Regional wine show results – a mistery for some
Last week Friday I went to the regional wine show in Kiama. Here a tasting panel with renowned Australian wine judges got together including winemaker Keith Tulloch as Chairman of Judges, Christian Gaffey, himself winemaker and Wine Selector as well as Judge Bryan Martin, Winemaker at famous Clonakilla & Ravensworth Wines. They gave their best comparing local wines and a selection of participants from the Southern Highlands.
Kiama Wine Show 2009
No one so far could explain to me, how wines from 700m cool climate Highlands could be compared to wines from a distinctly different climate at the South Coast in a regional show- but here you go: the mission for the judging panel was ‘make this judging work on the basis, that the wines compare on distinct ‘international wine levels”.
The results are a repeat of former years and a few big surprises to me- firstly the repeat: Coolangatta Estate won best White Wine with their 2001 Estate Semillon, a great wine without any doubt and for sure one of the outstanding Semillons in the country. Good to have a Hunter Valley expert in Keith Tulloch (his Keith Tulloch Wines are Hunter based) confirm the success of Coolangatta’s flagship again. Owner Greg Bishop was very contempt with its Semillons, he even confirmed to me that the years 2005 and 2006 looked even more promising but needed more time to develop.
The surprises came with the awards for two categories I was having a close eye on: best Red Wine and also Best Wine of the show was awarded to Southern Highlands Wines with their Cabernet Sauvignon and best Pinot Noir was scored by the 2008 Centennial Wines Pinot Noir. I tasted both of them and these results were very much to my surprise to put it mildly. I tasted at least three Pinots at the show that were far superior and had no faults.
The Centennial Pinot tasted foul, even faulty – to its credit the bottle was open for 24 hours when I tried it. Still, a wine under screwcap must hold onto its credentials for more than 24 hours. This Pinot was one I would have not cared to finish the bottle – even if I had bought it myself.
And taking into account, that the judges were asked to apply international standards in this regional show, I have no understanding for the decision to award best red wine (and best wine of the show) to a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Southern Highlands. There is simply no good Cab Sav from this region, most serious winemakers actually pull the plug on this variety these days as the Highland’s climate simply doesn’t work for Cab Savs.
To award a gold medal to the Cabernet Sauvignon from Southern Highlands Wines is an absolute disgrace for all Cab Savs from Coonawarra, McLaren Vale or Barossa, that scored less in other shows. These judges must have smoked good stuff when they made this call, sorry guys.
But this is wine judging in Australia – sometimes you have to ask yourself how these results come up. Let me put one thing straight: my opinion of no good Cab Sav from the Southern Highlands stands and if this particular winery uses grapes from other regions, than this wine shouldn’t have been entered in the regional show. A good judge should figure this out.
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In der letzten Woche war ich endlich einmal auf einer der vielen kleineren, regionalen Weinshows zu Besuch. Die regionale Wine Show in Kiama brachte in diesem Jahr neben einem wiederholten weissen Gewinner zwei dicke Ueberraschungen als bestem Wein der Show und bestem Pinot Noir. Jene beiden Entscheidungen lassen mich diese regionale Show eher ein wenig belaecheln, einer der Wine Makers vor Ort urteilte: well, there is another show next week. Den Besuch in Kiama werde ich mir naechstes Jahr allerdings schenken.
Ihr Michael Brecht
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I would agree with you Micheal: a Cabernet from the Southern Highlands would not be my first pick for a gold medal wine. The bestregion for Cab Sav is the Coonawarra – climate, terrain and winemaking skills are hthe best Australia has on offer for this variety.
P.S.