Hither & Yon 2021 Aglianico crowned Bushing King at 2022 McLaren Vale Wine Show

An unusual variety from a small, family-owned winery has been named the best at McLaren Vale’s premier wine show – see all the award winners here.

A wine made from an alternative grape variety, typically grown in southern Italy, has won McLaren Vale’s premier wine show.

Hither & Yon’s 2021 Aglianico took out the Best of Wine Show on Friday, crowning winemakers Malcolm and Richard Leask as Bushing Monarchs for the second time.

The red wine, which retails for $36 on the winery’s website, topped more than 750 entries in this year’s awards.

Chair of Judges Andrew Thomas said the aglianico “stood up in an extremely high quality and diverse class of new and emerging Mediterranean varietals”.

“This wine demonstrated a compelling vibrancy, purity and precision reflecting the more contemporary style of red winemaking we are seeing from the region in recent years.”

A total of 27 trophies were awarded at Friday’s Bushing King lunch, held at Chalk Hill Wines. The Leasks were last awarded the Bushing Monarchs title in 2019.

Richard and Malcolm Leask at the Hither & Yon cellar door in Willunga. Picture: Meaghan Coles

2022 McLaren Vale Wine Show winners

BEST WINE OF SHOW

Hither & Yon 2021 Aglianico

CHAIRPERSON’S TROPHY

Larnook 2021 Grenache Gris

WINE MEDIA TROPHY

Silent Noise 2021 FO Shiraz

BEST ICON WINES OF SHOW

Hardy’s 2018, 2014 and 2012 Eileen Hardy Shiraz

BEST MUSEUM WINE OF SHOW

Wolf Blass 2018 Grey Label Shiraz

BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON OF SHOW

Battle of Bosworth 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

BEST SHIRAZ OF SHOW

Cooter & Cooter 2021 Shiraz

BEST GRENACHE OF SHOW

Serafino 2021 Reserve Grenache

BEST SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ OF SHOW

Cooter & Cooter 2021 Shiraz

BEST SINGLE VINEYARD VITICULTURALIST

Richard Leask

BEST SINGLE VINEYARD WINE ANY STYLE (OTHER THAN SHIRAZ)

Hither & Yon 2021 Aglianico

BEST SMALL PRODUCER OF SHOW

Cooter & Cooter 2021 Shiraz

MOST SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITOR

Shingleback

Hither & Yon owners Richard and Malcolm Leask in McLaren Vale today. Picture: Jessica Galletly

BEST CABERNET BLEND

Shingleback 2018 The Gate Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

BEST SHIRAZ PREDOMINANT BLEND

Shottesbrooke Vineyards 2021 Engine Room by Hamish Maguire Shiraz Mataro Grenache

BEST GRENACHE PREDOMINANT BLEND

Varney Wines 2021 Grenache Mourvèdre Touriga

BEST OTHER RED & BLENDS

Alpha Crucis 2021 Blewitt Springs Mataro Grenache

BEST MEDITERRANEAN RED VARIETY

Hither & Yon 2021 Aglianico

BEST SHIRAZ THREE YEARS OR OLDER

Shingleback D Block 2018 Reserve Shiraz

BEST TWO-YEAR-OLD OR YOUNGER CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Battle of Bosworth 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

BEST TWO-YEAR-OLD SHIRAZ

Gemtree Wines 2020 Bloodstone Shiraz

BEST ONE-YEAR-OLD OR YOUNGER SHIRAZ

Cooter & Cooter 2021 Shiraz

BEST ONE-YEAR-OLD GRENACHE

Serafino 2021 Reserve Grenache

BEST ROSÉ

Bondar Wines 2022 Rosé

BEST NEW AND EMERGING WHITE WINE

Chalk Hill 2022 Vermentino

BEST FIANO

d’Arenberg 2022 The Sun Surfer Fiano

TROTT FAMILY AWARD

Jock Harvey