Top 10 old vine lots at Barossa Wine Chapters Auction

The upcoming Barossa Wine Chapters Auction 2017 will present close to 200 lots of Barossa wines for its online auction and live auction sessions in April, including the region’s most sought-after 125+ years old ‘Ancestor Vine’ wines.

Harvest in Barossa (Photo credit: Barossa Grape and Wine Association)

The Barossa auction, presented by Barossa Grape & Wine Association, promises to offer collectors and supporters a unique insight into the character, “rich expression” and “generosity” of Barossa wine.

A wide range of wines from the region’s predominant grapes, including Shiraz to Grenache, Riesling to Cabernet Sauvignon and even lesser known Mataro are selected from Barossa’s heavyweights such as Henschke, Torbreck, Chris Ringland, Penfolds and boutique producers including Kelleske, Rockford and Kaesler to name a few.

Known for its pre-phylloxera surviving vines, Barossa has the world’s oldest and continuously producing Shiraz vineyards. Some of the lots include Barossa’s most prized old vine wines including the legendary Langmeil 1984 Freedom Shiraz.

Here, we’ve rounded up 10 of top ‘Ancestor Vine’ (125+ years old) and ‘Centenarian Vine’ (100+ years old) wines, classified by Barossa Old Vine Charter in 2009. Click through the pages to check out the highlights.

For more information about the lots, the online auction (1 April – 27 April) and live auction on 27 April, please visit http://www.barossa.com/wine/barossa-wine-chapters-auction.

Head Wines Ancestor Wine Grenache

Made from a 156-year-old vines planted near Springton in Eden Valley, this is a rare ‘Ancestor Vine’ Grenache. A three-litre double magnum of the 2015 vintage is up for grabs at the auction. This wine also won the Vinpac Throphy for best Grenache at the Barossa Wine Show 2016.

Estimated price: AU$400 to AU$450

Heneschke Hill of Grace

‘Hill of Grace’ is one of the rarest collectibles in the world, made from a small parcel of bio-dynamically grown, single vineyard in Eden Valley. The vines were first planted by Nicolaus Stanitzki in 1860s.

The first ‘Hill of Grace’ was created in 1958 and the wine is deemed by some as Australia’s ‘first growth’.

Signed magnum bottles of 1996, 2006 and 2010 as well as a pre-release 2012 double magnum will be offered at the auction. The latter is due for release in May this year, and only one double magnum is bottled.

Estimated price: AU$10,000 to AU$15,000

Langmeil 1843 Freedom Shiraz

The ‘1843 Freedom Shiraz’ is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving Shiraz vineyard.

This collection of 1998, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2012 vintages includes some of the best releases from the winery’s single vineyard.

Another special offer from the winery is a double magnum collection including the 1843 Freedom Shiraz 2014, Orphan Bank Shiraz 2014, Jackman’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 and the Fifth Wave Grenache 2013.

Estimated price: AU$1,500 to AU$2,500 per set for the 750ml bottling; AU$1,300 to AU$1,600 per set for the double magnum collection 

Schwarz Wine Co The Schiller Shiraz 2012

A 1.5-litre magnum of ‘The Schiller Shiraz’ from the Schwarz Wine Co will be on offer during the online auction bidding.

The winery was founded in 2001 by Jason Schwarz when he made two hogsheads of Shiraz from his parents’ Nitschke Block vineyards planted in 1968. This is one of the winery’s single vineyard wines made from vines planted in 1881 by Carl August Otto Schiller. Its other two single vineyard vines include the ‘Thiele Road’ Grenache and the ‘Nitschke Block’.

Estimated price: AU$80-AU$100 per bottle

Elderton Wines Command Single Vineyard Shiraz 2008

Owned by Ashmead family, Elderton Wines strive to produce wines that show true regional history, character, varietal definition and personalities of their own sites in Barossa.

This ‘Command’ single vineyard Shiraz is sourced from vines planted in 1894 on the Elderton estate. The vintages available from this wine are 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Estimated price: AU$500 to AU$600

Kaesler Old Bastard Shiraz 2014

A three-litre double magnum of ‘Old Bastard’ Shiraz 2014 will go under hammer at the auction.

‘Old Bastard’, the flagship wine from Kaesler Wines, is sourced from the original 1893 Shiraz vineyard located at Nuriootpa.

Only 12 double magnums of 2014 vintage were produced by the winery and each is signed by the winemaker Reid Rosward.

Teusner’s Albert Shiraz

Hailed as the benchmark for modern Barossa, the winery’s ‘Albert’ Shiraz is its most prized Shiraz made from ‘Centenarian Vines’. The wine’s name is also a loving tribute to owner Kym Teusner’s Grandfather, Albert Alfred Teusner.

The auction will offer a six magnum vertical collection from 2005 to 2010 vintages. It has two wooden set displays and three pack boxes.

Estimated price: AU$700 to AU$800 per set

The Smith Wines TSW Reserve Shiraz

The 1.5-litre magnum of ‘TSW Reserve Shiraz’ from 2008, 2012 and 2014 vintages are, by all means, rare finds from the auction.

“(These are) last of these wines in magnum available. My personal cellar does not even have a set for myself,” its owner Tim Smith explained.

Sourced from Centenarian Vines, the wine has excellent texture, complexity and delicacy.

Estimated price: AU$500 to AU$600 per set

Torbreck RunRig Shiraz 2001

The ‘RunRig’ wine has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant and structurally wines produced from the steep slopes of the northern Rhone Valley’s Côte-Rôtie.

The auction will offer a six-litre imperial of the 2001 vintage. Only 12 imperials of this vintage are bottled, according to the winery.