Cullen Wines, Domaine Naturaliste and Stella Bella Wines were among the winners at last night's Halliday awards.
Cullen Wines, Domaine Naturaliste and Stella Bella Wines were among the winners at last night's Halliday Wine Companion Awards in Melbourne last night.
Held to coincide with the release of the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion, this year’s awards reviewed an additional 9,048 wines on 2019, with WA wineries represented in two of the six major categories
Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines was named winemaker of the year, making 2020 the second year in a row that a Margaret River winemaker won the award after Julian Langworthy of Fogarty Wine Group's Deep Woods Estate won in 2019.
Ms Cullen said in a statement that, though she was seen as the face of the winery, she was thankful for her team's efforts.
Cullen Wines was recognised for its cabernet sauvignon and family in the seperate varietals categories, along with four other Margaret River wineries – Flowstone Wines, Moss Wood, Deep Woods Estate and Stella Bella Wines.
Elsewhere, Domaine Naturaliste won the award for best value winery of the year.
Commenting on the win, Domaine Naturaliste winemaker Bruce Dukes said it was an honour to receive an award from James Halliday, complimenting Margaret River's grape farming conditions for the quality of wine produced in the past year.
"I feel blessed to be able to live and work in in such a wonderful region," he said.
In addition to the awards, WA as a whole was praised in the accompanying 2020 Halliday Wine Companion, with Margaret River’s chardonnays, Swan Valley’s fortified wines and Perth Hills’ shirazes and viogniers earning particular praise.
In a statement, Mr Halliday said Australian wineries had produced outstanding wine in the past year, with the award winners showcasing the extraordinary diversity of the country’s regional wines.
Margaret River Wine Association chief executive Amanda Whiteland said that as Australia’s most influential and respected wine critic, Mr Halliday's praise for Margaret River wines, winemakers and wineries was a wonderful recognition for the region’s world-class quality, talent and unique grape growing conditions.
