Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine
Encyclopedia
Langton's Classification of Australian Wine is a grouping of high-end Australian wine
s compiled by the Melbourne
- and Sydney
-based auction house Langton's, first released in 1991. The Classification is a ranking of the best performing wines based on market demand and vintages made. The Langton's Classification is split into four categories; Exceptional, Outstanding, Excellent and Distinguished. The classification is renewed at intervals of approximately five years, with different versions of the classification referred to by Roman numerals. The current classification is number V, published in 2010, and is made up of 123 of Australia's finest wines. To be listed in the Classification a wine must have a minimum of ten vintage years and also achieve high secondary market
values.
Langton's sees its classification as "loosely modelled on the Bordeaux Classification of 1855
", but with its regular reclassifications it is more similar to the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine
, although with several differences: no official governmental recognition, a much wider geographic scope, and with several different wine styles classified using the same categories.
Langton's Classification of Distinguished Australian Wine II was published in 1996, and included 64 wines in four categories: Outstanding A (three wines), Outstanding, Excellent A, and Excellent.
Langton's Classification of Australian Wine III was published in 2000, and included 89 wines in the four categories also used for classifications IV and V; Exceptional (seven wines), Outstanding, Excellent, and Distinguished. From classification III, fortified wine
s ("Port
") were no longer included.
Langton's Classification of Australian Wine IV of 2005 included 101 wines, of which 11 at the Exceptional level.
As of 2010, no wine that had been included in the top category ("Exceptional") had ever been demoted; this category had progressively expanded to include additional wines with each edition of the classification.
Australian wine
The Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
s compiled by the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
- and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
-based auction house Langton's, first released in 1991. The Classification is a ranking of the best performing wines based on market demand and vintages made. The Langton's Classification is split into four categories; Exceptional, Outstanding, Excellent and Distinguished. The classification is renewed at intervals of approximately five years, with different versions of the classification referred to by Roman numerals. The current classification is number V, published in 2010, and is made up of 123 of Australia's finest wines. To be listed in the Classification a wine must have a minimum of ten vintage years and also achieve high secondary market
Wine auction
A wine auction is an auction devoted to wine, sometimes in combination with other alcoholic beverages. There are two basic types of wine auctions: first hand wine auctions, where wineries sell their own wines, and second hand wine auctions, arranged by auction houses or other auctioneers to make...
values.
Langton's Classification
- Exceptional: Most highly sought after and prized Australian wines on the market, 17 wines in 2010.
- Outstanding: Benchmark quality wines with a strong market following, 32 wines in 2010.
- Excellent: High performing wines of exquisite quality with solid volume of demand, 36 wines in 2010.
- Distinguished: Fine wine market staples or emerging classics, 38 wines in 2010.
History of the classification
The first classification published in 1991, Langton's Classification of Distinguished Australian Wine I, had its background in a publication from 1990, the Langton's Vintage Wine Price Guide. In the 1991 classification, 34 wines were classified using three categories: Outstanding (A), Outstanding (B), and Excellent. Only one wine was classified as Outstanding (A): Penfolds Grange Shiraz.Langton's sees its classification as "loosely modelled on the Bordeaux Classification of 1855
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world...
", but with its regular reclassifications it is more similar to the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine
Classification of Saint-Émilion wine
In 1955 the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified. Unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Medoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the...
, although with several differences: no official governmental recognition, a much wider geographic scope, and with several different wine styles classified using the same categories.
Langton's Classification of Distinguished Australian Wine II was published in 1996, and included 64 wines in four categories: Outstanding A (three wines), Outstanding, Excellent A, and Excellent.
Langton's Classification of Australian Wine III was published in 2000, and included 89 wines in the four categories also used for classifications IV and V; Exceptional (seven wines), Outstanding, Excellent, and Distinguished. From classification III, fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
s ("Port
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
") were no longer included.
Langton's Classification of Australian Wine IV of 2005 included 101 wines, of which 11 at the Exceptional level.
As of 2010, no wine that had been included in the top category ("Exceptional") had ever been demoted; this category had progressively expanded to include additional wines with each edition of the classification.
Exceptional wines category
In the 2010 classification, the following 17 wines are included in the "Exceptional" category. For historical reasons, Penfolds Grange is listed first by Langton's, with the other wines following in alphabetical order. The year when the wines were included in the "Exceptional" category (or its predecessor "Outstanding A") is indicated.- PenfoldsPenfoldsPenfolds is an Australian wine producer, founded in 1844 by Christopher Rawson Penfold, an English physician who emigrated to Australia, and his wife, Mary Penfold...
Bin 95 Grange ShirazPenfolds GrangePenfolds Grange is an Australian wine, made predominantly from the Shiraz grape and usually a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is widely considered Australia's "first growth" and its most collectable wine...
, South AustraliaSouth Australian wineThe South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. The state of South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties-from the cool climate...
