Barossa Valley Winemaker wins Best Australian Red at 2026 Mundus Vini Wine Competition in Germany

A South Aussie red has made a name for itself on the global stage, with a local winery taking home an accolade at one of the wine world’s most respected international awards. Barossa Valley producer Hare’s Chase has taken out the Best in Show Trophy for Australian Red Wine at the Mundus Vini International Wine Competition for its 2022 ‘Hare & Hound’ Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz.

Held in Germany, the prestigious competition saw thousands of wines from around the world judged by international experts. For Marananga-based Hare’s Chase, taking out the top Australian red title is another huge milestone.

Chief Winemaker Matt Reynolds, the extraordinaire behind the award-winning wine, said that it comes off the back of a wonderful 2022 vintage, which saw Cabernet Sauvignon shine.

“Looking through our portfolio, we wanted to highlight the uniqueness of the great Australian blend, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz together,” shared Matt. “With the quality focus on Cabernet for that vintage, we added a little bit of Shiraz to help balance the wine.

“Cabernet Sauvignon can sometimes be a little hollow through the mid palate, and Barossa Shiraz certainly gives it volume and richness through the middle to help even it out. We found that adding about 20 per cent Shiraz really improved the overall quality of the wine and enhanced the Cabernet Sauvignon.”

At Hare’s Chase, rather than following the formulas often associated with classic Barossa reds, Matt says the winery is focused on pushing boundaries while still honouring the region’s heritage. This means producing wines that showcase the purity of fruit grown in their Marananga vineyards, combined with structure and balance that can evolve.

“Hare’s Chase sits at the southern end of Marananga,” shared Matt. “It’s a unique little microclimate. The soils out this way are quite hard and shallow, with a lot of rock through them, which helps contribute to the minerality in the wine.

“Where vines struggle a little bit, we’re able to manage vigour and keep yields down, which helps keep the berries small. That’s fantastic for red winemaking because small berries develop nicely on the vine and offer maximum flavour and ripeness.”

The winning wine, the 2022 Hare & Hound Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, is the very first vintage release of the label. Blending 80 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon with 20 per cent Shiraz, it pays tribute to the long-standing Australian tradition of combining the two varieties to create wines with power and finesse.

“A blend of 80 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Shiraz, the wine displays both classic Cabernet and Shiraz varietal characters, whilst also presenting as a seamless, harmonious expression of the classic Barossa style we aim to present. The Cabernet brings structure, poise and length, and the Shiraz delivers richness, fullness and complex fruit characters to the mid palate. A classic each-way bet, this wine would be perfect to enjoy this evening, or cellared for 15 years or more.”

The recognition follows a strong run of international success for the winery, including ‘Red Wine Producer of the Year’ and ‘Shiraz of the Year’ at the 2025 USA Sommeliers Choice Awards, positioning Hare’s Chase as one of the emerging names to watch in Barossa winemaking.

Keen to try the 2022 ‘Hare & Hound’ Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz? Check it out below!

2022 ‘Hare & Hound’ Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz – $45

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Shiraz, the wine celebrates the Australian winemaking tradition of combining these two classic varieties to produce a deeply coloured, finely structured and robustly flavoured red wine.

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