Langtons to go global with new international wine classification

Australian fine wine authority Langtons, which publishes the respected classification of Australian wines, is to go global.

Langtons announced today that it will launch its inaugural Classification of International Wine later this year. 

The Classification of Australian Wine has been a trusted guide for benchmarking local wines in the fine
wine market since 1990.

“Australian wine palates are diverse and ever-expanding, with international wines holding an established presence in the collections of the country’s top wine drinkers," says Langtons GM Tamara Grischy. 

"The Langtons Classification of International Wine will be a vital resource for these collectors by highlighting the finest global wines that drive the Australian auction market."

Set to be unveiled in early August, the Langton Classification of International Wine will feature a

collection of 160 wines from across the world’s top wine regions in France, Italy, New Zealand, US, Spain, Portugal and Germany ( but surprisingly not Argentina, or South Africa). 

The list has been developed through secondary market auction data collected over the last five years from every international bottle that has been traded through Langtons. 

Just like its Australian counterpart, the Classification of International Wine is not based on opinion, wine show medals or scores, but data reflective of the country’s top fine wine collectors.

“We look at every bottle of wine internationally that’s sent into Langtons," says Langtons head of auctions Michael Anderson. "This includes aspects such as a wine’s previous bidding history; its clearance rate; and changes to its current value versus when the wine was bought.” 

The purpose is two fold. First, it will provide insights into the secondary market trends to assist those avid investors and collectors of fine wine, and secondly it will also act as an authoritative guide for those in search of a high-quality international wine for enjoying now.

Anderson says that the Classification of International Wine will feature a mix of hard to find cult classics and established titans of the fine wine trade, indicating new shifts in the fine wine space.

See langtons.com.au.

Investing in Champagne: the good, the bad and the bubbly

Australians are prodigious drinkers of Champagne - even more so over the Christmas period when a glass or two of bubbles is de rigueur for many.

Wine broker Langtons has just released Australia's largest allocation of luxury Champagne and is promoting it as an investment.

Australia is consistently landing in the top 10 markets for Champagne globally and Langtons believes "the local fine wine market is expected to mimic overseas success with Champagne making it a key collection and investment category for fine wine enthusiasts".

My advice is to always buy wine you want to drink down the track, not merely as as an investment. To my palate Champagne does not improve with age. Others disagree. 

“When it comes to cellaring, Champagne is a category that deserves more of the spotlight here in Australia," says Michael Anderson, head of auctions at Langtons.

"As we’ve seen overseas, Champagne has an impressive ageing potential which sees the wine develop with grace to place itself as a wine category regularly fetching eye-watering prices under the hammer.

"We can expect to see Champagne rise up the ranks in the secondary market here in Australia, with savvy investors already purchasing sought-after bottles to cellar away for future auctioning."

Overseas, avid collectors are displaying an ever-growing interest in rare cuvées, prestige bottlings, and late-disgorged releases and most recently, non-vintage (NV) Champagnes are also joining this list, Langtons says. 

We shall see. 

Calling Australian lovers of fine Bordeaux wines

 

Calling Australian lovers of fine Bordeaux wines blessed with deep pockets. 

Wines from the 2022 vintage from the Bordeaux wine region have landed in Australia though auction house and importers Langtons, with one of the largest and most comprehensive allocations of the vintage. 

The offering showcases both regional stalwarts and up-oand-coming producers.

Available via the Langtons website, the wines on offer will include Château Lafite Rothschild; Château Figeac; Château Pontet Canet; Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Canon with pricing starting at $50 all the way to rare investment-grade wines for $2,000 a bottle. 

“Bordeaux has been an integral part of our portfolio for many years here at Langtons, and we are so thrilled to be welcoming its latest 2022 vintage into our extensive collection from the French region,” says Langtons head of Wine & Spirits Ramon Gunasekara. 

“The 2022 vintage has already been hailed as one of Bordeaux’s best in recent history, and we are proud to be Australia’s destination to get access to these very special and iconic wines.”

The benchmark 2022 vintage saw extremely hot and dry conditions throughout the region, but despite the extreme weather, many producers crafted wines possessing power, ripeness and vibrancy akin to vintages such as 1961 and 1982, the Langtons team says. 

“Irrespective of fluctuations being seen in the market, it's a wonderful time to buy Bordeaux, both new and old,” says Langtons head of auctions Michael Anderson.

