Awarded at the annual Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, the Jimmy Watson Trophy is the ultimate wine show award in Australia. As the 2014 winner Stephen Pannell said when he addressed the crowd at last night’s ceremony in Melbourne, “This award changes your life!”

In what is regarded as Australia’s most hotly contested judging arena, all 1-year-old and 2-year-old red wine entries (in this case vintages 2013 and 2014) are considered fort his award, the top contenders eventually judged off against each other for the trophy.

And in 2015, the Jimmy Watson Trophy returns to Tasmania for the second time in recent years (Nick Glaetzer of Glaetzer Dixon won with a 2010 vintage Tasmanian shiraz in 2011) and fittingly it heads back down south with a brilliant pinot noir. Tasmanian pinot has long been lauded as one of Australia’s finest wines, and this award amounts to one very strong wine show endorsement of a long-held critical opinion.

The 2014 Home Hill Kelly’s Reserve Pinot Noir is the wine that beat all comers to take home the 2015 Jimmy Watson Trophy, and it is also the wine that took home the 2015 James Halliday Trophy for Best Pinot Noir at the awards last night.

Amazingly, there were just two finalists in consideration for the Best Pinot Trophy, the other finalist being the 2013 Home Hill Estate Pinot Noir from the very same vineyard. How remarkable that this small winery managed to edge out the competition to completely own the pinot noir podium.

The Huon Valley is one of the most distinctive and potentially great sources of pinot in Australia but it is tough going and a courageous move to plant there. You garner a certain level of peer respect for just attempting to make great wine in the Huon, the most southerly and remote place to cultivate vines in Tasmania.

Terry and Rosemary Bennett’s Home Hill Vineyard is a small 6-acre vineyard established in 1992 that has produced several vintages of award-winning pinot noir and is as meticulously manicured as the best vineyards of the Côte de Nuits. There is no alternative here, wine quality is ultra-reliant on attention to detail in the vineyard, as the marginality of the Huon Valley dictates that every aspect of viticulture must be finely tuned. Local winemakers Paul and Gilli Lipscombe are responsible for crafting the wines at Home Hill.

My note on the winning wine as follows, congratulations all!

Home Hill Kelly’s Reserve Huon Valley Pinot Noir 2014

A very complete and darkly fruited Pinot with ripe dark cherry and plum fruit aromas, attractive oak spice in the mix, really pure and pristine wine, sappy aromas too. The palate is super plush and even, and has really deep richly concentrated fruit flavours. It delivers a wealth of dark plum fruit flavour, and a very pure dark cherry finish. Acidity is bright, holds it really fresh and long, terrific balance. Drink now and for up to 10 years. 96 points.

The 2015 Jimmy Watson Trophy Finalists:

Deep Woods ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Deep Woods Estate, Margaret River, WA

Home Hill Kelly’s Reserve Pinot Noir 2014

Home Hill Wines, TAS

Mea Culpa Syrah 2014

Innocent Bystander, Yarra Valley, VIC

S.C. Pannell Grenache Shiraz Touriga 2014

S.C. Pannell Wines, McLaren Vale, SA

S.C. Pannell Tempranillo Touriga 2014

S.C. Pannell Wines, McLaren Vale, SA

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz 2013

The Yalumba Wine Company, Barossa Valley, SA

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Malbec 2013

Wolf Blass Wines, SA

Photo: Terry Bennet of Home Hill

Editor’s Note: Nick Stock is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria Wine Show Committee. Both he and James have judged the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards multiple times.

Nick's Article: Tasmanian Pinot wins the Jimmy Watson Trophy