4th Châteauneuf-du-Pape Young Sommeliers Trophy: Jules Benoit wins the final

On Saturday, September 27, after a demanding final, Jules Benoit, a 28-year-old sommelier who works at the Couvent des Minimes in Mane, won the 4th edition of the Young Sommeliers Trophy, beating Loélie Leclerc and Maéva Rey.

Photo from left to right: Maéva Rey (2nd prize), Loélie Leclerc (3rd prize), Jules Benoit (winner), and Rudyard Cailbault (special prize for the most deserving young sommelier).

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Winegrowers’ Union and the Sommeliers Association of Languedoc-Roussillon and Vallée-du-Rhône Sud, in partnership with the Comité Interprofessionnel de Gestion du Comté, organized the fourth edition of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Young Sommeliers Trophy on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
In the morning, 26 candidates under 30 (including 12 young women) from all over France and prestigious establishments competed in theoretical and tasting tests, under the watchful eye of the competition’s sponsor, Louis le Comte, reigning Best Young Sommelier of France and sommelier at the Beau Rivage Palace hotel restaurant in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Lucie Roussel, the defending champion, sommelier in the wine boutique Les Vignes au Cœur in Ploubalay.

The selection rounds resulted in three finalists for the afternoon’s practical tests: Loélie Leclerc (20 years old – La Vague d’Or, Saint-Tropez), Maeva Rey (24 years old – La Tour d’Argent, Paris), and Jules Benoit (Couvent des Minimes, Mane). The finalists competed in practical service and marketing tests, both in public and live, including a food and wine pairing test in the presence of Nicolas Fontaine, former executive chef of Maison Albar – L’impérator in Nîmes. This Trophy, launched in 2019, aims to support the young generation and emerging talents of French sommeliers. The 5th edition will take place in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2027.

For the first time, the final was broadcast live on the appellation’s social media channels and was watched by nearly 1,200 viewers.
You can rewatch this broadcast here: https://www.youtube.com/live/gLaXgOLczPI?si=L1gV0V51AdElTM6U