Cellarmasters triumph in Great Australian Shiraz Challenge

Cellarmasters Wines has won the prestigious 1999 Visy Board Great Australian Shiraz Challenge with its 1997 Maglieri Shark Block Shiraz. Winemaker Wayne Dutschke was presented with the Vintage Cellars Trophy for Best Shiraz at the awards dinner in Melbourne.

The Maglieri Shark Block Shiraz is a joint venture product made by the winemakers of Maglieri Wines in McLaren Vale and Cellarmaasters Dorrien Estate Winery in the Barossa Valley of South Australia, for exclusive release to Cellarmasters mail order customers.The wine takes its name from fossilised shark teeth found on the McLarenVale vineyard.

It is the second time in the Challenge’s five year history that a Maglieri wine has won the Award — this year from a record field of 159 of Australia’s finest Shiraz wines. The winning winemakers have secured Australia’s richest prize pool for any wine competition, worth over $30,000 in Malaysia Airlines international airfares, oak, labels, capsules, cartons, marketing services and glassware. The Maglieri Shark Block Shiraz also secured the awards for Best South Australian and Best Shiraz above $25.

McLaren Vale has again featured heavily in the senior rankings of the Challenge, with the 1996 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz (a Padthaway/McLarenVale blend) finishing second and the 1997 Normans Chais Clarendon Shiraz third. The Eileen Hardy Shiraz narrowly missed scoring a remarkable double, after winning last year’s Challenge with the previous vintage of the wine. Victoria’s Mitchelton Wines was a double category winner with its 1998 Mitchelton Crescent /Block Shiraz, which won Best Victorian and Best Shiraz under $25. Best NSW Shiraz was won by the 1997 Tyrrell’s Reserve Brokenback Shiraz, and Best Western Australian Shiraz by the 1997 Willespie Shiraz.

The Great Australian Shiraz Challenge was launched in 1995 by the winemakers of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley as a means of promoting Shiraz as Australia’s ‘quintessential red wine.’

The Challenge has rapidly risen to prominence during the nation’s current red wine boom. The Challenge judging system averages the judges’ points. This year’s judges were Brian Croser of Petaluma, John Duval of Penfolds, Stephen Henschke of Henschke Wines and Australian Financial Review wine critic Tim White.

The public has an opportunity to assess the Top 50 wines of the 1999 Challenge during two days of tastings hosted by the seven participating wineries of the Goulburn Valley. Tasting Passports costing $20 alllow red wine enthusiasts to taste all 50 top pointed wines by visiting Chateau Tahbilk, Mitchelton, Hankin Estate, Somerset Crossing, Plunketts Winery, David Traeger Wines and Longleat over Saturday and Sunday 13 and 14 November.