infonews.co.nz
INDEX
NEWS

Elephant Hill scoops major international wine award

Wednesday 27 May 2015, 4:37PM

By Sarah Thornton

347 views

2013 blend named the “best red in New Zealand”

 

Corks are popping today as Elephant Hill celebrates its 2013 Merlot Malbec winning one of the highest accolades in international wine competitions - the Trophy for Best New Zealand Red Wine at the 2015 International Wine Challenge in London.

 

The win is the latest in an already impressive list of accolades for the blend, including scoring 94/100 points and five stars from Bob Campbell MW, winning gold medals at the 2015 Easter Show Wine Awards and China Wine and Spirits Awards, and earning five stars from Sam Kim at Wine Orbit and 4.5 stars from Australasian wine magazine, Winestate. 

 

To take the Best NZ Red Wine honour at the International Wine Challenge, the 2013 Merlot Malbec was pitted against more than 200 other red wines entered from New Zealand.  Elephant Hill proprietor Roger Weiss is justifiably proud of the winery’s achievements. 

 

“This is a very good win for us and we are thrilled that our wine has been awarded such a high honour by a global wine competition as prestigious as the International Wine Challenge. 

 

“Our 2013 Syrah also won gold and trophies as Champion Wine of Show at the Spiegelau International competition and now the 2013 Merlot Malbec has won the Trophy for Best New Zealand Red Wine.  It is a clear indication to me that the hard work is paying off and also very gratifying seeing as though our more premium 2013 Reserve and Icon wines are still to be released later this year,” says Weiss. 

 

Now in its thirty-second year, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) is accepted as the world's finest and most meticulously judged wine competition.  The rigorous judging process involves each medal-winning wine being tasted on three separate occasions by a minimum of 10 judges. 

 

Charles Metcalfe, co-Chairman of the IWC said: “We are delighted to see so many great wines from so many different countries.  We do our best to find the top wines out of the thousands of wines that are entered.  These wines are the best of the best from a more diverse range of countries than ever before.”

 

And it’s not only Elephant Hill wines that are gaining recognition this week.  The winery estate’s restaurant has just been named as “Outstanding Winery Restaurant” in the 2015 Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards, held last night.

 

ENDS

For more information please contact Vince Labat, Elephant Hill Marketing and Sales Manager, phone +64 27 521 0053 or +64 6 873 0400 or email vince@elephanthill.co.nz

For media enquiries and interviews, please contact Sarah Thornton, Thornton Communications, phone  +64 27 354 7747 or email sarah@thorntoncomms.co.nz

 

 

Elephant Hill 2013 Merlot Malbec, 750ml, RRP $34

 

 

Notes to the Editor

Established in 2003, Elephant Hill is a vineyard and winery estate owned by the Weiss famly and located on the Te Awanga coast of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.   Elephant Hill has three vineyards in the renowned sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay; the coastal Te Awanga vineyard, the inland Gimblett Vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers District and the Triangle Vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle region.

 

Elephant Hill’s winemaking is driven by tradition, while not losing sight of what innovation can bring to the blend.   Its objective is to make wines that are contemporary, balanced and elegant and a true expression of the vineyards they come from.

 

www.elephanthill.co.nz