Canberra winegrowers stage sparkling performance

Three local winemakers celebrated gold medals at the National Wine Wine last week, although the show trophies went elsewhere, with West Australian wines the big winners.

Champion wine of the show was Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, from the Margaret River, Western Australia.

Among Canberra wines, gold medals went to Mount Majura 2013 Riesling, Ravensworth 2013 Riesling and Nick O’Leary 2012 Pyrenees Shiraz (O’Leary also won silver for his 2011 shiraz and bronze for his 2011 Bolaro shiraz). The Ravensworth gold builds on a string of awards for this wine.

It was among five gold medal winners in the 2013 riesling class, won by Leo Buring Leonay.
Chairman of judges Stephen Pannell commented on the quality of the sparklings, and gave his judge’s award to House of Arras Blanc De Blancs 2001.

Three other sparklers from this maker won gold. Pannell said the judges were looking for wines that were “grown and not made; wines that speak of space and are not clouded by excessive winemaking”.