83 Gold Medal Wines were awarded at the 2015 Spiegelau International Wine Competition.

6.5% of all wines entered were awarded a gold medal at last week’s Spiegelau International Wine Competition, resulting in 83 wines receiving a score of 18.5 or more out of 20. There were 248 silver medals and 519 bronze also awarded.

Commenting on the results, Chair of Judges, Mike DeGaris concluded, “Judging in varietal-specific glasses, which is unique to this show, tends to give a stronger result.” He continued, “The terrific 2013 vintage really shone through especially for Hawkes Bay Syrah, while the Pinot Noirs offered ripe fruit and good structure. The Chardonnays were really well put together and overall, were better balanced.”

Guest International Judge, writer and author Tyson Stelzer of Australia said, “Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay were standout classes. The Pinot Noirs that my panel tasted were strong and the top wines showed finesse and grace”. He continued, “Of the chardonnays, the highlights displayed finesse and character. The sparkling wines displayed a wide disparity of calibre, with the top wines defined by elegance, freshness and bottle-aged complexity”.

The three day event ended with a public auction to sell bottles that had not been required during the judging process. Proceeds, in excess of some $20,000, will be made available through the Cresswell Jackson New Zealand Wine Trust in the form of grants and scholarships designed to enhance the success of the New Zealand wine industry.

Trophies will be announced and presented along with the gold medals at the awards dinner being held in Auckland on Friday 7 August.

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