Why Seppeltsfield's century-old port is a bargain at $1500 a (tiny) bottle

The release of Seppeltsfield's 1922 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny this week marked a moment in history. If bottles could talk, it would reveal a century's worth of memories.

The coveted drop is the 45th consecutive centurion to be released from the Barossa wine brand's historic 1878 Centennial Cellar. Priced at $1500 for a 100ml bottle, it's a port for serious fortified wine fans and history buffs.

For those unable to invest in the release, a tasting can be experienced at Seppeltsfield's cellar door for $90 a pop. It may be one of the most expensive initial retail prices ever for an Australian port, but as far as value goes, it doesn't get much better.

You can't put a price on history and the story behind the luscious drop is a doozy – a tale of foresight, unwavering vision and a touch of madness. At least, that's what it would have seemed like in 1878 when the late Oscar "Benno" Seppelt decided to stow away his finest ports and not open them for 100 years.

"Benno was a real visionary and entrepreneur," says Seppeltsfield's chief winemaker Fiona Donald. "It's phenomenal when you think about it … the pure audacity of the idea.

"Not only did he lay down port in 1878, he did it in 1879, 1880 and every year after that. It continued even when it didn't make financial sense."

Benno was an adventurous sort. His parents Joseph and Johanna Seppelt established Seppeltsfield in South Australia's Barossa Valley in 1851 after migrating from Silesia, Germany in 1849. Joseph originally intended to farm tobacco, instead they produced brandy, gin and vermouth, cordials, vinegars and essences.

Joseph died in 1868 and one year later, at the age of 21, Benno Seppelt took over the family business and went on to design the estate's impressive winery.

He also had the foresight to create the moody Centennial Cellar, where the matured single barrels of vintage tawny wait patiently for their release. These days, Donald keeps a watchful eye over them.

"The process has always been respected," she says. "Right through to 1978, when the first 100-year-old tawny was released." Back then Seppeltsfield was still under family ownership, but when Warren Randall eventually took the reins, the tradition continued.

"No one pillaged it, no one blended it away, no one said, 'oh we'll just use all that old stuff in the Para or Para Grand'," says Donald. "The fact that it has endured is phenomenal."

Working with a wine like this requires patience. "It's really all about balance," says Donald.

"Those wines need to be balanced when they're young. Not just the alcohol but the level of sugar, the acidity, the depth of the fruit and the fact that you haven't made it like a dry red.

"They need to be balanced so that as they evaporate and concentrate, the balance remains the same but shifts up the scale. That idea of balance as it evolves is quite the lesson for me as a winemaker."

Wine critics love the stuff. The 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny is rated 'exceptional' in Langton's Classification of Australian Wine and has received a rare 100-point score from wine writer James Halliday.

Each release delivers its own unique aromas, flavours and nuance.

"Like many people, I was guilty of assuming that tawny this old would look the same, year in year out," says Donald.

"I thought, 'they've been sitting there in beautiful, seasoned fortified barrels … hot in the summer and cold in winter for 100 years… surely they all look the same'.

"I was wrong. They don't. When I did my tasting notes on the 1922, it wasn't what I've seen previously, which was a lot of plum pudding and chocolate panforte. This has a much more savoury element to it. More like liqueur."

In today's climate of quick fixes, fast food and instant pleasure, it can be difficult to imagine Benno's selfless foresight. He knew he wouldn't live long enough to witness the first release but began the process anyway.

Donald is humbled by the fact she won't be around for the release of the precious liquid she is working on today either.

"I won't see the 2022 [tawny] as a 100-year-old wine," she says. "Even my children won't taste it as it's intended to be released."

Tasting notes

Seppeltsfield 1922 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny, Barossa, SA, $1500 for 100ml

Shut the door, draw the blinds, turn your phone to silent. This mouthful demands attention. If you listen hard enough, a century worth of memories unfolds in the glass. First up, there's the aroma of hot pancakes doused in maple syrup, then a ripple of orange zest, dried raisins and a flutter of sage across the palate. Oh, the glorious acidic tension. It's regal but simultaneously playful (more Princess Margaret than demure Diana) and sexy as hell.

Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Age doesn't necessarily mean quality but in this case, it is utterly becoming. Poise, balance, integrity – it's all there. Sip it slowly. Very slowly. Just a fingertip dipped in the viscous liquid evokes a sensory explosion. Like the first kiss with the lust of your life, the memory lingers long after the encounter ends.

21.4 per cent alcohol; available from seppeltsfield.com.au

How other Australian ports compare on price

Buller Wines Fine Old Tawny, $28 (750ml); bullerwines.com.au

Hartzview Tasmanian Tawny Fortified Wine (Blackcurrant), $42 (700ml); hartzview.com.au

NV David Franz Old Redemption XO Tawny Port, $50 (375ml); david-franz.com

Yalumba 50 Year Old Rare Aged Tawny, $199 (750ml); yalumba.com

Woodstock "Old Secret" Rare Fortified, Tawny Style, $450 (150ml); woodstockwine.com.au