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Winner Details

White Burgundy

Usually, this is a section of the Sommelier Wine Awards that is dripping in Gold. Typically, we have to hold our tasters back, and still often end up with at least half a dozen wines on the Gold List. So the fact that we had just two this year – our smallest haul for many years – should tell you that our tasters were not exactly head over heels with what they found here.

The problem was largely in the £12-25 area where there were, simply, a lot of pretty average wines at decidedly non-average prices. The medal winners were good, and Lequin-Colin deserve credit for picking up a Gold for the fourth year on the trot. But overall, this was an atypically underwhelming performance from one of SWA’s star categories.

From The Tasting Teams


‘Consistency is the word here. If you know where to look you can find something good at any price range.’ Savvas Symeonidis, Goodman Restaurant Mayfair

‘The bottom end and top end here were superb, but the middle end was patchy, and that’s what should be going on the list.’ Angela Reddin, team leader

‘They were pretty simple, but I could find what I needed for a list from these, even if I would have preferred something with more complexity.’ Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, The Gilbert Scott Restaurant

‘I didn’t find these very exciting. They were a bit commercial, and the oak could be too obvious, though I did find some good value around the £10 mark.’ Diego Carballido, Bar Boulud at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

‘In the mid-range we didn’t find what we were expecting; you didn’t get that value for money. Burgundy is still very price sensitive, but it was the lower range here that were the most impressive.’ Matteo Furlan, The Ritz London

‘The entry level here really showed potential to go on a list. They’re approachable and show the characteristics of Burgundy.’ Lukas Nikanorovas, 20 Stories

‘There’s still a market for expensive Burgundy.’ Tom Forrest, team leader

Award winners

Found 25 wines

France: White Burgundy

Louis Jadot, Rully Blanc 2018, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

'A very expressive and pronounced wine, with good use of oak and notes of sweet spice, cream and concentrated fruit.'
Matteo Furlan, The Ritz London.

'This offers good concentration and complexity for its price point. A rich and ripe style of Burgundy with an abundance of toasty oak alongside bruised pears, peaches and apricots.'
Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards.

£15.00 Hatch Mansfield

Lequin-Colin, Santenay, Les Hâtes 2018, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

'An aromatic nose with notes of citrus, toast and fresh butter, and a vibrant palate with elegance, good length and just a touch of weight.'
Jan Konetzki, team leader.

'Great tautness and minerality here, with some sweet, ripe peach and gunmetal notes on the palate.'
James Fryer, team leader.

'An excellent wine with great depth, refreshing acidity and a long, clean finish.'
Sara Rossi, Trinity Restaurant.

£21.53 Top Selection

Famille Carabello-Baum, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2017, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Delicate oaky-toastiness is well-integrated with the fruit here, with notes of yellow apples and lemons.'
Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, The Gilbert Scott Restaurant.

'Ripe apricot, mandarin, fresh butter, vanilla and oak. Polished and elegantly creamy. A solid classic.'
Jan Konetzki, team leader.

£25.39 Jascots Wine Merchants

Famille Carabello-Baum, Meursault 2017, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Really complex and layered on the nose, with lemon curd, pastry, cream, red apple and spiced peaches, and a palate that's very well-structured. Excellent harmony, with great acidity to carry things through.'
Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards.

'Elegant and round, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, touches of cream, and good fruit concentration.'
Matteo Furlan, The Ritz London.

£46.98 Jascots Wine Merchants

Famille Carabello-Baum, Ladoix 1er Cru, Les Gréchons 2017, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Great length and complexity, with lemons, limes and vanilla, and a creamy texture.'
Immacolata Cannavo, Hakkasan Mayfair.

'Pronounced on the nose, with concentrated zesty stone and tropical fruit, along with cream, butter, brioche, nuts and sweet spices, with a long-lasting finish and some saline minerality.'
Savvas Symeonidis, Goodman Restaurant Mayfair.

£64.27 Jascots Wine Merchants

Bouchard Aîné & Fils, Mâcon Villages 2018, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Crunchy, fresh stone fruit, with some good acidity and concentration.'
Savvas Symeonidis, Goodman Restaurant Mayfair.

'A good wine with ripe fruit characteristics such as white peach, white apples and white pear. Lovely and refreshing, this is ready to drink now.'
Sara Rossi, Trinity Restaurant.

