Image: Yalumba
The Limestone Coast Wine Show was a spectacle of fine wines, but it was the Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon that stole the limelight.
Yalumba’s 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon outshone 443 wines from 62 participants to clinch the prestigious Bill Redman Trophy for Best Wine of Show. The event, held at Padthaway Estate, saw this exceptional wine also bag the HR (Ron) Haselgrove Trophy and the David Wynn Trophy.
Chief of Judges Philip Rich said the winning red, which retails for under $30 a bottle, impressed from the outset. “It was a hotly contested class which highlights what a fantastic year 2021 was for the region, but we just loved this wine’s combination of concentration and depth of fruit while also having some finesse and elegance about it at the same time – ultimately, it’s a beautifully balanced wine,” he said.
Balnaves of Coonawarra, a family-owned winery, also had a triumphant evening, securing three trophies. Their 2022 Chardonnay and 2017 vintage were particularly celebrated. Raidis Estate and Majella Wines, two other family-owned wineries, each took home two trophies, showcasing the depth of talent in the region.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate was another notable name, with their Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon winning the Best Wine of Provenance Trophy. Their 2021 V&A Lane Coonawarra Shiraz was highlighted by Philip Rich as the ‘Wine to Watch’.
“The Shiraz class was incredibly strong, and I chose this particular wine because it was a slightly more modern expression of Coonawarra Shiraz,” Philip Rich said. “It was very pure and fruit-driven, and I loved its perfume and elegance – it’s just a terrific wine.”
International Judge Madeleine Stenwreth chose Brand and Sons Wines’ 2021 Sanctuary Cabernet Sauvignon as her top pick. Other winners included Orlando Wines, Wangolina, Cape Jaffa Wines, Katnook Estate, Leconfield Wines, Smith and Hooper, and Grey-Smith Wines.
TOP TIER TROPHIES
Bill Redman Trophy for Best Wine of Show
Yalumba 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Arthur Hoffmann Trophy for Viticulturist of the Year
James Freckleton
SECOND TIER TROPHIES
David Wynn Trophy for Best Red of Show
Yalumba 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Colin Kidd Trophy for Best White of Show
Balnaves of Coonawarra 2022 Chardonnay
THIRD TIER TROPHIES
Karl Seppelt Trophy for Best White (excluding Chardonnay)
Raidis Estate 2023 The Kid Riesling
Pam Dunsford Trophy for Best Chardonnay
Balnaves of Coonnawarra 2022 Chardonnay
Peter Wehl Trophy for Best Other Single Variety of Italian, Portuguese & Spanish Heritage
Wangolina 2022 A-Series Montepulciano
Trophy for Best Other Single Variety of French Heritage
Leconfield Wines 2021 Merlot
Trophy for Best Blended Red
Smith and Hooper 2021 Cabernet Merlot
Eric Brand Trophy for Best Shiraz
Katnook Estate 2021 Prodigy Shiraz
HR (Ron) Haselgrove Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Yalumba 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon (4 to 6 Years Old)
Orlando 2019 Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
STAND ALONE TROPHIES
Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine
Grey Smith Wines 2018 Mount Gambier Blanc de Blanc
Trophy for Best Rosé
Raidis Estate 2023 Laila Rose
Trophy for Best Wine of Provenance
Wynns 2021, 2015, 2010 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon
Ewen Fergusson McBain Trophy for Best Museum Red
Majella Wines 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy for Best Museum White
Balnaves of Coonawarra 2017 Chardonnay
Small Batch Experimental Award
Cape Jaffa Wines 2022 Aura Project Barbera
International Judges Award
Brand and Sons Wines 2021 Sanctuary Cabernet Sauvignon
Chief of Judges Wine to Watch
Wynns 2021 V&A Lane Shiraz
Most Successful Exhibitors
Majella Wines and Wynns Coonawarra
Trophy for Best Individual Vineyard Wine
Orlando Wines 2019 Lawson’s Padthaway Shiraz
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