Photo credit: John Kruger
Kirrihill Wines has overnight been awarded the George Mackey Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Value Red at the 2019 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show.
Announced at an invitation-only dinner in Sydney’s Barangaroo district, the award went to its 2018 Kirrihill Regional Selection Clare Valley Shiraz – marking a landmark win for the premium producer.
Kirrihill Wines was created by two mates Sean Edwards and Rob Stanway in 1998, and its story is compelling. With a family history in Clare dating back to the 1860s, the two share a passion for their brand, a deep connection to the Clare Valley and a friendship built on history, perseverance and success.
Kirrihill’s portfolio consists of three ranges; The Icon range named after one of South Australia’s early pioneers; E.B. Paddy Gleeson, Founder of Clare, the Vineyard Selection range which consists of wines hand selected from super-premium vineyards across the Clare Valley, and the Regional Selection range – varietal and regional wines made to reflect the best expression of the region in each variety.
Since its inception, Kirrihill’s focus has never wavered; produce the best regional wines, using the best vineyards and the best people. Chief Winemaker Susie Mickan has completed 32 vintages across Australia, Spain, China and the US and continues to bring her wealth of experience and skill in making exceptional wine to the Australian and international wine industry.
“This award acts as a benchmark for quality for me and confirms the reasons I was initially excited to join Kirrihill. The team has the utmost dedication to overdelivering quality and with some of the best cool-climate vineyards in South Australia in their stable and a strong Clare family history and understanding of the region, this award is just”. Susie has commented.
Susie’s experience will be welcomed as the company embarks on a major period of expansion and change both within the winery and for the brand globally. Kirrihill is continuing to focus on diversifying its grape supply base by aligning with premium growers while expanding its vineyard holdings, investing heavily in its winemaking facility, focussing on building its premium portfolio and elevating its brand architecture to drive growth across all markets.
Yet another element to the growth strategy is the recent acquisition of the Schober’s Estate Vineyard – an iconic 40-year-old Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling vineyard that has earned it its reputation as one of the top twenty red wine vineyards in the country. Schober’s Estate is amongst the top-rated red wine producing vineyards in Australia. Its unique red clay over limestone soils consistently produce complex wines rich in concentration, with outstanding regional character and cellaring potential.
Chairman Sean Edwards accepted the trophy at a gala dinner in Barangaroo and has commented on the exciting times that are transpiring within the company.
“This award sends a spectacular message to all our friends in China, USA, Australia, our distribution partners, our suppliers and customers that our vineyards and winemakers are world class. Any accolade that we receive is an affirmation as to why they deal with us for luxury wine. For the Kirrihill team, it feels like all our hard work is really paying off”.
More News
