Scotchmans Shiraz: The Toast of Victoria

THE Bellarine Peninsula’s oldest winery Scotchmans Hill is charging its glasses after taking out the Best Victorian Shiraz and Best Shiraz of Show at the 2022 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards.

The Drysdale establishment was thrilled to secure the two major awards as well as being named a finalist for the Jimmy Watson Trophy, which crowns the best wine in the country.

Scotchmans Hill chief winemaker Robin Brockett said the award recognition was the winery’s biggest feat to date.

“The Melbourne Wine Show is probably the most prestigious wine show in Australia, it’s always been the biggest and most prestigious,” Brockett said.

“To win the best shiraz is amazing, we knew we made a good wine but there were 600-700 wines it was up against for the crown.

“We are even thrilled to win the Best Victorian Shiraz, let alone also taking home the Best Shiraz of Show.

“We enter usually three of four wines and usually use the contest as a benchmarking exercise to see how our wines look against others.

“Only about four or five percent of wines get a gold medal at these shows and [chances] to get a trophy is about one per cent.

“I think it’s the first time a Geelong wine has won an award in Melbourne.”

Brockett said the key to making a beautiful shiraz is the work done in the vineyard and puts the success down to the investment that the business has made in taking their vineyards to the next level in quality.

As the longest serving winery on the Bellarine Peninsula, Brockett said that time in the winery and the constant evolution and honing of their skills has helped them to be develop some of Australia’s best wine.

“I think we make some of the best cool-climate shiraz in Australia,” Brockett said.

“Our 2018 and 2019 shiraz were put in the top 100 by James Halliday (Australian wine critic), and he scored both of those 98 points out of 100.

“There are only two shirazzes ever from James Halliday that have gotten a 98 from the Geelong region and we made both of those in 2018 and 2019.

“These last awards for the 2021 shiraz only reinforce what a great wine region we have for shiraz.”

Scotchmans Hill will be celebrating their 40th year later this month and will be hosting a range of celebrations to toast the occasion in the near future.

Scotchmans Hill’s cellar door can be found at 190 Scotchmans Road, Drysdale, VIC, 3222.

Cellar Door is open 7 days a week from 11:30am – 4:00pm.