Syrah du Monde® : A Rigorous, Professional Tasting Protocol

Optimal Tasting Conditions
  • Number of samples limited to 20 per panel
  • Sensory rest : 20 to 30 minutes after 10 tasted samples
  • Sensory isolation: calm, well-insulated, well-lit and properly aerated tasting rooms
  • Individual, partitioned tasting stations to prevent contact amongst the expert judges during tasting
  • Dedicated score sheets with strict, precise criteria. Wines are scored for visual appearance (clarity), smell (intensity and quality), taste (intensity and quality) and general balance, as defined in the regulations for international wine competitions (?RNO 2/94)
  • Wines tasted at an appropriate pace
  • Wines tasted by category: wines are presented in homogenous sets
  • Blind tasting for strict anonymity of wines
  • Expert judges are not asked to add up their scores, so they can focus on evaluating the wines
Rigorous Selection of Expert Judges
  • Careful selection of highly qualified judges from all over the world
  • All tasters receive training on tasting methodology
  • Each taster is evaluated at the end of the competition
A Representative Group of Expert Judges
  • At least 50% of the judges are from outside France
  • Each panel is composed of at least five judges
  • Different, yet complementary backgrounds: oenologists, wine stewards, retailers, grape growers, formally trained wine tasters, wine merchants, wine journalists… men and women.
Secure Computer Processing of Results by the Services Actions Qualité Company
  • The score sheets are read via an optical scanner. This system offers quick turnaround for rapid presentation of results.
Tasting Procedure

On the day of the competition, the panels are seated in the tasting rooms under the supervision of event organisers, who ensure that everything runs smoothly. These rooms are calm, well-insulated, well-lit and properly aerated. Access is strictly forbidden to any person whose presence is not required for the competition. The environment is carefully regulated for smells, noise and temperature (18-22°C/62-72°F). Smoking is prohibited. The wines are poured in the tasting room with the judges present.

Tasting is done blind. The identity of each wine is hidden by covering the bottle and label and by using unmarked stoppers. Wine samples are presented in standard tasting glasses. Each wine is tasted individually, not comparatively. Prior to the start of the official tasting, the judges taste a wine to prepare the palate.

Tasting sessions are held in the morning only. Each day, no more than 20 samples are presented to the tasters. Judges are seated at individual tables and are instructed to remain silent during the tasting. The wine score sheets are precise and specific. After sensory analysis of the wine sample, each judge ticks a box on the sheet to indicate his/her assessment of each characteristic.
All comments and qualitative assessments are indicated in a special box. The expert judges do not have to add up scores and therefore can focus all their attention on evaluating the wine.

Expert Judges

All tasters at Syrah du Monde® are experienced professionals from throughout the world. Men and women, oenologists, wine stewards, retailers, grape growers, formally trained wine tasters, wine merchants and wine journalists from all continents: they give the competition its multicultural dimension, and they ensure the international legitimacy of its results.

To become an expert judge at Syrah du Monde, all the tasters are trained in tasting methodology as a part of a sensory analysis course specifically applied to Syrah wines. At the end of each competition, the expert judges are evaluated, and each receives an individual assessment of his/her participation.

These expert judges comply strictly with the standards for international wine competitions (OENO 2/94) and for Quality Assurance (ISO 9002).

Syrah du Monde 2024

Samples delivery
deadline:

May 3, 2024

Syrah du Monde 2024
results

The 2024 results are available

2023 Results

Quality standards that go well beyond the norm, and optimal tasting conditions for reliable medals.

  • Number of samples limited to 20 per panel
  • Expert judges are not asked to add up their scores, so they can focus on evaluating the wines
  • Sensory isolation and suitable pace of tasting

A summary of tasting notes is available for each producer who makes the request upon registration. For further information: infos@syrah-du-monde.com.