Last night, champion trophy winners were announced for the 2023 Sydney Royal Wine Show, with judges commending the quality and value of Australian wines.
Of the thirty trophies awarded at the ceremony, fifty percent retail under $40, with many available for $30 or less.
“Australian wine connoisseurs are winners here. The 2023 Sydney Royal Wine Show has demonstrated that not only are Australian producers delivering incredible wines, but they are doing so at reasonable price points for consumers,” Sydney Royal Chair of Judges, Sarah Crowe said.
A national favourite, Chardonnay had its day with the 2021 Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Chardonnay taking home the 2023 Tucker Seabrook Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of Show.
“This year’s Best Wine of Show is a fantastic example of this, Australian Chardonnays are at the top of their game and the Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Chardonnay is delivering the highest quality at an accessible price for this level of wine,” Crowe said.
Australian sparkling continues to blossom, with a fifth of the white & rosé sparkling wine, bottle fermented, less than 30 months tirage class receiving gold medals. Ultimately, it was the 2015 House of Arras Grand Vintage that won the The Thorp Annual Trophy for Best Sparkling White or Rosé.
“Alongside chardonnay, Australia has continued to deliver world-class sparkling wine and once again, we’ve seen this reflected in the high medal count. Equally notable however is the rise of newer varieties to Australia such as Tempranillo, Grenache and particularly Grenache dominate blends, which were very impressive this year. Each of these classes scored about an eight percent gold medal rating,” Crowe said.
The award-winning red blends were the 2022 Millbrook Regional GSM, awarded the Dan Murphy’s Value Perennial Trophy for Best Value Wine; the 2022 Dune The Empty Quarter which won The Arthur Kelman Perpetual Trophy for Best Shiraz Dominate Blend; and the 2022 St Hugo Grenache Shiraz Mataro which was presented with The John Swann Perpetual Trophy for Best Other Red Blend.
Clara Rubin, the International Guest Judge (UK), awarded the International Guest Judge Annual Prize to relative newcomer 2021 George’s Folly “Pigs Might Fly” Montepulciano/Nero d’Avola.
“In terms of vintage, 2022 has been an incredibly impressive year with over forty percent of trophy winners coming from this vintage. Western Australia also shone bright with the Margaret River fairing very well. Six of the thirty trophies awarded tonight come from the Margaret River.”
The Dr Gilbert Phillips Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Red went to the 2022 Montalto Pennon Hill Pinot Noir, while The Liquorland Perpetual Trophy for Best White Blend went to the 2022 Rutherglen Estate Shelley’ Block.