Critics' Choice
This year, more than ever, our tasters got visibly excited as Round 2 progressed. The table with Critics’ Choice contenders grew, awaiting the final judgement: the best from over 2500 entries, distilled down for our judges to home in on the wines that truly sing.
Kicking off with a pair of distinctly different sparklers, the BAFTA-entertaining Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs, and the dapper zéro dosage from Drappier, the journey brought surprises, with Royal Tokaji showing that Furmint can be just as distinctive when done dry, and Collio’s Attems offering a different face to Sauvignon Blanc. Quinto do Crasto proved it has white-wine talent too, while Sharpham offered up a beguiling barrel-aged Madeleine Angevine, before Old met New World across the Viognier table, with St Cosme’s Rhône version alongside Bogle’s Clarksburg wine. The reds offered equal interest. From Diren’s itchingly food-friendly Turkish red for a fiver through to a top Cabernet from one of Napa Valley’s cool-climate-seeking pioneers, Darioush, alongside glimpses of Old World class, with Cornas from Guy Farge and a single-vineyard Chianti from Castello Vicchiomaggio.
And last but certainly not least, the Caspar Auchterlonie Fortified Award went to Justino’s peerless Terrantez Madeira 1978. This had our judges queuing round the block. I’m sure it’ll be the same for you. Cheers!
Wiston, Blanc de Blancs 2010, South Downs, England
£20.97 @ Wiston Estate Winery, Corney & Barrow
If its wines are good enough for Mary Berry and BAFTA, I’m not surprised our judges fell in love with Wiston Estate’s beguiling Blanc de Blancs 2010. Coming from an estate on the chalk-imbued South Downs with winemaker Dermot Sugrue at the helm, Wiston is no stranger to our Gold List. With a mix of citrus, Danish pastry and hints of blackcurrant leaf on the nose, team leader Angela Reddin felt this was ‘quite broad in texture, with complex, rich flavours with excellent persistence’.
Drappier, Brut Nature Zéro Dosage, Sans Ajout de Soufre NV, Champagne, France
£24.22 @ Berkmann Wine Cellars
If Wiston was about the white grapes, here the Pinot Noir sings loud and proud. For more than 200 years, the Drappier family have honed their skills. With low temperature fermentation, no sulphur or filtering, and zero dosage, the freshness and minerality is obvious, but the three years in waiting gives this wine more fragrance, depth and creaminess than expected from an ultra-brut. ‘An aperitif or special occasion drink,’ said Matthieu Longuere MS of Le Cordon Bleu.
Royal Tokaji, Dry Furmint 2012, Tokaj, Hungary
£9.33 @ Bibendum Wine
‘With its great depth and weight, its broad palate and bone dry nature, and a finish which is harmonious with lingering notes of smoke, this wine is all about texture,’ said Stuart Skea of Champany Inn & Wine Cellars, articulating how Royal Tokaji’s Dry Furmint stole our judges’ hearts and became the first Hungarian wine to claim a Critics’ Choice trophy. Couple that with notes of cooked lemon, pear, apricot and macadamia, and it’s clear that Furmint can do dry as well as sweet. Luscious.
Bogle, Viognier 2013, Clarksburg, California, USA
£10.20 @ Enotria
In the past, Bogle has had more success with its reds in the Sommelier Wine Awards than its whites, but this vibrant, opulent Viognier has more than corrected the balance. From the cool Sacramento delta of California, this has been fermented in a mix of stainless steel and new American oak. English flower garden aromas wrapped with a touch of spice mingle with notes of fresh baked bread, apricot, quince and just a touch of banana. Match with dishes where herbs play a key role, such as roast chicken with tarragon.
Sharpham, Barrel Fermented 2013, Devon, England
£10.47 @ Sharpham Wines
A fascinating outing for Madeline Angevine, one of the varieties best known to English winemakers. Grown on slopes near the River Dart, this is always fermented in small oak barrels, and shows balance, breadth and a distinctive flavour profile. With flavours of green apple, nettles, blackcurrant leaf, peaches and nectarines, our judges felt this was ‘crying out for seafood’.
