Local wines taste success

Hawke's Bay wines came out tops at the 2015 Spiegelau International Wine Competition. Pictured is Esk Valley Estate.

Hawke's Bay wines came out tops at the 2015 Spiegelau International Wine Competition at the weekend.

Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2013 won the ultimate award of the Spiegelau Trophy for champion wine of the show at the function in Auckland on Friday night.

More than 100 wine industry guests enjoyed the gold-medal wines. Chief judge Mike DeGaris, of Sydney, said: "The chardonnay class was very strong, resulting in 14 gold medals. This wine is outstanding - an exceptionally worthy winner."

Esk Valley also picked up a gold medal for the Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014.

Esk Valley senior winemaker Gordon Russell said it was pleasing to see Hawke's Bay at the top of its game.

"This wine is made in small volumes to express the best of the harvest - it's a rich and complex style highlighting that the quality from the 2013 harvest does not just pertain to red wine, but also the white varietals."

Villa Maria was awarded the Spiegelau Trophy for champion producer as well as the trophies for champion sweet wine and champion rose. Medals were earned across all the major wine styles, continuing to demonstrate the company's winemaking leadership.

"It's a great night out when our North and South Island winemaking and viticulture teams can walk away with a trophy each," Villa Maria's group chief winemaker Nick Picone said.

TROPHY

* Champion Wine of Show and Champion Chardonnay: Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2013.
* Champion Producer of the Show: Villa Maria Private Bin Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015;
Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Noble Riesling Botrytis Selection 2013.

GOLD MEDALS

* Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2013/
* Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014.
* Villa Maria Private Bin Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015.
* Villa Maria Private Bin Hawke's Bay Merlot 2014.
* Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014.
* Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2013.
* Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013.