Forget the gold medal-winning Australian Olympians – what about Liz Silkman! She won seven trophies at the 52nd Hunter Valley Wine Show.
The winemaker for First Creek Wines and Silkman Wines won the Petrie-Drinan Trophy for Best White Wine of Show for the Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon, which also won the Drayton Family Trophy for Best Semillon of Show.
Silkman Wines were also winners for their Reserve Chardonnay range, taking the Murray Tyrrell Trophy for Best Chardonnay for their 2023 Reserve Chardonnay.
Liz Silkman was earlier in the week announced as Winemaker of the Year at the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards – the first Hunter winemaker to win it.
Sam Connew from Stargazer Wines, in her third and final year as chair of the show, said, “It’s been a privilege to be associated with one of Australia’s benchmark regional wine shows and with the quality of wines this year, it has been a positive way to finish my term.”
International judge Mark Pygott MW from the UK said, “Overall the quality of the wines and the professionalism of the show was a privilege to be a part of and I hope that the results demonstrate just how important and valid the wines of the Hunter Valley continue to be.”
Sam said the 2023 and 2024 Semillon classes were singing.
“The 2024 Semillon is approachable now, but clearly, they also have a long life ahead,” she said.
“Visiting judges found the joys to be had in the older Semillon classes which were highly awarded.
Mark added, “I expected to find pristine, pure and delicious Semillon from the most recent vintage and wasn’t disappointed.
“Many of the wines in this class will develop into wines of rare beauty and will continue the legacy of this unique style of Semillon only found in the Hunter Valley.”
The Kaloudah Trophy for Best Table Wine from a Small Producer saw a Chardonnay win, awarded to Keith Tulloch Wine for their 2023 Celest Chardonnay.
The Tyrrell Family Trophy for Best Museum White Wine was awarded to Tyrrell’s for their highly acclaimed 2013 Belford Semillon.
Mark said, “This is a showcase for the gift that is aged Hunter Semillon, and featured many wines of profound intensity coupled with an elegance that is arguably unmatched by any other wine style globally.”
Brokenwood took the Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance Trophy for their 2024, 2017 and 2014 flagship ILR Semillon.
“The wines of provenance, celebrating the excellence and consistency across a minimum spread of 10 years, continue to set a benchmark for this award Australia wide,” Sam said.
Brokenwood were also the recipients of the newly named Karl Stockhausen Trophy for Best One-Year-Old-Semillon for their 2023 Oakey Creek Vineyard 1 & 4 Semillon.
A legendary figure in the Hunter Valley, Karl Stockhausen crafted some of the most celebrated Lindeman’s Hunter wines and was a true champion of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, serving as a judge and chair of the judging panel.
The Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show was awarded to De Iuliis Wines for their 2023 Limited Release Shiraz, which also received the Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy for Best Shiraz.
The De Iuliis Wines 2014 Talga Road Shiraz was awarded the John Lewis Trophy for Best Museum Red.
Sam said, “It was a delight to see the strength of the much-anticipated 2023 red wines.
“It was a very high standard class and with six gold medals awarded it was terrific to see the wines live up to the lofty vintage reputation.”
The Thomas Wines Kiss 2021 Shiraz won the Len Evans Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red and Mercer Wines was awarded for the second time the Lone Pine Barracks Officers Mess Silver Bullet for their 2023 Shiraz Nouveau.
The 2024 Tyrrell Family Advanced Viticulture Scholarship was awarded to Thomas Horden, Vineyard Manager at Glenesk Vineyard, and the 2024 Alasdair Sutherland Scholarship to Giacomo Soldani, winemaker at Margan Wines.
“These scholarships play an important role in supporting talent within the Hunter Valley wine industry bringing new ideas and thinking to our viticulture practices and wine show judging talent,” said Jennie Curran, CEO of the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association.
The show attracted 76 exhibitors, with 600 entries across 29 classes. A total of 381 medals were awarded, including 56 gold.
