Inside Australia’s Most Important Private Wine Collection

Often decisive, rarely mistaken and never dismissed, there is a reason why James Halliday AM is regarded as the Godfather of Australian Wine. But what does the industry’s most influential wine critic actually drink?

James Halliday knows a thing or two about provenance. For over 40 years, Australia’s most influential wine critic has lovingly guided oenophiles through the cellar doors and suburban aisles of every bottle shop in the country, unearthing the industry’s most remarkable hidden gems. His advice, regularly published in the much-loved Halliday Wine Companion, is lauded nationwide, and his seal of approval remains the industry’s most coveted prize. Simply put, when James Halliday speaks, the Australian wine world listens.

However, in a landmark move that signals the end of an era, Halliday is letting his cellar do the talking. Through a once-in-a-lifetime online auction with specialist wine auctioneer and marketplace LANGTONS, over 1,800 of his most cherished bottles went up for grabs. From rare German rieslings to fine Burgundy, and of course, a few drops of rich Rhône favourites, James Halliday’s Private Collection speaks to the delightful idiosyncrasies of Australia’s most important tastemaker.

The James Halliday Collection

To truly appreciate the significance of the auction, you need first to understand who James Halliday is. More than just a wine critic or writer, the expert was instrumental in bringing Australian wine to the masses, authoring influential titles such as The Australian Wine Encyclopedia and his highly successful Halliday Wine Companion.

Not content with simply scoring wine, however, Halliday has regularly swapped the pen for the press, co-founding Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley in 1970 and Coldstream Hills in the Yarra in 1983. In 2010, he was awarded the Order of Australia for his services to the wine industry, a rare recognition for a wine writer, but a fitting one for a man who transformed a national conversation.

“There are many beloved brands and personalities in Australian wine, but very few truly transcend the industry to become household names: James Halliday is one,” Michael Anderson, head of auctions and secondary market for LANGTONS tells me. “Inarguably, James is the greatest champion of Australian wine and the country’s most respected critic. This auction allows us to see what’s in his personal cellar and answer the question: ‘What does James Halliday collect?’ To appeal to the auction is to own a little piece of Australian wine history. Most wine lovers get drawn into this world because singular moments become etched in our memories.”

For Halliday, those memories are remarkable and varied. Across his magnanimous career, the wine expert hasn’t shied away from drops that others would regularly have denied, disregarded, and outright disparaged. Auctioned online in late May, the James Halliday Collection comprised an astonishing 1,800 wines, each drawn from the wine legend’s personal archive. While some bore familiar names, easily recognised by viticulture pundits, others represented more uncharted territory.

In many ways, Halliday’s approachable, egalitarian nature has allowed him to remain steadfast on trends. A purveyor of new world wine who doesn’t decry the traditional growing regions of Europe, Halliday’s collection draws from almost all wine-producing continents on the globe. 

There’s a 1997 Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir from the Macedon Ranges, a 2000 House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged Magnum, and a 1992 Charles Melton Nine Popes, all landmark bottles from names that have helped shape the modern Australian palate. But chief amongst the Halliday Private Collection is a name that can’t help but pique interest.

Halliday’s Personal Passion

The latest auction comprises a whopping 100 lots of Halliday’s personal passion, French producer Domaine Armand Rousseau. A fourth-generation, family-run vineyard based in the Côte de Nuits wine-growing region of Burgundy, the producer is among the finest proponents of pinot noir excellence, just ask Anderson.

“Domaine Armand Rousseau is one of the finest domaines in Burgundy and therefore the world. These wines are expensive, difficult to acquire and challenging to understand,” he explained. “That James’ cellar contains so many vintages of so many Rousseau cuvées speaks of a long-term commitment to this domaine. As one of the world’s most respected wine critics and an authority on Burgundy, James would have his pick of the various great domaines of Burgundy and he went long on Rousseau. We can infer from this that these wines have sustained his interest over decades.”

Each Domaine Armand Rousseau bottle in the collection is personally signed by the wine critic himself, signalling just how dearly Halliday revered the product. Collectors will find a 1999 Clos des Ruchottes Monopole, a 1976 Clos de la Roche, and the crown jewel: a 1990 Chambertin Grand Cru, all from the iconic Burgundy producer. But it doesn’t stop there. The auction is a global tour of iconic winemaking:

• A 1996 illecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart Brut from Champagne.
• A 1997 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling-Spatlese from the Mosel.
• A 1980 Domaine Clape from the Rhône Valley.
• Even a 1974 Chateau de Fonasalette Côtes-du-Rhône, a vintage older than some of Halliday’s youngest readers.

As Anderson explains, a collection as wide-ranging and significant as this makes for an interesting project. Wines such as these rarely hit the auction block, and when they do, it’s generally due to tragedy or economic hardship. In the case of James Halliday, it’s merely an opportunity to do what he has done so fruitfully for over four decades: share his passion with Australia.

“Cellars are unique. Most have something in common, but they all have their idiosyncrasies, and collectors who have an emotional attachment to them have invested so much time, often a lifetime, into their cellars. One does have to pause and take a moment to acknowledge the commitment and respect that parting with one’s collection can be emotional,” Anderson said. 

“Personally, I feel a great amount of pride in leading the team to bring this auction to market and no little privilege besides. I get to discuss James Halliday’s Private Cellar with the man himself.”

A Life in the Vines

The latest auction marks the second time LANGTONS has handled the evaluation and auctioning off of Halliday’s treasured wine collection, with the previous occasion in 2020. This time around, however, all releases are final. Halliday confirmed this auction was the last time he cleared out the final bottles in his cellar, which is located in the Yarra Valley’s Coldstream Hills, while he relocated to Sydney. According to Anderson, who heads up the LANGTONS auction team, the project represents a remarkable journey of provenance, desirability and, naturally, price.

“Provenance is very important and can affect the price in significant ways. We can rest assured that the wines in James Halliday’s cellar have come directly from the producer or a distributor,” he said. “The province is not just about ‘bringing the receipts’; storage is also a consideration, and these wines have been stored in one of Australia’s best-known cellars under James’ Coldstream property in Victoria.”

The underground treasure trove that only a handful had the privilege of viewing firsthand remains one of winemaking’s most enigmatic locales, but with this auction, we learn a little more about the man behind the Companion. Halliday’s collection,  Steeped in history, stored perfectly and sourced directly, is an ode to the industry’s far-reaching vines and how far they have spread since he first started writing all those decades ago. If you ask Anderson, the collection’s breadth of European and Australian labels reveals a broader narrative about Australian wine identity. 

“Wine is so broad that nothing can capture it all, but I would say this gives us a snapshot. Australian wine is diverse; some are always improving, evolving and challenging the status quo. There’s confidence in Australian wine, which we see in many European wine regions. It comes with time and success. We’ve earned it.”

For the seasoned collector, a glimpse inside James Halliday’s private collection may elicit visions of riches, but to the wider community, it’s an acknowledgement of a life spent dedicated to perfection. With his columns, books and reviews, Halliday invited us all to the table, welcomed each dinner with a full glass and made the industry a more fruitful place. This auction is merely a proper toast to the legacy of a man who taught a nation how to drink.