10 Best in Show medals for Australia at Decanter Wine Awards

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By Editor on June 8, 2023

For the first time ever, Australia has topped the charts at the 2023 Decanter Wine Awards, with a record 10 Best in Show medals.

Australia trounced iconic wine-making countries France and Spain, which received eight Best in Show medals each, followed by Italy with seven.

The 2023 competition involved 236 wine experts, including 53 Masters of Wine and 16 Master Sommeliers, coming together from 30 nations.

Western Australia’s Margaret River, described by Decanter as “one of the most geographically isolated wine regions in the world”, claimed three spots in the competition’s Top 50 selection.

Domaine Naturaliste, Rebus Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Evans & Tate, Redbrook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
House of Cards, Ace of Spades Chardonnay 2022

Margaret River saw continued success in the competition’s Platinum category, where it was awarded three of the state’s four medals. The fourth – a first-ever Platinum and 97 points to lesser-known wine region of merit, Frankland River, for Amelia Park, Reserve Shiraz 2021.

It was also South Australia’s best performance to date and also one of the best across the entire competition. The state was awarded 25 Gold, five Platinum and a record five Best in Show, representing half of Australia’s medals in the Top 50 list.

Co-chair and Australian native Michael Hill Smith MW said: “Decanter World Wine Awards has evolved through time, but it’s still kept to its core principle of regions being judged by regional specialists. For me, the entry numbers are less important. What’s important for me is the credibility of the judging, the credibility of the results.”