendors, with most happily clearing the majority of their
holdings, even though the prices they realised were not as high as they may
have originally anticipated. Most vendors appeared pleased to divest
themselves of excess stock while buyers were delighted to get quality wine at
bargain prices, confident in the provenance of the wine they were buying.
Since introducing the provenance rating system in 2005, Wickmans have noted
that wines which have been rated as guaranteed provenance have cleared at a
higher rate with significantly higher premiums being paid for the assurance of
wine that has a guaranteed purchase and storage history. Vendors that were
disappointed at their clearance rate were those that, against Wickman’s
recommendations, set higher reserves for their wine than the market was
willing to bear.
Wines that attracted serious attention from buoyant buyers were 2002 Jim Barry
The Armargh which has been very popular all year, reaching a high of $273 per
bottle in February and now settling down to the $150 mark in June, while 1994
Woodstock The Stocks was extremely popular, with a number of experienced
enthusiasts setting their sights on this wine and happily outbidding each
other right up until the last second of the wine auction closing.
Other popular wines that bidders picked up for a bargain were 1999 Penfolds
Magill estate for $46, 1999 Penfolds RWT at $79, 1998 Torbreck the Factor
knocked down to $95, 1993 Lindemans St George Cabernet at $25, a magnum of
1998 Hardy's Eileen Hardy shiraz at $126, 1994 Greenock Creek seven acre to
$54, 2004 Noon reserve shiraz $81 and 1995 Penfolds bin 389 at $35.
Our Our first back vintage tasting event of the year to evaluate back vintage
wines was a very pleasant success. Wickman’s in conjunction with Oliver's
Taranga wines held a vertical tasting of 10 vintages of their Shiraz and 4 of
their award winning HJ reserve shiraz (the 2000 HJ reserve winning the
Winestate wine of the year award). In attendance was winemaker Corrina Rayment
who led all participants through a thoroughly enjoyable history of the wine
she has made. All wines from 1994 to present day barrel samples were evaluated
and tasting notes and impressions can be found on the Wickman’s website.
Anyone wishing to participate in our back vintage tastings should
sign up as a member of the wine auction site to receive future
notification of events. Tasting notes for the wines can be seen
here »
Wine auctions for the remainder of 2006 will be held at approximately one
month intervals.
General wine auction results for 2005 and outlook for 2006
The fine wine market in the latter half of 2005 was looking a bit slow with
collectors and consumers alike starting to apply the brakes on wine purchases
even although the general economic outlook touted by the majority of the press
was for optimism and growth. However, buyers of luxury goods, such as wine,
are being cautious, making more informed decisions, they are also prepared to
wait, no longer in a hurry to engage in battle for limited stockpiles of their
most precious producers. The simple fact is that, now more than ever, there is
a lot of quality wine in the marketplace at excellent prices with the trend
for new releases being pushed towards quantity, better quality and lower
prices.
Members bidding in our two wine auctions during the latter half of 2005 tended
to throw their support behind cabernet and blends and larger format bottles
and although they were ultimately spurned, possibly in reaction to a number of
negative tasting reports filtering into blog-space and internet forums,
characteristic of the September and October wine auctions for 2005, was the
tremendous interest shown in the Rockford basket press, Kalleske and the
various Greenock creek shiraz's but without the commitment from the members to
pony up for the reserves being asked by the vendors.
However, the single vineyard wines of both Rockford and Kalleske continue to
fetch well above their release prices with the 1998 Rockford SVS pressings for
$161,the Australian wine auction debut of the 1999 Rockford Helbig and Shiraz
Pressings dropped at $151 and $140 respectively and the 2003 Kalleske Johann
Georg fetching $161. Other performers were the 1998 Penfolds bin 707 for $128,
1996 Penfolds St. Henri for $81 and some bargains were swooped upon with $112
being paid for a 2001 Kaesler Old Bastard and cases of 1996 Hardy's Eileen
Hardy almost overlooked at $45 per bottle.
During 2005 Wickman's, with the generous support of the wine industry,
continued to raise money for various charities including The Asian Tsunami
Appeal, the Eyre Peninsula Fire appeal and the Women and Children’s hospital
fund and hope to support even more causes in 2006 by giving as much back to
the community as we can in which ever ways we can manage.
