Home Winners > Winners 2018 > HOUSE WINES: White

Winner Details

House Wine: White

2018  GOLD: 4     SILVER: 13            BRONZE: 7           COMMENDED: 21
2017  GOLD: 8     SILVER: 12            BRONZE: 14         COMMENDED: 25

We had far fewer house white entries than house reds this year, the result, no doubt, of the frost issues that trashed many European vineyards last year. Certainly there were far fewer cheap French, Spanish and Italian whites here than we’d normally expect, and that seemed to have an effect on the medal count.

Rising prices won’t have helped either. It’s noticeable that fewer and fewer of our medal-winning wines here are under £5, so huge credit to Chile’s Vistamar for its Gold-winning Sauvignon at £3.77. Stylistically, the move here is very much towards fresh and light, with minimal (usually no) oak use, and the teams appreciated the trend.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘These were mostly stainless steel, vibrant white wines, which is a useful style for a house white. Easy drinking and unobtrusive is what you’re looking for. These don’t need to have a sense of place.’ Andrés Ituarte, Coq d’Argent

‘This citrus and fresh style is what customers are looking for at this level.’ Mikolaj Harmider, Adam’s Restaurant

‘If I turned up in my pub and they served me these by the glass I’d be happy. And for ease of service, it was interesting to see that these were all screwcap.’ Sarah Jane Evans MW, team leader

‘More character in wines gives the customer a more interesting experience. I encourage that.’ Melody Wong, Ten Trinity Square Private Club

‘There was some very good value here. Some could even be sold in higher level restaurants by the glass.’ Yohann Pinol, Wiltons

‘Some were quite high in acidity. They’d fit very well in gastropubs. The best was quite complex, it tells a bit of a story, and very elegant.’ Aurel Istrate, The Connaught

Award winners

Found 45 wines

House Wine: White - <£6 ex-VAT

Domaine du Grand Mayne, Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Duras 2016, South West France, France

Gold medal winner

For Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, this Gold-winning French white had ‘high acidity, with citrus, grapefruit and fresh apple notes, as well as some pineapple’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte appreciated its ‘Sauvignon Blanc nose, with a touch of jalapeño pepper’. This all made it, according to WSET’s Mike Best, a good choice ‘by the glass, without food, but would also match superbly well with roast pork and fennel, with its herbal notes, and enough acidity to balance the fatty meat’.

£5.95 Grand Mayne

Distell, Nederburg, The Manor, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Gold medal winner

Taking Gold in no small part for its ‘bold and juicy fruit’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, this had ‘attractive herbaceous notes and good acidity’ for fellow team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who thought this was ‘technical, and a good food wine, too’. Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London added that this ‘floral and elegant’ wine was both ‘juicy and mineral’ on the palate, and ‘perfect for a goats’ cheese salad with pomegranate and a citrus dressing’.

£5.38 Distell Europe

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

Gabriel Liotta of Hakkasan Hanway Place was taken by this Gold winner’s ‘lovely, pronounced notes of peach and white flowers, with some richness on the palate, as well as ripe stone fruit, and a lime finish’. ‘A bright, citrus wine, with notes of grapefruit,’ added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, before going on to describe ‘a lively and fresh mid-palate’, while Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs enjoyed its ‘good acidity, with apple and lemon fruit’. This ‘Côtes-du-Rhône blanc’ style made team leader Martin Lam think it would accompany risotto well.

£5.69 Molson Coors

Vistamar, Brisa, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Gold medal winner Pub & Bar

This Gold medal Sauvignon Blanc was ‘great for the price’, according to Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California), who described a wine that was ‘well-balanced – floral and aromatic, with some good citrus notes’, while team leader Angela Reddin had good things to say about its ‘bright, fresh nose containing red apple and some citrus character’, going on to praise it for being ‘fresh and light in the mouth’.

