Yalumba the toast of Limestone Coast

Yalumba 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon won the Bill Redman Trophy for Best Wine of Show at the Limestone Coast Wine Show, outclassing 443 other entries from 62 exhibitors.

The wine also won the HR (Ron) Haselgrove Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon (Current to 3 Year Old) and the David Wynn Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show.

The awards were presented last night at Padthaway Estate.

Chief of judges Philip Rich says the winning red, which retails for under $30 a bottle, impressed from the outset.

“It was a hotly contested class which highlights what a fantastic year 2021 was for the region, but we just loved this wine’s combination of concentration and depth of fruit while also having some finesse and elegance about it at the same time – ultimately, it’s a beautifully balanced wine,” he said.

The grapes selected for the winning wine come from the Menzies Estate Vineyard – a patch of vivid red soil that Yalumba describes as Coonawarra’s ‘inner sanctum’ and ‘the holy grail of all Cabernet purists’.

Viticulturist James Freckleton won the Arthur Hoffmann Trophy for Viticulturist of the Year for his role in producing such an exceptional wine, taking Yalumba’s overall trophy haul to four.

Balnaves of Coonawarra 2022 Chardonnay won the Pam Dunsford Trophy for Best Chardonnay and the Colin Kidd Trophy for Best White of Show, while the 2017 vintage won Best Museum White.

Raidis Estate won the Karl Seppelt Trophy for Best Aromatic White (excluding Chardonnay) for Raidis Estate 2023 The Kid Riesling and the Trophy for Best Rose for their 2023 Laila Rose.

Majella Wines won The Ewen Fergusson McBain Trophy for Best Museum Red for its 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and shared the Most Successful Exhibitor trophy with Wynns Coonawarra Estate.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (2021, 2015, 2010) won the Best Wine of Provenance Trophy, while the Wynns Coonawarra Estate 2021 V&A Lane Coonawarra Shiraz was named the Chief of Judges ‘Wine to Watch’.

“The Shiraz class was incredibly strong, and I chose this particular wine because it was a slightly more modern expression of Coonawarra Shiraz,” Philip Rich says.

“It was very pure and fruit-driven, and I loved its perfume and elegance – it’s just a terrific wine.”

Sweden’s Madeleine Stenwreth gave her International Judge’s Award to Brand and Sons Wines’ 2021 Sanctuary Cabernet Sauvignon.

Full list of trophy winners: