SWA: The Results
Toasting on-trade success with the best in the business and wines for every list, here we take a look at the results of 2024’s rebooted Sommelier Wine Awards, run in partnership between Imbibe and Harpers Wine & Spirit
We are delighted to bring you the results of the Sommelier Wine Awards 2024 (SWA), revealing the Trophy winning wines, along with highlights from our Critics Choice, plus our Merchants and Producers of the Year. This competition, which has made a welcome return following a pandemic-induced hiatus, stands out as the only wine awards judged by sommeliers for sommeliers and on-trade buyers, and as such is unmatched in its exclusive on-trade focus.
With Isa Bal MS of Trivet as its chair, SWA brings together an unrivalled number of quality UK restaurants on the judging days, with their representatives delivering judgement on a host of wine hopefuls across myriad categories and styles.
Now, the wait for the headlining Trophy, Merchant and Producer results is over, with the full results of those deemed worthy of Gold, Silver and Bronze also available on the dedicated sommelierwineawards.com website. (NB: Prices are approximate trade prices.)
HOUSE WHITE OF THE YEAR
Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2023, Pays d’Oc, Languedoc, France
£9.18, LWC Drinks
“This has been made in a very confident way,” according to competition chair Isa Bal MS. “It may appeal to a large audience, but a lot of care has been taken to make something that is enjoyable, and for the price point it offers very good drinking.” Giuseppe D’Aniello of The London Edition felt that it was “a wine with good intensity, showing notes of baked apple and ripe stone fruits, linked with some lees and oak aromas”, and went on to describe a “dry palate, with moderate acidity and good length; a highly complex wine that represents great value”. Noble Rot’s Stephanie Wangui found “great tension, with well-integrated acidity and ripe yet well-balanced fruit”.
HOUSE RED OF THE YEAR
Beronia Crianza Edición Limitada 2019, Rioja, Spain
£10, González Byass UK
“We were really impressed with the diversity and quality available for the price in this category,” said Harpers Wine & Spirit’s Andrew Catchpole. “Ultimately, we had to choose the wine that had the most immediate appeal but also gave a little more in terms of interest. This would make a great option for a pub, and is characterful enough to pair with charcuterie.” Fred Goodwin-Hayward of Restaurant Hywel Jones found notes of “strawberry, blueberry, coconut oil and tobacco leaves” and thought it “would be great to pair with beef Wellington”, while Kai Mayfair’s Mateusz Kowalczyk thought it had “good typicity, complexity and ageing potential”, noting “a very fresh fruit profile, with good oak integration and a long finish”.
GASTROPUB WINE OF THE YEAR
Gaia Notios 2022, Santorini, Greece
£12.51, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
“Clean and moreish”, declared Noble Rot’s Joshua Castle, describing it as “a great aperitif wine, to segue into lighter starters”. He also noted its “vivacious, floral aromatics married to a subtle saline palate”, and was delighted with its “beautiful pop of fruit definition”. This was “an easy-drinking option, with crisp lemon and grapefruit”, according to Giancarlo Cuccuru of Lutyens Grill at The Ned, while The Dorchester’s Matteo Furlan found “an intriguing nose of peach, white flowers, cut grass and orchard fruit, with a lean, fresh palate showing great fruit concentration”, and consultant sommelier Chris Parker was full of praise for its “ripe stone fruits, orchard fruits and delicate jasmine, with a tight mineral finish”.
CHAMPAGNE OF THE YEAR
Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé Millésimé 2012, Champagne, France
£264.05, Matthew Clark
Bal described this as “a really elegant style of rosé; layered, with lots of complexity”, and thought it would be “very versatile when it comes to matching with food”. Overall, he found “excellent balance and beautiful fruit consistency”. Chris Goodale of Julie’s Restaurant believed it to be “an endlessly complex sparkling rosé that only gets better with air”, noting “cranberries, raspberries, cherries and blackcurrants alongside a little lime zest, nettle and a slightly salty minerality”. It was “racy and razor sharp”, according to Matthew Davison of Moor Hall, who identified “a slightly smoky, flinty note, blood orange and tart raspberry, and a touch of grip, with a sultana note on the bracing, tart finish”.
