STONKING GOOD SHIRAZ WINS 2020 HILLTOPS WINE OF YEAR

Every year the vignerons and winemakers of the NSW Hilltops celebrate the excellence of the wines of their region at the Hilltops Wine Show and the Wine of the Year is recognised by the award of the Peter Robertson Trophy.

The 2020 Hilltops Wine of the Year has been won by the McWilliam’s prestige portfolio label McWilliam’s 1877 Hilltops Shiraz 2018.

Yet again the focus is on the calibre of Hilltops Shiraz, a variety that vintage to vintage excels on the rolling slopes of the cool climate region around Young NSW. 

There were over 50 wines entered in the Hilltops Show and seven Gold Medals granted by an independent judging panel led by Chief Judge, Gabrielle Poy.

The current release McWilliam’s 1877 Hilltops Shiraz was the product of a warm dry season, which delivered perfectly ripe grapes with intense and balanced fruit flavours that were hand-harvested in the cool of the morning.

‘The McWilliam’s team are both humbled and excited to receive this award. It not only reinforces our commitment to the Hilltops region but is a testament to the stonking quality of wines being produced from high altitude regions of NSW,’ said Chief Winemaker, Andrew Higgins.  

‘The 1877 Shiraz is a multi-vineyard blend with fruit sourced from Roger and Meghan Clark’s Hillrose vineyard at Boorowa and the McWilliam’s Barwang vineyard. The quality of fruit from both vineyards was once again exceptional and a pleasure to work with.’

Trophies were also awarded to:

Best White Wine:                               Collector Summer Swarm Fiano 2019

Best Shiraz:                                         McWilliam’s 1877 Hilltops Shiraz 2018

Best Cabernet Sauvignon:               Ballinaclash Tom Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Best Red Blend/Other Red:             Moppity Vineyards Lock & Key Reserve Tempranillo 2017

‘The Hilltops Wine Awards continue to highlight the calibre of our vineyards and the diversity of the premier wines of this region, a fact noted more and more by wine writers and by the increasing numbers of wine explorers arriving at our cellar doors,’ remarked Hilltops Wine President, Brian Freeman.