Winners of Dan Murphy’s inaugural Best in Glass Wine Awards have been announced, celebrating wines across a variety of categories such as red, white, sparkling, rosé and alternative styles.
With more than 700 wines tasted, 46 winners were crowned at a ceremony in Prahran, Melbourne last night, where awards were handed out for Best, Best Value and Best International Wine in each style-specific category.
Andrew Shedden, General Manager of Premium and Luxury at Dan Murphy’s, commented: “Choosing a wine can be intimidating. There is so much choice on shelves, so without a clear starting point, it can be overwhelming. The Best in Glass Wine Awards are about cutting through that.
“A team of our most wine-obsessed Merchants have tasted over 700 wines to uncover the standouts in each category. The result is a line-up of Aussie favourites and international gems that cover just about every drinking occasion you can think of, from steak night to date night.”
Of the eligible wines, Dan Murphy’s Wine Merchants tasted and shortlisted finalists, which were then re-tasted by state-based panels and scored accordingly to determine the winners.
To be considered for the awards each bottle had to be priced under the $50 mark, underscoring the affordability and availability of top-performing wines.
The two most affordable wines on the list were the Fifth Leg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz. Both wines claimed Best Value titles in their respective categories, with Dan Murphy’s non-member pricing of $13.29 and $12.99.
“There was fierce competition across the board, and the judges found it challenging to choose just one winner for each award. In particular, the panel was impressed by cool climate styles like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sparkling. They also highlighted the unbelievable value that traditional reds like Shiraz and Cabernet are providing,” Shedden added.
Winning wines came from a cross-section of Australia’s top winemaking regions, with South Australian wines collecting 13 awards and representing 26.09 per cent of the winners. Wines from Victoria also dominated, accounting for 17 per cent of winners with eight awards.
With four winning wines from Margaret River, tying with the Barossa Valley and Yarra Valley as the top-performing region, Western Australia also features heavily, with a total of five wines on the list.
Across the sparkling NV and sparkling vintage categories, Tasmania scooped three out of four awards with Clover Hill Tasmania Multi Vintage Exceptionnelle, Devil’s Corner Sparkling Cuvée NV and Jansz Tasmania Vintage Cuvée.
Looking to international winners, France claimed nine out of 12 awards with wines from Champagne, Bordeaux, Chablis, Côtes-du-Rhône, Provence, Rhône Valley and Sancerre.
Celebrating the new awards, select Dan Murphy’s stores across the country will host ticketed in-store tasting events on Saturday 17 May, with a Dan Murphy’s Wine Merchant on hand to guide customers through a selection of the winning wines.
The full list of Best in Glass Wine Awards winners can be found below, with Dan Murphy’s non-member prices:
Shiraz
- Best: Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz $32.99 (Barossa Valley)
- Best Value: Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz $12.99 (McLaren Vale)
- Best International: Cave De Tain Saint-Joseph Grand Classique $46.99 (Rhône Valley)
Pinot Noir
- Best: Nanny Goat Vineyard Pinot Noir $41.29 (Central Otago)
- Best Value: Little Yering Pinot Noir $21.99 (Yarra Valley)
- Best International: Decoy California Pinot Noir $49.99 (Sonoma County)
Grenache
- Best: Teusner Joshua Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre $35.29 (Barossa Valley)
- Best Value: The Ethereal One Grenache $17.99 (McLaren Vale)
- Best International: Chapoutier Cote Du Rhône $22.99 (Côtes-du-Rhône)
Cabernet Sauvignon
- Best: Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon $40.29 (Margaret River)
- Best Value: K by Krondorf Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon $13.99 (Barossa Valley)
- Best International: Chateau Haut Madrac Rouge $34.99 (Bordeaux)
Red Blends
- Best: Deep Woods Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot $35.99 (Margaret River)
- Best Value: Chateau Tanunda Chorus Tempranillo Shiraz Grenache $20.29 (Barossa Valley)
- Best International: Chateau Peymouton Saint Emilion Grand Cru $48.99 (Bordeaux)
Other Varietal Red
- Best: Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese $30.29 (King Valley)
- Best Value: Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec $19.29 (Langhorne Creek)
- Best International: Vina Real Reserva Rioja $39.99 (Rioja)
Chardonnay
- Best: Oakridge Valley Series Chardonnay $29.99 (Yarra Valley)
- Best Value: Madfish Gold Turtle Chardonnay $16.99 (Margaret River)
- Best International: Jean Marc Brocard Chablis $44.99 (Chablis)
Sauvignon Blanc
- Best: Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc $35.29 (Marlborough)
- Best Value: Noble Fellows Sauvignon Blanc $14.99 (Marlborough)
- Best International: Patient Cottat Sancerre Anciennes Vignes $48.99 (Sancerre)
Riesling
- Best: Rieslingfreak No. 34 $24.29 (Clare Valley)
- Best Value: Kirrihill Clare Valley Riesling $17.29 (Clare Valley)
- Best International: Dr Loosen Dry Riesling $23.29 (Mosel)
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio
- Best: Tim Adams Pinot Gris $20.29 (Clare Valley)
- Best Value: Chapel Hill The Parson Pinot Grigio $16.99 (Adelaide Hills)
- Best International: Versato Pinot Grigio $29.99 (Veneto)
White Blend
- Best: Pierro LTC Semillon Sauvignon Blanc $40.29 (Margaret River)
- Best Value: Fifth Leg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc $13.29 (Western Australia)
- Best International: Maison Les Alexandrins Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc $24.99 (Côtes-du-Rhône)
Other Varietal White
- Best: Longview Macclesfield Gruner Veltliner $26.99 (Adelaide Hills)
- Best Value: Tahbilk Marsanne $17.29 (Nagambie Lakes)
- Best International: Primo Bianco Mesa Vermentino $26.99 (Sardinia)
Rosé
- Best: Dominique Portet Fontaine Rosé $28.29 (Yarra Valley)
- Best Value: Jacob’s Creek Le Petit Rosé $16.99 (South Australia)
- Best International: Miraval Provence Rosé $41.99 (Provence)
Sweet
- Best: Brown Brothers Moscato Strawberries & Cream Limited Edition $14.99 (North East Victoria)
Sparkling NV
- Best: Clover Hill Tasmania Multi Vintage Exceptionnelle $45.99 (Tasmania)
- Best Value: Devil’s Corner Sparkling Cuvée NV $26.99 (Tasmania)
- Best International: Charles Orban Blanc de Blancs Champagne $49.99 (Champagne)
Sparkling Vintage
- Best: Jansz Tasmania Vintage Cuvée $48.99 (Tasmania)
Prosecco
- Best: Dal Zotto Pucino Prosecco $22.29 (King Valley)
Spritz/Sweet
- Best: Zonzo Estate Zoncello Limoncello Spritz $12.99 (Yarra Valley)