Rafael Sáez, the General Director of the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León (Itacyl), revealed the jury’s decision at a press conference for the 19th edition of the Zarcillo Awards. The tastings took place from March 23 to 26 in Burgos, at the Cloister of the Palacio de la Merced, which has proven to be an exceptional venue for sensory evaluations.
Over these four days, an international jury of ninety judges evaluated the 1,451 samples submitted to the competition. Of these, 1,093 were from Spain and 358 were international, making up a quarter of the total entries. Portugal stood out with 244 samples, confirming this edition of the Zarcillo Awards as the first and only Iberian Peninsula wine competition.
Winners
The VinoFed Award, given to the wine with the highest score among all tasted, was awarded to Adamá 2005 from Bodega Adamá, of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin, with a rating of 98 out of 100 points. Being a wine from Castilla y León, it also received the Special Mention in Castilla y León.
Additionally, the jury awarded 18 Gran Zarcillo de Oro medals (see attached table).
Out of the 18 wines awarded with a Gran Zarcillo de Oro, 13 were from Spain and five were from other countries: four from Portugal and one from Australia. From Spain, 10 were from Castilla y León, one from Andalusia (DO Montilla-Moriles), one from Madrid (DO Madrid), and one from La Rioja (DOCa Rioja).
From Castilla y León, there were five wines from DO Ribera del Duero, two from DO Toro, two from DO Rueda, and one from IGP CyL.
Duero Wine
Rafael Sáez also announced the third edition of the Duero International Wine Fest in April 2024.
Considered the largest wine congress in central Spain, it will serve as a meeting point for leading national and international experts specializing in various fields: production, elaboration, commercialization, law, health, and wine. This edition will focus on deepening the quality of wine production in the areas along the Duero River.
Considered the largest wine congress in central Spain, it will serve as a meeting point for leading national and international experts specializing in various fields: production, elaboration, commercialization, law, health, and wine. This edition will focus on deepening the quality of wine production in the areas along the Duero River.
Francisco Rodero
The General Director of Itacyl also highlighted the figure of Francisco Rodero, who passed away on March 22 in Barcelona.
Born in Pedrosa de Duero (Burgos), Paco Rodero founded Pago de los Capellanes with his wife, a renowned winery in Ribera del Duero. He was considered one of the historical representatives of this designation of origin.
Son of viticulturists, winemakers, and exemplary businessmen, he returned to his homeland from Barcelona, where his family had emigrated, to establish Pago de los Capellanes in 1996, Luar do Sil in Valdeorras in 2014, and his most recent project in the southern Ribera, Fuentenebro.