£12.14 Matthew Clark

La Compagnie de Burgondie, La Cave d'Azé, Macon-Villages 2018, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'Fresh lemon, peach and apricot, and a creamy element too, with high acidity.'
Savvas Symeonidis, Goodman Restaurant Mayfair.

'Warm peach, pineapple and melon notes, with some stony minerality leading to a fresh finish with some oak spices.'
Tom Forrest, team leader.

£7.73 Majestic Commercial

Joseph Drouhin, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2018, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'With notes of peach and apricot kernel, and a stone, mineral finish, this is a crowd-pleaser that's not too ripe and not too lean. It would sell well on a restaurant list.'
James Fryer, team leader.

'Pears and peaches, and a touch of floral too, with oak spice joining to knit a complex nose with loads of underlying minerality. The palate's generous, with notes of ripe stone fruit, and more oak, with superb lift and an elegant finish.'
Chris Delalonde MS, The Dorchester.

£13.93 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Baron Thenard, Givry Blanc, 1er Cru Cellier Moines 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'A creamy and generous style, with oak and lees well handled.'
Joshua Castle, Noble Rot.

'A very fine example, with good balance of fruit and acidity, and just enough oak.'
Lukas Nikanorovas, 20 Stories.

'Warm vanilla and oak spice, with pineapple and melon fruit, and a lemon finish.'
Tom Forrest, team leader.

£19.50 Top Selection

Lequin-Colin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Clos devant 2018, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

'A layered and attractive nose of white flowers, butter, grapefruit, peaches and lemons, while the palate is very fresh and clean. An attractive style of Burgundy with some years ahead of it.'
Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards.

'This has a creamy, buttery texture with yellow apples, white pepper and a slightly toasty aroma. Very complex and well-balanced.'
Sara Rossi, Trinity Restaurant.

£31.04 Top Selection

Louis Jadot, Domaine de La Grange Magnien, Mâcon-Villages 2018, Burgundy , France

Bronze medal winner

'Really good value for money, with white pear and vanilla stone fruit flavours.'
Immacolata Cannavo, Hakkasan Mayfair.

'Creamy vanilla, pineapple and peach, with some green apple too, and warming baking spices from the oak.'
Tom Forrest, team leader.

'Fresh crunchy lemon and peach notes, with refreshing acidity.'
Savvas Symeonidis, Goodman Restaurant Mayfair.

£11.42 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Domaine des Vignes Bleues, Montagny 1er Cru 2016, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

'Notes of light guava and white flowers on the nose, and a fresh, bright palate with nice fruit and a taut mineral flow.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'Delicate notes of apple and lemon zest, with a nice mineral touch, and some good creaminess on the palate. Precise, lean and very well-balanced.'
Matteo Furlan, The Ritz London.

£14.23 Bibendum

Laurent Boussey, Monthelie Blanc 2016, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

'A spicy, savoury oak nose, with some baked apple and lemon curd, while the palate's more mineral, with lightly spiced apple cake.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'A really good wine, with dried apricot, nuts, candid lemon and marzipan, as well as wet stones. Rich and matured.'
Matteo Furlan, The Ritz London.

£22.44 Top Selection

Edouard Delaunay, Septembre, Chardonnay 2018, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£12.83 Matthew Clark

Domaine Jean-Pierre Sève, Mâcon-Solutré 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Jean-Pierre Sève, Pouilly-Fuissé Terroirs 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Ferret, Pouilly-Fuissé 2018, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£19.49 Hatch Mansfield

Louis Jadot, Château des Jacques, Beaujolais Blanc 2018, Beaujolais, France

Commended medal winner

Jean-Claude Boisset, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Organic 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£16.95 Liberty Wines

Moillard-Grivot, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2018, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£10.83 Great Grog

Gouffier, Cuvée Madeleine, Bourgogne Blanc 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Robert-Denogent, Mâcon-Villages, Les Sardines 2017, Maconnais, France

Commended medal winner

£18.70 Bibendum

Domaine Robert-Denogent, Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Cras 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£32.87 Bibendum Wine

Laurent Boussey, Meursault Vieilles Vignes 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£30.34 Top Selection

Domaine de la Chapelle, Pouilly Fuisse, Aux Bouthieres 2017, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner