GWA Cellar Selection Tasting | Australian Icon's | Tue Jan 19th 2027

Cellar Selection: Icons of Australia
 
The Perfect Gift for the Wine Lover Who Has Everything
 
This special Cellar Selection has been designed as a unique Christmas gift for wine lovers, collectors and curious enthusiasts who enjoy discovering some of the world's most celebrated wines. Delivered in January 2027, it offers something far more memorable than another bottle sitting unopened on a shelf.
 
 
Instead, this is an invitation to join a live guided tasting experience featuring six exceptional wines from some of Australia's most respected producers. Carefully selected from our cellar and presented in tasting samples, this collection allows participants to explore benchmark examples from Australia's most famous wine regions alongside fellow enthusiasts.
 
 
The wines have been chosen to tell the story of modern Australian fine wine. From the legendary age-worthy Semillons of the Hunter Valley to mature Riesling, world-class Chardonnay and some of Australia's most iconic reds, this tasting demonstrates the extraordinary diversity and quality that Australia offers.
 
 
The line-up includes Tyrrell's legendary Vat 1 Semillon, a wine that has become one of the world's great white wine classics, alongside mature examples from Pewsey Vale and Shaw + Smith.
The red wines explore a very different side of Australia. Torbreck's celebrated Struie Shiraz and d'Arenberg's flagship Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon are joined by one of the most sought-after wines in the country: the legendary Rockford Basket Press Shiraz.
 
 
A Rare Opportunity to Taste a Wine Most People Never Will
 
The highlight of the evening is undoubtedly the Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2010.
Often described as one of Australia's cult wines, Basket Press has earned an extraordinary reputation amongst collectors for its ability to age gracefully over decades. Produced in limited quantities and fiercely allocated, mature examples rarely appear on the open market and are seldom encountered outside private cellars.
 
 
Our bottles have been carefully stored for over fifteen years and are now beginning to reveal the complexity, savoury character and elegance that have made Basket Press one of Australia's most revered wines.
 
 
For many participants, this may be their first and only opportunity to taste a mature example of this iconic wine.
 
 
Several of the wines in this tasting are no longer readily available through normal retail channels. Experiencing them side by side in a comparative tasting is an opportunity that would be difficult and expensive to recreate independently.
 
 
Whether purchased as a gift for a loved one or as a well-earned treat for yourself, this Cellar Selection promises an evening of discovery, conversation and exceptional wine.
 
 
The Wines
 
 
Tyrrell's Vat 1 Hunter Semillon 2012 (100ml)
Pewsey Vale Museum Reserve "The Contours" Riesling 2015 (100ml)
Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2017 (100ml)
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2010 (50ml)
Torbreck The Struie Shiraz 2014 (50ml)
d'Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (50ml)
 
 
Rare Wines, Carefully Shared
Many of the wines featured in this tasting come from mature vintages that are no longer commercially available.
In several cases we have only a handful of bottles remaining in our cellar. Rather than keeping these wines hidden away, we have chosen to share them with a small group of fellow wine lovers.
Some wines are therefore offered in 50ml samples rather than 100ml. This is not a reflection of their importance. Quite the opposite.
 
These smaller pours allow us to include wines that would otherwise be impossible to offer at all. The pricing reflects the sample size, ensuring participants receive fair value while still gaining access to bottles that are increasingly difficult to source and, in some cases, impossible to replace.
 
 
The opportunity to taste a mature 2010 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz alongside benchmark wines from Tyrrell's, Torbreck, Shaw + Smith and d'Arenberg is precisely what the Cellar Selection series was created to provide.
 
 
The Experience
 
 
Your wines will be preserved using argon gas and prepared specifically for the tasting. Sample sizes vary according to availability, with some wines offered in smaller measures due to the limited quantities remaining in our cellar.
 
 
Join us live on Zoom for an in-depth two-hour guided tasting session, where we will explore the history, geography, soils, viticulture, winemaking and ageing potential of each wine. Along the way we will discuss why these wines matter, how they compare with their international peers and what makes them worthy of a place in a fine wine cellar.
 
 
The sessions are designed for both enthusiastic wine lovers and experienced wine students. Whether you are discovering these wines for the first time or returning to structured tasting after completing your studies, you will find plenty to enjoy.
 
 
Many of our alumni tell us that they miss the opportunity to taste and discuss wines in a focused environment. These sessions provide a chance to reconnect with those skills, revisit classic regions and benchmark your palate against a range of outstanding wines.
 
 
For those who wish to approach the tasting in a more structured way, WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT) notes can be provided on request.
 
 
To ensure a highly interactive experience, places are limited to a maximum of 12 participants. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions, discuss the wines and share observations throughout the evening.
 
 
All sessions are recorded and available to view for one month after the live event.
 
 
Pricing
 
 
We believe in being completely transparent about our pricing.
The cost of each Cellar Selection is based on the current market value of the wines included, together with delivery costs and a £25 tasting session fee.
 
 
In many cases, the wines being poured are mature vintages that are no longer widely available. The opportunity to taste them side by side, guided by an experienced educator and in the company of fellow enthusiasts, is what makes these evenings truly special.
 
 
UK delivery only at present. Wines will be dispatched during the week of the tasting.
 
Some of these wines will reappear in future tastings in the series so this may not be your only opportunity to try them.