Hunter Valley Wine Show trophy winners revealed

The Hunter Valley Wine Show celebrated the trophy winners from its 51st show at a trophy winners’ lunch at the Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in Pokolbin late last week. 

Sponsored by PFK, the luncheon was attended by 350 industry and special guests and saw 12 exhibitors awarded trophies from 541 entries. 

Continuing its more than 40-year partnership with the Singleton Army Base, the judging was held at the Lone Pine Barracks and Sam Connew, Winemaker/Director at Stargazer Wines, returned for the second year as Chair of Judges. 

Connew led a team of 18 local and visiting judges, including visiting International Judge Jane Skilton MW and two other female Masters of Wine, Andrea Pritzker MW and Toni Paterson MW, three of only 149 female Masters of Wine worldwide and seven in Australia.

Skilton began her wine career in London, gaining the WSET Diploma in 1988 and becoming a Master of Wine in 1993. In 2004, she founded the NZ School of Wines and Spirits, NZ’s leading provider of WSET qualifications and has judged at shows across Australia, China and the UK.

“I love judging regional shows as it gives you such a good overview of what is happening in the region, and you learn as you go along. I feel honoured to be in the Hunter Valley and I’ve been amazed by the uniform high quality of wines. 

“The quality of the chardonnay was great, and the alternative varieties showed great possibilities as emerging winemakers trying something new,” she said. 

THE AWARD WINNERS 

The George Wyndham Memorial Trophy for Best Current and One-Year-Old Chardonnay was awarded to Charteris Wines for its 2022 Pokolbin Select Chardonnay, and the Henry John Lindeman Memorial Trophy for Best Two-Year-Old and Older Chardonnay to Scarborough Wine Co for its 2021 ‘Keepers of the Flame’ Chardonnay.

The Len Evans Trophy for Best Single Vineyard White Wine saw Bimbadgen win for its 2014 Signature Palmers Lane Semillon. This year’s Marshall – Flannery Trophy for Best Current Semillon was awarded to First Creek Wines for its 2023 Classic Semillon. First Creek Wines’ Reserve Semillon also received the Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance for its 2014, 2017 and 2023 vintages. 

The Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy for Best Red Wine of the Show was awarded to Margan Wines for its 2019 Fordwich Hill Shiraz, which was awarded four trophies, also winning the Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy for Best Shiraz, James Busby Memorial Trophy for Best Mature Three-Year-Old and Older Shiraz and the Len Evans Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red Wine.

The Petrie-Drinan Trophy for Best White Wine of the Show was awarded to Tyrrell’s for its 2013 Vat 1 Semillon, which also won the McGuigan Family Trophy for Best Two-Year-Old and Older Semillon and the Tyrrell Family Trophy for Best Museum White Wine.

This year saw the introduction of a new trophy to celebrate the smaller, new and emerging wine brands in the Hunter Valley called the Kaloudah Trophy for Best Wine from a Small Producer. It was awarded to Tinklers Wines for its 2019 Reserve Semillon. 

The John Lewis Newcastle Herald Trophy for Best Museum Red Wine saw De Iuliis Wines take the trophy for their 2014 Limited Release Shiraz. John Lewis was also recognised for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Hunter Valley Wine Industry’.

Two industry scholarships were also awarded on the day by the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association. The 2023 Tyrrell Family Advanced Viticulture Scholarship was awarded to Lacey Agate, Assistant Vineyard Manager at Agnew Wines and the 2023 Alasdair Sutherland Scholarship to Hayden Tinkler, Vintage Winemaker at Brokenwood Wines. 

“The long-standing established history and tradition of both the show and region makes the Hunter Valley Wine Show special. There is no other region in Australia or worldwide that does Semillon to the standard of the Hunter Valley. 

“The stronger vintages always come to the fore, so it was good to see the 2023 Semillons show really solid results. The older Semillon classes are always such a treat and a privilege to judge, plus the Wines of Provenance class showed some extraordinary wines,” said Connew.

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