Additionally, 2005 saw Wickman's introduce a guaranteed provenance grading
system on all lots to empower members with the knowledge of the wines
purchasing history as well as how it has been stored, invaluable information
for commercial wine buyers and collectors alike.
As a bit of fun for active members and as a means of getting wine product
samples to a highly focused target audience on behalf of wineries, we
introduced, what turned out to be, a very popular bidding contest into each
wine auction, with each winning bidder going into a draw at the end of the
wine auction and receiving one entry for each bid they made with fantastic
prizes sponsored by Auswine.com, Bordex wine racks, Kalleske, Wolf Blass,
Winefront Monthly, Marius Wines, De Bortoli and WineIndustryJobs.com.
The outlook for 2006, whilst not bleak should be cautious and I think that the
first half will open with potential, with analysts and media predicting growth
and encouraging consumers to spend, however, statistics on some growth
forecasts from the USA may indicate the USA's foundation for spending (the
recent housing boom) is faltering, which could have a knock-on affect through
the Chinese economy (already in a production surplus) which in turn may affect
the Australian resource boom which will prune off some the excess growth in
our local economy, slowing down consumer spending even more.
28th
June 2005
The Australian financial year ended on a positive note for the June 28th fine
wine auction when a late rally across the board flared into some rather heated
bidding wars, resulting in nearly a 90% overall clearance rate. A number of
smaller investment buyers built up support in numerous classics and some of
the cult brands popular in the States, no doubt suspecting that the US
exchange rate is about to move in their favour by the end of the year,
renewing upward price pressure on these wines from across the ocean. Although
this is a good possibility, it could be a dangerous assumption to make just
now, and it would be a good time to exercise caution with a market becoming
more volatile and numerous accounts of good quality wine being dumped onto the
market.
This wine auction was our third this year featuring the new charity section.
On offer this time were a number of parcels of Pennyfield wine that were
specifically made for the Women and Children's Hospital Fund. The wine was
tested fit for human consumption and given the thumbs up by wine scribe Ric
Einstein of Torbwine fame, but unfortunately the wine didn't make it into the
hearts and minds of bidders and ended up with only 3 dozen going under the
hammer.
Kalleske wines managed to keep up their popularity with the debut of the very
rare 2003 Johann Georg Shiraz emerging at $162, various lots of 2002 and 2003
shiraz down to $70. A very rare mixed lot of Hazyblur wines closed out at the
bargain price of $36, while quite a few parcels of Greenock Creek Roennfeldt
Road Shiraz featured in some heavy bidding between local and overseas buyers
with the 1999 closing at $197 whilst the magnificent 1998 vintage, closed at a
bargain price of $310. Bidding wars flared up at the last moment on 1996
Penfolds St Henri ($71), 1996 Peter Lehmann Mentor ($40) and 1998 Highbank
Basket Pressed Cabernets ($45). Whilst 2002 Seppelts St Peters dropped to $71,
1997 Rosemount Estate Balmoral finished $32 and 1998 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet
Shiraz closed at $40. Amongst the cult wines Kaesler continued its run of
popularity with 2002 The Bogan Shiraz finishing quite well up at $86 and 2002
The Stonehorse up to $39. Noons 2002 Reserve Shiraz finished the evening
holding out on $137.
Although closing at the vendors requested reserve there was lack-lustre
interest shown from buyers for 1996 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, 2002 Massena the
11th Hour shiraz and some mixed lots of Penfolds and Dutschke fortifieds,
resulting in some buyers getting some unexpected bargains.
A number of lots of Wendouree, 1998 Rockford Basket Press, 1998 Rockford SVS,
1996 Galah Shiraz, 2003 Kalleske Old Vine Grenache and Glaymond wines
attracted alot of potential buyer interest but the vendors had set too high
reserves and bidders did not materialise.
14th
April 2005
Genuine collectors and drinkers are certainly getting some bargains at auction
these days, whilst flippers and those who were buying and selling wine for a
quick profit have disappeared. There are still many wine investors in the
market but they tend to be cherry picking the bargains and waiting patiently
for the market to turn.
