The London Wine Competition is organised by the Beverage Trade Network which today also today announces the results of its London Spirits Competition (check the results on The Buyer here) and London Beer Competition.
This year saw some 1,300 wines vying for attention in the 2023 London Wine Competition with producers taking part from 32 countries – with a Moldovan producer – Fautor SRL – walking away with the best wine in the competition.
The quality of any drinks competition lies not just in the products entered but the calibre of its judges and once again the London Wine Competition brought together an esteemed panel of judges made up of some of the most influential buyers, importers, and sommeliers in the country, all of whom were selected for their experience and direct wine buying responsibilities and experience. All of whom came together to take part in the judging earlier this year at St Mary’s Church in Marleybone, London.
The judges that took part in the 2023 London Wine Competition
“This is the third time I have judged the competition and the entries that I saw were generally of a higher standard than previously,” said Jeraboam’s wine director, Peter Mitchell MW. “Most of the entries are sound and well made, and many are high quality, but for a top award a wine needs that edge of excitement, complexity, and perfect balance.”
He said he was also keen to reward what he describes as “interesting wines”. “That could be because of where it comes from, the grapes used, or the story behind the producer. What I have no personal interest in is safe, factory-made wine,” added Mitchell who was particularly impressed by McLaren Vale Shirazes and Coonawarra Cabernets, as well as some of the Moldovan entries.
First-time judge Sara Muirhead MW said she unearthed “some great quality wines at various price levels”, with a Moldovan Traminer being a particular highlight. “It was well made, elegant, and aromatic.”
She added: “In a different flight of wines, it was good to see that one of the reds from Southern Italy was packaged in a paper bottle. Our team gave it a very high score for the packaging. I believe the highest-scoring round for our team was the Western Australia Cabernet Sauvignon flight. There were some great wines, including one which was 10 years old.”
Good selection
The judges in the London Wine Competition are widely experienced and most have wine buying experience
Andre Luis Martins, formerly head sommelier at the Cavalry & Guards Club and now general manager at the soon-to-be-opened Covent Garden wine bar Story Cellar, said:“There were a couple of interesting wines from Kosovo and Albania as well as some good Belgian sparkling wines. I think in some of these up-and-coming regions the quality is increasing hugely. If you look at Croatia now, for example, it is pretty well established, and Georgia too is coming through. In fact, most Eastern European countries are getting better as they fine-tune their wines, and the regional grape varietals have lots of potential.”
Closer to home, and it was an English red wine that sparked interest inLa Trompette’s assistant head sommelier, Jonny Tyson Beecher. “We had a fantastic Pinot Noir from Lyme Bay in Devon,” he said. “English wineries are getting better and are increasingly focusing on better quality varietals such as Pinot Noir. Some producers are getting very good quality out of them.”
He also highly rated Clare Valley Riesling, which he describes as “a good quality wine for a not great deal of money.”
The judges also welcomed the opportunity to assess wines under the three key criteria of quality, value for money and packaging and design.
Muirhead described it as a “novel approach” for a competition: “It’s great if you have made a fantastic wine, but if the price point or packaging doesn’t match the quality then it’s unlikely to sell well.” But, she added:“The quality of the wine is key. So, a wine that is well made and well balanced, at a price point appropriate to its quality, and packaged in an appealing way with minimal adverse implications for the environment.”
Top winners in London Wine Competition 2023
No 1: 2019 Late Harvest Traminer by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Best Wine of The Year 2023: 2019 Late Harvest Traminer by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Best Winery of The Year 2023: 2017 Enira Reserva by Bessa Valley Winery Ltd, Bulgaria.
- Best Wine of The Year (by Quality) 2023:1986 Besserat de Bellefon Reserve Collection 1986 by Champagne Besserat de Bellefon depuis 1843, France.
- Best Wine of The Year (by Value) 2023: 2019 Late Harvest Rhein Riesling by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Best Wine of The Year (by Package)2023: 2015 Remarkable Dry Riesling by Remarkable Wines Ltd, New Zealand.
Best Wines by Country
- Moldova: 2019 Late Harvest Traminer by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Australia: 2015 Beresford Limited Release Shiraz by Vok Beverages, Australia
- France: 1986 Besserat de Bellefon Reserve Collection by Champagne Besserat de Bellefon depuis 1843, France.
- Greece: 2022 Geometria by Lafazanis S.A, Greece.
- New Zealand: 2015 Remarkable 2015 Dry Riesling by Remarkable Wines Ltd, New Zealand
- Italy: 2018 Chiave di Saletta by Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl, Italy.
- Portugal: 2021 São Sebastião Reserva by Quinta de São Sebastião, Portugal
- United States: 2018 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon by Jordan Vineyard & Winery, United States.
- United Kingdom: 2021 Dillions by Dillions Vineyard, United Kingdom
- Romania: 2022 Migala Cuvee 25 Alb by Via Viticola, Romania
- Spain: 2020 Rippa Dorii Salomón by Altos de Ontañon, S.L., Spain.
- Georgia: 2022 Salome by Wine Company Shumi Ltd, Georgia.
Some of the top wines in the London Wine Competition 2023
Best Wines by Varietal:
- Traminer: 2019 Late Harvest Traminer by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Shiraz: 2015 Beresford Limited Release Shiraz by Vok Beverages, Australia.
- Riesling: 2019 Late Harvest Rhein Riesling by Fautor SRL, Moldova.
- Sauvignon Blanc: 2022 Once & Well Frankies Garden Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc by Pinnacle Drinks.
- Cabernet Sauvignon: 2018 Pirramimma 2018 ACJ by Geoff Johnston Wines Pty Ltd, Australia
- Pinot Noir: 2021 Yealands Single Vineyard Pinot Noir by Yealands Estate Wines, New Zealand.
- Chardonnay: 2021 U. Ngumby Vineyard Chardonnay by Soumah Pty Ltd, Australia.
- Tempranillo: 2019 Vin’Atus by Direct Wines Production, Australia.
- Merlot: 2021 Frind Estate Winery Merlot by Frind Estate Winery, Canada.
- View the full list of results here.
- You can find out more about the London Wine Competition here.
