Xanadu cab sauv named the top drop in prestigious State show

The best drops from around the State were judged in Mt Barker last week at the prestigious Wine Show of WA.

Margaret River winery Xanadu won the top honour of the best wine of show for its 2017 DJL cabernet sauvignon.

Castle Rock Estate’s 2017 A&W Reserve riesling made it the best- performing local winery, winning the Pam McGregor Trophy for best aged riesling. Margaret River winery Robert Oatley won a number of awards for a wine made from its vineyard in the Great Southern.

Robert Oatley Margaret River was awarded best white wine of show, best and most distinctive regional character, best Great Southern white and best riesling.

The competition is now in its 42nd year and chief judge, Tasmanian winemaker Samantha Connew, and her team were joined by Singaporean master of wine Ying Hsien Tan.

The judges sifted through 855 entries, of which 65 per cent picked up awards and 4.7 per cent received a gold medal.

Ms Connew said the stand-out class was the shiraz, with five gold medals awarded and 66 entries in the class.

“As expected, chardonnay and cabernet brackets were very strong but it was pleasing to see a depth and diversity in the riesling and shiraz classes, with the 2018 shiraz in particular showing a lovely purity of fruit,” she said.

“As we have seen at other shows over the last five years, the red blend classes were very strong, with Bordeaux blends shining the light, although the Rhone blends didn’t reveal the highlights that we have seen previously.”

Judging started last Tuesday and lasted for three days, with the awards presented at Plantagenet Wines on Friday.