The Classification Explained
The pinnacle of recognition for Australian wineries and producers, the LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine is the go-to guide to Australia’s most highly sought-after wines, reflecting consumer demand, collectability, and prices fetched at auction.
‘Being recognised on the LANGTONS Classification is about more than just making great wine. It ensures that those included are considered by critics, collectors and fine wine aficionados alike as at the very top of their game. The Classification is data-led and based on consistency, quality, clearance and tradability in the market. Internationally the Classification offers winemakers and winemaking regions the opportunity to benchmark themselves against the greatest and most traded wines in Australia. A stylistic form guide for what styles and techniques are hot and what names to keep an eye out for.’
–Michael Anderson, Head of Auctions and Secondary Market
The new Classification comprises a total of 100 wines across 60 wineries. The wines are given the title of ‘Classified’, reflecting their demand and performance in the secondary market (at auction). A special designation of ‘1st Classified’ is reserved for a small cohort of wines representing the most desirable wines in Australia that compete with the world’s finest. The ‘1st Classified’ name is a homage to the Premier Cru (First Growth) wines that sit atop the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, which was the original inspiration for the LANGTONS Classification.
This new edition shows the biggest change in the history of the LANGTONS Classification with clear trends towards elegance and distinction. Driving this change, the new guard illustrates the trend for Australia’s wine scene in an international context where fine wine moves into the realm of luxury.
‘The 8th edition of the LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine represents a seismic shift in the purchasing, drinking and investing habits of Australia's top fine wine buyers. We can see a movement away from the hedonistic, full-bodied reds, with a shift towards lighter styles from cooler climates and a sprinkling of top tier, vibrant whites, too’
–Michael Anderson, Head of Auctions and Secondary Market.
19 new wines have joined the ranks, including The Relic Shiraz Viognier and The Schubert Theorem Shiraz (The Standish Wine Company), Hoffmann Dallwitz and Little Wine Shiraz (Sami-Odi), Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Tolpuddle), and Quartz Chardonnay (Bindi) underlining a clear new direction to more elegant styles of Shiraz and southeast regions featuring pinot noir and chardonnay.
To make it into the LANGTONS Classification, each wine must have been released for at least ten vintages and have a strong track record in the secondary market. Icons of Australian fine wine lead the line, including Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Wendouree Shiraz, Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, and Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay. These stalwarts have graced LANGTONS Classification year after year and embody the pinnacle of Australian fine wine with demand for blue chip wines and producers another key trend.
‘In Classifications gone by, the richly robed reds of warmer climate parts of South Australia were stalwart wines. While such wines from top names are still loved among collectors, there is clear and irrefutable movement towards lighter styles from cool climate regions, including Pinot Noir from Bindi and Bass Phillip, as well as top Chardonnays from Macedon, Gippsland, Tasmania and beyond.’
– Michael Anderson, Head of Auctions and Secondary Market
First Classified
Bass Phillip Wines Reserve Pinot Noir
Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz
Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir
Brokenwood Wines Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz
Cullen Wines Diana Madeline
Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Mount Mary Pinot Noir
Mount Mary Quintet
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz
Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
Torbreck Runrig Shiraz
Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon
Wendouree Shiraz
Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.1 Cabernet
Classified
Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged Methode Traditionelle
Balnaves Of Coonawarra The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Bass Phillip Wines Premium Chardonnay
Bass Phillip Wines Premium Pinot Noir
Best’s Great Western Wines Bin 0 Shiraz
Bindi Original Vineyard Pinot Noir
Bindi Quartz Chardonnay
Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon
Castagna Genesis Syrah
Charles Melton Nine Popes GSM
Chris Ringland Dry Grown Barossa Ranges Shiraz
Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz
Craiglee Shiraz
Crawford River Wines Riesling
Cullen Wines Kevin John Chardonnay
Curly Flat Pinot Noir
D’arenberg Wines The Dead Arm Shiraz
De Bortoli Wines Noble One Botrytis Semillon
Deep Woods Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon
Giaconda Estate Vineyard Shiraz
Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz
Henschke Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon
Henschke Hill Of Roses Shiraz
Henschke Keyneton Estate Shiraz Cabernet Malbec
Jim Barry Wines The Armagh Shiraz
John Duval Wines Plexus SGM
Katnook Estate Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon
Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir
Majella The Malleea Cabernet Shiraz
Moss Wood Chardonnay
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyards Langi Shiraz
Mount Mary Chardonnay
Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz
Oakridge Wines 864 Chardonnay
Paringa Estate Estate Pinot Noir
Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay
Penfolds Bin 398 Rwt Shiraz
Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz
Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz
Rockford Black Sparkling Shiraz
Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon
Sami-Odi Hoffmann Dallwitz Shiraz
Sami-Odi Little Wine Shiraz
Serrat Close Planted Shiraz Viognier
The Standish Wine Company The Relic Single Vineyard Shiraz Viognier
The Standish Wine Company The Standish Shiraz
The Standish Wine Company Schubert Theorem Shiraz
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay
Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir
Torbreck The Steading GSM
Turkey Flat Shiraz
Tyrrell's 4 Acres Shiraz
Tyrrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay
Vasse Felix Tom Cullity Cabernet Blend
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec
Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon
Wendouree Shiraz Mataro
Wine By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir
Wine By Farr Tout Pres Pinot Noir
Woodlands Family Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz
Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.2 Shiraz
Yeringberg Cabernet Blend