Eve's Wine 101

Vinitaly International Academy Welcomes 21 Italian Wine Ambassadors

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) The 23rd edition of Vinitaly International Academy was a joyful week full of intensive learning experiences, networking, tasting, studying, and a little bit of good old panic. VIA is the gold standard of Italian wine education and this year showed off the course to its fullest potential. With the in-person return of both faculty members, Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar IWE, the course rebounded from COVID restrictions with a subscription of over 50 international students and a tasting list over three days that encompassed close to 140 wines in preparation for a grueling exam that has a typical pass rate of 25%.

This edition of VIA saw an enthusiastic, passionate and seriously studious group of selected students with a broad base of experience in the wine sector spanning buyers, retailers, educators, writers, enthusiasts, sommeliers, and those very new to the world of Italian wine. VIA aims to create the longest table, welcoming everyone who is curious about Italian wine to join the conversation.

The course offers students a hybrid learning format, with a series of online lectures in preparation for the in-person event in Verona, where students are immediately immersed in the Italian wine world, with unique experiences such as an opportunity to taste the wine of the historic families of Valpolicella at the famous Antica Bottega del Vino at a private event, as well as master classes hosted by various wine consortiums from all over Italy. Professor Attilio Scienza, the VIA scientific advisor, also attended the course and delivered spectacular lectures with up to the minute research in vine DNA and history, specifically for the benefit of VIA students.

Students faced a challenging 4-part exam on Thursday 7 April, which resulted in the inauguration of 21 new Italian Wine Ambassadors, the most successful class to date. Congratulations to all the participants, all of whom have now become members of the VIA family, intent upon spreading the love for Italian wine across the globe.

The list of Italian Wine Ambassadors, Verona Flagship Class of 2022: Peggy Baudon, Bev Bourdin, Julian Di Donato, Noell Dorsey, Jodie Hellman, Cedric Izri, Elissar Kurban, Jules Lamon, Chunxia Liu, Michael Markarian, Hee Sung Park, Gabby Rossouw, Christpher Sachs, Thomas Sartori, Erik Schneider, Rodrigo A. Sepulveda Schulz, Emiliano Stratico, Scott Thomas, Jessica van der Schee, Ezra Wicks, Ashlee Brianne Howell.

About: Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) aims to be the gold standard of Italian wine education. It offers a complete educational path with standardized courses that will teach professionals and educators to master the diversity of Italian wine in a rigorous, organized manner. VIA’s main objective is to foster a global network of highly qualified professionals such as Italian Wine Ambassadors and Italian Wine Experts: in turn, they will support and promote Italian wine throughout the world. VIA was founded by Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. The new VIA ecosystem avails of the guidance of Italian trade associations Federdoc, Federvini, Vignaioli Indipendenti FIVI, and Unione Italiana Vini as members of the Institutional Advisory Board. Italian vine genetics scholar, Prof. Attilio Scienza, oversees VIA’s scientific and educational direction as the Chief Scientist. VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar teach the flagship Italian Wine Ambassador course. To date there are 292 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.

Sunset Magazine Partners with Wine Access to Launch the Sunset Wine Club

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NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Wine Access, the premier online destination for expertly curated wines, has partnered with Sunset Magazine, the premier resource for achieving the ultimate Western lifestyle, to launch the Sunset Wine Club. The Sunset Wine Club will provide members with wines that represent the poetry and history of California, Oregon and Washington, each hand-selected to perfectly pair with recipes from Sunset Magazine’s latest issue, which hit newsstands February 1.

“The Sunset Wine Club is aligned with our mission to connect people and place through wine through a direct integration with the renowned content and recipes Sunset Magazine produces,” explains Wine Access CXO AJ Resnick. “Every wine is hand-selected to shine alongside each issue’s recipes, and features exclusive tasting notes and guided virtual tastings with our Chief Wine Officer Vanessa Conlin, MW and Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey.”

“The Sunset Wine Club is the culmination of a longtime dream of ours,” states Sunset Magazine Editor-in-Chief Hugh Garvey. “We seek out the best of the West to share with our readers and we are excited to partner with an expert retailer like Wine Access, who understands both our mission and our audience. These wines have been expertly curated to amplify our regionally authentic, original recipes, so with every bottle you open and sip you take, you are not only receiving a wine shipment, but partaking firsthand in the story of the wine in the West.”

