Margaret River winery Xanadu was the big winner at the recently judged 2026 National Wine Show, adding more silverware to an already bulging trophy cabinet.
Xanadu was awarded the Prime Minister's Trophy for Champion Wine of Show for its 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, also collecting the James Halliday Trophy for Red Wine of Show and the Cabernet Sauvignon Trophy along the way.
It marks the 11th time in 16 years that Xanadu has collected the cabernet trophy at the National Wine Show, an extraordinary strike rate.
Not that it should be a surprise as the wine had already shown its pedigree on the international wine circuit, winning the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) Wine Trophy with a 98-point rating, the equal highest scoring wine of 12,000 entries.
At $45, it's a bit of a steal.
"I'm stoked ... astounded really," Xanadu's senior winemaker Glenn Goodall said.
"To win an 11th Cabernet trophy at the National Wine Show is incredibly rewarding given the pride we take in our Cabernets, but also receiving the Prime Minister's Trophy for Champion Wine of Show is the icing on the cake.
"Ever since I came to Margaret River I've had an affinity with cabernet-either I discovered cabernet or cabernet found me. Either way, it is the greatest grape variety on the planet, so this recognition is pretty special."
Closer to home, Tyrrell's picked up the trophy for Best Semillon for its 2017 Vat 1. Its 2025 Vat 1 also won a Top Gold.
Another Hunter winery that did well was Mercer, winning a Top Gold for its 2024 Limited Release Tumbarumba Chardonnay and only missing out on the Best Chardonnay Trophy by a single point to a 2023 vintage Evans and Tate wine.
Canberra's Sapling Yard won NSW another trophy in the Blended White category, for its creative 2025 Fiori wine, an intriguing blend of riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer and pinot blanc.
Trophy winners:
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
$45
Gee, this is delivering big time for its price point. It's from a wonderful Margaret River vintage and it shows with real depth and concentration of flavour, yet it remains so supple and bright. Blackcurrant, dark berry fruits, plum, some dark chocolate, a hint of blueberry ... this is layered, has a lingering finish, and is built for the long haul, but is undeniably delicious right now.
Mercer Limited Release Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2024
$50
This won a Top Gold for Best Chardonnay in the 2024 and '25 category, and was edged out on the Best Chardonnay Trophy to a 2023 single vineyard wine by Evans and Tate. This a great example of why Tumbarumba is such a great chardonnay spot. Stonefruit, citrus, lemon curd, vanilla, some flinty struck match ... pure, clean, textural, it's a delight.
Wirra Wirra Church Block
Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2023
$25
This McLaren Vale red is medium to full bodied, bright, with mixed dark and red berries, and sits fairly and squarely in the easy-drinking, terrific bang-for-your-buck category. Spicy blackberry and raspberry aromas, chocolate, pencil shavings and plums. If you wanted to make this your everyday go-to wine, you could do a whole lot worse. Top value.
It wasn't your usual delivery at a winery . . . 19 hungry lambs.
And, for all its woolly cuteness, it was a key part of the continuing shift at Mount Pleasant that started two years ago.
The goal was twofold: produce even better Hunter Valley wines, while lessening the winery's carbon footprint.
First, the wines. Mount Pleasant pulled out its lesser-rated vineyards, going from 88 hectares under vine to 47 - in wine terms, from 25,000 cases annually to just under 11,000.
"We wanted a greater focus on our top-end material and not get distracted . . . giving all our time to age-worthy old vine semillon and shiraz, wonderful blends, and historic sites like Lovedale, Rosehill, Old Paddock and Old Hill," chief winemaker and the man behind the changes, Adrian Sparks said.
The excellent 2026 vintage is a case in point.
"The wines are really impressive,' he said. "The reds, in particular, are amazing, powerful fruit, great tannin structure and they're only going to get better sitting in barrel for the next two years."
As good as the iconic vintages of 2014 and 2018?
"The 2026 vintage was almost perfect, but maybe just behind '14 and '18. If the stars align and we somehow get another vintage as good as those, the wines from here will be incredible thanks to the changes we've made."
Which brings us to the carbon footprint and those lambs.
"We're taking a more holistic approach to how we do things," Sparks said.
