SA’s Seppeltsfield and Henschke the first to make it into Halliday’s new Hall of Fame
Our great state can boast taking out the two highest accolades at the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards after SA’s industry elite dropped in on the Melbourne ceremony.
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Described as “an ode in a bottle to Australian wine history”, the liquid gold that is Seppeltsfield’s vintage tawny port is now officially a national treasure.
It was awarded the highest accolade for a wine in Australia at the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, during a ceremony at Melbourne’s Stokehouse restaurant on Wednesday night.
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The Barossa Valley winery’s 1923 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny – which is $1650 for a 100ml bottle – is one of the first two inductees in the new James Halliday Hall of Fame.
Awarded 100 points by wine critic Halliday, who described it as having “no parallel anywhere in the world”, the vintage tawny port was honoured in the Wine class.
Henschke Wines co-director and viticulturist Prue Henschke, who has 46 years of industry experience here and overseas, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame.
She is the inaugural inductee in the Wine Industry class, which acknowledges the contribution of an individual.
To be eligible for consideration for the Hall of Fame in the Wine class, a drop must have won its category at least five times.
Seppeltsfield’s vintage tawny port has taken out the Fortified Wine of the Year award for the past 15 years uncontested.
“It is the one and only wine whose history, past, and future demands it, “ Halliday said of the recognition for the legendary drop which has been released annually since 1978.
“The simple fact you can buy a 100 Year Old wine is incredible, as is the wine’s 146 year consecutive lineage,
“The importance and quality of this wine is beyond refute; it is a gift from generations past, a wine altar on which we worship, an ode in a bottle to Australian wine history”.
Seppeltsfield chief winemaker Fiona Donald described the vintage tawny port being recognised as an “absolute honour”.
“As current custodians, today is a special moment for Australian wine history,” she said, adding of the wine: “It’s utterly unique in global wine making terms … the longest unbroken line in the world. The concentration and depth of flavour is phenomenal.”
Other SA winners of major awards included Bleasdale Vineyards at Langhorne Creek (Winery of the Year) and Kate Goodman from Penley Estate at Coonawarra (Winemaker of the Year).
Yangarra Estate Vineyard at McLaren Vale’s Old Vine Grenache 2021 was named Wine of the Year.
It is the second time Yangarra has won the award, the first being in 2020 with its 2016 High Sands Grenache.
“To win this award twice is such a thrill,” Yangarra winemaker Peter Fraser said.
“We are the only South Australian winery to ever achieve this.”
*Seppeltsfield has A Taste of History tours of its Barossa estate, which include a visit to its Centennial Cellar and tasting of its 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny.
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