SPARKLING WINE OF THE YEAR
Ridgeview Bloomsbury Magnum NV, East Sussex, England
£43.64 (150cl), Ridgeview Wine Estate
“This had a lot of the classic English sparkling wine characteristics: fresh notes of apple and pear, high acidity,” began Harpers Wine & Spirit’s Andrew Catchpole, “but compared with others in this category it had more depth, more weight on the palate and more layers. A very satisfying wine, with enough texture and mouthfeel to stand up to food”. Philipp Reinstaller of Raffles London at The OWO thought it was “a mineral-driven style that’s focused and precise, with a good level of fruit, and showing some nutty characteristics too, as well as lees notes, all leading to a chalky, long finish”. According to Dinner by Heston’s Nikos Emner, “this had a beautifully developed nose, yet with bright fruits too, and complexity on the palate”.
WHITE FINE WINE OF THE YEAR
Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 2022, Burgundy, France
£21.69, Liberty Wines
Vincenzo Arnese of Raffles London at The OWO was impressed with this wine’s “nice citrus uplift and developed aromas of golden apple”, which was followed by “integrated oak that confers a nice creamy texture and a lengthy finish”. Davide Santeramo of The Ritz agreed that it was “citrus-driven”, describing “a hint of herbaceousness, a good mid-palate and minerality towards the finish”. Maison Estelle’s Biagio Castaldo commented on its “floral and citrus aromas, with a crisp palate and a flinty finish”, while freelance sommelier Elly Owen was enthusiastic about its “notes of stone fruit, minerals and petrichor, with a delicious line of savoury salinity running through the palate”.
RED FINE WINE OF THE YEAR & OVERALL WINE OF THE YEAR
Michele Chiarlo, Cipressi, Barbera d’Asti Superiore Nizza 2021, Piedmont, Italy
£21.26, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
“This wasn’t an easy decision,” declared Bal. “We tasted a lot of remarkable wines, but this one stood out for its overall balance and fruit intensity. It’s simply a delicious glass of wine that one can drink now or put away in the cellar for a number of years.” The Dorchester’s Furlan said “the panel loved its bright fruit character, beautiful floral components, pepper and sweet spice”. He commented on its “very elegant and refined tannins, bright acidity and complexity”, and thought it was “very good value for money” and would pair well with “rich meaty dishes or roasted pumpkin or aubergine”. Goodale of Julie’s Restaurant described it as “a great all-round Barbera, with lots of potential for ageing”.
MERCHANTS OF THE YEAR 2024
We are very grateful to all of the UK wine merchants – large and small – that entered their wines into the Sommelier Wine Awards in 2024. This year’s entries covered a wide range of styles, regions and price points, with some merchants focusing more on one particular area and others covering all bases. As ever, there were a few that stood out from the crowd and these special awards honour those wine merchants that went home with a significant medal haul this year.
LARGE MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Shortlist: Bibendum, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Liberty Wines
Hallgarten has always been a significant presence at the Sommelier Wine Awards and this year was no exception. You’ll find it listed on every page of our awards, as well as being responsible for several wines with extra awards and trophies too. Indeed, five of our Critics’ Choice wines came from Hallgarten, as did our Red Fine Wine of the Year – and Overall Wine of the Year – the ‘simply delicious’ Barbera from Michele Chiarlo. At the value end, its white Santorini from Gaia received the Gastropub Wine of the Year trophy. In fact, Hallgarten’s Greek producers (Alpha Estate, in particular) really shone, taking 22 medals across Gold, Silver and Bronze. It was French wines that were responsible for 50% of Hallgarten’s 18 Golds, however, including two Laurent-Perrier Champagnes, as well as standout examples from Burgundy, the Loire and elsewhere. Hallgarten’s total medal count was an impressive 182, with white, red, rosé, orange and sparkling wines all represented, at an average price of £22.64, making it a go-to supplier for all types of wine list.
SMALL MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Pol Roger
Shortlist: Gonzalez Byass, Jascots, Pol Roger
Here, it was all about quality rather than quantity, and Pol Roger’s small but perfectly formed entry saw significant wins across several categories. There were no value house wines here, however – and with an average price of £35.52, it’s no surprise that some of its biggest wins came from top-end Italian wines, including Barolo, Barbera and Valpolicella. Three out of Pol Roger’s five Gold medal-winning wines were Italian, and although Old World wines were responsible for 61% of its medals overall, the other two Golds came from the New World, one of which (Robert Sinskey Vineyards’ Abraxas from California) took a Critics’ Choice award too. Elsewhere, it was a strong performance for Australian producers, with four medals for Margaret River’s Voyager Estate and three for Victoria’s Mulline. From Spain, Artadi from Rioja was awarded three medals – for a well-received sparkling wine and two reds.
