The results of the inaugural Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries selected by Campbell Mattinson are in.
According to Mattinson “This list is a testament to the unparalleled excellence of Australian wineries and serves as a guide for wine enthusiasts across the country”.
The selection process was rigorous, with a specific set of criteria ensuring a level playing field for all contenders. Factors like recent submissions to the Companion, consistent quality, high-scoring wines, and overall consistency played pivotal roles in the final decision.
Mattinson emphasized the significance of the producers, stating, “Vineyards, varieties, vintages, and sub-regions are vital, but the decision-makers in the process are often the deciding factor.” He further added, “This list represents producers who understand that they owe their success to the consumers and are willing to put their reputation on the line with every wine they release.”
28 South Australian Wineries are featured in the list, in what is a celebration of the best wineries from across Australia. Three deserving Coonawarra wineries have been recognized in this prestigious list:
[Words by Campbell Mattinson]
NUMBER 21. Wynns Coonawarra Estate
Sue Hodder is a celebrated winemaker but by rights she should yet be celebrated more. What she has achieved over a long period at Wynns makes her a modern day legend, though due acknowledgement no doubt needs also to be paid to her long-time deputy, Sarah Pidgeon. The fact though is that the red wines of Wynns remain as terrifically good or better than they’ve ever been, and the skill and tenacity of Hodder is the driver of that.
5 ★ winery | Halliday profile | Wynns Coonawarra Estate
NUMBER 39. Penley Estate
Penley Estate has always been a winery of note but what’s happened here over the past few years is nothing short of wonderful. Take a bow, winemaker Kate Goodman. Classic wines, modern wines, fresh takes, new ideas. The wines here have been reimagined and reinvigorated. Penley Estate has romped its way onto this list.
5 ★ winery | Halliday profile | Penley Estate
NUMBER 90. Parker Coonawarra Estate
These wines are rock solid. They deliver intense levels of fruit, oak and tannin, and they do so in commanding style. We’re talking Coonawarra red wines here, for the most part, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, shiraz and merlot. What really rockets this producer onto this list though is the inherent ageability of the lead wines. These wines are so firm, and so rich, that they have decades of goodness ahead of them.
5 ★ winery | Halliday profile | Parker Coonawarra Estate
Andrew Hardy, Chief Winemaker at Parker Estate had a few words of his own on the acknowledgement… “To be ranked among the best of the best by one of this country’s most respected wine publications is an absolute honour. We’re proud to be producing wines that set the benchmark for our region, and for the varieties we love to make.”
“In short, this is a list of producers who know, in their heart and in their head, that consumers don’t owe them a living. This is a list of producers who are prepared to stake their reputation on every single wine they release.” – Chief Editor Campbell Mattinson
