The Real Review recently celebrated the 2025 update to its Wine Classification of Australia with a five-course dinner at Sydney’s Morena Restaurant.

Hosted by Principal Wine Writer Huon Hooke, the event was an opportunity to sample some of the top rated wines in the program, matched with elevated Latin American cuisine.

The updated Wine Classification of Australia was released last month. Blind-tasted by The Real Reviews’ international expert tasting team, wines are awarded one, two or three Merits based on their performance over time. The 2025 update admitted 63 new wines, lifting the total to 603 Australian wines recognised.

The Real Review’s Wine Classification is awarded solely on the history and performance of a wine’s reviews. To qualify, wines must have at least ten vintages reviewed by the team (or, in the case of non-vintage, sparkling and fortified wines, at least 10 consecutive years of reviews).

As part of the highly selective standards upheld by The Real Review, its Classification system awards only 0.5% of all wines on the market a three Merit Classification. To achieve this, a wine must consistently see its top vintages score 98 points or more.

Wines that were promoted from two to three Merits included:

• Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
• Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir
• Flametree S.R.S. Wallcliffe Chardonnay
• Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Chardonnay
• Yangarra Estate Vineyard High Sands Grenache
• Yeringberg ‘Yeringberg’

The evening at Morena showcased 12 outstanding Merited wines.

Attendees enjoyed the Flametree S.R.S. Wallcliffe Chardonnay and Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Chardonnay, alongside the Peter Lehmann Wines Wigan Eden Valley Riesling matched with Snapper & Fremantle Octopus Ceviche with citrus tiger’s milk and sweet potato and Red Emperor Crudo with passionfruit dressing and brazil nut salsa verde.

All three wines were superb, but the standout for Drinks Digest was the Flametree S.R.S. Wallcliffe Chardonnay, which The Real Review characterised as having “grapefruit, lemon zest, grilled peach, smoky matchstick and hazelnut complexities that leap from the glass”.

Next, we sipped the Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2023 and Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023. The wines were matched with spectacularly flavoursome Grilled Lamb Ribs with chimichurri and Ox Tongue Anticuchos with Peruvian dried chillies.

The big-gun shiraz favourites were poured next, including the Head The Brunette Shiraz 2022, First Drop Fat of the Land Single Vineyard Greenock Shiraz 2021 and d’Arenberg The Dead Arm 2019

All three were masterful classics, with the Head The Brunette Shiraz particularly hitting the mark. The wine was described by The Real Review as having “decadent richness” and an impressive length.

Our mains were Black Market Denver Steak MS5 and Grilled Blue Eye Trevally with tomato and piquillo pepper sauce; with sides of Cos Lettuce Salad with sour milk dressing, golden beetroot, persimmon and candied pecans; and shoestring fries with Peruvian chilli salt and aji amarillo cream.

A series of exciting Cabernets and Cabernet blends followed, including the Cullen Diana Madeline 2023, Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, Cape Mentelle Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 and Huntington Estate Block 3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.

All were superb, particularly the Howard Park with its “impressive texture, length and poise” and Huntington Estate with its “bouquet of chocolate, toasty oak and raspberry to blackberry fruits”.

To finish we enjoyed Le Marquis Chevre de Ramboillet Bleu and Bomba Rice Pudding with sweet lime curd, citrus crunch and yuzu sorbet.

The dishes were matched with Pressing Matters R139 Riesling 2022, featuring honeysuckle aromas and sweetness balanced with fruit and acidity. A luscious end to a memorable meal.

The Real Review’s next event will be at The Charles on October 21 to celebrate International Champagne Day. Learn more here.