The top performers from The Global Wine Masters 2024

From prize-winning Pinotage to pricy orange wine and fine Piedmontese sparkling, we have picked out the top performers by style and category from the thousands of samples judged in last year's Global Wine Masters. Following an awards ceremony at Wine Paris in February – at which we celebrated the winemakers behind the bottles below – we are now delighted to reveal our thoughts on the best performers by category across the tasting competitions held last year. These are the wines that our judges awarded the highest scores to, whether that was in our Global Chenin Blanc, Carmenere or Cabernet Franc Masters, as well as the bottles that led us to crown Rosemary Cakebread our Winemaker of the Year. Please scroll down to see our top wines of the past 12 months, complete with in-depth tasting notes, and click here to read about the winning winemakers that crafted them. Meanwhile, to read about the top 100 Master Winemakers that made the cut for this year's list, please click here to download our guide.  Finally, please click here to find our more about The Global Wine Masters, and the 30-strong range of tastings that make up this exciting competition series.

Wine of the Year: Gallica for its Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (and Cabernet Franc 2019)

• Winemaker: Rosemary Cakebread
• Producer: Gallica
• Region: Oakville, Napa Valley, California
• Country: USA
• Vintage: 2021
• Grape varieties: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £146
• Medal: Master

An outstanding Cabernet blend from Rosemary Cakebread’s Gallica winery, this 2021 expression is a serious, structured, intense wine that deserves to be cellared, but is hard not to imbibe right now. Dominated by ripe, concentrated pure fruit, from blackcurrant to red cherry, raspberry to blackberry, there’s flesh and power to the mid-palate, complemented by delicious notes of toast and chocolate, with a hint of sweet tobacco and cedar. The finish is long, smooth and dry, with a lovely refreshing finely-tannic edge. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Cabernet Franc 2019

• Winemaker: Rosemary Cakebread
• Producer: Gallica
• Region: Oakville, Napa Valley
• Country: USA
• Vintage: 2019
• Grape varieties: 98% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £150
• Medal: Master

Winemaker extraordinaire Rosemary Cakebread is the proprietor of Gallica, located in Oakville, Napa Valley. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine are sourced from the organically-farmed Oakville Ranch Vineyard and co-fermented to create this Bordeaux-style blend. Exhibiting a deep purple-ruby hue, the wine’s bouquet has dark black fruits and morello cherry with cedar wood and hints of sweet bell peppers and lavender. Textured, layered and well-defined, the wine has a long savoury, sappy finish redolent of baking spices and vanilla pod. A ripe yet elegant style to match the likes of beef with parsnip purée and braised chard accented by a dash of quatre épices. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best New Entrant: House of Arras Rosé sparkling wine 2015

• Winemaker: Ed Carr
• Producer: House of Arras
• Region: Tasmania
• Country: Australia
• Vintage: 2015
• Grape varieties: 32% Chardonnay, 67% Pinot Noir, 1% Pinot Meunier 
• ABV: 13.5%
• Approx. retail price: £68
• Medal: Master

A pale salmon pink vintage rosé of remarkable depth and finesse from Tasmania. Aromatically it offers instant enticements, from notes of wild strawberry to grilled hazelnuts. As soon as it’s sipped one is hooked on its combination of fine, mouth-filling bubbles, ripe apples and pears along with notes of cherry, cranberry and rhubarb too. While refreshing and very dry, this is a creamy-textured fizz with plenty of fruit and wonderful lees-aged characters of toast and roasted coffee. A delicious, pretty, summertime drink with a serious and vinous side too. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Chenin Blanc: Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022

• Winemaker: Johan Jordaan
• Producer: Spier Wine Farm
• Region: Cape Town
• Country: South Africa
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 100% Chenin Blanc
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £25
• Medal: Master

The 37-year-old, dry-farmed, bush-trained vines used for this wine are nicknamed the ‘Lazarus vines’ because Johann Jordaan, the Spier cellarmaster, rescued them from obscurity and uprooting. Pale gold-hued, the wine displays golden apple, guava and peach flavours, with smoky wood and honey notes. Dry, mid-weight, the rich palate is balanced by zesty acidity and a hint of astringency, giving a little added grip and leading to a savoury finish. The wine would be a good match for seared swordfish steaks. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Rioja: Monte Real Gran Reserva Edición Limitada 2009

