Taylors Wines wins for second year running at San Diego

Taylors Wines has been awarded Imported Wine of the Year for its 2019 St Andrews Shiraz at the San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge.

The wine scored top marks, also taking out Best Shiraz and a platinum medal at the competition and Wakefield/Taylors was named Import Winery of the Year.

Elysian Springs 2019 Spring Lamb Syrah of the Adelaide Hills, Australia scored 94 points and was named Best Syrah of the show.

Judges selected the 2019 St Andrews Shiraz, a single-vineyard wine, from a field of competitors spanning 13 wine producing nations, including France, Italy, USA, and South Africa.

With signs of renewed growth in the US export market following a difficult year, Taylors Wines third-generation Managing Director Mitchell Taylor feels this is an opportune time to showcase premium Australian drops to US wine drinkers.

“It’s more proof that Australian wines are being recognised as some of the best in the world,” Mr Taylor said.

“After such a challenging year for the wine industry, particularly as we’ve been cut off from getting out there and promoting our wines in overseas markets due to COVID-19, these awards are a welcome recognition that Australia’s top quality wines are celebrated by leading palates in the USA - the world’s largest wine drinking market.”

This is the second year the family winery was awarded the Best Shiraz trophy at the San Diego-based competition, which was founded by US wine critic Robert Whitley in 1996 and is judged by wine critics, sommeliers, and winemakers from across the country.

Last year Taylors' Jaraman wines took top honours in the competition, with the 2019 Jaraman Shiraz (RRP $34) bringing home a platinum award and ‘Best Shiraz’ and the 2020 Jaraman Grenache (RRP $34) receiving a gold medal and the ‘Best Grenache’ title.

“This is proof to us that US wine drinkers are building a thirst for premium Australian wine and that’s terrific news for our producers,” Mr Taylor said.

While wine lovers won’t yet be able to get their hands on the 2019 vintage of Taylors’ trophy-winning wine, Mitchell recommends grabbing a bottle of the 2018 vintage while you can.

“While we are just shy of five months until the 2019 vintage of the St Andrews Shiraz is released, the 2018 is a stunning wine with enormous flavours and rich, nuanced aromas,” Taylor said.

The St Andrews Clare Valley Shiraz 2019 will be available in July 2022 at fine wine retailers for RRP $75.