Picture: The Group with the Winemakers at Quinta da Boavista

As part of a pre-conference trip (before the 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, Rioja, Spain) up the Douro Valley, from Porto to the Upper Douro Valley, close to the Spanish border, I participated in a tasting of 2011 Vintage Ports at Quinta da Boavista, organized by Tony Smith, who had received us the evening before at Quinta da Covela.

Pictures: At Quinta da Boavista

4 Port producers participated in the tasting (and the luncheon that followed) and presented their 2011 Vintage Ports: Pocas Junior, Dona Matilde, Alves de Sousa and Quevedo.

See:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain
Wining and Dining at the Reborn Quinta de Covela, Vinho Verde Region in the Douro Valley, with Owner Tony Smith and Winemaker Rui Cunha, Portugal

Picture: The 4 Vintage 2011 Ports

Port

Port is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is a sweet, red wine with an alcohol level of typically 20%. More than eighty different varieties of red and white grapes are permitted although in practice only seven are used on a regular basis. Port’s wine style was 'invented' by the British wine merchants for the British market in the 1600-1700s. They added brandy to the still wine to help preserve it on its trip by sea from Portugal to the British market. Typically, grapes are picked with about 13.5% - 14% potential alcohol and then fermented to about 7%, when brandy is added. This brings the fermentation to a halt, while retaining between 80 to 110 g/l of natural sugar in the wine.

Port is divided into different styles, according to different categories: Made from white or from red grapes; aged or not aged; if aged, aged in wood or aged in bottle. Whatever the style, the first two years of a Port wine are always in barrel.

Ruby Port is the basic red Port wine, a blend of several harvests that have been aged in large wooden vats (sometimes over 20,000 liter) for typically 2 years, before being bottled and ready to drink on release.

Bottle matured Ports spend a relatively short time (2 years) in the barrel and mature in the bottle for many years. These are the wines that have made Port one of the greatest wines of the world. Wines that have matured in sealed glass bottles, with no exposure to air, have experienced what is known as "reductive" aging. This process leads to the wine losing its color very slowly and produces a wine which is smoother on the palate and less tannic.

Vintage port is a bottle matured Port that is made entirely from the grapes of a declared vintage year. While it is by far the most renowned type of port, vintage Port actually makes up only a small percentage of production. Vintage Ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of two and a half years before bottling, and generally require another 10 to 30 years of aging. Because they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark ruby color and fresh fruit flavors.

Barrel matured Ports experience what is known as "oxidative" aging, as the barrels allow some exposure to oxygen. Wood matured Ports are bottled when ready for drinking and are not intended for further ageing.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port is wine from a single specific harvest, the year being stated on the label, which has been aged in large barrels for between 4 and 6 years and then bottled for further aging. These are high quality ports from a single year that are not quite up to 'Vintage' standards. The best are not filtered and are capable of aging.

Tawnies are barrel matured ports: A blend of Ports aged in so-called pipes (port wine barrels) of 550 liters, using the Solera process, exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. During this time they lose their deep, youthful ruby color and become pale and eventually “tawny". The extra ageing causes the wine to take on a red-brown color and develops a dry nutty flavor with raisin overtones. The stated age - usually 10, 20 or 40 years - is always the average age of the different components. The 10 and 20 year wines provide the best value and deliver the mellow elegance and complex fragrant bouquet so prized by port lovers. The Portuguese consider the 20 year Tawny the ultimate expression of the port making art.

The characteristics of tawnies differ from the other types, not only in color but also in aroma and flavor. They are generally softer, and have complex aromas with hints of nuts, spices, figs, etc.

Colheita is essentially a Tawny Port but made from a single specific harvest, unlike the Tawny which is a blend of several different years. The year of harvest will be stated on the label along with the year of bottling and a statement that the wine has been given extended ageing in wood. Colheitas are aged in the barrel for a minimum of seven years.

Garrafeira - These 'reserve' ports have a long tradition but are rare today. They are from a single vintage, aged a short time in cask and then aged in 5-10 liter glass demijohns for 20, 30 or 40 years from which they are decanted into 750 ml. bottles.

Single Quinta Port is Port made from a specific Quinta. Single Quinta Vintage Port is Port coming from a specific Quinta and made from a single specific harvest.

White Ports - Made from white grapes, mostly Malvasia. Usually served chilled as an aperitif, often with a twist of citrus fruit and/or a splash of tonic. A few see some wood aging.

We tasted 4 vintage ports (2011).

Pictures Tony Smith Introducing the Tasting

Poças Junior Vintage Port 2011

The wine was presented by Maria Manuel Maia, winemaker.

Founded in 1918 by Manoel Domingues Poças Junior, Poças today is one of the few remaining Port houses still owned by a Portuguese family. The winery was initially a producer of brandy used in the production of Port wine, however it eventually progressed on to produce its own ports, the first of which was in 1960. Today it is also famed for its outstanding production of Colheita ports (vintage tawny's) alongside its inimitable style of Vintage Ports.


