News & Reviews

SILVER at the Great Australia Shiraz Challenge
November 10, 2009

At the announcement of the results from the 2009 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge, we were VERY please to have been awarded a SILVER medal for our 2008 Rider Shiraz.

This was against some impressive competition, including names like Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Paringa Estate and Saltram. It should be noted that of all the entries only 5 Gold Medals were awarded and just 53 Silvers, this was out of 422 Shiraz's entries from all over Australia. Our Shiraz was awarded a 17 out of 20 while the winner recieved a 19.

This year's event brought together a panel of highly credentialed and experienced judges.

  • Geoff Merrill, Chairman of Judges
  • Nick Bulleid MW
  • Stephen Henschke
  • Alan George

This year there was a revised judging process, this was that the Shiraz Challenge Committee introduced an innovative change to the judging process were wines entered were classed and tasted based on climate and regional points of difference, this ensured that all entries are judged objectively.

Annie's Lane At Quelltaler has won Australia's most prestigious wine award The 2009 Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge Trophy with its 2005 Annie's Lane Copper Trail Shiraz.

Winners were announced at a Gala Black Tie Dinner at the historic Tahbilk Winery on Friday 6th November. A record 422 wines competed in the 15th Challenge with vintages ranging from 2002 - 2009.

Geoff Merrill - Chairman of Judges comments: "On behalf of my fellow judges, Nick Bulleid (MW), David Traeger and Alan George it gives me great pleasure to summarise the highly successful 2009 Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. 422 entries were judged over two days and more than half the wines were 07/08 so again tannin build up was a factor for the judges pallets.

I would like to thank Carol McLean and her team of helpers, the judging ran like clockwork.

This year's event showed more diversity of style and many wines expressed regional and climatic differences. Cork use was a historic low at just 21.5% of entries down from 26% last year.

With recent warmer vintage conditions winemakers should be vigilant in regards to not producing over ripe, porty wines.

In conclusion, the 2009 Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge has once again highlighted the diversity of viticultural regions and the high standard of winemaking related to the iconic Australian Grape Variety".