Pirie sparkling scoops best in show

Pirie Tasmania's Late Disgorged Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2011 has been named Best Sparkling and Wine of Show at the 2023 Global Fine Wine Challenge. It’s the second consecutive year a Tasmanian sparkling has taken out top honours, with the Arras Museum Release Blanc de Blanc Sparkling 2001 winning Wine of Show in 2022.

Pirie Late Disgorged Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2011.

The Global Fine Wine Challenge – the world's most exclusive wine show – is by invitation only and currently limited to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Each country is restricted to submitting only their top 120 wines. Judging took place in Sydney mid-November, with the results released on Monday December 4, 2023.

Now owned by the Brown Family Wine Group, Pirie Tasmania was established by Dr Andrew Pirie, who planted his Piper’s Brook Vineyard in 1974. Today, fruit is sourced from northern Tasmania and ably crafted by Tom Wallace.

Tom Wallace.

Halliday Tasting Team member Dave Brookes scored the wine 96 points, calling it “A picture of precision with a racy cadence and plenty of tension gently pulling in the expansive biscuity autolysis characters, finishing long and pure with a lovely mineral focus.”

Other winners at the challenge include Giant Steps Fatal Shore Pinot Noir 2022, Yarra Valley, which took out Red Wine of Show. Lake Chalice Wines Plume Chardonnay 2020, of Marlborough, New Zealand, was named White Wine of Show.

For a full list of results, head to globalfine.wine.