Mirabeau wins a Silver Medal at prestigious Sommelier Wine Awards

THE TOP STORIES OF 2013: OLD WORLD DOMINATION, THE RISE OF FORGOTTEN EUROPE AND CHARDONNAY’S REVIVAL…

It’s the on-trade’s answer to the Oscars – and finally the wait is over, with the results finally in for the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) 2013. And Mirabeau is one of the winners!

Over 1,800 wines were put to the test by some of Britain’s finest palates in what is the most comprehensive blind tasting of on-trade focused wines in the UK.

With a judging panel comprising 80 leading sommeliers and on-trade wine buyers, SWA is not just a celebration of medal-winning wines but also the most comprehensive assessment of trends and insight into the wine trade, seen from the perspective of the restaurant world.

Mirabeau Rosé  was described by the Head Sommelier at The Ritz, Tobias Brauweiler as ‘Pale pink in colour, with a restrained nose of roses and red tulip, the palate is elegant, balanced, fresh and crisp, with a lingering finish’ and we picked up a Silver Medal – which we’re pretty chuffed about.

THE TOP STORIES OF 2013:

France continues to dominate the competition with an impressive 193 medals, including 42 Golds and 95 Silvers. Italy and Spain hold second and third place respectively with a plethora of outstanding wines, often praised by SWA’s tasters for their food friendliness and individuality. Italy’s Tuscan and Southern reds wowed judges and Spain’s Navarra and Priorat offered the best value for money reds and whites in the whole of this year’s competition.

The real surprise of 2013 comes from “forgotten” wine nations of Europe, such as Turkey, Greece, Slovenia and Lebanon. Spearheaded by producers like Kavaklıdere and Arcadia, these countries gave some of the more established wine regions a run for their money. Turkey took the competition by storm, moving to 10th place (ahead of the US and Germany!) in the medals league table. With no less than 20 medals, including 4 Golds and 4 Silvers, in one fell swoop the country has positioned itself as a place that ought to be on every restaurant’s radar. Lebanon took home a total of 9 medals, including 2 Golds, and a special mention also goes to Slovenia for its 3 Gold medals.

Chardonnay is starting its comeback. 2013 was a record year for Chablis (4 Golds and 5 Silvers) and White Burgundy (6 Golds, 7 Silvers, 1 By The Glass and 1 Food Match award). There are also signs that New World Chardonnay, having been as dead as corduroy, is experiencing something of a revival. South Africa put in a strong performance, but the big story was the return of Australia, with the increased focus on freshness and minerality really starting to pay dividends.

Mirabeau wines are available to the on-trade via Matthew Clark.