Maitland's Liz Silkman hit new heights this week when she became the first Hunter Valley winemaker to be awarded the prestigious Halliday Winemaker of the Year title.
And if that wasn't enough, the 2023 Silkman Blackberry Semillon was named Semillon of the Year, scoring an 'exceptional' 98 points.
Silkman, who is chief winemaker for First Creek Wines as well as her own Silkman Wines label alongside husband Shaun - affectionately known as their 'side hustle' - has had a stellar career.
A former Dux of the Len Evans Tutorial which is regarded as one of the most exclusive wine schools in the world, she was also the first person to be named Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year three times.
"Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not one for the limelight, so I'm still in shock," she says. "It's so exciting too, for Silkman, a tiny brand Shaun and I started so we could collaborate on winemaking ideas and styles... and basically have a bit of fun.
"We love being able to identify small parcels of exceptional fruit and make contemporary wines that we love to drink ourselves and share with friends."
Silkman Wines was also shortlisted for Winery of the Year title, confirmation that it is now one of the hottest boutique operations in Australia. Established in 2013, it has already won a bagful of trophies which include NSW Wine of the Year and the Halliday Chardonnay Challenge.
"Being shortlisted for Winery of the Year is incredible for us, and to see our little sem up there as Semillon of the Year, it all just feels surreal," Silkman says. "We couldn't be happier."
As chief winemaker of the two labels, Silkman had 27 wines reviewed by the Halliday team this year, and every one scored 95 points or more.
"Twelve were from First Creek and 15 from Silkman, and to have three wines rated 'exceptional' with 98 points is really what I find exciting," Silkman says. "There are some amazing wines soon to be released from both brands and in particular some of the chardonnays are looking incredible.
"I'm pleased to see though that it's not just chardonnay and semillon taking the big scores. Some of our Limited Release wines like vermentino and fiano also did really well."
The big scorers for Silkman were:
- 98 Points - Silkman Blackberry Semillon 2023 (not yet released);
- 98 Points - Silkman 'Silk' Aged Release Chardonnay 2017 (not yet released);
- 97 Points - Silkman 'Silk' Chardonnay 2023 (not yet released);
- 97 Points - Silkman Reserve Chardonnay 2022 RRP $60;
- 97 Points - Silkman Reserve Chardonnay 2017 RRP $60;
- 97 Points - Silkman Reserve Semillon 2023 RRP $60.
Silkman makes two ranges of wine in their small stable, Reserve and Estate, and produce extremely limited volumes of each of the wines which comprise semillon, chardonnay, shiraz and shiraz-pinot.
A third tier, Silk, is about to hit the shelves and on the back of these results, will be highly sought after.
It was a similar story for First Creek which also earned a swathe of high scores.
While Silkman picked up best semillon, First Creek must have been close with their range of top flight offerings.
The 2023 single vineyard Murphy semillon also rated 98 points, while the 2014 single vineyard Oakey Creek semillon and the 2014 Winemaker's reserve semillon both collected 97 points, alongside the single vineyard Wondalma chardonnay.
First Creek also had another two semillons score 96 points, making it a total of five semillons scoring 96 or more.
Little wonder Greg Silkman, managing director of First Creek Wines, is so happy.
"We're thrilled for Liz, that her efforts have earned her the Winemaker of the Year title, and she's certainly deserving," he says. "We're also very proud of the fact that we have held an elite 5-star Halliday rating for the past 15 years."
While she's a dab hand with any variety, Silkman is nationally renowned for her ability with chardonnay in particular. She has played a major role in elevating the status of Hunter Valley chardonnay which has never looked stronger across the board.
