The 2021 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show trophy winners and NSW Legend of the Vine were revealed at the WCA Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners Lunch yesterday.
Tyrrell’s 2013 Vat 1 Semillon took centre stage with four trophies including KPMG Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of Show, making it the first Semillon in eight years to claim the coveted prize.
Bruce Tyrrell AM, Managing Director of the Hunter Valley based winery said: “We believe we have won best white of show at Sydney once a decade for the last five decades.
“The thrill of winning a trophy at a national wine show is great, but to win the Semillon trophy in most states in 2021 will be hard to beat.”
It was also a good day for De Bortoli wines, taking home three trophies include The Hanaminno Perpetual Trophy for Best Sweet White for its 2017 Deen De Bortoli Botrytis Semillon, The John Swann Perpetual Trophy for Best Other Red Blend for the 2020 Villages Tempranillo Touriga and the Woodfired Sparkling Shiraz took home The InterContact Perpetual Trophy for Best Sparkling Red.
Chardonnay was also a standout this year with Orlando’s 2018 Lyndale Chardonnay taking home The A P John Coopers Perennial Trophy for Best Chardonnay and 14th Annual President’s Medal finalist Shottesbrooke Vineyard winning The Len Evans Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine for its Shottesbrooke 2020 Single Vineyard Series’ Adelaide Hills’ Chardonnay.
“The results are very reflective of the vintage conditions of the last few years. The cooler 2021 vintage have given us very flavoursome and varietally defined whites like Riesling and Semillon. Chardonnay continues to be a star, with a high medal strike rate amongst the more mature Semillon and Riesling classes,” said Sydney Royal Chair of Judges P-J Charteris.
“As with any great wine, there must be distinction, purity, and true expression, all bundled up with absolute balance and harmony. Tyrrell’s 2013 Vat 1 Semillon, while mature at nearly nine years old, is just hitting its straps; this is a wine to buy and enjoy easily over the next five years, if not longer.”
In red varietals, small Victorian producer Sutton Grange Estate’s 2018 Syrah impressed the judges taking home The Dr Gilbert Phillips Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Red and the trophies for Best Small Producer Wine and Best Shiraz.
“On the red side of the ledger, Shiraz performed very strongly, reflecting the hotter and drier conditions of 2017, 2018 and 2019. The surprise pack, although it shouldn’t be given the heritage of these varieties, was Grenache, Grenache blends and some of the Iberian varieties like Tempranillo and Touriga, delivering freshness, vitality and excellent varietal definition,” Charteris said.
He added: “These results are a reflection of the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show system and the importance of creating an environment where small producers feel like they are on a level playing field with the larger wine companies. In addition, our judging teams and entry criteria have ensured that anyone entering high-quality wine is in with a shot at gold and a trophy.
“The top-end sparkling exhibits were strong, which has been the case for a number of years now, but one of the often-overlooked highlights are the Fortified Muscat and Topaque wines, these are national treasures without peer in the world of wine, we need to celebrate these wines and the effort that goings into making them more often. There was also a cracking brandy.”
St Anges Distillery won The JJ McWilliam Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Brandy for its St Agnes XO while Morris Wines won The J C M Fornachon Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Fortified for its Morris Wines Old Premium Muscat.
The lunch also saw the 2021 NSW Legend of the Vine, with the honour this year going to Sandra Przibilla, who said she was “honoured and humbled” by the recognition.
WCA Executive Officer Andrew Stark said of the announcement, “It gives us great pleasure to present this honour to Sandra. Her long career as an industry leader has seen her help many wine businesses tell their stories more effectively, as well as making the industry a more welcoming one for female professionals.”
Przibilla is the ninth person to be awarded Legend of the Vine status in NSW, and joins a prestigious national list that includes Lyndey Milan, Huon Hooke, Clive Hartley, Iain Riggs, Rob Hirst and David Lowe.