Chile has proven itself a producer of some of the finest Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet blends in the world.
In an evening dominated by New World excellence, Chile triumphed last night at the Decanter World Wine Awards – its producers scooping trophies in most of the world’s great varietals.
International Trophies for Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux Varietals all went to Chile at a glittering dinner in the Floral Hall at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
As guests sipped Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaique 2002, and dined with a selection of award-winning wines including Riesling from Domaines Schlumberger, Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Charles Heidseick Rose Reserve NV, Decanter’s publishing director Sarah Kemp paid tribute to the record 10,285 entries that were entered for the Awards this year, which demonstrated ‘the joy of wine in all its glorious diversity.’
The trophy for best Sauvignon Blanc Over £10 went to Undurraga’s TH from San Antonio, which judges described as ‘Crisp, herbal, grassy…zesty, appealing elegant and expressive.’
That winner came out of a field of 427 Sauvignons both over and under £10 entered from around the world.
Cono Sur’s Riesling won the Under £10 in that category, for its Bio Bio Valley Reserva 2008, with its ‘racy nose of lime, honey, grapefuit and ripe peach with hints of mineral and kerosene’.
UK supermarket the Co-op was the next to see its name in lights as it took the prize for the best Pinot Noir Under £10 for its ‘creamy, warm, full-bodied and soft’ Santa Helena Pinot Noir.
And the best Bordeaux Varietal – out of 514 wines entered with Cabernet as their principal grape – went to the Indomita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Maipo Valley.
Other New World successes included Best Red Blend Over £10 for the £75 Jacob’s Creek Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2001, which the judges described as ‘huge…with a twist of peppermill on the palate.’
Bordeaux Varietal Over £10 also went to the New World – the Fraser Gallop Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Margaret River: ‘smoky oak, liquorice and lots of concentration.’
And for the fourth time in the past five years the Red Single Varietal trophy Under £10 went to an Argentinian Malbec: this year, the Malbec aka Rodolfo Sadler from Opi Sadler in Mendoza.
Of the 24 International Trophies, 15 went to the New World, 9 to the Old World.
While both Bordeaux Varietal Trophies went to the Southern Hemisphere, both Red Rhone Varietals went to the Languedoc – Clos Bagatelle’s Cuvee Tradition 2008 from St Chinian in the Under £10 category, Mas du Soleilla’s Les Bartelles 2007 from Coteaux du Languedoc-La Clape in the Over £10.
Full list of awards including international trophies
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Written by Adam Lechmere