A recent NYT article about Port named Poças a top favorite: "Among the smaller operations, some of my favorites include Niepoort, Poças, Quinta de la Rosa and Quinta do Vale Meão... 1994 Colheita, Poças. A deep and rich yet lively tawny that retains considerable fruit; from a great Port vintage. About $60.".

Pictures: Christian and Annette Schiller with Maria Manuel Maia

Dona Matilde Vintage Port 2011

The wine was presented by Filipe Barros, co-owner.

Dona Matilde is a family owned estate. With a total surface of 93 hectares, the quinta has 28 hectares of quality vineyards. Dona Matilde is among the oldest and most famous properties in the Douro. In the XVIII century the quinta was already part of the “vinhas de feitoria” – the small set of properties within the first wine demarcation of origin in the world, by the Marquis of Pombal. Dona Matilde has always had the reputation for good wines though being hard to work.


The property came to the Barros family in 1927. Manoel Moreira de Barros, the great wine entrepreneur who founded the Barros Wine Group, transformed the quinta by planting new vineyards, renovating the house and building extensive gardens, among other projects. He also renamed the property, Dona Matilde, after his wife.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller with Filipe Barros

In 2006, the Barros family sold the Barros Wine Group, and with it Dona Matilde. Less than one year later, Manuel Angelo Barros, grandson of Manoel Moreira de Barros, managed to buy it back and decided to launch a new wine project with his sons Filipe and Nuno. The project is to produce and market top quality DOC Douro wine and Port.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller with Filipe Barros

Doug House, Chain Bridge Wine Cellars in the USA (Washington DC/Northern Virignia): “Many of you have loved the family’s 2007 Vintage Port when we’ve offered it in the past, but importer Jonas Gustafsson and Filippe Barros agree with me that the 2011 is a substantial step up in quality and sophistication. The wine opens with lovely aromas of dried blackcurrant and raisin with a touch of leafy tobacco, wet stone minerality, and vanilla spice. The aromas carry through on the rich palate where nutty, spicy, undertones emerge and the sense of minerality gets stronger. As you’d hope for in a young Vintage Port, there’s very nice grip to the firm tannins and plenty of juicy, refreshing, acids to keep everything fresh and focused. The chewy tannins don’t get in the way of the long finish where the minerality and spice notes really shine. Try this now with walnuts and Stilton cheese or cellar it for as long as you’d like to.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Filipe Barros

Filipe Barros is Manuel’s youngest son and the Sales and Marketing Director. Filipe has a Licenciatura in Business Administration from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Oporto, a Post-Graduation in Marketing from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon and a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD in France and Singapore.

Alves de Sousa Vintage Port 2011

The wine was presented by Tiago Alves de Sousa and Domingos Alves de Sousa, both owners (son and father).


Three or four producers might claim to be the original table winemaking pioneers that are responsible for transforming a world of vinous mediocrity into the glorious realm of single Quinta dry table wines we know today in the Douro Valley: Miguel Champalimaud of Quinta do Cotto, Dirk Niepoort of Niepoort Vinhos, João Nicolau de Almeida of Ramos Pinto and, last but not least, Domingos Alves de Sousa, all key figures at the forefront of a Portuguese regeneration spanning two intensely experimental decades.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Tiago Alves de Sousa and Domingos Alves de Sousa

The Alves de Sousa family now owns six estates: Gaivosa, the original family property Quinta da Alveleira and Quintas das Caldas, Estação, Vale da Raposa and the newly acquired Quinta da Oliveirinha in the Cima Corgo opposite Quinta do Seixo

Domingos Alves de Sousa was born in 1949, at the family home of Quinta de Alveleira in the village of Medroes, the third generation of a family of winemakers. Growing up with Douro Port wine all around him, he was naturally expected to take on the running of the family estate. Domingos had other ideas and embarked upon a career of civil engineering. But when he was twenty his father suddenly became ill and he was compelled to help run the Quinta. This was the start of a new era at 
Alves de Sousa.

Born in 1979 in Oporto, at the age of seven, Tiago Alves de Sousa moved with his parents to the Douro valley and was educated in Vila Real, he says: "My father had given up his career as a civil engineer and moved back to the country to be close to the vineyards. I feel much more Douro than Oporto, I spent my formative years here and plan to keep it that way. Among my siblings, I am the one who was inclined to work on the land and with the vines, I saw winemaking as a potential career from a very early age. As a boy I grew up around winemaking, I witnessed the treading in the lagares and occasionally took part - of course, this was long before we began table wine production - I just grew into the world of wine."

Quevedo Vintage Port 2011

The wine was presented by Oscar Quevedo, co-owner.


