Wine Classification recognises latest Australian entrants
Aaron Brasher in Wine Classification Become a member to view this article
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The Chambers Grand Muscat NV is a new Three Merit entry. Chambers Wines
The Real Review Wine Classification Feature Week
The Real Review Wine Classification comprises the greatest wines of Australia and New Zealand that display an outstanding track record of a decade or longer. Each wine has demonstrated its quality in our blind tastings over a period of at least ten years and many of the wines in our Classification have earned their place over several decades.
This year, there were 63 new entrants to the Wine Classification of Australia, with 2 three Merits, 16 two Merits and 45 one Merits appearing for the first time.This year, there were 63 new entrants to the Wine Classification of Australia, with 2 three Merits, 16 two Merits and 45 one Merits appearing for the first time. This brings the total number of Merit wines in Australia to 602.
Below are some highlights from the new entrants, with some familiar names along with some lesser known wineries that deservedly get their time in the sun.
Three Merit Wines
Three Merit wines are our highest classification. These are iconic wines of the country, wines of true provenance and exemplary track record. Fewer than 0.5% of wines produced achieve this tier. Most of these wines have received gold ribbons (95 points or more) for recent vintages. Top vintages will score 98 points or more.
The two new inclusions this year are Chambers Grand Muscat NV from Rutherglen and Houghton Gladstones Cabernet Sauvignon out of Margaret River. The Chambers family are Rutherglen royalty and their Grand Muscat is an exercise in lusciousness, concentration and power; hedonistic and deliciously drinkable. Sensory overload gear.
Houghton Gladstones Cabernet Sauvignon pays homage to the late Dr John Gladstones, a renowned viticulturist and long-time supporter of Houghton. This archetypal Margaret River cabernet sauvignon has a history stretching back a couple of decades, but in the last 10 years, the wine has consistently delivered big time, with scores of 96 points and beyond.
Two Merit wines
Two-Merit wines are those that achieve gold and high silver ribbons in recent vintages, with top vintages achieving 96 points or more.
In the two-Merit category there were 16 newly classified wines, with a broad array of regions, styles and varieties getting the nod. Stargazer from the Coal River Valley in southern Tasmania has two entries, with their Stargazer Riesling and Stargazer Chardonnay making a much-deserved appearance. Both wines now have reviews stretching back 10 years and their consistently high scores have delivered them the two-Merit rating.
Another winery that has garnered two, two-Merit ratings is Shaw + Smith for its precise and focused Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay and its Shaw + Smith Balhannah Shiraz, a wine with fragrance, flesh and plush blue fruit.
Another newcomer is Steve Baraglia’s Naked Run label from the Clare Valley. This brand is one of those that fly under the radar. Steve produces small amounts of some smart Clare reds, but the Naked Run Place in Time Sevenhill Riesling is the wine that gets him his inaugural two-Merit rating. Naked Run’s ethos is to release this riesling with four years of bottle age and the first vintage reviewed was the 2010, which received 95 points in 2015. The most recent wine reviewed is the 2020, likewise receiving 95 points earlier this year.
Another entry into the two-Merit zone is 919 Wine with its 919 Wine Pale Dry Apera. This small, proudly Riverland winery produces a fino/manzanilla style that is deliciously dry, saline and vibrant and is the epitome of what an aperitif should be.
One Merit wines
One-Merit wines are wines that reliably achieve gold and silver ribbons in recent vintages, with top vintages achieving 95 points or more.
In the one-Merit category there are 45 newcomers. There’s a great cross-section of wines here, and some of those I particularly enjoy are the following:
Rieslingfreak No. 4 Eden Valley Riesling is what I look for in great Eden Valley riesling. Tightly bound, pithy, full of tangy citrus and with real acid tension and cut.
Huntington Estate from Mudgee is one of the older established wineries of the region and the Huntington Estate Block 3 Cabernet Sauvignon is a lovely example of cabernet from this region. Mid-weighted, earthy and with a drive of cassis, bramble and textured tannins, this is what the old-school wine drinker would describe as a ‘luncheon claret’.
I’m also a massive fan of cooler climate shiraz, and the Port Phillip Estate Tuerong Shiraz ticks the boxes of what I’m looking for. The latest release is chock-full of blue fruits, white pepper and exotic Asian spice and has real crunch and snap on the palate: a fabulous example of its genre.
It was also pleasing to see Sidewood Chloe Cuvée make an appearance. This Adelaide Hills producer has been around for two decades and has become one of the benchmark producer of the Hills. The latest release Sidewood Chloe Cuvée 2017 is complex and multi-faceted, with toasty nuttiness and wonderful length and presence.
With The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia, nothing stands still: the wines that we’re currently tasting and reviewing all go towards the rise or fall of that wine—and that’s the beauty of this classification: it’s a dynamic classification and nothing is taken for granted, or laurels rested upon.