The Great Australian Red 2011
Cabernet Sauvignon + Shiraz – the blend that defines Australia
http://www.thegreataustralianred.com/
New bargain blend snares top Trophy
A new blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon defeated wines up to six times its price to win top honours in the judging of The Great Australian Red on Wednesday 16 November at Parliament House, in Adelaide. 2010 Annie’s Lane Quelltaler Watervale Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for AUD$25, made history as the lowest-priced wine to win The Great Australian Red competition, a wine show dedicated to Australia’s Shiraz / Cabernet blends.
“When I first proposed the blend, there was a lot of pressure against it from my marketing team, suggesting that consumers don’t perceive it as a premium style,” said an ecstatic Treasury Wine Estates’ Annie’s Lane Winemaker, Alex MacKenzie, who was inspired to resurrect the style after tasting identical blends from the same Clare Valley vineyard dating back to the 1970s. “It’s a classic style that is part of the history of the Clare,” he said. MacKenzie takes both the top Trophy for The Great Australian Red and the Trophy for the Best Shiraz-dominant blend to the Clare Valley for the first time. Other Trophy winners have a strong record of past success in the competition.
2010 Yalumba FDR1A Cabernet Shiraz was awarded Best Cabernet-dominant blend, the Best Wine $20 and under went to 2009 Lake Breeze Wines Bernoota Shiraz Cabernet and The Best Wine $50 and over was snared by 2008 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz.
The judging day coincided with the launch of Australia’s most expensive release this year, 2008 Penfolds Bin 620 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2008 (AUD$1000), a past Trophy winner in the competition.
The Great Australian Red organisers Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer said the day exemplified the diversity of Australia’s Shiraz / Cabernet blend to triumph at every price point.
The Great Australian Red 2011 received an all-time record of 106 entries, reflecting the growing importance of the blend in a time when many wine shows are experiencing declining entries.
Seventy-five percent of entries received a medal this year – a very high percentage reflective not of lenient judging but of the quality of this blend in Australia right now.
As always, in The Great Australian Red, the scores of all thirteen judges count for every wine.
The Judges
Andrew Wigan (Peter Lehmann Wines) – chair
Matthew Jukes – panel chair
Tony Love (News Ltd’s metropolitan newspapers’ weekly food and wine writer)
Bernie Hickin (Pernod Ricard)
Ben Glaetzer (Ben Glaetzer)
Tom Barry (Jim Barry)
Bruce Gregory (Majella)
Tyson Stelzer – panel chair
Kevin Glastonbury (Yalumba)
Wayne Dutschke (Dutschke)
Bec Willson (Bremerton)
Michael Schreurs (The Lane Winery)
Mike Symons (Stonier)
Trophies and Gold Medals
Annie’s Lane Quelltaler Watervale Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Gold medal, Trophy for the best Shiraz-dominant Blend, Trophy for The Great Australian Red 2011
The Yalumba Wine Company FDR1A 2010 Gold medal and Trophy for the Best Cabernet-dominant Blend
Lake Breeze Wines Bernoota Shiraz Cabernet 2009 Gold medal and Trophy for the Best Wine $20 and under
Penfolds Wines Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2008 Gold medal and Trophy for the Best Wine $50 and over
Thorn-Clarke Wines Shotfire Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010 Gold medal
Wolf Blass Wines Black Label 2006 Gold medal
Silver medals
Bleasdale Vineyards Petrel Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 2010
Charles Cimicky Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010
Flaxman Wines The Stranger 2010
Fox Creek Wines JSM Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2009
Glaetzer Wines Anaperenna 2010
Jacob’s Creek Wines Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2006
Jim Barry Wines PB Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2008
Katnook Estate The Caledonian 2009
Lake Breeze Wines Bernoota Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Longview Vineyard Red Bucket Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Majella Wines Malleea 2008
Majella Wines The Musician 2010
McWilliams Wines McWilliams 1877 2008
Morambro Creek Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Penfolds Wines Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Penfolds Wines Koonunga Hill Seventy Six Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Penley Estate Penley Estate Condor Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Shaw Vineyard Estate Premium Cabernet Shiraz 2009
The Yalumba Wine Company FDR1A 2009
The Yalumba Wine Company The Reserve 2006
The Yalumba Wine Company The Reserve 2005
