Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir trumps wines from New Zealand and Australia’s best Pinot Noir regions
Sileni Estates takes trophy for best Pinot Noir at Sydney International Wine Competition A Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir has
beaten wines from celebrated Pinot producing regions throughout New Zealand and Australia to take the title of top Pinot
Noir at the prestigious Sydney International Wine Competition.
Sileni Estates ‘The Plateau’ Pinot Noir 2013 was crowned best Pinot Noir at the food oriented wine show, in a class
dominated by wines from New Zealand’s powerhouse Pinot regions.
“We’re absolutely elated that a wine from Hawke’s Bay, a region that has never been celebrated for Pinot, has come out
on top. Our Plateau Pinot is made from fruit grown in cooler Hawke’s Bay sub-regions. The wine is a blend of fruit from
‘The Plateau’, consisting of river terrace gravels which is cooler due to its elevation at 120 metres above sea level,
and ‘Parkhill’, a coastal vineyard which has clay based soils and is cooled by the sea breeze,” says Chief Winemaker
Grant Edmonds.
Pinot Noir is one of the fastest growing export varieties for the Hawke’s Bay winery, becoming a firm favourite with
consumers around the world.
“We struggle to keep up with demand for our Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir, which is appreciated for its food friendly style and
vibrant fruit flavours. This is a great result for showcasing the sub-regional opportunities for non-traditional
varieties in Hawke’s Bay,” says CEO and President Graeme Avery.
The 2015 Sydney International Wine Competition was judged by a panel of 14 international and Australian judges, with the
top wines judged alongside appropriate food dishes to ensure that the results reflected the way most consumers drink
wine – with food.
“Our wines are made to be enjoyed alongside wine drinkers’ favourite local cuisines, which makes this trophy even more
exciting. It is recognition that balance and finesse make for great drinking, food-friendly styles of wine,” says Mr
Avery.
This award tops off an impressive run for Sileni Pinot Noir. The same wine received Gold at the prestigious 2014 Mundus
Vini International Wine Awards in Germany.
The 2012 vintage of the ‘The Plateau’ Pinot Noir was awarded the ‘Best New Zealand Wine’ at the 2014 China Wine and
Spirits Award and ‘Best New Zealand Red Wine’ at the 2014 Korea Wine Challenge. ‘The Plateau’ Pinot Noir 2011 also
received Gold at the 2013 Selections Mondiales des Vins in Montreal.
ENDS