• Winemaker: Emilio Sojo Nalda
• Producer: Bodegas Riojanas
• Region: Rioja
• Country: Spain
• Vintage: 2009
• Grape varieties: 100% Tempranillo
• ABV: 14%
• Approx. retail price: £50
• Medal: Master

If you like your Riojas to be wonderful, rare and old-school in style, then this old-vine, single- vineyard, limited-edition Rioja from Monte Real is a must. With 40 months in American oak barrels, there’s a lovely brick-red appearance and appealing oxidative notes of sweet balsamic, shoe leather and liquorice, along with some delicious notes of stewed red berry and prunes, then an orange-like acidity and chalky-fine tannins. Delicious now, this wine is in a mature state, although it could certainly be aged and enjoyed in 10 years’ time, and has that wonderful Riojan trait of being sweet, aged and refreshing too, with the latter a result of firm acidity and fine tannins. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Autumn Tasting Award: Bruce Jack Heritage Flag of Truce Pinotage 2022

• Winemaker: Bruce Jack
• Producer: Bruce Jack Wines
• Region: Breedekloof
• Country: South Africa
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 100% Pinotage
• ABV: 15.07%
• Approx. retail price: £35
• Medal: Master

A huge complex and delicious autumnal red, with layers of juicy blackberries and Morello cherries along with sweet tomatoes and redcurrants. These delicious fruit flavours are allied to barrel-sourced characters of vanilla pod, charred bread and milk chocolate. Fully ripe, but not heavy, there's a freshness to this wine, helped by the fine dry tannins and cedar-wood note on the finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Chardonnay: Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay 2023

• Winemaker: Kym Schroeter
• Producer: Penfolds
• Region: Adelaide Hills
• Country: Australia
• Vintage: 2023
• Grape varieties: 100% Chardonnay
• ABV: 12.5%
• Approx. retail price: £70
• Medal: Master

Layers of orchard fruit in this wine, with finely etched pear, lemon and grapefruit pith, and cashew and subtle oak spice on the nose. The palate is fresh and crisp with a beautiful and very elegant texture and very good intensity, while remaining linearly focused. Wonderful textural interest unfolds in the mid-palate, and the finish is long, well-balanced and with excellent precision and length. Not an inexpensive wine, but worth every penny. (Siobhan Turner MW)

Best Bordeaux: Château La Conseillante 2016

• Winemaker: Marielle Cazaux
• Producer: Château La Conseillante
• Region: Bordeaux
• Country: France
• Vintage: 2016
• Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
• ABV: 14%
• Approx. retail price: £200
• Medal: Master

Three hundred years ago the Libournais merchant Catherine Conseillan acquired the property and gave it the feminine version of her name, ‘Conseillante’. She extended the vineyard parcels to 12 ha, and they rest the same today. In 1871 the Nicolas family purchased the estate. Today the fifth generation of the Nicolas family manages the domaine. This wine, deep ruby-purple in colour, shows an inviting, complex nose of ripe forest fruits, bilberry and plums and hints of nuts and dried dates accented by tobacco and cream. The concentrated palate flavours are framed by brisk acidity and silky tannins with notes of charcoal and clay- like minerality. A seemingly youthful wine with beautiful texture, balance and length. Delicious to accompany devilled lamb kidneys and chestnut mushrooms. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best wine sold via La Place de Bordeaux: Morlet Coeur de Vallée 2018

• Winemaker: Luc Morlet
• Producer: Morlet Family Vineyards
• Region: Oakville, Napa Valley
• Country: USA
• Vintage: 2020
• Grape varieties: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc
• ABV: 15.6%
• Approx. retail price: £230
• Medal: Master

