Winemaker Eliana Leal demonstrates how to blend wines during this year’s Central Otago Young Winemaker competition. PHOTO: RUBY SHAW The 2023 New World Wine Awards Top 50 launched to much fanfare in early October: to recap, this competition is focused solely on wines selling for $25 or less. Co-chairs Jen Parr and Sam Kim oversaw a panel of 15 wine judges to taste through more than 1200 entries, whittling that down to the Top 50 which get to wear the coveted gold medal sticker. You have to feel for the more than 95% of entries that didn’t quite make the cut, but for the Top 50 winners it is fantastic brand recognition and sales for their wines across the country, while for consumers that gold medal is a reassuring tick of confidence when you are faced with a sea of wines on the shelves. The Zero category, of wines below 0.5% alc, saw a significant uptick in entries with roughly 50 wines being judged this year. Gold medals remain elusive with just bronzes awarded, reminding me that this category remains a work in progress. A selection of "recommended wines" will be promoted in selected stores. The NWWA people sent me the trio of wines reviewed here to sample, a quality-assurance test if you like: I was heartened by the results of the tasting. Central Otago Young Winemaker of the Year The 2023 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Central Otago Young Winemaker of the Year competition was held at Vinpro in Cromwell in September. Contestants undertook various challenges including laboratory and tasting skills, wine industry knowledge, creating a white wine blend for marketing panel review, also an interview with industry leaders and a speech at the dinner, held at Carrick Estate. Congratulations to Eliana Leal from Amisfield: this year’s winner. Further congratulations to the second and third place winners Paiqi Oscar Cau, also from Amisfield, and Callum Scarborough from Felton Road. As well as her prize package, Eliana represented Central at the national finals which were held last week in Canterbury, and picked up a section prize for her presentation on AI in the wine industry and laboratory skills. Well done! 2021 Squawking Magpie The Chatterer Hawke’s Bay Syrah Price Promo $21.99 Rating Excellent Spicy, peppery influences, minerality, graphite, fruit neatly in support. Vibrant & juicy in the mouth, crunchy tannins, nicely balanced and integrated offering lovely drinkability yet I suspect some potential too. Cranberry, red fruits, earthy touches, smoke & char with aeration, elegance rather than a ball-tearer with layers of flavour. Complexity here. www.squawkingmagpie.co.nz 2021 Grant Burge Miamba Barossa Shiraz Price Promo $20.99 Rating Excellent Noticeably generous on the nose, berry compote, oak spices fragrance growing. Richness yet not overly sweet, offering berry jam, blackberry, spices, oak seasoning and lead pencil with a good structural backbone that adds a grainy, chewy aspect to the attractively dry finish. Richness, serious, equally at home on its own or with food. www.grantburgewines.com.au 2019 Thorn-Clarke Sandpiper Barossa Shiraz Price Promo $17.99 Rating Very Good to Excellent Ripe fruit jumps out of the glass, mixed berryfruits, darker fruits, chocolate, tilled earth & savoury nuances. Nicely creamy mouthfeel before the tingly acidity kicks in lending zesty vibrancy, while the tannic backbone also plays its part. Dried cherry, choc-orange, full of flavour and generosity, showing more of the typical Aussie fruit sweetness as it opens. www.thornclarkewines.com.au