The Sunset Wine Club includes six bottles of wine which will be delivered four times a year. Each shipment is priced at $120 (shipping included) and corresponds with the Sunset Magazine “Perfect Pairing” sidebar in each issue. For more information, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/sunset.

About Wine Access
Founded in 1996, Wine Access is the leading online direct-to-consumer wine platform offering the world’s most coveted wines. As one of the earliest adopters of ecommerce and DTC offerings in the digital wine space, Wine Access curates high quality wines from every wine region around the globe, creating more accessible ways to enjoy wine that extend beyond the bottle. Wine Access’ Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and team of industry experts taste over 20,000 wines a year, offering only those that exceed the expectations defined by their prices. Through Wine Access’ network of family-owned, legendary winemakers, and coveted marquees, customers have access to an inspiring curation of unique and often unattainable wines. To build a deeper understanding and connection to each bottle, every shipment includes original tasting notes, flavor profiles, pairing recommendations, and compelling original stories that capture the authentic personality, passion, and philosophy of the producer. Wine Access also offers a Wine Club membership that unlocks access to rare and highly coveted wine selections from every major wine-growing region around the globe four times a year. In 2021, Wine Access was named the official wine provider of the MICHELIN Guide. To find out more, visit https://www.wineaccess.com/.

Carter Creek Winery Racks Up 12 Awards at TXIWC

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JOHNSON CITY, Texas – Carter Creek Winery, located in the heart of Texas Hill Country and owned by the Carter Family, accepted 12 awards at one of the largest wine competitions in Texas – the 5th Annual Texas International Wine Competition (TXIWC). The mission of this yearly competition is to highlight Texas as a prominent viticulture and wine-making region while also raising funds for charitable donations for local community organizations.

Entries from six countries and over 11 U.S. states were blind tasted and judged by panels of three or more industry qualified judges – master sommeliers, masters of wine, certified wine educators, enologists, wine writers, professors, beverage directors, buyers and other influencers – all chosen for their vast experience and well-trained palates.

“We are most pleased that 12 of our Texas High Plains wines from Carter Creek Family Winery won distinguished recognition at TXIWC and especially proud our Plateau Red was awarded Best of Class Texas Red,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, operating company of Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. “We too, like the organizers of this competition, are passionate about bringing recognition to Texas viticulture and supporting local community causes,” Carter added.

Veteran master winemaker Jon McPherson, who oversees production of Carter Creek’s award-winning wines, points out the winery’s vineyards in Texas Hill Country produce varietals that are especially unique because of the combination of an extremely warm growing season and an early harvest delivering softer, earth driven wines. McPherson likes to talk about the qualities of Best of Class Texas Red winner, Plateau Red, which is a blend of tempranillo, grenache, touriga nacional and tinta cao, showing a very exotic fruit aroma of spiced black cherries and raspberries. He says that Plateau Red is a rich, full-bodied wine due to 18 months of barrel aging and pleases the palate with bold lingering fruit flavors.

The 12 Carter Creek Winery, Texas High Plains award winners include the Best of Class Texas Red, one double gold, two gold and eight silver medals. Award winning wines include:

  • Best of Class Texas Red Wine Blend: Plateau Red, 2016
  • Double Gold Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2018
  • Gold Medal White Wine Blend: Gloriosa, 2017
  • Gold Medal Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2017
  • Silver Medal Sparkling White: Brut, NV
  • Silver Medal Dessert, Port: Dominum Tinto, NV
  • Silver Medal Other Flavored Grape Wine: Sangria, NV
  • Silver Medal Sparkling Fruit: Sparkling Peach, NV
  • Silver Medal Red: Tempranillo, 2016
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Plateau White, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2018

Producing award-winning wines since 2016, Carter Creek Winery’s production facilities are in Johnson City along Old Hwy 290 in Texas Hill Country, complementing Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa features 78 luxury villas, tasting rooms, a restaurant, its own onsite microbrewery creating small batch craft beers and an outdoor event center. It is a counterpart to Temecula, California’s award-winning South Coast Winery Resort & Spa and Carter Estate Winery and Resort.

