Smooth as Silk(man): winemaker cleans up at Hunter Valley Wine Show

Liz Silkman. Image courtesy Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association and Elfes Images

The 52nd Hunter Valley Wine Show was judged last week, attracting 76 exhibitors, with 600 entries across 29 classes. A total of 381 medals were awarded, including 56 Gold. Liz Silkman, winemaker at First Creek Wines and Silkman Wines, added to her slew of recent successes, taking seven trophies at the show including the Petrie-Drinan Trophy for Best White Wine of Show for the Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon, which also won the Drayton Family Trophy for Best Semillon of Show. Silkman Wines were also winners for their Reserve Chardonnay range, taking the Murray Tyrrell Trophy for Best Chardonnay for their 2023 Reserve Chardonnay.

Just last week, Liz Silkman was announced as Halliday Winemaker of the Year at the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, becoming the first Hunter Valley winemaker to be awarded this title.

This year’s show included a judging panel of experts from across Australia, chaired by Sam Connew of Stargazer Wines and with Mark Pygott, Master of Wine, from the United Kingdom as the international judge.

“Overall the quality of the wines and the professionalism of the show was a privilege to be a part of and I hope that the results demonstrate just how important and valid the wines of the Hunter Valley continue to be,” said Pygott.

“I expected to find pristine, pure and delicious Semillon from the most recent vintage and wasn’t disappointed,” said Pygott. “Many of the wines in this class will develop into wines of rare beauty and will continue the legacy of this unique style of Semillon only found in the Hunter Valley.”

*Image courtesy Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association and Elfes Images*

Commenting on the 2023 and 2024 Semillon classes, Connew noted that the wines were not only approachable now, “but clearly, they also have a long life ahead”. “They were singing,” said Connew.

The Kaloudah Trophy for Best Table Wine from a Small Producer saw a Chardonnay win, awarded to Keith Tulloch Wine for their 2023 Celest Chardonnay.

The Tyrrell Family Trophy for Best Museum White Wine was awarded to Tyrrell’s for their highly acclaimed 2013 Belford Semillon. Reflecting on this class Pygott noted “this is a showcase for the gift that is aged Hunter Semillon, featured many wines of profound intensity coupled with an elegance that is arguably unmatched by any other wine style globally”.

Brokenwood Wines took the Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance Trophy for their 2024, 2017 and 2014 flagship ILR Semillon.

“The wines of provenance, celebrating the excellence and consistency across a minimum spread of 10 years, continue to set a benchmark for this award Australia wide,” said Connew.

Brokenwood were also the recipients of the newly named Karl Stockhausen Trophy for Best One-Year-Old-Semillon for their 2023 Oakey Creek Vineyard 1 & 4 Semillon. A legendary figure in the Hunter Valley, Karl Stockhausen crafted some of the most celebrated Lindeman’s Hunter wines and was a true champion of the Hunter Valley Wine Show, serving as a judge and chair of the judging panel.

The Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show was awarded to De Iuliis Wines for their 2023 Limited Release Shiraz, which also received the Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy for Best Shiraz. The De Iuliis Wines 2014 Talga Road Shiraz was awarded the John Lewis Trophy for Best Museum Red.

“It was a delight to see the strength of the much-anticipated 2023 red wines,” said Connew. “It was a very high standard class and with 6 golds medals awarded it was terrific to see the wines live up to the lofty vintage reputation.”

The Thomas Wines Kiss 2021 Shiraz won the Len Evans Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red and Mercer Wines was awarded for the second time the Lone Pine Barracks Officers Mess Silver Bullet for their 2023 Shiraz Nouveau.

2024 PKF Hunter Valley Wine Show Trophy Winners

Marshall – Flannery Trophy

Best Current – Semillon Class 1 (Trophy Sponsor – Winequip)

Winner: Silkman Wines 2024 Reserve Semillon

Karl Stockhausen Memorial Trophy

Best One-Year-Old Semillon Class 2 (Trophy Sponsor – Hunter Wine Forum)

Winner: Brokenwood Wines 2023 Oakey Creek Vineyard 1 & 4 Semillon

McGuigan Family Trophy

Best Two-Year–Old and older Semillon Class 3

Winner: Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon

George Wyndham Memorial Trophy

Best Current and One-Year-Old Chardonnay Classes 4 & 5 (Trophy Sponsor – Laffort)

Winner: Silkman Wines 2023 Reserve Chardonnay

Henry John Lindeman Memorial Trophy

Best Two–Year-Old and Older Chardonnay Class 6 (Trophy Sponsor – Jurds Real Estate)

