Debra Meiburg, Master of Wine and Director of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC), outlines the judges’ favourite pinot noirs this year. “Pinot Noir is always a hotly contested trophy at the competition,” she says. “As a long-time Burgundy lover, I always enjoy judging this category whenever possible and seeing the final results in this award category." This is a selection of some of the top Pinot Noir from the 2017 HKIWSC. The results were announced at a Gala Awards Ceremony on 9 November at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, where wineries and spirit producers from all over the world gathered to celebrate. 2017 is the ninth year of the HKIWSC, and the competition awarded 61 trophies, recognising the best wine and spirits for the Asian market. It was judged by a record-sized judging panel of 49 wine and spirits experts from across Asia. These are the top sommeliers, food and beverage managers, educators, critics, wine trade professionals and media from all over the region, making it truly reflective of the “voices of Asia”.
Pinot Noir is a wonderful variety, that is approachable for newcomers to wine, as it is lighter bodied, elegant and rarely overly robust. Its earthy complexity, particularly when aged, beguiles wine connoisseurs all over the world.
It was a wonderful surprise to have an Australian pinot noir take out the trophy for the Best Pinot Noir this year. This category has been dominated by New Zealand for the past few years, even won by the same wine two years in a row (Cobblestone Vineyards "Te Muna" Martinborough Pinot Noir). This result is significant of a new wave of cool climate Australian wines emerging from regions like Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and even Tasmania. A hot trend in Australia, we are excited to see more wines from these “emerging regions” hitting our shores recently. This wine shows wonderful elegance and balance, with lots of red fruit, and soft but structured tannins. A great example of what is coming out of the Yarra at the moment – top quality and excellent value.
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