The Yalumba Wine Company The Signature 2008
Ulithorne Paternus Cabernet Shiraz 2008
Wolf Blass Wines Black Label 2009
Wolf Blass Wines Black Label 2008
Wolf Blass Wines Black Label 2007
Wynns Coonawarra Estate The Gables Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2010
Wynns Coonawarra Estate V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Bronze medals
Anvers Wines Braba Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010
Anvers Wines Razorback Road Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Bleasdale Vineyards Petrel Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 2009
Bremerton BOV Best of Vintage 2007
Bremerton Tamblyn 2009
Conte Estate Wines Middle Tatta Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Devil’s Lair Margaret River Hidden Cave Cabernet Shiraz 2010
Ferngrove Wines The Stirlings 2008
God’s Hill Wines Soulmate 2008
Henry’s Drive Parson’s Flat Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Hollick Wines Stock Route Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Jacob’s Creek Wines Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Jacob’s Creek Wines St Hugo Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Jim Barry Wines PB Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Jim Barry Wines PB Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
K1 by Geoff Hardy Tzimmukin 2007
Karra Yerta Wines Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Kellermeister Wines The Pilgrimage 2009
Killibinbin Vineyards Blend 2008
Lake Breeze Wines SP Cabernet Shiraz 2008
Lindemans Coonawarra Limestone Ridge 2009
Madeleines Wines Stonesford Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Majella Wines Malleea 2009
McWilliams Wines McWilliams 1877 2009
Metala Wines Cabernet Shiraz Malbec 2009
Millbrook Winery Limited Release Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Morambro Creek The Bryson 2009
Olivers Taranga Vineyards Corrina’s Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Pepper Tree Wines Strandlines Grand Reserve Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Pepper Tree Wines Strandlines Grand Reserve Cabernet Shiraz 2008
Peter Lehmann Wines Futures Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Scarpantoni Estate Reserve 2009
St Hallett Gamekeepers Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Taltarni Vineyards Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Taltarni Vineyards Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2005
The Yalumba Wine Company The Scribbler Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2009
The Yalumba Wine Company The Signature 2006
Warrenmang Vineyard Bazzani Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Wolf Blass Wines Grey Label Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Wolf Blass Wines Red Label Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Wyndham Estate George Wyndham Founders Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2009
Zema Estate Saluti Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2006
No medals
Bleasdale Vineyards Petrel Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 2008
Bleasdale Vineyards The Broad-side 2009
Brothers in Arms Formby & Adams Cutting Edge 2007
Brothers in Arms No 6 Shiraz Cabernet 2006
Brothers in Arms No 6 Shiraz Cabernet 2005
Chalice Bridge Estate The Quest Single Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Cumulus Wines Inkberry Shiraz Cabernet 2010
De Bortoli Wines Sacred Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Elderton Wines Ode to Lorraine Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2008
Erin Eyes Wines Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Fox Creek Wines Shadow’s Run Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Haan Wines Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Hardys Nottage Hill Cabernet Shiraz 2010
Karatta Wines Shiraz Cabernet 2007
Killibinbin Vineyards Scaredy Cat 2007
Mudgee Grape Growers Association Mudgee Gold 2009
Peter Lehmann Wines Art Series Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Shaw Vineyard Estate Premium Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Sons of Eden Pumpa 2009
Soul Growers Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Taltarni Vineyards Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Taltarni Vineyards Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2007
Taylor’s Wines Taylor’s Promised Land Shiraz Cabernet 2008
The Islander Estate Vineyards Bark Hut Rd 2005
Woodstock Wine Estate Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Yering Station Little Yering Cabernet Shiraz 2009
Withdrawn / not delivered
Corduroy Wines Shiraz Cabernet 2010
Elderton Wines Ode to Lorraine Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2009
Metala Wines Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
