Best chardonnay of the world 2011: a unique awards list

The 18th annual Chardonnay du Monde® wine competition was held March 9-12, 2011 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: 914 wine samples, 38 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 305 participants. This year, the panel doesn’t award Gold Medals of Excellence.

Medals distribution
Gold medals
53
Silver medals
187
Bronze medals
65

Top 10 Best chardonnay du Monde® 2011
Gold medals
Country Product Winery

France
Vin de Pays d'Oc Terradria Collection 2007 Les Vins Georges Dubœuf

Switzerland
Valais AOC Fin Bec Chardonnay 2008 Cave Fin Bec

Czech Republic
Chardonnay Vyber z Hroznu 2006 Vinarstvi Josef Valihrach

Austria
Chardonnay Grubthal 2007 Weingut Muster. Gamlitz

Canada
Red Rooster Chardonnay 2009 Red Rooster Winery

France
Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Earl Alain Couvreur

France
Champagne Spécial Club 2005 Champagne Vazart-Coquart

France
Vin de Pays d'Oc Mas du Novi 2009 Saint Jean de Noviciat

Switzerland
Valais AOC Chardonnay - Elevé en Barrique Les Coteaux de Sierre 2009 Cave Clos des Cypres

Lebanon
Château Ksara Chardonnay - Cuvée du Pape 2010 Ksara

The Top 10 ranking

Six countries appear in the 2011 Top 10 ranking : France obtains four Gold Medals with two Champagne (Champagne Alain Couvreur and Champagne Vazart-Coquart). It is also distinguished through two Pays d’Oc wines (Terradria 2007, Georges Dubœuf and Mas du Novi 2009, St Jean de Noviciat). The pays d’Oc wine « Terradria Collection 2007 from Georges Dubœuf is on the firt place of the Top 10 2011.

The Czech Republic (Vinarstvi Josef Valihrach) and Lebanon (Château Ksara) enter in good place in the Top 10 list. Austria (Weingut Muster-Gamlitz), Switzerland (Cave Fin Bec and Cave Clos des Cypres) and Canada (Red Rooster) reaffirm their good positioning.

The 2011 Top 10 proposes the diversity of the expressions of Chardonnay wines through six still wines, two wines with residual sugars and two Sparkling wines.

2011 GENERAL TRENDS

An unique geographical diversity

With 38 countries and 914 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, Central Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic), Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, USA, Spain, and the arrival of two new countries : Ecuador and Bosnia Herzégovine.

The country winning the most medals

The good place of France is noted: the Languedoc-Roussillon, the South Burgundy (Saone & Loire and Côtes d’Or), the Chablis region and the Champagne were rewarded by numerous and beautiful medals.

Within Europe, Switzerland, Italy and Spain stood out for their numerous medalled wines. Many sparkling Chardonnay were in competition: Champagne and sparkling wines from Burgundy, Loire Valley gains very beautiful medals. South Africa, Brazil and Switzerland received also very good notes.

Central Europe (Austria, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria) gains in 2011 beautiful medals.

Outside Europe, Canada, Chile, South Africa and Australia 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 lateharvested grapes and those made by selective cryo-extraction 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.
Chardonnay du Monde 2012
From 7 to 10 march 2012
PRESS CONTACT
Corinne Boulbes
Head of Communication

Mob. : 336 17 81 37 81
Fax : 333 85 37 19 83
e-mail : boulbes@mail.oeno.tm.fr

THE 2011 RESULTS

  • 914 wine samples from 38 countries were tasted. The judges tasted in accordance with the International rules, and they strictly followed Quality Assurance procedures.

  • 50 percent of the judges were from outside France.
    After four days of judging, the panels awarded medals to 305, or 1/3 of the 914 wines entered. The distribution of medals is as follows:

  • Medal Distribution
    • Gold Medals: 53
    • Silver Medals: 187
    • Bronze Medals: 65

    All the results by countries and by Medals

THIS PRESS RELEASE IN PDF

Press release

To open or print registration Form in Adobe PDF you have to install Adobe Acrobat reader on your computer you will find this software to www.adobe.com and follow instructions.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bosnia Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Chile

China

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Equator

France

Germany

Great Britain

Greece

Hungary

Israel

Italy

Japan

Lebanon

Macedonia

Mexico

Moldova

New Zealand

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

Tunisia

Turkey

USA

Uruguay

Chardonnay du Monde - has the approval and the services of the DGCCRF French Estate Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry. (21rd january 1997)

Reproduction allowed when original source mentioned.
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