Inside Australia's Wine Collections

Want to know which wines are being stored in some of Australia’s biggest wine collections - from the most popular and expensive, to the secrets of cellaring, and even who the collectors are? Get the inside scoop from the team at Wine Ark, Australia’s ‘wine bank’, storing the national reserve of the country’s best-known and clearly most loved wine brands.

Once every three years, Wine Ark releases Australia’s Most Collected Wine list, revealing the Top 50 brands stored inside the vaults of Australia’s biggest wine collectors.

Its release is considered somewhat like ‘wine insider trading’, giving those in the know the opportunity to see what wines will come back onto the market in years to come.

Campbell Mattinson, publisher and wine writer, says, “Peering into the treasure chests of Australian wine collectors is always a fascinating exercise. It’s not just informative; it helps ground us all.”

Head Keeper of the Bottles at Wine Ark, John Cuff, adds, “The Top 50 list of Australia’s Most Collected Wines is a true reflection of what Australian wine collectors are spending their hard earned money on. We read a lot about trends and perceived or expected brands that are ‘selling well’, however, this list is a pure data snapshot from the managed cellars around the country.”

Yet, it is not always the biggest and most famous brands that are sought after when it comes to wine collecting.

New entries onto the Top 50 this year included Giaconda Chardonnay from Beechworth, Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz from Victoria, and Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley, while the biggest success story in 2016 was with St Hallett’s Blackwell Shiraz, which moved up 44 places from 86 to 41.

The most talked about move was that of Penfolds Grange to second place as its brother Penfolds Bin 389 took over the top position. While the crown remains held by one of Australia’s most loved and clearly most collected wine brands, there was something quite interesting to say about the change.

Cuff said, “Penfolds Grange is arguably the most collectable Australian wine. We know its amazing power and finesse, steeped in history, however, it sells for a hefty price. The Penfolds 389 Shiraz Cabernet is considered by most collectors to be a cellar staple. I believe you would be hard pressed in finding a cellar that doesn’t have at least a few bottles of 389 and our results clearly illustrate that.”

Wine Ark's tasting room

The question that still begs an answer is what makes Penfolds so attractive to collectors? Is it its cellaring ability or is it just in the name?

“Penfolds has historically been a very safe bet for most people when they start collecting, especially over the past fifteen years when the pricing has been more accessible to the average wine buyer. It enabled people to buy a truly age-worthy wine at a consumption based price point,” John explained. “As the new vintages rolled by, it was easy to buy a dozen of the Bins and tuck them up in the cellars. Recently, however, we’ve seen a decline in the popularity of Penfolds wines as its retail pricing is now getting out of the reach of many collectors or collectors are starting to see better value elsewhere.”

Among the most collected wines as recorded by the list in 2016 were also wines from the Barossa, while the most popular varietal to collect was shiraz. Additionally the list showed an increase in the volume of chardonnay being cellared, with Lake’s Folly Chardonnay and Giaconda Chardonnay - both fuller styles of the varietal - two of the biggest movers on the collector list.

The next Top 50 list won’t be released until 2019, but can Wine Ark make any early predictions by taking a look at what’s cellaring now?

“We will definitely see a shift away from the classic heavy South Australian reds and more to the cooler climate wines,” John reckoned. “We are seeing an increase in wines from Tasmania both into storage and being sold to be consumed. However, these wines would be very hard pressed to get into the Top 50 due to their smaller production.”

While the specific identities of Wine Ark’s collectors can’t be given away, John did reveal that among its membership are many famous golfers, cricketers, actors, business leaders, musicians, and politicians with the biggest collections coming close to over 500 dozen wines (that’s around 6,000 bottles) and the most expensive individual wine fetching for up to $75k.

“We have a number of bottles of 1951 Grange, the first vintage ever produced. These can go for between $50k and $75k a bottle depending on condition,” Cuff said. “In relation to older wines, we have a few clients with mid 1800 Madeiras; it’s always a buzz seeing these ancients enter the cellar. There are always silly large formats of vintage Champagne from top houses decades old and super old vintages of top Domaine Burgundies too.”

Despite the extravagant prices bestowed within collections, the monthly cost of cellaring wine is relatively affordable to those who prefer to preserve their wines (and those who can give up their morning coffee…).

Cuff explained that, “For the cost of a cup of coffee a month, you can store twelve bottles in a fully climate controlled, high security environment with online inventory and full replacement insurance…everyone assumes it is very expensive.”

Wine Ark also has a number of inexpensive spaces that can be rented out by trade for tastings. These include rooms at Wine Ark’s head office in Alexandria, Sydney; at its private vaults in Queensland that overlook the Brisbane River; and a new space in Brunswick, Melbourne.

John added, “These venues give us great flexibility to act quickly when a winemaker is in town.”