BEST of the BEST
Fifteen of Australia’s finest wineries took home trophies at the recent National Wine Show, which lines up the best wines of the year against one another.
EACH YEAR, wineries from around Australia are invited to submit their award-winning wines to the National Wine Show. These wines qualify for invitation by winning medals and trophies throughout the year at the regional and capital city wine shows, reflecting the best of the best from across the country.
More than 1200 wines were entered into the 2018 show, with new chair of judges David Bicknell saying he could not recall a closer final judging process between the trophy contenders. “This year, the major awards were shared by 15 different producers across 11 different regions,” David says. “The major awards, as always, are just a small snapshot of the reality of what happened during judging. I cannot recall a show that I have been involved in, where the final judging was so close between many different entries.”
The Len Evans Memorial Trophy for the Best Wine of Show this year went to a white wine – the 2017 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Chardonnay ($55), which also won Best Chardonnay and White Wine of Show. Margaret River’s Xanadu also enjoyed success with its 2016 Stevens Road Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) winning its varietal trophy, as well as Single Vineyard Dry Red and Red Wine of Show. “The breadth and depth of classes are a true indication of Australian winemaking skill,” David says.