Close Menu
News

All the medallists from the Bordeaux Masters 2024

The links between Bordeaux and the UK have echoed down the centuries – and the region remains a reliable source of quality wines, says Patricia Stefanowicz MW.

Bordeaux wines and the UK have long had a love affair. The region’s supremacy in England began in 1152 as a result of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet, who thus acquired all of Gascony and, two years later, became King Henry II.

When King John came to the throne in 1199, he won favour with the Bordeaux citizens by giving them enormous privileges, including exemption from the export tax for goods sailing from Bordeaux, and he authorised favourable treatment for Gascon merchants in London. Even after the French regained Gascony in 1453, and despite the Anglo-Portuguese Methuen Treaty of 1703, the trade in Bordeaux wine continued, often as smuggled goods sold surreptitiously through London ‘coffee houses’. The burgeoning Bordeaux merchant class became the necessary link to perpetuate this British thirst for ‘claret’.

In spite of the ‘ups’ of trade over the centuries and ‘downs’ of wars and 19th century diseases (oidium and then the ‘dreaded worm’, phylloxera), Bordeaux wines remained pre-eminent in the UK, especially in the secondary market, until the late 1980s. Today they are still extremely well-traded and have lost little of their lustre and prestige. The decline in percentage terms on the secondary market is more a reflection of growth in alternative sources of fine wines, such as Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany and the ‘icon wines’ of California and Australia.

Not all the wines sold by the Gascon merchants between the 1200s and 1400s were from Bordeaux itself, so selling wines from outside the region through the Bordeaux marketplace is definitely not new.

Small snapshot

This year ’s Bordeaux Masters has given the judges a very small snapshot of the wines coming from and through Bordeaux: white, rosé, red and sweet. Although small, the selection of wines created excitement in each of these styles.

Unoaked whites showed well. Sauvignon Blancs have purity of greengage, nettle and green pear fruits, with riper versions also exhibiting passion fruit and mango. At under £15, the whites are expressive, easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing wines, while those blending Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon and Muscadelle display a little more interest and texture. In the £15–£20 price bracket, the sample from Clarence Dillon Wines had lovely apricot and honey notes, meshing seamlessly with nettle and kiwi fruit.

The oaked white wine we judged, Château Suduiraut’s Lions de Suduiraut (£15–£20), showed green and yellow fruits, creamy texture and gentle toasty oak, with hints of allspice. The wine incorporates some Sauvignon Gris, a positive addition that appears more and more frequently in white Bordeaux. The example of sweet wine, L’Or du Ciron, is a classic Sauternes, packed with apricots, orange marmalade and acacia honey, and ‘kissed’ by a touch of creamy oak. At £12 per half-bottle, the wine is an incredible bargain.

Rosés from Bordeaux are commonly a blend of the Cabernets and Merlot, although there is no set formula. The better wines exhibit a light body, rose-petal and red berry fruits and a pale peach-pink colour, with crisp acidity and a touch of grip giving character and texture. Usually priced at £10–£15, they offer a superb alternative to more expensive rosés from elsewhere.

Bordeaux is still the epitome of very fine oaked red wines. Climate change has given riper vintages recently, and much improved viticulture – plus winemaking with greater understanding and attention to detail – means that many of the wines are drinking well much sooner than 40 or 50 years ago.

Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois wines, such as Château de Malleret 2020 and Château Mongravey 2019, and right bank wines, including Château Mazeyres 2019 and Château la Fleur de Boüard 2020, demonstrated just how plush-textured, integrated, balanced and drinkable these modern clarets can be, and at reasonable prices: under £50. The young, more expensive red Bordeaux wines from Pomerol that we judged were sensational: for example, Château l’Évangile’s second wine, Blason de l’Évangile 2020, and Château la Conseillante 2019 and 2020.

