An Adelaide Hills chardonnay described by Australia’s best wine judges as ‘an explosion of flavour on the palate’ has taken out the top wine award at the 2024 National Wine Show of Australia.

Murdoch Hill’s 2022 Rocket Chardonnay was awarded the Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the National Press Club last night.

National Wine Show of Australia chair of judges Matt Harrop said the Rocket Chardonnay from a family-owned vineyard in Oakbank, was a beautifully made wine that stood out from the first round of tasting through to the trophy judging.

“The feedback from all 12 judges was just how much flavour this wine has,” he said. “To get a chardonnay with such powerful and precise flavours is due to a combination of a great vineyard that’s perfectly tended, with sensibly grown grapes and sensitive winemaking. It’s a great, great wine.”

The wine won the Len Evans Memorial Trophy for White Wine of Show and battled it out for the Prime Minister’s Trophy against the James Halliday Red Wine of Show, Devil’s Lair’s 2022 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

“The Devil’s Lair has everything you could want in a young cabernet – a lot of flavour, lovely colour, perfect aromatics. If you were going to say, ‘here’s an example of how good Australian cabernet can be’, you don’t need to go further than this wine,” Harrop said.

Triumphant night for De Bortoli

Victoria’s De Bortoli Wines made the most trips to the podium last night, picking up the Shiraz Trophy for its 2022 Heathcote Handcrafted Shiraz; the Alternate Red Blends Trophy for its 2022 Ancient Soils Tempranillo Touriga; and the Rose Trophy for the De Bortoli 2023 Rose Rose.

To be eligible to enter the National Wine Show of Australia, presented by Endeavour Group, wines must have won a gold or silver medal at one of 32 qualifying capital city or regional shows, meaning its winners have been through one of the most comprehensive wine assessment processes in the world.

This year, 952 wines representing 236 Australian wineries competed in the Canberra-based show, run by the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society. Of the 23 trophy winners, eight were from South Australia, seven from Victoria, four from Western Australia, three from New South Wales and one from Tasmania.

Strongest sparkling wine line-up in history

Harrop said the five wines competing for the Sparking Trophy represented one of the strongest sparkling line-ups in the show’s nearly 50-year history.

“It’s unlikely we’ll ever see such a strong class again because a lot of the grapes that were going into sparkling are now being made into table wine,” he said.

“Sparkling can be more costly and time-consuming to produce as it needs longer in the bottle before going to market,” he said.
Among the sparkling finalists were three entries from Tasmania’s House of Arras, including the winner of the Sparkling Trophy, the House of Arras 2015 Grand Vintage.

Budget-friendly award winners

National Wine Show chair Andy Gregory said the 23 trophy winners, as well as the 684 wines that missed out on a trophy but won medals, represented the best wine of 2024 and the pinnacle of Australian winemaking.

“The National Wine Show shines a spotlight on the unique characteristics of Australian wines and the distinct regions in which they are made. It’s a celebration of provenance, authenticity and quality,” Gregory said.

“An award at the National Wine Show equates to increased sales and brand profile for winemakers, and the winners’ catalogue is the ultimate buyers’ guide for people looking to drink or cellar the very best Australian wines.

“The great news is that wines of this calibre are affordable – you can pick up some of this year’s trophy winners for under $20, with several others retailing for under $40.”

2024 trophy winners

• Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show – Murdoch Hill 2022 Rocket
  Chardonnay
• James Halliday Trophy for Red Wine of Show – Devil’s Lair 2022 Margaret River
  Cabernet Sauvignon
• Len Evans Memorial Trophy for White Wine of Show – Murdoch Hill 2022 Rocket
  Chardonnay
• Blended White Trophy – Once & Well 2023 Frankie Garden Margaret River Classic
• White Varietal Trophy – Crittenden Wines 2018 Cri de Coeur Sous Voile Savagnin
• Chardonnay Trophy – Murdoch Hill Rocket Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc Trophy – Saint & Scholar 2023 Graduates Sauvignon Blanc
• Semillon Trophy – Tyrrell’s Vineyards 2017 Vat 1 Semillon
• Riesling Trophy – Kirrihill Wines 2023 Regional Series Clare Valley Riesling
• Pinot Gris/Grigio Trhopy – Tempus Two 2023 Copper Pinot Grigio
• Alternate Red Blends Trophy – De Bortoli 2022 Ancient Soils Tempranillo Touriga
• Cabernet Blends Trophy – Evans & Tate 2021 Redbrook Estate Cabernet Merlot
• Shiraz Blends Trophy – Devil’s Baie 2022 Syrah+
• Grenache Blends Trophy – Lloyd Brothers 2022 Estate Blend GSM
• Red Varietal Trophy – Bleasdale Vineyards 2022 Generations Malbec
• Cabernet Trophy – Devil’s Lair Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
• Shiraz Trophy – De Bortoli 2022 Heathcote Handcrafted Shiraz
• Grenache Trophy – Chalk Hill Wines 2022 Alpha Crucis Old Vine Grenache
• Pinot Trophy – Giant Steps 2022 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Fortified Trophy – Morris Wines Old Premium Rare Topaque
• Rose Trophy – De Bortoli 2023 Rose Rose
• Sweet White Trophy – Berton Vineyards 2019 Reserve Botrytis Semillon
• Sparkling Trophy – House of Arras 2015 Grand Vintage

The full winners’ catalogue can be found at www.nationalwineshow.com.au

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