Lillypilly ’02 Noble Blend tops Rutherglen … and scores gold in AWC Vienna

Lillypilly Estate 2002 Noble Blend was last week judged top sweet white table wine at the 2007 Rutherglen Wine Show — the second year running that the wine has taken out that accolade.

As well as winning the CVGT Employment & Training Specialists Perpetual Trophy for Best Australian Sweet White Table Wine, the wine was awarded a 56-point gold medal in Class 127 (sweet white wine, 2005 vintage and older, exceeding 3ºBé).

“I have a great deal of respect for the Rutherglen Wine Show and I’m always especially pleased to do well in it,” said Lillypilly’s winemaker, Robert Fiumara.

“It’s been running for well over a hundred years and is one of the country’s biggest regional wine shows.

“It attracts entries from all over Australia, including most of the Riverina’s botrytis big-hitters, so it’s a result I’m extremely proud of.”

Lillypilly Estate 2002 Noble Blend also performed extremely well at the AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge in Vienna, gaining a gold medal in Category 31. The Lillypilly 2006 Noble Blend was awarded a silver medal in Category 28.

Some 1200 producers from 31 countries entered 6109 wines in AWC Vienna 2007, making it the world’s second-largest international wine evaluation.

For Robert, the continuing success of this five-year-old botrytised white is not altogether surprising.

“It was one of the very first Australian sweet whites to be sealed with screwcaps and I’m sure that the closure has helped significantly to keep the wine in excellent condition,” he said.

Lillypilly Estate 2002 Noble Blend is available through the winery (phone 02 6953 4069) for $39.50 (375ml).

‘Outstanding’ Lillypilly Noble Blend takes out International Sweet Wine of Year

Lillypilly Estate 2002 Noble Blend has been named International Sweet Wine of the Year at the 2007 International Sweet Wine Challenge, which was conducted in conjunction with this month’s Riverina Wine Show in Griffith.

The wine also won the Country Energy Trophy for the best sweet wine (fruity styles) and the only gold medal in Class SW9 (Sweet white wines; 2005 vintage and earlier; fruity style; other varieties and blends).

In summarising the class, the judging panel described the wine as “outstanding” and “in excellent condition”.

“It’s obviously an achievement we’re very proud of,” said Robert Fiumara, chief winemaker for the Leeton-based family-owned winery.

“The Riverina has proved itself over the past 25 years to be one of the world’s great areas for producing botrytised sweet white wines, and I applaud the Riverina Winemakers Association for instigating the International Sweet Wine challenge.”

The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation has advised that the Riverina Wine Show, which has been running for more than 30 years, will be endorsed for inclusion on the list of wine shows authorised for the display of awards in the European Union.  It is the first Australian non-capital city wine show to be so endorsed.

The latest trophies add to an already impressive show record for Lillypilly Estate 2002 Noble Blend.