The wines we judged from outside the Bordeaux region selling through La Place all won Gold and Master medals, but the prices are very expensive—from just under £100 to more than £200. However, the wines were delectable, with the Chilean Maquis stable showing cassis, tobacco and herbal hints, with concentration, texture and balance. VIK’s iconic offering displays power and elegance. A couple of richly fruited, yet refined Australian expressions with welljudged oak, are Penfolds Bin 169 from Coonawarra and Hoosegg’s Cabernet Sauvignon from Philip Shaw’s New South Wales estate. Morlet Family Estate’s Oakville wines show the varietal character, depth, intensity and elegance of only the very finest Cabernet Sauvignons.

This Bordeaux Masters was a fabulous judging day, with, astonishingly, every wine tasted earning an award. The fine wine offering is undoubtedly expanding and there is stiff competition between regions, but in the global markets of today there is a place for all.

Still White – Unoaked

Winery Name of Wine Vint. Medal
£10-£15
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Blanc 2023 Silver
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Les Terroirs Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Silver
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Blanc X Nathan 2023 Silver
£15-£20
Clarence Dillon Wines Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc 2023 Gold

 

Still White – Oaked

Winery Name of Wine Vint. Medal
£15-£20
Château Suduiraut Lions de Suduiraut Blanc Sec 2023 Gold
£30-£50
Château Plain Point Château Plain Point 2019 Gold

Still Rosé – Unoaked

Winery Name of Wine Vint. Medal
£10-£15
Clarence Dillon Wines Clarendelle Bordeaux Rosé 2023 Silver

 

Still Red – Oaked

Winery Name of Wine Vint. Medal
Under £10
Vignobles Luc Schweitzer Château Bourdieu 2023 Silver
Château Le Moulin de l’Abbaye Cru Bourgeois 2018 Silver
Château Ladignac Cru Bourgeois 2019 Silver
Château Troussas Cru Bourgeois 2016 Silver
Château Ricaudet Cru Bourgeois 2016 Bronze
£10-£15
Vignobles Luc Schweitzer Château Bourdieu N°1 2023 Gold
Vignobles Luc Schweitzer Château les Clottiers 2023 Silver
Vignobles Luc Schweitzer Château de la Chapelle 2023 Silver
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Rouge 2022 Silver
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Rouge X Pierre 2023 Silver
£20-£30
Château de Malleret Château de Malleret 2020 Gold
Château Doyac Château Doyac 2021 Silver
Château Mongravey Château Braude 2019 Silver
Vignobles Kopp Château du Retout 2018 Silver
Château Tour Saint Fort Cru Bourgeois 2019 Silver
Paradise Rescued B1ockOne Bordeaux 2017 Silver
Paradise Rescued B1ockOne Bordeaux 2018 Silver
£30-£50
Château Plain Point Château Plain Point 2018 Gold
Château Mongravey Château Mongravey 2019 Gold
Château Mazeyres Château Mazeyres 2019 Gold
Château la Fleur de Boüard La Fleur de Boüard 2020 Gold
Vignobles de Larose Château Arnauld 2016 Silver
£50-£70
Château l’Evangile Blason de l’Evangile 2020 Master
£100+
Château la Conseillante Château la Conseillante 2016 Master
Château la Conseillante Château la Conseillante 2020 Gold

Sweet White

Winery Name of Wine Vint. Medal
£10-£15
L’Or du Ciron Sauternes 2020 Gold

 

La Place: Still Red – Oaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
£70-£100
Viña Maquis Franco Colchagua Chile 2019 Gold
Viña Maquis Viola Colchagua Chile 2013 Gold
Viña Maquis Franco Colchagua Chile 2013 Gold
Viña Maquis Viola Colchagua Chile 2019 Gold
£100+
Morlet Family Vineyards Coeur de Vallée Napa Valley USA 2020 Master
Morlet Family Vineyards Coeur de Vallée Napa Valley USA 2018 Master
Morlet Family Vineyards Coeur de Vallée Napa Valley USA 2019 Master
Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia Australia 2021 Gold
VIK VIK Cachapoal Chile 2020

 

Gold

 

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Bordeaux Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine.

The 2024 competition was judged on 16 April at Bacchanalia Mayfair in London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Bordeaux Master.

This report features the medal winners only. Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No