Three wines shine with four IWC trophies

A Burgundy, a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and a Central Otago Pinot Noir have all excelled in this year’s International Wine Challenge by each scooping four trophies.

Maison Auvigne’s Pouilly-Fuisse Vieilles Vignes 2006 claimed the International Chardonnay, French White, White Burgundy and Pouilly-Fuisse trophies. Meanwhile, across the globe, Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 picked up International Cabernet Sauvignon, Australian Red, South Australian Red and Coonawarra trophies, while Wild Earth Pinot Noir 2006 won the International Pinot Noir, New Zealand Red, New Zealand Pinot Noir and Central Otago Pinot Noir trophies.

Ninety wines of the 267 that were awarded gold medals last month in the annual competition were given trophy status after further blind tasting. France took the most trophies, with 19, having regained its crown from Australia, which narrowly snatched it last year. Australia came second, with 18, and Portugal was third for the third-year running, with 12.

Six producers had two trophy-winning wines and Argentinian producer Bodegas Y Vinedos Hugo Y Eduardo Pulenta picked up three trophies for two wines. Its Pulenta Gran Cabernet Franc 2005 won International Cabernet Franc and its Pulenta Gran Malbec 2006 received the International Malbec and Mendoza trophies.

Closer to home, Hush Heath’s Balfour Brut Rosé, winner of the UK’s only gold medal this year, was deemed worthy of an English trophy. This is seen as a fantastic achievement for Hotel du Vin’s owner Richard Balfour because it is his debut vintage from this Kentish vineyard.

IWC co-chairman Charles Metcalfe said about this year’s results, ‘The judges responded to an even wider range of entries that ever before not only with 35 regional trophies, 26 national trophies, 18 international trophies but also by awarding trophies to all the grapes you can think of – and then some, examples being Aglianico, Fiano and Tannat.’