If you had $10,000 to spend on wines for the cellar, what would you pick?

August 3, 2020

If you had $10,000 to spend on wines for the cellar, what would you pick?

It’s a perennial question – if you had $10,000 to spend on wines (from Australia and New Zealand) for the cellar, what would you choose?

Dom Sweeney from Gourmet Traveller Wine asked a pack of likely wine people that very question (with differing value amounts) and the result are in the August/September issue, out today (read it here).

My list mirrors much of the Australian/Kiwi wines that are in my WineArk cabinet right now. It’s an unashamedly classic list because this is what I’m going to be drinking in years to come. There’s another place in my drinking diet for wines of immediacy, but this is a different collection – more ageless favourites.

So what would you spend your $10k on?

cellaring

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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11 responses to “If you had $10,000 to spend on wines for the cellar, what would you pick?”

Simon Colwell

August 4, 2020 at 12:02 am

Without going into specific numbers of bottles or brands, shitloads of Chardonnay and Cab Franc from Orange, Canberra rieslings, Alpine Valley Chardonnays, Coonawarra Cabs Sauv & Franc, couple of Rieslings from Mt Gambier and more rieslingy deliciousness from Clare Valley. Anything left over after that bender and I’d pick up some Tempranillo on the run home from Gapsted, Mayford and Lake George. Now that I think of it, the Gapsted aside, I think I’ve just described the 20-odd boxes and 5 wine racks of various sizes currently cluttering up my small apartment.

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Andrew Graham

August 4, 2020 at 9:58 am

You need a WineArk cabinet too!

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Cameron Harris

August 4, 2020 at 10:05 am

Plenty of Pionot Noir and a bit of Gamay – probably all Victorian and Tasmanian.
Cool climate Shiraz – Canberra (Eden Road & Clonakilla), Great Southern, Adelaide Hills, and Victoria
Riesling – Canberra, Great Southern, Tasmania & Western Vic
Lots of Chardonnay from all over Aus.
Margaret River Cabernets
Some McLaren and/or Barossa Grenache and a little Temp from Alpine Valleys and Adelaide HIlls.
And if I could squeeze it in some Barolo/Barbaresco.
Would stick to a $20 to $60 price range with a sweet spot around $30. Should be good for about 300 to 400 bottles.

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Andrew Graham

August 4, 2020 at 10:11 am

I like the value approach Cameron. Oh and has to be Australian/New Zealand too.

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Cameron Harris

August 4, 2020 at 10:22 am

So maybe 6 bottles of Luke Lambert Nebbiolo and one other good Aussie Neb.

Weould be happy to take some Kiwi wines as well. Predominantly Pinot but also some Hawkes Bay Cabernet Blends and Syrah.

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Simon Colwell

August 4, 2020 at 10:25 am

Which Alpine Valleys Tempranillos did you have in mind ?

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Cameron Harris

August 4, 2020 at 11:05 am

The Mayford would be my first pick. If I am going to take the trip up I would grab some of their Chardonnay and Shiraz as well. Then I would go to the Billy Button Cellar door and taste widely. Last time I was there my guess is they poured close to a bottle each for my wife and I in tastings. Good wines across the board.

I’ve not tried much of the Gapsted range but I am stopping in there as well having read your post.

Great part of the world.

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Simon Colwell

August 4, 2020 at 11:08 am

I forgot about Billy Button, i would definitely add their Temp to my list.

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Andrew Graham

August 4, 2020 at 11:13 am

Funny you should mention Billy Button – I wrote this earlier in the year: https://app.gourmettravellerwine.com/editions/april-may-20/article/alpine-valleys-cd-awards.html

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Simon Colwell

August 4, 2020 at 11:37 am

I think the Alpine Valleys region is hideously underrated, it certainly seems to fly under the radar compared to nearby Beechworth. I was seriously surprised by the quality of the wines across the board when we visited last year. I thought Beechworth was supposed to be the dress circle wine region in that part of the world ? Just in the last couple of weeks we’ve bought more Alpine Valleys chardonnays from Ringer Reef and Gapsted, their Ballerina Canopy chardonnay.

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Tony+Winspear

August 4, 2020 at 2:31 pm

Riesling from Henty – Seppelt and Crawford R. Craiglee Shiraz and Hunter Shiraz say Tyrells or Mt Pleasant. Chardonnay from Adrian Rodda or Tasmania (many). Grenache from Mclarenvale (many) old vine Shiraz from Kays and Nebbiolo from Steve Pannell. Tahbilk 1927 vines Marsanne.
Rutherglen fortifieds. Margaret River Cabernet (many) and Great Southern Riesling.
Te Mata Coleraine and Pinot Noir from 2 Paddocks. Some old Hunter Semillon too please.

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