FRANCE: White Rhône
2018 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze 0 Commended 0
2017 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze 1 Commended 4
Which do sommeliers like more, Riesling or white Rhône? Think carefully before you answer – it might not be as straightforward as you think.
This is never one of the biggest sections of the competition (‘niched’ is an accurate description), but it always over-delivers, knocking out half a dozen top-tier medals year after year.
And yet, the shiny things tell only half the story here. The feedback is what is so impressive. Our tasters absolutely loved these, in both rounds of the tasting, and swore to a man (or woman) that, handsell or not, they were going to do more with them on their list.
In such intense competition, special credit must be given to the twinkly-eyed Jean-Luc Colombo. He had a hand in both Golds and a further Silver – and his pricing was impressive. The Colombo & Fille white for sub-£8 was one of the finds of this year’s competition.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘From the cheapest to the most expensive, these delivered what you’d expect from Rhône whites: acidity, some oak, creaminess and some floral notes, too. There were options for gastropubs all the way to top-end heavy meals.’ Carlos Ferreira, The Don
‘There was beautiful richness and complexity, with everything from light to rich styles. The lowest-priced here could easily replace best-selling white Rioja in pubs.’ Tatiana Mann, The Vine Eno Gastro Pub
‘This is what I was hoping for from the category. In the last four to five years, white Rhône has had good successive vintages and showed much more switched-on winemaking, picking at the right time, and with very fair prices. These wines are so complementary to so many food styles.’ Martin Lam, team leader
‘Very few people pick [white Rhônes] off the list, but they’re great wines: savoury, complex, and can be really helpful with food matching. Our two Golds are both superb at the price point.’ Mathew Simmonds, Paul Kitching 21212 Restaurant, Edinburgh