Thai Wine Scores Unexpected Victory in World Rosé Competition

A Thai wine bested almost 100 rosés from around the world in a blind tasting on Friday, May 11, during the third annual Best Rosé in Thailand tasting at The Nai Harn Phuket resort. The wines were reviewed by James and Jack Suckling of the internationally acclaimed wine rating website JamesSuckling.com. The entries were limited to those that available in the Thai market and most of them were submitted by the importers of Thailand.

“I loved the balance and energy of the Monsoon Valley White Shiraz,” said James Suckling, founder and editor of JamesSuckling.com, who lives in Hong Kong. “It was completely blind and we judged the wine for its brightness and quality.”

The Thai wine industry is just coming into its own with a handful of wineries making outstanding bottles. The tropical climate is difficult for viticulture, necessitating constant management and nurturing. Experimentation is still the norm with winemakers looking for the correct methodology and grape types to emphasize quality.

The 2017 Monsoon Valley White Shiraz received three awards: Best of Show, Best Value and No. 1 of Top 10 Rosé. It joins the Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé NV, which received the Best of Show award in the sparkling section of the competition.

Monsoon Valley is located a few hours south of Bangkok near the coastal resort town of Hua Hin. It’s one of three areas in the Kingdom where serious Thai wine is being produced, the others being parts of Northern Thailand near Chiang Rai and Khao Yai, a national park in Central Thailand. The latter also had a strong entry with GranMonte Sakuna Rosé 2017, which placed No. 7.

Just behind the winning wine was another great value bottle from Coteaux Varois en Provence in France – Château Routas’s 2017 rosé. It’s a crisp blend of cinsault, grenache and syrah. The Routas 2016 won last year’s competition. The two rosés sell for about US$15 a bottle worldwide, although the prices in Thailand are about double that due to the nation’s high taxes on alcohol. Both are also bottled under screw cap.

The Best Rosé in Thailand competition is part of The Nai Harn hotel’s wine program, which includes a bespoke wine list created by the team at JamesSuckling.com. The 150 selections on the list are organized by usage, style and personality of each wine.

“It’s a wine lover’s list with excellent values and drinkability no matter the place or type of food,” says James Suckling. It also includes a “rock star” section with top wines by the glass served by Coravin such as Château Montrose 2005.

Below are the official Best Rosé of Thailand 2018 results. The wines are then listed alphabetically with full notes and score.

 

Best Rosé in Thailand 2018 Winners

STILL

Best of Show

Monsoon Valley Shiraz Thailand White 2017, 92 pts

Best Value
Monsoon Valley Shiraz Thailand White 2017, 92 pts

Top 10
1. Monsoon Valley Shiraz Thailand White 2017, 92 pts
2. Château Routas Coteaux Varois en Provence 2017, 92 pts
3. V&Co. Grenache Pays d’Oc Le Petit Cochonnet 2017, 92 pts
4. Caves d’Esclans Côtes de Provence Whispering Angel Rosé 2017, 92 pts
5. Château Gassier Côtes de Provence Esprit Gassier 2016, 92 pts
6. Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Pays d’Oc Père et Fils 2016, 91 pts
7. GranMonte Syrah Asoke Valley Sakuna Rosé 2017, 91 pts
8. Miraval Côtes de Provence 2016, 92 pts
9. Mirabeau Côtes de Provence Pure 2017, 92 pts
10. Roubine Côtes de Provence R 2017, 91 pts

SPARKLING

Best of Show
Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé NV, 94 pts

Best Value
Codorníu Cava Seleccion Raventos Mètode Tradicional Brut NV, 91 pts

Top 5
1. Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé NV, 94 pts
2. Bellavista Franciacorta Brut Rosé 2013, 93 pts
3. Codorníu Cava Seleccion Raventos Mètode Tradicional Brut NV 91 pts
4. Ferrari Trento Maximum Brut Rosé NV 92 pts
5. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé NV 92 pts