We simply could not have asked for a better final. These were excellent wines, with the winner determined more by personal preference than any real difference in quality between the two. This competition seemed to stretch the local selection of New Zealand wines to its limit -- it was work (if wine shopping can be called "work") to come up with five wines that met the tourney's price limit.
After a couple of down years, France really seems to be back as a reliable source of value wines. Only Spain outclassed the French for overall selection in the price bracket -- a very pleasant surprise given the sheer diversity of French wine.
Stay tuned for a post-tournament analysis, and the trophy presentation...
