Top 10 award-winning eco-friendly wines from the Organic Masters 2020

So what were the best wines of this year’s Global Organic Masters? Well, we’ve picked out the top 10 highest-scorers from 2020’s competition, which is the largest organic-only blind wine tasting in the UK.

Emiliana is the world’s largest organic winery, with over 800 hectares of certified organic vineyards across Chile

Following such a comprehensive tastings of wines that are certified as either organic or biodynamic, we were delighted to find some outstanding drops to prove that you can enjoy truly fine wine that meets the constraints of ecologically-sensitive viticultural methods.

Taking in wines from Provence to Champagne, Minervois to McLaren Vale, our 10-strong selection offers a broad choice in terms of source regions, as well as wine styles – from the delicate and sparkling to the rich and oak-laden.

All the wines that feature over the following pages were selected ‘blind’ – which means that they were tasted without any knowledge as to their source or varietal components – as part of db’s Organic Wine Masters 2020.

This annual competition is the largest organic-only wine tasting in the UK, and has been devised to single out the best samples in this growing sector, with the only stipulation for entries being that the grapes and / or wine must be certified organic and / or biodynamic.

The selection below follows our previous handful of great-value organic white wines, which you can see by clicking here, as well as a listing of five fantastic organic reds for under £10, which you can view here, and more recently, a list of seven outstanding organic wines for summer, to champion lighter styles.

Please see below for our selection of outstanding organic wines for summer sipping, and if you think you deserve a place on this list, please visit The Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions, please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

10. Warboys Vineyard McLaren Vale Grenache

• Producer: Angove Family Wines

• Region: McLaren Vale
• Country: Australia
• Grape variety: Grenache
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2018
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £20-30
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

If you love Grenache – the key to the juicy red berry peppery character of the great wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Priorat – then don’t forget Australia’s McLaren Vale. A beacon of Grenache quality in the New World, this tough vine loves the heat and sandy soils of this part of Australia, and thankfully, many of the historic vineyards remain – which were once used to produce grapes for fortified wine. Among the superb Grenache examples from this part of the world is this one from a top name in organics – Angove Family Vineyards – which hails from a 60 year old vineyard called Warboys. Loaded with ripe red cherry and strawberry fruit, and some sweet vanilla from oak-ageing, and warming alcohol, it’s easy to love, but it has a serious side too: with a touch of grippy tannin and fresh acidity, it has a dry and bright edge, indeed, this may be super ripe with masses of ripe soft berry fruit, but it’s not a heavy wine, which is why is such a joy to drink.

9. Las Cambes

• Producer: Château Maris

• Region: Minervois
• Country: France
• Grape variety: Grenache (85%), Carignan (29%)
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2018
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £20-30
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

There are two aspects to Château Maris that make it such a fine producer of wines of quality and personality. One is its approach to all aspects of production, which are dictated by the hands-on and environmentally-sensitive requirements of biodynamics. The second relates to its location – the vineyards are found within a great terroir in the Languedoc area of southern France, a crus called Minervois-La-Livinière. While this area is seen as a particularly prized source of Syrah – and Château Maris is an expert with the grape – there is also some wonderful old vine Grenache too. And with Las Cambes, which is a Grenache dominant red blend, you get a chance to sample the many wonderful characters of this grape from established vines on a great site.

So, expect masses of fresh, juicy, ripe crushed strawberry flavours, white pepper, and fine, gently drying tannin, in a warming glass of wine with a relatively light body. In all, it reminds one of a slightly sweeter fuller glass of Pinot Noir, which can only be a good thing.

8. Champagne Drappier Quattuor Blanc de Quatre Blancs

• Producer: Champagne Drappier

• Region: Champagne
• Country: France
• Grape variety: 25% Arbanne, 25% Petit Meslier, 25% Blanc Vrai, 25% Chardonnay
• Abv: 12%
• Vintage: Non-vintage
• Closure: Agglomerated cork
• Approx. retail price: £50+
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

This year’s Organic Masters featured a range of particularly good sparkling wines, notably from Cava, Prosecco and England. However, the top performer was a Champagne, and a remarkable one from Drappier.

