The results of the inaugural Decanter Asia Wine Awards have been published on DecanterChina.com today.
The first Decanter Asia Wine Awards, a sister competition to the Decanter World Wine Awards, attracted 2,249 wines from 42 wine regions.
The wines were judged in Hong Kong in September by a team of Asia’s leading experts under the joint chairmanship of Steven Spurrier and Jeannie Cho Lee MW, and vice chairs Gerard Basset MS MW, CH’NG Poh Tiong, Michael Hill-Smith MW AM, Andrew Jefford, and Shinya Tasaki.
There were 1482 red wines entered, 713 white wines, and 54 rosés, along with the other main styles such as sweet wines, sparkling and fortified. Eighty-four percent of the entrants won a medal.
The most-entered grape varieties were Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% of all entries), Shiraz (11%), Merlot (8%), Pinot Noir (7.5%) and Chardonnay (7%).
This contrasts with the Decanter World Wine Awards in April this year, in which Chardonnay was the most-entered grape variety, followed by Syrah and Cabernet.
At the same time, the most successful grape varieties were Sangiovese, with more than 97% of wines tasted winning a medal, Carmenère, Nebbiolo, Semillon, and Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. More than 90% of these varieties won awards.
The USA Red Bordeaux Varietals Regional Trophy was won by a Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 from Buccella in the Napa Valley, and the Red Tuscany Regional Trophy was taken by Col d’Orcia’s Olmaia Cabernet 2009 from Sant’Antimo, Tuscany.
Asian wines also performed well in the competition. A Japanese sparkling wine, Katsunuma Jyozo Aruga Branca Brilhante 2007 from Yamanashi, won a Silver medal and there was also a Silver for the Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from Sula Vineyards in Nashik, Maharashtra, India.
The most successful regions – with more than 90% of entrants winning awards – were Champagne (100% of wines entered won a medal), Tuscany, Piedmont, Rhône and the USA.
Again, this contrasts with the DWWA, in which the most successful regions were New Zealand, Sherry, Port and Madeira, and Champagne.
The most entrants came from the New World, with Australia sending 378 wines, Chile 185, New Zealand 148 and South Africa 136. Bordeaux (160 wines), Spain (147), Germany and Tuscany (109 each) were also strongly represented.
The Decanter Asia Wine Awards competition is open to any wine that is commercially available anywhere in the world, but priority is given to those wines already present in the Asian market.
See the full Decanter Asia Wine Awards results
• Download the full results [pdf]
• See all the regional trophy winners
• Co-chair report: Jeannie Cho Lee MW
• Co-chair report: Steven Spurrier
• The Decanter Asia Wine Awards judging process
• Meet the DAWA judges
Written by Adam Lechmere
