James Halliday Wine Companion 2021 Results
August 11, 2020The Wine Companion is recognised as the benchmark for Australian wine, identifying the ‘best of the best’ from the wine industry, focusing on the uniqueness in every wine, whether it be for good or ‘just missed the mark’, the prestigious wine panel will take the time to give their honest opinion on over 9000 entries.
James Halliday himself has been critiquing wine for over 30 years, and his reviews are revered by the wine community and general public alike. However, it is wine education which sits at the core of all his studies and discussions. The annual itself is an invaluable knowledge source for Australian wine regions, varietal, winemaking, vintage and brand information.
The 2021 event was somewhat different this year. Covid-19 has been dictating new, exciting and inventive ways to review and discuss wine in 2020. Therefore instead of an exclusive dinner event, the Wine Companion Awards were open to all online, giving those who sought it the freedom to cheer loudly in the lounge as they poured that favourite bottle and devoured their homemade meal. An experience which will remain memorable for representing 2020 as it were for many.
“For Plantagenet Wines, our continued focus on premium cool climate Shiraz and Riesling are reflected in our Halliday scores. Plantagenet is known for its consistent ability to produce wines capable of ageing and these top-scoring vintages are no exception. We expect these wines to evolve over the next 10 to 15 years.” – Tom Wisdom, Plantagenet Wines General Manager
“Cool climate shiraz at its best, with a highly expressive mix of warm spices and cedar threaded through the medium-bodied array of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit flavours. The lithe mouthfeel and texture of the wine set it apart from its white siblings.” – James Halliday, August 2020
‘Lancaster’ 2018 Shiraz
“Great Southern Shiraz (this wine is from Mount Barker) has a precision and a sense of inevitability about it: the depth and hue of the colour, the freshly picked fruit, the multi-spices, the cracked pepper, the persuasive tannins and the length.” – James Halliday, August 2020
Wyjup Collection 2018 Riesling
“The wine’s display of lime, Meyer lemon and toast will build slowly but surely over the next 10 years. Surely, because the wine was born with perfect balance and great length, attesting to its ancestry.” – James Halliday, August 2020
“From 40+yo vines, machine-harvested, fermented with cultured yeast. Hand of man or machine? It really doesn’t matter. Place and variety do.” – James Halliday, August 2020
Wyjup Collection 2018 Chardonnay
“Gleaming straw-green; pink grapefruit and white peach on the one hand, acidity and creamy cashew characters on the other. These coalesce on a continuous stream of flavour derived from fruit, not oak.” – James Halliday, August 2020
‘Aquitaine’ 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
“From Mount Barker, and includes 4% shiraz, open-fermented whole berries, 13-38 days on skins, matured for 20 months in French oak (35% new). Fresh, juicy fruits jump around on the medium-bodied palate, tannins allied with acidity making their mark on the finish and aftertaste.” – James Halliday, August 2020
Plantagenet is committed to living up to our decades-long 5-red star winery rating. Under the guidance of a remarkable and continually passionate team led by General Manager Tom Wisdom, Chief Winemaker Luke Eckersley and Chief Viticulturist Jordan Ellis, we appear set to do this. And as always will be guided by the brilliance and seasonal variance of the rugged cool climate region that is the Great Southern in Western Australia.
