Printemps 2015 – The laureates
Vougeot, March 28th 2015 – Quality, authenticity and pleasure…
For the 95th occasion, the whole of Burgundy gathered at the Château du Clos de Vougeot to mark what has become a red-letter day in the diaries of winegrowers from Chablis all the way to Beaujolais: the ritual of the spring Tastevinage winetasting.
The winetasting was chaired in the great Cistercian cellier by Christian Paly, President of the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine or INAO-wines.
This painstaking exercise in which more than 500 wines are scrupulously evaluated by some 200 wine-tasters, wine waiters, appellation presidents, journalists, restaurant owners and importers, also presents an opportunity to pass an initial judgement on those burgundy wines that will soon be on the market, and in particular the 2013 vintage.
In the great cellier where the Confrérie’s chapitre banquets take place, thirty or so tables were installed, each one accommodating five or six professionals from the wine world. The 2015 Tastevinage followed the established tradition: abandoning their pruning knives and grape baskets for the day, all these wine folk were sworn in as members of a jury whose reputation for rigorous severity has spread well beyond the frontiers of Burgundy.
In deciding whether a wine merits selection, the jurors must consider the following criteria: Is the wine true to its appellation and vintage? Is there evidence that it will age correctly? Would they be proud to offer or share a bottle with a friend? Nothing more is required. Since there is no question of knowing where the sample comes from, each bottle is discreetly veiled to preserve its anonymity.
Not less than two hours of tasting and shared diagnoses were necessary for the task. At the close of the winetasting, only 180 bottles had been singled out, earning them the right to display the Tastevinage label. This mark of viticultral distinction gives the consumer a solid guarantee of authenticity, quality and pleasure.
The listed wines have been selected by the Tastevinage jury; they are not graded in order of merit. The list is not exhaustive: some successful entrants are not included, their wines having been sold or reserved.
To find out the laureates, please download :
Vins Tastevinés 2015 – 95e séance
