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Luxembourg wins World Blind-Tasting Championship
Team Luxembourg have been crowned the winners of the 10th edition of the World Blind-Tasting Championship.
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In total, 31 teams participated in this year’s competition, held in Ayala House in Äy, attempting to identify the variety/varieties, vintage, region and producer of 12 wines. The Luxembourg team, consisting of Zaiah Amann, Hervé Amann, Guy Bosseler and Jules Hoffelt, under the guidance of coach Daniel Poos, only took the lead with the 10th wine.
Celebrating the country’s first ever win in the competition, with 139 points, the team told organisers La Revue du Vin de France: “It’s perseverance that allowed us to win.”
Portugal came second with 123 points, narrowly slipping past Iberian neighbours Spain who gained 122. Hungary (who were last year’s winning team), England and Belgium came in joint fourth with 117 points apiece.
Perhaps slightly surprisingly, France, on home turf (as usual for the competition) and (unknowingly) faced with five French wines, came 18th. Brazil was in last, with 37 points.
Team Kenya, who made history as the first all-female team in the competition’s history, came 26th. In an Instagram post, the team said: “A huge, huge thank you for all the support and to everyone who took the time to watch us live, tunawapenda sana [which means “I love you all so much” in Swahili]! We are very proud of ourselves!”
Team Zimbabwe, the subject of the recently-released feature-length documentary Blind Ambition (reviewed by db here) were 20th. Their lineup was unchanged from that of the 2017 tournament that was the subject of the film, including the return of coach Denis Garret.
The wines tasted were as follows:
2014 Nyetimber (Chardonnay, West Sussex, England)
2016 Bodegas Menade (Verdejo, Rueda, Spain)
2020 Ken Forrester The FMC (Chenin Blanc, South Africa, Stellenbosch Coastal Region)
2018 Cave de Tain (95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne, Hermitage, France)
2014 Ramey (Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, USA)
2017 Bimmerle (Pinot Noir, Baden, Germany)
2018 Domaine Muré (Pinot Noir, Alsace, France)
2015 Château Vignelaure (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Syrah, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, France)
2019 Il Quinto (40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot, 30% Syrah, Tuscany, Italy)
2001 Domaine du Grand Tinel (Grenache, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France)
2019 Quinta do Montaldo (Touriga Nacional, Regional Lisboa, Portugal)
2001 Château de Fargues (80% Sémillion, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, Sauternes, France)
The full rankings:
1st Luxembourg – 139 points
2nd Portugal – 123
3rd Spain – 122
4th Hungary, England, Belgium – 117
7th Romania – 115
8th Belarus – 112
9th Switzerland – 111
10th China – 108
11th Austria – 103
12th Monaco – 97
13th Taiwan, Finland – 91
15th Netherlands – 85
16th Mexico, Poland – 84
18th France – 83
19th Denmark – 82
20th Zimbabwe – 79
21st South Africa – 77
22nd Moldova – 76
23rd Quebec – 74
24th USA – 72
25th Japan – 71
26th Kenya – 63
27th South Korea – 62
28th Italy – 60
29th Scotland – 54
30th Sweden – 53
31st Brazil – 37