A $22 bottle of red wine from McLaren Vale in South Australia has won the highest accolade at the prestigious 2024 Decanter World Wine awards in London.
Shingleback’s 2022 Red Knot Classified GSM – a blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvèdre – was one of 50 wines from around the world to be awarded the coveted best in show on Wednesday.
The Decanter awards are the world’s biggest wine competition and are now in their 21st year.
They do not single out one wine as a winner: this year, 50 wines were awarded best in show (the top medal), with 117 receiving platinum medals, 643 gold, 5,977 silver and 8,016 bronze out of 18,143 wines blind-tasted from 57 countries.
France swept the awards, winning 12 best in show medals. Australia came runner-up, winning eight of the best in show awards, followed by Spain with seven medals.
South Australia stood out as Australia’s best-performing wine region, taking home three of the nation’s top eight accolades. Alongside Shingleback, the South Australian medals went to Chaffey Bros’ $40 2021 Evangeline syrah from the Eden Valley, and Penny’s Hill’s 2023 Yeenunga grenache, a $100 bottle from McLaren Vale.
Tasmania and Western Australia scored two medals each in the best in show category in a nod to the Derwent Valley and Margaret River wine regions.
Two Australian white wines were also awarded: the 2014 McGuigan Bin 9000 semillon from the New South Wales Hunter Valley and 2022 Stella Bella Luminosa chardonnay from Margaret River.
Shingleback was established by brothers John and Kym Davey in 1997, and its Red Knot sub-brand has gained a reputation for good value vintages.
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At $22 a bottle, its 2022 Classified GSM comprises 70% grenache, 21% shiraz and 9% mourvedre and is described as having “fragrant aromas of cherries and roses … highlighted with hints of chocolate”. In their tasting notes, the Decanter judges praised the “dark purple red” for the “bush-fragrant, soft skiffle sweetness of its tender aromatic profile”.
Shingleback winemaker Mark Jamieson said in creating the acclaimed blend, he was “aiming to highlight the unique strengths of each varietal”.
“My goal is for people to really appreciate the varietal fruit flavours which are also enhanced by subtle oak maturation,” he said in a statement.
McLaren Vale, which lies 40km south of Adelaide, is home to more than 100 cellar doors and wineries. The region is known for its Mediterranean climate and afternoon sea breezes that come in from the Gulf St Vincent.
Shingleback is part of Paragon Wine Estates and was acquired in 2022 by the Endeavour Group (formerly owned by Woolworths), which owns the bottle shop businesses Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Langton’s, Cellarmaster, Pinnacle Drinks, Jimmy Brings and Shorty’s Liquor.
Full list of Australian best in show medal winners
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Penny’s Hill, 2023 Yeenunga grenache, McLaren Vale, South Australia, $100
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Chaffey Bros, 2021 Evangeline syrah, Eden Valley, South Australia, $40
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Fermoy, 2020 Reserve cabernet sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia, $99
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McGuigan, 2014 Bin 9000 semillon, Hunter Valley, NSW, $50
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Bay of Fires, 2022 pinot noir, Tasmania, $63
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Lowestoft, 2022 Single Vineyard Jacoben pinot noir, Derwent Valley, Tasmania, $100
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Shingleback, 2022 Red Knot Classified GSM, McLaren Vale, South Australia, $22
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Stella Bella, 2022 Luminosa chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia, $100