The P.R. Grisley Company is a family owned wine importing business focused on high quality wines from niche markets in Europe. Our portfolio specializes primarily in wines from Spain, Portugal and France: “We first met Oscar Quevedo Jr. several years ago, and have kept in contact ever since with the intent of working with him and the amazing products he and his family are creating. Based in the village of San João da Pesqueira, a small town in the heart of Douro Valley, the Quevedo family has been dedicated to winemaking for over a century, but began producing wines under the Quevedo name in 1991.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Oscar Quevedo

While Oscar Jr. focuses on the marketing and exporting part of the family business, his sister Claudia has been focusing on the winemaking for Quevedo since receiving her oenology degree in 1999. Whether it be one their amazing traditional ports such as a Colheita, or a newer cutting edge product such a Rose Port, the Quevedo family puts their heart and soul into every wine they make so that you may enjoy their wines just as much as they do. Quevedo fits in perfectly with our philosophy of working with small, family run wineries, and we are excited to bring you the amazing port wine from the Quevedo family!”

Oscar Quevedo: “Few weeks before staring the harvest back in 2011 we were quite confident that the grapes were in very good conditions to make something good. Then, when the grapes were already at the winery and fermenting, our expectations about an excellent vintage were slowly growing up. Then you start to feel a little nervous, a kind of butterflies in your stomach (right, the same as when fall in love) as the time goes. It is when you ask: did I made something special? Talk to other producers and they say the same, what they have is also very special. Winter arrives, temperatures go down, sediment too, and the Ports bravely resist maintaining colors and flavors. First check point passed and in with great stamina. And it doesn’t stop of getting better and better. As you start sharing your blend for the 2011 Vintage you see people smiling. More and more smiles. Got it approved by the Port Wine Institute, start to allocate the first cases, then more, and more up to the point that you have more than 50% sold and it is still not even bottled. Then more and more people want to taste, the press is also impressed by the quality of the 2011 Vintage Ports, up to the point that Jancis Robinson says this about the Douro “I believe it impossible to think of any other wine region anywhere in the world that has produced better wine in this year,” and then comes Wine Spectator to say this about our Quevedo 2011 Vintage Port:

Quite sweet on the nose, with luscious dark fruit, chocolate, ginger flavors that are complex and supported by an ironclad structure. Pure, offering a refined finish filled with white pepper notes. 96 points.

Lunch at Quinta da Boavista

Following the tasting, we had a superb lunch with the 4 Port producers, in the cellar of Quinta da Boavista.

Pictures: Lunch

schiller-wine: Related Posting

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Meeting Rupert Symington from the Symington Family - One of the Oldest Families of Port Producers

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

Food Tour of Porto with André Apolinário from Taste Porto Food Tours, Portugal

Wining and Dining at the Reborn Quinta de Covela, Vinho Verde Region in the Douro Valley, with Owner Tony Smith and Winemaker Rui Cunha, Portugal

Picture: The Group with Bérénice Lurton at Château Climens

The 2 leading biodynamic producers in Bordeaux are Château Pontet Canet and Château Climens. We visited both of them during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, organized and led by Annette Schiller. This posting is about our visit at Château Climens, where Bérénice Lurton joined us for the tasting after the tour.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Climens

The estate was founded in 1547 by Guirault Roborel. In 1855, in the year Château Climens was classified a Premier Cru, Henri Gounouilhou, owner of an influential Bordeaux daily newspaper, bought the property. He used his influence in the media to boost the public’s recognition of Château Climens. Additionallly, Henri Gounouilhou improved the quality of the Climens wines to such a degree that Château Climens for some years challenged Château d'Yquem as the top estate in Sauternes. The vintages 1929, 1947 and 1949 were described by Alexis Lichine to surpass Château d'Yquem as "lighter, with less vinosity and body, yet miraculously subtle."

Pictures: Arriving at Château Climens

In 1971, Lucien Lurton bought the estate, along with Château Doisy-Dubroca. It has been run by his daughter, Bérénice Lurton, since 1992. The Lurton family has done a wonderful job, continuing to improve on the already excellent quality reached under Gouonouilhou’s ownership. One specific step taken by the Lurton family was to remove all Muscadelle vines. Thus, today the 30 hectare estate is composed of 100% Semillon, unlike most Sauternes estates that incorporate a small portion of Sauvignon Blanc. There is one only vineyard and it is unchanged since growing of grapes started in the 16th century.

Château Climens also produces a second wine named Cypres de Climens. Château Climens is located in the south of the Barsac appellation, just outside the small village of La Pinesse.

Pictures: In the Vineyard of Château Climens

Winemaking

The poor limestone soil and damp morning weather is exactly how the estate got its name. When Climens is translated from the local dialect, it means unfertile, poor land.

The average age of the vines is 35 years. Yields are low, averaging 12 hectoliters per hectare. In some years the yield can drop as low as 8 hectoliters per hectare. This makes for an intensely aromatic and concentrated wine.

Pictures: In the Cellar of Château Climens

During the entire harvest period each day’s harvest is sent to the winery where it will be vinified separately. The fermentation is controlled at 27 degrees Celsius and will last between 15 and 21 days. Once the ideal level of alcohol is reached (13.5%), the wine receives a thermal shock, quickly dropping the temperature down to 3 degrees Celsius, which halts the fermentation. The wine is then sent to barrel where it will be aged in 30% new oak. After 22 months of aging, the tasting team will taste all the individual wines and decide on two separate blends. The first and superior blend will be destined for the first label, Château Climens. The second tier blend, although still high in quality, will be bottled as the second label, Cyprès de Climens. About 30,000 bottles of the first label are produced and between 10,000 and 15,000 bottles of the second label.