Based in St. Helena, Napa Valley, Luc and Jodie Morlet have vineyards and vine- growing partners in Napa and in Sonoma County, from which they have been crafting amazing wines since 2006, and the Coeur de Vallée wines are sold on La Place in Bordeaux. The Morlet-owned 20-acre Coeur de Vallée vineyard on the Oakville Bench is the source for this fantastic wine. Almost opaque purple-black and appearing youthful, the bouquet is aromatic, redolent of elegance and harmony, showing red and black fruits and almost ribena-like cassis with spicy oak and hints of sweet red-pepper, violets, leather and fresh herbs adding complexity. The palate is dry and quite full-bodied with flavours balanced by brisk acidity and satin-textured tannins accented by spicy red pepper and crushed red rose notes. Beautifully defined and persistent, the wine, though young, could be drunk with heart of veal Ossau-style, marinated in chicken stock, onions, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, celery leaves and quatre épices, then roasted with garlic, Bayonne ham and served with a Demi-Glace from the marinade. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Malbec: Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2022

• Winemaker: Ernesto Bajda
• Producer: Catena Zapata
• Region: Mendoza
• Country: Argentina
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 1005 Malbec
• ABV: 13.8%
• Approx. retail price: £80
• Medal: Master

Wow. That was my first note on this wine having sipped it in the controlled setting of our competition, such was the power, intensity and appeal of this incredible Malbec. Opaque in the glass, intense on the nose, with cream and brambles dominating, and then just wonderful in the mouth, revealing layer upon layer of delicious flavours. Among them are juicy red cherry, pure blackberry, and fleshy raspberry, with clotted cream and vanilla pod playing a supporting role, along with a touch of toast, that adds yet further to the appeal. But it’s not just the glorious berry and barrel-sourced notes that make this wine special, but its mouthfeel, which is both sweet and concentrated as well as dry and lively – helped by the smooth, fine tannins that seem to merge so seamlessly with the soft flesh of the fruit. Make mine a large one, and bring on the marbled red meat. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Syrah: Saronsberg Full Circle 2022

• Winemaker: Daniela Jansen
• Producer: Saronsberg Cellar
• Region: Western Cape
• Country: South Africa
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 76% Shiraz, 12% Grenache, 9% Mourvedre, 2% Viognier, 1%Roussanne
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £40
• Medal: Master

The brilliant combination of Saronsberg’s skilled winemaking and Tulbagh’s affinity for Mediterranean grapes, above all Syrah, is wonderfully displayed in this high-end expression, called Full Circle. One of the highest- scoring wines of 2024’s Global Syrah Masters, it is deliciously-rich in characters from ripe plums and cherry jam, to sweet peaches and creamy pears, allied to complementary notes of fresh toast and roasted coffee. Powerful, and warming, as well as complex and surprisingly refreshing too. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Riesling: Pikes Hills and Valleys Riesling 2023

• Winemaker: Steve Baraglia
• Producer: Pikes
• Region: Clare Valley
• Country: Australia
• Vintage: 2023
• Grape varieties: 100% Riesling
• ABV: 11.5%
• Approx. retail price: £16
• Medal: Master

Pikes own vineyards are set in the Polish Hill area of Clare Valley and Pikes has a special interest in Riesling with good reason. This wine, from the Sevenhill section of Clare Valley, has a pale lemon colour and shows pure Riesling—apple, pear, white cherry and a touch of honey. Medium in sweetness (13.7g/l r.s.), the palate is impeccably balanced with very crisp acidity supporting the sugar and accented by a hint of white pepper and kitchen spices. Well-balanced and with lovely texture and good length, this wine will match John Dory fillets napped with a lemon-cream-chive sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Grenache: Yangarra Estate Old Vine Grenache 2021

• Winemaker: Peter Fraser
• Producer: Yangarra Estate Vineyards
• Region: McLaren Vale
• Country: Australia
• Vintage: 2021
• Grape varieties: 100% Grenache
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £38
• Medal: Master

Sourced exclusively from 13.3 hectares of unirrigated bush vines planted in 1946 near Blewitt Springs in MacLaren Vale, the wine is best served in Zalto Denk Art’s Bordeaux glass. Grown and made using biodynamic principles, for this wine Yangarra retains about 50% whole berries. The result of careful winemaking, this is a fabulous wine. Deep ruby-coloured, the wine summer pudding fruits accented by roasted coffee beans, black olives and white pepper. The sweet-fruited, succulent palate is underpinned by brisk acidity and dense tannins leading to a lingering finish. Complex, layered and textured, this is a great wine for tamarind-glazed lamb chops. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Rosé: Château Minuty 281 2023

