Three Mudgee wineries have been named among the best in Australia by the 2016 James Halliday Wine Companion.
Huntingon Estate, Robert Oatley Vineyard and Robert Stein Winery all received red five star status for the 201516 season, joining 279 other wineries from across the various wine regions at the top of the list.
Red five star status was awarded to only 10 per cent of wineries in Australia this year for an “outstanding winery regularly producing wines of quality and typicity”. Red star status wineries will also have at least two wines rated at 95 points or above and have had a five-star status for the previous two years.
Drew Stein from Robert Stein Winery said recognition from the James Halliday Wine Companion came at a national level and for three Mudgee wineries to reach five star status was exceptional.
“It’s great level of recognition for those to reach that level,” Mr Stein said.
“It’s shows the passion behind the wines and it’s great for the Mudgee region as well.”
Robert Stein winemaker Jacob Stein said the results from the wine companion showed off the diversity of the Mudgee wine region, with each of the three red five star wineries receiving accolades for a different style of wine.
“We’ve done really well with whites and Huntington had top marks for their Shiraz,” Mr Stein said.
“It’s great to know that the Mudgee region has an ability to do well with a wide range of wines. It’s something that makes Mudgee unique,” he said.
‘We try to produce the best varieties from the best regions across out vineyards and to receive red five star status for consecutive years shows us that we’re moving in the right direction.’
Huntington Estate winemaker Tim Stevens said Huntington Estate had been lucky enough to receive five star status for the past five years.
“Mudgee is a region were we seem to cruise along and not do anything spectacular, but we’re very consistent with our wine, especially in regards to our fruit, so it’s great to receive this kind of recognition year after year.
“Hopefully next year there’ll be even more wineries at the top,” he said.
Huntington Estate received five red glasses for their Tim Stevens Signature Bin 14 Shiraz 2009 with 96 points and their Basket Dried Shiraz 2013 on 95 points.
Robert Stein Vineyard joined Huntington at the top of the list for their Reserve Mudgee Riesling 2014 (95 points), Mudgee Riesling 2014 (95 points), Reserve Mudgee Chardonnay 2013 (95 points), and Reserve Vintage Port (95 points).
Five other Robert Stein wines received four of more glasses with marks over 93, while Huntington had six more wines receive between 91 and 93 points.
Five wines from Robert Oatley Vineyards received marks of 95 or above, will all of them coming from the Finistere range, and two wines made the annual Best of the Best list.
The Mudgee produced The Pennant Mudgee Chardonnay 2013, Wild Oats Mudgee Shiraz Viognier 2013, the Montrose Mudgee Black Shiraz 2013, and the Wild Oats Mudgee Rose 2014 all earned 90 points of more in the book considered to be the nation’s wine industry benchmark.
Darren Jahn from Robert Oatley Vineyards said the winery was extremely excited about the five star rating, stating it was good to be recognised for the hard work that went into producing quality wine year after year.
“We had our highest number of wines over 90 points this year with 26 wines, 14 of which reached five star status,” Mr Jahn said.
Mr Jahn said each year Robert Oatley tried to do a little better than the previous year and for all intents and purposes, they were achieving that goal.
“We try to produce the best varieties from the best regions across out vineyards and to receive red five star status for consecutive years shows us that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.
The 2016 James Halliday Wine Companion features profiles and tasting notes from 1317 wineries across Australia, including each of the Mudgee region’s cellar doors.
Source: Lauren Stanford, 7 August 2015, Mudgee Guardian
Link: http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/3262644/mudgee-wineries-among-the-very-best/
