13 delicious bottles to add to your collection, judged blind by our expert panel.
And we’re back with another beautiful list of fabulous Decoded Wine Awards winners (lucky you!). It’s been three years since our first Decoded Wine competition and we are beyond stoked to bring you this year's standouts. Decoded Wine is all about, well, wine decoded. We skip the baffling industry tasting notes like “this riesling smells like newly opened tennis balls” (yeesh) and make it easy to find the very best drops.
How does it work? Our expert panel of 12 judges have sniffed, swirled and sipped over 1,000 wines from all over Australia and New Zealand, whittling it down to 13 winners and 13 value picks across 13 different categories. Of course, all the wines are tasted blind – these babies have been chosen for their impeccable taste and complexity alone. From sessionable rosé and impressive riesling to bold Aussie shiraz, the winners of the 2023 Decoded Wine Awards have a little something for everyone.
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Category: Lighter white under $25
And the winner is: Pikes Traditionale Riesling
Food pairing: Pasta vongole
When it comes to Australian wine regions, Clare Valley is the GOAT for riesling, and Pikes Traditionale is one of the most recognisable. It’s an easy pick in an overcrowded market. Full of spritzy, spicy lemon characters, this outstanding drop is super energetic and bright with flavours that carry on forever. Described as “a virtuoso performance”, the long tilt and high notes of the riesling will float among a fishy, umami-flavoured pasta vongole (or clams, for anyone who’s forgotten their high school Italian) – which we believe is a master pairing.
Category: Lighter white over $25
And the winner is: Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc
Food pairing: Asparagus with hollandaise
For our judges, the Greywacke couldn’t be passed over – “This is about as good as it gets for Marlborough sauvignon blanc”. An intense lighter white varietal that’s tangy, zesty, and stacked with tropical fruit flavours, the Greywacke Sauv Blanc packs a punch. It’s a dry, light-bodied entry from Kevin Judd, founder of Greywacke (pronounced “greywacky”) who has been leading the estate in New Zealand’s Marlborough region since 2009. Paired with asparagus and hollandaise, Greywacke’s tropical flavours sing beautifully through the rich fattiness of the sauce, with the green crunch of asparagus making for the perfect back-up harmony.
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Category: Fuller white under $25
And the winner is: Brokenwood Chardonnay
Food pairing: Yakitori chicken
When it comes to oaky chardonnays it’s hard to go past Hunter Valley’s Brokenwood. Described by the judges as “generously welcoming”, this is an ‘everybody wine’ built to appease even your most “non-chardonnay” friends. It is a delicious mix of stone fruit and juicy citrus, which blends happily with its creamy vanilla oak notes, finished with an unexpected acidity that is both long and clear. All that is to say this wine will sit perfectly next to some chicken, especially yakitori, where those decadent cuts scream out for an acidic reprieve.
Category: Fuller white over $25
And the winner is: Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Food pairing: Baked coral trout
This is a wine that shows off just what makes this grape, and where it’s grown, so damn great. It’s a phenomenal showcase of Kiwi winemaker Michael Brajkovich’s skills and proves why the Kumeu River region is so renowned for its chardy. Hand-picking only the best fruit, the stems are left on during pressing to help build complex flavours. It’s fermented using indigenous yeasts naturally present in the vineyard, adding further character unique to the region. Add on that it’s fully fermented and matured in French oak barrels and has undergone 100% malolactic fermentation and you wind up with a cool and creamy wine that’s well-modulated yet strikingly powerful. You can see why critics rave about it. Ripe peach, almonds, and subtle fennel perfumes make it a fine companion for the delicate sweetness of coral trout.
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Category: Lighter red under $25
And the winner is: Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese
Food pairing: Saltimbocca
A beautifully modern take on this lighter red, named for Alfred Pizzini’s grandmother, the Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese is a benchmark King Valley wine. Cradling the familiar red fruits – soft red plums and bright cherries – it’s lifted by its interesting savoury notes, alongside whispers of chocolate. It’s a full-flavoured wine that’s approachable and mouth-watering. Do as the Italians do and pair this sangiovese with an Italian dish – Saltimbocca, loosely translating to “jump in my mouth”, fits the bill. A fried comfort food of veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage, cooked in butter and wine, this drop will cut and complement those flavours – indeed a jump-in-your-mouth wine for a jump-in-your-mouth dish.
Category: Lighter red over $25
And the winner is: Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir
Food pairing: Glazed pork
“Straight to the top of the class” according to our Decoded judges, and we can see why. Made from some of the oldest pinot noir grapes in New Zealand, this formidable drop is brilliantly balanced. Layers of red fruits gel seamlessly with spice and gentle unassuming oak to create a long and luxurious finish. Pair this beauty with glazed meat like pork to make the most of those spicy notes and elegant fruits. If you take nothing else away from this paragraph, just know that this is bloody yum.
