SWA 2011: GOLD LIST

GOLD LIST

Over 1,500 wines can be boiled down to this: the hallowed Sommelier Wine Awards Gold List for 2011...

So here it is: the best of the best. The 130-odd wines that made the final cut to take the hallowed spaces on our Gold List.

It is, as you can see, a list that has pretty much everything: plenty of decent cheapies, all the big-name regional boxes ticked, some quirky weirdness and a handful of expensive trophy wines. Despite being fairly bijou in size, we think that the chosen wines here should be enough to more than satisfy the needs of all of the diners at our imaginary restaurant.

Because the list is on the compact side, it meant that our sommelier tasters had to be tough in their judgments. Plenty of really good wines were left at the silver-medal stage, simply because our tasters felt, in their heart of hearts, that however much they liked the wines, they would simply be too tough a sell – or because they felt they had another wine that was able to do the same job for slightly less money. Silvers, in other words, are well worth a look for bargains, and for filling that gap on your list with a wine that will overdeliver.

Having said that, while the judges tended to be ruthless, they were occasionally joyously illogical in their choices as well. A few of the wines that made the Gold List were total sommelier indulgences, chosen for no other reason than that the judges absolutely loved them.

In other words, as with all good cartes de vin, the Sommelier Wine Awards Gold List 2011 is a mix of hard-headed business, compromise, calculation and occasional to-hell-with-it enthusiasm.

It should be your first port of call if you’re looking to freshen up your own list, and we hope you have as much fun in exploring it as we did in creating it!

Chris Losh competition director

SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE: UNDER £14

Follador Prosecco Treviso Spago 2010, veneto italy

Follador UK £7.50

Giovanni Viberti Moscato d’Asti 2010, piedmont, italy

Bottle Green £10.79

Domaine Carneros Sparkling Brut 2006, california, usa

Hatch Mansfield £12.49

SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE: £14-20

Brown brothers Patricia Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Brut 2005, victoria, australia

PLB Group £15.58

SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE: £20+

Taittinger Brut Vintage 2004, champagne, france

Hatch Mansfield £30.62

SPARKLING ROSE

Bouvet ladubay Brut Rose Excellence nv, saumur, loire, france

Cavendish Wines £7.18

Champagne Lallier Premier Cru Brut Rose nv, champagne, france

Boutinot £16.96

HOUSE WINES

Chemins des Dames, Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan 2010, south-west france

Majestic Wine £3.94

La Fonda Sauvignon Blanc 2009, curico valley, chile

Molson Coors/Concha y Toro UK £4.74

Fernlands Sauvignon Blanc 2010, marlborough, new zealand

Majestic Wine £4.88

Santa Rita Gran Hacienda Sauvignon Blanc 2010, lontue valley, chile Berkmann

Wine Cellars £4.95

Ancora Chiaretto rose 2010, piedmont, italy

Boutinot £3.74

Rosemount Signature Collection Cabernet Merlot 2009, south-east australia

Treasury Wine Estates £3.20

Mountain Range Merlot 2009, central valley, chile

Concha y Toro UK £3.83

Moondarra Shiraz nv, south-east australia

WaverleyTBS £3.99

Tamarind Garden Cabernet/Merlot/Carmenere 2008, central valley, chile

Berkmann Wine Cellars £4.08

Wolf Blass Bilyara Merlot 2008, south-east australia

Treasury Wine Estates £4.14

Soldier’s Block Shiraz 2008, mclaren vale, australia

Boutinot £4.94

ROSE

Senorio de Sarria Rosado Vinedo No 5 2010, navarra, spain

Boutinot £6.44

Turkey Flat Rose 2010, barossa valley, australia

Mentzendorff & Co £8.32

Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rose 2010, sancerre, france Stevens Garnier

Wine Agency £10.87

Domaines Ott Clos Mireille Rose 2009, cotes de provence, france

Maisons Marques et Domaines £17.50

VARIETAL CLASSICS: PINOT GRIGIO

Morande Reserva Pinot Grigio 2010, casablanca valley, chile

Bottle Green £7.00

VARIETAL CLASSICS: NZ SAUVIGNON

Awatere Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2009, marlborough, new zealand

Greene King £5.40

Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2010, marlborough, new zealand

