One of the downsides of travelling overseas is the stuff you miss out on whilst you’re away from home. I was in Europe for six weeks recently, and couldn’t do my usual stint of judging at the New Zealand International Wine Show this year. I had a look at the Medal results this morning when they pooped up on www.NZIWS.co.nz and some familiar names are in the list – including a large number of wines that I have personally reviewed and rated well recently. Judging including 228 Pinot Noirs, 216 Chardonnays, 199 Sauvignon Blanc and 20 Albarino – all but two of them from New Zealand. In total there were over 1500 wines.
I’ve made a quick tally of the Double Gold medal winners below. As organiser Kingsley Wood explains – “To be awarded an NZIWS Gold Medal, a wine will have been judged at least twice. To be awarded an NZIWS Double Gold Medal, a wine will be required to receive ‘unanimous gold medal scores’ from the Chief Judge, the three Assistant Chief Judges, and the three-person Senior Judging team to achieve this”.
The wines below represent what the combined judging panels thought were the best of the best then…I’ll be looking at these wines closely at the first event where they’re on show – The NZ International Wine Show Pick the Trophies tasting is on at the Takapuna Boating club on the 9th October. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased from First Glass directly – either in store or online. Just because they were awarded a Double Gold, it does not automatically follow that these are the wines that will take out the Trophy in each class (although it’s a fair guess that they might).
Ash Ridge Premium Chardonnay 2023
Clearview Reserve Chardonnay 2021
Delta Hatters Hill Chardonnay 2022
Miles from Nowhere Chardonnay 2023
Rapaura Springs ROHE Southern Valleys Chardonnay 2023
Sacred Hill Wine Thief Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
Te Kano Land Waitaki Chardonnay 2022
Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Schlumberger Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kessler 2021
Bladen Marlborough ‘Eight Rows’ Riesling 2023
Grove Mill Pinot Gris 2024
Leftfield Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024
Saddleback Pinot Gris 2023
Ahi Ka Blackmore Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Misty Cove Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Roaring Meg Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Triplebank Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Vidal Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Wairau River Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Leveret Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2024
Gemtree Wines Luna Cresente Fiano 2024
Sileni Advocate Albarino 2024
Tupari Late Harvest Riesling 2024
Deutz Classic Brut Champagne NV
Nockie’s Palette Georgetown Rosé 2024
OTU Classic Rosé 2024
Wither Hills Marlborough Rosé 2023
Wooing Tree Rosé 2024
Mudbrick Velvet 2022
Church Road McDonald Series Merlot 2021
Church Road 1 Malbec 2021
Lawson’s Dry Hills Pinot Noir 2021
Mondillo Pinot Noir 2023
Nanny Goat Vineyard Super Nanny Pinot Noir 2022
Peregrine Pinot Noir 2022
Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
Mudbrick Onetangi Valley Syrah 2022
Fox and the Grapes Organic Shiraz Merlot 2023
Fox and the Grapes Shiraz Cabernet 2022
Johnny Q South Australian Shiraz Viognier 2021
Kirrihill Regional Series Clare Valley Shiraz 2022
Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz 2021
Gemtree Cinnabar GSM 2022
Piqueras Organic Old Vine Garnacha 2021
Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port NV
Galway Pipe Grand Tawny 12YO NV
Galway Pipe Rare Tawny 25YO NV
Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port NV
Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio NV
