Wine writer RICHARD CALVER, pining for a taste of the local winning wine of the Jimmy Watson Trophy, discovers the cupboard is bare; it’s completely and utterly out of stock. 

The Jimmy Watson Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in the Australian wine industry. 

Named after the legendary Melbourne wine bar owner, Jimmy Watson, this trophy has become a symbol of excellence, innovation and quality in Australian winemaking since its inception in 1962. 

Awarded annually at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, the trophy recognises the best one or two-year-old red wine in the country. 

This august journal was the first to broadcast the news that the local Murrumbateman Four Winds Vineyard had won the 2024 Jimmy Watson trophy and a slew of other awards (the Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz; the Douglas Seabrook Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine; the Best NSW/ACT Shiraz and the Kym Ludvigsen Trophy for Viticultural Excellence) for its 2023 shiraz. 

The good thing about the Jimmy Watson Trophy is that it is unique in its focus on young red wines, highlighting the skill of winemakers in producing exceptional wines that can be enjoyed relatively soon after their release. 

So, I was keen to get some of this locally produced wine. I contacted the company representing Four Winds to see if they had this wine for a taste. The cupboard is, unfortunately, bare, completely and utterly out of stock. Sigh. 

But, I’m feeling waves of gratitude today (or it could just be the start of alcohol tremors.) Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to taste some previous winners of the Jimmy Watson Trophy, including the other local that won in 2009, the Eden Road Wines’  Long Road Shiraz Hilltops 2008. 

That is a faded memory now but at least it won’t be a figment of my imagination like a taste of the current winner. It’s like when I was doing research on medieval wine and those who served it and I couldn’t find any information. I Googled “Missing Medieval Servant” and just got the message “Page Not Found.” 

I asked John Collingwood, who owns Four Winds with his wife Sarah, what was special about the 2023 crop. 

He said: “It was a vintage sandwiched in between a crop loss of hail and then frost so it was really good to get a crop off. 

“Each year we shoot thin to get the right canopy structure and we are also bunch thin which adds to the quality of the fruit. 

“In 2023 there was a generous growing period without excessive rain or heat. We harvested the shiraz block and kept between two and three tonnes and we sold the rest of the fruit. So, we didn’t make a huge amount of this wine,” John said.

He also said that he hoped the business profile will “get a bit of a bump” from the win: “This is the first time that Canberra fruit has won the award so we are pleased for the district. Growers are likely to see an uptick in demand for local fruit.”

John mentioned that the wine was made by Jeremy Nascimbin, who now works at Mount Majura Vineyard. John has now wrested back that task. 

Sarah chimed in, adding: “This year the case requirements for entry into the Jimmy Watson were lowered. Previously it was a 150 case minimum, but now its 100. We produced just over 110 cases so this wine qualified for entry. By the Sunday following the announcement we had sold out.”

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” –Albert Schweitzer