Noble Rot

At Château Climens the mornings are humid with fog and the afternoons are sunny. This provides the perfect conditions for the development of the botrytis cinerea. In order for all of the botrytised grapes to be harvested, the estate will conduct between 5 and 6 runs through the vineyard, each lasting 3 to 8 days, to ensure that only the botrytis infected grapes are picked.

Picture: Noble Rot

Biodynamic

Château Climens is the first classified noble-sweet wine estate in Bordeaux to go biodynamic, with the assistance of Jean-Michel and Corinne Comme, who also consult for Château Pontet-Canet. Château Climens is aiming to be certified iodynamic in 2014.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian G.E. Schiller with Bérénice Lurton at Château Climens

Bérénice Lurton: “I believe passionately that biodynamics is the right way for us to go. We want to go back to our roots at Climens and help our wines find their own balance. Biodynamics brings life and vibrancy to the wines.”

Biodynamics can be difficult in the Bordeaux region. It is not the warmest area and there is a large amount of humidity from the Atlantic Ocean as well as the large rivers. So various vineyard problems have to be treated such as mildew and millederange.

Tasting

During the tasting Bérénice Lurton, with a combination of charm and knowledge, conveyed the philosophy of Château Climens, seeking to create wines which reflect the terroir from which they are produced, and the desire of Château Climens to produce, above all, wines of elegance and finesse rather than sweet wines of power and weight.

Pictures: Tasting with Bérénice Lurton at Château Climens

Cyprès de Climens 2009

Le Figaro: Ce second vin, qui peut égaler le premier certains millésimes, décline les mêmes qualités que chez son grand frère : fraîcheur, minéralité, finesse et complexité aromatique. Vous y trouverez, au gré des millésimes, des arômes de fruits et de fleurs blanches, d’agrumes, de tilleul, d’abricot, d’ananas, voire de menthe ou d’eucalyptus. Une bouteille taillée pour la garde.

Wine Searcher Average Price in US§: 56

Climens 2006

Tasting notes: Golden yellow in the glass, notes of honey, elderflower and orange fruits on the nose, rich and creamy palate with an excellent acid backbone, botrytis is apparent with mango, beeswax and pineapple.

Wine Searcher Average Price in US§: 105

Bye-bye

Thank your Bérénice Lurton for a wonderful event.

Pictures: Bye-bye

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

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Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

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Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

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Picture: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours, Christian G.E. Schiller and Laurent Dufau, Managing Director, from Château Calon Ségur

For the last couple of years, in late January, when he is on vacation in Washington DC - “where his heart is” - from Strasbourg - where he works at the Council of Europe, Panos Kakaviatos, who writes for the Decanter (UK) and publishes on Connections to Wine, has organized impressive vertical tastings. Last year, Lilian Barton-Sartorius and Panos Kakaviatos presented a vertical blind tasting of Châteaux Léoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton plus the 2011 Chateau Mauvesin-Barton. This year, Laurent Dufau, Managing Director, from Château Calon Ségur flew over to present a massive vertical with Panos Kakaviatos.

See:
A Vertical Blind Tasting of Châteaux Léoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton plus the 2011 Chateau Mauvesin-Barton with Lilian Barton-Sartorius in Washington DC, USA
A Glass of Bordeaux – What Else? – With Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos

The tasting took place at Ripple Restaurant in Washington DC. Executive Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley prepared an exciting meal. Ripple General Manager and Wine Director Danny Fisher and his team managed the event very effectively.

Pictures: Executive Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley and Ripple General Manager and Wine Director Danny Fisher

The event was attended by about 30 wine geeks, professional wine sellers, sommeliers, merchants and restaurateurs.

History

Château Calon-Ségur is a third growth under the 1855 Classification in the Saint-Estèphe AOC. It is the most northerly classified estate within that (northern) area.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours, Christian G.E. Schiller and Laurent Dufau, Managing Director, from Château Calon Ségur

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Calon-Ségur has a rich pedigree, once among the properties owned (by marriage) by Nicolas Alexandre, Marquis de Ségur, who also owned Château Latour and Château Lafite (along with Mouton-Rothschild, Pontet-Canet, d'Armailhac and Montrose). Despite his ownership of First Growths, the Marquis said that his “heart was with Calon” and the wine’s label today includes a drawing of a heart around the château’s name. The château passed through various owners, until it was purchased by Georges Gasqueton of Château Capbern-Gasqueton in 1894.

Pictures: Reception

The origins of Calon-Ségur’s name lie in the proximity of the Gironde River estuary and its famous owner Nicolas Alexandre, Marquis de Ségur. Calon is the name of the small boats, or skiffs, once used to transport timber along the estuary. The Calon-Ségur vines run right down to the water’s edge, fulfilling the old Bordeaux adage that the best châteaux can all "see" the river.

