Wine Index Langton’s Fine Wine Index is the first credible index to chart the performance over time of a balanced portfolio of Australian wine. Langton’s Wine Chart™ software is able to chart the performance of any Australian wine or selection of wines from our database of prices dating back to the late 1980s.

Langton's Wine Indices
Langton's Fine Wine Index Click to Enlarge

Langton's Fine Wine Index

Langton’s Fine Wine Index (LFWI) was conceived to provide our clients with a more meaningful guide to the overall performance of ultra-fine wine on the secondary wine market. Presented in a similar format to the All Ordinaries and utilizing Langton’s database of price records dating back to the late 1980s, the LFWI is an easy-to-follow guide to price movement. The 2005 LFWI tracks the performance over time of a basket of 28 leading Australian wines selected from Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine from five vintages: 1986, 1990, 1994, 1996 and 1998.
1971 Penfolds Grange Click to Enlarge

1971 Penfolds Grange

Penfolds Grange has long been the wine investment market’s barometer. The 1971 vintage is one of the greatest vintages produced and is often used as the benchmark vintage for analyzing the performance of this Australian blue-chip wine brand. The price gains of the 1971 vintage over the last 10 years have dominated the fine wine market. However, comparisons between this vintage of Grange and other Australian fine wine brands provide insight into the maturing state of the wine market. New brands and new wines are attracting significant market interest. Langton’s first sold the 1971 in 1988 and achieved AUD$180. Today this wine achieves between AUD$500-600. Now more than 30 years old this vintage is reaching a quality plateau. As a result expect to see the price of this wine also plateau.
1990 Shiraz Index Click to Enlarge

1990 Shiraz Index

Today fine Australian Shiraz is instantly recognizable for its complex matrix of aromas, concentration and texture. It is unmistakably Australian, delicious to drink and a brilliant investment for any serious wine investor. This graph charts the performance of eight Australian Shirazes from the great vintage of 1990. While the 1990s have been a decade of very good vintages, the 1990 vintage is a stand out. The eight brands included in the chart are Barossa Valley Estates E&E, Bowen Estate, Brokenwood Graveyard, Dalwhinnie, Jasper Hill Georgia’s, Rockford Basket Press, Wendouree and Wynns Coonawarra. While the steady price increases can be attributed to a number of factors, overseas buyers have been one of the major driving forces. The international wine buying market is discovering and appreciating the ageing properties of Australian Shiraz more than ever before and the recent focus of celebrated American wine writer Robert Parker Jr. on Australian Shiraz has encouraged the market even more. Overall, prices for Shiraz from the 1990 vintage continue to rise and, given the awesome qualities of these wines, we do not expect to see a softening of prices in the immediate future.