Maisons Marques et Domaines £7.00

The Pioneer Sauvignon Blanc 2010, marlborough, new zealand

Enotria £10.40

VARIETAL CLASSICS: AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ

Mr Smith Shiraz 2009, mclaren vale, australia

Boutinot £6.59

VARIETAL CLASSICS: ARGENTINIAN MALBEC

Colome Estate Malbec 2008, calchaqui valley, salta, argentina

Enotria £10.99

SWEET WINES

Hattenheimer Schützenhaus Riesling Auslese 2007, rheingau, germany

The Wine Keller £17.95

Vin de Constance 2005, constantia, south africa

Mentzendorff & Co £24.16

Leonardo Vin Santo Tegrino 2005, tuscany, italy

Liberty Wines £16.71/50cl

Hans wirsching Silvaner Trockenbeerenauslese 2009, franken, germany

The WineBarn £50.00/37.5cl

SHERRY

Williams & Humbert Alegria Manzanilla nv, sanlucar de barrameda, spain

Ehrmanns £3.05

Valdivia Fino Seco nv, jerez, spain

Liberty Wines £6.59/50cl

Fernando de Castilla Antique Oloroso nv, jerez, spain

Boutinot £15.09/50cl

Valdivia Sacromonte Pedro Ximenez Dulce nv, jerez, spain

Liberty Wines £9.06/50cl

PORT

Fonseca Guimaraens 1996, douro, portugal

Mentzendorff & Co £21.88

Duque de Braganca 20 Year Old Tawny nv, douro, portugal

Berkmann Wine Cellars £23.91

FRANCE

 LOIRE & SANCERRE

Cave de Saumur Blanc La Cabriole 2009, loire, france

Enotria £6.22

De Ladoucette Vouvray 2008, vouvray, france

John E Fells & Sons £9.29

Levin wines Mister L Sauvignon Blanc 2009, loire, france

Levin Wines £18.00

La Barbotaine Sancerre Rouge 2009, sancerre, france

Amathus Drinks £9.39

CHABLIS

William Fevre Chablis 2009, chablis, france

John E Fells & Sons £10.08

BEAUJOLAIS

Domaine de la Porte du Paradis St-Amour 2009, beaujolais, france

Boutinot £6.34

BURGUNDY

Maison Deux Montille St-Romain 2007, burgundy, france

Armit £14.95

Vallet Freres Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrieres 2008, burgundy, france

Boutinot £36.74

Jean-Claude Boisset Les Ursulines Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2009, burgundy, france

Liberty Wines £10.08

Domaine Faiveley Nuits-St-Georges premier Cru Les Damodes 2007, burgundy, france

Maisons Marques et Domaines £26.50

BORDEAUX

Chateau Lestrille Bordeaux Superieur 2009, bordeaux, france

Hallgarten Druitt £8.56

La bastide Dauzac 2007, margaux, bordeaux, france

Bibendum £16.13

Chateau de Pez 2005, st-estephe, bordeaux, france

Maisons Marques et Domaines £22.17

RHONE

Chapoutier St-Peray, Les Tanneurs 2009, northern rhone, france

Mentzendorff & Co £11.85

Paul Jaboulet aine Hermitage Le Chevalier de Sterimberg 2008, northern rhone, france

Liberty Wines £36.92

Ogier, Oratorio Cotes du Rhone, france

Mistral Wines £11.50

Jean-Luc Colombo Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Bartavelles 2009, rhone, france Hatch

Mansfield £26.89

Delas Hermitage Rouge Marquise de la Tourette 2007, northern rhone, france

Berkmann Wine Cellars £30.25

REST OF FRANCE

Chimeres Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2008, roussillon, france

Liberty Wines £8.73

ALSACE/GERMANY/AUSTRIA

Weingut Bunn Grauer Burgunder 2009, rheinhessen, germany

Weingut Bunn £4.19

Turckheim Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2007, alsace, france

Boutinot £11.59

Sybille Kuntz Gold Quadrat Riesling 2009, mosel, germany

OW Loeb £14.00

Durbacher Steinberg Rotwein Cuvee 2006, baden, germany Durbache

Winzergenossenschaft £16.95

ITALY

BAROLO/BARBARESCO

Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja 2007, piedmont, italy

Liberty Wines £45.22

AMARONE

Pra Vigna Paradiso Amarone della Valpolicella 2006, veneto, italy

Boutinot £33.09

CHIANTI

Castello di Meleto Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna Casi 2006, viticola toscana, tuscany, italy

