Margaret River wine region producers Evans & Tate take out top honours at 2023 Perth Royal Wine Awards

A winemaker based in the heart of the Margaret River Wine Region has taken out top honours in the State’s largest wine judging contest.

The Wilyabrup-based Evans & Tate was the big winner at the 2023 Perth Royal Wine Awards, taking out the Best Wine in Show prize for its 2020 Redbrook Reserve Chardonnay.

It was one of five awards the drop took out last week, with the wine also named Best West Australian Wine and Best White Table Wine.

Winemaker Feleasha Prendergast said it was “amazing” to take home the top honour.

“To be recognised by amazing judges who have such great palates and to think that our wine is exceptional is no small feat,” she said.

“It’s always a pleasure to be able to accept these awards.

“It’s great for our brand, it shows how strong we are and bling on a bottle is always a nice thing.”

The winery is part of the Fogarty Wine Group, with its chief winemaker Julian Langworthy noting the wins come off the back of its success at the Sydney Royal Wine Show last month.

“There are few Chardonnay wines that have such an incredible and consistent history of excellence,” he said.

“To win five trophies in a single show is almost unheard of, and a huge feat.”

The chardonnay rose to the top of 1400 individual wines, which were entered by 182 wineries across 59 different classes.

The Perth Royal Wine Awards are the State’s biggest and most prestigious awards for Australian wine, with a history dating back nearly 180 years.

Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia president John Snowball said this year’s competition had been an outstanding display of wines from across the country.

“The awards aim to showcase remarkable wine and support vineyards big and small, and to promote a buoyant future for wine producers,” he said.

It was not the only winery in the region to achieve success, with Cherubino being awarded the trophy for Most Successful Western Australian Exhibitor.

Houghton Wines’ Courtney Treacher lead the judging team for the awards, which took place over five days at the Claremont Showground.