Image courtesy Margaret River Wine Assocciation
In celebration of Australia’s outstanding regional diversity, last night, wineries from across the country were awarded at the 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge.
The 2020 Penfolds Wines Reserve Bin A Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills took the top honours receiving the 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge Trophy, scoring 98 points to claim the top trophy from 351 entries, encompassing 31 Australian wine regions.
The 2020 Forester Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River received the 2022 James Halliday Australian Cabernet Challenge Trophy, scoring 97 points and topping the 295 entries from 22 wine regions across Australia.
James Halliday supported the decision to bring the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Challenges together
“The coupling of the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Challenges continues to work very well, even though the logistics involved are daunting,” Chair of Judges, Adam Wadewitz said.
“The results are a blend of the expected and unexpected, an outcome that will hopefully encourage ongoing support from all those wineries who participated in this and previous challenges.
“It was a great to be chosen to lead such a talented team of nine judges and six associate judges for the 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge. The judges dug deep into the best examples Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“We tasted 646 entries from 37 wine regions from across Australia. It was exciting to see so many wines that can stand confidently alongside the world’s best.”
“This year, the James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenges was judged at McHenry Hohnen here in Margaret River and through our collaboration with Wine Yarra Valley, next year the Challenge will be judged in the Yarra,” said Amanda Whiteland, Margaret River Wine Association CEO.
“The alternating schedule provides a great opportunity for highly regarded wine judges and associate judges from all over Australia to visit two wine regions which are passionate about Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Fifteen ‘Best of Region’ Trophies were presented by Labelmakers, from the nine Chardonnay regions and six Cabernet regions achieving scores of 95 points or more.
The 2022 Chardonnay Challenge Regional Winners are:
- Adelaide Hills: Penfolds Wines Reserve Bin A Chardonnay 2020 – 98 points
- Eden Valley: St Hugo Eden Valley Chardonnay 2021 – 95 points
- Great Southern: West Cape Howe Styx Gully Chardonnay 2020 – 95 points
- Hunter Valley: Briar Ridge Briar Hill Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 – 95 points
- Margaret River: Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2021 –97 points
- Mornington Peninsula: Montalto Pennon Hill Chardonnay 2021 – 96 points
- Pemberton: Below & Above Chardonnay 2019 – 95 points
- Tasmania: Freycinet Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 – 96 points
- Yarra Valley: A.Rodda Willowlake Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 – 96 points
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Regional Winners are:
- Barossa Valley: Grant Burge Corryton Park Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 96 points
- Clare Valley: Kirrihill Partner Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 96 points
- Coonawarra: Yalumba The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 – 96 points
- Great Southern: Forest Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – 95 points
- Margaret River: Forester Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – 97 points
- Yarra Valley: Centare Vineyard Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – 96 points
The full results are now available to view at https://australianwinechallenge.com.au
