Geographe in Western Australia is not perhaps the first region that springs to mind when you’re thinking about quality shiraz. But that’s where the top wine at this year’s Great Australian Shiraz Challenge comes from. The 2022 Smallwater Estate Shiraz is from a vineyard near Donnybrook, south of Perth, a location historically better known for its apples than its grapes.

That’s the beauty of blind-tasting competitions like this. The judges are assessing nothing but the wines in the glasses in front of them, unswayed by famous labels or price tags. It allows for wines from little-known producers and unexpected places to shine.