Called Quattuor Blanc de Quatre Blancs, it employs the full four white grapes of Champagne, including Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. This means that it provides a home for some of the historic, near forgotten grapes of Champagne, while also supporting organic farming in the region – a relative rarity. It also helps that this high quality output hails from the region’s most sustainable producer – Drappier is carbon neutral.

As for the character of the fizz, it’s a Champagne of great quality, and interest, with a wide range of traits, from roasted hazelnut and pastry, to an array of apple flavours, from stewed and baked to fresh and ripe, before finishing with a chalky grip and taste. In short, a complex, balanced and highly appealing glass of fizz, that, for the Champagne specialists among you, mixes some oxidative apple skin characters with more reductive smoky, roasted notes.

7. Gemtree Ernest Allan Shiraz

• Producer: Gemtree Wines

• Region: McLaren Vale
• Country: Australia
• Grape variety: Shiraz
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2018
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £30-50
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

Named after the grandfather of Gemtree’s present day biodynamic viticulturist, Melissa Buttery, this is one of the top wines from this highly respected organic and biodynamic Australian wine producer. A pure Shiraz from McLaren Vale, it reflects the power, quality and personality of this grape and region combination when the management is expert – as it is under Gemtree’s team.

So what does it taste like? It’s a dense and thrilling wine with plenty of plums and blackcurrant fruit, along with a touch of black olive and pepper, and a pleasant creamy and toasty character from barrel-ageing. What makes it especially appealing however is the structure of the wine, which is concentrated with masses of rich ripe fruit, but not sweet and heavy – there’s a lovely fine chalky dry tannin sensation on the finish, even a touch of cherry stone freshness. In short, it’s a wonderful red, although I should add, very much in its infancy.

6. Château Leoube Rosé

• Producer: Château Leoube
• Region: Côtes de Provence
• Country: France
• Grape variety: Grenache (40%), Cinsault (40%), Syrah (10%), Mouvedre (10%)
• Abv: 13.5%
• Vintage: 2019
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £20
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

One of the top producers of Provençal wines, the rosés from Château Leoube are both delicious and organic. Owned by Britain’s Bamford family, proprietors of machinery manufacturer JCB, but also the founders of Daylesford Organic – one of the UK’s most sustainable farms – it’s no surprise that the wines from Leoube are produced according to organic growing methods.

However, such an agricultural approach is no guarantee of quality, so it is wonderful to discover the high quality of Leoube’s produce. This particular rosé has the typical pale salmon pink appearance of Provençal pinks, and a moreish flavour combination of wild strawberry, ripe peach and pomegranate, with a touch of fresh pink grapefruit and redcurrant. This union of soft juicy fruit and more crunchy characters makes this a particularly indulgent and mouthwatering drink.

5. Kalleske Greenock

• Producer: Kalleske

• Region: Barossa
• Country: Australia
• Grape variety: Shiraz
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2018
• Closure: Screwcap
• Approx. retail price: £30-50
• Medal: Master – Organic Wine Masters 2020

Fans of great Barossa Shiraz, please take note. Kalleske is a fantastic source of a much loved wine style, combining organic practices and brilliant winemaking to create something that captures the appeal of this part of Australia, this famous grape, and it should be added, established old-vine concentration too.

Gaining one of the highest scores of the Organic Masters 2020, the Greenock Shiraz – named after the Barossa sub-district where Kalleske is based – is crammed with intense black fruit, fresh plums, and a touch of dried mint and black pepper, and a hint of sweet balsamic, complemented by the indulgent characters from oak-ageing, such as coconut and milk chocolate. It’s layered, delicious, and persistent.

4. Gemtree Obsidian

• Producer: Gemtree Wines

• Region: McLaren Vale
• Country: Australia
• Grape variety: Shiraz
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2018
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £30-50
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

This flagship expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz from Gemtree is certainly impressive. Using only the very best grapes from Gemtree’s beautifully managed biodynamic vineyards, it was always going to be good, and came out as one of the very highest-scoring wines of this year’s Organic Masters.