£3.77 Tolchards Ltd

Boutinot, La Lisse Soie d'Ivoire, Chenin Blanc, Haute Vallée de l'Aude 2016, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Well balanced between fruit and acidity, this is a well-structured wine, with a creamy finish,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons thought that it was ‘fresh and fruity’, further describing it as ‘delicate, with some white floral notes’.

£5.58 Boutinot

LGI-Wines, Les Cents Verres, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Tinned peaches and a hint of spice’ defined the nose here for team leader Jade Koch, who thought the palate had ‘good acidity, finishing with a further hint of spice, and pear drops’. Aurel Istrate of The Connaught additionally found ‘honeycomb and white flowers’.

£5.95 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Chenin Blanc 2017, Swartland, South Africa

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest found ‘pear fruit aromas, with green apple flavours with some creaminess’, describing this as ‘quite rounded with a refreshing lemon finish’. Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club, meanwhile, spoke of an ‘aromatic, clean and precise wine’.

£4.50 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Capelio, Chenin Blanc 2017, Swartland, South Africa

Silver medal winner

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston found aromas of ‘hay and toasted walnuts’, going on to describe this as ‘pétillant on the palate, which gives it some vibrance’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS described it as having ‘juicy, fresh pear and apple fruit’.

£4.50 Fuller's

iLauri, Tavo, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2017, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest enjoyed this wine’s ‘tutti frutti aromas, together with some creamy oak notes on the nose, leading to rounded and ripe apple and pear flavours’, while Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains praised its ‘bright, ripe fruit, with pear and white blossom notes’.

£5.95 Milton Sandford Wines

Fray Leon, Tamarind Garden, Chardonnay/Moscatel 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

This was packed with ‘floral and exotic fruit aromas’ thought Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, who proceeded to describe this as having ‘an elegant freshness’. ‘Complex, with good balance and a nutty finish,’ concluded Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental.

£5.31 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Boutinot, The Listening Station, Chardonnay 2017, Victoria, Australia

Silver medal winner

‘Pear, apple and beeswax on the nose, as well as some mineral notes,’ began Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club, going on to describe a wine that was ‘balanced and quite complex, with crisp acidity and some decent length, too’.

£5.69 Boutinot

Boutinot, The Big Top, Chardonnay 2015, California, USA

Silver medal winner

This opened with ‘ripe yellow fruit’, according to Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan Hanway Place, who went on to find ‘melon and grapefruit on the palate, along with a touch of spice, and with some good length on the palate’.

£5.96 Boutinot

Concha y Toro, CyT, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest described this wine as ‘rounded apple and blossoms on the nose and palate, with a little creaminess, and leading to an apple juice note on the finish’, concluding that this house wine candidate showed ‘nice balance and length’.

£5.40 CyT UK

Copestick Murray, Five Foot Track, Chardonnay 2016, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club liked the ‘gooseberry, unripe passion fruit, pineapple and gala melon’ notes in this Aussie Chardonnay, with Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston adding praise for ‘a persistent honey note, and vibrant minerality’.

£5.28 Majestic Commercial

Broadland Wineries, Proudly Vegan, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh fruit on the nose, with elegant balance on the palate, and good minerality,’ said Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, while Andrés Rangel of Sketch thought it had ‘floral and peach notes, as well as some citrus and green apple’.

£3.79 Broadland Wineries

Boutinot, Le Voleur de Vin, Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne 2016, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

‘Soft citrus notes, with light, floral aromatics, opening up into a tropical fruit bomb’ was how Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot described this wine, while team leader Angela Reddin liked its ‘hedgerow floral notes, with acacia and elderflower, and great length with peachy overtones’.

£5.09 Boutinot

Boutinot, Maison de Vigneron, Côtes de Gascogne, Sec 2016, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

A ‘vin de soif’, according to Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who went on to describe this as ‘zingy and fresh, with crunchy yellow fruit’. In addition, team leader Laurent Richet MS found ‘tangerine flavours, with a hint of herbaceousness, too’.

