Yarra Yering has scooped the pool at the country’s first capital city wine show, the Royal Queensland Wine Awards (RQWA) at the Brisbane Showgrounds, winning four major trophies plus the Grand Champion title for Australia’s best wine.
The 2022 Yarra Yering Underhill Red Table Wine beat almost 1,400 wines from 198 Australian wineries to be named the winner of the Angelo Puglisi Grand Champion of Wine Show Trophy.
The Underhill Red Table Wine also won the sought-after Stodart Trophy for the Best Red Table Wine of Show and The Wine Guild of Australian Inc (Queensland) Best Shiraz of Show; while the Yarra Yering winery won Best Shiraz Blend Wine of Show for its New Territories 2023 wine and Best Red Blend Wine of Show for its Dry Red Wine No. 3 2023.
Yarra Yering also took home the $12,000 fellowship which was the prize for winning the Angelo Puglisi Grand Champion of Wine Show Trophy.
Chief judge Tom Carson said the country’s best wine came from the old vines in the historic Yarra Valley estate established in 1969.
“Yarra Yering has an extremely talented viticulture and winemaking team which is at the absolute top of their game,” he said.
“The Grand Champion Yarra Yering Underhill is a seriously captivating wine which features blue fruit, spice, purity and length.”
Mr Carson said wines from the 2023 Pinot Noir vintage really stood out to the panel of 26 judges.
“The wines from the Pinot Noir 2023 were of an extremely high quality with entries from a diverse range of regions across Australia receiving 11 gold medals,” he said.
“The Dr Bill Ryan Best Pinot Noir of Show and the $5,000 bursary went to Tasmania’s Bream Creek Vineyards for their Pinot Noir 2023.
“The wines in the 2023 Chardonnay and 2022 Shiraz classes were also of a very high standard.”
Best Queensland Wine of Show was awarded to Ballandean’s Twisted Gum Wines’ Shiraz 2022 and the new RQWA competition for 2024 for Best Value Wine Trophies went to South Australia’s Kirrihill Winery’s Regional Series Clare Riesling 2023 and Western Australia’s Millbrook Winery’s Regional GSM 2023.
“The RQWA’s introduction of the new Best Value Wine Trophy category for bottles of red or white wine that retail for less than $25 was well received and the winners were chosen for their drinkability and ageability,” he said.
The Royal Queensland Wines Awards has been running since 1876, aiming to improve, promote and provide guidance to the industry.
This year’s award-winning wines will be showcased to consumers at the popular Grape Grazing by Night event at the Brisbane Showgrounds on Friday 19 July. Tickets are available at www.grapegrazingbynight.com.au
2024 TROPHY AWARD WINNERS
THE ANGELO PUGLISI GRAND CHAMPION OF WINE SHOW (Australia’s best wine)
Yarra Yering – Underhill 2022
THE STODART TROPHY FOR BEST RED TABLE WINE OF SHOW
Yarra Yering – Underhill 2022
BEST RIESLING WINE OF SHOW
Castelli Estate – Estate Riesling 2023
BEST SEMILLON WINE OF SHOW
Brokenwood Wines – Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon 2024
BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC OF SHOW
Petaluma – White Label Sauvignon Blanc 2023
BEST PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO WINE OF SHOW
Gapsted Estate – Alpine Road Pinot Grigio 2023
THE FLEMING TROPHY FOR BEST CHARDONNAY WINE OF SHOW
Deep Woods Estate – Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023
BEST WHITE VARIETAL WINE OF SHOW
Longview Vineyards – Macclesfield Gruner Veitliner 2024
BEST WHITE BLEND WINE OF SHOW
Xanadu Wines – Xanadu Vinework Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023
BEST VALUE WHITE WINE OF SHOW
Kirrihill Wines – Regional Series Clare Riesling 2023
THE DR BILL RYAN BEST PINOT NOIR OF SHOW
Bream Creek Vineyard – Bream Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
BEST GRENACHE WINE OF SHOW
Yalumba Wines – Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache 2023
BEST GRENACHE BLEND OF SHOW
Millbrook Winery – Millbrook Regional GSM 2023
BEST SANGIOVESE, MONTEPULCIANO, NERO DÁVOLA, BARBERA, DOLCETTO, NEBBIOLO OR BLEND OF SHOW
Serafino Wines – Serafino Belissimo Montepulciano 2023
WINE GUILD OF AUSTRALIAN INC (QUEENSLAND) BEST SHIRAZ WINE OF SHOW
Yarra Yering – Underhill 2022
BEST SHIRAZ BLEND WINE OF SHOW
Yarra Yering – New Territories 2023
THE ALAN COOK MBE TROPHY BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON WINE OF SHOW
Devil’s Lair – Devil’s Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
LIQUOR MERCHANTS OF AUSTRALIA LTD BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Jim Barry Wines – Jim Barry The Farm Cabernet Malbec 2022
BEST RED VARIETAL WINE OF SHOW
Bleasdale Vineyards – Bleasdale Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2023
BEST RED BLEND WINE OF SHOW
Yarra Yering – Dry Red Wine No. 3 2023
BEST VALUE RED WINE OF SHOW
Millbrook Winery – Millbrook Regional GSM 2023
THE MALDWYN AND IAN DAVIES BEST SPARKLING WINE OF SHOW
House of Arras – House of Arras Grand Vintage 2015
BEST WHITE TABLE WINE OF SHOW
Deep Woods Estate – Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023
BEST SWEET WHITE WINE OF SHOW
De Bortoli Wines – Deen De Bortoli Botrytis Semillon 2020
BEST ROSE` WINE OF SHOW
Turkey Flat Vineyards – Turkey Flat Rose 2024
BEST FORTIFIED WINE OF SHOW
Casella Family Brands – Baileys Winemakers Select Rare Topaque
THE KING STREET BEST SMALL BATCH WINE OF SHOW
Hidden Creek Winery – Syrah Viognier 2023
THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP BEST QUEENSLAND WINE OF SHOW
Twisted Gum Wines – Twisted Gum Wines Shiraz 2022
Photograph: Winemaker Sarah Crowe (Yarra Yering Facebook).
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