Lake Chalice is thrilled to announce a recent success for our Plume range at this year’s Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA), the UK’s leading wine competition for the hospitality industry.

Our 2019 Lake Chalice Plume Pinot Noir has taken home not only a Gold Medal, but two of the most prestigious trophies on offer:

  • Trophy – Overall Wine of the Year
  • Trophy – Red Fine Wine of the Year
  • Award – Gold Medal Winner
  • Award – By the Glass Award

These awards are a thrilling result for an already decorated Marlborough Pinot Noir. We’re incredibly proud to see our Plume Pinot Noir recognised on the global stage, highlighting the quality and character six years after its release date.

About the SWA

The Sommelier Wine Awards is the UK’s only wine competition aimed solely at the on-trade, with wines assessed by some of the country’s top sommeliers, buyers, and hospitality professionals. All wines are blind tasted and judged not just on quality, but on how well they perform in real-world settings like restaurants, pubs, and wine bars.

Wines are awarded Bronze, Silver, or Gold medals, with the very best receiving additional accolades such as By the Glass, Pub & Bar Picks, or ultimate honours like Wine of the Year trophies.

Plume Pinot Noir 2019

The 2019 Plume Pinot Noir was sourced exclusively from our Eyrie Block vineyard, perched on an elevated river terrace in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. The 2019 vintage was defined by its dry, sun-drenched days and cool nights, delivering small, concentrated bunches of Pinot Noir with powerful flavour and balance.

  • Clone 114, known for its depth and elegance, was selected exclusively for this vintage.
  • Fermentation included 19% whole clusters, enhancing structure and aromatics.
  • The wine was unfined and unfiltered, bottled with integrity to retain its natural expression.

The resulting wine is a Pinot Noir of remarkable purity, poise and persistence crafted to impress and evolve overtime, a tactic that is well displayed with the accolades it has earned since it’s release.

We’re honoured to receive such recognition and would like to thank the SWA judging panel for their dedication to elevating on-trade wine standards. This achievement is a reflection of the hard work Chloe and the team put in, along with the calibre of New Zealand Pinot Noir on the global stage.