Attems, Venezia Giulia, Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
£13.30 @ Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines
From a much-loved estate in the prized area of Collio comes this Sauvignon Blanc with a difference. Alongside ripe green fruit, nice florality and shot of minerality there are ‘intriguing flavours of herbs and peppermint’, according to team leader Richard Bampfield MW, who felt this had notes ‘like a dry vermouth’. Its fresh aromatics and elegant, tropical mid-palate makes it perfect with Asian food.
Quinta do Crasto, Superior, Branco 2013, Douro, Portugal
£15.95 @ Enotria
A delightfully textural white from an estate better known for its reds, this blend of Viosinho and Verdelho with its careful dual fermentation – stainless steel, then French oak barrels – shows a superbly well-executed integration of oak. Paolo Pivato of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa summarised it as follows: ‘Smoky hints, good complexity and a long aftertaste, the minerality is strong but very well balanced with its freshness.’ Match with veal chop or pot-roasted chicken.
St Cosme, Condrieu 2013, Rhône, France
£32.53 @ Bibendum Wine
Château de St Cosme must be one of our most consistent Critics’ Choice winners. Last year it was a well-priced Côtes du Rhône, in 2013 it was the 2011 vintage of this same wine. Beautifully fragrant, with white flowers on both nose and palate, hints of nuts, ripe apples and stone fruit, this is ‘ripe and full with good acidity’, according to consultant Michael Harrison. Match with meaty fish dishes or rich pork recipes. Another star from 14th-generation winemaker Louis Barruol.
Diren, Collection, Kalecik Karasi 2013, Central Anatolia, Turkey
£5.05 @ Taste Turkey
Exceptional value for money, for this savoury blend of local variety Kalecik Karasi with a hint of Syrah and Boğazkere from one of the region’s pioneering wineries. Meaning ‘black from the small castle’, this combines distinctive, friendly flavours with floral aromatics and a rich, full-textured, ripe palate. With its juicy character and dry tannins it will stand up to flavourful dishes, such as calves’ liver and lamb kebab.
Guy Farge, Harmonie, Cornas 2012, Rhône, France
£26.08 @ Enotria
Heady and perfumed, Caroline Brangé of 28°-50° Mayfair called this ‘a real northern Rhône expression: garrigues, black pepper, great minerality’. Its creator, the talented Guy Farge, sold his grapes to the co-op until 2007. With silky tannins and texture, this is ‘dry, with violets, pepper, black and white plums and red cherry’, said Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant.
Castello Vicchiomaggio, La Prima, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2010, Tuscany, Italy
£29.03 @ Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines
Hailing from a small designated vineyard area, this is as food-friendly as it is concentrated and elegant. Frédéric Jean-Yves Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa noted: ‘Violets, liquorice, confit, cherries, with perfect acidity and balance and good oak ageing,’ while team leader Tom Forrest noted soft tannins and peppery spices. Food tips ranged from tomato-based pasta dishes through to roast duck or rabbit.
Darioush, Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Napa Valley, California, USA
£60.00 @ Darioush
A big wine that dazzled with its complexity and plush, voluptuous character. Darioush was among the first to target southern Napa Valley with its cooler microclimates, and this series of wines is designed to bridge the gap between Bordeaux and Napa’s more modern stance. ‘Wonderful acidity and grippy but velvety texture with massive, sexy tannins,’ said Alessandro Marchesan of Zuma. For food, ‘look for bold flavours and rich sauces, or someting simple, such as ribeye steak’, said team leader Laura Rhys MS.
CASPAR AUCHTERLONIE FORTIFIED WINE AWARD
Justino’s Madeira, Terrantez Vintage 1978, Madeira, Portugal
£180.00 @ Liberty Wines
A worthy Caspar Auchterlonie Award winner, this is without doubt an indulgence, but then there are lists – and times – when such decadence is warranted. The fragrance is complex, with Morgan VanderKamer of Stanley’s Dublin, noting: ‘Frangipane, crème caramel, apple pie, clove, figs, cinnamon, vanilla bean, white coffee bean, tart nectarines, apricot – it’s endless!’ ‘Old but feisty; this has a mellow character, many spices, dried fruits and fantastic nuances,’ added team leader Angela Reddin. We know that Caspar would have approved.