Best chardonnay of the world 2017: a unique international awards list

Monday, 20 March, 2017
Chardonnay du Monde
The 24th annual Chardonnay du Monde® wine competition was held March 8-10, 2017 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: 706 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 20 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 three days of judging, the panels awarded medals to 235 participants. This year, the panel doesn’t award Gold Medals of Excellence.

Medals distribution
Gold medals
55
Silver medals
180

 

Top 10* Best chardonnay du Monde® 2017
Gold medals
Country Product Winery

Canada
Summerhill Chardonnay Icewine - VQA Okanagan Valley BC 2014 Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Spain
Conca de Barbera Do – Sons de Prades 2015 Miguel Torres SA

South Africa
Bon Courage Estate Chardonnay Unwooded 2016 Bon Courage Wine Estate

Austria
Eiswein Burgenland 2012 Hammer Wein Rust

France
Vin du Bugey – Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2015 Le Caveau Bugiste

France
Mâcon-Igé Domaine Fichet « La Cra » 2015 Domaine Fichet

France
Champagne Gruet Chardonnay Brut 2013 SARL Champagne Gruet

France
Pays d’Oc IGP Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2016 Calmel & Joseph

France
Chablis Premier Cru Montmain 2015 Domaine Pinson

South Africa
Douglas Green Chardonnay 2016 DGB LTD

Germany
Burkheimer Schlossgarten Chardonnay Trocken Baden 2015 Burkheimer Winzer Am Kaiserstuhl EG

Australia
Avon Brae High Eden & Flaxman Valley Eden Valley Chardonnay 2015 Cellarmasters

Chile
Origen Chardonnay Gran Reserva 2016 Vina Chocalan SPA

France
Pouilly-Fuissé « Ronchevat » 2015 Domaine Carrette

France
Champagne Albert Beerens Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne Albert Beerens
* Some wines are rigorously equal thus the TOP 10 2017 includes 15 wines.

The Top 10 ranking

At the 2017 Top 10: South Africa (Bon Courage Wine Estate, DGB LTD), Australia (Cellarmasters), Austria (Hammer Wein Rust), Canada (Summerhill Pyramid Winery), Chile (Vina Chocalan), France, Germany (Burkheimer) and Spain (Miguel Torres).

France obtains seven Gold Medals: two for Champagne Chardonnay wines (Champagne Gruet, Champagne Albert Beerens), three for Burgundy wines (Macon-Igé Domaine Fichet, Chablis 1er Cru Domaine Pinson, Pouilly-Fuissé Domaine Carrette), one Bugey wine (Caveau Bugiste) and one Pays d’Oc wine (Calmel & Joseph). One Canadian chardonnay wine is at the top of the Top 10 list.

Highlight, confirming the trend of previous years, we observe in the Top 10 a significant proportion of oak-aged wines and wines over 5 years of age.

The 2017 Top 10 propose the diversity of the expressions of Chardonnay wines through still wines, wines with residual sugars and Sparkling wines.

To read more online click here.

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