A Clare Valley winery has taken out the top riesling prize at this year’s National Wine Show of Australia in Canberra on Thursday, May 30.
Kirrihill Wines was presented the Best 2023 Riesling Trophy for its 2023 Regional Series Clare Valley Riesling, taking out the top gold amongst a field of 40 entries.
The wine show, celebrating its 49th edition this year, is regarded as Australia’s top platform to showcase the country’s finest wines, which are judged rigorously by an esteemed panel of industry experts.
Kirrihill, based at Stanley Flat, has celebrated this award win, stating it has once again demonstrated a commitment to excellence in winemaking, and emphasises a dedication to crafting quality wines that embodied the viticultural landscape of Clare Valley.
Kirrihill chief executive officer, and commercial and export director Matthew Lawson said to win a trophy at the National Wine Show was a great honour, as entries are judged against the best of the best from across Australia.
“There are some magnificent regions that grow Riesling in this country, but it is always great to see the trophy back in Clare, the Heart of Riesling,” he said.
“It is a testament to the great team we have in place from the vineyard through to the bottle.
“The owners of Kirrihill are all very proud of the consistent awards the team have achieved and look forward to sharing in their continued success.”
Mr Lawson said this achievement emphasised the appeal and consistent quality of Kirrihill wines, which motivated the team to strive for even greater excellence in each vintage.
Kirrihill winemaker Alexandra Wardlaw has also celebrated the award win, and said it proved they were doing something right.
“It has been very rewarding to contribute to the rise in quality and reputation of Kirrihill Wines over the last seven years,” she said.
“We pride ourselves as a team in crafting wines from our exceptional vineyards, and we are dedicated in producing wines that showcase the excellence of the Clare Valley Wine Region.”
The riesling category also saw gold for the King of Clare 2023 Clare Valley Riesling and the Jim Barry 2023 The Florita Riesling, with silver going to Pauletts 2023 109 Reserve Riesling and the Sevenhill 2023 Inigo Riesling.
Bronze was presented for Mockingbird Hill 2023 Clare Valley Riesling, Pauletts 2023 Polish Hill River Riesling, Atlas 2023 Watervale Riesling, Jim Barry 2023 Lodge Hill Riesling and Naked Run 2023 The First Riesling.
Naked Run also picked up gold in 2022 and older riesling category for its Place in Time 2019 Sevenhill Riesling.
Jim Barry earned top gold in the 2021 Shiraz category for its 2021 Lodge Hill Shiraz, two golds for 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon for its 2021 Barry and Sons and Cover Drive varieties, and a gold for its 2021 Single Vineyard The Farm Cabernet Malbec in the category of 2023 and older cabernet dominant blends, which includes any combination of other varieties.