£4.99 Boutinot

Casa Girelli, Terriero, Chardonnay 2016, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Mouthwatering, with a pleasant fruit profile,’ said Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, who went on to describe ‘peaches, pears and yellow plums’ here, while team leader Laurent Richet MS found fresh notes of ‘nettle, green bean and pea pod’.

£5.30 Frederic Robinson

Boutinot, Sun & Air, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Bronze medal winner

‘Sauvignon Blanc in style, this is easy drinking, as well as aromatic and balanced, with some citrus notes,’ said Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn found ‘pyrazine notes, like green bell peppers’.

£5.04 Boutinot

Boutinot, Les Oliviers, Sauvignon Blanc/Vermentino, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found ‘racy acidity with good weight and concentration – a good aperitif’. ‘A refreshing wine worthy of being on wine lists during a hot British summer – drink super-chilled!’ summarised Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£5.24 Boutinot

Adria Vini, Ca' di Ponti, Grillo 2017, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Creamy, floral and fresh,’ began Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, who further described ‘citrus notes and good acidity’, which team leader Annette Scarfe MW described as ‘nice lemon fruit, and a fresh finish’.

£4.64 Boutinot

Bartolomeo Breganze, Le Colline di San Giorgio, Pinot Grigio 2017, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Ripe tropical fruits on the nose, leading to a pleasant palate,’ began Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, while for Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, this had ‘a rounded mouthfeel, with orchard fruits and melon, and some minerality on the finish’.

£5.84 Majestic Commercial

Direct Wines France, Madame F, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

For team leader Jade Koch, this was a ‘honeyed, rich and buttery Chardonnay, and a little bit toasty, too, leading to a good mineral, saline finish’, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate enjoyed ‘good citrus fruit, but vanilla at the same time, as well as some stone fruit’.

£5.11 Direct Wines Production

Boutinot, Mucho Mas, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

‘Lovely aromatics of quince and white flowers,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, going on to praise this wine’s ‘good body and structure’. Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine found ‘citrus notes like grapefruit and lemon, with good aroma, minerality and good length, too’.

£5.18 Boutinot

Murviedro, Fauno, Blanco, Viura/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Valencia, Spain

Commended medal winner

£4.92 Boutinot

Boutinot, El Tesoro, Verdejo 2016, Castilla y León , Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.08 Boutinot

Boutinot, Prime Cuts, White 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£4.79 Boutinot

Boutinot, Dutch Hope, Chenin/Viognier 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£5.07 Boutinot

Famille Helfrich, Parlez-Vous, Sauvignon 2017, Loire , France

Commended medal winner

£5.84 Tolchards

Viña La Rosa, La Palma, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£4.50 Fuller's

WX Brands, Marques de Calado, Macabeo 2017, Castilla, Spain

Commended medal winner

Botter, Tua, Garganega/Pinot Grigio 2016, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Sierra Norte, Fuenteseca, Organic, Macabeo/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Utiel-Requena, Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.98 Boutinot

Casa de Vila Nova, Vila Nova 2016, Vinho Verde , Portugal

Commended medal winner

£5.76 Boutinot

Concha y Toro, Mountain Range, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£5.88 CyT UK

Araldica, Alasia, Piemonte Cortese 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.94 Boutinot

Araldica, Piemonte Chardonnay 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£5.08 Boutinot

Cartafina, Masseo, Trebbiano 2016, Umbria , Italy

Commended medal winner

Botter, Vivoli, Pinot Grigio 2017, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.88 Molson Coors

Hauts de Montrouge, Domaine de Perhus, Colombard/Sauvignon, Côtes de Gascogne 2017, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

£5.45 Fuller's

Foncalieu, Reserve St Michel, Grenache Blanc, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£4.50 Fuller's

Foncalieu, Le Versant, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£5.95 Fuller's

Telegraph Road, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Commended medal winner

£5.09 CellarVino

Adria Vini, Ancora, Bianco, Garganega delle Venezie 2017, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.84 Boutinot

Darling Cellars, The Capeman, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Darling, South Africa

Commended medal winner