#CMBGuanajuato2024

The 31st edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – White and Red Wine Session, the most significant of the four sessions which also include rosé, sparkling, and sweet&fortified wines, was held for the first time on the American continent, in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. What I love about this traveling competition is that, even though it involves four intense days starting early in the morning and ending late at night, it offers a tremendous opportunity to discover new wine-producing regions and captivating wines intertwined with the charm of the locale.

I’ve always believed that the best way to understand a wine is to experience it at its source, surrounded by the local atmosphere and cuisine.

The biggest news that the wine world received at this edition of the competition, putting Romania on everyone’s lips, was the announcement that the next rosé wine session will be held next March in Constanța, Romania. This is a significant achievement for the organizing team led by Valentin Ceafalău, who took a bold step in promoting Romanian wine.

Over 7500 wines from 42 countries were judged by more than 300 tasters from around the world. Romania was once again the revelation of the competition for white wines with Issa Chardonnay Barrique 2022 from Crama La Salină, which won a Grand Gold Medal. I had the chance to taste this wine, presented by Ovidiu Maxim at a wine event, and I was impressed by its balance, the well-integrated oak that enhanced the fruitiness with the mineral acidity of the terroir. This Grand Gold Medal was joined by two other Romanian wines, also awarded Grand Gold Medals: Pinot Noir 2021 from Corcova and Fetească Neagră 2020 Patima după Matei. Congratulations to the producers! It’s indeed a great accomplishment to bring Romania to the forefront of quality wines. In total, Romania received 17 gold medals and 19 silver medals. You can find the complete results here.

The judging was conducted blind, and in addition to scoring, each of us wrote tasting notes for the respective wines. At the end of the day, after completing the evaluations, we received a list of the wines we had tasted and our notes. These comments will be analyzed by Winespace, a special program implemented to understand specialized terms and create an organoleptic profile to complement the classic evaluation. Each judge will later receive an analysis sheet of their wine evaluation activity, assessing the consistency of their judging.

The panels were carefully selected to include representatives from different countries. My colleagues were Atilla Geönczeöl from Hungary (panel chair), Andrei Cibotaru from Moldova, Marco Sciarrini from Italy, and Shyntia Perez from Mexico. We were a balanced jury with relatively small scoring differences. For some wines, the differences were significant, but with arguments, we managed to establish a common voice. It was a pleasure to share the same wines for three days. As always, this work creates special bonds. Together, we explored wines from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Mexico, and we awarded a Grand Gold Medal to a red wine from Navarra, Inurrieta Sur Roble 2022.

I can’t resist making a small comparison: Spain, with 360 awarded wines, had 7 Grand Gold Medals, while we, with 39 awarded wines, had 3. Proportionally, this is an excellent result for Romania, almost 10% compared to 2%. Of course, we must consider the number of entries in the competition, but I am proud that we have reasons to boast, and that Fetească Neagră was the most awarded variety among Romanian wines.

Romania was represented by Otilia Chiriță, Valentin Ceafalău, Sergiu Nedelea and myself. Joining us in the photo were Vasile Nicolau, now representing the USA, a former colleague at ONDOV (now ONVPV), and our Moldovan brother, Andrei Cibotaru. Perhaps the invitations are received in our own names as a testament to our professional qualities, but in the end, we all contribute to Romania’s image.

The competition was held with the support of the Guanajuato region, which gave us a glimpse into Mexico’s fascinating history. Guanajuato, a city in the heart of the mountains, near gold and silver mines, is where the War of Independence led by Miguel Hidalgo began. Spaniards brought the vine here, and a consequence of the war was a lack of interest in continuing its cultivation. However, after almost 200 years, the potential of the region is prompting farmers to reconsider and revive vine cultivation and wine production. Although they are still in the early stages, with one of the oldest wineries producing wine since 2003, the potential is extraordinary. Vineyards situated at altitudes over 2000 meters, with significant temperature variations between day and night, enhance the wines with intense fruit aromas, high acidity balanced by tannins and alcohol. About pairing with local dishes… in a future article.

Photo credit @Concours Mondial de Bruxelles