The CCL 2016 Mudgee Wine Show results announced tonight have confirmed the Oatley family’s belief in the quality of the region’s chardonnay and shiraz, with their winery, Robert Oatley Vineyards collecting the Bob Oatley trophy for the best chardonnay, outstanding white wine of show and nine gold and nine bronze medals, combining to secure a third trophy for most successful exhibitor.
The results were announced tonight after judging this week by Mike de Garis, Sue Hodder & Stephen Doyle. Wines grown and produced in the Mudgee region may be entered along with wines labelled Central Ranges provided they comprise a minimum 15% Mudgee fruit and are produced within the Mudgee region.
Pocketwatch Chardonnay 2014 won the Best Chardonnay trophy and gold, with further gold medals awarded to four other Chardonnays: The Pennant 2013*, Finisterre 2015, Wild Oats 2015 and Wild Oats 2014. Gold medals were awarded to two shiraz wines: Wild Oats Shiraz 2014 and Wild Oats Rose 2016. Wild Oats Pinot Grigio 2016 and Wild Oats Merlot 2014 rounded out the gold medallists, with all nine wines hailing from the family’s own Mudgee vineyards across the Chardonnay Park, Wooloomooloo, Woodbrook, Montrose and Craigmoor properties.
Clearly excited at their results, Executive Chairman Sandy Oatley commented today “My late father would be delighted with this success. He had long admired chardonnay and shiraz from the region, buying grapes as far back as thirty years ago and we’ve planted more vines and secured additional vineyards over the years, the best have lasted and have produced these gold medal wines today.”
“Chardonnay was without doubt my father’s favourite wine so we re-named the trophy we’ve sponsored for a few years now, the ‘Bob Oatley Trophy for the Best Chardonnay’ never planning that we might win for our own wine!
“We created the Pocketwatch range as a tribute to Dad’s great great grandfather James Oatley, one of the state’s early pioneers and a clockmaker. It’s grown into a very popular range along with our Wild Oats wines – named after our super-maxi yacht and Dad’s sailing nickname.
“Our winemakers, headed by Larry Cherubino and led locally by Rob Merrick and Marc Udy, should be proud of these results which will certainly help reinforce the Mudgee region’s wine quality with both consumers and critics alike.”
The award-winning wines are available now* from the Robert Oatley Vineyards Cellar Door at Craigmoor, via their website and specialist retailers around the country.
CCL 2016 MUDGEE WINE SHOW
TROPHY:
MOST SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITOR: Robert Oatley Vineyards
OUTSTANDING WHITE WINE OF SHOW: Pocketwatch Chardonnay 2014 (RRP $16.95)
BOB OATLEY TROPHY FOR THE BEST CHARDONNAY: Pocketwatch Chardonnay 2014 (RRP $16.95)
GOLD MEDALS:
Pocketwatch Chardonnay 2014 (RRP $16.95)
The Pennant Chardonnay 2013* (RRP $70.00)
Finisterre Chardonnay 2015 (RRP $32.95)
Wild Oats Chardonnay 2015 (RRP $17.95)
Wild Oats Chardonnay 2014 (RRP $17.95)
Wild Oats Rose 2016 (RRP $17.95)
Wild Oats Pinot Grigio 2016 (RRP $17.95)
Wild Oats Shiraz 2014 (RRP $17.95)
Wild Oats Merlot 2014 (RRP $17.95)
*The Pennant Mudgee Chardonnay 2013 will be released in early 2017
www.robertoatley.com.au
For further information contact Darren Jahn, ROV Communications & Prestige Portfolio Manager on 0411 020 574 or djahn@oatleywines.com.au
NOTES TO EDITORS
Robert Oatley Vineyards is the reincarnation of the Sydney-based Oatley family winemaking dynasty. Wine is ‘in the blood’ of our late founder Bob Oatley and his eldest son Sandy, leader of the family business founded upon a four decade passion for grape growing, wine making and marketing – the combination of which has seen the Oatley family rise to the top of the Australian winemaking scene.
With interests spanning the world of competitive sailing, tourism, hospitality and of course, wine – the family produces wines both of immediate appeal and cellar-ability, with satisfying flavours over an elegant frame, under a variety of stylish labels including Robert Oatley, Wild Oats, pocketwatch, Four in Hand, Montrose and Craigmoor.
Over forty years of nurturing grapevines and making wine has taught the Oatley family many lessons. Site selection is paramount, that ‘sense of place’, as where you choose to grow your grapes is vital to both style and quality. The Oatley approach is to overlay this philosophy with an outstanding team of grape growers and wine makers, using the best possible equipment, to allow them every chance of producing a winner.
The task is clear: to craft wines that have varietal clarity, focus and which reflect their provenance – in a very modern fashion. Wines of character and integrity. Director of Winemaking, acclaimed vigneron Larry Cherubino, achieves this via a myriad of vineyards across the length and breadth of Australia’s wine regions. His winemaking team is lead from the Oatley’s winery at Mudgee, with further on-location experts and facilities in Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Yarra Valley. Vineyards are tended as organically as possible and wines are made with minimal intervention, reflecting a dedication to sustainable grape growing and wine production practices.