Jonathan Hambrook is among Orange region winemakers with a top reason to celebrate after claiming big prizes at a peak wine show.
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Mr Hambrook who owns Stockmans Ridge Wines was awarded the trophy for best chardonnay of the show at this month’s Australian Highlands Wine Show.
The show, based in the Southern Highlands, is only open to fruit from vineyards that sit above 500 metres.
Orange wineries, and wines created from fruit grown around Orange, were big winners.
But Mr Hambrook said his winning Outlaw 2016 chardonnay also achieved a top honour on another stage on the same weekend.
“It won double gold, the same, at the Rutherglen Wine Show, which is the oldest wine show in Australia,” he said.
Mr Hambrook said judges scored it 97 out of 100 at the Highlands show and 96 at Rutherglen.
We think we’ve nailed it now.
- Jonanthan Hambrook, Stockmans Ridge Wines
He said while the Rutherglen show doesn’t have trophies, the wine was awarded the Top Gold.
“Orange is really doing well with chardonnay. It is a regional hero varietal,” he said.
Mr Hambrook said he believed the wine-making process for the wine was now proven.
“We think we’ve nailed it now,” he said.
“We don’t grow it on our property, we source the best possible fruit in Orange.”
Hunter Valley-based winery Tamburlaine used fruit grown in Orange to dominate the red wine categories at the Highlands show.
Its Orange Reserve 2017 cabernet sauvignon won the trophy for the best wine in show, best red wine in show and best cabernet sauvignon in show.
And its Orange Reserve 2017 malbec won the trophy for best other single varietal in show.
Several Orange based wineries were awarded gold medals at the show.
They included Cooks Lot for its 2016 Cooks Lot 2016 Allotment 3 Handpicked chardonnay.
Cooks Lot also was awarded gold for its Cooks Lot allotment 1010 2017 shiraz along with See Saw Wines for its 2017 shiraz and Cumulus Wines for its 2016 Climbing shiraz.
The judges praised the quality of the top shiraz wines.
“Many highlights amongst a broad range of styles. Great fruit clarity in the top wines,” they said.
Orange wineries also collected several silver and bronze medals at the show.
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