; included since 1991 (I) - Bass PhillipBass PhillipBass Phillip is an Australian winery based in Leongatha, within the Gippsland region of Victoria.-History:Bass Phillip was established in 1979 by Phillip Jones, although it did not sell its first bottle of wine until 12 years later...
Reserve Pinot Noir, South GippslandSouth GippslandSouth Gippsland, a region of Gippsland in Victoria, Australia, is a well-watered region consisting of low, rolling hills descending to the coast in the south and the Latrobe Valley in the north. Low granite hills continue into Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost point of Victoria and mainland...
, VictoriaVictorian wineVictorian wine is wine made in the Australian state of Victoria. With over 600 wineries, Victoria has more wine producers than any other Australian wine-producing state but ranks third in overall wine production due to the lack of a mass bulk wine-producing area like South Australia's Riverland and...
; included since 2005 (IV) - Brokenwood Wines Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter Valley, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
; included since 2010 (V) - Chris Ringland Shiraz, Barossa ValleyBarossa Valley (wine)The Barossa Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is about 56km northeast of the city of Adelaide...
, South Australia; included since 2010 (V) - Clarendon HillsClarendon Hills (wine)Clarendon Hills is an Australian winery, founded in 1989 by Roman Bratasiuk.-Background:In 1990 Roman Bratasiuk founded Clarendon Hills winery in McLaren Vale, Clarendon south of Adelaide in Southern Australia. Clarendon was selected as a base because of the significant number of old vineyards...
Astralis Syrah, McLaren ValeMcLaren ValeMcLaren Vale is a wine region approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia. It has a population of about 2,000 and is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. The region was named after either David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company or John...
, South Australia; included since 2010 (V) - ClonakillaClonakillaClonakilla is an Australian winery based in the Canberra wine region of Murrumbateman, New South Wales.-History:Dr. John Kirk immigrated to Australia from Ireland to work as a research scientist at the CSIRO in 1968. In 1971, he founded Clonakilla, named after the farm owned by his grandfather in...
Shiraz Viognier, Canberra DistrictCanberra wine regionThe Canberra District wine region is located around Canberra, in the Capital city of Australia.Wine is grown and produced at or near and in a triangular area of about 60 km sides bordered by Canberra, Yass, and Bungendore, taking in the important localities of Murrumbateman and Lake...
, New South Wales; included since 2010 (V) - Cullen WinesCullen WinesCullen Wines is an Australian winery based in Wilyabrup, within the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia.-History:Trial vines were planted on one acre of land by Diana and Kevin Cullen on their Wilyabrup property in 1966 after having read advice and received encouragement from Dr John...
Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot, Margaret RiverMargaret River (wine region)Margaret River is the foremost Geographical Indication wine region in the South West Australia Zone, with nearly 5,500 hectares under vine and over 138 wineries as at 2008. Margaret River wine region is made up predominately of boutique size wine producers; although winery operations range from the...
, Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
; included since 2005 (IV) - GiacondaGiaconda WineryGiaconda is an Australian winery in Beechworth, Victoria.- History :Throughout the 1970s Rick Kinzbrunner, a mechanical engineer, travelled and spent time with wineries in New Zealand, the USA and France including Stag's Leap, Simi Winery and the owners of Chateau Petrus, the Mouex group...
Chardonnay, BeechworthBeechworth, VictoriaBeechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
, Victoria; included since 2005 (IV) - Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare ValleyClare ValleyThe Clare Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Main North Road as the main thoroughfare....
, South Australia; included since 2010 (V) - HenschkeHenschkeHenschke is a family-owned, year old Australian winery located in Keyneton, Eden Valley South Australia. It produces the 'Hill of Grace', one of Australia's Cult wines and considered Australia's second best wine by James Halliday in 2009.-History:...
Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden ValleyEden Valley, South AustraliaEden Valley is a small South Australian town in the Barossa Ranges. It was named by the surveyors of the area after they found the word "Eden" carved into a tree. Eden Valley has an elevation of 460 metres and an average annual rainfall of 716.2mm....
, South Australia; included since 1996 (II) - Leeuwin EstateLeeuwin EstateLeeuwin Estate is an Australian winery based in the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia.-History:Leeuwin Estate was established in 1969 by Denis and Tricia Horgan...
Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia; included since 2000 (III) - Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia; included since 2000 (III)
- Mount Mary Vineyard Quintet Cabernet Blend, Yarra ValleyYarra ValleyThe Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...
, Victoria; included since 1996 (II) - Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia; included since 2000 (III)
- Rockford Wines Basket Press Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia; included since 2005 (IV)
- TorbreckTorbreckTorbreck Vintners is an Australian winery in the Barossa Valley, founded by David Powell in 1994. The winery is named after a forest in Scotland where Powell worked as a lumberjack...
RunRig Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia; included since 2010 (V) - Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley, South Australia; included since 2000 (III)