Adelaide Hills chardonnay takes out Prime Minister’s Trophy

An Adelaide Hills chardonnay took out the nation’s top wine award in front of an audience including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the National Press Club.

Murdoch Hill’s 2022 Rocket Chardonnay has won the National Wine Show of Australia’s Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show, narrowly beating a Margaret River cabernet sauvignon.

National Wine Show of Australia chair of judges Matt Harrop said the Chardonnay, from a family-owned vineyard in Oakbank, was a standout.

“The feedback from all 12 judges was just how much flavour this wine has.

“To get a chardonnay with such powerful and precise flavours is due to a combination of a great vineyard that’s perfectly tended, with sensibly grown grapes and sensitive winemaking. It’s a great, great wine,” said Harrop.

As winner of the Len Evans Memorial Trophy for White Wine of Show, Murdoch Hill’s 2022 Rocket Chardonnay battled it out for the Prime Minister’s Trophy against the James Halliday Red Wine of Show, Devil’s Lair’s 2022 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

“The Devil’s Lair has everything you could want in a young cabernet – a lot of flavour, lovely colour, perfect aromatics. If you were going to say, ‘here’s an example of how good Australian cabernet can be’, you don’t need to go further than this wine,” said Harrop.

To be eligible to enter the National Wine Show of Australia, presented by Endeavour Group, wines must have won a gold or silver medal at one of 32 qualifying capital city or regional shows.

This year, 952 wines representing 236 Australian wineries competed in the Canberra-based show, run by the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society.

Of the 23 trophy winners, eight were from South Australia, seven from Victoria, four from Western Australia, three from New South Wales and one from Tasmania.

Victoria’s De Bortoli Wines made the most trips to the podium, picking up the Shiraz Trophy for its 2022 Heathcote Handcrafted Shiraz; the Alternate Red Blends Trophy for its 2022 Ancient Soils Tempranillo Touriga; and the Rose Trophy for the De Bortoli 2023 Rose Rose.

Harrop said the five wines competing for the Sparking Trophy represented one of the strongest sparkling line-ups in the show’s nearly 50-year history.

“It’s unlikely we’ll ever see such a strong class again because a lot of the grapes that were going into sparkling are now being made into table wine. Sparkling can be more costly and time-consuming to produce as it needs longer in the bottle before going to market,” said Harrop.

National Wine Show chair Andy Gregory said the 23 trophy winners, as well as the 684 wines that missed out, represented the pinnacle of Australian winemaking.

“The National Wine Show shines a spotlight on the unique characteristics of Australian wines and the distinct regions in which they are made. It’s a celebration of provenance, authenticity and quality.

“The great news is that wines of this calibre are affordable – you can pick up some of this year’s trophy winners for under $20, with several others retailing for under $40,” said Gregory.

See the full list of the 2024 National Wine Show of Australia trophy winners below:

Top trophies

Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show – Murdoch Hill 2022 Rocket Chardonnay
James Halliday Trophy for Red Wine of Show – Devil’s Lair 2022 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Len Evans Memorial Trophy for White Wine of Show – Murdoch Hill 2022 Rocket Chardonnay

White wine trophies

Blended White Trophy – Once & Well 2023 Frankie Garden Margaret River Classic White Blend
White Varietal Trophy – Crittenden Wines 2018 Cri de Coeur Sous Voile Savagnin
Chardonnay Trophy – Murdoch Hill Rocket Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc Trophy – Saint & Scholar 2023 Graduates Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon Trophy – Tyrrell’s Vineyards 2017 Vat 1 Semillon
Riesling Trophy – Kirrihill Wines 2023 Regional Series Clare Valley Riesling

Pinot Gris/Grigio Trhopy – Tempus Two 2023 Copper Pinot Grigio

Red wine trophies