A young Tasmanian pinot noir has been named Best Wine of Show at the 2024 Sydney Royal Wine Show Awards.

The 2023 Bream Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir is the youngest red to win the acclaimed title for more than 24 years and is the first pinot noir to claim Best Wine of Show since 2015. It is also the first Tasmanian wine to win since 2016.

The award was accepted by owner and chief viticulturist Fred Peacock who established the Bream Creek Vineyard wine label in 1990 on Tasmania’s east coast.

Sydney Royal Wine Show Chair of Judges Sarah Crowe said: “The young pinot class was a real highlight for our judges this year, and this standard of quality can be reflected in our 2024 Wine of Show winner, the 2023 Bream Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir.

“For a young red to stand out among over 1700 entries is impressive and if that wasn’t remarkable enough, it is also the youngest red to win Wine of Show in Sydney in the last two decades, if not longer. It is quite the achievement.

“In addition to the high-scoring young pinot noir class, chardonnay was an absolute delight to assess. Chardonnay is at the top of its game and Australian producers are consistently delivering a world-class wine that rivals any international competitor.

“From the larger producers like Evans & Tate, who took home Best White and Best Chardonnay with the 2022 Evans & Tate Redbrook Reserve Chardonnay, to smaller producers such as Silkman Wines, who claimed Best Small Producer with the 2023 Silkman Wines Silk Chardonnay, the quality of chardonnay Australians are getting is exceptional.”

Across the 52 classes judged during the Sydney Royal Wine Show, the 2024 and 2023 chardonnay class claimed the highest medal count with 118 medals awarded, 9 of which were gold medals.

NSW tops the gold medal tally

All wine producing states from across Australia secured a trophy this year, however NSW claimed the highest gold medal count and 10 out of the 23 wines awarded a trophy.

Australia’s largest producing state, South Australia, received the highest overall medal count.

Cooler NSW regions such as Orange and Mudgee also made their mark at this year’s Show winning trophies with non-traditional varietals Best Grenache, Best Shiraz, and Best Riesling.

The titles went to Mudgee’s Huntington Estate and Robert Stein winery for the 2023 Huntington Estate Special Reserve Grenache and 2017 Robert Stein Riseling, while Orange’s Mercer Wines won Best Shiraz in the region for the first time since 2011 with the 2022 Mercer Wines Limited Release Shiraz.

Robert Stein Winery also won Best Current Vintage for the 2024 Robert Stein Dry Riesling and Best NSW Wine for the 2023 Robert Stein Reserve Riesling.

“NSW did exceptionally well at this year’s show and what really stood out for me was the range of renowned producers who have won trophies with wine varietals that are not traditional to their area,” Crowe said.

“For a Mudgee grenache to not only claim Best Grenache but also be a strong contender for best red is outstanding.”

Brokenwood’s 2019 Brokenwood Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon was another NSW standout this year winning not one but three trophies, including Best Semillon, Best Mature White, and Best Single Vineyard Wine.

“I congratulate all of our producers, and especially our trophy winners, on such a fantastic competition,” Crowe said.

“It has been a challenging time for the Australian wine industry but if I know anything, it is that we are a resilient bunch, and we should all be incredibly proud of the world-class wines we are producing.

“I also want to thank our Judges. When we are in that room, we all have a common goal and that is to help Australian wine get better and stronger in the future. Tonight’s awards are a celebration of that goal and of the wineries leading the charge.”

New Chair of Judges announced

The 2024 competition will be Sarah Crowe’s last year as Chair of Judges following the end of her three-year
tenure.

“I feel very proud to have been the Chair of Judges at Sydney Royal,” Crowe said.

“It is a great honour, not only due to importance of the show to our exhibitors but also because of the way in which it brings our community together. Judging allows producers to get a deeper understanding and independent review on what they are producing, which is important for development.

“What we are trying to achieve through shows like Sydney Royal is the improvement of the industry together, as winemakers, sommeliers and growers.”

In 2025, Sydney Royal Chair of Judges, Sarah Crowe will hand the baton to Hunter Valley Winemaker and owner of De Iuliis Wines, Michael De Iuliis.

De Iuliis will hold the role as Chair of Judges for the next three years including the 200th Anniversary of the first Sydney Royal Wine Show in 2026.

“My vision for the next three years is to see the ongoing success of the show system, not only Sydney Royal but also the national show system, to ensure it continues to give back and provide important feedback not only to producers but also to the industry and consumers, including trade,” he said.

“It offers a place to look and see what the most exciting producers in Australia are doing. If you are a winner at Sydney Royal it resonates through the industry quite loudly. As a winemaker there is no greater feeling than winning at Sydney Royal.”

To explore all the 2024 Sydney Royal Wine Show results, including trophy winners and medal recipients, visit www.rasnsw.com.au/wine.

To taste-test all medal winning wines including the 27 trophy winners, tickets to the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW’s Grape, Grain & Graze Festival are on sale now. The festival will take place at Sydney Showground on Saturday, 21 September. Visit www.rasnsw.com.au to learn more.

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