It has been proven once again that Accolade Wines has the most talented winemaking team in Australia with 52 of our wines receiving a rating of 95 or above in the newly released 2018 Halliday Wine Companion.

Hardys Tintara was also named one of the ‘Best Value Wineries’ this year against tough competition and received positive praise from James Halliday.
“This is a reminder that just because the wines come from a large company with vineyard sources from every state, it is still totally reliant on the skill and commitment of their winemakers, here led by the brilliance of chief winemaker Paul Lapsley. Hardys had more wines scoring 97 and above than any other winery in this year’s Wine Companion; only one (a fortified) did not receive a value rosette,” said Halliday.

Paul Lapsley said these results are a brilliant snapshot and affirmation of how good our wine quality is.

“Our team of super talented viticulturalists and winemakers have worked incredibly hard and their cumulative efforts showcase intense passion and dedication. I can’t think of another wine company in Australia who offers such a diverse and compelling range of wines,” he said.

Tasting almost 10,000 wines for the annual Halliday Wine Companion guide, and whittling those down to a select few award winners, is no mean feat for 77-year-old James Halliday and his small team of expert reviewers.

Halliday noted some trends among the wines from this year’s Halliday Wine Companion guide.

“The Barossa and McLaren Vale have an increasing number of wineries with lower than traditional alcohol levels in the red wines, led by Shiraz and Grenache.
“Fresher and more vibrant wines are the result, and I hope that we’ll see a strengthening of that trend in future vintages. The standout varietal is chardonnay. Whether reduction in oak levels and earlier picking is driven by winemaker conviction or public demand is a good question. I incline to the view that it has been driven by winemakers, but has resonated with many consumers who had turned their back on oaky, buttercup yellow, fat chardonnays.”

All our wineries maintained their star rating from last year; Amberley received 3/4 black stars and every other winery was given 5/5 red stars. The only exception was Knappstein which changed from a 5/5 black stars to 5/5 red stars. This means that overall the wines tasted from the previous two years were of better quality.
Congratulations to all of our talented winemaking teams.

The following wines from Accolade’s portfolio received a rating of 95 or above.

98 2015 Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay
98 NV Hardys Barrel Selected Rare Liqueur Sauvignon Blanc
98 NV Hardys Limited Release Barrel Selected Rare Show Sweet White
97 2015 Hardys Tintara Sub Regional Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale Shiraz
97 2013 Hardys Upper Tintara McLaren Vale Shiraz
97 2015 Hardys HRB Cabernet Sauvignon
97 2014 Hardys Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon
97 NV Hardys Barrel Selected Rare Muscat
97 2014 Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon
97 2007 House of Arras Grand Vintage
97 2015 Reynella Basket Pressed McLaren Vale Shiraz
97 2014 St Hallett Old Block Barossa Shiraz
96 2015 Bay of Fires Eddystone Point Riesling
96 2015 Bay of Fires Pinot Noir
96 2015 Brookland Valley Estate Margaret River Chardonnay
96 2006 House of Arras Blanc de Blancs
96 2003 House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged
96 2016 Knappstein Bryksy’s Hill Vineyard Watervale Riesling
96 2015 Petaluma Tiers Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay
96 2015 Reynella Basket Pressed McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon
96 2016 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Dawkins Eden Valley Shiraz
96 2015 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Mattschoss Eden Valley Shiraz
96 2016 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Scholz Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz
96 2015 Stonier W-WB Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir
96 2013 Yarra Burn Bastard Hill Single Vineyard Yarra Valley Chardonnay
95 2016 Bay of Fires Pinot Gris
95 2016 Brookland Valley Estate Margaret River Chardonnay
95 2015 Brookland Valley Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay
95 2014 Brookland Valley Estate Margaret River Cabernet Merlot
95 2015 Grant Burge Filsell Old Vine Barossa Shiraz
95 2014 Grant Burge Filsell Old Vine Barossa Shiraz
95 2013 Grant Burge Corryton Park Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon
95 2015 Hardys HRB Pinot Noir
95 2015 Hardys HRB Shiraz
95 2014 Hardys HRB Shiraz
95 2015 Hardys Tintara Yeenunga Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz
95 2008 House of Arras Grand Vintage
95 2016 Knappstein Slate Creek Vineyard Watervale Riesling
95 2015 Knappstein Clare Valley Shiraz
95 2014 Knappstein The Mayor’s Vineyard Clare Valley Shiraz
95 2014 Knappstein Enterprise Vineyard Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
95 2015 Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay
95 2014 Petaluma Coonawarra Merlot
95 2013 Petaluma Coonawarra Merlot
95 2013 Petaluma Evans Vineyard Coonawarra
95 2010 Petaluma Essence Botrytis
95 2015 St Hallett Blackwell Barossa Shiraz
95 2016 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Materne Barossa Valley Shiraz
95 2015 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Materne Barossa Valley Shiraz
95 2016 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Mattschoss Eden Valley Shiraz
95 2015 St Hallett Single Vineyard Release Scholz Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz
95 2015 Stonier KBS Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay

 

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