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Winner Details

FRANCE: White Burgundy

2016 Gold: 4 Silver: 7 Bronze: 0 Commended: 2
2015 Gold: 2 Silver: 7 Bronze: 4 Commended: 10

Burgundy might be having its issues with volume (specifically, not enough of it) but there’s been very little negative feedback about the quality of what’s been coming out of the region over the past few years, and that was borne out here. This was white Burgundy’s best performance for several years.

Naturally ‘tighter’ vintages like 2012 seem to be coming round nicely, while 2014 looks to be something of a star in the making for whites. If they’re still available, we’d expect more of these wines to be filling up the Gold and Silver medal areas of this competition for the next couple of years.

And for all the talk of crazy prices, it was heartening to see three good medals awarded to wines under £10.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘These were lovely wines, with really good value for money as well. Even under £10. There was a really nice, measured use of oak. They all had that in common.’ Laura Rhys MS, team leader

‘People are moving away from crisp Chablis-style Chardonnays and into bigger, richer, more oxidative styles. To do that properly you need to have a good range of wines on offer. It can’t all be about the £120 bottles.’ Ian Howard, The White Hart Inn at Lydgate

‘All of them were very interesting. Even the lower price ranges showed well for me. Below £15 they really over-delivered.’ Tamas Czinki, Northcote

‘There was good typicity here all the way through. There is a consumer who comes in and knows what he likes, what he looks for in Burgundy – generally those people are more traditional consumers who prefer the richer more oxidative styles.’ Emily Bonsor, consultant sommelier

Award winners

Found 13 wines

France: White Burgundy

Louis Jadot, Château des Jacques, Clos de Loyse 2014, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

A regular medal winner, Château des Jacques scoops Gold with this accomplished, versatile wine. 'Forward yet elegant on the nose with red apple and slight vegetal notes, nice freshness on the palate brings a taste of citrus fruit with cleansing acidity on the finish,' said Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don. Andre Luis Martins of The Cavalry and Guards Club applauded the blend of earthy character and light oak aromas, adding: 'The palate is rich and floral, with white spices and a gentle, long finish.' For dishes, why not try this with mackeral or Waldorf salad.

£9.19 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Henri de Villamont, Prestige, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2011, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

'Absolutely delicious,' said team leader Sam Caporn MW of this enchanting Burgundy, continuing: 'A lovely nose of spice, honey and fruit, this is firm, fresh and good value.' 'Elegant nose, quite a ripe entry,' said Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners, while Bread Street Kitchen's Timothy Connor said: 'Creamy, with good fruit and lots of minerality', and Andre Luis Martins of The Cavalry and Guards Club picked out floral aromas and rich, herbal spice on the nose, and citrus and light oak on the palate.

£10.65 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Domaine René Monnier, Meursault 1er Cru, Les Charmes 2011, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

'Crisp and moreish,' said team leader Sam Caporn MW, of this Gold Lister, impressed by its 'light and fresh' nature, with its 'apple fruit and toasted nuts'. 'Buttery and oily texture with spicy oak notes, very well balanced and complex, clean with good citrus fruit levels,' said Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don, concluding: 'Very well made and elegant on the finish.'

£38.39 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine Ferret, Pouilly-Fuissé 2014, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

An exceptional wine at a very good price. Andre Luis Martins from The Cavalry and Guards Club noted 'white flowers and gentle nut notes on the nose, leading to a palate with earthy as well as mineral characteristics'. 'Creamy oak notes on the nose, ripe citrus and stone fruits with some nice mineral complexity on the palate,' said team leader Laura Rhys MS, adding: 'Nice, full, rich style and good value.'

£15.62 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, Beaune Blanc 1er Cru, Bressandes 2011, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Michael Fiducia of Drake's Restaurant enjoyed the 'wonderfully warming, toasty nose with a well-rounded, lengthy palate', while Northcote's Tamas Czinki noted its 'minerals, delicate oak, not new, lovely structure and finesse'.

£33.24 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Louis Jadot, Chardonnay/Aligoté, Coteaux Bourguignons 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Green fruit profile with good balance between acidity and mineral on the palate, bringing flavours of green apple with stone fruit hints, finishing long and fresh,' said Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don, while team leader Sam Caporn MW noted 'toasty, grilled nuts. A touch fruity – very distinctive and well balanced.'

£12.73 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Domaine Marc Morey, St Aubin 1er Cru, Charmois 2013, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Superb, floral, stone fruit style,' began an impressed Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners, going on: 'It has very good complexity, good length and weight on the palate. This is a brilliant wine.' Team leader Sam Caporn MW agreed: 'Beautiful spicy oak, an extraordinarily well-made wine – stunning!'

£26.87 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Vignerons de Buxy, Grand Vin de Bourgogne, Montagny 2012, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Lovely rounded structure, fresh acidity, minerally rather than fruity in style, but good character,' said Northcote's Tamas Czinki, while Portland's James Fryer found notes of 'creamy, lactic, just-ripe apricot flesh and hints of nut'.

£7.21 Majestic Commercial

Oedoria, Accord Majoeur, Réserve Particulière, Blanc 2014, Beaujolais, France

Silver medal winner

James Fryer of Portland enjoyed its 'subtle white peach and almond aromas with peach, sweet oak spice and hazelnut on an integrated palate', while Northcote's Tamas Czinki found it 'fairly oaky but nicely rounded in structure and finish'.

£10.75 Bulles Blanc Rouge

Remoissenet, Puligny-Montrachet 2013, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

While team leader Tom Forrest found 'acacia blossom, rounded body and pineapple and lemon fruit on the finish', Portland's James Fryer enjoyed its 'nutty, oaty, ripe apricot aromas and fleshy peach, almond and hazelnut palate, with some milky notes, flinty minerals and great acid'.

£46.08 Matthew Clark

Louis Latour, Viré Clessé 2014, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Lovely enticing nose, nicely balanced palate with reasonable length,' began Michael Fiducia of Drake's Restaurant, with consultant sommelier Emily Bonsor continuing: 'Ripe fruit with notes of melon, good complexity with rounded finesse. Great for drinking or with food.'

£9.81 Louis Latour Agencies

Domaine Manciat-Poncet, La Roche, Pouilly-Fuissé 2013, Burgundy , France

Commended medal winner

£16.22 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Ferret , Cuvée Hors Classe, Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Ménétrières 2013, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£26.25 Hatch Mansfield