"Solar panels on the roof have cut our reliance on the grid by about 60 per cent - and I'm exploring the possibility of putting in a solar farm. We certainly have the room.
"The lambs will graze among the vines in the off-season, keep the weeds and grass down while fertilising at the same time.
"This will mean less use of heavy tractors and slashers that compact the soil, less reliance on fertilisers and chemicals, less use of diesel and so on. It's cheaper and better for the vineyard."
There are some carefully selected new plantings going in, however.
"We've planted cabernet directly opposite Lake's Folly which is renowned for cabernet . . . let's see if the fruit is just as good on the other side of the road. We've put in some pinot on the Rosehill vineyard which does lighter reds so well, so I have high hopes there - and also some malbec.
"These offer good blending options for us which is a strong part of the Mount Pleasant history. There's a lot happening."
And with the newest 2024 releases just released, does he have a wine to seek out?
"The Old Paddock Old Hill shiraz is a lovely wine, historic vineyard, good vintage for 70 bucks . . . that's money well spent."
Any other tips?
"Don't herd lambs without a cattle dog . . . just take my word for it."
Wynns The Original Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2024
$45
This is a Coonawarra label with a proud history. This version - with 'The Original' added to the name - is right on form. Dark-fruited, plenty of depth, yet supple and light on its feet. Blackcurrant, mint, black olive, a cut of fennel and some cinnamon. Everything in its place, fine ripe tannins and a persistent savoury finish - this is Wynns in top form.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2023
$140
If you're not on a budget, this top-shelf Margaret River chardonnay is built to last, but eminently approachable now. Flinty, with white peach, lime and pears, it has terrific drive and presence, with a background of briny sea spray. Acid and oak working hand in hand, it's a quality package all right that will only get better over the next five years or so.
Hoddles Creek Estate
Pinot Noir 2025
$26
When you think of wineries that over-deliver for their price, Hoddles Creek, in the upper Yarra Valley, would sit near the top. This is a case in point. It's a lot of wine for its mid-$20 ask. A pretty, red-fruited bouquet takes you to layered flavours from a warm vintage . . . cherries, musk, cherry cola and mushroom, with an exotic Asian spice finish. Super value.
The late John Vickery, for decades Australia's undisputed king of riesling, will probably be remembered for two things above all else.
First, he introduced Stelvin caps to his wines, phasing out often unreliable corks that had ruined many a much-anticipated tasting of carefully cellared wine.
Second, he had a long-standing commitment to aged riesling, at a time when commercial pressure usually meant they needed to be on the shelves as youngsters and earning their keep.
Three years after his passing, the Vickery label honours his memory with an annual release of rieslings, which invariably includes a couple of aged wines.
The pack I received recently included two 2025 rieslings, from Eden Valley and Watervale, and two older Reserve wines from 2022, again from Eden and Watervale. The final wine was a new addition to the range, a 2024 Polish Hill River Riesling.
Keeda Zilm is Vickery's chief winemaker these days and, as you'd expect, an unabashed riesling fan.
"John believed riesling needed time in bottle to settle before being enjoyed at its best," she said.
"Five, 10, even 15 years were discussed for the late release of the Reserves. No amount of time was too long.
"He also believed riesling was the best variety on which to test Stelvin because you can see the outcomes early but also the benefits of delayed maturation. The chance to age the wines with confidence meant his unique winemaking methods could be celebrated for many years to come which is what we're trying to do here."
Those methods included extra hang time for added ripeness, cool controlled ferments and clever use of all the pressings, blending them back into the wine for additional texture.
"We've followed that mantra. Ideally we don't want you to be able to pick where the winemaker has changed," Keeda said. "If you line Vickery wines up, there's great consistency ... their DNA has remained the same."
Withholding the Reserve wines for three years is no coincidence. That's the time it takes for those secondary ageing characteristics that Vickery admired so much - richer, toasty, more honeyed - to start to show.
"It means you can enjoy each iteration of our Reserves as they age through the years," she added.
The wines are made in limited amounts, just 120 dozen of each.
The 2022 vintage for the two Reserve wines is considered excellent in both Watervale and Eden Valley.
