The Geoff Merrill McLaren Vale Reserve Shiraz 2004 won Australia's most
prestigious wine prize the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine
Show Awards dinner last night. Geoff Merrill's current reserve shiraz -
selling for $40 - is the 1999 vintage, so we are not likely to see the 2004
bottling on the shelves until 2009/2010.


The Jimmy Watson Trophy is awarded to the best 2004 vintage red from show
classes 19 to 23, that is, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, pinot noir, merlot,
and other blends. Of the nearly 4,400 wines judged, a staggering 1020 wines
were in the running for this one main prize, one wag at the awards dinner
suggesting that the trophy is so important to winemakers and the prestige of
the Royal Melbourne Wine Show that the event will eventually be renamed as
the Royal Jimmy Watson Wine Show.


Cheers!
Martin