Best Australian red wine: 11 award-winning bottles

Compared with many other countries and continents, Australia’s winemaking origins are well documented. In 1788, Governor Arthur Phillips brought the first vines to Sydney on his ship, The First Fleet, which set off from the Cape of Good Hope. And in 1833, James Busby, ‘the father of Australian wine’ brought cuttings from Spain and France, introducing Grenache and Shiraz to the region.

While sunbaked Australia has no shortage of big, robust reds, the country’s wine is considerably more diverse than that – matching its weather and landscape. Shiraz is by far the most planted grape, growing in nearly every region and accounting for around half of all Australian red wine production. Although the major producers reside in Barossa and McLaren Vale, there’s been an increase in cooler-climate Shiraz too.

But it’s not all about Shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon (the third most-planted grape variety in Aus) and Grenache muscle their way in across Hunter Valley, Coonawarra and Barossa, while Margaret River is known for its rich, Bordeaux-style wines. And if you head to Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, you’ll find light and fresh Pinot Noir.

The 2024 IWSC results highlight a mix of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, with Shiraz coming out on top. Sunshine Hill Shiraz from Golden Amrita scored an impressive 96 points, impressing judges as ‘a polished powerful wine with an intense yet lovely meaty herbal nose.’

Showcasing Cabernet is the Single Vineyard Cabernet from Little Giant, which earned 94 points and a Silver medal. It was praised for its ‘well-managed palate; focused and firm exuding flavours of ripe berries, black cherry and cassis.’ Also taking a Silver medal and 93 points is Zilzie’s Platinum Edition Grenache 2022, with a palate that is ‘supple and elegant with lovely freshness boasting flavours of black forest gateaux and cherry’. Another gold-winning Shiraz is Dandelion Vineyard’s Firehawk Shiraz, which is ‘a full-bodied wine showing elegance and very good length,’ according to the judges.

To discover even more wonderful Australian red wine, check out the top 11 medal-winners from this year’s IWSC below.

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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