Australian winemakers did the country proud at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards in London winning 71 top medals (95+ points) including Gold, Platinum and Best in Show.
A Best in Show medal are the highest accolade at the competition and Australia won eight – second only to France.
They represent just 0.28 percent of wines tasted. The winners are:
Bay of Fires Tasmania Pinot Noir 2022
Chaffey Bros Evangeline Eden Valley Syrah 2021
Fermoy Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Lowestoft Single Vineyard Jacoben Derwent Valley Tasmania Pinot Noir 2022
McGuigan Bin 9000 Hunter Valley Semillon 2014
Penny’s Hill Yeenunga McLaren Vale Grenache 2023
Red Knot by Shingleback Classified McLaren Vale GSM 2022
Stella Bella Luminosa Margaret River Chardonnay 2022
Celebrating its 21st year, the Decanter World Wine Awards saw 18,143 wines judged from 57 countries.
South Australia was the best-performing region with 30 top medals.
It received three Best in Shows including Chaffey Bros Evangeline Eden Valley Syrah 2021.
The judges said, “This is only the second Eden Valley Shiraz to fight its way to our Best in Show selection and its emphatic, show-stopping character underlines how well this slightly higher-altitude zone is suited to South Australia’s favourite red variety.”
Penny’s Hill Yeenunga McLaren Vale Grenache 2023 and Red Knot by Shingleback Classifled McLaren Vale GSM 2022 also won Best in Show medals.
SA was awarded an additional four Platinum and 23 Golds including three Value Golds (wines priced at £14.99 or below).
Robert Oatley Semaphore Series McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021 made it to the Top 20 Value Gold list, highlighted for its “sweet blueberries and silky texture”.
Tasmania showed consistent quality with nine top awards, including two Best in Show for Pinot Noir wines.
Judges said: “Prior to 2024, we’ve never had a Tasmanian Pinot in our Best in Show selection.
“This year we have two.”
This was alongside four Gold and three Platinum medals, including House of Arras Blanc De Blancs 2014, marking the second consecutive year that the producer received a top award for this wine.
Victoria triumphed again at the Decanter World Wine Awards with Morris Old Premium Rare Muscat Rutherglen NV being awarded a Platinum medal for a second consecutive year.
The region picked up three Platinum medals with producer Yarra Yering receiving two of these, in addition to two Gold medals.
Overall the region won eight Gold medals, including the first ever Gold for Nagambie Lakes (Goulburn) for Tahbilk Museum Release Marsanne 2017.
Testament to the quality for money that the region offers, Bare Bones Great Western (Grampians) Shiraz 2021 made it to the Top 20 Value Gold list (a selection of 20 Gold-awarded wines priced at £14.99 or less).
Western Australia received 16 top medals, including two Best in Show for wines from Margaret River, cementing the quality-driven reputation of its region.
Fermoy Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 won Best in Show.
The judges said: “Do Cabernet Sauvignon and Margaret River go together? Well, it’s the fourth time that the combination has been featured in our Best in Show selection – so yes, they do.”
Margaret River was also awarded 14 Gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
New South Wales was awarded one Best in Show, retaining consistent results across the past two years.
Judges commented on McGuigan Bin 9000 Hunter Valley Semillon 2014: “This is the sixth time a Hunter Valley Semillon has featured in our Best in Show selection, so faithful followers of the DWWA results fanfare will by now be well acquainted with this unique indigenous style of Semillon.”
The region also picked up two Gold medals for Brokenwood Wines ILR Reserve Hunter Valley Semillon 2018 and De Bortoli Wines Riverina Reserve Botrytis Semillon 2019.
Competition co-chair Andrew Jefford said: “One of the things that really distinguishes our competition from other competitions is we have specialist judges, and then we are very discursive. We’re very collegiate. The only score that matters is the final score that the panel awards.”
Sustainability is a key focus for the Decanter World Wine Awards.
All plastic and cardboard is collected and recycled, while every bottle is crushed and remelted, ready to be remade into usable glass within 30 days.
All leftover wine is also collected, recycled and sold back into the national grid as gas.
Decanter was launched in 1975.
Visit awards.decanter.com for a full list of winners.
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