It was a proud night for Fighting Gully Road at the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, held on 19 August, with Mark Walpole attending as one of the finalists for Winemaker of the Year.
While Mark didn’t take home the title this year, being shortlisted among some of Australia’s most respected winemakers was a significant recognition of his decades of work across vineyard and winery. The award ultimately went to Steve Flamsteed.
For Fighting Gully Road, however, one of the most meaningful results was retaining our Five Red Star winery rating. This is Halliday’s Top Five Star Rated Winery classification, reserved for producers with a sustained record of excellence — wineries that have maintained a five-star rating for at least ten consecutive years. In other words, it isn’t awarded for one great vintage or a handful of standout wines; it recognises more than a decade of consistently exceptional quality. For a small, independent winery in Beechworth, that consistency is something we are incredibly proud of.
The wines behind this years recognition, and our track record is also evident across the wines currently available from our Shop. The 2024 Chardonnay is currently available and was awarded 95 points by Halliday Wine Companion, with Jeni Port describing it as a cool-climate Chardonnay with brisk acidity, white peach, citrus, grilled nuts and almond nougat.
Our 2025 Rosé has also received 93 points, praised for its savoury character, cherry brightness, lively acidity and textural appeal. Alongside these are a range of wines that showcase Mark’s long-standing curiosity with varieties and sites, including 2025 Verdicchio, 2025 Sangiovese, 2023 Block 02 Sangiovese, 2021 Syrah, 2019 Aglianico, 2023 Grenache and 2022 Tempranillo.
And while the much celebrated 2023 Smith Vineyard Chardonnay is now sold out, it remains an important part of the Fighting Gully Road story. Earlier this year, it was named White Wine of the Year by The Real Review, receiving 98 points from Huon Hooke.
For Mark and the team, the Halliday recognition is ultimately less about a single evening and more about the work that happens every season — in the vineyard, in the winery and, increasingly, in the cellar. Five Red Stars, year after year, is a pretty good measure of that work.
Explore the current Fighting Gully Road wines → Shop Fighting Gully Road Wines
