Viña Undurraga wines received extraordinary recognition and were awarded the highest scores for Chile at the International Wine Challenge 2023 (IWC), one of the most influential and prestigious wine competitions in the world, held annually in London.
Viña Undurraga was the only Chilean winery to win awards in the Trophy category, the most important of the competition. It won a total of four distinctions and, to date, is the only winery to have won four trophies in the same edition of the IWC.
Undurraga also led the country in the number of Gold Medals, receiving five out of the seven awarded to Chile. This medal is the second award category in the competition, following the Trophy category.
Viña Undurraga obtained the highest score awarded to Chilean wines, 96 points, for two of its wines, which were followed by five Chilean wines with 95 points, three of which were from Undurraga. This solid performance places Viña Undurraga in first place in Chile, with the highest scores and recognitions obtained in the 2023 version of this reputable competition.
The T.H. line leads the list of award winning wines Carignan Maule 2021, was awarded two Trophies: Chilean Carignan Trophy and Chilean Red Trophy, in addition to a Gold Medal, with 96 points. They are followed by Trama Pinot Noir 2021, winner of the Chilean Pinot Noir Trophy as well as a Gold Medal and 96 points; T.H. Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Maipo 2021 was awarded the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Trophy along with a Gold Medal and 95 points. T.H. Riesling San Antonio and Pinot Noir Malleco, both with their 2021 vintage, were also awarded Gold Medals and 95 points.
The above mentioned wines led the IWC 2023 awards for Chile in their respective varieties. T.H. Carignan Maule 2021 is positioned as the Best Carignan; T.H. Riesling San Antonio 2021 is recognized as the Best Riesling; Trama Pinot Noir y T.H. Pinot Noir Malleco -both 2021-, are positioned as the Best Pinot Noirs; y T.H. Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Maipo 2021, as the Best Cabernet Sauvignon.
“It is a great recognition of 15 years of comprehensive work at the winery, focused on improving the quality of our wines and offering consistent products in all our lines. After a period of adjustments, investments in vineyards and technology and, essentially, learning about the potential of our vineyards, we have managed to develop a style, a seal of quality and a sense of place in our wines, which is clearly demonstrated by these results in a market as demanding as the United Kingdom”, says Rafael Urrejola, Viña Undurraga’s head winemaker.
About the IWC
This year, 52 countries submitted over 6,000 wines for consideration at the 39th International Wine Challenge (IWC). France, Australia and Spain were among the highest-ranked countries (see table below).
The evaluation process is based on blind tastings. The wines are grouped by region, alcohol content, and sugar level, which guarantees that similar wines are tasted together.
Each wine receiving an IWC medal has been tasted on at least three different occasions by at least two panels of judges that taste together, and then has been evaluated by two co-presidents to verify the panels’ results.
The IWC panels include experts and influential people in the international wine industry, including commercial representatives, Masters of Wine (MWs) like Tim Atkin, Sam Caporn, and Peter McCombie, plus prestigious critics such as Oz Clarke, Dr Jamie Goode, and Helen McGinn.
The award categories in descending order are Trophies, Gold Medals (95 – 100 points), Silver Medals (90- 94 points), Bronze Medals and Commended Awards.
Wines awarded in the Trophy category are tasted one last time by the co-presidents of the competition who award the Champion Wine Trophies.
Along with the Trophy Winners, Special Awards were presented for “Best in Show” wines and winemakers at the award ceremony in London.
