Le Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2006

You might expect the Concour Mondial de Bruxelles to take place in Belgium, and it usually does, but this year it was off-shored to Lisbon. 220 international wine experts (including BKWine) tasted 5447 wines and spirits from 43 countries. 1613 were awarded medals. There were 49 Grande Médailles d’Or (Great Gold Medals), 583 Médailles d’Or (Gold Medals), 974 Médailles d’Argent (Silver Medals) and 7 Médailles de Bronze. On addition to all medals there were four awards for “Best Wine”: the red went to Bernard Magrez’s micro cuvée Tivoli 2003 from a small 2.5 ha vineyard in northern Médoc. Spain got the Best Wine for whites with Conces de Albarei Carballo Galego 2004 from Rias Baixas, and Luxemburg (!) for sparkling wines: the Cuvée du Domaind Kohll-Reuland Crémant de Luxembourg. Canada had the sweet Best Wine award for Magnotta Riesling Icewine Limited Edition 2003 from Niagara Peninsula. Here are some of my own favourites:

• Château Ollieux Romanis - Cuvée Prestige ph: +33 4 68 43 35 20, Corbières Rouge
• Château Valrose - Cuvée Alienor, Saint Estèphe Edonia (ph: +33 5 57 55 60 60)
• Château Preuillac, Médoc Yvon Mau SA (ph: +33 5 56 61 54 54)
• Ventisquero Reserva Carmenère Viña Ventisquero, Chile (ph: +56 72 20 12 40)
• Viu Manent - Carmenère - Reserve Viu Manent y Cia. Ltda, Chile (ph: +56 2 37 90 020)
• Esporão - Private Selection Finagra S.A.- Herdade do Esporão, Alentejo, Portugal (ph: +351 213 03 15 40)

For more medal winners: www.concoursmondial.be