Chardonnay Masters medallists to debut at Wine Experience

Medal winners from the inaugural Global Chardonnay Masters from the drinks business will be on show this Friday and Saturday at the Bettane+Desseauve Wine Experience London.

A selection of 20 Chardonnays from the competition hailing from a broad range of countries will be available to taste at the show, which takes place at the Saatchi Gallery from 25-26 October 2013.

The Chardonnays were judged “blind” over two days by 10 Masters of Wine and one Master Sommelier, before medals were awarded according to scores from the tasters.

Unusually for a wine tasting competition, The Global Chardonnay Masters assesses wines purely by grape variety, rather than region, allowing the Bulgarian to be judged alongside the Burgundian. This ensures the entries are rated without prejudice about their country of origin.

The competition saw no fewer than 18 countries feature and, as a result, the tasting highlighted those areas and producers making Chardonnays of balance and interest.

The medals attest to the quality emerging from Australia’s Adelaide Hills and Margaret River regions, as well as South Africa’s cooler areas, such as Elgin and Walker Bay, and, in New Zealand, Marlborough, which is, of course best known for its Sauvignons.

Of the 20 wines selected for the Bettane+Desseauve Wine Experience London, Chardonnays feature from South America, France, Spain and Italy, as well as one from the Lebanon.

There are also a trio of blanc de blancs Champagnes, suggesting that some of the world’s most delicious Chardonnays are in fact sparkling.

Click here for more information on the Global Chardonnay Masters and click here to register for The Bettane+Desseauve Wine Experience London, which is open from 12pm-9pm on 25 October and 12pm-7pm on 26 October.

Chardonnay Masters judges on day 1
Chardonnay Masters judges on day 2