Adrian Lockhart, winemaker at Briar Ridge Vineyards, has been awarded the inaugural Maurice Lacroix Tomorrow's Classics Award for Innovation in Winemaking, awarded to the best winemaker under 30 years of age.
The announcement was made at a gala dinner in Sydney on Friday the 26th of October.
The accolade was open to all winemakers under 30 in Australia and as such was hotly contested by winemakers from premium wineries big and small including Penfolds, Heggies, Yarra Ridge and McWilliams.
Adrian was chosen from an outstanding field of young winemakers, w ho are considered the future of Australian winemaking. The award was created to celebrate the skill and potential of Australia's young winemaking talent.
The winemakers each submitted four wines, which were judged in blind tastings. The award was given to the winemaker whose wines best fit the criteria of "authentic, attentive and ambitious". According to the Award's Winemaster, Paul Foster, "The standard of the competition well and truly exceeded expectations."
The Briar Ridge wines which Adrian submitted were the Early Harvest Semillon 2001, the Handpicked Chardonnay 2001, Stockhausen Shiraz 2000 and The Reserve Red 2000. The 2000 and 2001 Briar Ridge vintages have already yielded a host of awards: - 3 trophies, 3 gold, 6 silver and 13 bronze.
Adrian is a graduate of Roseworthy Agricultural College and joined the Briar Ridge team 18 months ago with a wealth of experience. He has worked vintages in Western Australia, Victoria, The Hunter, and has worked as a "Flying Winemaker" in both eastern and western Europe.
"This is obviously a real honour for me to win from such a strong field," Adrian said on winning the award. "It's fantastic to be considered as a winemaker of the future and for Briar Ridge to receive recognition for its great wines."
"It is also great for the Hunter to continue to be recognised as one of Australia's premier winemaking regions," he said.
Briar Ridge is a boutique winery situated at Mount View in the Hunter Valley. Briar Ridge draws its fruit from company owned vineyards in Pokolbin that are nurtured to produce high quality fruit that make wine that is "distinctively Hunter" in character.
Briar Ridge wines are sold through the cellar door, the Briar Ridge Vintage Club and through high quality restaurants and liquor stores throughout Australia. Briar Ridge wines are also exported to the United States and Europe.
Further information:
Cameron McAlpine
General Manager
Briar Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Email: cameron@briarridge.com.au