Many of the cult wines that commanded high prices quite recently are now out
of favour on the secondary market and its quite telling that those who still
command a premium are those that have done well with local wine critics and
who have continued to support a solid foundation of Aussie drinkers rather
than search overseas for a quick dollar.
For the second time this year we featured a charity category amongst our
regular commercial lots, with all money raised donated equally between the
World Vision Child Rescue Appeal and the Women's and Children's Hospital
Foundation. The charity lots were very generously donated by Jeremy Oliver's
Onwine website, Cullen Wines, Whistler Wines, Ross Estate, Liebichwein,
Seppelts and Massena wines. All of the charity lots started with an opening
bid of $1, no reserve and no commission and were the subject of very
competitive bidding.
Our commercial lots were very popular, although most lots were not highly
contested with many bidders walking away with bargains. A number of bottles of
1996 Penfolds Grange went for $266 each, 2001 Dutschke Oscar Semmler had many
interested buyers but eventually closed at the bargain price of $36 each, 2002
Kalleske Shiraz is still hot, up $5 to $80 per bottle with the 2003 not far
behind. A bottle of the superb 1994 Baileys 1920 Block shiraz fell for $29
whilst the ever popular 1996 Penfolds St. Henri was hotly contested at $53.
1994 Henschke Hill of Grace found a home at $211, 2002 Kaesler The Bogan lost
it for $79 and number of lots of 2002 Massena the Eleventh Hour laid it down
to $41 per bottle.
10th
February 2005
When the virtual gavel dropped on the last lot for our February 2005 online
wine auction, it was more apparent than ever that the market was soft at the
lower end of any suggested price range with increasing pressure on sellers to
opt for lower reserves.
With a spiralling exchange rate, making Australian wine less attractive to
overseas buyers who are influenced by the remarks of wine critic Robert
Parker, and the heat taken out of the wine investment segment of the market,
both inter-related events, there was little upward pressure on prices with
many buyers who were prepared to pay large premiums only a year or so ago for
cult wines, now holding off, developing a wait and see approach.
Prices appear to be in flux and trending towards the lower end of any
anticipated price range while buyers find other, more tangible and domestic
means, to evaluate a wine. Online, buyers are turning to large, Australian
online wine communities who share tasting notes and critiques amongst
themselves such as the Auswine
discussion forum. As well as publishing the remarks of general wine
consumers, the discussion boards host published results from organized tasting
panels of wine enthusiasts/consumers such as the Adelaide Blacktongues who
meet on a regular basis and taste blindly through a range of aged and recent
release wines.
This wine auction saw a number of wines stand out amongst Australian bidders
with Penfolds, Rockfords and Henschke being the most sought after lots. A 1961
Yalumba Galway Claret went for $62, a bottle of 1986 Penfolds 389 fetched $97
whilst a Magnum of the 1998 vintage went for $150, bottles of 2002 D'Arenberg
The Dead Arm were being knocked out at the bargain price of $48 and 1998
Henschke Hill of Grace were going to low bids of $220.
Wickman's recently launched a new charity wine category for regular inclusion
in its commercial online wine auctions. All of the proceeds raised from the
wine donated and listed in the new category are free of fees and commissions
with all proceeds being donated to specific charities, typically an
international and a local charity.
The newly launched charity category in the February wine auction raised over
$1,500 from 12 bottles and 2 signed magnums that were donated by Kalleske
Wines, with the debut of the 2003 Kalleske Shiraz magnums fetching $300 each
and the 2003 bottles each raising $80. The money raised was donated equally
between The Asian Tsunami Appeal and The Eyre Peninsula Fire appeal. The next
auctions charity proceeds in April will be donated equally to World Vision
Child Rescue and a local Australian children's charity.
The concept of having a charity category in each wine auction held through the
year was inspired by Troy Kalleske from Kalleske wines who generously donated
his wine for the initial wine auction. We decided that is was such a good idea
that, in addition to its annual Multiple Sclerosis charity wine auction, a
portion of each other wine auction held through the year should carry on the
tradition and raise money for charity.