While it’s a huge wine aged in new oak barriques, don’t expect something so rich it’s hard to imbibe – the wine has a pleasing set of easy-to-drink traits, although it’s certainly concentrated. The aromatics are reminiscent of fresh summer pudding, with plums, blackberries and a touch of cherry jam, while the palate delivers more sweet black cherry fruit, along with blueberry, a touch of pepper, and fine oak shaving characters, along with toast and roasted nuts. Another wonderful red from Gemtree, very much in its youth, that delivers masses of ripe fruit contained in a tight-knit structure, suggesting that it will be a long-lived red.

3. Brama by Château Maris

• Château Maris
• Region: Occitanie
• Country: France
• Grape variety: Grenache Gris
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2016
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £25
• Medal: Master – Organic Wine Masters 2020

The top-scoring white in this year’s Organic Wine Masters was from brilliant southern French biodynamic specialist Château Maris. While this producer’s richly-flavoured reds have been strong performers in past Organic Wine Masters, this was the first year we had tried their flagship white wine – called Brama – and it offered the same high standard. Indeed, this pure Grenache Gris from the Minervois is a powerful, barrel-fermented wine with beeswax and wood shavings along with peach and pear fruit, and a touch of apple skin, giving a gently bitter-fresh finish. It is textural wine, with layers of flavour, tons of character and, with all its fruit, oak and richness, a highly versatile one too.

2. Coyam

• Producer: Emiliana Vineyards

• Region: Colchagua
• Country: Chile
• Grape variety: Syrah: 43, Carmenere: 29, Cabernet Sauvignon: 12, Others: 16
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2017
• Closure: Natural cork
• Approx. retail price: £20
• Medal: Gold – Organic Wine Masters 2020

For those who know the Chilean wine scene well, you’ll probably be aware that the country is adept at producing fine, concentrated pricy reds, almost entirely based on Cabernet Sauvignon, which are collectively known as ‘icon wines’. Indeed, every major producer has one in its range, some several. Well, Coyam is the ‘icon wine’ of organic supremo Emiliana Vineyards, and it differs from much of Chile’s top-end offering. Firstly, it is biodynamic, secondly, relative to the rest, it’s not actually that pricy – costing around £20 – and thirdly, it’s not dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley. This Gold-Medal winning vintage from 2017 contains more Syrah and Carmenere than Cabernet, although that too is a reflection of its sourcing: Coyam comes from Emiliana’s Los Robles estate in Colchagua – a region of Chile best known for Carmenere, but also gaining a reputation for great Syrah too.

The name Coyam comes from the name of the woods that surround this large beautiful biodynamic estate that is in fact own by the Guilisasti family – the people behind the country’s biggest wine group, Concha y Toro.

So what about the wine? Coyam is a ripe, intense red with plenty of vanilla and toast from oak barriques, and some firm tannins too, along with a touch of alcohol warmth, all of which one would expect from a top-end Chilean wine, but what I like about this flagship biodynamic Emiliana expression is the fruit. Not only is it pristine, and ripe, but varied, with sweet cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry, a touch of blackberry jam, but also some bright red berries too.

1. Kalleske Eduard

• Producer: Kalleske

• Region: Barossa
• Country: Australia
• Grape variety: Shiraz
• Abv: 14.5%
• Vintage: 2017
• Closure: Screwcap
• Approx. retail price: £50+
• Medal: Master – Organic Wine Masters 2020

The highest scoring wine in the entire Organic Masters tasting this year turned out to be for a top red from Australia’s Kalleske, called Eduard. Named after the Barossa producer’s founder, Karl Heinrich ‘Eduard’ Kalleske, it uses Shiraz from a historic vineyard, first planted in 1905, ensuring it is a wine of great concentration but balance too. The result is seriously impressive, with layers of flavour from blackcurrant to ripe plum, a touch of prune, sweet balsamic and black pepper, along with dried mint and fleshy cherry, supported by grippy tannins, to give a dry finish, that also features lingering roasted coffee and vanilla pod flavours from the barrel-ageing process. It’s a remarkable wine that’s both big and beautiful.