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Winner Details

 Other European Sparkling Wines

2017 Gold: 4 Silver: 9 Bronze: 11 Commended: 13
2016 Gold: 8 Silver: 6 Bronze: 9 Commended: 12

This is a wide-ranging section of the Gold Book, taking in everything from cava and cremant, through sekt, gentle frizzantes and sparkling reds. Quality – and the reaction of our tasters – was all over the place, and our teams had to kiss a lot of frogs before they found any princes.

Most striking of all (apart from Torelló’s £40+ cava) was the lack of any Golds for France – the cremant selection was disappointing this year – and the disappointing lack of any Austrian fizz, which bolstered the Gold count here last year.

That said, there were some gems out there (decent sub-£5 fizz, anyone?), with our tasters showing a sneaking liking for fizzy Moscato. Who knew?  

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘You can see why prosecco has killed cava. The consistency and value for money isn’t there.’ Tom Forrest, team leader

‘The Italian sparkling wines have to sit under champagne and above prosecco on a list, so the price-point is crucial. They have to get on to a list for below £60.’ Lionel Periner, team leader

‘If you are selling a sparkling red, the colour has to be a deep red – it shouldn’t look like a rosé.’ Michael Fiducia, Coworth Park Ascot

‘I try to have an open mind on the rest of the sparkling wine list outside of Champagne. The cremants were OK but we weren’t super-wowed by any of them.’ Laurent Richet MS, team leader

‘Moscato is a by the glass sale at the end of a meal.’ Annette Scarfe MW, team leader

‘There were a couple of lovely surprises in the flight of sparkling reds. It should be on wine lists to give a different experience to guests.’ Andre Luis Martins, Cavalry & Guards Club

 

‘In our six restaurants, we do a Moscato by the glass at least in four – it’s an important, good value wine. Sales are steady – anything sweet, you need to sell it a bit. ‘ Olivier Gasselin, Hakkasan Group

Award winners

Found 22 wines

Sparkling: Other European regions

Ceci, To You (a Te), Bolle di Lambrusco Rosso -1, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Gold medal winner

This lightly sparkling Gold medallist had a ‘deep ruby colour with bramble fruit aromas and a refreshing palate’, began Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot, with team leader Martin Lam adding: ‘Sappy and dry, though a touch of residual sugar on the finish, interesting and good for food.’ Specifically, this would be ‘great with charcuterie or spicy lamb’, said Elly Owen of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall.

£14.90 Eurowines

Villa Cialdini, Pignoletto, Modena, Sparkling Brut 2016, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Silver medal winner

Charles Ashby-Taylor of Dabbous found it a ‘floral style, with notes of tree flowers, magnolia and cherry blossom, yet good and robust in the mouth’, while team leader Lionel Periner noted ‘dry, creamy, floral with gentle bubbles’.

£9.71 Liberty Wines

Villa Cialdini, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 2016, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Silver medal winner

Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot enjoyed its ‘lifted, perfumed nose and nice bead, leading on to a restrained, bramble fruit palate’, while team leader Martin Lam found a ‘sappy nose with lots of berry fruit, a little residual sugar, and it’s fun!’

£9.86 Liberty Wines

Domaine J Laurens, Les Graimenous, Crémant de Limoux, Brut 2014, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Laurent Richet MS found ‘a lovely nose of fresh crushed apples, beautiful fruit freshness and acidity’, concluding ‘what a great bottle’, while for Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan it was ‘citrus, floral, fresh and yeasty with lovely minerality on the palate’.

£10.61 Boutinot

Ceci, Otello, 1813, Nero di Lambrusco -1, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Floral and fruity nose, but on the palate it’s quite grippy, more serious, a food wine,’ said team leader Martin Lam, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot noted a ‘dark fruit medley, refreshingly smooth on the palate’.

