HUNTER producers' wines won four major trophies and 13 gold medals at last week's KPMG Sydney Wine Show.
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The show, judged by a panel chaired by former Brokenwood winemaker PJ Charteris, brought 2145 entries. Awards were presented at a Sydney Olympic Park dinner.
The Lindeman Trophy for best mature white, the Busby Trophy for best NSW wine and the AP John Coopers Trophy for best semillon went to the McGuigan 2013 Bin 9000 Semillon.
For the second year running, a Two Rivers Stone's Throw semillon from Denman won the Dan Murphy's Trophy for the show's best-value white. The 2018 Stone's Throw won the Murphy's last year, and this year the prize went to the 2019 version.
Two Rivers is run by husband and wife team Brett and Linda Keeping and the wines are made under contract at First Creek winery at Pokolbin.
The following eight trophy and gold medal wines are currently available:
McGuigan 2013 Bin 9000 Hunter Semillon, which won a 96-point gold medal in the 2017 and older semillon class as well as its three trophies, sells in limited quantities only at $50 a bottle at the McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin, cellar door.
Two Rivers Stone's 2019 Throw Semillon will be released soon at $20 a bottle at tworivers.com.au and the Yarrawa Road, Denman cellar door
Tulloch 2019 Hunter River White Semillon won gold in the 2019 semillon class and sells for $25 to wine club members at tulloch.com.au and the De Beyers Road, Pokolbin, cellar door
Bimbadgen 2019 Palmers Lane Semillon was one of four Bimbadgen wines to wine Sydney gold medals and it scored in the 2019 semillon class. It's now at $35 at bimbadgen.com.au and the McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, winery. The yet-unreleased $50 Bimbadgen 2019 Signature Semillon won gold in the same class
Bimbadgen 2014 Palmers Lane Semillon and Bimbadgen 2014 Signature Semillon both won gold medals in the 2017 and older semillon class and sell now at $50 a bottle online and cellar door
Tamburlaine 2017 Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc, from Tamburlaine's Orange vineyard struck gold in the 2017 and older other red varietals class and sells for $25 at the 358 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, winery, tamburlaine.com.au and independent wine retailers
Brokenwood 2018 Indigo Shiraz from Beechworth, a 2018 shiraz class gold medallist, will be out soon at $66 a bottle at brokenwood.com.au and the McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, winery.
BEST'S NO 1 BARGAIN
THE Best's Great Western 2017 Bin No 1 Shiraz won a 2019 Sydney 96-point gold. With 13.5% alcohol, deep purple hues and cassis aromas, it has intense, spiced plum front-palate flavour. Dried cranberry, licorice, coffee cream chocolate and nutty oak show on middle palate and minty tannins at the finish. At bestswines.com.au and winery.
PRICE: $25. DRINK WITH: Fillet mignon. AGEING: 10 years..
CHAMPION RIESLING
SYDNEY'S best riesling trophy winner, the Robert Stein 2016 Half Dry Riesling is green-tinted straw and has honeysuckle scents and lemon curd front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows lime zest, nashi pear, spice and leatherwood honey and the finish slatey acid. Available to Stein wine club members at the winery and robertstein.com.au.
PRICE: $100. DRINK WITH: Tapas. AGEING: Four years.
SYDNEY'S GREEK GOLD
ANOTHER white varieties gold medallist, this Greek-origin Jim Barry 2018 Clare Valley Assyrtiko has brassy hues, aromatic preserved ginger aromas and crisp, zingy nashi pear front-palate flavour. The middle palate has apricot, apple peel and gunmetal elements and steely acid refreshes at the finish. It's at jimbarry.com and cellar door. PRICE: $35. DRINK WITH: Calamari. AGEING: Four years.