 About Carter Hospitality Group

Established in 2011, Carter Hospitality Group, LLC. is a family-owned hospitality company with four hotels and resorts as well as three wineries across the United States. Based in Orange County, California, the company manages and owns a portfolio of luxury properties including South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California; Carter Estate Winery and Resort, Temecula California; and Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa, Texas Hill Country. Carter Hospitality Group additionally serves as the owner-franchisee for Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Orlando Florida. For more information, visit www.carterhospitality.com.

Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening Event Is Back With 2022 Edition In Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) – The Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, the association representing over 500 wineries in Piedmont, Italy, is pleased to announce the second annual edition of Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening in Los Angeles. The upcoming event will feature the most recently released vintages of Barolo and Barbaresco, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is a unique occasion to learn more about the two iconic red wines of Piedmont. Through this comprehensive event, the consortium aims to increase awareness and build excitement in the United States market by providing direct encounters with the most influential wines of these famous appellations.

BBWO 2022 will begin on April 28th with a preview tasting for Master of Wine, critics, sommeliers and journalists from Europe and the United States to analyze the overall quality of the 2018 and 2019 vintages. The tasting will be followed by an exclusive gala reception in Hollywood at Paramount Pictures Studios, featuring a celebration of Piedmontese food and wine culture.

On April 29th, at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, over 150 producers will present their Barolo and Barbaresco wines to press, trade, and consumers with a walk-around tasting. Both the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellation wines will be poured during the tasting, as well as select single-vineyard labels.

“After the tremendous success of the inaugural event, we are thrilled to return to the United States with the second edition in Los Angeles this year,” said Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consortium. “The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is an incredible opportunity to present our wines, our traditional food and our culture to the most influential wine personalities in the United States, ​​our highest-volume export market.”

The renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines, often called the “king and queen” of the Langhe region where they are made, are produced from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes. Age-worthy and complex, these wines have a long history of production in Piedmont and express the nuances of the region’s microclimates. In addition to the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellations, producers may use the term MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) on qualifying labels to indicate single-vineyard bottlings. The Grand Tasting will feature an area dedicated to these MGA wines.

The Langhe region, situated in the southern part of the Piedmont region between the Alps and the Apennines mountains, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the cultural history of its vineyard-covered hills, a manifestation of wine traditions that have evolved since pre-Roman times, yet remain central to the daily economic activity and social life of the region. The region’s distinctive microclimates and unique geological soil types can be tasted in the glass year-after-year, making the Langhe home to some of the world’s most respected wines, among them Barolo and Barbaresco. To uphold the quality of these wines and its land, the Consortium maintains strict agriculture guidelines, such as the yield per hectare planting regulations set in 2011.

The event will also include cheeses of Fontina Valle d’Aosta PDO, and rice of Biella and Vercelli Barraggia PDO. Over two days, participants will have the chance to take a culinary journey to Italy, tasting Barolo and Barbaresco wines paired with Fontina PDO cheeses and risotto prepared with Baraggia rice. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening event is part of the European campaign “Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table,” created to increase awareness of these three PDO products in the United States market.

For more information about the Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening events, contact BBWOevents@colangelopr.com, for media inquiries contact merland@colangelopr.com.

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About Top Tales: Top Tales is a project supported by the European Union aimed at promoting Fontina DOP from Valle d’Aosta, Rice di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese DOP, as well as the DOCG’s Barolo and Barbaresco. The European communication campaign Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table, is designed to increase the awareness of the three DOP products in the United States market.

About the Consorzio Di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe E Dogliani: Founded in 1934 and representing 537 wine producers across multiple appellations, the Consortium is committed to the management, protection, and promotion of the Langhe, Alba, and Dogliani wine denomination. The Consortium ensures high quality by a set of formal production guidelines for the entire winemaking process, from agronomy to market surveillance. The Consortium continues to perform periodic sampling of wine products on the market to prevent fraud and to protect the wines’ authentication and reputation. Barolo & Barbaresco are registered trademarks in many countries throughout the world.

About Consorzio Tutela Fontina: The Consortium was created in 1957 to protect Fontina DOP, its production and distribution. The entity releases the Fontina DOP trademark on every wheel of Fontina produced following the Consortium’s rules.

