A WINE honouring the spirit and legacy of Australian shiraz pioneer George Wyndham was the big winner at this year’s Limestone Coast Wine Show.
The 2016 George Wyndham “I Am George” Shiraz Cabernet won the Bill Redman Trophy for best wine of show after earlier winning best blended red and the David Wynn Trophy for best red wine of show.
The grower behind the esteemed drop, Tim McCarthy, was awarded the highly coveted Arthur Hoffmann Trophy for viticulturist of best wine of show.
Chief judge Samantha Connew said I Am George was “a seductive wine”.
“There was just another level of complexity in this blend which got it the top gong – lots of juicy, primary, bright berry fruit, but with some structure and tannin to give it some complexity and length,” she said.
It was a triple trophy treat for DiGiorgio Family Wines after dominating the white classes.
The 2017 DiGiorgio Family Wines Coonawarra Chardonnay won the best chardonnay trophy and collected the Colin Kidd Trophy for best white of show.
Meanwhile, the 2018 DiGiorgio Family Wines Kongorong Riesling won the Karl Seppelt Trophy for best white (excluding chardonnay).
Leconfield Wines took home two trophies for the second year in a row, after the NV Leconfield Syn Rouge won best sparkling wine and the 2018 Leconfield Coonawarra Rose claimed best rose.
St Hugo also had a double haul, with the 2015 St Hugo Vetus Purum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon named best individual vineyard wine and the 2010 vintage of the same wine winning the Ewen Fergusson McBain Trophy for best museum wine.
The highly anticipated provenance trophies, which provide a platform for exhibitors to enter three vintages of the same wine, went to Raidis Estate The Kid Riesling (2018, 2010,2008) and a trio of Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (2015, 2010,2005).
The 2015 Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon won the H.R. (Ron) Haselgrove Trophy for best cabernet sauvignon, with cabernet also capturing the attention of New Zealand judge Sam Kim, who gave the International Judges’ Award to the 2016 Black Wattle Vineyards Mount Benson Cabernet Sauvignon.
“It had that amazing fruit purity and intensity without being overblown,” he said.
“Beautifully composed, seamless with terrific length – it had the complete package for me.”
The Chief of Judges Wine to Watch was the 2017 Norfolk Rise Estate Shiraz, with Ms Connew dubbing it “a really modern interpretation of Australian Shiraz with beautiful slurpy fruit”.
Rounding out the trophy winners, the 2016 Petaluma Merlot won the Peter Wehl Trophy for best merlot, the 2016 Berrigan Shiraz won the Eric Brand Trophy for best shiraz, the 2018 Bellwether Ant Series Wrattonbully Barbera won the small batch and experimental wines award and the 2018 Penley Estate Spring Release Cab Franc was the best alternative red variety.
A record-high 338 medals was awarded at this year’s 18th annual show, including 43 gold, 110 silver and 185 bronze.
Orlando Wines was named most successful exhibitor.
