An international jury has awarded the Grand Gold Bacchus to Dehesa del Carrizal’s Petit Verdot 2010, a distinction which is equivalent to being chosen as the world’s best wine. More than 1600 wines from each of the five continents competed for the current edition of the award. The Bacchus awards panel, composed of sixty of the most renowned sommeliers in the world, has awarded the Grand Gold Bacchus to the Spanish wine.

Petit Verdot 2010 derives from a grape deep-rooted in Bordeaux which, due to its long ripening, fits perfectly in the particular climate of the Dehesa del Carrizal estate, which is located in the Montes de Toledo, by Cabañeros National Park. This wine presents an intense cherry red colour with hints of blue. On the nose it reveals notes of berry, liquorice and also balsamic notes. On the palate the attack is fresh and smooth, with the concentration of ripe tannins appearing a little later which derives in a long, full finish. Graphite, the main mineral characteristic in Petit Verdot, is present all the way through. It can be kept in the cellar for up to 10 years. To experience all its nuances it is best served between 15º and 16ºC.

Dehesa del Carrizal produces its wines according to very strict quality regulations. It is a DOP (Denominación de Origen Protegida - Protected Designation of Origin), a distinction presently exclusive to only 15 Spanish wineries, which guarantees that the whole production process takes place on the same estate, with its own vineyards and carefully selected grapes. The production regulations are strict, setting very low yields, rigorous aging periods and thorough quality controls. All that, together with the unique setting, soils and climate, results in exceptional wines —wines as exceptional as Petit Verdot 2010.

For the jury members, the best wine in the world doesn’t necessarily have to be the one that best stimulates the taste buds, rather it must be “the wine that best stimulates the memory”. A world champion wine must provide harmony, balance and elegance and has to be able to transmit “a land, a region, a climate, a people”.