Australian wines stood out as the big winners of a recent blind-tasting competition in London evaluating Syrah / Shiraz wines from all over the world.

The Global Syrah Masters, part of the annual series of competitions organised by industry publication The Drinks Business, was open to any Syrah in the world, either as a varietal or a blend with at least 50% of Syrah, and saw Australian wines achieve stellar results across various categories, reaffirming their quality, diversity, and value.

The eight expert judges, including five Masters of Wine and a Master Sommelier, tasted all entries blind and awarded medals from Bronze to Gold, as well as the title of Master for exceptional examples.

The judges were highly impressed with Australian entries, and chair of judges Patricia Stefanowicz MW, described them as “mouthwatering, with brambles, blueberry and sometimes ripe plum or other red fruits, accented by signature notes of black pepper”, celebrating the wines’ “sophistication and grace”. Entries from Down Under won 50% of the medals, achieving an exceptional performance across regions, from the juicy profiles of Barossa Valley wines to the refined elegance of Clare Valley and the mint-touched complexity of Coonawarra.

Australian Shiraz also demonstrated “fantastic” value, particularly in the under-£10 (AU$19) price bracket, offering quality that rivals much higher-priced counterparts.

The £10-£15 (AU$19-$29) and £15-£20 (AU$29-$39) categories also showcased “impressive” entries (for instance from Dandelion Vineyards, Taylors Wakefield Wines and Heirloom Vineyards), but it was the £30-£50 (AU$58-$96) range where Australian Shiraz excelled, providing “wonderful” wines at “realistic prices” where other varieties often struggle, such as Yangarra Estate Shiraz.

The highest achievement, the Master medal, was awarded to only eight wines, with seven of them going to Australian wineries, after tasting over 100 wines from every corner of the globe.

The competition also acknowledged outstanding wines from other parts of the world, including New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, South Africa (which won a Master medal), Greece, France and Chile.

For a full list of winners and detailed judges’ analysis, visit: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/07/medallists-global-syrah-masters-2024/

Australian Gold and Master medal winners listed overleaf:

Are you a Daily Wine News subscriber? If not, click here to join our mailing list. It’s free!