{"id":8786,"date":"2025-08-07T11:33:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T10:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/main.sommelieredit.com\/?p=8786"},"modified":"2025-08-07T11:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T10:36:03","slug":"summer-awards-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/main.sommelieredit.com\/es\/summer-awards-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Sommelier Edit Summer Awards 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the prestigious 67 Pall Mall, a razor-sharp panel of Sommelier Edit Top 100 winners gathered to assess wines and wine alternatives across a broad sweep of categories, seeking those which genuinely deliver for the trade.<\/h2>\n

Charlotte Hey and Douglas Blyde served as chair judges, leading a distinguished lineup: Romain Barina (Holborn Dining Room), Luca Bocca (The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch), Maria Cintoli (Evelyn’s Table), K\u00e1rp\u00e1tfalvi Bence (Moor Hall), Jiachen Lu (CORD by Le Cordon Bleu), F\u00e1bio Monteiro (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay), Veronica Monti (Jean-Georges at The Connaught), and Marius Plesa (The Waterside Inn).<\/h3>\n

The results tell a compelling story of what\u2019s exciting the sommelier community right now – from the renaissance of Spanish sparkling to the unexpected finesse of alcohol-free alternatives.<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Sparkling Moment<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Juv\u00e9 & Camps stood out in the Champagne Alternatives category, taking multiple awards including two Preservation System accolades. The Gran Juv\u00e9 2018 (93 points) impressed with its notes of roasted nuts, burnt caramel, sweet spice and brioche – a wine layered and expressive enough for premium by-the-glass pours. La Capella 2011, from a single-vineyard Xarel\u00b7lo, was even more arresting: 150 months on lees yielded baked apple, coconut, and toasted nut notes, with judges praising its \u2018elegant, mouth-filling\u2019 presence.<\/p>\n

Pere Ventura\u2019s Tresor Cuv\u00e9e Barrique (95 points) took Best Value despite its upscale profile, described as having a \u2018developed nose, savoury, briny length, and smoky, mushroomy depth\u2019. In a trade often locked into Champagne habit, these Spanish sparklers proved that ambition and complexity needn\u2019t come with a French accent.<\/p>\n

The Godello Revolution<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>In Aromatic Whites, Galician Godello proved its shape-shifting ability. Capricho Val de Paxari\u00f1as 2024 (93 points, Best By The Glass) offered a floral nose, bright acidity, and food-friendly weight – the very definition of a sommelier\u2019s secret weapon.<\/p>\n

Its older sibling, Herencia del Capricho 2021 (96 points), was another story altogether. With only 3,000 bottles produced, this lees-aged wine delivered dried mango, apricot and marmalade aromas with vanilla spice complexity. The pairing of these two wines demonstrated how a single grape can stretch from accessible luxury to premium indulgence.<\/p>\n

Rh\u00f4ne-Style Surprises<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Rh\u00f4ne Classics category yielded geographical curveballs. Merum Priorati\u2019s Inici 2022 (91 points) from Spain brought soft plum, dark fruit and warming spice. Yet it was Australia\u2019s Jaraman Shiraz 2021 (93 points) which claimed Best By The Glass, admired for its varietal clarity, fine spice and length. Judges called it \u2018best red tasted today\u2019 – proof that Rh\u00f4ne style now belongs to the world.<\/p>\n

The No\/Low Evolution<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Perhaps the biggest surprise came from the No and Low Alcohol category. J\u00f6rg Geiger<\/a>\u2019s Blanc de Blanc with Chardonnay (94 points, Best Overall) impressed with sweet aromatics of baked pear and stewed apple, lively bubbles and a golden hue. Judges likened it to \u2018liquid strudel\u2019.<\/p>\n

This category was packed with innovation: Jacob Kocemba\u2019s BL\u00c5, made with 13 organic teas; BOLLE\u2019s grape-led blends; and Nomora\u2019s Cuv\u00e9e Ros\u00e9 with its extraordinary notes of smoked game and fresh cranberry. The complexity was undeniable. The shift in sommelier attitudes, equally so.<\/p>\n