FINE WINE MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Liberty Wines
Shortlist: Alliance Wine, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Liberty Wines
Liberty Wines was shortlisted for a number of Merchant awards this year, but ultimately secured the Fine Wine Merchant of the Year award for the breadth of its medal-winning wines priced at £20 and above. Two-thirds of its wines in this bracket came from the Old World, with a high percentage from Italy and France – particularly from the Loire and Burgundy, the latter responsible for one of the highest accolades, the White Fine Wine of the Year trophy, for Domaine Vrignaud’s impressive citrus-driven Chablis. Liberty was also responsible for some of the high-end Argentinian winners, including two from Otronia at £46 each, as well as Bordeaux’s priciest Gold winner from Château Petit-Village at £45.20, and the most expensive New World Cabernet Sauvignon Gold (Far Mountain’s Fission at £46.44). When it came to sweet and fortified wines, Liberty’s entry was a highlight too, responsible for 100% of the Gold medals.
VALUE MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
Winner: LWC Drinks
Shortlist: Bibendum, González Byass, LWC Drinks, Majestic Commercial
Not only was LWC Drinks responsible for the House White of the Year trophy-winning wine – Calmel & Joseph’s Villa Blanche Chardonnay (£9.18) – three-quarters of its Gold medal winners were priced under £10. With an overall average price of just £9.81 across all its medal winners, it was a clear front-runner when it came to value. Look online at SWA’s House Wine pages and you’ll see LWC Drinks listed again and again, with a strong showing for France (13 medals), as well as Italy, Chile, South Africa and Spain – the latter responsible for a By the Glass award for Viña Cerrada Blanco from Rioja Vega (which took four medals in total, including two Golds). LWC’s lower-priced French selection came into its own here, with both Famille Perrin and Domaine de l’Herré taking home a trio of medals each for their red, white and rosé wines, and the trophy-winning Calmel & Joseph receiving five medals, including two Golds.
NEW WORLD MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Bibendum
Shortlist: Bibendum, Liberty Wines, Pol Roger
Like Liberty and Hallgarten, Bibendum was a strong contender for a number of Merchant awards this year. But in a competition that was dominated by Old World regions, its medal haul for New World wines was notable. From Argentinian Malbecs and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs to Canadian icewine and a trio of winning reds from Brazil, the selection ticks off most must-list categories from outside Europe. Together, South Africa and the USA took almost half of Bibendum’s New World medals, helped by some strong brand performances from the likes of Washington State’s Columbia Crest and Château Ste Michelle, and Journey’s End, Shannon and Stellenrust from South Africa – the latter taking the only Gold medal for Chenin Blanc this year. From New Zealand, meanwhile, Nelson-based Neudorf received six medals for its mid- to high-priced reds and whites, with its organic Pinot Noir taking Gold.
CLASSIC REGIONS MERCHANT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Alliance Wine
Shortlist: Alliance Wine, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Liberty Wines
Although Alliance Wine picked up several Golds – and a Critics’ Choice award – for its New World selection, 82% of its medal-winning wines came from classic regions, with 20% of these receiving a Gold medal. The highest number of the merchant’s medals by far went to Italy, representing a spread of regions from north to south, and covering every price point too. Indeed, Alliance was responsible for both the Sicilian white from Fabrizio Vella (£8.82) that received both a Pub & Bar and Critics’ Choice award, and the £65 Brunello di Montalcino from San Polino (which was also awarded a Critics’ Choice award). Elsewhere, there was good representation from all the classics – from vintage Champagne and English sparkling wine to Provence rosé and Rioja reserva. A special mention to its ‘sherry-esque’ Altolandon orange wine too, which took home the only Gold in that category.
PRODUCERS OF THE YEAR 2024
Picking up any medal at SWA is quite an achievement, so for a single producer to pick up several medals, with extra awards and trophies on top, deserves special recognition. These are the producers that put in a particularly strong performance in this year’s competition.
SPARKLING WINE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Laurent-Perrier
It may have faced stiff competition from elsewhere in Europe, but it was a Champagne house that won out in the end, our judges full of praise for Laurent-Perrier’s wines, across vintage, NV and rosé. It received three Gold medals, with the Grand Siècle NV taking a Critics’ Choice award on top and the Alexandra Rosé 2012 receiving the highest accolade – the SWA Champagne of the Year trophy. Yes, at £264.05 it was the most expensive medal-winning wine in the competition, but this clearly delivered at that price point, with one judge describing it as ‘endlessly complex’.
Runners up: Fox & Fox – eight medals, including one Gold, for its well-priced English sparkling wines in a range of styles – and A-Nobis, with five medals (two Golds) for its food-friendly Austrian selection.
EUROPEAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Ramón Bilbao
From a £9 house red to a couple of £70+ examples, Ramón Bilbao had the Rioja category sewn up this year, taking both Rioja Golds for its two premium Lalomba wines (one of which also received a Critics’ Choice award), as well as a Silver and three Bronzes for its lower-priced reds and a rosé too. From its Rueda bodega, the producer’s Early Harvest White was one of the stars of this year’s competition, earning both Critics’ Choice and Pub & Bar awards, all for a very reasonable £12.
Runner up: Alpha Estate – seven medals, including one Gold, for its range of reasonably priced, local-varietal Greek whites and reds.
NEW WORLD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Kaiken
Mendoza’s Kaiken was a serious player in this year’s New World Malbec category, taking three medals, including a Gold for its “complex, inviting and delicious” Mai 2021. Aside from single-varietal Malbecs, there was praise for Kaiken’s Disobedience by Francis Mallmann red blend and Ultra Chardonnay 2022, which both received Silver medals. The producer offered good value too, with most of its wines – aside from the Gold medal winner – priced at under £19.
Runners up: Stella Bella – four medals, including one Gold, for its Margaret River selection, including red, white and fortified wines – and Neudorf, with its six medals (one Gold) for its New Zealand Pinot Noirs and whites.
FORTIFIED PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Valdespino
Sherry producer Valdespino was the clear winner in our Sweet and Fortified category this year, being awarded three out of the five Gold medals for its range of different sherry styles, which included a “very inviting” amontillado and a “rich and elegant” Pedro Ximénez. This PX, together with the Don Gonzalo Oloroso VOS, also received Critics’ Choice awards on top, cementing Valdespino’s position at the top of the fortified table.
CRITICS’ CHOICE
Critics’ Choice awards are reserved for a handful of very special wines that really stood out to our judges. Whether they’re noteworthy for being a bit unusual, a particularly good example of a classic style, or simply offering great value for money, these are the wines that stopped our sommeliers in their tracks, and were deemed by multiple judges to be deserving of this extra-special accolade.
Fabrizio Vella Bianco Organico 2022, Sicily, Italy
£8.82, Alliance Wine
Robin Baum Wines RBW Veneto Bianco 2020, Veneto, Italy
£10, RBW Wines
Ramón Bilbao Early Harvest White 2023, Rueda, Spain
£12, Enotria&Coe
Cuatro Rayas Longverdejo 2022, Rueda, Spain
£17.66, Walker & Wodehouse Wines
Acustic Cellars Ritme Priorat Blanco 2021, Catalonia, Spain
£17.67, Bibendum
Valdespino El Candado Pedro Ximénez NV, Jerez, Spain
£19.90, Liberty Wines
Edmond de Rothschild M de Malmaison 2021, Bordeaux, France
£20, Waddesdon Wine
Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Margaret River, Western Australia
£20.50, Alliance Wine
Domaine de Colonat Les Charmes-Grandes Terres Morgon 2022, Beaujolais, France
£21.77, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Istenič Cuvée Natura NV, Posavje, Slovenia
£24.44, Novel Wines
A-Nobis Cuvée 1217 Extra Brut 2018, Burgenland, Austria
£25.23, A-Nobis
Robert Sinskey Vineyards Abraxas Vin de Terroir 2018, Sonoma Valley, California, USA
£26.01, Pol Roger
Alpha Estate Xinomavro Reserve Vieilles Vignes Single Block Barba Yannis 2020, Florina, Greece
£26.78, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Brimoncourt Régence Brut NV, Champagne, France
£28.50, Firth & Co
Dopff au Moulin Schoenenbourg Grand Cru Riesling 2018, Alsace, France
£29.20, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Pierre Mignon Brut Vintage 2015, Champagne, France
£29.28, Alliance Wine
Valdespino Don Gonzalo Oloroso VOS NV, Jerez, Spain
£30.41, Liberty Wines
Pedemontis Betlem Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2020, Piedmont, Italy
£33.95, Hallgarten & Novum Wines
A-Nobis Grande Cuvée Sekt Extra Brut 2013, Burgenland, Austria
£51.03, A-Nobis
San Polino Helichrysum Brunello di Montalcino 2019, Tuscany, Italy
£65, Alliance Wine
Ramón Bilbao Lalomba Finca Ladero 2019, Rioja, Spain
£72, Enotria&Coe
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle No 26 NV, Champagne, France
£159.01, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, LWC Drinks, Matthew Clark