Wine Explorers tasting: results announced

The jury’s top five white wines

The results from the first ever tasting of the Wine Explorers project, which has so far seen over 2,250 wines tasted after a 180,000km journey, have been announced.

It began in January 2014 as a three-year adventure to scour the globe – from Peru to Ethiopia to South Korea with many points in between – to uncover the most obscure winegrowing regions.

The Wine Explorers project, conceived by 30-year-old globe-trotting wine enthusiast Jean-Baptiste Ancelot, aims to visit 250 wine regions and 1,500 vineyards to yield an inventory of every wine-producing country in the world.

With the project now at its halfway stage, with 180,000km travelled and more than 2,250 wines tasted, the results from the first ever Wine Explorers’ World Wine Tasting have now been announced.

On June 16 seven wine experts (Patrick Schmitt MW, Debra Meiburg MW, oenologist Jean-Claude Berrouet, Château d’Yquem cellar master Sandrine Garbay, Château Palmer
CEO Thomas Duroux, consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and Duclot purchasing manager Rachid Drissi) convened at the Duclot dining room at 49 Cours Xavier Arnozan in Bordeaux to taste wines from 12 countries.

Jean-Baptiste said: “The idea was not to judge these wines, but to assess the potential of each of the selected wine regions and discuss the notion of terroir.” To that end, some wines were tasted conventionally while others were served blind.

The jury’s top five white wines 

1 – Aruga Branca Pipa 2009, Katsunuma Jozo Winery, JAPAN

A 100% Koshu aged for six months in French oak, then two years in bottle. Judges found this a “delicate and subtle” wine with complex notes of vanilla and acacia and a slight smokiness. A food pairing of fish and beurre blanc was suggested.

2 – Virtude Chardonnay 2013, Salton, BRAZIL

A 100% chardonnay aged for six months in French and American oak, the wine had a fresh nose with some floral notes, with pleasant acidity on the palate. A wine that “displays some personality”, judges said, suggesting a pairing of tagliatelle with salmon.

3 – Vignoble du Marathonien Vendange Tardive 2012, Quebec, CANADA

A 100% noble-rot Vidal, was judged a “beautiful wine – dense, rich and sweet but still harmonious” with a “pretty nose” of pineapple, apricot and mango”. A pairing of vanilla ice cream and hazelnut feuillantine was suggested.

4 – Rüppel’s Parrot Colombard 2013, Kristall Kellerei, NAMIBIA


A majority Colombard blend with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin, this was
”a very aromatic wine – light and pleasant – that seduced by its ‘drinkability’,” the judges said.

5 – Tomi Noble d’Or 1997, Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery, JAPAN

A 100% noble-rot Riesling which the jury described as
”undoubtedly an unusual wine”.



 

The top five red wines 

1 – Cuvée Violette 2012, Le Vieux Pin, CANADA
A 100% Syrah aged for 14 months in a combination of new and old oak barrels (19% new).
This was found to be “a wine full of elegance and finesse” with green pepper notes on the nose with herbs, olives and blackcurrant. On the palate, slightly herbaceous with a tapenade and red berries profile. A veal chop was suggested as a pairing.
2 – 5 Estrellas 2009, Casa de Piedra, MEXICO
A blend of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Cinsault, aged for 12 months in French and American oak.
Judges said this blend had a “lot of finesse”, with a complex, earthy nose, and notes of black olive and plum that would pair well with Chili con carne.
3 – Kerubiel 2005, Adobe Guadalupe, MEXICO
A blend of 38% syrah, 16% Cinsault, 16% Grenache, 6% Tempranillo and 3% Viognier.
The blend was described as seductive and very well made with dense structure and intense notes of jammy plum, strawberry and gooseberry.
4 – Le Grand Vin 2012, Osoyoos Larose, CANADA

Merlot-dominant with some cabernet sauvignon and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (60% new, 40% of one wine).
Judges found a nose of spices and wild herbs, combined with ripe black fruits. The wine showed “remarkable density and length” and suggested a pairing of roast lamb.
5 – Pinto Bandeira 2014, Vinícola Aurora, BRAZIL
A 100% pinot noir aged for six months in French oak.
The wine showed a nose of modern Pinot Noir, woody, judges said, with ripe and fruity with notes of blackcurrant, precise extraction and long length. A pairing of white meat or marinated tuna was suggested.

Check all details on the original article: http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/09/results-from-wine-explorers-tasting-announced/