10 Best Wines in the World as judged at the International Wine Challenge 2021

Château Gris, Maison Albert Bichot

The International Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential, impartial and rigorously judged winecompetition, has announced the 10 highest scoring wines from its 2021 competition.
Winners from eight countries were named the top wines of the competition, having proventhemselves to be the absolute finest in their categories following multiple stages of intensive blindtastings by a panel of leading global experts from across the industry. Five of these outstandingwines have been awarded the ultimate accolade of Champion, which is given to wines that areconsidered the absolute 'best in show', beating all other National Trophy winners in the categoriesof red, white, sparkling, sweet and fortified.
10 Best Wines in the World as judged by the International Wine Challenge 2021:

FranceFrance
GreeceItaly
Spain
Australia

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Cyrot Chaudron
Hospices de Beaune 2019, Maison Albert Bichot

IWC Champion Red Wine 2021,
International Pinot Noir Trophy, French
Red Trophy, Red Burgundy Trophy

IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2021,
Champagne Trophy, Vintage Classic
Vintage 2008, Piper-Heidsieck
Blend Champagne Trophy
IWC Champion White Wine 2021,Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2020, Domaine Sigalas
Greek White Trophy
Vinsanto di Carmignano Capezzana Riserva 2013,
IWC Champion Sweet Wine 2021,
Tenuta Di Capezzana
Italian Sweet Trophy
IWC Champion Fortified Wine 2021,
Lustau Palo Cortado V.O.R.S 30 Years, Emilio Lustau Sherry Trophy, Palo Cortado Trophy
Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2019,
International Shiraz Trophy, McLaren
Wolf Blass Wines
Vale Shiraz Trophy

Sauvignon Blanc Kitzeck-Sausal Südsteiermark
2019, Weingut Schneeberger

International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy,Austrian Sauvignon Blanc Trophy

Germany

Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine duPavillon 2019, Maison Albert Bichot
Erbacher Siegelsberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs
2015, Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen

IWC Organic Trophy 2021, InternationalChardonnay Trophy, French WhiteTrophy, White Burgundy Trophy
International Riesling Trophy, German
White Trophy

New
Zealand

Valli Pinot Noir Gibbston Vineyard 2019, ValliVineyards

IWC Sustainable Trophy 2021, New
Zealand Red Trophy, Central Otago
Pinot Noir Trophy

AustriaFranceFrance was this year’s highest performing country, with three wines included in the top 10 as well as
winning the most medals across the entire competition.
Not one but two wines from Maison Albert Bichot featured in the top 10; Clos de la Roche GrandCru Cuvée Cyrot Chaudron Hospices de Beaune 2019 beat wines from over 50 countries to beawarded the Champion Red Trophy in this year’s competition whilst Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru
Domaine du Pavillon 2019 was declared the best Chardonnay of 2021, winning the International
Chardonnay Trophy and IWC Organic Trophy 2021. Piper-Heidsieck delivered great results forChampagne, winning the Champion Sparkling Trophy for its Vintage 2008 Champagne, whilst its
Chef de Cave Emilien Boutillat was named IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year. This year’sawards also saw Christophe Briotet from Edouard Delaunay declared IWC White Winemaker of theYear.
Spain’s reputation for world-class fortified wine was left in no doubt in this year’s competition.
Emilio Lustau was awarded the highest accolade for fortified wine in the competition, winning theChampion Fortified Trophy for its Lustau Palo Cortado V.O.R.S 30 Years, whilst Lustau’s Cellar
Master, Sergio Martínez, was named IWC Fortified Winemaker of the Year. This builds on the wider
success of winemakers across Spain in this year’s awards with Montecastro Reserva 2016 fromBodegas Montecastro winning the Spanish Red Trophy and Agro de Bazán the Spanish White
Trophy for Granbazán Etiqueta Ámbar 2019.
Home to thousands of indigenous grape varieties, it was a sweet wine from Tuscany made with
Trebbiano and San Colombano that impressed the judges this year and secured Italy’s place in thetop 10. Tenuta Di Capezzana was awarded the Champion Sweet Wine Trophy for Vinsanto diCarmignano Capezzana Riserva 2013, with judges describing it as ‘delectable’. In the wider
competition, Tuscany also impressed the judges this year with its white wine; Vermentino
Maremma Toscana Tenuta Aquilaia 2020 from Tenuta Aquilaia received the Italian White Trophy.
Further north in Veneto, Santa Sofia was awarded the Italian Red Trophy for Amarone Della
Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2012.
Co-Chair Tim Atkin MW commented: ‘With wines from over 50 countries entered into the IWC andeach wine judged purely on its merit, it’s impossible to predict which wines will come out on top inany given year, which is what makes the competition so exciting. It’s great to see lesser-known wines
such as the Austrian Sauvignon Blanc and an Assyrtiko from Greece standing alongside more familiarnames in this year’s top 10 scoring wines.’
The full list of Trophy and Champion award winners at the 2021 International Wine Challenge
released on 30th June can be found at here.

ENDS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 38th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial and influential winecompetition. The International Wine Challenge assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region
and vintage. Awards include medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Commended awards. Trophies are awarded to the very bestwines in each category. The International Wine Challenge is committed to helping consumers discover great wine, and themedals displayed on winning bottles offer a trusted guarantee of quality.
For more information on the IWC, please contact the IWC team at Phipps
iwc@thisisphipps.com : +44 (0) 20 7759 7400