SA Wines Spell IWC Success for TWE

TWE has enjoyed continued success at the International Wine Challenge collecting an impressive six trophies – four for one wine – at the June 29 black tie event in London. The trophies follow 71 medals received at the earlier May Medals Ceremony.

Our Chief Winemaker, Chris Hatcher was thrilled with the results: “This is a great reflection not just on the winemaking expertise within TWE but also on the diversity of wine styles cultivated from various wine regions of South Australia.”

The big winner was the 2009 Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay, awarded the International Chardonnay Trophy, the Australian Chardonnay Trophy, the Australian White Trophy and the Adelaide Hills White Trophy. Since its first release in 1994, Penfolds Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay has established a strong following for its fresh minerally style that lies at the vanguard of the Chardonnay genre in Australia. All fruit is hand-picked into small bins and then whole-bunch pressed. The juice is allowed to undergo natural fermentation, sans inoculation. Enhanced mouthfeel and complexities are achieved by fermenting on solids using new and aged French oak.

Taking home the Coonawarra Trophy was the 2008 Lindeman’s Coonawarra Pyrus Red, a classic Bordeaux style blend sourced from the centre of Coonawarra’s Terra Rossa strip. It utilises a backbone of old vine Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, is given lift with Cabernet Franc and is fleshed out by Merlot to create a particularly rich and supple wine of great complexity.

The Barossa Shiraz Trophy was awarded to the 2007 Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz. First released in 1998, this wine is an example of a great and modern Australian Shiraz. Our Viticulturalists identify the best parcels of Shiraz from select Barossa and Eden Valley vineyards. Winemaking excellence and master blending complement the fruit that best expresses the vineyards, the variety and the vintage it comes from.

Held during the London International Wine Fair, the International Wine Challenge is the best and most influential blind tasting in the world – its reputation is down to the quality and experience of the judges. The event boasts more than 10,000 entries from wine regions around the world and this year saw more than 370 winemakers, merchants, and writers assess up to 2,000 wines daily.