Baja California winemakers were once again the big winners at the latest edition of Mexico’s premier wine competition, taking home 67 of the 141 medals awarded, while distillers from several states including Oaxaca and Chihuahua shared the spoils in the spirits category.

Sixteen wines were awarded grand gold medals at the 2020 edition of the Mexico Selection of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which was held in Chihuahua in late February. The event was originally scheduled for September but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eight of the grand gold medal winners were wines from Baja California, home to the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s best known wine region. Winemakers from the northern border state also dominated the 2019 edition of the competition.

Four grand gold medal-winning wines came from Coahuila, two came from Querétaro and winemakers in San Luis Potosí and Chihuahua produced one each.

A total of 68 wines from seven states – the five listed above plus Aguascalientes and Guanajuato – were awarded gold medals while 57 received silver medals.

As for spirits, six were awarded grand gold medals. Three of them were mezcales from Oaxaca, one was a mezcal from Guerrero and two were sotol, a liquor made from the desert spoon plant, from Chihuahua.

Twenty spirits including a mead (honey wine) from Veracruz and a gin from Baja California received gold medals while 13 were awarded silver.

A total of 606 wines and spirits from 18 states underwent blind tasting by 23 judges during the February 24-26 competition. After Baja California, the highest number of medals went to winemakers and distillers in Coahuila, Chihuahua, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosí.

The fifth edition of the event will be held in Guanajuato at the end of the year.

The full list of the grand gold medal winners, the states from which they come and the wineries or distilleries that made them appears below. Full results are available on the Mexico Selection website.

Wine

• Anxelin Shiraz 2017 / Chihuahua / Encinillas Distribuidora

• Beatus Malbec 2016 / Querétaro / Paso de Serra

• Bodega Los Cedros Fusión 2017 / Coahuila / Productos del Campo Vibe

• Bodegas Los Cedros Rosado 2020/ Coahuila / Productos del Campo Vibe

• Chateau Camou Merlot 2017 / Baja California / Chateau Camou

• Corona Merlot Reserva 2015 / Baja California / Bodega Corona del Valle

• Don Leo Sauvignon Blanc 2020 / Coahuila / Viñedos Don Leo

• Eclipse Tinto 2018 / Baja California / Hoteles y Viñedos del Valle de Guadalupe

• Emilia Rosado 2020 / Querétaro / Puerta del Lobo

• Enoteca Rocha Zazueta – Mezcla Bordalesa Gran Reserva / Baja Californa / Viñas de la Erre

• Luna del Valle Sombra 2016 / Baja California / Vinos Y Mas

• Monte Xanic Selección 2019 / Baja California / Monte Xanic

• Mundano Reserva Merlot 2015 / Baja California / Vinos Para el Mundo

• Quintanilla Reserva Chardonnay 2019 / San Luis Potosí / Cava Quintanilla

• RU Rosa de Uva 2020/ Coahuila / Bodegas del Viento

• Tinto de la Hacienda 2016/ Baja California / Bodegas Hacienda La Lomita

Spirits 

• Dangerous Don 2017 / Oaxaca / Mexikhlo

• Sotol Coyote Triunfo del Desierto / Chihuahua / Secretos de la Vid

• Mezcal Joven Señor Mono Ensamble 2020 / Oaxaca/ Elixir De Agave

• Sotol Especia Wheeleri / Chihuahua / Soto Honorable su Señoria del Desierto

• Mujeres Tlacotitlanapa Mezcal Artesanal / Guerrero / Mujeres del Mezcal y del Maguey de México

• La Última y Nos Vamos Mexicano / Oaxaca / Familia Rodríguez Lizarraga

Source: El Universal (sp)