The 2024 Endeavour Group Margaret River Wine Show was held on Wadandi Boodja this week, culminating in a Gala Awards Lunch with breathtaking views at the acclaimed Wills Domain Winery Restaurant.Devil’s Lair received the Trophy for Most Successful Exhibitor, and Devil’s Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 triumphed with a trio of trophies, winning Best Cabernet, Best Red Wine, and Wine of Show. This adds to the eight trophies this wine has won at other competitions, including winning 'Best Red Wine of Show' at the prestigious National Wine Show of Australia earlier this year.
Senior Winemaker and Site Manager at Devil's Lair Winery, Travis Clydesdale said, “Understandably, the entire Devil’s Lair team are absolutely thrilled with the recent string of results. We take enormous pride in our Cabernet program, so to be the beneficiaries of such an incredible run of success is deeply humbling and particularly satisfying.
“The results are a huge source of pride for everyone involved with Devil’s Lair, especially our wonderful cohort of dedicated growers.
“Of course, any acknowledgement isn’t complete without paying homage to our winemaking utopia – the beautiful Margaret River Wine Region. Pound for pound, there’s simply no better location on the planet to craft luxury Cabernet Sauvignon than Margaret River.”
David Bicknell, Chief Winemaker at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley, chaired this year’s judging at Margaret River HEART, which included experts from across Australia, who assessed 650 entries from ninety-one exhibitors.
Fifty wines achieved coveted gold medal status, earning 95 points or higher on the 100-point scale. An additional 102 wines received silver medals, and 242 wines received bronze medals, producing a medal strike rate of over 60%.
Chair of Judges David Bicknell said, “Statistically, Cabernet classes edged Chardonnay this year with a whopping 28% of all gold medals in the show going principally to 2022 and 2023 vintages. This only reinforces the opinion that Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River is peerless in this country.
“Not to be outdone, Chardonnay pouched 24% of the gold medals awarded, underlining its credentials as the powerhouse region for the variety with a superb spread of gold medals awarded to nine separate producers. No other region has this depth or consistency.
“What was also heartening to see was the continued rise of alternative varieties and blends, with Albariño, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Malbec all finding strong support from the judging panel. In a wine world of changing fashion and tastes, there looks to be an incredible opportunity for the region to excel with multiple other varieties, adding further lustre to Margaret's winemaking credentials.”
Margaret River Wine Association CEO Amanda Whiteland said, “This is always our biggest week of the year, with three days of Judging, a Rosé Beach Party, Exhibitor Tasting, and a Gala Awards lunch for 200 people. I don’t think any other regional wine show squeezes so much into one week.”
“In line with our commitment to continuous improvement and caring for country, this year we have added a Sustainability Trophy presented by Wines of Western Australia.
"This Trophy recognises a wine of excellence that is also Certified Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, Organic or Bioydynamic, or in Lightweight Glass under 420 grams, as this single change can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%."
Wines of Western Australia Project Manager Eloise Jarvis presented the inaugural Sustainable Wine Trophy to Voyager Estate for the Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, which is certified by Organic and Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Voyager Estate is also moving future bottlings of this wine to lightweight glass. This wine also won the coveted Tonnellerie de Mercurey Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red.
Eloise said, “The Trophy for Sustainability celebrates producer’s sustainable actions and aligns with Wines of Western Australia’s ambitious goal for Western Australia - to be recognised by consumers as international leaders in sustainable wine production.”
The highly coveted Novonesis Trophy for Rosé, accompanied by a custom-tailored Pink Jacket, was awarded to Fishbone Wines’ Winemaker Stuart Pierce for the Fishbone Wine Black Label Estate Rosé 2024.
The 2024 Endeavour Group Margaret River Wine Show Gala Awards lunch was held against a stunning panoramic backdrop of the Wills Domain vineyards and the rolling hills of the Gunyulgup Valley.
The day was a remarkable celebration of excellence, innovation, and the enduring success of the region's wine industry. Three special Excellence Awards recognising vital contributions to the industry were also presented at the lunch.
Viticultural and Sustainability Excellence Award
The Viticultural and Sustainability Excellence Award presented by Cape Mentelle recognises the importance of vineyard practices in crafting outstanding wines and rewards a person's outstanding achievement.
