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The great history of Wynns Coonawarra Estate began when Scottish pioneer John Riddoch planted vineyards in 1891 and built the estate’s iconic triple-gabled winery five years later.But it wasn’t until 1951 that the Wynn family became involved, when they bought the winery and vineyard with the aim to utilise the region’s great potential to produce top-quality wines.

Fast forward 60 years and the vineyards have been painstakingly rejuvenated so that the resulting wines are, according to Wynns, “of great refinement to capture the true essence of Coonawarra – varietal character with finesse.”

Tasting Panel member Trent Mannell was lucky enough to attend this year’s Wynnsday and was overwhelmed with the quality of wines presented. One of his highlights was the V&A Lane Shiraz 2009, which is named after the long, straight road that runs across the middle of the region’s famous terra rossa strip. Trent describes this wine as having elegant spicy red fruit on a palate that’s tight now but with terrific acidity and ripe tannins that will ensure it has at least 5-10 years cellaring potential.

Members of the Chairman’s Series should look out for this incredible wine in one of their upcoming packs, while Winemakers’ Series Members have the privilege of sampling Wynns The Gables Cabernet Shiraz 2009, another one of Trent’s favourites, in a future selection.

The award was decided after a public tasting showcasing two wines from each of the 11 featured winemakers, with the result based on people’s purchase decisions. Of the honour, Rory said, “It’s very humbling and gratifying to see people parting with their hard earned for our wines, and for small, independent producers in general.”

It wasn’t only the people who were impressed with Rory’s talents. Judge Max Allen described his Shiraz as “just awesome,” adding, “I love Rory’s blend of youthful enthusiasm and deep respect for an old, traditional Australian region like the Grampians. And I’m obviously not the only one!”

Congratulations Rory, this award confirms what Wine Selectors has known for a long time!

So what makes this region-variety combination so harmonious? This question was summed up by Ralph Kyte-Powell in a Selector magazine earlier this year. “The style was determined by the capricious climate of the Hunter Valley, where grapes had to be picked early to avoid the summer rains, resulting in only moderate levels of ripeness and high levels of acidity. Over the years, such circumstances meant Hunter Semillon evolved a unique personality, partly due to its improbable ability to build character and impact with long bottle age.”

This means that Hunter Valley Semillon holds immense appeal at both ends of the age spectrum. As a young wine it’s pale, crisp and dry with fresh lemon delicacy while with age it develops richness, complexity, smoothness and depth. This transformation can take place over any number of years from 5 to 20.

The other results of the Hunter Valley Wine Show also cemented Semillon as the region’s best performing white variety.

Current Vintage Dry White Wine: Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard The Ridge Semillon 2011

Premium Vintage Dry White Wine: Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2006

Museum Vintage Dry White Wine: Tempus Two Wines Zenith Semillon 2003

Dry White Wine Currently Available: Allandale Winery Semillon 2007

Best Named Vineyard Wine: Thomas Wines Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon 2007

To try for yourself why the world loves Hunter Semillon click here to find a diverse range from the Hunter as well as other premium Australian regions to compare.

Melbourne Christmas Dinner 2 December 2011

Join our Wine Educator Chris Barnes for a night of fantastic food, wine and entertainment at the prestigious RACV Club in Melbourne's CBD. Positioned at the heart of bustling, cosmopolitan Melbourne, the five-star RACV Club will host our event and showcase a vibrant summer menu, complemented by some of the best wines we have uncovered this year, hand selected by our Tasting Panel.

Sydney Christmas Dinner 8 December 2011

Join our Wine Educator Michael Quirk for a night of fantastic food, wine and entertainment at French bistro Baroque. Nestled in The Rocks, Baroque offers relaxed dining in a prime position and is just a stone's throw to Sydney Harbour. We will be showcasing a vibrant summer themed menu, complemented by some of the best wines we have uncovered this year, hand selected by our Tasting Panel.

These events will sell out fast so book now