Show Me the Chardonnay Tasting
Sunday, 30th April, 2006
- Jennifer Graham
 | The Panel of Judges: James Halliday, Iain Riggs, Tim Stock and Rodney Kempe. |
The last meeting of the Wine Press Club - NSW attempted to address the issue of 'Why Australia's most popular wine style (i.e. chardonnay) rarely seems to win a trophy?'
The underpinning factor appears to be an understanding in wine judging circles that older Australian chardonnays do not keep as well as varietals such as riesling and semillon. It was Ian Riggs (Show Judge and Winemaker) who summed it up with his comment that "James Halliday and his crusty lieutenants are to blame, pushing and cajoling us into believing what we should believe". Consequently, gold medal chardonnays are not chosen for a trophy as "wine judges got a mental block about choosing the wine because they fall over".
James Halliday wrestled with explanatory aspects such as vine age, clones, alcohol content and hinted at regionality. This may all be true but there is an increasingly viewpoint that by rewarding potential, Australian wine show judges have been unfair by penalising chardonnay.
Indeed a tasting of nine Chardonnay wines on the night failed to see the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Burgundy 2002 (Bouchard Pere) shine through the ranks of top class Australian Chardonnay. It was the 2003 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay that members and guests unequivocally awarded their top choice.
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