About Consorzio Tutela Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese: the rice from Biella and Vercelli was awarded the PDO status in 2007 after the European Union verified its unique quality and nutritional characteristics. Today, the denomination covers 22,000 ha of paddy fields across 28 communes.

The New Masters of Wine Virtually Explore Tuscany

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TUSCANY, ITALY (PRWEB) – Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi, and Gabriele Gorelli, Montalcino native and the first Italian Master of Wine, hosted this year’s newly appointed Masters of Wine, in a guided virtual tasting on the terroir and flavors of Tuscany’s most important denominations, across the 7 iconic estates of the historic Frescobaldi winery. The annual event is intended to support the Masters of Wine as they continue their careers as Italian ambassadors of wine and provide ongoing education, insights and dialogue.
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The virtual tasting and tour explored the hills of Castello Pomino, the maritime climate of Tenuta Ammiraglia’s Maremma, the island of Gorgona, quintessential Chianti Classico in Tenuta Perano, the family’s history in Tenuta Castiglioni, the surprising international blend in the Chianti Rufina of Castello Nipozzano, and finally timeless elegance of Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta CastelGiocondo.

“We like to think of Frescobaldi as an authentic agricultural reality that has allowed us to truly represent Tuscany through the different estates,” says Lamberto Frescobaldi, “This fortune has always reminded us of the importance of sharing our experience and the beauty of the land we have lived in and cultivated for generations. This is why we decided to organize this virtual trip dedicated to people that we consider as important ambassadors of wine culture in the world.
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A moment of togetherness and an encounter that has been more special thanks to the presence of Gabriele Gorelli, the first Italian Master of Wine, who shares our origins and love for Tuscany.”

“It was an honor and pleasure for me to be able to share the story of my native land through an ideal motorcycle trip across the Frescobaldi estates,” adds Gabriele Gorelli MW, “Most importantly, it was my great joy to have accompanied my fellow Masters of Wine who have travelled a tough and challenging road. It is surprising how great ideas can arise from an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. I wish that welcoming the new MW can become a new tradition for Frescobaldi.”

The event was well received by the attending Masters of Wine and is planned to take place annually for the new class of MWs to fully discover the richness of Tuscan territory and its wine production.

Two rare bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot by the Jewish Zimmerman family to be offered at auction

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Two bottles of incredibly rare 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot from Hungary’s most renowned wine region Tokaj and from the most famous family to produce it, will be offered in Dreweatts Fine and Rare Wine and Spirits sale on July 8, 2021. The Tokaji Blend is a term used to describe the varietal composition of the revered wines of Tokaj, Hungary and the area and vineyard, which have an impassioned history, centred around the first winemakers of the region, the Jewish Zimmerman family. 

This photo is NOT of the wines in this auction, it is just to give you an idea and photo credit goes to FinestAndRarest.com

The Zimmermann family were wealthy Jewish landowners, creating the region’s legendary sweet wine from first-growth vineyards from the 19thcentury until World War II. They had numerous vineyards across Tokaj and approximately 60 cellars and lived in an elegant townhouse in Mád, as well as having a second residence in Abaújszántó. Highly successful, their wines were prized, receiving several gold medals at competitions in Berlin in 1892 and Paris in 1896. The company continued to flourish with offices in Budapest, Berlin, Katowice, London and New York, until the occupation of Hungary by Germany in 1944. It was then under General Dome Sztojay and SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann that 437,402 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz, amongst them the Zimmerman family, in an attempt to eradicate the last intact Jewish community in occupied Europe. The vineyards were left to fall into disrepair and eventually taken over by the communist state when Hungary fell to the Red Army in 1945 and communism ruled until the 1980s.

It was in 1990 following the fall of communism, that the first foreign investor in the region purchased the land and vineyards. British wine writer Hugh Johnson acquired it from more than 60 individuals, who had bought it when it was privatized some years before. In doing so, he founded the winery known as Royal Tokaji, which has established itself as one of Hungary’s most foremost wineries. The region of Tokaj was also designated a world heritage site in 2002.

In June 2016, six descendants of the Zimmerman family’s holocaust survivors unveiled two plaques at the front of the headquarters of the Royal Tokaji wineries in Hungary, recognizing the family’s unequivocal link to the history of winemaking in the region and in tribute to the Jewish community there that lost their lives.

