The Most Collected Wines in Australia - The List

The August/September 2006 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine contains an interesting insert - a commemorative poster displaying the top 50 labels of the most collected wines in Australia.

Now whether this really is the definitive listing of the most collected wines in Australia is probably debatable, but it is certainly an excellent starting point as the list has been generated from a study of over 1 million bottles held for over 3,500 private wine collectors. The total number of bottles of each wine, irrespective of vintage, was determined and each label was then ranked according to those totals. The study was done by Wine Ark, said to be Australia’s largest wine storage provider. The figures come from a June 2006 stocktake of their managed cellars. The count revealed that 84% of the collection was red with shiraz being the most popular grape (46%), followed by Cabernet sauvignon (33%). Sixty-six percent of the wines were from South Australia with 19% coming from each of Barossa and Coonawarra.

Wine Ark was founded in 1999 and provides not only storage, but also wine sales, wine cabinets and a Cellar Club. Its not clear whether the wines sales of Wine Ark influence what ends up being stored by its customers. There is bound to be some influence, although as noted by Judy Sarris in her Gourmet Traveller WINE article, Wine Ark does not offer Penfolds through their Wine Ark Club. That is significant because the top two wines are from Penfolds, poor man’s Grange, followed by the big boy himself.

The Top 50 Most Collected Wines are-
1 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz Blend
2 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz
3 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
4 Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend
5 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
6 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
7 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
8 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
9 Cullen Cabernet Merlot (inc Diane Madellene)
10 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
11 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
12 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
13 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
14 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
15 Petaluma Riesling (inc Hanlin Hill)
16 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
17 Orlando (Jacob's Creek) St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon
18 Howard Park Cabernet Merlot
19 Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz
20 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz
21 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
22 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
23 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot
24 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend
25 Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet Blend
26 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
27 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz
28 Penfolds RWT Shiraz
29 Torbreck The Steading Grenache Mataro Shiraz
30 Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth Cabernet Blend
31 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon
32 Tyrrell's Vat 47 Pinot Chardonnay
33 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz
34 Lindemans Pyrus Cabernet Blend
35 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
36 Giaconda Chardonnay
37 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
38 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon
39 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
40 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz
41 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
42 Lindemans St. George Cabernet Sauvignon
43 Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz
44 d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz
45 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
46 Grosset Watervale Riesling
47 Pierro Chardonnay
48 Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz
49 Turkey Flat Shiraz
50 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz

What are the top collected Shiraz? I knew you would ask. Here are the top twenty.
1 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz
2 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
3 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
4 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
5 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
6 Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz
7 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz
8 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
9 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
10 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
11 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz
12 Penfolds RWT Shiraz
13 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz
14 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
15 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
16 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
17 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz
18 Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz
19 d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz
20 Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz

How many do you have?

The Top 100 Collected wines and other lists are here.