Chardonnay du Monde

Best chardonnay of the world 2013: a unique awards list

The 20^th annual Chardonnay du Monde^® wine competition was held March 13-16, 2013 at Château des Ravatys, the wine estate of the Pasteur Institute at Saint-Lager in the Burgundy wine (France)

The Chardonnay du Monde^® international competition recognises the world’s best Chardonnay wines by awarding them with reliable and representative medals. This competition is based on a single conviction: distinctive marks of quality are the key to real differentiation and therefore enhancing the value of the awarded wines in this highly competitive market where the array of products becomes more vast each day. Award-winning wineries can use this recognition for sales purposes by placing medal stickers on their bottles.

This event is unique in terms of its scope, its method and its ambition:

International in scope and a seldom reached diversity: 872 wine samples, 42 countries, 300 international expert judges.
A strict method with the focus on quality: compliance with international competition standards, rigorous selection of expert judges, and the use of scientific criteria for tasting, and secure processing of computer results.
Optimal tasting conditions: sensory isolation, number of samples limited to 17 per panel, expert judges do not add up their scores allowing them to focus on evaluating the wines, and wines are tasted at an appropriate pace.

As part of these Quality Assurances, all new judges must participate in a one-day training session before being admitted to the tasting panels. For each judge, this session includes sensory profile determination, Chardonnay aromas identification and various exercises to familiarise themselves with methods used in international wine judging competitions.

Chardonnay du Monde^® has progressively distinguished itself from other international competitions thanks to quality standards that are much stricter than the norm and by remaining faithful to its founding principles, which have driven its success over the years: diversity, quality and high standards.

After four days of judging, the panels awarded medals to 291 participants. This year, the panel doesn’t award Gold Medals of Excellence.

Medals distribution
Gold medals	58
Silver medals	183
Bronze medals	50

*Top 10 Best chardonnay du Monde^® 2013**
Gold medals
Country	Product	Winery
France	Meursault Premier Cru Charmes Château de Meursault 2010	Domaine du Château de Meursault
Canada	Royal de Maria Winter Harvest Chardonnay Icewine 2007	Royal de Maria wines
France	Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 2009	Sarl Champagne Gruet
South Africa	Rietvallei Special Select Chardonnay 2012	Rietvallei Wine Estate
Czech Republic	Chardonnay Vyber z Bobuli 2011	Vinarstvi Josef Valihrach
France	Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits "Les Millottes" 2010	La Cave des Hautes Côtes
France	Saint Aubin "En Vesvau" 2010	Sa Château de Santenay
France	Vin de Pays d'Oc le Pigeonnier 2012	Cave Coop. La Languedocienne et ses Vignerons
France	Limoux dA Chardonnay Réserve 2011	Les Domaines Paul Mas
France	Pouilly-Fuissé 2011	Domaine du Grand Pré
France	Beaujolais "Terra Iconia" 2011	Vignerons des Pierres dorées
France	Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Les Ronzettes 2011	Château de la Greffière
France	Mâcon-Burgy "Les Verchères" Chardonnay 2011	Domaine Olivier Fichet
* Some wines are rigorously equal thus the TOP 10 2013 includes 13 wines.

The Top 10 ranking

At the 2013 Top 10 : Canada (Royal de Maria wines), South Africa (Rietvallei Wine Estate), Czech Republic (Vinarstvi Josef Valihrach) and France. France obtains ten Gold Medals: one for Champagne (Champagne Gruet), seven for Burgundy wines (Cave des Hautes Côtes, Château de Santenay, Domaine du Grand Pré, Vignerons des Pierres dorées, Château de la Greffière et Domaine Olivier Fichet), including one Meursault (Domaine du Château de Meursault) at the top of the TOP 10 list, and two for Pays d’Oc wines (La Languedocienne, les Domaines Paul Mas).

2013 GENERAL TRENDS

An unique geographical diversity

With 42 countries and 872 wines entered, Chardonnay du Monde^® is the strongest concentration of chardonnay wine ever realized. It is the most significant and legitimate qualitative competition for the distinction of best Chardonnay of the World.

There was also strong participation from South Africa, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, USA, Spain and Central Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Macedonia and Slovakia) and the arrival of one new country : Burma.

The country winning the most medals

The good place of France is noted: The Burgundy Region win 19 gold medals (Beaujolais 1 gold medal, Saône & Loire 9 gold medals, Côte d’Or 4 gold medals, Chablis 5 gold medals Chablis), the Languedoc-Roussillon (12 gold medals), the Champagne (10 gold medals) were rewarded by numerous and beautiful medals.

Many sparkling Chardonnay were in competition: Champagne and sparkling wines from Burgundy, Loire Valley gains very beautiful medals. England, South Africa, Brazil, Belgium and Switzerland received also very good notes.

Within Europe: Germany, England, Switzerland, Italia and Spain stood out for their numerous medalled wines.

Central Europe: Austria, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Slovakia gains in 2013 beautiful medals.

Outside Europe: Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, South Africa and USA confirmed their successes of earlier years.

There was a high level of diversity in terms of the sensorial qualities of the wines

Each wine distinguished at Chardonnay du Monde^® was judged for its individual quality. A favourable view is granted to the wines showing good typicity and intense Chardonnay aromas. Oakiness is considered a plus when it is discreet and harmonious, but this quality was marked down when it masked varietal aromas.

Expert-judge gave severe notations for the wines whose flavours of chardonnay are masked by too much wood and Sauvignon flavours; they thus privileged the Chardonnay expression.

The presence of sugar at a few grams per litre has a tendency to improve scores. This tendency, already noted in previous years, was confirmed this year with a number of successes for off-dry wines. Wines made from partially dried or late harvested grapes and those made by selective cryo-extaction received particularly good marks.

Dry wines were judged successful when they displayed harmony in the form of elegant acidity, with aromatic complexity.

Technical Enrichment

The use of a new Professional Tasting Instrument resulting from applied research. In addition to organising a flawless competition is the desire to improving the reliability of measuring instruments. This resulted in the adoption of a professional wine-tasting glass for the tasting of sparkling chardonnay wines. This new tool tested by judges of Effervescents du Monde^® (www.effervescents-du-monde.com) is an INAO-type tasting glass that contains a precise number of nucleation sites. The objective of this new wine-tasting glass "Fleur d’Effervescence^®" is to optimise the tasting of sparkling wines, to calibrate their degree of effervescence, to control the formation of bubbles and to enable ideal expression of the foam…

Organisation
	Chardonnay du Monde is an oganisation of the association Forum Oenologie
Forum Œnologie also organizes:
	International Syrah wines Competition: Syrah du Monde®
	International Sparkling wines Competition: Effervescents du Monde®
	International Competition between the best Muscats of the World®

Partnership
	La Revue des Œnologues International technical Magazine about Wine and Vine - Technical and Communication partner.
	SAQ - Services Actions Qualité Expert Translation Services for the Wine and Grape Industries - Technical partner.
	Guala Closures Group Global Cap, wine closure
	Lycée Bel-Air School, winery and a vocational training centre
	www.oeno.tm.fr Internet technical support partner.
	DHL Express Official partner for international deliveries.