González Byass is perhaps the ultimate expression of the en rama craze which has gripped Sherry fans in recent years – the bottling of ‘raw’ Sherries straight from the barrel, without clarifying or filtration.
This archetypal example from Blandys was a hugely popular choice among the panel, with one judge describing it enthusiastically as ‘the grandest wine on the table'.
Since 2011, Sherry bodega Williams & Humbert has been making this Trophy winner for the premium Taste the Difference range stocked by UK retailer Sainsbury’s.
But if you belong to that generation, hold the thought and take a look at the list of wines that Ptujska Klet beat to win this year’s International Trophy.
Brothers Mark and Peter Saturno, founders and owners of Longview, planted Riesling vines in 1997 on the estate’s ‘most unforgiving’ soils, composed mostly of ironstone over a compacted clay layer.
McWilliam’s 1877 is both a ‘new’ Australian wine and a traditional blend which wowed the judges in a three-way taste-off with Portugal’s Douro Valley and the Apalta sub-region in Chile’s Colchagua region.
Château Bouissel believes those grapes are one of its major assets – particularly the Negrette, a variety native to Fronton, with its rich, aromatic character and silky tannins.
An impressive double triumph for Argentina’s Bodegas Fabre, owner of Viñalba, Fabre Montmayou and Phebus, and a regular Trophy winner at the DWWA.
Hervé Joyaux Fabre is both winemaker and proprietor of Bodegas Fabre, which owns three wineries in Argentina: Fabre Montmayou, Viñalba and Phebus.
Enrico Rivetto, a fourth-generation Langhe winemaker whose great-grandfather set up shop in the centre of Alba in 1902, has strong views on modern technology.
Fattoria Dianella has an initial hit of plush, vanilla oak, but the violet-tinged, black cherry, cranberry, raspberry and red berry fruit comes forward and proves more than a match.
An ALL-SPANISH FINAL pitted two classic Riojas against contenders from Ribera del Duero and Bierzo, but this Rioja Reserva from Lan won the judges’ hearts in the end, praised for showing ‘modern Spain at its absolute best’.
Family-owned since its foundation in 1973, Olarra has expanded over the years, establishing a second Rioja winery, Bodegas Ondarre, and an operation in Castilla called Casa del Valle.
Key to Sidewood’s success is diversity in its vineyards, which have three soil types, differing orientations and five clones of Shiraz.
Lomond is part of the Cape Legends portfolio, the fine wine division of South Africa’s largest wine and spirits company,
A WINE CREATED to mark the visit of King Juan Carlos to the Torres winery during its 125th anniversary in 1995, Reserva Real also celebrates a unique vineyard in Penedès.
Since 2005, this wine has been made from a single-vineyard lot in the coastal area of Chile’s Maipó Valley, in what the Indomita team describes as a ‘heavenly spot with rolling hills’.
Praised as ‘Burgundian’, Elgin Vintners took this International Trophy over another greatvalue New World rival.
Although Château La Tour de l’Evêque wine is a classic Provence rosé, it does have a touch of Bordeaux in its DNA. It was created by Régine Sumeire after she visited her friend (and then estate manager) Jean-Bernard Delmas at Château Haut-Brion in 1985
One of the most venerable estates in Provence’s Bandol appellation, Château Salettes produces a benchmark rosé, given extra depth and character by the estate’s sun-kissed Mourvèdre vines.
For winemaker Michel Ginglinger, it’s also an ‘archetypal ambassador of the style of wines we want to express at Domaine Paul Ginglinger: a perfect balance of finesse, purity and elegance’.
'Riesling is one of the most amazing grape varieties in the world but, like most things that are very rewarding, it is also very challenging,’ says Paul Cluver Jr.
Jean-Christophe Mau bought Château Brown in 2004. Born into a family of wine merchants, his career began with the purchase of Château Preuillac in 1998.
Two years ago, the 2012 vintage of this wine won the South African Regional Trophy for Best White Blend under £15 – and now DeMorgenzon’s Maestro 2014 has gone one better and taken an International Trophy home to Stellenbosch.
Herbert Tiefenbrunner, father of current winery owner Christof, used to spend his summer holidays on the estate and, inspired by a vine growing along the wall of the house, decided to plant a vineyard on the site.
Perdeberg has accumulated a large collection of old-vine Chenin in the Agter- Paarl area, viewed as the ideal region for the variety.
The judges’ description of the wine is in tune with Vidal winemaker Hugh Crichton’s mission to achieve power and restraint in his wines, alongside concentration, complexity and fine texture.
A winning combination of delicious, mineral fruit and nice florality, with an Old World classicism at its heart, secured an International Trophy for this joint venture between UK retailer Marks & Spencer and Vignerons des Grandes Vignes.
Bay of fires has a truly classic nose of grass, gooseberry and minerals, showing wonderful aromatic intensity. The wine is impeccably balanced with a long aftertaste and, despite the power of its components, every element displays restrained elegance and harmony. Beautiful!
A trio of New World Sauvignon Blancs were in the running for this International Trophy, but it was Small and Small’s Marlborough example that won the day for its textbook expression of the grape.