£10.80 Eurowines

Colet, Vatua!, Clàssic Penedès, Extra Brut -1, Catalonia, Spain

Bronze medal winner

‘Crisp, dry, simple and elegant,’ for Smith & Wollensky’s Scott Levy, while Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan noted ‘citrus lime and lemon, mineral and green apple aromas, a dry, fresh and vibrant palate in an approachable style with a good, mineral finish’.

£11.65 Indigo Wine

Sieur d'Arques, Aimery, Crémant de Limoux, Brut -1, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

A ‘soft, fruity wine’, said team leader Laurent Richet MS, with ‘pear, white flowery quince notes on the nose, a slight vanilla character on the finish with golden apple fruit flavours too’. ‘Dry, ripe, intense, fresh and fruity,’ added Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan.

£8.23 Crown Cellars

Ferrari, Maximum Brut, Trentodoc -1, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

A ‘classic’ style for Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair, who found ‘citrusy fruit on the nose and palate, with crisp acidity’, while team leader Lionel Periner highlighted its ‘lemon and grassy aromas, dry palate with high acidity’.

£19.50 Enotria&Coe

GCF Exclusif, Arthur Metz, 1904, Crémant d'Alsace -1, Alsace, France

Bronze medal winner

A ‘mineral, fresh, citrus and creamy’ style, said Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan, who found it ‘dry and elegant on the palate, delicate and rounded with good mousse’, with team leader Laurent Richet MS recommending it as ‘simple and fruity, well made, and good by the glass’.

£12.75 LWC Drinks LTD

GCF Exclusif, Tholomies, Crémant de Limoux, Brut -1, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Strong fizz, but it’s in tune with the wine,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, who found ‘vibrant golden apple and pink grapefruit with an earthy note on the finish’, while Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan enjoyed its ‘vibrant, round and balanced, fresh and fruity style’.

£8.70 Famille Helfrich

Mezzacorona, Rotari, Cuvée 28 Brut, Trentodoc -1, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner highlighted its ‘fresh lime and yellow fruit, floral notes with medium body and a creamy, refreshing finish’, with Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair noting ‘good complexity on the nose, a rich palate with fruit dominant and good acidity’.

£10.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Ferrari, Perlé Nero, Trentodoc 2008, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Full aromas of ripe yellow fruit, peach and pear, with more developed nutty notes,’ began team leader Lionel Periner, who found the palate ‘dry, full and creamy in texture, with some vanilla richness and a lift of candied lemon on a long finish’.

£39.90 Enotria&Coe

Costaripa, Mattia Vezzola, Metodo Classico, Brut -1, Lombardy, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Complex aromas of peachy fruit and floral hints,’ began team leader Lionel Periner, continuing: ‘Dry and creamy texture yet fresh on the palate, with an elegant finish. Value for money.’ ‘Leesy with good length,’ added Charles Ashby-Taylor of Dabbous.

£16.66 Alivini

Bailly-Lapierre, St-Meyland, Méthode Traditionnelle, Brut -1, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£9.15 Bibendum

Château de Rhodes, Méthode Ancestrale -1, South West France , France

Commended medal winner

£12.00 Boutinot

Feudi di San Gregorio, Dubl+, Greco, Spumante -1, Campania , Italy

Commended medal winner

Boutinot-Adria Vini, Durello, Palladiano, Spumante Brut -1, Veneto , Italy

Commended medal winner

£6.19 Boutinot

Colet, Gran Cuvée, Clàssic Penedès, Extra Brut -1, Catalonia, Spain

Commended medal winner

£12.90 Indigo Wine

Jeanjean, J&O, Piquepoul Sparkling -1, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£10.62 Molson Coors

Cleto Chiarli, Lambrusco del Fondatore 2015, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.40 Enotria&Coe

Cavicchioli & Figli, Vigna del Cristo, Lambrusco di Sorbara 2016, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.00 Laytons

Ceci, Terre Verdiane, Lambrusco Secco, Emilia -1, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.05 Eurowines