Winner: Tinklers Wines 2022 Poppys Chardonnay

Graham Gregory Memorial Trophy

Best Other White Varietals and White Blends Classes 8,9,10,11

Winner: First Creek Wines 2024 Classics Vermentino

J.Y. (Jay) Tulloch Trophy

Best Verdelho Class 7

Winner: Pepper Tree 2024 Limited Release Home Block Verdelho

Elliott Family Trophy

Best Rosé of Show Class 14

Winner: John Wallace Wines 2024 Tilba Rose

Maurice O’Shea Memorial Trophy

Best Other Red Varietals and Red Blends Classes 18,19,20,21,22 & 23

Winner: Margan 2023 Ceres Hill Barbera

Alexander Munro Memorial Trophy

Best Current Vintage and One Year Old Shiraz Classes 15& 18 (Trophy Sponsor – Singleton Diggers)

Winner: De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz

Stibbard- Hulin Trophy

Best Two-Year-Old Shiraz Class 16 (Trophy Sponsor – Hahn Corporation)

Winner: Hungerford Hill 2022 Epic Shiraz

James Busby Memorial Trophy

Best Mature Three-Year-Old and Older Shiraz Class 17 (Trophy Sponsor – Jenkins Legal Services)

Winner: Thomas Wines 2021 Kiss Shiraz

Lone Pine Barracks Officers Mess Silver Bullet

Winner: Mercer Wines 2023 Shiraz Nouveau

Drayton Family Trophy

Best Semillon (Roll of Honour Sponsor – John and Jan Drayton)

Winner: Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon

Murray Tyrrell Chardonnay Trophy

Best Chardonnay (Trophy Sponsor – MCC- Premium Label Solutions, Roll of Honour Sponsor – Tyrrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd)

Winner: Silkman Wines 2023 Reserve Chardonnay

Hector Tulloch Memorial Trophy

Best Shiraz (Roll of Honour Sponsor – Tulloch Wines, Trophy Sponsor – Seguin Moreau)

Winner: De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz

Tyrrell Family Trophy

Best Museum White Wine (Sponsor – Riedel (RSN Australia), Roll of Honour Sponsor – Tyrrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd)

Winner: Tyrrell’s Vineyards 2013 Belford Semillon

John Lewis Trophy

Best Museum Red Wine Class 25 (Trophy Sponsor – Mercurey Australia)

Winner: De Iuliis Wines 2014 Talga Road Shiraz

Kaloudah Trophy

Best Table Wine from a Small Producer

Winner: Keith Tulloch Wine 2023 Celest Chardonnay

Len Evans Trophy

Best Single Vineyard White Wine (Sponsor – Insight Wealth Planning)

Winner: Brokenwood Wines 2019 Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon

Len Evans Trophy

Best Single Vineyard Red Wine (Sponsor – Insight Wealth Planning)

Winner: Thomas Wines 2021 Kiss Shiraz

Petrie-Drinan Trophy

Best White Wine of the Show (Sponsor – PKF)

Winner: Silkman Wines 2017 Reserve Semillon

Doug Seabrook Memorial Trophy

Best Red Wine of the Show (Sponsor – PKF)

Winner: De Iuliis Wines 2023 Limited Release Shiraz

Iain Riggs Wine of Provenance (Provenance Sponsor – CCL)

Winner: Brokenwood Wines ILR Semillon 2024, 2017, 2014

Alongside the wine trophies, two industry scholarships were presented. The 2024 Tyrrell Family Advanced Viticulture Scholarship was awarded to Thomas Horden, Vineyard Manager at Glenesk Vineyard, and the 2024 Alasdair Sutherland Scholarship to Giacomo Soldani, Winemaker at Margan Wines.

“These scholarships play an important role in supporting talent within the Hunter Valley wine industry bringing new ideas and thinking to our viticulture practices and wine show judging talent,” said Jennie Curran, CEO of the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association.

The 2024 Hunter Valley Wine Show Judges:

CHAIR OF JUDGES:

Samanatha Connew, winemaker/director, Stargazer Wines

PANEL CHAIRS:

Mark O’Callaghan, consultant, Wine Network Consulting

David Brookes, wine writer, Halliday Tasting Team

Sue Bell, winemaker, Bellwether Wines

INTERNATIONAL JUDGE:

Mark Pygott MW, International Wine Consultant

VISITING JUDGES:

Penny Grant, QLD market & education manager, Shaw & Shaw

Charlie Seppelt, winemaker, Paralian Wines, Seppeltsfield

HUNTER JUDGES:

Annabel Holland, winemaker, First Creek

Kim Bickley, wine consultant/sommelier

Mark Richardson, winemaker, Tyrrell’s Wines

HUNTER ASSOCIATE JUDGES:

Hayden Tinkler, winemaker, Brokenwood

Emily Glover, winemaker, de Iuliis Wines

Michael Wells, winemaker, Tinkler Wines

Valentina Moresco, winemaker, Krinklewood

VISITNG ASSOCIATE JUDGES:

Polly Mackarel, head sommelier, King Clarence

Luke Campbell, Vinified

TRAINEE JUDGES:

Darcie Linnell, First Creek Wines

Georgia Sinclair, Lakes Folly