Winning a wine show trophy without the “A” team

Winning a wine show trophy without the “A” team is pretty much the way with the Australian wine show circuit these days. Wines ranked by auction house Langton’s as our nation’s finest rarely risk their reputation by being shown.

Understandable enough really. Prestige has to be protected in the interest of profit. Who wants to run the risk of embarassment if their $200 or more a bottle flagship was beaten by some $50, or worse $20, upstart? The dollar cost would be enormous should it happen regularly. Play it safe and make sure that the auction average is kept high.

So it was that only one of the 20 wines currently ranked as “1st classified” by Langton’s won a trophy at any of the six capital city wine shows in 2024.

Hats off to the courage of Tyrell’s which was rewarded with trophies at the National, Brisbane and Adelaide shows for its Tyrrells Vineyards Vat 1 Semillon 2017.

These are the 19 “1st classified” wines that did not win a trophy because they were not entered in a single show:

Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir, Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz, Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir, Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot, Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz, Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Mount Mary Pinot Noir, Mount Mary Quintet, Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz, Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay, Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, Torbreck RunRig Shiraz, Wendouree Shiraz and Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon

So, who were the B team trophy winners for 2024?