Accolade Wines - The Big Winners in 2021 Halliday Wine Companion
As a leading provider of new world wines, Accolade Wines has seen another record year with its recent wins at the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Thirteen of Accolade’s wines won Best of the Best titles, and 40 wines achieved the gold medal standard (a rating of 95 points and above) in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion. The result comes from Australia’s most distinguished wine critic James Halliday and his professional team after spending months tasting over 10,000 wines by wineries across Australia. Mr. Halliday and his team are recognized as the industry benchmark for Australian wine.
In the highly-anticipated list, Accolade Wines’ 2005 House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged received 99 points and won the “Best of the Best Sparkling” award. This is the third year in a row that a House of Arras won this award. Mr. Halliday said of the wine that the “comparisons with Krug or Bollinger are valid, regardless of preferences” and this is the seventh time he has bestowed this award on the House of Arras brand. Additionally, the House of Arras Rose received a high score of 98. House of Arras has been committed to creating world-class sparkling wines since its establishment. Created by Australia’s “King of Sparkling Wines” Ed Carr serving as the chief winemaker, selected high-quality grape varieties are sourced across Tasmania’s premium cold climate regions and the traditional champagne-producing method is followed with carefully blending for an excellent quality and outstanding taste—truly a gift to the world’s sparkling wine lovers.
More Accolade Wines’ brands garnered well-deserved gold medal ratings at the awards—Hardys, Grant Burge, St Hallett, Bay of Fires, and Houghton:
▶Bay of Fires Pinot Noir - 99 points；
▶Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - 98 points；
▶Houghton Gladstone’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - 98 points；
▶Grant Burge Super Rare 40 Year Old Tawny - 98 points；
▶St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2016 - 97 points；
▶St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2017 - 97 points；
▶Grant Burge Corryton Park Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - 96 points；
▶Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2017 - 96 points；
▶Hardys HRB Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - 95 points；
Accolade Wines’ Hardys adheres to the vision of “creating wines that will be prized in the markets of the world” by satisfying the diverse consumer needs and winning the admiration of wine lovers over the world with its high quality. Six Hardys wines, including the 2017 Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay and the 2017 Hardys HRB Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, have all received gold medal assessments.
Also worth mentioning are Accolade Wines’ outstanding Barossa Valley-based brands. Grant Burge, the second largest wine brand in Barossa, has more than 160 years of brand heritage and is guaranteed in both quality and origin. This year, Grant Burge’s Grant Burge Super Rare 40 Year Old Tawny and Grant Burge Corryton Park Cabernet Sauvignon scored 98 and 96 points, respectively, and the former was selected to the Top 100 in the fortified wine category. Another Barossa winery, St Hallet, had two wines win distinction this year—the St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2016 and St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2017 both scored 97 points. Since St Hallett officially launched its Shiraz in 1980, it has consistently used grapes from the Barossa Valley and focused its attention on the production of Shiraz wines and led the development of the industry. The venerable brand has garnered a well-deserved reputation.
Consistent with the ethos in the Halliday Wine Companion, Accolade Wines has never stopped pursuing the Best of the Best. Accolade Wines have always put the customer first and prided itself on quality winemaking skills, progressing with the times, and providing high-quality wines at multiple price points.
James Halliday Introduction
James Halliday has committed most of his life to the wine business and has been a proactive member in the industry for more than 50 years. He is a well-respected Australian wine critic, grape planting and pruning expert. His witty, unique, and informative writing style has earned him the nickname “The Godfather of Australian Wine”. His Halliday Wine Companion is one of his most popular works, which is widely read and respected by industry insiders and wine lovers. Mr. Halliday has established an authoritative and professional wine scoring system, which has become the industry benchmark for Australian wines.