Langton's Classification Tasting
The Langton's Classification Tasting was held in Melbourne and Sydney on 4 and 5 September 2013. The first time in 3 years that the event has been held.
For those who don't know, the Langton's Classification is a guide to Australia's best wines. The classification was first published in 1990 and is reviewed every 5 years. The current classification, the fifth, was released in 2010 and includes 123 Australian wines. The classification wines are selected objectively based on their record at auction over time. Not surprisingly for an Australian classification the majority of wines are Shiraz, followed by Cabernets.
The tasting therefore, was a rare opportunity to taste these wines. We had in the past had the good fortune to try them all over time, but a tasting of so many all at once was an event not to be missed.
We attended the Melbourne tasting and most of the 123 wines were there, although we suspect a couple were missing! And not only the wines but also the winemakers, including those we know from Bass Phillip, Bindi, Jasper Hill, Yeringberg, Mount Mary, Henschke and others. Its not possible to taste over 100 wines so we, like many others, were selective and made sure we tasted the Chris Ringland, Grange and others from the top category.
It really was an event not to be missed. However it was spoilt by being very crowded and extremely difficult to move around, especially early in the evening. A bigger venue or selling less tickets would have solved the problem and made it a more pleasant evening for everyone. Given the wines and winemakers involved, many of those attending would have happily paid a higher price to attend a less crowded event.
Lets hope its not another 3 years till the next Langton's tasting.
Langton's Classification explained
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