Meóriga elevates to excellence in Lyon the “Esencia 33” white and rosé, and Vile La Finca the red Don Suero Reserva 016; the “Valdeleña” of Melgarajo triumphs in the monographic Vinalies de Marseille and adds in Cinve a new silver to its list of winners

Two wines from the Meóriga winery (Mallorga de Campos), the Albarín white wine and the Prieto Picudo rosé, both from the commercial reference Esencia 33, were awarded gold medals at the Concours International de Lyon (France), where the Don Suero Reserva red wine from the 2016 vintage, from Vile La Finca (Valdevimbre), also added another gold medal to its brilliant track record in major international competitions, confirming the high oenological quality of this wine, which has become a great reference among the reds from the production area in the south of the province.

In addition to these important distinctions, Valdeleña, made by the Melgarajo wine company (Melgar de Abajo-Valladolid), won another gold medal at the prestigious Vinalies-Mondial du Rosé, held in the city of Marseille, which has consolidated its international prestige as a monographic wine competition exclusively for rosés. The same wine added a new silver medal to its extensive list of awards, in this case at the Cinve International Competition.

These great awards in the two prestigious French international competitions are added to those won in recent weeks by wines from the León Designation of Origin at Vinespaña (seven golds and two silvers), Catavinum World Wine (two golds and seven silvers), Mundus Vini (two golds), Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (one silver) and Zarcillo The International Wine Awards (three golds and one silver), in addition to the high scores (between 91 and 93 out of 100) with which Luis Gutiérrez Santo Domingo, taster for Spain for the American wine guru Robert Parker -founder of The Wine Advocate magazine, the most prestigious and influential specialised publication for the sector worldwide- rated four Vile La Finca wines. This long list of awards and high ratings so far this year alone confirms, once again, the extraordinary oenological potential of the native varieties Albarín and Prieto Picudo and the growing national and international prestige that the wines certified by the Regulatory Council of the León Designation of Origin are achieving.

The Concours International de Lyon has gained an important place among the major international competitions, as demonstrated by the fact that the international competitions, as demonstrated by the fact that on this occasion 10,275 samples were tasted,
with 48 countries represented and hundreds of products awarded medals in 2023. For international tasters from all walks of life (oenologists, sommeliers, chefs, producers, winemakers and passionate connoisseurs), this competition is a must in their diaries. The honorary presidency alternates successively between a renowned sommelier and a chef from Lyon.

In ancient Rome, the Vinalies were two celebrations of the harvest and the best wines of the year. For almost 40 years, French winemakers have been reviving this tradition by selecting the best wines and terroirs from all over the world, through competitions, experience and market knowledge. The Vinalies-Mondial du Rosé medals are an international recognition and distinguish rosé wines for their sensory qualities regardless of their geographical origin.

DO León