Two Sides of the Globe, Two Great Successes
Both international and Australian success came the way of McWilliam's Wines this week, with the winery awarded the Trophy for Best Australian White Wine at the International Wine Challenge in London and the prestigious Stodart Trophy at the Royal Queensland Wine Show.
Both international and Australian success came the way of McWilliam’s Wines this week, with the winery awarded the Trophy for Best Australian White Wine at the International Wine Challenge in London and the prestigious Stodart Trophy at the Royal Queensland Wine Show.
Across the globe, the 2005 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Cellar Release Elizabeth Semillon took home the Trophy for Best Australian White Wine at the International Wine Challenge after picking up a gold medal at the show earlier this year. The wine will be the first vintage released as the new McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Cellar Release Elizabeth and will be available in the Australian and UK markets in October this year.
On home soil, Barwang was awarded the Stodart Trophy at the Royal Queensland Wine Show for its inaugural 2009 vintage flagship Cabernet Sauvignon last night. The trophy is Queensland’s equivalent to Melbourne’s Jimmy Watson Trophy and the award is a very promising start for a wine in its early development and which will be launched in 2012. This is the second year in a row McWilliam’s Wines has taken home the Stodart Trophy, with the winery winning for its 2008 McWilliam’s 1877 last year.
The 2008 McWilliam’s Morning Light Botrytis Semillon (to be released in 2011) was awarded The Wine Guild of Australian Inc Trophy for the Best Gold Medal Winning Sweet White Wine while the McWilliam’s Chairman’s Reserve Brandy won the Maldwyn and Ian Davies Trophy.
Our regional wines also performed well, with the currently available 2007 Barwang 842 Tumbarumba Chardonnay, 2005 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale and 2009 Catching Thieves Cabernet Merlot winning gold at the 2010 Royal Queensland Wine Show. The future vintage of Barwang 842 Chardonnay, the 2008, also won gold, a strong endorsement for the quality of this flagship wine with two consecutive vintages winning gold at the one show.
It has been an incredible year for the McWilliam’s brand and the company this year. In June, McWilliam’s was awarded Winery of the Year in the Big Red Wine Book 2010/11 with the 2007 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Maurice O’Shea Shiraz named Shiraz of the Year.
“We’re always excited to be recognised at Australian wine shows and it is particularly humbling to receive international recognition from a show with such high acclaim,” McWilliam’s Wines Production Director, Jim Brayne said.
