Wine
Sydney Royal Wine Show in Review
We join Selector publisher and wine educator, Paul Diamond for a behind the scenes look at the recent 2017 KPMG Royal Sydney Wine Show and speak with some of the winning winemakers.
In late July the Royal Agricultural Society released the results from the 2017 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show. Among the judges this year was Selector Magazine publisher and wine educator, Paul Diamond, who lent a hand assessing the wines as an associate judge.
“My role was to assess brackets of wines as part of the overall classes that they were entered into. To establish which wines were worthy of medals and establish a hierarchy of the quality presented," Paul explains.
We recently caught up with Paul and some of our favourite medal-winning winemakers to give us an insight into the show. Here is what we learnt:
Chardonnay is on the rise
For Paul, one of the highlights of the show was the high quality of 2016 Chardonnays he judged. “I have not come across a class with such a high level of consistent quality and expressive examples,” he said. “It’s a great time to be a Chardonnay lover.”
The standard of Chardonnay at the show was evident with the Best Small Producer wine going to Clonal Brothers, Flametree Wines taking out the Trophy for the Best Wine Judged by the International Guest Judge, and Tyrrell’s Vineyards winning the Trophy for Best NSW Wine for their 2012 Vat 47 Chardonnay.
Tyrrell’s had an excellent Sydney Royal Wine Show, with their Stevens Vineyard Hunter Valley Semillon 2011 taking out Trophies for Best Semillon and Best Mature White. That takes the total tally of awards won by that wine to 15 Gold medals and two Trophies.
Australian Sauvignon Blanc is creating its own style
Many of the judges noted that Australian Sauvignon Blanc is moving away from trying to replicate the herbaceous NZ style, with the best wines at the show focusing on citrus fruits with finesse and drive. Miles From Nowhere continued their stellar performance with their 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Cowaramup securing two Trophies and a Gold.
It can be tough being a wine show judge
While spending a day tasting and assessing wine may sound like heaven to many, it’s a gruelling process requiring a high level of focus and concentration.
“Some brackets can have upwards of 50 wines! You don’t want to miss anything or be unfair to a wine that someone has put their hard work, time and money into.”
- Paul Diamond, Associate Judge
Shiraz is still Australia’s most versatile wine
As the country’s most widely planted variety, it was clear that despite vastly differing climates, Australian winemakers continue to adapt and create a variety of examples of Shiraz and Syrah that express their unique terroir. A swag of Gold medals were awarded to wines from across a broad range of regions throughout the country. One such example is the Gold medal-winning Berrigan Syrah 2015 from South Australia’s Limestone Coast sub regions of Mount Benson and Robe.
For winemaker Dan Berrigan, this was great news.
“It’s like a huge pat on the back,” says Dan. “So much hard work goes into my wines, starting in the vineyard and continuing all the way to bottling. Great wine show results fill you with confidence that you’re on the right track and that you're not insane for taking a chance on a new and exciting wine region."
- Dan Berrigan, Berrigan Wines
Congratulations to some of our favourite winemakers
All in all it was great to see so many wines and winemakers that we know and love here at Wine Selectors achieve the recognition they deserve with Gold Medals awarded to Miles From Nowhere, De Bortoli, Tyrrells, Evans & Tate, Tulloch, d’Arenberg, Best’s, Andrew Thomas, Devil’s Corner, Bleasdale, Berrigan Wines and many more.
A relative newcomer to Wine Selectors, Shingleback Wines, had a great wine show picking up the Best Value Red Trophy for their 2016 Red Knot Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre, plus three Golds. John Davey, the director of winemaking and viticulture at Shingleback, was thrilled, “Although we’re confident in the quality of our wines, and have achieved considerable acclaim over the years, the thrill of success at a wine show never diminishes and has an energising effect on the whole team,” he says. “I take great pride in my esteemed peers judging my children (my wines) worthy of merit.”
To see the full results and all of the medal and Trophy winners visit the NSW RAS website.