Dan Murphy's 2013 National Wine Show of Australia™ 11
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2013 Catalogue of Results – Dan Murphy’s National Wine Show of Australia™ DAN MURPHY’S 2013 NATIONAL WINE SHOW OF AUSTRALIA™ 11 to 22 November 2013 Exhibition Park in Canberra PO Box 124, MITCHELL ACT 2911 Telephone +61 2 6241 2478 Fax +61 2 6241 1712 Email [email protected] Website www.rncas.org.au/NationalWineShow ROYAL NATIONAL CAPITAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY Patron ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher MLA President Stephen Beer Chief Executive Officer Garry Ashby Organising Committee David Metcalf - Chair Michele Norris - Deputy Chair Andrew Moore Deanna Riddell Wine Show Advisory Panel Stephen Pannell - Chair of Judges Tom Carson - Past Chair of Judges James Halliday AM Tim James Tim Kirk Bill Moore Dr Edgar Riek OAM Judging Dates 11 to 14 November 2013 Gala Presentation Dinner Thursday 21 November 2013 The Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra Exhibitors’ Tasting Coorong Pavilion, Exhibition Park in Canberra Friday 22 November 2013, 8.30am to 12.30pm The Royal National Capital Agricultural Society acknowledges and thanks the Show’s sponsors, the organising committee, advisory panel, stewards and volunteers who give freely of their time to ensure the success of the Show; Riedel; and Youth with a Mission. The Society also acknowledges Peter Crisp who designed and handmade each of the trophies. 1 2013 Catalogue of Results – Dan Murphy’s National Wine Show of Australia™ MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF JUDGES Judging for the 2013 National Wine Show is now complete and the nerve-racking process of finding out the trophy winning wines is over. I can now take a deep breath and look back at the highlights of the past four days of judging. One of my personal highlights was the quality of the sparkling wine classes and especially the wines that have been made in Tasmania in the past decade. These wines are outstanding and often rivalled the quality of many non-vintage Champagnes. It is a shame these wines are not more popular and drunk more frequently in preference to their French equivalent. My personal favourite wine of the show was the House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs. It is an outstanding wine, which I will be buying for Christmas morning. The 2012 vintage is proving to be a very good vintage across Australia with a wide range of varieties, styles and regions making exceptional wines. This is the first occasion I have had to look at 2012 red wines in a show environment and many have lived up to the hype. The Pinot Noirs were very good as expected but I think we had the most fun judging the 2012 Shiraz classes. Class 18 consisted of 48 wines and we called back a potential 9 gold medals from regions that included Hilltops, Heathcote, Great Western, Pyrenees, Bellarine Peninsula, McLaren Vale, Barossa and Clare Valley. This was most pleasing considering some recent criticism of the show system for myopically awarding cool climate Shiraz and ignoring warmer riper styles. Margaret River has performed very well again with many Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends, Chardonnays, Cabernets and Cabernet blends and even Shiraz wines gaining high medals. The 2010 vintage in Margaret River looks like a classic vintage especially for its famous Cabernet Sauvignon and the wine of show is a great example of this. The 2013 vintage for aromatic white wines looks to be an excellent year especially in the Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley. These are wines with heaps of fruit intensity and flavour and should provide lots of enjoyment over the summer months. This year’s judges spoke about what wines we were looking to reward and two points were often raised: a) a gold medal wine should be one that you are prepared to buy and put in your cellar; and b) reward wines that were grown and not made; wines that speak of place and are not clouded by excessive winemaking. For the first time wines were grouped into regions, which greatly aided the judging process. Stephen Pannell 2 2013 Catalogue of Results – Dan Murphy’s National Wine Show of Australia™ JUDGES AND ASSOCIATES STEPHEN PANNELL, Chair of Judges Stephen has been Chair of Judges since 2012. He and his wife Fiona Lindquist established SC Pannell Wines, a small family-owned winery, in 2004. It was established to focus on Stephen’s passion for the McLaren Vale region and its ability to produce dry-grown and environmentally sustainable Shiraz and Grenache. Stephen aims to make wines from the region that express their sense of place and define the character and enthusiasm of McLaren Vale. Stephen’s personal selection was House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs (CL 54:20). DAVID JEAN, International Judge David studied oenology in Switzerland. Graduating in 2005, he became a wine buyer for