Kellermeister Wines’ 2015 Wild Witch Shiraz was also ranked the competition’s best Shiraz and best Australian wine. Wines from Australia dominated the show, winning 11 gold medals and 31 per cent of all medals awarded.

Wild Witch retails for $85 a bottle and scored 98 points to take out the competition’s top prize.

Kellermeister winemaker and owner Mark Pearce said he was “over the moon” with the global recognition, which comes seven years after Wild Witch was crowned the best Shiraz in the world at the International Wine Challenge in London.

Kellermeister’s Mark Pearce.

“Such a strong showing on the international stage is great for our state, our beautiful Barossa region and for Kellermeister – we’re thrilled,” he says.

Kellermeister Wines is a small family-owned winery established at Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley in 1976.

The London Wine Competition honour adds to a string of recent accolades, including two gold medals at last year’s Syrah du Monde international wine competition in France, where Kellermeister was ranked Australia’s best shiraz producer.

Only in its second year, the London Wine Competition looks beyond quality alone and judges entries based on value for money (25 per cent), packaging design (25 per cent) and quality (50 per cent).

Other Australian gold medal winners included McLaren Vale winery d’Arenberg, which received 93 points for The Laughing Magpie (a Shiraz/Syrah, Viognier blend) and 90 points for The Galvo Garage (a Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot blend).

The competition is part of a new wider London drinks awards initiative that also includes The London Spirit Competition and the London Beer Competition that look to reward and highlight market driven spirits and beer brands.

Judges at this year’s competition comprised 11 Masters of Wine, a Master Sommelier, key retail buyers and senior sommeliers from London’s fine dining scene.

This article was first published on The Lead.