In a world, especially the wine world, where hyperbole is the default reflex of the enthusiast, it is good to remember that sometimes the wine in front of you truly is great.
So forgive me if I remain in awe of the wine that rose to the occasion Sunday and claimed the Wine of the Year award at the fourth annual Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition in San Diego. Charles Heidsieck’s 1995 Blanc des Millenaires ($180), a tetes de cuvee Champagne so rare that it has been produced in but four vintages, was the overwhelming favorite of the 13 certified sommeliers tapped to evaluate the more than 800 entries submitted to Sommelier Challenge IV.
The sommeliers tasted each wine "blind," with no knowledge of producer or price, as they steadily worked their way through Sunday’s championship round of tasting, which also determines best of show and best of category awards.
In the final vote of the competition, one sparkling wine, one red wine, one white wine and one dessert wine stood for the ultimate prize, with the Blanc des Millenaires (11 votes) easily besting Black Stallion Winery’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($65); Darcie Kent’s 2010 DeMayo Vineyard Chardonnay, Livermore Valley ($30); and Inniskillin’s Riesling Icewine VQA, Niagara Peninsula, Canada ($80).
The Blanc des Millenaires first impressed the judges with remarkable structure and complexity, but after learning that the winning wine was a 17-year-old Champagne, it was the freshness that seemed to matter most. It should be noted, too, that Charles Heidsieck’s 1995 Blanc des Millenaires was twice voted Critics Challenge Winery of the Year, the second time more than five years ago.
So it is not only a great wine, but it’s been a great wine for a very long time.
Of course, there were numerous other highlights. The judges may have ended the competition on an expensive note, but they found plenty of value gems along the way.
In the championship round, for example, the vote for best of show red wine included a delicious $16 pinot noir, the 2010 Bonterra from Mendocino County, and two malbecs for less than $12, the 2010 Finca Las Moras and the 2010 Trapiche Oak Cask, both from Argentina.
Another wine from Argentina, this one white, also caused a stir in the vote for best of show white. The Amalaya 2011 Vino Blanco de Altura ($11), an unusual blend of torrontes (85 percent) and riesling (15 percent), came within one vote of a tie for best white, which went to the Darcie Kent Chardonnay.
Other performances of note:
Bracey Vineyards, a small garagiste winery run out of North Carolina by winemaker Robert Bracey, took two platinum awards, three golds and a silver. The platinum winners were the 2009 Cuvee Rive Gauche, Bordeaux AOC ($120) and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, GF ($120) from Oakville in the Napa Valley. Bracey owns no vineyards, purchases all of his grapes and make his wines at various "custom crush" facilities in California and France. Following scrutiny of all of the results, Bracey was named Winery of the Year.
NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon also had an impressive performance, winning Best Pinot Noir (a tie) with the 2009 Jeff Gordon Cellars Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($56) and Best Merlot with the 2005 Jeff Gordon Cellars Merlot, Napa Valley ($49).
Darcie Kent, besides the best of show white award, also won platinum for its 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Rava Blackjack Vineyard, Monterey County ($18). Darcie Kent won nine medals overall.
Barboursville Vineyards is clearly one of the finest wineries in Virginia, but I would expand that praise and say it’s clear to me it is one of the finest in the United States. It won platinum for its 2009 Octagon ($40), a red Bordeaux-style blend, and gold for its 2010 Cabernet Franc Reserve ($23). But I was just as impressed with two wines from Barboursville made from Italian grape varieties, the 2009 Nebbiolo Reserve ($35) and the 2011 Vermentino Reserve ($27). These two, both delicious, won silver awards.
Moet & Chandon entered but one wine, it’s non-vintage Brut Imperial ($50), but struck gold with that one shot.
Charles Heidsieck, besides the wine of the year, won a platinum award with its non-vintage Rose Reserve ($80) and a gold with its non-vintage Brut Reserve ($65).
River Road Family Vineyards was the "value" winery of the competition, winning gold medals with three different pinot noirs priced under $20, all of them from either the Russian River Valley or Sonoma County.
All of the winning wines have been posted on the results page at SommelierChallenge.com.
A Judge’s Point of View
Sommelier Challenge IV judge Maurice DiMarino, CS, of Island Prime, part of the Cohn Restaurant Group, added his own unique perspective at his blog, Maurice’s Wine Cru. Enjoy this very nice blog post from one of those on the inside!
Email comments to [email protected] and follow Robert on Twitter @wineguru.
8