Small Grampians Winery Wins The Jimmy

Small family owned Grampians winery Fallen Giants has won the 2021 Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy with a $35 wine – Fallen Giants Shiraz 2019.

The wine also won trophies for Best Victorian Shiraz and the Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz.

“We are so humbled to win the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, the best Victorian Shiraz and the Trevor Mast Memorial Trophy for Best Shiraz,” the winery posted on Facebook.

“Thank you so much to all the team and the phenomenal winemaker Justin Purser.”

Fallen Giants has a strong connection to the late Trevor Mast with the vineyard having previously been part of Mount Langi Ghiran, during Trevor’s time as chief winemaker.

The vineyard was purchased by Rebecca and Arron Drummond and renamed Fallen Giants in 2013.

The Fallen Giants name comes from the dreamtime stories of the original owners of this land, the Djab Wurrung and Jardiwadjali people.

“According to the stories, Geriward (the Grampians) was created by the great Ancestor spirit Bunjil, who often took the form of a great eagle,” the website says.

“The ranges were then further shaped by Tchingal a giant ferocious emu, who split the mountains with his fierce kick, creating what is today Halls Gap.”

The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy is the Australian wine industry’s most coveted prize, awarded annually to the best one or two-year-old red wine and is named after the legendary Jimmy Watson who championed table wine at his Carlton wine bar.

The Melbourne Royal Wine Awards were held at the Melbourne Showgrounds last night. It was the first show for two years after Covid-19 cancelled last year’s event.

The awards acknowledged the contribution of the late Dr Tony Jordan who founded Domaine Chandon Australia in the Yarra Valley in 1985.

The inaugural Dr Tony Jordan Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine Best Sparkling was awarded to Wicks Estate for their 2015 Pamela Chardonnay Pinot Noir. Dr Jordan’s wife, Michele, presented the trophy.

The François De Castella Trophy for Best Young White was awarded to Tasmania’s Tolpuddle Vineyard for their 2020 Chardonnay, with the same wine also being awarded The Douglas Seabrook Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine and the team behind it the Kym Ludvigsen Trophy for Viticultural Excellence.

Tolpuddle’s viticulturalist, Murray Leake, and vineyard manager Carlos Souris were recognised as being part of the team behind the grapes that produced the Douglas Seabrook Single Vineyard Trophy-winning wine.

For the sixth consecutive year, The James Halliday Trophy for Best Pinot Noir was awarded to a Tasmanian winery with Lowestoft Winery being recognised for their La Maison Pinot Noir 2020.

Yarra Valley winery Giant Steps was awarded the trophy for Champion Victorian Winery, presented by the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas. The trophy recognises the winery’s top four scoring wines, with Giant Steps coming out on top after receiving four gold medals and the trophy for Best Red Blend with their Yarra Valley Syrah Carignan Grenache 2019.

Following the introduction in 2019 of state-based trophies for Shiraz, the 2021 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards saw the inclusion of best state-based trophies for Chardonnay, with the Yarra Valley’s Oakridge Wines being awarded Best Victorian Chardonnay.

The winners of each state trophy were tasted off against each other to award the trophy for Best Chardonnay, with Tolpuddle first winning the Best Tasmanian Chardonnay, and overall category trophy of Best Chardonnay with their much-acclaimed 2020 Chardonnay.

Melbourne Royal Wine Awards committee chair Samantha Isherwood saw the successful delivery of the 2021 awards as a highlight of the year.

“To see the judging and presentation of the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards go ahead has indeed been a highlight of 2021,” she says.

“Tasting wines from all regions of Australia completely independent, with integrity and professionalism is so important to the grapegrowers, viticulturalists, winemakers, distributors, restaurateurs, retailers and consumers.”

Full list of trophy winners:

Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for Best Young Red
Fallen Giants Shiraz 2019

Francois De Castella Trophy for Best Young White
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz
Fallen Giants Shiraz 2019

James Halliday Trophy for Best Pinot Noir
Fogerty Family Wines Lowestoft La Maison Pinot Noir 2020

Douglas Seabrook Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine Presented by Seabrook Wines
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Bill Chambers Trophy for Best Fortified Wine
Morris Wines Cellar Reserve Topaque NV Muscadelle

Kym Ludvigsen Trophy for Viticultural Excellence
Murray Leake (viticulturalist) and Carlos Souris (vineyard manager), Tolpuddle Vineyard

Dr Tony Jordan Trophy for Best Sparkling
Wicks Estate Pamela Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2015

Champion Victorian Winery
Giant Steps, Yarra Valley

Best Semillon
Tyrrell’s Belford Semillon 2017

Best Chardonnay
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Best Riesling
Henschke Julius Riesling 2021

Best Sauvignon Blanc
Scarpantoni Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Best Pinot Gris/Grigio
Longview Vineyard Queenie Pinot Grigio 2021

Best Single Varietal White
Small Victories Wine Co Vermentino 2021

Best White Blend
Hanging Rock Winery The Jim Jim Three Pinot Gris Gewurztraminer Riesling 2021

Best Sweet White Wine
Deen De Bortoli Botrytis Semillon 2018

Best Rosé
Turkey Flat Rose Grenache 2021

Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Thompson Estate The Specialist Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Best Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2019

Best Single Varietal Red
Bleasdale Vineyards Second Innings Malbec 2020

Best Grenache
Pinnacle Drinks The Ethereal One Fleurieu Grenache 2020

Best Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Majella Musician 2019

Best Red Blend
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Syrah Carignan Grenache 2019

Best Organic Or Biodynamic Wine
Tscharke Gnadenfrei White Grenache Blanc 2020

Best Victorian Shiraz
Fallen Giants Shiraz 2019

Best South Australian Shiraz
St Hugo Barossa Shiraz 2019

Best NSW/ACT Shiraz
Lerida Estate Cullerin Syrah 2019

Best Western Australian Shiraz
Fermoy Estate Shiraz 2019

Best Tasmanian Shiraz
Not Awarded

Best Queensland Shiraz
Not Awarded

Best Victorian Chardonnay
Oakridge 864 Funder And Diamond 2019

Best South Australian Chardonnay
Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Best NSW/ACT Chardonnay
Not Awarded

Best Western Australian Chardonnay
Deep Woods Estate Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Best Queensland Chardonnay
Not Awarded

Best Tasmanian Chardonnay
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Consistency of Excellence (2018, 2019 and 2021)

Exhibits of the same label that have been awarded a gold medal at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards for three consecutive years (2018, 2019 and 2021) are awarded a Consistency of Excellence Medal.