WINNERS OF JAMES HALLIDAY AUSTRALIAN WINE COMPANION AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Announcement posted by Dig & Fish 30 Jul 2014
Last night James Halliday AM, in association with Wine Companion magazine and Hardie Grant Publishing, announced the winners of the Qantas epiQure James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Awards.
James Halliday has been at the forefront of the wine industry for more than four decades and these second annual coveted awards celebrated the industry’s finest wines, as rated in the 2015 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion – released today.
James Halliday said of the awards, “It’s with great pleasure we take the time to recognise Australia’s remarkable wines and producers. The 2012 and ’13 vintages produced wonderful wines from both long-established wineries and newly-arrived winemakers – the awards celebrate this diversity in our industry.”
Six major awards were presented: Winery of the Year, Wine of the Year, Dark Horse of the Year, New Winery of the Year, Winemaker of the Year and Best Value Winery of the Year.
Congratulations to the following winners:
- Wine of the Year: 2011 Xanadu Stevens Road Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, WA (Sponsored by Qantas epiQure)
- Winery of the Year: Hentley Farm,Barossa Valley, SA (Sponsored by SMEG)
- Dark Horse of the Year: Haselgrove Wines, McLaren Vale, SA (Sponsored by Nikon)
- New Winery of the Year: Flowstone, Margaret River, WA (Sponsored by Kennards Wine Storage)
- Winemaker of the Year: Castle Rock Estate’s Rob Diletti, WA
- Best Value Winery of the Year: Hoddles Creek Estate, Yarra Valley, VIC
Ten varietal award-winning wines were served alongside a five-course degustation:
- Sparkling Wine: 2004 House of Arras Grand Vintage (97 points)
- Riesling: 2013 Grosset Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling (98 points)
- Semillon: 2013 Thomas Braemore Individual Vineyard Hunter Valley Semillon (98 points)
- Chardonnay: 2011 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay (98 points)
- Sauvignon Blanc: 2011 Flowstone Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc (97 points)
- Pinot Noir: 2012 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir (99 points)
- Other Reds: 2012 SC Pannell McLaren Vale Grenache (97 points)
- Shiraz: 2011 Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz (98 points)
- Cabernet Sauvignon: 2011 Xanadu Stevens Road Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon (99 points)
- Fortified: 1914 Seppeltsfield 100 Year Old Para Liqueur (100 points)
The additional varietal winners were:2004 Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne, 97 points (Other Whites and Blends), 2013 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, 98 points (Shiraz Viognier), 2012 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 2, 98 points (Shiraz Family), 2012 Cullen Diana Madeline, 98 points (Cabernet Family), NV Rockford Black Shiraz, 97 points (Sparkling Red), 2013 Bellarmine Pemberton Riesling Select, 96 points (Sweet Wine).
The invitation-only event was held at The Park in Albert Park, with guests continuing celebrations at the newly opened Coppersmith in South Melbourne.
Attendees included the Hon. Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Agriculture and Tasmanian Senator, former V8 Supercar driver and Channel 7 personality Mark Skaife, CEO of the Grand Prix Corporation Andrew Westacott, former Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett, legendary winemakers Ed Carr and Jim Chatto.
For all details about the awards and the event gallery, visit www.winecompanion.com.au/awards
ENDS
For further information or images please contact:
Elyse Dudgeon, Dig&Fish, 03 9827 4466, 0417 590 190
About James Halliday
James Halliday is Australia′s most respected wine critic and wine writer. Formerly a partner of Clayton-Utz law firm, he founded Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley in 1970 with two other lawyers. James and his wife Suzanne later established Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley in 1985.
As a journalist, Halliday has written more than 65 books and several thousand newspaper and magazine articles, winning a number of major wine writing awards in Australia and overseas. He was awarded Australia's most prestigious wine award - the Maurice O'Shea Award - for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Wine Industry in 1995.In 2010, James Halliday was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
About the Australian Wine Companion
The James Halliday Australian Wine Companion is Australia’s definitive guide to Australian wine, released every July and published by Hardie Grant. In partnership with Hardie Grant, James Halliday is also responsible for the Wine Companion online www.winecompanion.com.au and also James Halliday’s Wine Companion magazine, which has become Australia’s biggest-selling wine magazine since its launch in 2011.