Hello, I wish to ask some opinions here. I am thinking to buy two cases of wine bottles of recent years (2013 or 2012 cos they are cheap) and put them aside for 3-5 years. What wine shall I buy for long term storage? Shiraz, Cabernet Sav, Carbernet Merlot? I was tipped that merlot cant be stored for years, you need to drink it quickly. Currently Dan Murphy has stock clearance on some of bottles I like. LD
I personally like Rutherglen Calliope Durif but so does everyone else in the house so the cases I put down have evaporated. Last production that was released for sale was about 2006, still waiting for some more but I heard the brothers had a falling out and thre might not be any more.
For that period of time i don't think the red variety matters. Most will refine with time. It is only the varieties such as rose etc where you want the fruit tastes that you don't put in long term storage. Ultimately, unless you are going for really high end wines that you intend to sell you will also need excellent storage facilities. If not for these wines then just buy wines that you actually drink. That length of storage should be no issues to most red wines. The issue with storage is actually temperature and light fluctuations. Try to keep temperature constant and in the dark if possible. Just don't keep it near the fridge door if you want to maximise your chances. A dark cupboard should be fine as long as your place is insulated.
If you want some good wines, look into those produced by the Little Wine Company in the Hunter Valley They make some great stuff.
Don't expect cheap 2013 or 2012 wines to improve much with age. They haven't spent time in oak to develop the structure necessary for aging. But if you like them and they are cheap just buy them and drink them over the next 5 years
Doubt that the 2012 or 2013 released wine will improve with age, as if they are released that quick...they are meant for current consumption.
These two for sure mate piont noir - due to having a low ph & Cabernet Sauvignon - due to high level of phenolics (tannins) Both these qualities assist in the ageing/reaction process Just remember the three conditions that also affect its aging process light, humidity, temperture...get those wrong and it could go bad That reminds me...I have a beaut murdoch Cab Sav from about 97 in storage 2000km away...cant wait to crack open that baby. Hope it has'nt gone bad though
Drinking a 98 Penfolds 389 right now - bought in 2000. Spent a stupid amount of money on cellaring. Richmond Grove cab savs have been one of the best performing wines in my collection - but the cheapy Yalumba Galway Shiraz goes *really* well for about 7 years. My advice - don't pay to cellar wine, if you have the space to cellar it yourself in the right conditions - do it for the passion of drinking a wine you've aged yourself - but it's far more economical to drink a really good quality recent wine, or buy a museum wine from a vineyard or Dan Murphys.
I was an assistant wine maker / exec chef with Dr Andrew Pirie a few years ago. We did a full range of cool climate wines and Merlot worked better with more foods than any other single variety or blend. if that helps. He likes to think the acid in the wine cuts the oils in the food like a vinaigrette. And the more oil the more acidity needed. red meats etc. We found surprisingly Merlot works the best as an all rounder for the majority of palettes. I drink plenty of Hunter, Margret river, Barossa wine too. But mostly its Tas wine. If you want a really easy way to get premium (drinkable) Australian wine to put away, or drink right away if you choose. Try and get anything you can that wins gold at the National Wine Show in Canberra. They used to send all the wines that won Gold medals or trophy's at all major agricultural shows Australia wide, Sydney etc to the Canberra for a final show down. Anything that won there was a sure thing pretty much. Judging is subjective and after 300 glasses your judge may not be giving 100% and results are not always accurate, but by the time it hits Canberra and wins gold there, it offers a better than good chance it will be a great wine.
Merlot does better in cool climates so not surprised merlot was the better choice from Tas. In general merlots are the softer of the reds and probably better for earlier drinking - but there are exceptions. If you want a red wine with balls you usually have to go shiraz or cab sav with decent oak time Totally my own biased opinion, but the best Shiraz is from Barossa and the best Cab Savs from Coonawarra
I love a Merlot for relaxed drinking and enjoyment, especially one from Pepper Tree Wines in the Hunter. Totally agree the best cab savs are from Coonawarra, the very best cab sav I have enjoyed was from Punters Corner. I'm not a connoisseur of wine, but I do know when I'm drinking a good drop. It's all about the enjoyment and pleasure, if the wine gives you those feelings then you are on to a good thing.
*hic* Philski, what happened to all the buzz (a few years back) about Pinot's that were supposed to come out of Tassie?... din't they work out?
Here's a tip Pelican. Don't drink red wine and post on internet forums. Quickest way to make a dickhead of yourself and get banned by admin.
Something interesting i noticed about wine and Gold. The majority of the New world wines. Barossa valley, Hunter, Napa, NZ and South American regions all have wine regions that are all sitting on old gold fields. Cool huh
I don't think that there is any correlation at all, sorry Philski. Others like Squiggles would know better than i would about gold in the Hunter but the wine regions are not near the potential gold deposits. There is a theory about identifying opal deposits and certain trees - i think native orange but it has been some time, but i haven't heard anything re gold. Back on topic, If you are going to select wine it may be best to know a bit about the climate requirements of particular grape varieties. For example, you can get Cab Sav that was grown in the Hunter but, as the Hunter is humid in summer and Cab Sav is a late fruiting variety, Cab Sav may not produce the standard experienced from other regions such as Margaret River or the Barossa and is not what the region is known for due to fungus issues in the fruit.
