Red wines took centrestage at the G Top 100 Wines awards ceremony last night (Oct 29).
There was a strong showing of pinot noirs, as well as cabernet sauvignon and cabernet sauvignon blends. Out of the 38 cabernets submitted, 19 made the cut onto the Top 100 list of the quarterly magazine, The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel.
Three wines also received top honours.
They are Marchesi Di Barolo, Barolo 'Cannubi' DOCG 2008, which won Red Wine Of The Year; Van Volxem, 'Alte Reben', Riesling 2012, which won White Wine Of The Year, and Shaw Vineyard Estate, Premium Botrytis Semillon 2008 for Sweet Wine of the Year.
The awards ceremony, which was held at The White Rabbit restaurant in Harding Road, is organised by the magazine, an offshoot of Singapore Press Holdings' luxury magazine The Peak. The G Top 100 list is into its fifth year.
Wines that did not fair so well included the chardonnays, with only four out of 24 entries making it to the list. Just one shiraz blend, Luis Felipe Edwards, LFE 900 Blend 2010 from Chile, made the cut.
The G Top 100 list was curated from almost 300 wine entries from 12 countries, submitted by 31 wine importer-distributors here.
A 13-judge panel blind-tasted the wines over two days at Sopra Cucina & Bar at Pan Pacific Orchard, using a 20-point scoring system. Judges included wine experts such as oenologist Edwin Soon, veteran wine connoisseur Tan Kah Hin and Daniel Chia, a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic's Culinary & Catering Management Diploma programme.
The panellists also picked 18 wines that received high ratings, and highlighted a couple of wines as "Gem Unearthed" for an intriguing wine style.
Those who are on a budget can look out for wines marked "Good Buy".
With these user-friendly categories, Mr Sylvester Ng, 35, project editor of The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel, hopes that the curated list will serve as a useful buying guide for readers.
He says: "The categories enable wine lovers to make informed decisions on their wine selections. We will constantly refine the G Top 100 Wines, yet maintain its focus as an authoritative and definitive list."
The full list of the G Top 100 Wines ($18) - with tasting notes - is featured in the current issue of The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel, and is available at major bookstores.
Author and wine educator Edwin Soon, 55, says of this year's list: "Wine importers and distributors are getting very savvy in selecting their cabernets. Cabernets submitted in previous years have been at most acceptable and boring. This year's selection fall into two categories - those for immediate drinking and those that need to be put away for several years to attain their peak. As for pinots, they have always been a favourite amongst consumers for their early (can be drunk young) appeal, and the ability to mature and develop complexity.
"Having just returned from a visit to Argentina, where I tasted many exciting wines, I would like to see more submissions of wines from South America. I would also love to see more from South Africa and also the United States, not just California, but from other states."
Winners and gems:
RED WINE OF THE YEAR
What: Marchesi Di Barolo, Barolo 'Cannubi' DOCG 2008 from Italy
Price: $110 from Indoguna, tel: 6755-0330
WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR
What: Van Volxem, 'Alte Reben', Riesling 2012 from Germany
Price: $88 from Wein & Vin, tel: 6777-9123
SWEET WINE OF THE YEAR
What: Shaw Vineyard Estate, Premium Botrytis Semillon 2008 from Australia
Price: $50 from World Wine Vault, tel: 6659-6368
GEM UNEARTHED
What: Cantine Sant Agata, '9.99' Ruche Di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG 2011 from Italy
Price: $52 from Wine Tatler, tel: 6396-7920
What: Casa Santos Lima, Sousao 2009 from Portugal
Price: $50 from Viva Vino, tel: 6291-7866
The full list of the G Top 100 Wines is featured in the current issue of The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel. The magazine costs $18 a copy, and is available at major bookstores, as well as on digital platforms via the Apple App Store and Google Play.
