Medals back up label of best-ever wine vintage

By PAUL WHITE Viva wine writer

Drought-stricken Marlborough can take some comfort that the province produced the champion vintage of this year's Royal Easter Wine Show.

The Forrest Estate Stonewall Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2000 was named Champion Wine when the trophy results for the 48th annual wine show were announced in Auckland.

The wine is available only through direct credit-card sales controlled by the show sponsors, the New Zealand Wine Society.

A field of 819 entries produced 48 gold, 107 silver and 310 bronze medals this year.

The percentage of medals awarded (57 per cent) was identical to last year, reflecting a solid crop of nicely maturing wine from the 1999 vintage and the first-wave release wines from the super-concentrated 2000 vintage.

Reinforcing New Zealand's strength in white wines, chardonnays and sauvignon blancs collected more than half the medals. Sauvignons from the 2000 vintage - considered by many to be this variety's best ever - dominated the count.

Trophies for white wines this year included.-

Champion riesling: Kim Crawford Marlborough Dry Riesling 2000; champion pinot gris: Peregrine Central Otago Pinot Gris 2000; champion chardonnay: Vidal Reserve Chardonnay 1999; champion sauvignon blanc: Cardmember's Forrest Estate Stonewall Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2000.

The top bubble award, champion methode champenoise or sparkling wine, went to Matariki Hawkes Bay Blanc de Blanc 1997.

Villa Maria Reserve Botrytis Selection Noble Riesling 1999 gathered the trophy for champion sweet wine.

A lack of quality entrants meant that no trophy was awarded for champion gewurztraminer this year.

Selaks Premium Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2000 was deemed champion export wine, a special award representing excellent quality in a high-volume, inexpensive wine.

Other special awards went to Villa Maria Estate (trophy for most successful exhibitor) and to Villa's winemaker, Michelle Richardson (Royal Agricultural Society Gold Medal for Winemaker of the Show).

Red wine trophies included.-

Champion pinot noir: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Bacchus Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 1999; champion merlot or merlot predominant blend: Villa Maria Hawkes Bay Reserve Merlot 1999; champion cabernet or cabernet predominant blend: Newton Forrest Estate Cornerstone of Gimblett Road Hawkes Bay Cabernet/Merlot 1999; and champion wine of other red or white varieties or blends: Matariki Hawkes Bay Syrah 1999.