Yarra Yering the pick of Halliday awards

Yarra Yering has been named Winery of the Year and its 2019 Dry Red No 1 the Wine of the Year in the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.

Winemaker of the Year is Michael Dhillon of Bindi Wines in the Macedon Ranges, and Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines, Margaret River, WA was named the competition’s inaugural Viticulturist of the Year when the awards were broadcast online last week. The in-person event was cancelled as Melbourne’s COVID cases continued to rise.

Halliday Wine Companion Chief Editor Tyson Stelzer, and James Halliday AM announced the victors of the major awards and varietal categories. This year, the Halliday Wine Companion tasting panel was comprised of regional specialists across five states, with the team expanding to seven. For the first time, the awards were judged collaboratively by the entire tasting team, coming together in Victoria in March to review the shortlist produced from over 9,000 Australian wines. The tasting panel was more proactive than ever and set a record with 60 per cent more new wineries reviewed for this edition than the previous year.

Coinciding as always with the release of the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion published by Hardie Grant Books, the guide features full tasting notes for 3,280 wines, as well as ratings, drink-to-dates and prices for a further 5,352 wines from 1,252 wineries (including 77 new to the Companion).

The book provides an overview of the best of the best wines by variety, top wineries by region, varietal wine styles and regions, vintage charts and an overview of vintage 2021.

2022 Varietal Winners

Sparkling of the Year – Deviation Road Beltana Blanc de Blancs 2014 – 97 points
White Wine of the Year – Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2018 – 99 points
Red Wine of the Year – Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019 – 98 points
Sparkling White of the Year – Deviation Road Beltana Blanc de Blancs 2014 – 97 points
Sparkling Rosé of the Year – Bellebonne Natalie Fryar Vintage Rosé 2017 – 96 points
Sparkling Red of the Year – Ashton Hills Sparkling Shiraz 2015 – 95 points
Riesling of the Year – Pooley Margaret Pooley Tribute Single Vineyard Riesling 2020 – 97 points
Chardonnay of the Year (3 winners) – Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 – 97 points, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2018 – 98 points, Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2018 – 99 points
Semillon of the Year – Meerea Park Alexander Munro Individual Vineyard Aged Release Semillon 2011 – 96 points
Sauvignon Blanc of the Year – Terre à Terre Crayeres Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 – 96 points
Other White of the Year – Coriole Rubato Reserve Fiano 2020 – 96 points
Rosé of the Year – La Prova Nebbiolo Rosato 2020 – 95 points
Pinot Noir of the Year – Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2019 – 97 points
Grenache of the Year – Thistledown Sands of Time Old Vine Single Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache 2019 – 97 points
Shiraz of the Year – Tyrrell’s 4 Acres Shiraz 2019 – 97 points
Cabernet Shiraz of the Year – Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz 2016 – 99 points
Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year – Yarra Yering Carrodus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 98 points
Cabernet and Family of the Year – Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019 – 98 points
Other Red of the Year – SC Pannell Aglianico 2019 – 95 points
Fortified of the Year – Seppeltsfield 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny 1921 – 99 points

A selection of this year’s award-winning wines is available to purchase via online wine retailers Vinomofo and United Cellars.

Some observations of winemaking in 2021 include:

New South Wales

The end of the debilitating four-year drought led to an optimistic start to the season for The Hunter Valley, and attentiveness in the vineyards paid stronger dividends than usual, even by Hunter standards. Chardonnay emerged the unlikely hero of the season.

Victoria

2021 was an idyllic season for cool-climate varieties in the Yarra Valley, with chardonnay a highlight, gris the best in years and pinot noir perfumed, ethereal and outstanding.

Queensland

The Granite Belt produced beautiful whites and early ripening reds of intensity.

South Australia

The Barossa Valley saw good rainfall make for close-to-average crops, after two tiny drought harvests. Quality was said to be exceptional across every category, with one top winemaker declaring the best odd-year vintage since 1991.
The Clare Valley produced excellent quality and high acidities across every variety, the only caveat being low yields in riesling, down 30-40% as vines recover from the aftermath of drought.
McLaren Vale enjoyed healthy yields and the equal earliest start of vintage on record, triggered by February heat. A mild autumn kept sugar levels at bay and furnished excellent quality in whites and reds.
The Adelaide Hills saw large crop harvests of outstanding quality, a relief after challenges of the previous vintages affected by bushfires and smoke damage.

Western Australia

Margaret River experienced an unusually challenging and wet season (41% above the ten-year rainfall average). Those who remained vigilant brought in promising harvests, with bright chardonnay of higher-than-average acidity the standout of the whites. Cooler and drier conditions led to cabernet sauvignon being the star of the reds.