The first plaque reads: This was the home of Miklos and Blanka Zimmermann and their two children and the second notes the former home of Lajos and Margit Zimmerman. The signs also go on to note the Zimmerman family’s long history of involvement in: the cultivation, production and marketing of Tokaji wines, since the early 1800s. 

The two bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot being offered for sale at Dreweatts are therefore exceptionally rare and are almost a slice of history. Mark Roberston, Head of the Wine department at Dreweatts says, “One can almost distil the political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th century through Tokaji” and regarding the wine itself he comments; “The free run juice of the aszu grapes can take 6 or 7 years to ferment fully to a maximum 3-7%. This supernatural concentration of sweetness is beautifully married with an unusual level of acidity creating a wine that can age effortlessly across the centuries. Traditionally served on a crystal spoon, what an experience awaits”.
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Michael Broadbent, MW describes it as follows, “Several consistent notes. Most memorably, on my first visit to Budapest in 1972, with Josef Dömöter, Head of the Hungarian Wine Trust and Fred May, the UK Monimpex importer. Neither had ever tasted an old Eszencia before.
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I opened it in Herr Dömöter’s office, to great wonder and satisfaction, and took the remaining half the following morning to Tokaj, where, in Tarcal, I had lunch with the technical Head of the Research Institute for Viticulture. He didn’t like it! Briefly: a deep, warm amber; glorious fragrance, rich, chocolatey, spicy; sweet of course, plump, concentrated taste of singed sultanas, excellent acidity. Last tasted in Leiden Nov 1982 *****”

Mark Robertson concludes, “These are important bottles and I hope they are enjoyed with a chink of the glass to the man and his family who made them”. They carry an estimate of £500-£1,000 per 500 ml bottle and will be sold in two separate lots.

The production of Cavas de Guarda Superior of the D.O. Cava will be 100% organic by 2025

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Spain’s most exported Designation of Origin announces a turning point in sustainability as a result of its new regulations, the most demanding in the world for quality sparkling wines made using the traditional method.

The new Master of Wine, Álvaro Ribalta, moderated a pioneering roundtable focused on organic and biodynamic viticulture and oenology in Cava, a joint effort by D.O. Cava to “guarantee the conservation of the territory and the future of the sector for generations to come”.

Vilafranca del Penedès, April 2021 – The D.O. Cava has announced today that by 2025 the production of Cavas de Guarda Superior, a category of the highest quality that includes Cavas Reserva (minimum 18 months of ageing), Gran Reserva (minimum 30 months of ageing) and Cavas de Paraje Calificado (from a specific area and with a minimum of 36 months of ageing), will be 100% organic.

This milestone is the result of the demanding new regulations that the D.O. Cava has introduced, the most exacting standards in the world for quality D.O. sparkling wines made using the strict traditional method. With their enforcement, the D.O. Cava strengthens its qualitative foundations by committing to 100% organic, long aging, vineyards with a minimum age of 10 years, production limited to 10,000 kilos of grapes per hectare, mention of the year of harvest on the bottle, and rigorous traceability (guaranteed from grape harvesting to bottling).

All these controls aim to ensure the conservation of the territory and the future of the sector for generations to come, consolidating the growing trend of organic wine, which is also gaining more importance within D.O. Cava itself. Javier Pagés, president, confirms that “D.O. Cava is evolving. The number of bottles of organic Cava produced has now reached 13,780,711 units, 34.09% of which corresponds to Premium organic Cava.” He highlights the considerable effort of the D.O. in promoting organic production. “We know that both the consumer and the market are demanding it. This care and preservation of the territory is something with which we identify closely.”

The Cava D.O. towards organic production, for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world

The D.O. Cava’s firm commitment to ecology and biodynamics was reflected at a recent roundtable discussion “The D.O. Cava towards organic production, for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world,” moderated by Álvaro Ribalta Master of Wine.

During the session, in which five organic and biodynamic wineries from DO Cava took part, representing the wide range of the appellation, the most important aspects of ecology applied to the vineyard and winery were analyzed, from soil management to marketing, concluding that its benefits are extraordinary.