Recent Sale

In June 2012, 9 months after the death of the estate's owner, Denise Capbern-Gasqueton, surviving members of the family sold the château to Suravenir Assurances for an estimated US$212 million. Inheritance taxes and family disagreements were reportedly the main reasons. Videlot, a Bordeaux wine group owned by Jean-François Moueix, was a minority partner in the deal.

Pictures: Tasting

The purchase included 235 acres in St.-Estèphe, encompassing Calon-Ségur, second label Marquis de Calon and the Cru Bourgeois Capbern-Gasqueton.

Pictures: Tasting

Break in 2006

When the Winemaker of Calon Ségur retired in 2006, Madame de Gasqueton hired Vincent Millet – who had previously been at Chateau Margaux – to take over winemaking. First, Vincent Millet chose to focus on the 55 hectares of the main vineyard to make Calon Segur and discontinued using vines from outside the main vineyard for the first wine. Second, he started to increase the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, to the point where the average blend in recent years is about 80-20. Third, he also increased the percentage of new oak to 100%. Finally, is gradually increasing the vine density. “We now have about 10,000 vines per hectare, up from about 7,200 per hectare. This helps to improve the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes by creating a bit of competition between the vines and causing some hydric stress."

Pictures: Tasting and Talking

Annual Production of the Grand Vin is 20,000 cases. Chateau Calon-Ségur also produces second and third wines: Marquis de Calon and La Chapelle de Calon.

Reception: Krug Champagne

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée - France, Champagne

Panos Kakaviatos: Very fresh example with nicely layered fruits. It would be nice to cellar for ten more years. (94 pts.)


Vertical Château Calon Ségur Tasting

I am reissuing the comments of Panos Kakaviatos, Kevin Shin on winebeserkers and also Jane Anson, who tasted most of the wines a few months earlier in Paris. I am adding the average wine searcher prices in US$ in paranthesis.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Panos Kakaviatos in Germany at Weingut Schaetzel

See:
Celebrating Riesling and my Birthday at Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany

2010 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (117$)

Jane Anson: The blend in this vintage reached a full 86% of cabernet sauvignon. In the glass, the colour remains a bright en primeur purple, barely budged in two and a half years. Gorgeous! I love this vintage, but taste-wise also this is still very much in its primeur stage of primary fruit, with rich texture and vigorous tannins. Monumental, as we say so often of 2010 wines, and it’s worth remembering that the three years since this have been significantly lower in quality. This is a reminder that nature is a game of give and take. However, it wasn’t all fun for Calon Ségur in 2010; they had severe hail storms, and made just 50% of the crop of 2009. A classic. 95+/100. Excellent. Drink 2019-2040.

Kevin Shin: This is a classic claret from an excellent vintage. Fresh red fruit driven nose, very strong lead pencil and mineral notes, a hint of green and cedar. Excellent concentration, mineral and sweet tannins. This along the 09 will require minimum twenty years to reach the first stage of peak. I doubt that these will shut down really hard especially the 09. Both nicely representing the respective vintages. (94 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: When tasted en primeur, I found it a bit too austere but it has tamed itself... And yet, this is a wine that needs lots of time. Several participants at a dinner I organised for Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C. voted this wine as the best for the future, among 16 vintages. The structure is there, the freshness and the substance. It is not just together yet. Potential for a higher score. (93+ pts.)

2009 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (125$)

Jane Anson: The words that spring to mind here are generous, luscious, ripe… and plenty more of the same. This is turbo-powered compared to the Marquis de Calon in this vintage, but with the same generosity of fruit. Blend is 90% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot – figures which speaks for themselves in terms of fruit ripeness. Tight, tingling, a long way to go but the shape is starting to appear. Very very pleasurable. 94/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2017-2035.

Kevin Shin: Blue fruits, blueberry jam, sweet spices and graphite. Exceptional concentration, round, soft, silky, ripe blue fruit driven palate impression and nicely integrated tannins. It nicely displays the ripe vintage character without losing the chateau signature, ie fresh/slightly under-ripe characters. (93 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: This is a great bottle of wine. There is sex appeal and structure. The northern Medoc excelled in 2009. While some people believe that 2009 is an all-around positive vintage, let us not forget that this is when Merlot started getting out of hand... Not so in the Medoc, and certainly not at Calon Segur. Some critics ooh and ah over the excessive winemaking at Cos d'Estournel in that year, which comes across as a caricature of winemaking. Here we have 100% new oak, but very well integrated - and 90% Cabernet. This baby will evolve into something very special. Boy am I glad I bought 12 bottles en primeur. Montrose is no doubt better, but Calon Segur amounts to less than half the price.... (95 pts.)

2008 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (87$)

Jane Anson: As with the 2007, this has an oak-dominated nose with traces of coffee. But it is less intrusive here, with more fruit character. This is a beautiful wine, precise and elegant and very enjoyable. 76% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot. Good persistency, with subtle warming spicing. This vintage had an Indian summer, good for cabernets – and Calon was also benefitting from two years of changes brought by Vincent Millet. 93/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2015-2030.

