Happy New Year fellow Guzzlers and welcome to what must be one of the most eagerly anticipated announcements of 2008 so far…the inaugural Guzzle Wine of The Year (WOTY) award!

The annual Guzzle WOTY trophy (a figurative trophy at this stage – WC is chasing up a second-hand pot from the local pawn broker as we speak) is awarded to the wine that the GuzzPanel determines is the best wine (based on quality and value for money) that we’ve tasted at the Guzzle during the preceding year.

As you can no doubt appreciate, this is a highly sought after prize in the wine world (second only in prestige to a Bronze medallion at the persistently underrated “Yass and Associated Districts Rotary Society Sheep and Wine Show”) and, as such, the judging is carried out with the strictest professionalism by all involved.

Accordingly, the first step in the process is the compilation of a short list of the top ten wines that we’ve tasted during the year (well actually top eight, as we couldn’t get ourselves organised enough to think of ten this year). Then, from that exceptional list, a Grand Winner is chosen.

The Guzzle Short List of Top Ten (or Eight) Wines

(in no particular order – other than the order that we drunkenly remembered then in)

1. Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Blend 2004;
2. Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2007;
3. Woodlands Cabernet Blend 2005;
4. Turkey Flat Shiraz 2004;
5. Feraud Brunel Chateauneuf du Pape 2001;
6. O’Leary Walker Sauvignon Blanc 2005;
7. Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2005;
8. Domaine Henri Bourgeois La Vigne Blanche Sancerre 2004.

All very different wines. All from very different regions. Some classic varietal/regional matches that you’d expect to see, such as the Petaluma from Coonawarra and the Turkey Flat Shiraz from the Barossa. And some some surprise selections too - such as the 2005 Q’Leary Walker Sauvignon Blanc from the Adelaide Hills (not a NZ Sav Blanc in sight MB he he he).

Obviously as we expand the amount of wines we taste over the next few years the short list will increase and the selection may become even more varied, but over all I think we’ve ended up with a pretty decent bunch of our wines to choose an ultimate winner from.

And that winner is…

Drum roll please…

Thank you Tommy!

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2007 – Ta Da!

It’s both interesting and fitting that an ’07 vintage, the youngest wine in the field, won the 2007 WOTY.

As noted above, it had some pretty stiff competition, particularly from the Woodland (a close second), the Turkey Flat, and its stable mate from Coonawarra – all excellent wines in there own right.

There was just that something extra about the 07 Petaluma Rielsing that we couldn’t pass up.

It has excellent spice, citrus and floral complexity, really superb acid balance and considerable length. And it will continue to improve over the next 10 years – what more could you want.

It was also so noticeably better that any of the other Rieslings we tasted during the year (particularly other vintages of Petaluma) that it stood out from the pack like a set of dogs nads.

Not that that was the only reason. This wine is a superb wine in any company.

Oh…and it cost less than A$25 too – that’s about 10 squids for the poms. An absolute bargain!

Now you may or may not agree with our choice, but I can guarantee that if you go out and score a couple of cases of this for your cellar (or for that matter any of the other wines on the short list) you will be a very happy camper indeed.

Cheers and all the best for wonderful, happy and prosperous ‘08.

Happy Drinking

The Guzzlers