Rare and exceptional vintages can be difficult to find. Most wine shops will only have a limited selection of vintage wine. There are stores out there, but the selection can be very limited in some areas.
For those new to wine collecting and appreciation, it can be hard build a cellar of 'worthy' bottles, just as it can be hard to find wines to experience now in all their glory.
For those new to wine collecting and appreciation, it can be hard build a cellar of 'worthy' bottles, just as it can be hard to find wines to experience now in all their glory.
There are options for those who wish to start collecting wine, or at least diversify their experiences with aged examples and hard to find bottles.
After my initial experience with the Mount Pleasant Lovedale 1996, I decided to seek out the most exceptional vintages of this wine that were still drinkable. Popular opinion was that the 1986 was clearly the pick, probably just over the hill, but definitely still in fine form. I became obsessed with hunting down a bottle, wanting to experience this wine close to the peak of its powers.
In late May of 2011, Dan Murphy's listed this wine on their website (with the price tag of $110!), but the stock locator gave no results. I followed up with Dan Murphy's as to why it was on the website at all, but they only reiterated that they had no stock.
I continued to search, unable to find it in any of the shops I visited in Canberra or Newcastle, and no clues given by the cellar door staff at Mount Pleasant, and had given up all hope of locating a bottle anywhere.
On my birthday in mid July, my family came to Canberra to visit me. It was then that I opened my birthday gift from my brother: a perfectly cellared bottle of Mount Pleasant Lovedale 1986 Semillon.
When buying or inspecting vintage wine, there a few things you can check to get an indication of how well the bottle has been cellared. Firstly, check for any obvious signs of mistreatment on the labels. If the air has been too moist, or not moist enough the labels can peel or become damaged. Also, if the bottle has been exposed to too much light, the labels will fade, or become patchy.
Secondly, check for fragments of cork in the when. They will be fairly small, but if the corks is fragmenting then it could indicate a sub-standard cork, that may expose the wine to oxygen causing it to age prematurely.
Thirdly, check the level of the wine in the neck of the bottle. All aged wines will slightly reduce in level over time, but make sure it is still reasonably high up the neck. Obviously wines 50 or so years old should be lower than wines only 20 years old.
This particular bottle I had received passed all three tests easily.
My brother had bought the wine on Cellarit, a website where people can buy, sell and arrange for storage of their wine. Cellarit is a great way for those starting out in wine collecting to purchase specific wines to start their collections
There are also a number of wine auction sites, such as Langton's.
In late May of 2011, Dan Murphy's listed this wine on their website (with the price tag of $110!), but the stock locator gave no results. I followed up with Dan Murphy's as to why it was on the website at all, but they only reiterated that they had no stock.
I continued to search, unable to find it in any of the shops I visited in Canberra or Newcastle, and no clues given by the cellar door staff at Mount Pleasant, and had given up all hope of locating a bottle anywhere.
On my birthday in mid July, my family came to Canberra to visit me. It was then that I opened my birthday gift from my brother: a perfectly cellared bottle of Mount Pleasant Lovedale 1986 Semillon.
When buying or inspecting vintage wine, there a few things you can check to get an indication of how well the bottle has been cellared. Firstly, check for any obvious signs of mistreatment on the labels. If the air has been too moist, or not moist enough the labels can peel or become damaged. Also, if the bottle has been exposed to too much light, the labels will fade, or become patchy.
Secondly, check for fragments of cork in the when. They will be fairly small, but if the corks is fragmenting then it could indicate a sub-standard cork, that may expose the wine to oxygen causing it to age prematurely.
Thirdly, check the level of the wine in the neck of the bottle. All aged wines will slightly reduce in level over time, but make sure it is still reasonably high up the neck. Obviously wines 50 or so years old should be lower than wines only 20 years old.
This particular bottle I had received passed all three tests easily.
My brother had bought the wine on Cellarit, a website where people can buy, sell and arrange for storage of their wine. Cellarit is a great way for those starting out in wine collecting to purchase specific wines to start their collections
There are also a number of wine auction sites, such as Langton's.
As for the 1986 Lovedale, we drank the wine with my family (wife, parents and brother and his partner) just after Christmas to celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary.
The cork was good, no dampness to speak of where it shouldn't be, although it did break up as I was opening it. Once removed though, the wine itself was deep golden. Most of the primary fruit aromas had faded, although there was an echo of citrus fruit on the nose. The dominant aromas were the aged characteristics of honey, buttered toast and wax. The palate itself was still expressive and rich, again, the primary fruit was subdued, with only subtle hints of lemon. Clearly dominant were the flavours of roasted nuts and toast, with still some lingering acidity present. The wine had incredible length, which completed an amazing tasting experience. Not quite as transcendent as the 1996 was, but still a wonderful experience.
If you do manage to get hold of a bottle, drink it ASAP, as it will only continue to decline from here on out.
The search always continues to find vintage wines, especially for a new collector, but websites like Cellarit and Langton's definitely make the task easier.
The cork was good, no dampness to speak of where it shouldn't be, although it did break up as I was opening it. Once removed though, the wine itself was deep golden. Most of the primary fruit aromas had faded, although there was an echo of citrus fruit on the nose. The dominant aromas were the aged characteristics of honey, buttered toast and wax. The palate itself was still expressive and rich, again, the primary fruit was subdued, with only subtle hints of lemon. Clearly dominant were the flavours of roasted nuts and toast, with still some lingering acidity present. The wine had incredible length, which completed an amazing tasting experience. Not quite as transcendent as the 1996 was, but still a wonderful experience.
If you do manage to get hold of a bottle, drink it ASAP, as it will only continue to decline from here on out.
The search always continues to find vintage wines, especially for a new collector, but websites like Cellarit and Langton's definitely make the task easier.
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