• Winemaker: François Matton
• Producer: Château Minuty
• Region: Provence
• Country: France
• Vintage: 2023
• Grape varieties: 90% Grenache, 5% Syrah, and 5% Rolle
• ABV: 12.5%
• Approx. retail price: £55
• Medal: Master

Our highest-scoring rosé of 2024's competition, this top-end expression from Château Minuty – called 281 after the Pantone number for the blue on the bottle – uses a prized plot of old-vine Grenache, complemented by a touch of Rolle and Syrah. The combination yields a wine with depth, featuring lovely peachy notes, along with white cherry and wild strawberry, complemented by some zesty grapefruit and delicate, white pepper-like spice. A bone-dry, persistent and intense rosé with plenty of flavour, but delicacy and elegance too. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Merlot: Black Stallion Estate Winery Limited Release Merlot 2020

• Winemaker: Ralf Holdenried
• Producer: Black Stallion Estate Winery
• Region: Napa Valley
• Country: USA
• Vintage: 2020
• Grape varieties: 100% Merlot
• ABV: 15%
• Approx. retail price: £75
• Medal: Master

The site of the Silverado Western Center, the equestrian centre at the southern end of the Silverado Trail is now the Black Stallion Winery. The former riding area now has top-quality vines instead of prize-winning horses. This wine is even better than a rosette pinned to a horse’s collar. Almost opaque ruby-black in hue, the wine displays dense, dark fruits with leater, meat and very smoky oak. Sweet-fruited, though dry, the full-bodied palate is framed by fresh acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins. Lovely balance in the mouth, the wine has layers of intriguing flavours and a mouth-watering finish. A great wine suited to venison steaks, but, in a pinch, roast partridge would be an alternative. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Spring Tasting Award: Spusu Gemischter Satz The First 2022

• Winemaker: Veronika Pichler
• Producer: Spusu
• Region: NiederOsterreich
• Country: Austria
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Weissburgunder
• ABV: 12.5%
• Approx. retail price: £25
• Medal: Master

A beautiful, harmonious and exciting blend of aromas and flavours, with notes of wild flowers, chamomile, jasmine and white tea, with a touch of citrus and golden peaches. The palate is truly charming - elegant and refreshing, with ripe juicy acidity, moderate alcohol and a long floral finish. This would be a perfect accompaniment to Japanese food, especially sushi, or to chicken pan fried with morel mushrooms and spring greens. Organically farmed, it is also certified vegan. (Siobhan Turner MW)

Best Sparkling: Banfi Cuvée Aurora Riserva 100 Mesi 2012

• Winemaker: Antonio Massucco
• Producer: Banfi
• Region: Piedmont
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2012
• Grape varieties: 85% Pinot Nero, 15% Chardonnay
• ABV: 12.5%
• Approx. retail price: £180
• Medal: Master

Who would have thought one of the very highest scoring sparkling wines of the competition would be a Piedmontese fizz? But here it is – a Master of 2024 – made from Pinot Noir and a touch of Chardonnay grown in northern Italy, and crafted by Banfi. Fully mature, this 2012 expression has notes of honey and hazelnut, caramel and charcoal, then dried apple and candied lemon. As for the finish, that’s fresh, dry and persistent, with a lingering slightly bitter citrus character to make you salivate. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Pinot Noir: Cono Sur Ocio 2021

• Winemaker: Matías Ríos
• Producer: Cono Sur
• Region: San Antonio Valley
• Country: Chile
• Vintage: 2021
• Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
• ABV: 14%
• Approx. retail price: £36
• Medal: Master

