Wines of Chile reveals annual Sommelier Challenge winners

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 21 October, 2015

The winners of the annual Wines of Chile Sommelier Challenge have been announced.

The event, now in its fifth year, was held on Monday October 19 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

Sommeliers taking part in the challenge included those from Drakes, Gymkhana, Sat Bains, The Savoy, Sketch and 67 Pall Mall.

The sommeliers tasted over 70 wines arranged in flights either by variety or traditional wine list theme. Each flight contained both Chilean and non-Chilean wines.

The judges had to choose which wine in each category they would include on their own wine lists.

All wines were tasted blind.

Over 120 Chilean wines entered for the challenge this year. The shortlist for the final was drawn up by Ronan Sayburn MS and on-trade consultant Martin Lam.

The non-Chilean wines put before the sommeliers were either award winners from the Sommelier Wine Awards or selected from leading on-trade suppliers.

The Sauvignon Blanc category was won jointly by Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Leyda, available from Matthew Clark/LFE Wines, and French wine Domaine de Pierre Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Enotria.

The Chardonnay was won by Tarapacá Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2014, Leyda, through Direct Wines.

Viña Leyda Single Vineyard Las Brisas Pinot Noir 2013, Leyda, also from Enotria, won the Pinot Noir category.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was won by Errázuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Aconcagua available through Hatch Mansfield.

The red blends and other varietals winner was Emiliana Coyam 2012, Colchagua from Boutinot.

The winner of the wines by the glass category was Emiliana Signos de Origen La Vinilla 2014, Casablanca, also available from Boutinot.

Anita Jackson, UK director for Wines of Chile, said: "Chile has the potential to work for sommeliers on so many levels. We just need to get them to see beyond house wines and realise that Chile can more than hold its own in a line up of popular wine-list categories.

"By tasting everything blind, the Sommelier Chile Challenge aims to open people's eyes to what Chile can offer and to encourage them to start to think of Chile as a 'go to' on-trade supplier."

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