Cargo Road Wines scores Five Black Stars James Halliday 2015 Australian Wine Companion

Cargo Road Wines wins 2 trophies at the Orange Region Wine Show 2013

Orange winemaker James Sweetapple is on a winning streak. On the back of last week’s gold medal at the Canberra International Riesling Challenge, yesterday the winemaker and viticulturalist was awarded two trophies at the Orange Region Wine Show’s black tie presentation dinner.

Awarded 55 points, the 2013 Cargo Road Riesling (the same wine awarded gold in Canberra last week) was the highest scoring wine not only in its own Riesling class but also the sparkling class, pinot gris class and white wines and other varietals class.

Sweetapple has such confidence in Riesling he planted more in 2011.

“Cargo Road’s Riesling is proving to be very strong with a nice track record of great results since the 2005 Riesling won Trophy for best in NSW,” he says with a big smile.

“This year the Orange Riesling class was very strong,” Sweetapple continues, “the competition was high and it’s great to see the quality of Rieslings from our region growing.”

But it wasn’t all white on the night. Cargo Road Winery also won Top Gold in the Merlot class with his 2009 Merlot scoring 56 points. 

“I always tell people that this is the biggest Merlot in Australia!” Sweetapple says, “it’s bold and full of flavour.” The Merlot vineyard was planted in 1983, he explains, and 2009 was a great year with a good long dry finish to the season and lovely ripening for delicious fruit.

“There is no region in Australia that hangs its hat on growing and making the best Merlot and I have often thought that Orange should. Perhaps the time has come!”

18/10/2013 - Photographs and text by Sophie Hansen - Local is Lovely 

Cargo Road Wines wins Gold in the 14th Canberra International Riesling Challenge

Orange winemaker James Sweetapple has won a gold medal at the Canberra International Riesling Challenge for his 2013 Cargo Road Riesling.

Sweetapple’s entry was chosen above 500 Rieslings entered from some of the world’s most prestigious wineries.

“This is a great honor not only for my own small winery,” he says, “but is also great recognition that the Orange region is home to some of Australia’s best Rieslings”.

Cargo Road Winery is a small vineyard situated on the sheltered northern slopes of Orange’s Mount Canobolas. It sits at 860 meters above sea level, is run holistically, is largely unirrigated and the Riesling vines were planted in 1983, making them some of the region’s oldest.

“The 2013 vintage was dry, basically drought conditions,” Sweetapple says, “but I had a good feeling that the fruit would be high quality so after we hand-picked the Riesling vineyard on March 2, I decided on minimal intervention in the winery.”

The resulting wine, James says, is strong on aromatics with a distinctive floral varietal
nose and balanced acid with length and texture.

14/10/2013 - Photograph and text by Sophie Hansen - Local is Lovely 

For the full catalogue of the results of the 2013 Canberra International Riesling Challenge click here