Australians love supporting the underdog against the favourite, be it in sport, music, business or anything else. How come then, all of a sudden, everyone is riding the Seppelt wave, part of the largest wine company in Australia, Southcorp? Even the champions of the boutique wineries have caught on, with Winefront Monthly doing two articles in subsequent issues on Seppelt.
The answer is rather simple, it’s not because of a huge marketing campaign, or because of a good review from a famed wine critic, it’s because Arthur O’Connor and his winemaking team at Seppelt have started to deliver exceptional quality at an unbelievable price point. The proof is entirely in the bottle so to speak.
Up until recently, Seppelt was famed for its brilliant fortified and sparkling wine, but the table wines were a very much hit-and-miss proposition. When I visited Seppelt in the middle of last year, the table wines were good without being outstanding and I thought represented average value for money. What a difference six months can make.
When I visited the Exhibition of Victorian Winemakers early last month, across the entire Seppelt range, I didn’t taste a single weak wine. The ’02 St. Peters blew me away and came away an easy victor against wines that cost four times as much with the ’01 vintage of the same wine following very closely behind. The ’02 Chalambar Shiraz was the best value red wine of the day, it was briefly in stores for around $18 AU before it very quickly sold out. The whites were similarly impressive with the ’04 Drumborg Riesling bound to be an absolute classic if anyone can keep their hands off it for 10-15 years, and the ’04 Jaluka Chardonnay an exceptionally complex wine that speaks volumes about where it comes from, and then consider that it is going to retail at under $20.
The ’02 St Peters (98 Points) and the ’04 Jaluka Chardonnay (93 Points) are due to be released on the 21st of March. Also to be released on that day are the ’03 Chalambar Shiraz and the ’03 Moyston Cabernet Merlot, both of which have had extremely positive things said about them from those who have been fortunate enough to taste them. The St. Peters has a RRP of $50 AU with the other three wines having a RRP of $24 AU (which should translate to just under $20 AU at retail). That is incredible value for money, considering the quality of wine being delivered. Best of all, from the 2003 vintage onwards, the entire range of table wines will be bottled under screwcap, with the majority of sparkling wines under crown seal.
Arthur O’Connor joined Seppelt as chief winemaker 18 months ago after leaving a post as a viticulturalist in the USA at Bonny Doon, and the fruit of his labours at Seppelt is really starting to show. Arthur told Winefront Monthly “We didn’t have a marketing budget, which in a way was good, because the only way to really re-build a brand is to put it into the bottle, and that’s what we’ve done. It’s a kind of build-it-and-they-will-come thing. We make the wines better, and people buy them.”
The quality, and especially importantly, the regionality of the wines has improved dramatically, all while somehow keeping the same pricing. I just hope that Southcorp is taking note, this is the way to build a successful brand, through wines that show off the regions individuality, even at the low priced end of the range. Build up the customer loyalty through maintaining prices even with exceptional vintages, and the winery will proper. This is the kind of marketing to customers and loyalty from customers that money cannot buy.
Congratulations Arthur O’Connor and the team at Seppelt, you’ll have my business for as long as you continue to take this approach to letting the regionality of the wine speak of where it comes from, and for putting the quality of the wine ahead of volume. and short-term profits.
Website: http://www.seppelt.com.au
Contact: http://www.seppelt.com.au/contact/index.html