Winners of Dan Murphy’s Decoded Wine Awards 2021 revealed

The five best wines under $20 have been revealed in the Decoded Awards – including a bottle of Pinot Noir that costs just $7

  • Australia’s finest wines under $20 have been revealed by a panel of experts
  • The list was compiled by judges at the 2021 Dan Murphy’s Decoded Awards
  • Winners include a $16 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley and a $20 Rosé from NSW
  • Minchinbury’s $6.99 Pinot Noir, made in NSW, took the title for ‘Best Lighter Red’

Australia’s finest wines under $20 have been revealed by experts – and one bottle of pinot noir will set you back just $6.99.

A panel of 12 judges made up of buyers and connoisseurs blind tasted more than 1,000 vintages to determine which delivered the highest quality for the lowest price  at the 2021 Dan Murphy’s Decoded Wine Awards.

Winners include a $15.70 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, SA, a $19.99 Rosé from NSW and a $16.99 Chardonnay from Tasmania, which were all deemed exceptional in terms of flavour and value.

But the real standout is Minchinbury Pinot Noir for just $6.99, which took the title for ‘Best Lighter Red’. Pinot is typically one of the most expensive wines because of the complexity in producing it. 

Minchinbury’s Pinot Noir (pictured) was crowned ‘Best Lighter Red’ – and it costs just $6.99

De Bortoli's $19.99 Boheme, which took the title for 'Best Overall Rosé

The Butcher's Friend $15.70 Shiraz, which was named 'Best Fuller Red' under $20

De Bortoli’s $19.99 Boheme, which took the title for ‘Best Overall Rosé’ (left), and The Butcher’s Friend $15.70 Shiraz which was named ‘best fuller red’ under $20 (right)

Decoded Awards 2021 ‘Best Value’

UNDER $20

Lighter White: Elephant in the Room Pinot Gris ($13.95)

Fuller White: Distant South Chardonnay ($17.99)

Lighter Red: Minchinbury Pinot Noir ($6.99)

Fuller Red: Mr Riggs Three Corner Jack Shiraz Cabernet Merlot ($16.99)

Rosé: De Bortoli Rosé King Valley ($14.60)

OVER $20

Sparkling: Jansz Tasmania Premium Cuvée ($24.95)

Lighter White: Pizzini Pinot Grigio King Valley ($20.99)

Fuller White: Sidewood Chardonnay Adelaide Hills ($21.99)

Lighter Red: Coriole McLaren Vale Sangiovese ($25.99)

Fuller Red: Cat Amongst the Pigeons Fat Cat Shiraz ($23.99)

Elephant in the Room Pinot Gris ($13.95) was named ‘Best Lighter White under $20’ while Distant South Chardonnay ($17.99) took the title in the ‘Fuller White’ category.

The winner of the ‘Fuller Red’ heat was Mr Riggs Three Corner Jack Shiraz Cabernet Merlot ($16.99), which judges called the ‘ultimate crowd pleaser’. 

Meanwhile the Rosé category was dominated by NSW producer De Bortoli which came out on top with its $14.60 King Valley and $19.99 Boheme blends. 

‘If you’re looking for an Australian rosé around the $20 mark this is as good as it gets,’ the judges statement reads.

Devil's Corner $16.99 Chardonnay (pictured) took the title for 'best fuller white' under $20

Devil’s Corner $16.99 Chardonnay (pictured) took the title for ‘best fuller white’ under $20

Dan Murphy’s Head of Wine Andrew Shedden, who chaired the judging panel, believes the awards will help shoppers find the best value without compromising on quality.

‘We’ve done the hard work for our customers so they can easily find delicious and affordable wines for any occasion on our shelves,’ he said.

Mr Shedden said reviews were intentionally made without the use of highbrow terms such as ‘muscular’ and ‘herbaceous’, which are typically associated with wine tasting.

The stripped back judging process was intended to serve as a guide for wine lovers, not experts, he said.

Decoded Awards overall winners 

Category: Lighter White Under $20 

Winner: Yealands Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand ($13.99)  

Category: Fuller White Under $20 

Winner: Devil’s Corner Chardonnay Tasmania ($16.99) 

Category: Lighter Red under $20 

Winner: Cat Amongst the Pigeons Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro ($15.99) 

Category: Fuller Red Under $20 

Winner: The Butcher’s Friend Barossa Shiraz ($15.70) 

Category: Rosé 

Winner: De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two Pinot Noir Rosé ($19.99)

Category: Sparkling 

Winner: Josef Chromy Pepik Tasmania Cuvée NV ($29.99) 

Category: Lighter White Over $20 

Winner: Forest of the Echoes Riesling ($24.99) 

Category: Fuller White Over $20

Winner: Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay ($41.99) 

Category: Lighter Red Over $20

Winner: Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir ($47.50) 

Category: Fuller Red Over $20 

Winner: St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz ($47.99)

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