Boutique SA wineries excel at awards
Local boutique wineries were among the trophy winners at last night’s 2014 Royal Adelaide Wine Show awards, with a virtual unknown awarded a major prize.
Wine Show chairman Andrew Hardy said that while the top prizes went interstate, South Australian wines did very well, with a “dark horse” bolting from the Limestone Coast to win The Arkaba Cellars Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc in Show.
“Norfolk Rise popped up with Best Sauvignon Blanc,” Hardy said. “Norfolk Rise is a smaller boutique winery from the cool-climate Mt Benson region that’s done really well.
“Overall, South Australian wines have done very well, particularly our Rieslings, Shiraz and older vintages.”
Other SA boutique wineries that won awards were Clare Valley’s O’Leary Walker (Best Riesling in Show for its Watervale Riesling 2008), and Langhorne Creek’s Bleasdale Wines (Best Other Varietal White or Rose and Best White Wine Under $20 for its 2014 Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris) and Gipsie Jack (Best Traditional Australian Red Blend for its Terrier 2012).
Hardy said the 2014 show had attracted 2843 entries from 363 Australian wineries – an increase of more than 200 entries on last year’s awards and one of the highest in the history of the event.
This year, judging at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show took place over four days with all exhibits tasted blind (label undisclosed) for fairness. Points were given for colour and clarity, bouquet and palate, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded according to the points tally.
After judging, the top gold medal winners were re-assessed to determine the trophy winners.
The Royal Adelaide Wine Show’s top trophies include The Max Schubert Trophy for Best Red Wine in Show (won by Deep Woods Estate – Class 25 Exhibit No. 30 – Deep Woods Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012); the George Fairbrother Memorial Trophy for Most Outstanding White Wine in Show (Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard P/L – Class 3 Exhibit No. 33 – Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2012); and The Gramp, Hardy, Hill Smith Prize for Outstanding Wine of Provenance (Tyrrells Vineyards Pty Ltd Vat 1 Semillon 2013, 2005, 1998).
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“Capital city shows are still a benchmarking process for a lot of companies,” Hardy said.
“In the ’60s and ’70s, wine shows were about the improvement of wines by weeding out the faulty wines, but we don’t see many faulty wines any more. Today, wine shows are more about improving the wine styles.
“A gold medal is a very powerful marketing tool.”
2014 Royal Adelaide Wine Show trophy results
The Seguin Moreau Trophy for Best Chardonnay in Show
Trophy sponsored by Seguin Moreau
Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard P/L – Class 3 Exhibit No 33 – Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2012
The Australian Wine Research Institute Commercial Services Trophy for Best Riesling in Show
Trophy sponsored by AWRI Commercial Services
O’Leary Walker Wines – Class 7 Exhibit No. 26 – O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2008
The Arkaba Cellars Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc in Show
Trophy sponsored by Arkaba Hotel
Norfolk Rise Vineyard – Class 11 Exhibit No 58 – Norfolk Rise Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2014
The Finlaysons Trophy for Best Semillon in Show
Trophy sponsored by Finlaysons
Tyrrells Vineyards Pty Ltd – Class 10 Exhibit No 22 – Vat 1 Semillon 2005
The Programmed Property Services Trophy for Best Other Varietal White or Rosé
Trophy sponsored by Programmed Property Services Limited
Bleasdale Vineyards – Class 13 Exhibit No. 1 – Bleasdale Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2014
The BDO Trophy for Best Dry White Blend
Trophy sponsored by BDO
McWilliams Wines Group – Class 19 Exhibit No 23 – Evans & Tate Metricup Road Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013
The CCL Label Clear Image Trophy for Best Sweet White Table Wine
Trophy sponsored by CCL Label Clear Image
Longview Vineyard – Class 22 Cat. No. 3 – Epitome Late Harvest Riesling 2013
The Professor A.J. Perkins Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon in Show
Trophy sponsored by Vili’s
Deep Woods Estate – Class 25 Exhibit No. 30 – Deep Woods Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
The Lallemand Australia Trophy for Best Pinot Noir in Show
Trophy sponsored by Lallemand Australia Pty Ltd
Bay of Fires – Class 35 Exhibit No. 15 – Bay of Fires Pinot Noir 2013
The Wine Communicators of Australia, SA Chapter Trophy for Best Shiraz in Show
Trophy sponsored by Wine Communicators of Australia, SA Chapter
St Hugo Wines – Class 32 Exhibit No. 1 – St Hugo McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010
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The Radoux Australia Trophy for Best Other Red Blend
Trophy sponsored by Radoux Australia
Brookland Valley – Class 44 Exhibit No. 25 – Brookland Valley Cabernet Merlot 2012
The Hurtle and Norman Walker Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine in Show
Trophy sponsored by Cellarbrations Independent Liquor Stores
House Of Arras – Class 56 Exhibit No. 13 – House Of Arras Grand Vintage 2005
The BOC Trophy For Best White Wine Under $20
Selected from top golds, commercially available, with a RRP below $20.
Trophy sponsored by BOC
Bleasdale Vineyards – Class 13 Exhibit No. 1 – Bleasdale Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2014
The Montgomery Trophy for Best Red Wine Under $20
Selected from top golds, commercially available, with a RRP below $20.
Trophy sponsored by Bidvest Hospitality Supplies
Echelon Wine Partners – Class 30 Exhibit No. 108 – Partisan White Label Shiraz 2012
The TWC Angove AM Memorial Trophy for Best Brandy in Show
Trophy sponsored by Gerry Colella
St Agnes Distillery – Class 66 Exhibit No. 1 – St Agnes VSOP
The George Fairbrother Memorial Trophy for Most Outstanding White Wine in Show
Trophy sponsored by F Miller & Co Pty Ltd
Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard P/L – Class 3 Exhibit No. 33 – Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2012
The Max Schubert AM Trophy for Most Outstanding Red Wine in Show
Trophy sponsored by Dan Murphys
Deep Woods Estate – Class 25 Exhibit No. 30 – Deep Woods Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
The John Fornachon Memorial Trophy for Best Apera, Topaque or Muscat
McWilliams Wines Group Ltd – Class 63d Exhibit No. 1 – Hanwood Rare Blend
The InDaily Trophy for Best Australian Ruby or Tawny
Trophy sponsored by www.indaily.com.au
Saltram Wine Estate – Class 62d Exhibit No. 1 – Saltram Mr Pickwick Rare Tawny NV Blend
Gramp, Hardy, Hill Smith Prize for Outstanding Wine of Provenance
Tyrrells Vineyards Pty Ltd Vat 1 Semillon 2013, 2005, 1998
The Dr Ray Beckwith OAM Memorial Trophy for Best Traditional Australian Red Blend
(Shiraz/Cabernet – Cabernet/Shiraz)
Trophy sponsored by Sip’n Save
Gipsie Jack – Class 47 Exhibit No 31 – Gipsie Jack Terrier 2012
The Karl Seppelt AO Trophy for Best Other Varietal Red
Trophy sponsored by Mr David C Dridan OAM and Integrated Precision Viticulture
Australian Vintage Ltd – Class 42 Exhibit No. 32 – McGuigan Shortlist Montepulciano 2013
The Macquarie Private Wealth Prize for Winemaker of the Most Outstanding Red Wine in Show
Prize sponsored by Macquarie Group Services Australia
Julian Langworthy – Deep Woods Estate
The Visy Prize for Winemaker of the Most Outstanding White Wine in Show
Prize sponsored by Visy Pty Ltd
Joel Tilbrook – Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard
The full list of medal winners can be found here.