Special emphasis was placed on relevant issues already being actively discussed in D.O. Cava, such as the conservation and development of terroirs, biodiversity and landscapes, responsible water management, and the measurement and reduction of the carbon dioxide footprint or greenhouse gases that affect global warming. The benefits of using recyclable and compostable materials in both bottles and packaging (recycled paper, non-polluting inks and plant-based plastics, among others) were also addressed.

The speakers who brought their considerable experience and knowledge to the roundtable were Eva Plazas (Vilarnau oenologist), Mireia Pujol-Busquets (Alta Alella assistant manager), Salvi Moliner (Oriol Rossell oenologist), Marta Casas (Parés Baltà oenologist), Toni Cantos (Juvé & Camps oenology director) and Isabel Vidal (vine and wine sector spokesperson for the agricultural union, Joves Agricultors i Ramaders de Catalunya).

D.O. Cava, committed to origin, land and sustainability

With more than 60% of sales to the international market, Cava is the Spanish D.O. that exports the most wine: its 370 associated wineries are present in over 100 countries. The D.O. encompasses more than 38,000 hectares of vineyards and more than 6,800 winegrowers. Cava harmonizes perfectly with every type of gastronomy, and is made using the traditional method, with a strict commitment to origin, land, and sustainability. 

Web: Cava.wine

Facebook: facebook.com/do.cava

Instagram: instagram.com/Cava.do/

Twitter: twitter.com/DO_Cava

YouTube: youtube.com/c/doCava

Champagne Magazine’s 100 Best Champagnes for 2021!

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SAN FRANCISCO /PRNewswire/ — For the tenth time, the world’s one and only Champagne Magazine and world’s largest wine information platform Tastingbook.com, put hundreds of champagnes in line and ranked the 100 best champagnes on global markets for 2021.

After days of blind-tasting hundreds of champagnes, the final results were tabulated. Any champagne making it into the Top 100 in the rigorous tasting by our editorial board can warmly be recommended.

This time the winner was one of the most esteemed prestige blanc de blancs champagne of the world – Comtes de Champagne from Taittinger and its most recent vintage 2008. Comtes de Champagne is not the newcomer on podium, as it was claimed in 2012 as the winner of 100 Best Champagnes with its vintage 2000.

“The recently-released and much-awaited Comtes de Champagne 2008 was one of the last remaining prestige cuvées from the hyped 2008 vintage to see daylight. But it was worth the wait. The first nose is radiantly fruity with gorgeous gunpowdery toastiness lingering on top of the zingy lemon, lime, peach and grass notes. Remarkable purity and finesse on this racey and mineral, slowly evolving, still super youthful Comtes packed with energy and tension,” Essi Avellan MW comments.

The second place was shared this year by two great new cuvees – Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle No. 24 and Dom Pérignon 2010. Both very solid and concentrated, still babies but drinking perfectly well already.

Although the top ten list is dominated by the well-established prestige champagnes, there are two superb finds – Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV and Palmer & Co Vintage 2012.

The quality of all the top 100 champagnes was pleasingly high – over 70 champagnes were rated by 90 points and plus, and the average scores of the top 10 was highest ever – 95 points!

The 100 Best Champagnes tasting is an annual rating of Fine Champagne Magazine that is organised in collaboration with the world’s largest wine information source Tastingbook.com.

FINE Champagne’s TOP 10 champagnes for 2021
1. Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008
2. Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle No. 24
3. Dom Pérignon 2010
4. Maison Mumm Cuvée Lalou 2006
5. Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2007
6. Moët & Chandon MCIII 001.14
7. Louis Roederer Cristal 2012
8. Rare Champagne Rosé Millésime 2008
9. Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature
10. Palmer & Co Vintage 2012

Previous winners:
2020 Dom Pérignon 2008
2018 Dom Pérignon Rosé 2006
2017 Moët & Chandon MCIII 001.14 NV
2016 Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle NV
2015 Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé 2002
2014 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2002
2013 Charles Heidsieck Vintage 2000
2012 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2000
2011 Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002
2010 Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV

FINE Champagne magazine’s aim with this annual ranking is to taste the vast offering on the international markets in order to select the champagnes that are showing best this very moment. The most important criterion is the quality of the champagne and its accessibility today.

More information: tastingbook.com