2024 PKF Hunter Valley Wine Show Trophy Winners
Marshall-Flannery Trophy
Best Current Semillon Class 1 (trophy sponsor – Winequip)
Silkman Wines 2024 Reserve Semillon
Karl Stockhausen Memorial Trophy
Best One-Year-Old Semillon Class 2 (trophy sponsor – Hunter Wine Forum)
Brokenwood Wines 2023 Oakey Creek Vineyard 1 & 4 Semillon
McGuigan Family Trophy
Best Two-Year–Old and Older Semillon Class 3
Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon
George Wyndham Memorial Trophy
Best Current and One-Year-Old Chardonnay Classes 4 & 5 (trophy sponsor – Laffort)
Silkman Wines 2023 Reserve Chardonnay
Henry John Lindeman Memorial Trophy
Best Two-Year-Old and Older Chardonnay Class 6 (trophy sponsor – Jurds Real Estate)
Tinklers Wines 2022 Poppys Chardonnay
Graham Gregory Memorial Trophy
Best Other White Varietals and White Blends Classes 8,9,10,11
First Creek Wines 2024 Classics Vermentino
J.Y. (Jay) Tulloch Trophy
Best Verdelho Class 7
Pepper Tree 2024 Limited Release Home Block Verdelho
Elliott Family Trophy
Best Rosé of Show Class 14
John Wallace Wines 2024 Tilba Rose
Maurice O’Shea Memorial Trophy
Best Other Red Varietals and Red Blends Classes 18,19,20,21,22 & 23
Margan 2023 Ceres Hill Barbera
Alexander Munro Memorial Trophy
Best Current Vintage and One Year Old Shiraz Classes 15& 18 (trophy sponsor – Singleton Diggers)
De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz
Stibbard-Hulin Trophy
Best Two-Year-Old Shiraz Class 16 (Trophy Sponsor – Hahn Corporation)
Hungerford Hill 2022 Epic Shiraz
James Busby Memorial Trophy
Best Mature Three-Year-Old and Older Shiraz Class 17 (trophy sponsor – Jenkins Legal Services)
Thomas Wines 2021 Kiss Shiraz
Lone Pine Barracks Officers Mess Silver Bullet
Mercer Wines 2023 Shiraz Nouveau
Drayton Family Trophy
Best Semillon (Roll of Honour Sponsor – John and Jan Drayton)
Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon
Murray Tyrrell Chardonnay Trophy
Best Chardonnay (trophy sponsor – MCC, Roll of Honour sponsor – Tyrrell’s Vineyards)
Winner: Silkman Wines 2023 Reserve Chardonnay
Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy
Best Shiraz (Roll of Honour sponsor – Tulloch Wines, trophy sponsor – Seguin Moreau)
De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz
Tyrrell Family Trophy
Best Museum White Wine (sponsor – Riedel, Roll of Honour sponsor – Tyrrell’s Vineyards)
Tyrrell’s Vineyards 2013 Belford Semillon
John Lewis Trophy
Best Museum Red Wine Class 25 (trophy sponsor – Mercurey Australia)
De Iuliis Wines 2014 Talga Road Shiraz
Kaloudah Trophy
Best Table Wine from a Small Producer
Keith Tulloch Wine 2023 Celest Chardonnay
Len Evans Trophy
Best Single Vineyard White Wine (sponsor – Insight Wealth Planning)
Brokenwood Wines 2019 Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon
Len Evans Trophy
Best Single Vineyard Red Wine (sponsor – Insight Wealth Planning)
Thomas Wines 2021 Kiss Shiraz
Petrie-Drinan Trophy
Best White Wine of the Show (sponsor – PKF)
Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon
Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy
Best Red Wine of the Show (sponsor – PKF)
De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz
Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance (Sponsor – CCL)
Brokenwood Wines ILR Semillon 2024, 2017, 2014
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