“Brilliant vintages in Bordeaux like 2022 make for an excellent investment opportunity with savvy investors finding the top wines of the vintage and squirreling away their share to watch their value rise in the secondary market.

"It's a great time for those looking for both younger and older examples of Bordeaux to add to their cellars with the market very well-priced across a range of vintages, with my top picks to look out for being 2000 and 2005.

"Bordeaux remains a cornerstone of global fine wine collecting and a long-term luxury investment."

So you’d like to own some of Australia’s rarest wines?

Fancy owning a bottle of the very first vintage of Penfolds’ flagship wine: the Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951, released as Bin 1? 

The bottle is expected to fetch more than the current price record - and that of the country’s most expensive wine - of over $150,000 (including buyer’s premium).  

It is one if the lots in the upcoming Penfolds Rewards of Patience auction to be hosted by fine wine purveyors Langtons.

The auction launched on the Langtons website this week and will close on Sunday, June 29, at 9pm.

The auction will be a chance for avid Penfolds fans to bid on the largest collection of rare, collector wines from the prestigious Australian winery including special, early vintages from the 1950s and large-format bottles. 

Notably, the auction will feature a bottle of the very first vintage of Penfolds’ flagship wine the Penfolds

In addition to the Bin 1, the auction also features one of the world’s very few full Bin Grange Sets from 1951 to 2018, which was last seen up for bidding at the 2022 Penfolds Rewards of Patience Auction going for a record-price of $430,000.

The Penfolds Rewards of Patience auction has been hosted by Langtons since 1996, with the auction’s name a nod to the seminal book Penfolds: The Rewards of Patience by Master of Wine Andrew Caillard.

“As the auction market begins to warm to an interest rate cut, it’s the wines of Penfolds, the most represented wine in the Langtons Classification, that savvy wine enthusiasts and investors are reaching for,” says Michael Anderson, Head of Auctions and Wine Consignment at Langtons.

“This may be one the last chances to bid on a complete set of Penfolds Grange. These unicorn pieces
become rarer each year as bottles fail, wines are consumed and verticals are split.

“This is an incredible version of a Penfolds Grange Set - one of the finest we have seen.”

Other highlights in the Penfolds Rewards of Patience Auction include a g-series set of the g3, g4 and g5
bottles and early vintages of the Penfolds Grange from 1955.

Fancy snapping up some wine from Halliday’s personal cellar?

Fancy sampling some bottles direct from Australian wine guru James Halliday's personal cellar.

The renowned Australian critic, author and commentator is selling the last of his impressive wine cellar through an online auction with fine wine destination Langtons.

The James Halliday's Private Collection online auction is now open on the Langtons website and closes at 9pm AEST on Sunday, May 25.

This final auction will see a 100 lots of Halliday’s personal passion - French producer Domaine Armand Rousseau - up for sale, with each bottle personally signed by the wine critic.

The collection includes a 1999 Clos des Ruchottes Monopole, Ruchottes-Chambertin, 1976 Clos de la Roche and 1990 Grand Cru Chambertin.

Halliday has confirmed this auction will be the last to clear out the final bottles in his cellar located in the Yarra Valley’s Coldstream Hills while he relocates to Sydney.

“Having long since sold the last of my DRCs, my Rousseaus are the best wines in my cellar, led - of course - by the Chambertins from top vintages. Clos de Beze is a worthy second, Clos de Jacques, the wine often offering outstanding value for money. Rousseau now fills the shoes left by the impossible-to-find DRCs,” says Halliday.

James Halliday AM is Australia’s most notable wine authority, with a career spanning over 30 years resulting in a cellar that is incomparable to any other in the country.

“James Halliday is undoubtedly the most important person in the Australian wine scene," says Michael Anderson, head of auctions and secondary market at Langtons.

Other highlights from the collection include va Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut from the exceptional 1996 vintage; a 1997 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling-Spatlese; and a 1980 Domaine Clape.

Closer to home, Halliday’s collection also includes a House of Arras E.J Carr Late Disgorged Methode Traditionelle 2000 Magnum from Tasmania; 1997 Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir from the Macedon Ranges; and 1992 vintage Charles Melton Nine Popes Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre from the Barossa Valley.

Each bottle will come complete with a collectable sticker outlining its provenance. 

See https://www.langtons.com.au/james-halliday-private-collection.html