When presenting the award, Cape Mentelle’s Chief, Dave Moulton, said, “This year’s winner displayed all the elements that we were looking for, in a methodical approach to solving problems, practical examples of sustainability, a work ethic that is truly impressive, and a desire to bring fresh faces to the industry through training and mentoring.”
Cellar Door Excellence Award
Samantha Bradley, Cellar Door Manager at Xanadu Wines, received the Margaret River Cellar Door Excellence Award presented by Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA).
MRBTA CEO Sharna Kearny said, “MRBTA is pleased to support this award as, from a tourism perspective, cellar doors are integral to how visitors experience the unique wine story of this region.
“This year’s winner stood out because of the way she has professionalised the cellar door experience at her venue and has introduced best practice approaches to wine tasting. What came across most of all, though, is her passion for Margaret River Wine, the people she works with in the industry, and the warmth with which her team welcomes visitors.”
This award acknowledges the significance of wine tourism and cellar doors to the Margaret River Wine Region, underscoring the intrinsic link between wine tourism experiences and wine sales.
Innovation Excellence Award
Dormilona's Josephine Perry received the John Tate Memorial Innovation Award for her Fangbone range of reusable/refillable one-litre bottles.
Josephine explained that Fangbone removes single-use packaging, reducing waste and improving sustainability. "It allows wine drinkers to enjoy the wine, then return the empty bottle to the place of purchase and grab a new one."
Head of Marketing at Tate Wine, Olivia Tate said, “This year’s winner has taken their passion for sustainability with relooking at the way we use glass wine bottles with her refillable wine bottles.”
2024 Endeavour Group Margaret River Wine Show Trophies:
Endeavour Group Trophy for Wine of Show
Devil's Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Vasse Steel Trophy for Red Wine of Show
Devil's Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Labelmakers Group of Companies Trophy for White Wine of Show
Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2023
Vinline Mobile Bottling Trophy for Most Successful Exhibitor
Devil’s Lair
Langtons Trophy for Wine of Provenance
Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023, 2017, 2014
City of Busselton Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Devil's Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
MCC Trophy for Best Chardonnay
Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2023
Tonnellerie de Mercurey Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red
Voyager Estate Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Sanector Trophy for Best Single Vineyard White
Driftwood Estate Single Site Chardonnay 2023
Wines of Western Australia Trophy for Sustainability
Voyager Estate Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Novonesis ‘Pink Jacket’ Trophy for Best Rosé
Fishbone Wine Black Label Estate Rosé 2024
Cospak Saverglass Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Stones + Thunder Echoes of Fury Bordeaux Blend 2023
Fusion Electrical Trophy for Best Shiraz/Syrah
McHenry Hohnen Vintners Syrah 2023
Hahn Corporation Trophy for Best Alternate Red
tripe.Iscariot Sœur Cabernet Franc 2023
Margaret River Wine Storage Trophy for Best Alternate White
Deep Woods Estate Single Vineyard Albarino 2024
My Vintner Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc
Xanadu Vinework Sauvignon Blanc 2024
JAS Forwarding Australia Trophy for Best Blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Evans & Tate Fresh as a Daisy Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2023
The Endeavour Group Margaret River Wine Show was judged at the Margaret River HEART from Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 October 2024.
The 2024 Judges were:
Chair of Judges: David Bicknell – Chief Winemaker, Oakridge Wines
Angus Hughson – Founder & Publisher, Winepilot | The Vintage Journal | The Australian Ark
Erin Larkin – Wine Writer, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Feleasha Prendergast – Winemaker, Evans & Tate and Margaret River Vintners
Foni Pollitt – Owner/ Sommelier/Operations Director, Mayfair Lane
Kasia Sobiesiak – Wine Writer, The Wine Front
Larissa Dalli Cani – Cellar Door Manager, Howard Park
Rob Mack – Winemaker & Director, Aphelion Wine Co
Steven Paul – General Manager/Director, Oakdene Wines
Tim Dolan – Chief Winemaker, Kaesler Wines
The 2024 Associate Judges were:
Cyndal Petty - Parker Group / South West Wine Shop
Diana Pineda - Dan Murphy's
Ellin Tritt - Fraser Gallop Estate
Rory Parks - Byron & Harold
Sophie Ward - Xanadu
Ulrika Larsson - Clairault Streicker