International Wine Challenge Announces New Vintage Wines Results
Most of us think we know a bit about wine, but how easy is it to identify the best premium wines for special occasions or to cellar away for the future?The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has announced the results of the Library Collection, the first competition to demonstrate the merits of premium wines and their cellaring potential.

Recognising the best five and ten year old vintages, this year’s competition focuses on the 1998 and 2003 vintages, blind tasted by a panel of leading wine experts. The wines in the Library Collection come from a diverse range of producers and include old and new world wines which is further evidence of the ageing potential of wines from all around the globe.

With 10% of the wines scoring a remarkable 95 points or higher, wine lovers will now be able to identify wines that have made the grade by looking for the IWC Library Collection logo on the bottle whether buying in a retail outlet or restaurant.

The Library Collection is a natural extension of the IWC and is setting a new standard in the diversity and excellence of wine competitions. As the only competition that looks at the way wines age, it offers a concise opinion from some of the world’s foremost wine experts.

Derek Smedley MW, Co-Chairman of the IWC Library Collection tasting panel, says: “The IWC is the first competition to launch a vintage-focused tasting which has been introduced to show the value of vintage wines for immediate drinking, their ageing potential and as an investment.

“If the Library Collection helps guide people in buying the right wines for their lifestyle, whether that’s Christmas Day wines or as an investment, we have done a useful job.”

The IWC Library Collection was judged by an independent panel of accredited judges following the same meticulous approach as established at the International Wine Challenge. The Co-Chairmen include Derek Smedley MW, Tim Atkin MW and Charles Metcalfe and Sam Harrop MW.

The IWC Library Collection results are available at www.internationalwinechallenge.com together with tasting notes and comments on cellaring to give wine consumers important direction on the ageing potential of the wines. Details of all The Collection’s wines are also listed below.