Ehrmanns £11.27

Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva 2007, tuscany, italy

Eurowines £13.09

TUSCANY

Raniero IGT Toscana 2005, viticola toscana, tuscany, italy

Ehrmanns £14.20

Ca’ marcanda, Magari 2006, gaja, tuscany, italy

Armit £22.50

Fossacolle Brunello di Montalcino 2006, tuscany, italy

Liberty Wines £25.63

Poggio al tesoro W Dedicato a Walter Cabernet Franc 2007, tuscany, italy

Liberty Wines £31.38

REST OF ITALY: WHITE

Mandrarossa Viognier 2009, sicily, italy

Enotria £6.18

Pala Vermentino I Fiori 2010, sardinia, italy

Berkmann Wine Cellars £7.23

Tasca d’Almerita Leone d’Almerita 2009, sicily, italy 

Berkmann Wine Cellars £9.63

Poggio al tesoro Solosole Vermentino 2009, tuscany, italy

Liberty Wines £10.78

Argiolas Iselis White 2009, sardinia, italy

Eurowines £11.02

Maso Toresella Cuvee 2008, trentino alto adige, italy

Boutinot £12.09

Planeta Cometa 2008, sicily, italy

Enotria £15.40

Nussbaumer Gewurztraminer 2009 Alto Adige, italy

Hallgarten Druitt £16.47

REST OF ITALY: RED

Ritratti Pinot Nero 2008, gruppo la-vis, trentino, italy

United Wineries £5.99

Araldica Rive Barbera 2007, piedmont, italy

Boutinot £8.84

Araldica D’Annona Barbera d’Asti 2007, piedmont, italy

Boutinot £10.84

Ruberpan Rosso soave 2007, veneto, italy

Liberty Wines £13.38

Planeta Santa Cecilia 2006, sicily, italy

Enotria £15.40

SPAIN

RIOJA

Beronia Reserva 2006, rioja, spain

Gonzalez Byass £7.56

Don Jacobo Rioja Reserva 2004, rioja, spain

Matthew Clark £11.34

Rest of spain: WHITE

Marques de la Concordia Vega de la Reina Verdejo 2009, rueda, spain

United Wineries £5.99

Naiades 2007, rueda, spain

Boutinot £14.09

REST OF SPAIN: RED

Borsao Seleccion Barrica 2008, campo de borja, spain

Boutinot £5.44

Hacienda Shiraz 2007, castilla la mancha, spain

Hallgarten Druitt £5.72

Libido Garnacha 2009, navarra, spain

Bibendum £6.03

Quinta El Refugio Crianza 2008, toro, spain

Boutinot £6.95

Demencia 2007, bierzo, spain

The Winery UK £34.99

Abadia Retuerta Pago Negralada 2006, sardon del duero, spain

Liberty Wines £45.17

PORTUGAL

Quinta do Crasto 2009, douro, portugal

Enotria £7.66

Quinta do Portal Grande Reserva 2007, douro, portugal

Charles Hawkins & Partners Ltd £19.80

New World

CHARDONNAY

Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay 2007, adelaide hills, south australia

Treasury Wine Estates £8.15

Maycas del Limari Reserva Especial Chardonnay 2008, limari valley, chile

Concha y Toro UK £8.50

Iona Chardonnay 2009, elgin, south africa

Enotria £10.84

Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2007, margaret river, western australia

Justerini & Brooks £13.69

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Errazuriz 1870 Sauvignon Blanc 2010, casablanca valley, chile

Hatch Mansfield £5.18

Echeverria Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010, curico valley, chile

Hallgarten Druitt £5.61

Avery Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2010, marlborough, new zealand

Louis Latour Agencies £10.08

RIESLING

Mission Riesling 2010, marlborough, new zealand

Cockburn & Campbell £8.14

Pegasus Bay Riesling 2008, waipara valley, new zealand

New Generation Wines £10.09

CHENIN BLANC

Spier, Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2009, stellenbosch, south africa

PLB Group £12.49

CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT & CABERNET FRANC: CHILE

Torreon de Paredes Reserva Privada Merlot 2007, cachapoal valley, chile

Forth Wines £8.17

CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT & CABERNET FRANC: THE REST OF
THE NEW WORLD

Michel torino Cuma Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, cafayate, argentina

Hallgarten Druitt £5.61

Devon Crest devon valley 2006, stellenbosch, south africa

Enotria £10.76

SYRAH/SHIRAZ AND GRENACHE: AUSTRALIA

Chapel Hill Grenache 2008, McLaren Vale, australia

Berkmann Wine Cellars £11.20

D’arenberg The Derelict Vineyard Grenache 2007, mclaren vale, australia

Bibendum £13.12

SYRAH/SHIRAZ AND GRENACHE: THE REST OF THE NEW WORLD

Undurraga Terroir Hunter Syrah 2008, limari, chile

Moreno Wines £11.50

Agustinos Gran Terroir Syrah 2009, aconcagua, chile

Bibendum £11.99

Man o’ war vineyards Dreadnought Syrah 2008, waiheke island, new zealand New

Generation Wines £17.70

PINOT NOIR: NEW ZEALAND

Saint Clair pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Noir 2009, marlborough, new zealand

Hallgarten Druitt £10.95

Akarua Pinot Noir 2009, bannockburn, central otago, new zealand

OW Loeb £14.42

PINOT NOIR: THE REST OF THE NEW WORLD

Ventolera Pinot Noir 2008, leyda valley, chile

Novum Wines £10.78

Kooyong Single Vineyard Ferrous Pinot Noir 2005, mornington peninsula, victoria, australia

Enotria £26.68

Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir 2007, Russian River Valley, california, USA Brown-Forman

Europe £28.00

MALBEC

Agustinos Gran Terroir Malbec 2008, bio bio, chile

Bibendum £11.99

CARMENERE

Caliterra Tributo Carmenere 2008, colchagua valley, chile

Hatch Mansfield £6.24

OTHER REDS

Emiliana Organic Coyam 2008, colchagua valley, chile

Boutinot £11.50

Perez Cruz Liguai 2008, maipo alto, chile

Novum Wines £16.28

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – May/June 2011

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