Coop Switzerland, responsible for the Swiss, French, Austrian and German categories. In 2008 he moved to Stockholm to work as a buyer for the Swedish Retail monopoly Systembolaget, responsible for Australia, North America and Eastern Europe. David is also strongly involved in their QC/QA-program and has judged at the Mondial du Pinot Noir for several years. David’s personal selection was Eddystone Point 2011 Pinot Noir (CL 16:6). STEVE WEBBER, Panel Chair Steve is the chief winemaker at De Bortoli Yarra Valley and has a passion for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and all things a bit quirky. Steve was Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year in 2007 and Chairman of Judges at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show from 2008 - 2010. Steve’s personal selection was Yabby Lake 2012 Block 1 Pinot Noir (CL 31:5). ADAM WADEWITZ, Panel Chair Adam is the Senior Winemaker at Shaw + Smith. He was joint dux of the Len Evans Tutorial in 2009, Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Finalist in 2010 and Young Gun of Wine Finalist in 2011. Adam was previously at Best’s Wines where he vinified the 2011 Bin 1 Shiraz which was awarded the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show in 2012. Adam’s personal selection was House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs (CL 54:20). DAVID LeMIRE MW, Panel Chair David is a wine business professional with experience in retail, distribution and brand management. He has a share in a small wine production business, writes regular columns for Australia's Wine Business Magazine, is a wine show judge, and co- convenor of the Australasian Institute of Masters of Wine Educational Seminar. In 2010 he joined Shaw + Smith. David’s personal selection was Oakridge 2011 864 Drive Block Chardonnay (CL 29:12). TONY HARPER, Panel Chair Having worked in restaurants and wine retail for more than 25 years, Tony has forged a career as a prominent wine and food reviewer. His passion for boutique beers, wines, ciders and spirits from around the world has been realised through his venture, the Craft Beer and Wine Boutique in Red Hill, Queensland. Tony’s personal selection was House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs (CL 54:20). MIKE BENNIE, Judge Mike is a freelance wine and drinks writer, journalist and presenter. He is a feature writer for Gourmet Traveller WINE and editor at large and contributor to WineFront.com.au. Mike is a wine judge in Australia and overseas and a graduate of the Len Evans Tutorial. Mike was named Wine Communicator’s of Australia digital wine communicator of the year in 2013. Mike’s personal selection was House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs (CL 54:20). 3 2013 Catalogue of Results – Dan Murphy’s National Wine Show of Australia™ JUDGES AND ASSOCIATES continued ANDREW GUARD, Judge Andrew established a wine importing business in Sydney in 2008. Joanna Savill, co- editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, calls him "a pioneer of new- style wine importing". Others have labelled him a wine geek. Andrew doesn’t consider himself to be a wine geek but does concede a serious obsession with wine. Andrew’s personal selection was Penfolds 2012 Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay (CL 8:37). PAUL HENRY, Judge Paul’s two years at Juveniles and Willi’s in Paris and an apprenticeship as a van driver/kitchen porter/waiter, struck a life course that has seldom strayed from great wine and food enterprises, and the people that run them. A chance opportunity to travel to Australia, for a then fledgling Australian Wine Bureau, began Paul’s relationship with a country that now dominates his guiding passion: the people, places and stories of Australian wine and developing strategies that further their reach and appreciation. ROBERT MANN, Judge Robert joined Cape Mentelle in December 2005 as Senior Winemaker. Born and raised in Western Australia, Robert’s grandfather, Jack Mann, made 51 consecutive vintages for Houghton in the Swan Valley. Robert is responsible for the ongoing development of Cape Mentelle’s wines, ensuring they continue to be at the leading edge of quality and style. Robert’s personal selection was Terindah Estate 2012 Shiraz (CL 32:33). CHESTER OSBORN, Judge Chester is a fourth generation winemaker having taken over from his father at d’Arenberg in 1983. He has forged a reputation for producing strikingly individual wines and melding tradition and innovation. He has a minimal input approach to viticulture that incorporates a preference for dry growing, no fertilisation, no soil cultivation and only minimal use of sprays. Chester’s personal selection was House of Arras 2001 Blanc de Blancs (CL 54:20). GABRIELLE POY, Judge Gabrielle is the Retail Sales Manager for the Melbourne City Wine Shop. In 2010 she was a scholar at the Len Evans Tutorial and in 2011 a finalist in the Frankland Estate Riesling Scholarship.