29th
November 2004
Just prior to the November wine auction opening, US wine critic, Robert
Parker, reviewed a comprehensive selection of Australian wines, catapulting
many of them into instant cult status by awarding them points in the high
nineties. Vendors who held wines reviewed by Parker added a "Parker Premium"
to their wines just prior to the wine auction, doubling, sometimes tripling
the previously requested reserve price. However, whilst interest remained high
in these wines the bids never achieved the expected price set by the vendors
with the market not prepared to absorb the high "Parker Premiums" at this
time.
An interesting point to note is, perhaps due to the sheer number of high
scoring Australian wines reviewed by Parker, many buyers only appear to be
prepared to pay significant "Parker Premiums" for Australian wines scoring 96
and above points.
As the available quantity of these wines diminish and the exchange rate
changes in favour of the overseas buyer then these wines will again start
attracting more bidders and increase in price.
A number of the wines where the vendors expectation of a large return was too
high was with the 2001 and 2002 Greenock Creek wines. Whilst the 2001 releases
were highly regarded by Parker with most of the wines scoring between 96 to
100 points, the 2002 wines, whilst not reviewed until mid-2005, are considered
a better wine and subsequently attracted as high an expectation as the 2001
vintage. However, the results were significantly less than expected with the
Greenock Creek Alice block shiraz achieving $55 for both the 2001 and 2002
vintages, the Greenock Creek Apricot block achieving $85 for the 2001 and $50
for the 2002, the 2001 Greenock Creek Creek block achieving $155 per bottle
and the 2001 Greenock Creek Seven Acre attracting $65. Meanwhile, the latest
cult Australian wine to captivate the palates of the world have been the
Kalleske wines which have attracted a huge amount of praise from Robert Parker
in his reviews of the 2002 and 2003 vintages and have firmed the secondary
market price for both the 2002 and 2003 Kalleske Greenock Shiraz at the $80
mark.
There was alot of interest shown in the wines of Wayne Dutschke, another cult
Australian wine maker, whose 2001 and 2002 single barrel shiraz continues to
steadily rise in price, this time achieving a price of $92 per bottle, while a
very rare imperial of 2001 Dutschke Oscar Semmler shiraz, only one of six
produced, was knocked down to the bargain price of $631.
Also of interest were the latest release Rockford SVS wines, the 1998 SVS
Flaxman and 1998 SVS Pressings being snapped up for $130 each, the 1996
Rockford Basket Press shiraz went at $91, 2002 Amon Ra shiraz at $106, a 1992
Henschke Horizontal Magnum collection went for $391 each, 2002 Clarendon Hills
Astralis Shiraz down at $250, 2002 Torbreck Les Amis at $220, a rare Seppelt
Great Western sparkling burgundy dating back to approximately 1930 (and still
drinking quite well) was knocked down at $150, there were also a number of
well cellared Yalumba the Signature wines on offer, in particular the famous
Yalumba 1961 Special Reserve Stock Galway Vintage Claret (knocked down to
$61), the very same wine that Sir Robert Menzies declared in 1965 to be the
best Australian red he had tasted, subsequently this wine was known as "The
Menzies" and gave birth to the idea of a best-of-vintage “The Signature”
wine..
17th
September 2004
Our September wine auction wound down with good clearance of most wines and
over 20% of the winning bidders coming from overseas, mainly Europe and the
USA. On the homefront prices slipped across the board although there was good
demand for many of the Penfolds wines. Dutschke 2001 single barrel shiraz
debuted at $95, Greenock Creek 1998 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz down at $301,
Shirvington 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon down at $78 and a number of lots of 2002
Kalleske shiraz were popular although closing down at $60 per bottle.
