The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles unveils the finest sparkling wines of the year
The tasting session awarded silver, gold and grand gold medals to sparkling wines from 25 countries.
Last week in Bairrada, nearly 1,000 sparkling wines from around the world competed to win the highly-coveted medals from the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The 65 or so judges awarded silver, gold and grand gold medals to sparkling wines from 25 countries.
View the full results here: www.resultats.concoursmondial.com
Confirmation for Champagne
Champagne confirmed the excellent quality of its products at the first Sparkling Wine Session. Countless entries from the region were awarded medals this year. The International Revelation Trophy went to Vincent d’Astrée Brut 1er Cru Champagne. Maison Vincent d’Astrée is a small group of winegrowers in the Premier Cru vineyard site of Pierry. The awarded Champagne is a blend of 80% Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, including 30 to 40% Reserve wines. The grapes in this Champagne are grown entirely in Premier Cru classified vineyards.
Astounding performance by the Czech Republic
Another noteworthy takeaway from this year’s results is the incredible performance by Czech Republic Sekt. Every year, this category of sparkling wine gains traction. Buoyed by a few large companies, the region’s wines are increasingly popular due to production techniques that focus more and more on the traditional method. From a varietal perspective, there are international grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot noir, alongside some varieties less frequently used to produce sparkling wines such as Grüner Veltliner, Rivaner and Welschriesling.
Genuine appeal for Bairrada
The host region for this first session had, predictably, entered many wines. The results are highly conclusive, underscoring the quality of Bairrada’s sparkling wines. Over 53% of Portuguese sparkling wines come from the Bairrada region, equating to approximately 7.5 million bottles. Due to the nearby Atlantic, Bairrada is very well suited to producing superior quality sparkling wines. The moderating effect of the Ocean breezes and diurnal shift of 20°C in the summer keep acidity levels in the grapes high, lending freshness to the resultant wines.
Award-winning wines and Revelations can be viewed here: www.resultats.concoursmondial.com/en/results
