ONCE again, and almost predictably, WA wineries with their less than 5 per cent of Australia’s wine crush, won 24 of the 107 gold medals given to table wines at the last month’s Royal Sydney Wine Show.
Seven out of the 23 trophies for table wines came to the west and all of these wines are currently on the market.
Margaret River’s Stella Bella won the trophy for Best Chardonnay with its 2007 vintage that has also gained gold medals at Margaret River, Brisbane and Hong Kong where it also won the trophy for Best New World Chardonnay, which retails at $31 (18 points).
Stella Bella won the trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc with its 2009 vintage (18.1pts and $23.50).
As always at the Royal Sydney Wine Show, WA dominated the cabernet classes with the Vasse Felix 2007 (RRP $33) winning the trophy for Best Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon.
The fabulous and hard to get 2004 Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon (wholly grown, made and bottled by the Houghton Wine Company from Margaret River grapes – 19pts RRP $115) won the trophy for Best Wine in Vintage Red classes.
Also from Margaret River, the 2007 Xanadu Next of Kin Cabernet Sauvignon won the trophy for the show’s Best Red Wine available at less than $20.
The tiny Castle Rock vineyard in the Porongurup Range in the Great Southern continued its now expected trophy-winning haul by taking home two trophies for the Best “named” Vineyard Wine in the show.
WA gold medal winners for 2009 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends included Evans & Tate (2), Goundrey, Cape Mentelle and Vasse Felix and the 2008 Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe.
In the Chardonnay classes, the west won 10 of the 22 gold medals with Brookland Valley 2008, Xanadu 2008, Ferngrove Diamond label 2008, Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2007, the Stella Bella trophy winner from 2007, Evans & Tate Reserve 2005, Wignall’s 2009, the “named vineyard” trophy winner Castle Rock 2008, and then an exciting double for Forrester Estate.
The only WA Shiraz gold medal winner was Cape Mentelle’s 2007 release.
Six gold medals came to WA from the 13 Cabernet and Cabernet dominant wines.
Two of WA’s greatest ever show Cabernets picked up more gold awards – the Houghton Gladstones’ Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 and the Hardy Thomas Hardy Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Merops Ornatus Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008, Margaret River won the State’s final gold ($28 cellar door).