Cono Sur was born in the 1960s around the time when the first Pinot Noir vines were planted in the Colchagua Valley, then considered the coolest and best region for this finicky grape variety. Nowadays, Casablanca and, increasingly, San Antonio provide better terroirs with red clay, sand and granitic soils and very cool meso-climates, which enable winemaking director Matías Ríos and his team to fashion beautiful Pinot Noirs. This flagship Ocio, from the very cool San Antonio Valley close to the deep, cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, is exquisite. Pale cherry-hued, the aromatics show red berries and blueberry, cedarwood and a mint note giving lift. Dry, the vibrant fruit is balanced by brisk acidity and linen-textured tannins with toasty, spicy oak adding complexity. Medium-bodied, this wine will pair well with game, especially roasted venison ‘backstrap’. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Sauvignon Blanc: Weingut Hannes Sabathi Ried Kranachberg Kreuz Sauvignon Blanc 2021

• Winemaker: Hannes Sabathi
• Producer: Weingut Hannes Sabathi
• Region: Südsteiermark
• Country: Austria
• Vintage: 2021
• Grape varieties: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• ABV: 13.5%
• Approx. retail price: £57
• Medal: Master

A stunning wine, generous and elegant, such that each time I went back to it, it gave me more. The nose is complex and enticing, with gooseberry and wild white fruits, a touch of mango and passion fruit, and spicy oak notes of cinnamon, clove, mace and hazelnut. On the palate it is layered and textured, with juicy acidity and some chalky minerality. This is still a really young wine, and it will gain even more complexity as it ages. Simply gorgeous. (Siobhan Turner MW)

Best Champagne: Champagne Drappier Grande Sendrée 2012

• Winemaker: Hugo Drappier
• Producer: Champagne Drappier
• Region: Champagne
• Country: France
• Vintage: 2012
• Grape varieties: 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay
• ABV: 12%
• Approx. retail price: £120
• Medal: Master

From a stunning vintage, this exquisite Champagne has a deep gold hue with long-lasting streams of minuscule bubbles. The nose exhibits plenty of red berry fruits and yellow apples with enticing accents of cream (from a little wood ageing), butter, yellow roses and lemon zest. Nearly dry Brut-style, the palate shows development with sous-bois notes adding interest to the rich and round, concentrated flavours. The satin-textured mousse and racy acidity support the wine. Fantastically layered and textured, hints of allspice and cinnamon come through on the mid-palate and continue through the finish. A fabulous wine, drinking well now, but will certainly keep for some years. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Prosecco: Andreola Dirupo Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut 2023

• Winemaker: Mirco Balliana
• Producer: Andreola
• Region: Veneto
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2023
• Grape varieties:  Glera, Bianchetta Trevigiana
• ABV: 11.5%
• Approx. retail price: £21
• Medal: Master

Andreola’s Dirupo is sourced from numerous small vineyards of various soil types and altitudes within the Valdobbiadene DOCG, all tended by hand. The variety of base wines gives Stefano Pola and his team of winemakers many options in blending this exceptional wine. Pale lemon-green in colour with a mid-width, persistent cordon, the wine displays white orchard fruits accented by lemon blossom and delicate fresh bread notes. Off-dry (10g/lr.s.), the light-bodied palate has lively acidity and a satin-textured mousse. Complex and layered, the wine shows lime, nectarine and hints of chalk leading to a lingering finish. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Carmenere: Montes Wings 2020

• Winemaker: Aurelio Montes Jr
• Producer: Viña Montes
• Region: Apalta
• Country: Chile
• Vintage: 2020
• Grape varieties: 85% Carmenère, 15% Cabernet Franc
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £49
• Medal: Master

The modern winery at La Finca de Apalta was designed using Feng Shui principles and provides a mystical winery tour. This fantastic wine seems to embody those mystical principles for harmony, too. Deep ruby- hued, the wine has morello cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit with accents of smoke, tobacco and milk chocolate and a gentle balsamic lift. The full-bodied palate is intensely flavourful balanced by brisk acidity and grainy tannins. Meaty on the finish, this is a wine to match pork belly, roasted with onions, then served with herb-and-garlic-infused haricot beans. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Wakefield The Visionary Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

• Winemaker: Adam Eggins
• Producer: Wakefield Taylors Wines
• Region: Clare Valley
• Country: Australia
• Vintage: 2019
• Grape varieties: 1005 Cabernet Sauvignon
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £85
• Medal: Master