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Category: Fuller red under $25
And the winner is: Cat Amongst The Pigeons GSM
Food pairing: Charcuterie board
“What a cracker!’ exclaimed the judges’ panel when tasting this wine. A cheeky wine for everyday drinking, Cat Amongst The Pigeons GSM was an easy win. Full flavoured with great licks of plum and dark cherry, this exceptionally lush and balanced drop is savoury-edged, its subtle delicatessen meat flavour (dw, it’s a thing) was a highlight for the judges. Finishing silky, seamless and with hints of “cherry ripe chocolate bars” its drinkability factor is super high. As you might have guessed, this wine goes perfectly with a decked-out charcuterie board, balancing those savoury tastes with its own.
Category: Fuller red over $25
And the winner is: Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz
Food pairing: Osso buco
Often we’re surprised by the stellar performance of a cheaper wine. That’s certainly the case with the Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz, which beat out a number of much higher-priced reds in the category. A classic Barossa shiraz, this wine is effortless and sweet-fruited, beautifully perfumed with a texture that’s both supple and succulent. It’s also a favourite of old mate Dylan Alcott. For a bigger-flavoured red such as this, it’s important to match its energy – osso buco with its shanks of slow-cooked veal, drowned in white wine, heady meat broth and vegetables is just that. Perfectly fatty, meaty and homey, it works together with those sweet red fruits in the Filsell to deepen and extend the flavour of both dish and wine.
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Category: Rosé
And the winner is: De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two Pinot Noir Rosé
Food pairing: Sushi
Another Decoded accolade for La Boheme, this beautifully constructed rosé is ethereal and aromatic. Delicately handled red berry flavours shine in this wine, while a creamy texture gives it a long, luxurious finish. For those very delicate flavours, we’d match it with sushi, specifically salmon. We’re thinking Sunday arvo drinks in the backyard, barefoot on the grass, friends complimenting you on how great your choice of wine is – we can picture it now.
Category: Sparkling
And the winner is: House of Arras Brut Elite NV Tasmania
Food pairing: Blinis with salmon roe
A beautifully complex submission from Tassie’s House of Arras, this sparkling wine balances big, biscuity toast and brioche flavours with tart citrus and apple to create a genuine Champagne challenger. Winemaker Ed Carr’s dedication to the craft is clear in this spectacular drop, supporting his rightful position as the best sparkling winemaker in Australia. To pair, this wine can sit alongside any nibble, but we’d say a blini with salmon roe works best. It’s suitably fancy and those robust toasty flavours in the wine bolster the bready elements of blini, while the crispness of the apple works with the bright salt of the roe.
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And the winner is: Grant Burge Black Apera PX
Food pairing: Chocolate and walnuts
A deeply decadent apera (AKA sherry made in Australia) wins this year’s fortified and vermouth category – the second winning entry from Barossa’s Grant Burge. The Apera Pedro Ximenez is a truly luxurious, sweet-styled wine designed to be sipped alongside or in place of dessert (or whenever you want). It tastes like rich black fig liqueur and dark toffee – it’s all incredibly sexy, really – so we’d suggest pairing it with something just as decadent. Chocolate and walnuts will do the trick!
Category: Lighter in alcohol
And the winner is: Pewsey Vale Eden Valley 9% Lighter Riesling
Food pairing: Shellfish
This winning lighter-alcohol wine from the Eden Valley has all of those delightful acidic notes we expect from a rizza of this region, just with a lower ABV of 9% (instead of the usual 12–13%). It’s a lighter, brighter style, full of flavour like Meyer lemons and kaffir lime. This style of fresh, citrusy riesling always calls for something fatty and meaty. We’d suggest a pairing of shellfish – crab or prawn with a decadent garlic butter sauce. The Pewsey Vale will cut right through it, without being overpowered.
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Category: Zero%* alcohol
And the winner is: Grant Burge Prosecco Zero
Food pairing: Cheese gougère
A third win for Grant Burge? Yes, indeed. In terms of zero%* wine, this is one to write home about. A creative and zesty wine, it's deliciously refreshing and packed full of energetic bubbles alongside flavours of crisp green apple, juicy lemon and white peach. Our judges called the Prosecco Zero “remarkably well-made” and it’s a great offering for those who want to avoid alcohol altogether, whatever the reason. So, what do you pair with an Aussie take on an Italian classic? French food, of course! We think cheese gougère – a sort of savoury profiterole mixed with gruyere and parmesan – is the perfect French accessory. Don’t ask questions, just try it.
Loved the sound of these wines? Well you’re in luck – all the Decoded Wine 2023 winners and finalists are here for your perusal (there’s a solid spend and save offer going, too). If it’s affordable wine you’re after, take a look at our guide to the fabulous Decoded Value Pick winners. Happy sipping.
*Zero%* means the product contains not more than 0.5% ALC/VOL
