Dr Tony Jordan OAM Collection Auction
Monday, April 19, 2021 in News
Looking at the wine collection of the late Dr Tony Jordan OAM, you not only see perfect provenance and proper care but also a glimpse into a true wine lover’s heart. Jordan was a giant of Australian wine — he helped bring it up to a modern and international standard and, among other achievements, was the one charged to bring Chandon to these shores. These are the wines he personally chose to cellar.
Jordan, it should be remembered, started the influential Oenotec wine consultancy with Brian Croser in the 1970s. It was the task of the Oenotec consultancy, quite simply, to raise wine standards. Jordan, who had a PhD in Chemical Physics, was renowned for suffering neither fools nor foolish wines gladly. The wines he cellared, no doubt, had to be up to his high standards or they wouldn’t have made the cut.
It’s an honour for Langton’s to be the trusted house to auction Tony Jordan OAM’s personal collection.
‘...a piece of Australian wine history.’
This collection epitomises Tony’s time in the wine industry. It showcases his true wine passions, ranging from a benchmark assortment of the world’s top sparkling wines to Bordeaux wines from as far back as the 1920s. There’s quality and value at every turn; there is something for every collector. What you are bidding on here, as well as the wines themselves, is a piece of Australian wine history.
More about the man Tony Jordan OAM
Dr Jordan’s wine career began in 1974 as a lecturer at Charles Sturt University, then known as Riverina College. He came armed with a PhD in Chemical Physics. One of his early yet pivotal moves was to bring on winemaker Brian Croser as a fellow lecturer. The two would later form a formidable bond.
One of Tony’s crowning achievements came when he was recognised by his wine peers and tasked with finding a location and building a wine facility to specialise in high-quality sparkling wine. He was employed to do so by none other than Moët Hennessy on the recommendation of friend James Halliday.
Tony roamed far and wide to find the perfect site before settling on a patch in Coldstream, in the Yarra Valley. The venture was aptly named Domaine Chandon (many of whom’s wines grace this very auction). Tony stayed on to head the business in their push to produce the country’s top sparkling wines.
Later, he would be made CEO of Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay. He also consulted at Chandon wineries around the world. Together with Moët, Tony explored options for a fine wine project in China. He went to Yunnan in the foothills of the Himalayas, where he found conditions similar to those found in Bordeaux. A star was born.
Closer to home Tony also established SpearGully, a venture he established in the Yarra Valley with his wife Michele.
Industry accolades came thick and fast
Tony achieved a great deal. He chaired Australian wine shows, judged at shows internationally, is a former president of both the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology and the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association, and was a board member of the Wine Australia Corporation for six years.
Tony was awarded Life Membership of the Australian Wine Industry by Australian Grape & Wine, while Wine Australia inaugurated the Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award, an annual award for the most outstanding Wine Australia PhD scholarship applicant. Of his contribution to the wine industry, James Halliday noted:
“Tony Jordan has made a unique contribution to the Yarra Valley dating back prior to 1984-85 when he taught me how to make Chardonnay. [He was] legendary for his fearsome intelligence.
Tony has been one of those constants across the Australian wine landscape over many decades. I had the privilege of serving with him on the board of (the old) Wine Australia, where I observed first-hand his selfless contributions to regions, wine tourism, wine exports and fine wine in general.”
Tony’s cellar highlights
BANNOCKBURN VINEYARDS Chardonnay ,Geelong 1994
between $30 and $35 per bottle
CAPE MENTELLE Chardonnay, Margaret River 2005
between $15 and $25 per bottle
CAPEL VALE WINES Cabernet Sauvignon, Geographe W.A. 1986
between $30 and $40 per bottle
DOMAINE ARMAND ROUSSEAU Grand Cru, Chambertin 1972
between $8,500 and $10,500 per bottle
CHATEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL 2me cru classe, St-Estephe 1921
between $1,000 and $2,000 per bottle
CHATEAU D'YQUEM 1er cru superieur, Sauternes 1969
Between $600 and $700 per bottle
CHATEAU LEOVILLE-BARTON 2me cru classe, St-Julien 1953
between $300 and $400 per bottle
WIRRA WIRRA The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale 1996 Double Magnum
between $150 and $180 per bottle
CHANDON AUSTRALIA Brut Rose, Yarra Valley 1992
between $20 and $30 a bottle
MOET & CHANDON MOET & CHANDON Imperial Brut, Painted and Signed by Pro Hart, Champagne NV
between $5,000 and $6,000 per bottle
MOET & CHANDON Vintage Imperial Brut, Champagne 1906
between $300 and $400 per bottle
Explore the Dr Tony Jordan OAM Collection auction here.
