A $20 wine from Adelaide Hills has won the trophy for Pinot Noir of the Year at the 2020 China Wine and Spirits Awards.

South Australian winery Taylors Wines claimed the trophy and a double gold medal for its Taylors Estate Pinot Noir 2018.

The competition is the largest and most prestigious wine and spirits competition in China. 

Now in its 19th year, the annual competition held in Hong Kong aims to discover the wines and spirits that will be most successful in the Chinese market. One hundred judges from across the region’s wine and spirits industry, including top buyers, importers, distributors, retailers and sommeliers, judge wines from 35 countries in a blind tasting to select the top winners in each category.

Despite the inquiry into Australian wineries dumping cheap wine into the Chinese market, the results of the competition present a different view, with Australian wines being well represented on the winner’s podium. 

The Taylors Estate Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2018 was selected as the top pinot from a wide array of producers, spanning notable pinot producing regions like the Yarra Valley, Tasmania and Marlborough. 

“We’re delighted to see our Estate Pinot Noir take the crown for Pinot of the Year from such a diverse field of producers in the competition,” said Managing Director Mitchell Taylor. 

“It’s a beautiful wine, with the hallmark elegance and flavour of Adelaide Hills pinot noir. While our family winery is well-known for producing world-class shiraz and cabernet wines, it’s exciting to see the growing  recognition of our other varieties and styles.” 

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Other Australian trophy winners included:

McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2019 - Australian Wine of the Year

Casella 1919 Shiraz 2015 - Barossa Valley Wine of the Year

Monolithic Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - Coonawarra Wine of the Year

Chapel Hill the Prophet Shiraz 2019 - McLaren Vale Wine of the Year

McW Reserve 660 Shiraz 2018 - Syrah of the Year

For more information about the China Wine & Spirits Awards, please visit https://cwsa.org/ 

Fears China will impose 200% wine tax on Australian exporters.

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