Decanter World Wine Awards: Portugal joint top of the international trophy table for Old World countries & Margaret River bags international Chardonnay trophy again

Thrilling to see Portugal perform so well at Decanter World Wine Awards last night.

With France, Portugal bagged the most Old World international trophies (3 apiece) – quite a distinction and, speaking as Regional Chair for Portugal (table wines), I hope the results inspire lots more entries for us to judge next year!

And the winners were:

Tagus Creek Shiraz Trincadeira 2010 (Alentejo) – International Trophy for a Red blend under £10 – a great coup for one of Portugal’s great modernisers, Joao Portugal Ramos, also Nick Oakley of Oakley Wine Agencies who helped conceive the brand.  Click here to find out more and for details of stockists.

Bacalhoa 2004 Moscatel de Setubal  – International Trophy for sweet fortifieds under £10.  Click here to find out more and for details of stockists.

Henriques & Henriques 15 year old Verdelho Madeira – International Trophy for sweet fortifieds over £10.  Click here to find out more and for details of stockists.

And Australian Chardonnay is on a winning streak.  On Tuesday Penfolds Reserve Bin 09A Chardonnay 2009 from the Adelaide Hills, South Australia was crowned Champion White wine of the International Wine Challenge (see here).  Last night for the second year in a row a Margaret River Chardonnay, Evans & Tate Redbrook Chardonnay 2008, won the International Trophy for Chardonnay over £10 (last year the honour went to Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007).  Click here to find out more and for details of stockists.

Australia also tasted sweet success with Shiraz – Bird in Hand Two in the Bush Shiraz 2009 from Mount Lofty, South Australia won the Red Rhone Varietal Under £10 International Trophy.  When I visited Bird in the Hand in July, Two in the Bush Shiraz was my pick of their range – here’s my tasting note: shows a lifted black pepper edge to its sweet core of scented blackberry and blueberry fruit supported by savoury tannins, a little bony even.  Plenty of spice to the balanced, fresh finish, with clove and anise.  Very good.  Click here to find out more and for details of stockists.

The full results, including a major coup for China – a Chinese Cabernet blend picked up the International Red Bordeaux Varietal Trophy over £10 – are published in this month’s edition of Decanter magazine and online – click here for details.