MS
Charity Wine Auction - 30th July 2004
The 2nd annual charity wine auction to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis
research succeeded in auctioning off over $5,000 of wine and wine related
items. Two weeks of bidding saw some heated competition for many of the
bottles that had been signed by wine makers. The most active lots were a
bottle of 1998 Wolf Blass Black label Signed by John Glaetzer ($160), a magnum
of 2002 Burge Family G3 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre signed by Rick Burge ($147),
a magnum of Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir ($289) and a signed 1994 Magnum of
St. Hallett Blackwell Shiraz ($141). Other highlights were a bottle of 1999
Noon Eclipse raising $61, a bottle of Evans Family shiraz signed by Len Evans
raising $43, signed bottles of Dutschke fortifieds fetched over $35 each, very
rarely seen bottles of Hazyblur 2002 shiraz fetched over $70 each, a bottle of
Clonakilla 2002 Shiraz Viognier signed by Tim Kirk raised in excess of $80, a
magnum of Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend ($129) and a signed bottle of the 2002
Kalleske Greenock shiraz saw some heavy bidding right to the last minute of
closing and finished with a high of $94 (a $60 premium on the cellar door
price of only a few months ago).
A big thank you to all those who bid and of course to the following wineries
and wine companies who donated or supported us.
15th May 2004
Our May wine auction ended with a good clearance of most wines with nearly all
of the Penfolds Grange, Wendouree and D'arenberg snapped up at the last moment
by Australian Bidders. Hammer prices for Wendouree Shiraz ranged from $56 for
the 2000, $72 for the 1994 Shiraz through to $147 for the 1990 Shiraz. Some of
the less popular, but just as excellent, Wendouree achieved prices of $48 for
the 1998 Shiraz Mataro and $56 for the 1998 Cabernet. A rare, hotly contested
magnum of 1998 D'arenberg Dead Arm shiraz went for $156. 1985 and 1986
Imperials of Irvine Grand Merlot were knocked down to bargain prices of $400
and $450 respectively. Bidders from the USA are getting quieter yet a
noticeable number of Asian and a good turnout of European bidders seem to be
taking their place and were very interested in many of the 'cult' Australian
wines with the hammer price of the 2002 Shirvington shiraz at $125, the
cabernet for $90, the Noon cabernet Reserve softer at $70 and 1998 Greenock
Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz at $300. Demand for Vintage port seems to be
weakening slightly with a number of well known vintage ports going uncontested
and being knocked down at discounted rates.
14th
February 2004
The online February wine auction attracted bidding from all over the world and
the free membership policy attracted many new members for this first wine
auction of the year. Bidding was slow in the early stages of the wine auction
and many of the early bidders did not take advantage of the proxy system on
the website and thereby lost out to last minute bidders who scooped up many of
the wines at bargain prices. A number of early vintage reds that were
considered curios by their original owners, came under heavy fire from a
number of Australian bidders, achieving over double the reserves in many
cases. A collection of earlier Rockford Basket Press vintages were left
wanting during the early stages of the wine auction but came under
concentrated bidding in the closing stages with the final hammer price on the
1985 at $78, the 1987 for $61, the 1988 for $56, 1989 for $58 and the 1991 for
$84. A small collection of large format Irvine Grand Merlots were left
untouched including an imperial each of the 1985 and 1986 and various 1.5 and
3.0 litre magnums from similar vintages. Other large formats on offer were a
rare Imperial of 1991 St. Hallets Old Block Shiraz which realised $500, an
Imperial of 1992 Wolf Blass Black Label realised $462 and two of the very
first Magnums of Grange, the 1979, realised over $2,800 each. There was
healthy bidding from Australian and Asian clients for recent release of Noons
achieving $90 for the 2002 reserve cabernet and $131 for the reserve shiraz of
the same vintage. Vintage and tawny ports continued to be popular, dominated
by some of the more classically sought after vintage ports (Saltrams, St
Hallets and yalumba).
4th
October 2003
The 4th October wine auction was a commercial wine wine auction with buyers
paying a small premium on the hammer price of the wine. The most sought after
items were a generous collection of magnums including Wynn's John Riddoch,
Penfolds 707 and Henscke Hill of Grace. There was quite a bit of heated
competition for some of the limited production wines that are sought after
from the USA and whose prices tend to inflate exponentially with very generous
write ups from wine critic Robert Parker. Highlights were 3 bottles of 2001
Shirvington Shiraz that were selling at $45 a year ago but are fetching over
$130 each (including premium) now. Also hotly contested were a small selection
of Marquis Philips wines, very few of which remain in Australia and their
availability is even more limited now that they have dumped their Australian
mail order list to sell exclusively to the USA.
