By Dongyun Kwon
Before the memory of winning a national award in August gets forgotten, a Coldstream-based winery was given two more awards on Friday 1 November at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards.
Oakridge Wines brought the two prestigious awards for Best Victorian Chardonnay for its Oakridge 864 Henk Aqueduct Chardonnay (2022) and the Champion Victorian Winery back to the Yarra Valley.
Oakridge chief winemaker David Bicknell said it’s always nice to win an award.
“Being named the Champion Victorian Winery and winning Best Victorian Chardonnay is a monumental achievement for our team at Oakridge,” he said.
“It reflects our unwavering dedication to crafting wines that truly express the spirit of the Yarra Valley.
“This recognition is a celebration of our focus on precision, innovation and detail.”
Melbourne Royal first introduced the Melbourne Royal Wine Show in 1883 and in its first year there were just 13 entries.
Since then, the competition has grown rapidly, now receiving more than 3000 entries each year.
Mr Bicknell said Oakridge 864 Henk Aqueduct Chardonnay is a classically presented, structured wine which is complex and designed for the long haul.
“It’s a classic barrel-fermented chardonnay that does an extended period of time on leaves, and the leaves are the dead yeast cells when the fermentation is finished, remaining in the barrel,” he said.
“As those yeast cells go through a process called lysis where they fall apart, they impart all different flavours into the wine.
“It’s a wine that’s got complexity as well as really quite clear fruit flavours around it, stone fruit and orchard fruit flavours.”
Since joining Oakridge in 2002, the chief winemaker has led the winemaking team with a meticulous approach to vineyard management and winemaking.
Under his leadership, Oakridge has emerged as one of Yarra Valley’s leading producers, recognised for its exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay.
Mr Bicknell said his team is highly selective on how they grow the grapes and how they handle them when they come into the winery, which is one of the keys to keeping their good recognition within the industry.
“The key to making great wine is having great vineyards and treating the fruit with a degree of sensitivity and respect,” Mr Bicknell said.
“Our success is rooted in our sustainable practices and our deep understanding of the unique terroir of the Yarra Valley.
“These awards are not just wins for Oakridge but also a celebration of the dedication of our entire team, who work tirelessly to ensure each bottle reflects the harmony of our vineyard sites and the character of each vintage.”
