YOUNG’s Moppity Vineyards has stunned the international wine show circuit, winning the Top Gold Medal for their 2006 Reserve Shiraz at the prestigious London International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The London competition is the most highly regarded wine competition in the world, including entries from 80 countries and over 1000 wines from Australia alone.

This success continues the recent run of top results from the Hilltops region’s makers.

Grove Estate won an international award last year and Chalker’s Crossing, Barwang, Binbilla, Ballinaclash, Freeman Vineyards and Mokhinui have also recently picked up top awards and acclaim in Australia.

Moppity Vineyards’ owners, Jason and Alecia Brown, started making the first wines under the Moppity Vineyards label in 2005 and have collected more than 20 medals but Jason says this is the most important.

“There are hundreds of wine shows around the world; some are a bit like the picnic races but the IWSC is the equivalent of the Melbourne Cup; it’s the best of the best.”

“I’m particularly excited by the implications of this award for the whole region,” said Jason, who is also President of the Hilltops Winegrowers Association,” Jason added.

“The Hilltops has a climate and soil type that is ideal for making ultra-premium red wines.

“We can stand proudly not just beside the likes of Barossa and McLaren Vale but alongside the great wine producing regions of the world,” Jason said.

Moppity Vineyards itself was established in 1973, making it the second oldest vineyard in the Hilltops region, one year younger than McWilliams Barwang.

Jason and Alecia bought Moppity Vineyards in 2004 after considering sites all over Australia, choosing the 70ha property due to the age of the vines and also the elevation as the highest altitude site in the region.

These factors both contribute to the outstanding fruit quality from this vineyard.

“As they say, great wines are made in the vineyard and old vines make great wines.

“We’ve held a very strong belief not just in this vineyard but in the Hilltops region as a potential source of some of the very best wines in the world,” Jason added.

“This latest result vindicates our faith and should also serve as encouragement to other makers considering producing wines from the Hilltops.

“I hope the London award will not only create great interest in our own wines, but in the Hilltops region as a whole,” Jason said.