Kevin Shin: Nicely reflecting the vintage, bright red and dark fruits, cassis, a hint of oak and cedar. Medium concentration, fresh, mineral, sweet red fruit palate impression and noticeable but non-obtrusive tannins. As pretty as Bordeaux can be. Lovely wine that is drinking well in very youthful way without tertiary notes as one can expect. (92 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Fine and fresh aromatics. Yet another underrated 2008. Critic John Gilman prefers this over 2010 and 2009. While I would not go that far, this wine offers fine ripeness and excellent verve if not as structured as either 2010 or 2009. But people who dismiss this as not as concentrated may be in for a surprise. There is sneaky persistence on the finish. And plenty of charm! (92 pts.)

2007 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (86$)

Jane Anson: A difficult year, as we know (or thought until 2013). Already slight pinking of the colour around the rim of the glass. Very different on the nose from the other vintages tried in this vertical, much more coffee (cappucino, milled coffee beans). Must be the use of oak barrels to compensate for the fruit. Less année de vigneron, more année de viticulteur. For me, it is too obviously compensated for in the cellar - but still offers pleasure. Blend 76% cabernet, 24% merlot. 89. Recommended. Drink 2013-2023.

Kevin Shin: Oak, chocolate coming from oak and vegetal. A lot of wine making but not much substance. (84 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: One of the better 07s from Bordeaux. Very charming and went so well with the dinner. Slight bottle variation. But here we have a wine that is more reflective of the terroir: since around that vintage, the estate started making its wine exclusively from the 55 hectares within the clos of the chateau. And they used more Cabernet: here some 83% Cabernet (as opposed to the virtual 50/50 mix of Cab/Merlot with the 2005). A lovely effort. (90 pts.)

2006 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (87$)

Jane Anson: Blend is 64% cabernet, 33% merlot, 3% petit verdot. A year that saw a mixed bag of results in estates across Saint Estephe, but this is showing great appellation character. Quite different in personality from the 2005, some excellent deep coloured fruit, right through to black cherry and blueberry - a real cabernet and petit verdot year. Not the persistency of 2005, this will be ready to drink sooner, has slightly out of balance acidity and doesn’t make you break into cheer like the 2005, but still plenty to admire, classic good quality claret. 91. Highly recommended. Drink 2014-2028.

Kevin Shin: Soft, red fruits, green, lead pencil, mineral and red fruits. Decent concentration, slightly unripe palate fruit expression and noticeable tannins that is a bit dry. (90 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Not sure what to think of the 2006. Stolid. Yet solid. No word play :-). I recall reporting in September in Bordeaux for decanter.com when the rain fell, and got some savory quotes from Jean Rene Matignon of Pichon Baron basically saying that this was detrimental to optimal ripeness. Laurent Dufau of Calon Segur himself compares 2006 to 1975: "Will it ever come around?" The substance is there, on the mid palate, but it is hardly pleasurable. Gilman is convinced that this will be great down the road. Cross the fingers, but for now, it is not ready. (89 pts.)

2005 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (117$)

Jane Anson: Ah, here the color seems to retract, darken, deepen, even though it is now approaching its 9th birthday. The anthocyanes are barely giving an inch. Cloves, cassis, liquorice again coming through, and percolating coffee, this is a burly wine, wonderful tannins, so present and yet so reassuring, cradling the fruit like Rudolph Valentino. Just gorgeous, and just getting going. Love it, 96/100. Excellent. Drink 2013-2035.

Kevin Shin: This is reaching the first stage of maturity. Sweet red fruits, red cherries, plum, lead pencil, mineral, ash and a hint of green that keeps the wine fresh. Very good concentration, good acidity, silky and strong presence of tannins, not dry but quite strong. I find this to be similar to the 10 despite having more merlot. (93 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: A rather disappointing 2005. While it was good, it was somewhat Merlot glossy. Not spoofilated like a Pavie of the same vintage, for example, but lacking nuance and complexity. It was pleasing, to be sure. And some tasters ooh and ah over this. But I think it lacked gravitas. Let's just say that 2006 had too much gravitas, and 2005... not enough. (89 pts.)

2003 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (119$)

Jane Anson: The heat wave year, and usually the Saint Estephe clay meant a touch more freshness for many of its wines. But even with that advantage, the fruit here has spread out a little too much right from the first nose, get gourmet notes of caramel and brioche, a patisserie spread of characters. No need to wait to drink this. It is a little underwhelming for the estate, certainly out of character in terms of personality of the lineup. Doesn’t have the length of the others, and wonder if phenolic ripeness was fully reached. For me, the big disappointment so far (but way better than many 2003s that I have tasted recently, so don’t discount it entirely). 87/100. Recommended. Drink 2013-2020.

Kevin Shin: Ripe but not overripe nose, red and blue fruits, plum, cassis, a hint of green driven cedar note, sweet spices, caramel and earth. Excellent concentration, round and soft palate and nicely integrated tannins. I strong believe that this will develop like the 82, soft red fruit driven wine with strong note of cedar. (93 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Cornucopia of aromas and flavors and not cooked or jammy. One of the very best wines from this torrid vintage - and it is no coincidence that Calon Segur is in the northern Medoc. It lacks the substance of the greater mid palates from 2003 (Pichon Baron or Leoville Barton for example) but its charm is appealing. (92 pts.)

