When a small, family-run wine producer in Canberra took out the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at today’s Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, it instantly became the most wanted wine in Australia. Even the chair of judges, Melanie Chester, was surprised by the result. “I’d never heard of the wine brand before,” Chester said.
“Then you google them [after the judging process] and go, ‘What an amazing story.’ They’re a second-generation, humble family set-up in the ACT, and the wine is absolutely magnificent.” The honour went to the Four Winds Vineyard 2023 shiraz, produced north of Canberra by vignerons Sarah and John Collingwood.
The wine won multiple major trophies at the presentation lunch held at Melbourne Showgrounds, including the Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz, the Douglas Seabrook Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine, and the Category Trophy for Best NSW/ACT Shiraz. “It’s the absolute dream outcome when a ‘discovery wine’ wins the Jimmy Watson,” Chester said. “You’re especially stoked when it’s something you’ve never heard of before.
It’s a beautiful wine, and it blew me away; blue-fruited with incredible gravel-like tannin and in terms of brightness, it’s in a beautiful space. It’s well-grown rather than just well-made.” The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for Best Young Red is a big deal.
The accolade for the best one- or two-year-old dry red wine is arguably the most coveted award in the nation. Past winners include Tas.