III RUINART CHALLENGE SPAIN 2017

For the third consecutive year, Ruinart, the oldest champagne house in the world (founded in 1729), held the RUINART CHALLENGE SPAIN in Madrid. The purpose of this competition is to spread the culture of champagne.  It also aims to support sommeliers and generally deepen their knowledge of champagne and its region, its vineyards and its producers, as well as its symbolic place within the wine world.

Rafael Sabadí, Amelie Chatin and Javier Gila The members of the jury are all industry professionals. This time the jury was made up of Amélie Chatin, Ruinart’s winemaker, Javier Gila, President of the Madrid Association of Sommeliers (in a personal capacity) and Rafel Sabadí, a contributor to Selectus Wines and winner of the second edition of the RUINART CHALLENGE in 2016.

The competitors had to carry out a sensory analysis of four rosés in order to identify, as accurately as possible, their origin, composition and vintage, and to suggest possible food pairings. The contest took place in a relaxed atmosphere, despite the weight on the shoulders of the contenders who were obviously under pressure to correctly identify the wines, not only to win the prize, but for reasons of personal pride.

Francisco Miguel Terol, Francisco Javier López Caballero and Iván Monreal This year's winner was Francisco Javier Pozo Caballero, a sommelier at the Burgundy restaurant (Madrid). The second and third places went, respectively, to Francisco Miguel Terol from the Dársena restaurant (Alicante), and Iván Monreal from the Santa Mónica Suites hotel (Las Palmas).

The winner will receive a €1,000 scholarship, as well as an invitation to take a 4-day training trip around the Champagne region, hosted by recognised professionals from the industry, in order to continue his champagne training, improve his knowledge, and explore champagne’s many secrets.

After the contest, Amélie Chatin, Maison Ruinart’s winemaker, treated the competition’s participants to a fascinating Master Class on the origin, production, colours and shades, and evolution of rosé champagne. This was followed by a tasting of Ruinart’s two rosés. Ruinart Rosé, the first officially recorded rosé champagne, and Dom Ruinart Rosé 2004, an exquisite and refined blend of mainly Chardonnay grapes, from grand cru vineyards, with an average age of 13 years.

Amelie Chatin and Rafel Sabadí