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Winner Details

FRANCE: Red Burgundy

2019 GOLD: 6      SILVER: 3      BRONZE: 4      COMMENDED: 6
2018 GOLD: 1      SILVER: 5      BRONZE: 1      COMMENDED: 8

Pardon our French, but sometimes a region just needs a damn good kick up the derrière. Last year, Burgundy’s rouges managed just one solitary Gold – and that went to a Gamay. Pinot Noir, having swanned around being told how marvellous it was and expecting to be swathed in medals just for turning up, simply failed to deliver.

This year, stung into action, this most infuriating grape variety (and, frankly, wine style) reminded our tasters what it can do when it really puts its mind to it. Doubtless helped by the high-quality 2015 and 2016 vintages, there were some really wonderful wines here.

Admittedly, not many of them would make it on to a wine list much below £100, so if your venue is a gastropub this section is probably more window-shopping than realistic purchase option, but sometimes it’s OK just to savour the class.

This was red Burgundy’s best performance ever in the Sommelier Wine Awards. So good, in fact, that it almost outdid its blanc sister. Almost, but not quite. Something to shoot for next year.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘I don’t think Burgundy has anything to worry about. They’re still market leaders, and this was a fantastic flight. There’s not a lot of value here, but the quality is there, and there was a varied selection in terms of price.’ Andres Ituarte, team leader

‘There were very good examples across the styles, and very consistent winemaking. These were all made without too much winemaking, with good integration of wood, and some showing a lot of complexity, especially at the top end. These really showed what Burgundy is all about.’ Andre Luis Martins, Cavalry & Guards Club

‘It took us a long time to taste our flight, there’s so much going on. I expected complexity, and it was there. The prices were a bit high – but we know that.’ Laurent Richet MS, team leader

‘The most expensive wines were really good – nice structure, tannins, violets. I’m happy to pay lots of money for them.’ Chiara Sieni, Bottles Group

 

Award winners

Found 19 wines

France: Red Burgundy

Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Cru, Celebration 2012, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

Showing all the hallmarks of a Gold winner, this had ‘crunchy red fruits with high acids, as well as some scorched earth and minerality’, thought team leader Andres Ituarte, who added that it was ‘showing some development’. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club spoke highly of its ‘fresh raspberry notes and floral aromas, as well as ripe fruit with firm tannins, all leading to a gentle, spiced finish’.

£27.71 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Château de Pommard, Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

‘Classy stuff,’ began Sommelier Wine Awards competition director Chris Losh, as this took home a well-deserved Gold, going on to praise its ‘perfumed, elegant red fruit with an attractive savoury core’, and adding that ‘the tannins are still present, but you can drink this now – or any time over the next 20 years’. ‘I loved the complexity here,’ added Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav, who thought that ‘food-wise it’s very flexible, but it would be at its best with something gamey like partridge’.

£82.12 VIVANT INC

Domaine Pierre Naigeon, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Les Fontenys 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

A Gold medal was inevitable for this ‘mineral, well-balanced and extremely elegant’ wine, thought House of Sake’s Honami Matsumoto, who went on to describe ‘red berries and a savoury element’. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair agreed, finding ‘ripe fruit notes of cherry and strawberry, along with a woody note and some plum jam’, while team leader Andres Ituarte appreciated its ‘soft, warm humidor notes’. Describing ‘fresh mint and raspberry’, Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club praised its ‘complex body and very fine, elegant finish’.

£80.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine René Monnier, Beaune 1er Cru, Les Toussaints 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

On encountering this Gold winner, team leader Andrés Ituarte was impressed by its 'tart red fruits that are feminine and fresh, leading to violets and earthy notes and with a warm, Spanish cedar finish, while Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair found it to be a 'dry, very balanced wine, with rich tannins, cherries and black plum’. She also appreciated the complex and woody notes from the barrel, describing them as ‘a bit farmyard’.

£35.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Bouchard Aîné & Fils, Côte de Beaune-Villages 2016, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

One of a pair of well-deserved medals for Bouchard Aîné & Fils in this year’s competition, this Gold Lister was ‘ripe and smoky, with some herbal complexity, and leather notes, too’, according to Sonal Clare of Purnell’s Restaurant. Team leader Laurent Richet MS, meanwhile, had praise for its ‘intensity on the nose, with flowers and bright cherry notes, leading to an incredibly punchy palate that’s long, structured and balanced’, before adding that it would ‘definitely age well’.

£19.70 Matthew Clark

Domaine Lupé-Cholet, Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

Team leader Laurent Richet MS was among the judges who elevated this to Gold amid praise for its ‘deep, concentrated aromas of ripe black cherries and red plums, leading to a beautiful texture with savoury tannins and hints of spice and cedar’. Consultant Anja Breit was similarly impressed, describing ‘velvety, dark berry fruit and well-integrated oak, with a minty, herbal element and a juicy palate’ that meant it could ‘match strong meat dishes like beef bourguignon’.

£26.57 Enotria&Coe

Château de Pommard, Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘Bright, briary fruit, with real concentration,’ began team leader Andres Ituarte, who thought that this was ‘a lovely wine, but it’s just not ready to drink yet’. ‘A very smart wine for a few years’ time,’ agreed fellow team leader Martin Lam.

£85.37 VIVANT INC

Domaine Lupé-Cholet, Volnay 2013, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘The vibrant, cherry aromas mingle with gentle fresh cassis fruit with notes of clove, leading to a long elegant finish,’ said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club. ‘Nice, toasty notes on the finish – this is very good,’ added team leader Andres Ituarte.

£33.48 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Lupé-Cholet, Nuits-St-Georges 2013, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group liked the ‘tobacco aromas on the nose mixed with herbal nuances’, and went on to describe a palate with ‘black cherry and pepper spice with a smoky note of leather and good structure’.

£35.35 Enotria&Coe

Louis Jadot, Santenay Clos de Gatsulard 2013, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘This is pretty and feminine,’ thought team leader Andres Ituarte, ‘the bright red fruits though are balanced with some stalky tannin, which helps to showcase the terroir’.

£18.75 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Famille Carabello-Baum, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

This had, according to Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav, ‘an attractive perfumed nose with a taut palate’.

£22.88 VIVANT INC

Domaine René Monnier, Pommard les Vignots 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Laurent Richet MS was impressed: ‘Perfumed with ripe black cherry, cedar and vanilla aromas, this leads you to a voluptuous palate. Delectable and delicious there are notes of cherry, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and spice.The finish is long.’

£36.33 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine Lupé-Cholet, 1er Cru les Crots, Nuits-St-Georges 2013, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Andres Ituarte found ‘dry pot-pourri floral notes mixed with red fruit flavours; there is a slight green note but also a nice earthy, long finish; unquestionably well made.’

£45.09 Enotria&Coe

David Duband, Bourgogne Rouge 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£17.41 Top Selection

Maison Champy, Beaune 1er Cru, Aux Cras 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£40.38 ADVINI

Maison Champy, Pernand-Vergelesses 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£27.33 ADVINI

Domaine de Monterrain, Mâcon-Serrières 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Régis Rossignol-Changarnier, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2014, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£17.91 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Régis Rossignol-Changarnier, Volnay 1er Cru 2014, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£31.16 Enotria&Coe