Deep ruby colour suggests a youthful wine, and despite its official age it is remarkably fresh and pure, with a pronounced intensity on both nose and palate. Aromatically it is piercingly pure cassis, with notes of mint and eucalyptus. The palate has polished, ripe tannins, dark fruit, and here a touch of clove not yet evident on the nose. Refined style with great concentration and a long finish. (Siobhan Turner MW)

Best Cabernet Franc: El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2021

• Winemaker: Alejandro Vigil
• Producer: El Enemigo
• Region: Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza
• Country: Argentina
• Vintage: 2021
• Grape varieties: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec
• ABV: 13.5%
• Approx. retail price: £11
• Medal: Master

From grapes grown on deep calcareous soil interspersed with rocks in Gualtallary, Tupungato, in the northern part of the Uco Valley at an altitude of 1,470m, El Enemigo has produced a revelation. Almost opaque purple- black in hue, the wine has integrated dark berries with a touch of granite and hints of herbs. Well-integrated oak with smoke and cedar wood accent the rich, polished palate. Lively acidity and linen-textured tannins add structure. Harmonious, albeit youthful, wine with a long, warm finish, this will match marbled beef off a grill, or tender marinated ostrich steaks with sautéed chestnut mushrooms. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Sangiovese: Chiave di Saletta 2019

• Winemaker: David Landini
• Producer: Fattoria Villa Saletta
• Region: Tuscany
• Country: Italy 
• Vintage: 2019
• Grape varieties: 50% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
• ABV: 14%
• Approx. retail price: £30
• Medal: Master

An estate, including farmhouses and borgo village dating back to 980, Fattoria Villa Saletta has become a ‘classic’ modernised producer of fine quality Romagna wines. This wine, ‘Super-Tuscan’ in style, has a deep ruby-core and a touch of brick on the rim. The lovely nose exhibits dark cherry, blackberry and ripe plum fruit, cedarwood and hints of hedgerow and balsamic. The palate is packed with dark fruits, echoing the nose, and plenty of coconut, white pepper, cinnamon and allspice, framed by silky tannins and crisp acidity. An exciting, complex wine to match haunch of venison and a mélange of root vegetables. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

Best Pinot Grigio: Vie di Romans Friuli Isonzo Dessimis 2022

• Winemaker: Gianfranco Gallo
• Producer: Vie Di Romans
• Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Country: Italy
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 100% Pinot Grigio
• ABV: 14.5%
• Approx. retail price: £48
• Medal: Master

Not just an outstanding Pinot Grigio, but a wonderful wine, this pale copper-coloured Pinot Gigio from Fruili Isonzo is a delicious, layered and indulgent drink that deserves wider recognition in the world of fine whites. Among the many flavours that feature in this complex wine are notes of vanilla and peach, ruby grapefruit and toast, marazipan and pear, with a lingering set of characters on the finish that range of bitter almond to fresh lemon. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Best Orange Wine: Villa Soleilla 2022

• Winemaker: Gérard Bertrand
• Producer: Gérard Bertrand
• Region: Languedoc
• Country: France
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape varieties: 54% Roussanne, 30% Vermentino, 16% Viognier
• ABV: 15%
• Approx. retail price: £159
• Medal: Master

The wine is translucent with a deep amber-gold glow and a burnt orange glint on the rim. The nose is inviting and clean, with aromas of ripe orange, grapefruit pith, bergamot, burnt sugar, and a hint of vanilla pod. The mouthfeel is oily and full, almost sweet in character, but with a gently warming, dry and finely grippy finish. Flavours abound, with candied tangerine and dried apricot mixing with caramel and hazelnut, cigar box, cedar and Earl Grey tea, then bitter lemon and lime zest come through, with a saltiness augmenting the citrus tang. A delicious and complex wine that’s hard not to drink, with its dry, gently-bitter, salty and finely-tannic edge that rounds off a mouth-filling rich core of yellow fruit and toasted marshmallow. In short, a benchmark for the orange wine category, and a go-with-anything drink. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

Read more

All the award winners from the Master Winemaker 100 2025 https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/issue/master-winemaker-100-2025/