The reserve wines are $39, the current vintage rieslings $24, and the Polish Hill River is $28. Available at Vickerywines.com.au
Vickery Watervale Reserve Riesling 2022
$45
A single-vineyard wine from a superb Clare Valley vintage. Real ageing potential here. Citrus, orange blossom and gently toasted nose, lime and lemon flavours early, moving into those more concentrated developed notes mid-palate. Still very youthful, and only just hinting at what's to come. Spice comes through late, finishing with super fine, zippy acid. Seriously tasty.
Moppity Lock and Key Sangiovese 2024
$30
From the Hilltops region, this is an easy-drinker and very light on its feet. A lively, aromatic nose of orchard berries leads to a savoury palate, mostly red-fruited with sour cherries, red plum and tomato leaf. There's distinct spiciness here too, coupled with bright, zesty acidity. So easy to drink on its own, but it's a food wine too . . . veal, pizza, pasta would all work well.
Burton McMahon Syme Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024
$60
This single-vineyard wine from the Upper Yarra is a collaboration between Hunter winemaker Matt Burton and his friend, Dylan McMahon, from Seville Estate. A darker-fruited pinot - and a good one at that - with brooding, foresty flavours of dark cherry, plum, cinnamon, herbs and mushroom, all building in the glass. Silky and balanced . . . classy, a big tick from me.
However you look at it, the last 12 months has been ridiculously successful for Hunter Valley juggernaut Brokenwood.
But all of that would pale if last Saturday's much-anticipated release of their flagship Graveyard shiraz - with its $500 price tag - failed to live up to expectations.
No need to worry ... the annual Graveyard launch, in front of a packed room of 350 guests, ticked off the final box in a dazzling 12 months, with the 2024 vintage another outstanding wine.
But let's set the scene. Brokenwood's stellar 12 months included:
So, the '24 Graveyard?
Drumroll please ... Toni Paterson MW, one of the highly credentialed panel of Halliday judges, rated it at 99 points. That's two 99-point Graveyards in a row. She wrote: "The palate is refined and exquisite, yet bright and lithe with remarkable presence and momentum."
Little wonder winemaker Stuart Hordern described it as "an unbelievable year".
"I think the highlights were the Winery of the Year award - that's national, against everybody in the country - and also the RAS award. That award is not just the team in the winery but our whole group, marketing, cellar door, viticulturists, the lot," Hordern said.
And the two vintages?
"Very different - '23 was a long, slow ripening season, where the Graveyard vineyard's quality shows through. The '24 season was more challenging, and in the end everything came together really quickly. Very happy with the wine though. Not as big as '23."
For me, while there's no denying the quality of 2024 Graveyard, I have it behind the '23, which is one of the finest Hunter wines I've tasted. Say, 99 points to 96, nudging 97. But again, that's a personal thing.
All in all, the only NSW red to hold the highest level of Langton's Classification (1st Classified) continues to shine. And if you're after a white, the 2017 Oakey Creek Semillon ($80) is in a real sweet spot, but with years ahead of it.
Cook's Lot Allotment 333 Riesling 2025
$25
There's some serious bang for your buck with this riesling from Orange. Very pale in the glass, it has a nose of citrus, jasmine and mandarin peel. Lemon and lime flavours, fresh and zesty, a hint of mandarin again, spicy, and then juicy acidity. This could cellar for eight to 10 years and take on great complexity, but it's so appealing as a youngster.
Jardin d'Aromes Rose 2024
$23
From the Languedoc region in sunny southern France, this is a budget-friendly blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah and mourvedre in a seriously sexy bottle - one you might want to keep long after the wine has gone. Dry, with a floral Pot Pourri nose, berry flavours of raspberry and strawberry, with musk and rose petals. Herbs and spice too. A good value, easy drinker.
$80
From Eden Valley, this is a brooding sort of wine, built for the long haul. Deep purple with red trim, it has lashings of dark fruit - blackberry, dark plum, cocoa, bitter chocolate, licorice too. Dense and concentrated, but so downright drinkable. Tannins are ripe and fine grained, the finish long and balanced. This is quality all right, and you can cellar with confidence.
