Dan Murphy's straight-talking comp announces its winners for wine lovers

The Decoded Wine Awards 2021 have been announced after twelve judges from Dan Murphy's sampled over 1000 wines.

'Decoded' from highbrow language like herbaceous and unctuous, and tagged with recommendations that are accessible to all, this is a wine list for every day people who love wine and want to find a good drop to take along with them, whatever the occasion.

"The Dan Murphy’s Decoded Wine Awards are for wine lovers, not experts,” said Andrew Shedden, Dan Murphy’s Head of Fine Wine and chair of the Decoded judging panel Andrew Shedden.

“As wine experts, our judging panellists keenly follow the results of domestic and international wine shows. However, the majority of wine lovers simply want to find the right wine for the right occasion, which is what Decoded Wine Awards is all about,” he said.

It is the second year of the competition and the ten winning wines from Australia and New Zealand will be promoted throughout Dan Murphy's stores, online and social media over the next two months. Winning wines are also available in mixed packs.

In the judging process, wines were assessed and rated in traditional varietal, blends or style categories, then categorised as 'Lighter White Table Wine Under $20', 'Fuller Red Table Wine Over $20' and so on.

“We’ve grouped wines by styles and price to make it easier for customers to explore what they enjoy within their budget,” Shedden said.

The most expensive wine on the list comes in at $47.99: the St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz is the pick in the "Fuller Red Over $20" category and the judges' verdict is: "Australians love a Shiraz and this extremely likeable one showcases the classic Barossa style".

There are also categories for State Based Favourites, Rosé and Sparkling White: Josef Chromy Pepik Tasmania Cuvée NV at $29.99: "Take a break from the big name sparklings and grab this instead. The best wine you’ve ever tried".

The wines were blind tasted under full show judging conditions by a judging panel composed of wine merchants from Dan Murphy’s stores across the country, wine buyers and experts.

The Decoded Competition Winners are both easily understood and friendly to the hip pocket. A full list of winners - complete with the judges' descriptors - is below:

Category: Lighter White Under $20

• Winner: Yealands Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand
• Price: $13.99
• Verdict: Sauvignon Blanc should jump out of the glass, and this one does exactly that.

Category: Fuller White Under $20

• Wine: Devil’s Corner Chardonnay Tasmania
• Price: $16.99
• Verdict: Full of classic chardonnay flavours, this is a rockstar wine that consistently over-delivers on value.

Category: Lighter Red under $20

• Wine: Cat Amongst the Pigeons Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro
• Price: $15.99
• Verdict: This soft and polished go-to red is like a reliable friend. And talk about bang for your buck.

Category: Fuller Red Under $20

• Wine: The Butcher’s Friend Barossa Shiraz
• Price: $15.70
• Verdict: This shiraz is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. It’s really fresh and plump, with a long finish that lingers.

Category: Rosé

• Wine: De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two Pinot Noir Rosé
• Price: $19.99
• Verdict: If you’re looking for an Australian rosé around the $20 mark this is as good as it gets.

Category: Sparkling

• Wine: Josef Chromy Pepik Tasmania Cuvée NV
• Price: $29.99
• Verdict: Take a break from the big name sparklings and grab this instead. The best wine you’ve ever tried.

Category: Lighter White Over $20

• Wine: Forest of the Echoes Riesling
• Price: $24.99
• Verdict: A super versatile wine that’s perfect for almost any occasion, from backyard BBQs to BYO dumplings.

Category: Fuller White Over $20

• Wine: Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
• Price:$41.99
• Verdict: A New Zealand chardonnay that drinks the way the All Blacks play rugby: confident, intense, and always going the distance.

Category:Lighter Red Over $20

• Wine: Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir
• Price: $47.50
• Verdict: Serve this to your wine-loving friends who think they know everything. It’ll surprise their taste buds.

Category: Fuller Red Over $20

• Wine: St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz
• Price: $47.99
• Verdict: Australians love a shiraz and this extremely likeable one showcases the classic Barossa style.