02.11.2023
New achievements of Abrau-Durso in the Top100Wines expert rating
On October 31, 2023, in Moscow, the results of the Russian expert rating of domestic wines Top100Wines were traditionally announced at the Wine Assembly. Imperial Vintage Brut 2019 sparkling wine was among the top ten wines in Russia with a score of 92.5 points. Vedernikov Winery, which is part of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies, also demonstrated excellent results: the red dry wine Krasnostop Zolotovsky 2018, aged in oak, became the winner of a separate nomination—Grand Reserve.
Imperial Vintage Brut collectible sparkling wine has been repeatedly recognized with high awards in Russian and international tasting competitions, including the Top 100 Wines rating. Last year, Imperial Vintage Brut won the special nomination for best organoleptic in the Classic Sparkling Wine category. The classic European varieties used to create Imperial Vintage Brut 2019 are Chardonnay and Riesling. Each sample of this sparkling wine is aged on the lees in the Abrau-Durso mountain tunnels for up to five years. The Imperial Vintage Brut 2019 features an elegant light golden hue, bright shine, and a deep bouquet that reveals tones of brioche, apple jam, and clotted cream in the glass. The fresh taste of the wine is characterized by bright apple-citrus nuances, and the mineral aftertaste completes the composition of a classic soft brut.
Other Abrau-Durso classic sparkling wines were also included in the top 100 wines of Russia: mono-varietal Brut d’Or Riesling 2020, Victor Dravigny Brut 2021, and Imperial Brut Rose 2018. Vedernikov Winery’s wines also received high marks—experts noted the dry red Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 aged in oak and the classic sparkling wine from autochthonous Don varieties Tsimlansky Black/Sibrkovy 50/50 from 2019.
In 2023, the rating together with the information portal vino.ru established a special nomination “Grand Reserve,” which presents wines aged at least three years. The main goal of the nomination is to popularise the culture of aged wines in the country, which is only beginning to develop. The victory in the Grand Reserve special nomination and the status of the best-aged wine was won by Krasnostop Zolotovsky 2018, aged in oak, from Vedernikov Winery.
A pleasant surprise were the winners’ titles in a special nomination from the largest international wholesale operator “METRO Wine Shelf Leader.” Two leaders won the first places at once: Victor Dravigny Brut Rosé 2021 (in the category of sparkling wines up to 1000 rubles) and Vedernikov Winery Gubernatorskoe Rosé 2022 (in the category of still wines up to 700 rubles).
Being the only Russian winner of the Rising Star title at the international level from the CSWWC competition (Great Britain), Abrau-Durso has established a separate nomination of the same name within the Top100Wines rating, which will annually recognize young promising wineries. This year’s winner was a winery from Sevastopol, Le K2, curated by Kira Efimova.
For the third year, the Top100Wines rating has been presenting the achievements of modern Russian winemaking to a wide audience. The project continues to popularise the best wines of Russia to increase the interest of buyers and connoisseurs not only in the premium segment but also in the entire Russian range. The tasting panel is made up of scientists, wine professionals, and wine journalists.
In total, more than 50 producers participated in the 2023 ranking, providing more than 500 wines for evaluation. The tasting panel experts ranked the samples both according to their tasting scores from the final tasting and according to market criteria: the wine price-quality ratio, the volume of production, and the so-called wow factor.
You can read other results of the contest on the official rating website https://top100wines.ru/2023.
Reference:
Abrau-Durso is Russia’s leading producer of sparkling and still wines. The Abrau-Durso estate was founded in 1870 by the decree of Emperor Alexander II. Abrau-Durso presents collections of wineries: Abrau-Durso, Vedernikov Winery, Loza, and others. Abrau-Durso sold more than 54.1 million bottles of alcoholic and non‑alcoholic products in 2022. Abrau-Durso is the most titled winemaking enterprise of modern Russia and the champion of the international tasting competition”“ of sparkling and champagne wines Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in the Rising Star nomination, in which experts mark the most promising producer of sparkling and champagne wines in the world.
Contacts:
Director for Communications and Public Relations of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies
Olga Firstova
+7 (926) 904-97-54, +7 (495) 933-33-33