d'Arenberg

Australia triumphs at 2020 London Wine Competition

July 22, 2020
By Alana House

Australia has triumphed at the 2020 London Wine Competition, taking out Wine of the Year, Winery of the Year and more than 30 Gold medals.

This year’s competition saw around 1000 entries from more than 41 countries, which also included new wine producing countries such as India.

Masters of Wine, a Master Sommelier and buyers from key retail and the on trade judged the wines on the three key principles of quality, value and packaging, with the awards targeting real world placement in the wine trade.

The top three countries that scored the medals were Australia, Italy and Spain.

McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg took out Winery of the Year and Wine of the Year for its The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017.

This is how the judges described the wine, which scored 97 points: “This iconic wine always displays the power and intensity of McLaren Vale Shiraz, yet has an elegance and refinement that few other wines from the region possess. It’s vibrant and lifted on the nose with bustling red fruits and savoury spice. The palate is long, linear and pure with tightly wound tannin and mouth-watering acidity. Beneath the layers of blueberry, pomegranate and Satsuma Plum is an intriguing core of earth and crushed rocks.”

d'Arenberg

d’Arenberg’s The Footbolt Shiraz 2017 also won Gold, while Shaw Wines was awarded Best Merlot at the event.

Casella Family Wines was another star performer. It received three Gold medals for its Casella Limited Release Cabernet 2014, Casella 1919 Shiraz 2017 and Casella Limited Release Cabernet 2016.

Other Aussie Gold medal winners were: Shaw Wines Estate Merlot 2017, Rohan Family-Dreamer 2017, Taylors St Andrews Shiraz 2017, Antiquarian Clare Valley Shiraz 2017, Jack Harrison Shiraz 2015, Brothers in Arms Shiraz 2018, Blue Pyrennes Estate Red 2017, Polish Hill River Cabernet Merlot 2016, Pofeiri G909 Centurion Vine Shiraz 2016, Henri’s Book Shiraz 2016, Clyde Park Block F College – Pinot Noir 2019, Kirrihill 2019 Regional Selection Clare Riesling 2019, Uppercut Ringside Riesling 2018, Concrete & Clay Merlot Cabernet 2017, Ralph’s Ensemble Reserve Red Blend 2015, Born and Raised The Super T 2016, Glenlofty Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Tamburlaine 2018 Marlowe – Act One, Moorilla Cloth Label Late Disgorged 2007, Brothers in Arms Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Three Vintners Cabernet 2018, Reserve Merriman Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Shaw Wines Rose, Wild Witch Shiraz 2016, Elephant in the Room Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2019, Rohan Family- Walker Shiraz 2017, Picasso Art Collection- Orpheus 2017, Kirrihill 2018 E.B’s The Squire Clare Shiraz.

Born & Raised celebrates medal haul

Born & Raised, a small batch producer of sustainable, minimal intervention wines from Central Victoria, is celebrating being awarded a Gold and two Silvers at the London Wine Competition.

Winemaker David Messum said: “It’s great to see the three wines entered do well, hopefully this will help pick our exports back up. Having the wines acknowledged for how the consumer will drink the wines is a modern take on the wine show, something that we should see more off, it celebrates style and innovation.”

Born & Raised Wine

Following on from the Harpers Design Awards at the end of last year, the Gold medal went to the 2016 The Super T, a Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot blend.

“It’s great to see a blend do well, we’re selling a fair bit of this during the Aussie winter, while not ‘big’ it’s got some lovely plush fruit and a great elegant structure that really works as a blend,” Messum said. “We purposely targeted the UK with this wine as it really works in a more European, food friendly way, plus the UK seems very receptive to blends.”

The wines to receive Silver medals were the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc and 2018 Shiraz.

Highlights of the 2020 London Wine Competition

  • Wine Of The Year – The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017, Australia, McLaren Vale – 97 points.
  • Winery Of The Year d’Arenberg, Australia, McLaren Vale
  • Best Wine By Quality – The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017, Australia, McLaren Vale – 97 points.
  • Best Wine By Value – Villa Saletta Chianti 2015, Toscana IGT, Italy – 96 points.
  • Best Wine By Packaging – Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, United States – 95 points.

Best wines by country awards

  • France – Beaune Toussaints 1er Cru 2017
  • Italy – Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl Chianti
  • Australia – The Dead Arm
  • United States – Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Argentina – Alpasión Grand Cabernet Franc
  • Spain -Fruto Noble Roble
  • Chile – Since 1825
  • Portugal – Perspectiva Reserva

Best wines by varietal

  • Shiraz/Syrah – The Dead Arm from Australia
  • Merlot – Shaw Wines Estate Merlot from Australia
  • Chardonnay – Grevino Chardonnay from United States
  • Pinot noir – Beaune Toussaints 1er Cru 2017 from France
  • Cabernet Sauvignon – Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon from United States
  • Sparkling Wine – Domaine Du Chant D’éole from Belgium

View the full London Wine Competition results here

Pictured main: Chester d’Arenberg and Katie Spain trying some of the latest d’Arenberg drops ahead of the d’Arenberg Cube reopening.

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