2002 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (91$)

Kevin Shin: Ripe black and red fruits, sweet spices and earth. Good concentration and noticeable tannins. This seems a bit monolithic and quite chunky. This will need more time but will remain a bit boring, IMO. (91 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: I used to love 02s from the Left Bank, but be warned that some seem on a faster evolutionary track than before. There was discussion over 2001/2002, with some tasters saying that the 2002 will outlast 2001. For me, the 2001 - certainly "classic" - has more matiere and I lean towards the view that the 2001 will outlast the 2002, in this case. (89 pts.)

2001 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (102$)

Jane Anson: This tastes so much fresher and younger than the 2000, amazing the difference one year can make. Excellent vivacity and youth here. Really an excellent wine, with the poise and precision that you start to see coming into Calon at this time. Where the 2000 is all about generosity, this one is about precision and poise. We are back to the cassis flavours of a younger wine. Only complaint is that it has perhaps a touch of geosmin, an earthy character that suggests perhaps 100% of the fruit was not entirely ripe? A very very classic Medoc wine however. 93/100. Hightly recommended. Drink 2013-2035.

Kevin Shin: A classic claret, red fruits, red cassis, cedar, a hint of green and mineral. Slightly less than medium concentration, silky, soft, precise and nicely integrated tannins. Still quite youthful but drinking very well. Still not showing much tertiary but ready to go. Some noticeable tannins at the end. Although this is drinking incredibly well and very 2001, I don’t quite find anything too special, a nicely aged average classified growth. (91 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Here a solid example of a Medoc 2001 that is provides structure and tannin for the longer haul. While opening 2001s and 2002s before the dinner, I was surprised by the air that 2001 needed. This wine obtained the most votes for wine to be consumed in 10 years. I would agree. The 2009 and 2010 need 20. (91 pts.)

2000 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (149$)

Jane Anson: We are getting close to 15 years for this wine, and as you would expect, the colour is just starting to soften. It is still a beautifully dark red, but with amber reflections beginning to appear around the edge. Oh, this is gorgeous, the fruit almost explodes in your mouth. Often I am a little underwhelmed with 2000s, at least in terms of their reputation, but not this one. Full of life and vivacity, fruit is still in fine form, but tannins have stayed firm and protective. An excellent wine that you would be super happy to drink now. Get a touch of animal aroma on the end of play, some gibier going on, worry that may become more obvious as fruit loses its power. 92/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2013-2035.

Kevin Shin: Dark fruit expression, plum, cassis, ink, lead pencil and mineral. Good concentration, chewy, a bit rustic and noticeable structure. Very good wine but a bit disappointing considering the vintage. (92 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: In a closed phase. I think that this wine has much potential but it seemed very muscular, pebbly and closed down. Do not touch now. (90 pts.)

1999 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (104$)

Kevin Shin: One of the most floral wine, ripe blue and red fruits and lead pencil. A bit more concentration that the 98, ripe dark fruit palate impression and noticeable tannins that are a bit dry. Still need time but open for business. (90 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Smooth and accessible. I recall trying this along with Montrose 1999 five years ago in Bordeaux, and many preferred the Calon Segur 1999. This wine seems very juicy and accessible and some at my table loved it more than either the 1998 or the 2000 - at first. But over time, we realized its limitations. If you have any 1999, enjoy it sooner than later. (90 pts.)

1998 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (106$)

Jane Anson: A vintage that is seen as being one of the strongest of the 1990s, but more typically on the Right Bank than the Left, so maybe the clays of Saint Estephe helped. The nose holds promise of still poised, crispy fruit, and indeed it tastes much younger, but without the nuances of the 1995. This is a fine wine, with great race and precision, firm bilberry, fig and prune, no truffle notes appearing yet here. Has appearance of ripe but not over ripe fruit, but for me not as majestic as the 1995. To drink now but can easily wait a few years more before opening, and no rush. 92/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2013-2024.

Kevin Shin: Bright jammy candied red fruits, cedar, lead pencil and earth. Medium concentration, sweet red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. For me this and the 01 are two that are drinking really well in youthful way. Both quite clean, pure and classic. Lovely. (92 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: What a very pleasant surprise. The Cabernets have been tamed with time in bottle. 1998 saw rainfall that messed up the Cabernet harvest - otherwise it would have been like 2000. 1998 was a great year for Merlot and Calon Segur included some 50 percent Merlot in this period, so we have a wine with a very endearing nose followed by structure that has some flesh. Lovely stuff! (92 pts.)

1996 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (134$)

Kevin Shin: Mostly red fruit driven, quite mineral, lead pencil, cedar, a hint of eucalyptus Classic claret and drinking extremely well in very youthful way. This is a classic St. Estephe, quite mineral, precise and pure. (94 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: What lovely cool blueberry fruit. This had much precision and focus and it was one of my favorite wines of the evening. It was interesting to compare this to 1995 and 1989. Keith Levenberg loved the 1995, and while the 1995 may have had more substance on the mid palate, I think that the 1996 conveyed greater freshness and precision. An interesting comparison to be sure. (93 pts.)

