2019 draws to a close as one of the biggest years in the history of Mudgee's Robert Stein Winery and winemaker Jacob Stein, who has completed his tenth vintage back at his family's winery.
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Earlier this year the winery's 2016 Dry Riesling was awarded the Trophy for the Best Riesling at the Sydney Royal Wine Show. At the time Jacob said he had high hopes for the now-released 2019 Dry Riesling and Half-Dry Riesling, which bear some similarities to their predecessors.
And it already seems as though the 2019 Rieslings are already fulfilling some of that promise, with a combined nine gold medals and three trophies - including one of the latter being at the Mudgee Wine Show for the Half Dry, which was also named Champion Wine of the local show.
"We have had a fantastic run with our Rieslings," Jacob said.
"The 2019 vintage has been the most awarded in the year of its release which is encouraging for the future. We have seen the wines continue to improve with a few years in the bottle.
"Mudgee is still one of Australia's unsung Riesling regions. However, with a growing collection of awards, such as the trophy in Sydney, I'm hopeful we are starting to change perceptions."
For one of the local region's busiest winemakers it's a fitting celebration for a personal milestone of a decade back at the family winery.
"I've been back in Mudgee for the last ten years and it's been an extremely rewarding time," he said.
"I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to implement my winemaking philosophy and to manage the family vineyard with this view. It's certainly been a lot of hard work but it's evident in the level of wines we are producing.
"Our vineyard management has also had a major shift with a renewed focus on soil health and vine nutrition.
"The winery has undergone two extensions and many upgrades, all with a view to increase the quality of the wines we are making for ourselves and for others."
Jacob and the Robert Stein Winery experienced a successful 2019 Mudgee Wine Show - winning eight trophies, plus an additional four trophies awarded to wines they produce for the Mudgee region.
