Competition "bio
The 26th Concours International des Vins Organiques et en Conversion took place on Monday May 9 in Paris. The program featured 634 organic wine samples from 13 countries around the world. This international competition, founded in 1996 by Pierre Guigui, a member of the Gault&Millau tasting committee, aims to highlight organic, biodynamic and in-conversion wines. Since this year, it has been organized by Armonia, a company specializing in the organization of wine and spirits competitions. 200 medals were awarded by the jury, which included Gaul&Millau. Among the gold medal winners, we have selected a few whites and reds that are a must-taste.
The reds
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Domaine Thierry Mortet (1)
Cuvée: "Vignes Belles
Appellation: gevrey-chambertin
2020
Magnificent expression of pinot fin for this Gevrey-Chambertin 2020. A fine, natural and expressive nose, a sign of indigenous yeasts, with floral notes and elegant fruit. Precision, straightforwardness and great clarity for perfect balance. On the palate, this sparkling wine finishes long and mineral. This is a Gevrey-Chambertin not in search of power, but rather of vibrancy.
Note that, among the gold medal winners, this wine was voted "best organic wine of the year" by a grand jury at the end of the competition.
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Domaine de Rombeau (2)
Cuvée: "Le Botaniste Réserve
Appellation: côtes-du-roussillon-villages
2020
Successful Grenache grapes give this wine a complexity of fruit that is both powerful and extremely fine. On the palate, the wine is velvety and retains a vegetal freshness on the finish, making it thirst-quenching despite its power. A stylish wine with supple tannins. Ideal with barbecues, such as rib steaks in "roulotte" sauce.
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Château de Bacchus (3)
Appellation : ventoux
2020
Syrah predominates in this Ventoux, with peppery, almost spicy notes. Supple on the palate, with dominant violet flavors. Full-bodied and powerful, but with perfectly controlled tannins, this youthful wine will be enjoyed this summer, ideally with grilled meat.
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Château Lafleur Tapon (4)
Appellation : saint-émilion
2020
A great regular in the Bordeaux organic competition, this unjustly overlooked Château Lafleur Tapon still offers fine expression. Elegant nose of black fruit and blackcurrant. The palate is fine and supple, yet full-bodied and complex. A lively, vibrant wine with fine tannins. With lamb, of course...
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Buglioni (5)
Cuvée: "L'Imperfetto
Appellation : Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC
2019
Italy
The nose is reminiscent of Burgundy Pinots, with notes of morello cherry. On the palate, the wine is more elegant than powerful, with a half-bodied mouthfeel and excellent drinkability. Open it this summer with a nice arugula and coppa salad for an immediate Italian voyage.
White wines
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Domaine de la Paleine (6)
Cuvée: "Casta Diva
Appellation: saumur
2018
Perfectly open nose of fresh apple and citrus, followed by a lovely spicy complexity. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, round, yet perfectly mineral at the same time. Everything we love about Chenin. And what a long finish on the bitters! Perfect for this summer.
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Jean Becker (7)
Appellation : riesling grand cru Froehn
2019
Delicate nose of ripe pear with hints of oil and spice. Powerful flavors on the palate with a seductive mineral vibrancy. A fresh wine to open with seafood, such as St. Pierre.
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Pierre Carle - Château le Chabrier
Appellation : saussignac
2015
A bomb. An almost topaz color and luminous brilliance, the nose is reminiscent of a vin doux naturel (VDN), with notes of salted butter caramel, baked apples and spices. On the palate, the wine is hyper-structured and powerful. You bite into it like a delicacy. Open it for itself this summer, serving it slightly chilled and letting it warm up in the glass. Be careful, you won't be able to get your nose out of the glass.
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Weingut Schlifelner (8)
Appellation : Weinviertel DAC
2021
Austria
What freshness and directness! Obviously, one thinks of French equivalents, muscadets or picpoul-de-pinet. The iodine and lime notes are immediately refreshing. The palate is like a thirst-quenching wave, full of minerality. Best chilled in pairs.
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Domaine de la Pinte (9)
Cuvée: "Melon à Queue Rouge
Appellation: arbois-pupillin
2018
Very pretty buttery nose, with a rare amplitude for a chardonnay. Just as well, it's not a literal chardonnay, but a red-tailed melon, a close cousin. The palate is full-bodied, but really sappy, straightforward and perfectly fresh. The wine lengthens and tightens on the finish. A real treat. Treat him to a spider crab served just warm.
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Champagne Vincent Couche (10)
Vintage
Appellation : champagne
2014
A pretty champagne, both fresh and vinous, opening with notes of fresh fruit and brioche. On the palate, the fruit is clean and vibrant, leaving you wanting more... especially as the dosage is just right. A champagne of freshness. We're sure to enjoy it this summer.
For the full list of winners, visit https://concoursbio.com/results-wine-2022
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Should we trust the medals on the bottles?
On a supermarket shelf, similar-looking bottles of wine are lined up at slightly contrasting prices. Without a salesperson, in a time-constrained food shopping area, a sticker placed like a jewel cuts through the act of purchasing. Gold, silver or bronze medals flash more brightly than a label that's not always easy to decipher. Award-winning wine, featured wine An award-winning wine is one that has been presented by the winery at one of the 127 competitions that award these precious badges (in 2024, according to the DGCCRF). The famous Concours Général Agricole, founded in 1870, the world's best Chardonnay or Sauvignon competitions, the Brittany or Mâcon wine competitions, the Millésime Bio challenge... There's an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with no limit on participation, but not without a heavy hand in the wallet. For each cuvée entered, you'll need to pay between 10 and 150 euros, depending on the competition, not including postage and packaging costs and the purchase of macaroons in the event of victory. Attractive spin-offs A potentially interesting calculation, given the commercial visibility these awards bring. In the year following the award, sales of the vintage tend to increase by between 20% and 40%. A boon for the estate, event organizers and supermarkets alike. All the more so as the medals are pouring in. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, of the 12129 wines entered, 3361 were awarded medals, almost half of them gold. French legislation prohibits the awarding of more than a third of the samples presented. A quota with which most competitions flirt. Amateur jury Who awards these accolades? A volunteer jury, at their own expense. Mostly amateurs. The great need for people leaves little room for rigor or traceability. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, over 7,000 people were needed to taste charcuterie, cheeses, jams and wines. At this year's Chardonnay du Monde competition, more than 300 jurors took part, with a limit of 20 samples per person. The most famous estates, which don't need to boost their sales, tend to neglect these competitions. Artisanal wineries, on the other hand, may shy away from these competitions as a matter of distinction, since the shiny stickers are associated with supermarkets. A place where it takes the place of good professional advice. A wine merchant, for example, capable of selling the uniqueness of a cuvée he has followed over the years.
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