By Amy Looker
James Halliday has named Western Australia’s Larry Cherubino Wines as the winery of the year in his 2011 Australian Wine Companion.
The boutique producer stood out from almost 1500 other wineries to take out the top spot in Australia’s most definitive wine guide, with Halliday scoring all of the Larry Cherubino Wines over 94 points.
Matt Skinner also gave top honours to Larry Cherubino Wines in his 2011 Matt Skinner’s Wine Guide, naming it as the top producer of the year.
“To be named winery of the year in Halliday’s Companion is quite possibly the highlight of my career – I’ve respected James for more than a decade and given the sheer volume of great wines he tastes every year I am blown away by this award,” said Cherubino said.
“And then for Matt Skinner to do likewise – well, that capped off a hell of a week. Western Australia is our winemaking heartland and over the years we’ve got a pretty good handle on what works where. Everything we do reflects our strong belief that when you get the right varieties in the right sites you’re well on your way to making good wine.”
This is the first year that Halliday has released his Australian Wine Companion as an iPhone application, providing a handy point of reference when shopping for wine or dining out.
The application gives users access to over 55,000 tasting notes and is updated monthly with 100 new tasting notes.