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Aged Wendouree: A Private Cellar Dinner at Barons
A rare opportunity to share nine mature Wendouree wines from 1996–2005, with impeccable provenance from the producer to professional storage.
Wednesday 25 November 2026
7pm start, sharp
Private Cellar Room, Barons Bar & Grill
52 Bridge Street, Sydney
Hosted by David Messum, Cellared
20 places | $460 per person, including the meal, Champagne, all nine Wendouree wines, service and GST
An invitation to share something special
Some collections need the right occasion to bring them to the table.
For this dinner, a private collector has generously made nine mature Wendouree wines available for us to enjoy together. Their provenance runs directly from the producer to professional storage, giving us a rare opportunity to explore this Australian icon with the benefit of both age and a known history.
I’m very grateful to the owner for making these bottles available. The intention is to share the pleasure of the collection with fellow wine lovers, and I can think of few better ways to do that than over a generous dinner, with time to taste, compare and talk.
We’ll have Barons’ private Cellar Room to ourselves, tucked away for an evening of wine pleasure and a little unashamed geekiness. The low lighting and quality meat-focused grill make it a particularly inviting setting for the richness, structure and savoury complexity of mature Wendouree reds.
The mystique of Wendouree
Wendouree occupies an almost mythical place in Australian wine. Its story began in 1892, when Alfred Percy Birks and his brother planted their first vines in the Clare Valley. Its old vineyards, individuality and long-lived reds have made it an essential part of Australia’s fine wine landscape.
Released through a closely held mailing list and keenly pursued at auction, Wendouree has always required a little patience and persistence. This dinner offers the pleasure of experiencing nine wines together, with vintages spanning 1996–2005 and provenance traced from the producer to professional storage.
The wines
We’ll begin with Maison Pompadour Brut NV Champagne before moving into three guided brackets, opening with the oldest wines.
Bracket one: The 1990s
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 1996
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 1998
Wendouree Shiraz 1999
Our three oldest wines open the evening, giving us time to appreciate their maturity and detail while our palates are fresh. The two Shiraz Malbec vintages provide an immediate comparison before we move to the 1999 Shiraz.
Bracket two: Cabernet and Malbec
Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2002
Wendouree Malbec 2005
A chance to explore two varieties individually and together. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Malbec offer a comparison within the same vintage, alongside the 2005 Malbec.
Bracket three: Shiraz and its blends
Wendouree Shiraz Mataro 2002
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 2004
Wendouree Shiraz 2002
Our final bracket brings together Shiraz, Shiraz Malbec and Shiraz Mataro, exploring the contribution of each variety and the individual character of these mature wines.
David will guide the evening, with plenty of room for questions, shared impressions and the enjoyment of following the wines in the glass.
Barons Grand Banquet - Sharing style
Carpaccio
Seared beef carpaccio, horseradish, Riesling vinaigrette.
Rib eye
Wagyu rib eye with creamed spinach, bitter leaves and French fries.
Pumpkin pie
Butternut pumpkin pie with coffee caramel.
Your ticket includes
A glass of Maison Pompadour Champagne on arrival.
All nine Wendouree wines, served as approximately 50mL tasting pours.
The three-course Barons Grand Banquet.
An evening in Barons’ private Cellar Room.
Guided tasting and hosting by David Messum.
Service and GST.
A limited number of wines from the collection will also be available to purchase on the night.
Please contact us before booking to discuss any dietary requirements. Our menu has been chosen around beef and mature red wines, and we’ll work with Barons to confirm what can be accommodated.
The evening begins at 7pm sharp. Please arrive in time to be seated for the start.
Please note the wines on the night may be subject to change.
A rare opportunity to share nine mature Wendouree wines from 1996–2005, with impeccable provenance from the producer to professional storage.
Wednesday 25 November 2026
7pm start, sharp
Private Cellar Room, Barons Bar & Grill
52 Bridge Street, Sydney
Hosted by David Messum, Cellared
20 places | $460 per person, including the meal, Champagne, all nine Wendouree wines, service and GST
An invitation to share something special
Some collections need the right occasion to bring them to the table.
For this dinner, a private collector has generously made nine mature Wendouree wines available for us to enjoy together. Their provenance runs directly from the producer to professional storage, giving us a rare opportunity to explore this Australian icon with the benefit of both age and a known history.
I’m very grateful to the owner for making these bottles available. The intention is to share the pleasure of the collection with fellow wine lovers, and I can think of few better ways to do that than over a generous dinner, with time to taste, compare and talk.
We’ll have Barons’ private Cellar Room to ourselves, tucked away for an evening of wine pleasure and a little unashamed geekiness. The low lighting and quality meat-focused grill make it a particularly inviting setting for the richness, structure and savoury complexity of mature Wendouree reds.
The mystique of Wendouree
Wendouree occupies an almost mythical place in Australian wine. Its story began in 1892, when Alfred Percy Birks and his brother planted their first vines in the Clare Valley. Its old vineyards, individuality and long-lived reds have made it an essential part of Australia’s fine wine landscape.
Released through a closely held mailing list and keenly pursued at auction, Wendouree has always required a little patience and persistence. This dinner offers the pleasure of experiencing nine wines together, with vintages spanning 1996–2005 and provenance traced from the producer to professional storage.
The wines
We’ll begin with Maison Pompadour Brut NV Champagne before moving into three guided brackets, opening with the oldest wines.
Bracket one: The 1990s
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 1996
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 1998
Wendouree Shiraz 1999
Our three oldest wines open the evening, giving us time to appreciate their maturity and detail while our palates are fresh. The two Shiraz Malbec vintages provide an immediate comparison before we move to the 1999 Shiraz.
Bracket two: Cabernet and Malbec
Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2002
Wendouree Malbec 2005
A chance to explore two varieties individually and together. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Malbec offer a comparison within the same vintage, alongside the 2005 Malbec.
Bracket three: Shiraz and its blends
Wendouree Shiraz Mataro 2002
Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 2004
Wendouree Shiraz 2002
Our final bracket brings together Shiraz, Shiraz Malbec and Shiraz Mataro, exploring the contribution of each variety and the individual character of these mature wines.
David will guide the evening, with plenty of room for questions, shared impressions and the enjoyment of following the wines in the glass.
Barons Grand Banquet - Sharing style
Carpaccio
Seared beef carpaccio, horseradish, Riesling vinaigrette.
Rib eye
Wagyu rib eye with creamed spinach, bitter leaves and French fries.
Pumpkin pie
Butternut pumpkin pie with coffee caramel.
Your ticket includes
A glass of Maison Pompadour Champagne on arrival.
All nine Wendouree wines, served as approximately 50mL tasting pours.
The three-course Barons Grand Banquet.
An evening in Barons’ private Cellar Room.
Guided tasting and hosting by David Messum.
Service and GST.
A limited number of wines from the collection will also be available to purchase on the night.
Please contact us before booking to discuss any dietary requirements. Our menu has been chosen around beef and mature red wines, and we’ll work with Barons to confirm what can be accommodated.
The evening begins at 7pm sharp. Please arrive in time to be seated for the start.
Please note the wines on the night may be subject to change.