Penfolds has been named Red Winemaker of the Year for the second time at Britain’s International Wine Challenge for 2000, which attracted 9300 entries from 35 countries. This award is based on Penfolds’ overall performance at the 2000 Challenge, at which it won gold medals for the 1997 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon (17.0, drink 2005-2009+) and 1997 RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz (18.7, drink 2005-2009), the so-called ‘Baby Grange’. Silver medals went to the 1997 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz (18.0, drink 2005-2009), 1997 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz (16.0, drink 2002-2005) and 1997 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz (17.4, drink 2005-2009), which suggests that the judges of this award were just marginally more impressed with these wines than I was. Three other Penfolds reds, including 1997 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (16.7, drink 2005-2009), won bronze medals. Penfolds last won the Red Winemaker of the Year award in 1991.
