2023 Chairman of Judges – Neil McGuigan

What a terrific show we had this year. The show was of the traditional high standard that we have come to expect with the classic varieties doing very well, and a number of newer plantings to the region also being supported.

These new varieties are very important to the Hunter as we need to continue to evolve as a region and produce wines that excite the consumers so that we continue to be a ‘must-visit’ destination. I think we should celebrate the fact that these new varieties can viticulturally flourish in the area and produce high-quality examples of that variety. We certainly do live in a unique wine-producing region.

The committee has asked us to achieve two outcomes for the Hunter Bottling Company Boutique Winemakers Show.

• Firstly, to reward excellence.
• And secondly, to provide a training ground for you Hunter Valley wine technicians so that they become proficient in the art of wine evaluation which will in turn help them make better wine into the future.

I must say that everyone did a fantastic job; the judges and associates we all professional which made my job very easy. The confidence and ability that the associates showed was very gratifying and I hope they enjoyed the process and that they learnt a lot. As an industry, we are very lucky to have the next generation of competent and committed winemakers coming through. Over the last twelve months, we have had a lot of interest from local winemakers asking to be involved in the show as judges and/or associates and more recently interest from other wine professionals who would like to be stewards at the show, so they can understand how it all works. At present we don’t have the stewardship role available, but it is something I will be writing to the show committee about, as it would be a great initiative to continue to spread the word about the quality of the show.

I would also like to thank the Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association and in particular the show committee. This very small team of Brooke, Jennifer, Sarah, and Laura led by Judy worked tirelessly in pulling the show and awards dinner together. I am sure you are aware that most of the positions are honorary, but Judy’s team put their heart and soul into the show for the love of the industry and the region – so thank you very much.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank our sponsors, as without them we couldn’t run the show so professionally.

Now, turning to the show results.

There were 318 entries from 49 different companies which is an excellent result considering the financial pressures that all businesses are facing. We had a 56% medal strike rate which means that 180 wines were awarded. 40 medals were gold (which represents 12.5% of the entries), 51 silver and 89 bronze medals. Compared to 2022 the strike rate for medals was exactly the same at 56% with the Gold medal strike rate 12% compared to 12.5% in 2023. Amazingly consistent – so congratulations to all 49 exhibitors.

Over, the judges were very impressed with the quality of the traditional varieties of Semillon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Verdelho. As I said earlier there was also a lot of support for some of the newer plantings with a number of solid awards going to Vermentino, Fiano, Barbara, Montepulicano, and Percorino.

As I have done in previous years with the Chardonnay classes I asked the judges to look for and award different styles of Semillons this year. Yes, the tightly structured Semillons will probably continue to win the major awards, but Semillons made into well-structured, balanced, and more approachable styles, traditionally called Rieslings and White Burgundies, should be encouraged as we need consumers engaged with Semillon so we can take them on a journey. Suffice to say I was modestly successful.

Choosing the Best White and Red of the Show is always a challenge with the final tallies for both awards being close. The scores for the Best White Wine of the Show were particularly close with the best three wines being within 2 points across 5 judges and 15 wines. That was incredibly tight.

Another pleasing aspect of the show was that there were less obviously faulty wines which is a credit to the winemakers, however, I encourage all technicians to review their procedures regarding ullage management, SO2 and pH regimes as we believe several exhibits would have benefited from more stringent protocols which would have enhanced freshness.

Just as an observation, Hunter reds need to be handled in a gentle way when extracting colour and tannin and we need to use a deft hand when it comes to oak management.

And finally, congratulations to the winners!