Windowrie Estate ‘The Mill’ Shiraz Wins NSW Wine of the Year

Winners of the 2016 NSW Wine Awards were announced today at the Gala Presentation Lunch at Pier One Sydney Harbour. For the first time in the awards history, a wine from Cowra - a region in Central NSW - received the top NSW Wine of the Year trophy.

The Windowrie Estate 2015 ‘The Mill’ Shiraz was described by Chair of Judges, PJ Charteris, as “a wine that expresses its beautiful fruit first and foremost. It is great to see fruit and distinctive varietal fruit character as the defining features of a wine.”

Windowrie is a family owned company and was the first winery to establish itself in the Cowra region in 1987. The winery produces a range of traditional and non-traditional varieties, including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, shiraz, cabernet and merlot, and tempranillo, sangiovese, verdelho, chenin blanc and petit verdot. The wines are distributed by Cogito Wines in NSW and the ACT, Raw Wine and Spirits in VIC, and High Spirits in QLD.

The NSW Wine Awards have been running for 21 years and aim to promote the quality of wines produced in the state. The judging process for these awards is unique to most in that it judges small and large producers side by side, categorising wines by style rather than the size of the producer.

The awards are an initiative of the NSW Wine Industry Association.

The Association’s President, Tom Ward, said: “The NSW Wine Awards never cease to delight me; showcasing the finest wines from our well-known, legendary local winemakers and also unveiling and highlighting some true hidden gems from some of our smaller wine regions in terms of production - but not quality!

“The 2015 Awards also really proved that quality is being backed up by variety. I have not seen such a diverse range of wines from styles to regions be awarded and it gives me great pleasure. NSW Wine is really starting to lead across many areas and it is an exciting time to be a part of.”

2016 NSW Wine Awards Trophy Winners

Multi Color Trophy for Best Young Riesling
Colmar Estate 2016 Block 6 Riesling, Orange

NSW DPI Trophy for Best Young Semillon
First Creek 2016 SV Murphys Semillon, Hunter Valley

Trophy for Best Young Sauvignon Blanc
Brangayne of Orange 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Orange

Longfellow’s Trophy for Best Young Chardonnay
First Creek 2014 Winemakers Reserve Chardonnay, Hunter Valley

Trophy for Best Young White Other Varieties
Tulloch Wines 2016 Cellar Door Release Pinot Gris, Orange

Trophy for Best Mature Dry White
Tyrrell’s 2009 Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter Valley

Trophy for Best Light Red
Tulloch Wines 2016 Cellar Door Release Sangiovese Rose, Orange

Trophy for Best Young Pinot Noir
Rotherwood Estates 2015 Pinot Noir, Southern Highlands

Orora Stelvin Trophy for Best Young Shiraz
Windowrie Estate 2015 “The Mill” Shiraz, Central Ranges)

Riedel Trophy for Best Young Cabernet Sauvignon
Ballinaclash 2015 “Joseph” Cabernet, Hilltops

Trophy for Best Young Other Red Varieties
Tamburlaine 2015 Reserve Malbec, Orange

Trophy for Best Young Red Blend
Pokolbin Estate 2014 “Phoenix” Shiraz Tempranillo, Hunter Valley

Australia Post Trophy for Best Mature Red
George Wyndham 2009 Black Cluster Shiraz, Hunter Valley

NSW DPI Award for Best Organic Wine
Tamburlaine 2015 Reserve Malbec, Orange

CiSRA Canon Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine
De Iuliis 2011 Sparkling Chardonnay, Hunter Valley

Trophy for Best Sweet Wine
Bunnamagoo 2013 Autumn Semillon, Mudgee

Trophy Best Dry White of Show
Tyrrell’s 2009 Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter Valley

CCL Label Trophy for Best Dry Red of Show
Windowrie Estate 2015 “The Mill” Shiraz, Central Ranges

Print PDF