World blind tasting championship: And the winner is…Spain

he 2015 world blind tasting championship held by French wine magazine Revue des Vins de France was won, albeit by a whisker, by the Spanish team. Clocking up 140 points, Spain’s José Aragunde, Philippe Cesco, Roberto Santana and Alfonso Torente (trained by Elogio Pomares) just pipped 2013 winners, the Belgian team with 138 points, to the post. In second place, Nathalie Harhelier, Olivier Georges, Olivier Rotiers and Robert Rouelle from Belgium have already announced that they will triumph again in 2016. Sweden, with team members Tommy Ander, Börje Johansson, Lars Johnson and Chris Bonnerup (coached by Erik Grödahl) came third with 115 points. France, which came first last year, arrived in 5th position this year with 107 points, after Andorra, fourth, which scored 114 points. The championship was launched by the magazine in 2013.

Hosted by Ogier (Advini Group) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape on October 17, the tournament was entered by 20 teams of 4 tasters from around the world, from South Africa to Sweden, including Argentina and China. The 12 wines blind tasted by participants were a similar array of internationally sourced labels: the tasting began with a 2005 Champagne Bollinger then moved on to a 2013 Te Mata from New Zealand, a German Riesling (2011 Friederich Becker Sonnenberg), a Croatian Malvoisie (2009 Kabola Unica), an Assyrtiko from the island of Santorini (2014 Gaia), a Chianti Classico (2012 Felsina Berardenga), a Mourvèdre from Bandol (1998 Château Vannières), a South African Pinotage (2012 Chamonix Greywake), a Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2007 Bosquet des Papes), a blend from Castilla y Leon (2006 Quinta Sandoria), a Sauternes classed growth (2008 Château Climens) and a Maury (2006 Mas Amiel).

[Source: Vitisphere; Photo of the Spanish team celebrating its victory on October 17: RVF]