By Deborah Jackson, editor National Liquor News
Tyrrell's picked up the coveted Ian Riggs Wine of Provenance award at the 2015 Clear Image Hunter Valley Wine Show, and was received with the first standing ovation in the award’s history.
The Ian Riggs Wine of Provenance award was introduced in 2012 and was awarded to Tyrrell’s Vineyards’ Johnno’s Shiraz for the 2004, 2009 and 2013 vintages. It was accepted by Bruce Tyrrell and the man it honours, Johnny Tyrrell, which left not a single dry eye in the house.
Tyrrell’s took home seven trophies in total, making them the biggest winners of the day, including the coveted trophy for the Best Dry White Wine of the Show for their 2006 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon (as well as it being named Best Mature Semillon and Best Semillon).
The other big winner was Brokenwood which scooped the pool with its 2014 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz, winning Best Dry Red Wine of the Show as well as Best Current Vintage Shiraz, Best Shiraz, Best Named Vineyard Red Wine, Best Named Vineyard Wine.
A record 420 winemakers and support crew celebrated well into the evening at the 41st annual Clear Image Hunter Valley Wine Show at Cypress Lakes Resort which saw nine producers share in the trophy pool.
Visiting international Judge, Sarah Ahmed took a shine to Margan Family Wines 2014 Breaking Ground Tempranillo, Graciano Shiraz and awarded it the “Silver Bullet” for the most Innovative Red Wine.
“My Silver Bullet shortlist focused on other red wines styles which I reckoned refresh the Hunter brand whilst retaining a strong regional thumbprint. What excited me about Margan Family Wines Breaking Ground Tempranillo, Graciano & Shiraz 2014 blend was the Australian clarity of fruit wed to the Hunter’s freshness – a terrific medium bodied style with great length and line.” says Ahmed.
A remarkable 76 per cent of 2014 Shiraz entries from named (single site) vineyards won medals compared with 62 per cent overall Shiraz from the 2014 vintage.
"Lots of brightness, fine acidity, fruit lift that has produced classic Hunter white styles. The Shiraz classes of entry were tremendous and have set new levels of benchmark for the Hunter," PJ Charteris said.
“In one of the country’s few remaining wine shows which judge ‘true’ museum classes it was interesting to note that 80 per cent of the wines entered in the Museum White and Museum Red classes received medals, that’s 60 wines in total, this alone is an assurance of the ageing potential for great Hunter Valley Semillon and Shiraz.” says Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association’s vice president Andrew Margan.