Global award for McLaren Vale red
A McLaren Vale grenache has won Best in Show at the world’s biggest wine awards.
Penny’s Hill’s 2023 Yeenunga Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Grenache was recognised at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
In its 21st year, the awards held in London is the world’s biggest wine competition, with nearly 250 experts from 33 countries taking part in judging the 2024 entries.
Of the over 18,000 entries from 57 countries, there were 50 Best in Show medals awarded, recognising 0.28 per cent of all wines entered.
Penny’s Hill chief winemaker and general manager Alexia Roberts said the group was “thrilled with the timing of this recognition as Penny’s Hill enters a new chapter”.
The winning Penny’s Hill grenache was a debut release of “a new collection of wines sourced from iconic estate vineyards”, the company said, with the bush vine grenache dating back 51 years and planted at an elevation of 170m.
Regional chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards Stefan Neumann said the overall quality of the wines being judged was “outstanding”.
“It was such a joy to judge; we were running out of superlatives of what to call them, so really, really good,” he said.
“Overall, the judging experience is fantastic. It’s great to see as a Platinum judge so many fantastic wines lined up, so it makes our job fantastically enjoyable, but in particular very hard to distinguish between the very, very good, fantastic and absolutely exceptional.”
The winning wine was produced from Penny’s Hill’s Yeenunga Vineyard in McLaren Vale. Photo: McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association
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Established in 1988, Penny’s Hill was acquired in 2022 by Warren Randall of the Randall Wine Group, Australia’s largest private luxury vineyard holder.
Randall said he had “admired the consistent excellence of the Penny’s Hill range of wines for over 30 years”.
“But every now and again, Penny’s Hill and McLaren Vale stun the world of wine,” he said.
Penny’s Hill’s 2023 Yeenunga Grenache is sold at $100 a bottle.
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