One of the most intriguing aspects of the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition is the commentary that flows from the judges — accomplished wine journalists all.
Each year, following completion of the Challenge in late May, I pore over the judges’ tasting notes and post excerpts on the web alongside the corresponding award winner.
Here is but one example, from judge Leslie Sbrocco:
Clos Du Val
Critics Platinum 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District $70.00: What draws you into this stunning wine first is the herbal complexity layered with perfectly ripe fruit flavors and integrated oak notes. Curvaceous and supple, the texture is pure velvet. – Leslie Sbrocco
Because there are thousands of wines entered and the judges have a tendency to be loquacious, the editing and posting of the comments takes a considerable amount of time, especially coming, as it does, at the same time as the annual Wine & Roses charity wine tasting and the wrap-up and subsequent move of the competition office into storage for the summer.
I am pleased to announce that the judges’ tasting notes have now been edited for brevity and have been posted in the archives of our Featured Articles section.
Judges for the 2008 Critics Challenge included WRO’s very own Mary Ewing-Mulligan (as Chief Judge), Ed McCarthy, Michael Apstein, Michael Franz, Marguerite Thomas, Paul Lukacs, Leslie Sbrocco, Linda Murphy, Patrick Comiskey and yours truly (as co-Chief Judge) along with our dear friends and colleagues Nick Passmore, Elin McCoy, Rebecca Murphy, Stephen Brook and Jon Bonne.
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