New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards 2018 Gold Medal Results

The initial release of the results of the 2018 New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards competition have been made, and it reveals there are 77 gold medal wines. This wine judging is held by New Zealand Winegrowers and combines the former Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Bragato Wine Awards. Earlier this year in July, upon the announcement of the new competition, I voiced some concerns about the combining of the two shows and what appeared to be different objectives in my understanding (click here to see my article). However, I was assured by chairman of judges Warren Gibson and deputy chair Ben Glover that they would represent the values of both shows in the new format.  www.nzwine.com

The judging was conducted in Auckland over 2-5 October. The judges involved were Warren Gibson and Ben Glover as chairman and deputy chairman, with international judges PJ Charteris and Jamie Goode, panel leaders Jack Glover, Ant Mackenzie, Kate Radburnd, James Rowan and Jane Skilton MW. The senior judges were Phil Brodie, Jane Cooper, Huw Kinch, Liam McElhinney, Jeremy McKenzie, James Millton, Helen Morrison, Barry Riwai, Kyle Thompson and Liz Wheadon. The associate judges were Murray Cook, JP Henderson, Francis Hutt, Matt Kirby, Greg Lane, Jannine Rickards, Chloe Somerset and Lauren Swift.

The Varietal and Regional Trophies will be announced on 24 October, and the Major Trophies at the New Zealand Wine Awards event on 3 November in Wellington. These will be posted on this site when announced. I hope to have details on numbers of silver and bronze medals, and total wines judged, and will add to this article as they come to hand.

Following are the 77 gold medal winners from the 2018 New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards:

Bladen ‘Tilly Vineyard’ Gewürztraminer Marlborough 2018
Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewürztraminer Marlborough 2016
Lawson’s Dry Hills The Pioneer Gewürztraminer Marlborough 2016

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Gris Marlborough 2018
Marisco Craft Series The Exemplar Viognier Marlborough 2013
Misty Cove Wines Landmark Series Grüner Veltliner Marlborough 2018
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Grüner Veltliner Marlborough 2015

Esk Valley Pinot Gris Hawke’s Bay 2018
Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Gris Marlborough 2018
Misty Cove Wines Pinot Gris Marlborough 2018
Ngatarawa Stables Pinot Gris Hawkes Bay 2018
Russian Jack Pinot Gris Marlborough 2018
Starborough ‘Family Estate’ Pinot Gris Marlborough 2017
Stoneleigh Wild Valley Pinot Gris Marlborough 2018
Summerhouse Pinot Gris Marlborough 2018
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Pinot Gris Marlborough 2017

Carrick Bannockburn Riesling Central Otago 2017
Maude Mt Maude Vineyard Dry Riesling Central Otago 2018
Rockburn Tigermoth Riesling Central Otago 2015
Two Rivers Juliet Riesling Marlborough 2018
Wither Hills Riesling Marlborough 2018

Blind River Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Giesen The Fuder Matthews Lane Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015
Marisco Craft Series ‘Pride & Glory’ Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2013
Opawa Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Vidal Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2018
Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018
Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Awatere Valley, Marlborough 2018

Crossroads Winemakers Collection Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2015
Empirical Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2015
Isabel Estate Wild Barrique Chardonnay Marlborough 2017
Marisco Craft Series ‘The Pioneer’ Chardonnay Marlborough 2016
Selaks Founders Limited Edition Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2016
Two Rivers Clos des Pierres Chardonnay Marlborough 2017
Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay Marlborough 2017
Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2017
Villa Maria Reserve Barrique Fermented Chardonnay Gisborne 2016
Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2016
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2017
Whitehaven Chardonnay Marlborough 2017

Auntsfield Busch Block Late Harvest Riesling Southern Valleys, Marlborough 2016
Riverby Estate Noble Riesling Marlborough 2016
Wairau River Reserve Botrytised Riesling Marlborough 2017

Archangel Lace Rosé Central Otago 2018
Te Kano Rosé Central Otago 2018
Waipara Hills Pinot Noir Rosé Waipara Valley 2018

Carrick Bannockburn Pinot Noir Central Otago 2015
Carrick Crown & Cross Pinot Noir Central Otago 2016
Craggy Range Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough 2016
Delta Hatter’s Hill Pinot Noir Marlborough 2017
Falcon Ridge Estate Pinot Noir Nelson 2017
Hinton Estate Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017
Maude Mt Maude Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017
Maude Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017
Ostler Caroline’s Pinot Noir Waitaki Valley, North Otago 2016
Rockburn Pinot Noir Central Otago 2016
Super Nanny Pinot Noir Central Otago 2017

Church Road McDonald Series Cabernet Sauvignon Hawke’s Bay 2015
Church Road One Merlot Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2016
Villa Maria Library Release Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Hawke’s Bay 2009
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Hawke’s Bay 2016
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot Hawke’s Bay 2016

Church Road Grand Reserve Syrah Hawke’s Bay 2016
Church Road McDonald Series Syrah Hawke’s Bay 2016
Church Road One Syrah Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2016
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawke’s Bay 2014
Villa Maria Reserve Syrah Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2016

Church Road One Malbec Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2016
Villa Maria Reserve Malbec Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay 2015

Just in the form of a brief analysis, the most successful classes were Chardonnay with 12 golds, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both with 11 golds, and Pinot Gris with 9 golds. The Bordeaux Red Varietal Wines (not including Malbec, which won 2 golds) took 6 golds, and Syrah took 5 golds, the same number as Riesling.  There were only 3 golds for Rose wines

The Villa Maria group of companies was the most successful with 16 golds – 13 for Villa Maria, 1 for Vidal and 2 for Esk Valley. The Pernod-Ricard group was next in success with 9 golds, 6 for Church Road, 2 for Brancott Estate and 1 for Stoneleigh. It is good to see Marisco come through with 3 golds.