MS Charity Wine Auction
- 19th July 2003
The 19th July wine auction was the product of a charity fund raiser to raise
money for Multiple Sclerosis research (http://www.msaustralia.org.au
), the result of which helped to earn his nine year old son the title of the
highest child fundraiser in Australia for the annual MS Readathon (http://www.ms-readathon.org/),
not bad considering there were over 64,000 participating fundraisers.
Many wineries from all around Australia generously donated their wine and bids
were easy to get moving considering there were no reserves, no premiums and
all bids started at $1. The bidding was fiercest for many of the signed
bottles, in particular a bottle of Rockford 1998 Basket Press Shiraz signed by
Robert O’Callaghan went for $150, a Henschkes 1999 Cyril Henschke signed by
Stephen Henschke went for $166, Noon 2001 Eclipse signed by Drew Noon went for
$77, Henschke 2000 Mount Edelstone Shiraz signed by Stephen Henschke went for
$136, Clonakilla 2001 Shiraz Viognier signed by Tim Kirk went for $71 and many
more signed bottles were auctioned off at a very fair premium to their usual
market value depending on the wine and the signature.
There was also firm bidding for Hazyblur, a wine that rarely, if ever, comes
up for auction in Australia and has got such good reviews in the States that
none gets sold in Australia except to a few select restaurants. The Hazyblur
2002 Barossa Shiraz fetched $50.
Sponsors Feedback
Kane I commend you on your hard work in supporting the MS Society as it is
often overlooked by many in our society. Well done & congratulations.
Kindest Regards
Andrew Tierney
Wirra Wirra Vineyards
Kane's letter is the best thankyou we can get. His letter was lovely. It is
pinned up on our noticeboard and I have shown it to my supervisor. So thank
you and send Kane our best wishes.
Kind Regards
Andrea Wooley
Great Western, Victoria
What a wonderful son you have, it is families such as yours that lead by
example to the community and we at Brokenwood would love to support you with a
donation of wine, to assist in fund raising for MS, a truly worthy cause.
Regards,
Natalie Biggs
Brokenwood Wines
Hi Mark, we have used up our allocation for charity, however I am a sucker
for kids. I will get Trish to send down a couple of bottles for the auction,
Cheers
Mark Summerfield
Summerfield Wines
A Lovely letter from Kane (wasn't a dry eye in the office) - will be happy
to assist again next year.
All the very best,
Colin
Kay Brothers Amery Wines
Congratulations on achieving such a wonderful result with the fundraising.
Sincerely,
Janet Liebich
LiebichWein
Hi Kane,
Thank you for your E-Mail. We were very happy to have been able to help you
out. Glad to hear that so much money was raised.
Cheers
Ross and Robyne Trimboli
Hazyblur Wines
That is FANTASTIC. Pass on my gratitude to Kane for his effort
Nicole Hodgson
Seppelt Wines, Seppeltsfield
Thanks for your thank you letter - glad it all was successful - love your
letter Kane - and by all means contact us again next year. It just goes to
show that we always do it better in SA - even the eight year olds!
Cheers
Pam
Rockford Wines
Thank Kane very much for the lovely letter, it was perfect. I placed a copy
in our folder where we have our certificates and medals etc. I am so pleased
for you with the great response. Well done!
Cheers
Donna
Majella Wines
Fantastic News! We are proud to be involved.
The Hruska Family
Maximilian's Wines and Restaurant
Congratulations Kane!!!
Julian Castagna
Castagna Vineyard
What a great result for Kane - our sincere congratulations to him for such
a fine effort for MS.
Kind regards,
Annabelle Waugh
Greenock Creek Wines
Congratulations on the success of your fundraiser, a fantastic result! I am
glad that we could be a part of such a worthy cause.
Kind regards,
Elizabeth Ellis
Campbells Wines
It was a pleasure to donate to your auction. Congratulations on the result.
Please let me know when next time comes around.
Best,
Jeremy Oliver
Onwine Publications