Victorian winemaking couple Loïque Allain and Chris Dilworth from Dilworth & Allain have won the 2020 Young Gun of Wine award as well as the Best New Act as newcomers to the Top 50.
WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine is an awards sponsor.
The pair were lauded for their 2018 Cope Williams Vineyard Chardonnay and 2018 Doug’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, which they submitted to the YGOW panel in 2019 for tasting.
“Dilworth & Allain have made a profound impression with their young label,” YGOW founder Rory Kent says.
“This is only the second time in the 14 years of Young Gun that a maker has taken two trophies home at the one presentation.
“Loïque and Chris are a husband and wife team that do everything from farming and making truly exceptional wines right through to the artwork that adorns the labels.
“That their offering – in the eyes of our panel of industry experts – has been chosen as the most compelling from 50 of Australia’s best emerging winemakers is testament to just how good these wines are. And that they’ve done this in their first year is phenomenal.
“The Macedon Ranges is one of Australia’s coldest wine regions, but it is white hot right now. There’s a terrific new breed in Macedon, as the four makers in our Top 50 illustrate, making wine from exceptional fruit sources and employing a modern approach that is about exploring flavour and texture through minimal inputs and artisanal making, and Dilworth & Allain are the perfect emblem for this group.”
The trophies were announced via a first-ever virtual trophy presentation.The Danger Zone was awarded to 2019 Dhiaga ‘Moscato’ wine, from Victorian winemaker Justin Purser of Dhiaga. The most adventurous wine that has yet been seen in the history of this award, it was made using moscato from a little-known region, and employed skin contact and pet-nat techniques, and with beer hops added to the ferment.
The People’s Choice, as decided by the public via online voting, went to Will Gilbert from Gilbert and the Winemaker’s Choice as voted on by the 2020 Top 50 winemakers was given to Steven Crawford from Frederick Stevenson.
Now it its 14th year, YGOW searches for and celebrates the best young wine labels and emerging talent in the country. For the first time ever, YGOW hosted its trophy presentation virtually in place of its annual awards ceremony.
Australian media personalities and some of the country’s top chefs joined in on the fun to show their support for the YGOW finalists with a short video message of congratulations. Eddie McGuire, Merrick Watts, Adam Liaw, Ben Shewry and Adrian Richardson, along with wine royalty such as Jancis Robinson, Vanya Cullen and Prue Henschke, and even sporting legends like Ricky Ponting, were just some of the names who tuned in and wished the winemakers good luck.
The judging panel included Rory Kent, Nick Stock, Tony Harper, Max Veenhuyzen, Katie Spain, David Moyle, Jessica Ho, Samantha Teague, Pip Anderson, Penny Grant, Jane Lopes, Louella Mathews, Ian Trinkle, Charlotte Hardy and Damon Koerner.
Trophy winners
• Young Gun of Wine: Dilworth & Allain (Macedon Ranges)
• Best New Act: Dilworth & Allain (Macedon Ranges)
• Danger Zone: 2019 Dhiaga Moscato (Swan Hill)
• People’s Choice: Gilbert (Orange/Mudgee)
• Winemaker’s Choice: Frederick Stevenson (Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills).
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