1995 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe(132$)

Jane Anson: This is nearly 20 years old now, incredibly, and made when Madame de Gasqueton was grieving for her husband, who died during the harvesting of this wine. It was a late harvest year, with beautiful weather in September, offering ripe tannins that are of course by now fully smudged and softened into a gossamer covering over the fruit. On the nose get faint blue cheese, that wonderfully foodie ageing claret smell, very soft black truffles, acidity is climbing up a little higher than I would like for it to be perfect. But this is a beautiful wine, and who wouldn't be happy to pull a cork on it? Very soft tannins, spreading autumnal fruits, stewed prunes with classic liquorice and truffle, touches of eugenol (cloves), can still see oak influence after all these years, but beautifully integrated. Just touch out of balance from the acidity levels. We had this at lunch also, and the blue cheese was pronounced again, as was the lusciously comforting fruit. 95/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2013-2023.

Kevin Shin: Red fruits, plum, cedar and caramel. This next to the 96 reminded me the 95 vs 96 Margaux. The 96 better defined and more classic. This seems a bit monolithic. (91 pts.)
Panos Kakaviatos: The aromatics were more roasted to the cool 1996. The palate quite enveloping and full bodied and - pleasing. I liked the palate feel and the fact that I felt this wine pushing my flavor sensors in a good way. But it had just a touch of monolithic to it. (91 pts.)

1989 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (142$)

Kevin Shin: The first fully matured example showing mostly tertiary notes. Bright red fruits, plum, quite sweet, cedar and caramel. Medium concentration, silky palate, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. I believe this was WOTN for some participants. For me, this is a fully matured claret that is drinking wonderfully. The complexity is coming mostly from cellaring. (91 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Here some bottle variation, and one table had the really good bottle (among the three per vintage). Still, I could understand why over half of the 35 participants at this marvelous dinner chose this wine to be their favorite among the 16 vintages to drink today. From Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages to Kathy Morgan, master sommelier, this was the proverbial "wine of the night". I liked the bloody aspect to this wine, which paired superbly with the lamb: an excellent wine/food pairing, but still found myself more into the 1996. (92 pts.)

1982 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (314$)

Jane Anson: As ever, the presentation of 1982 vintage brought a sense of excitement to the table (we only drank this at lunch, with Pauillac lamb and cepe macaroni, not in the vertical). It doesn’t match the power of some of its neighbours such as Montrose 82 today, but it has a wonderful blue cheese and black truffle aroma that you can slip effortlessly into. I drank every drop of this, while all other vintages mentioned in this vintage I tasted, noted, left at least half the glass. So soft, have caramel, creme caramel to be more specific on both the nose and palate, and the fruit has slid into a compote, prune compote, not jammy but soft and relaxed, with still subtle persistency. If you have this wine, don’t wait forever, but be prepared for a very special experience. 93/100. Highly recommended. Drink 2013-2020.

Kevin Shin: Fully mature, love ripe red fruits, dry red fruits, plum and cherry, caramel, cedar and leather. A bit soft and need a bit more energy. (92 pts.)

Panos Kakaviatos: Once again: bottle variation. There are 1982s and there are 1982s. Just three years ago, a Calon Segur 1982 beat out most others as the "best". But we have had a string of slightly oxidized or tired versions this evening. The one at our table was not oxidized but somewhat muted. With air, it started to liven up, but it had already been carafed for about one hour - and we were worried about too much contact. Although it firmed up, it never achieved a superior level of complexity and nuance that I had had with another 1982 some three years ago. (91 pts.)

The Menu

Ripple: In a comfortable setting, just across the street from the historic Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park, Ripple offers a complete dining experience, with a focus on sustainability, organic and locally-acquired produce, and a good time. We are proud to support local farmers and co-ops in our mission to bring the best products to the table. In addition, we have an extensive wine, beer and cocktail menu, to complete any meal. Above all, we believe in hospitality and hope that everyone who dines with us will feel comfortable and enjoy their time with us. We truly are a place to eat, drink, and gather.

Ripple was chosen in 2013 as one of the 100 Best Wine Restaurant in the USA (by Wine Enthusiast).

See:
America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants: The Northeast - Wine Enthusiast 2013

Executive Chef: Marjorie Meek-Bradley
GM and Wine Director: Danny Fisher

venison carpaccio,
cocoa-crusted, mushroom purée
vintages: 2008, 2009, 2010


glazed veal sweetbreads
sweet potato purée, guanciale-wrapped prunes
vintages: 2005, 2006, 2007


potato gnocchi
beef cheek ragu, parmesan
vintages: 2001, 2002, 2003


pigeon breast
raviolo, rutabaga, creamed spinach
vintages: 1998, 1999, 2000


lamb saddle & shoulder
roasted sunchokes
vintages: 1989, 1995, 1996


mimolette
pain perdu, currant purée
vintage: 1982


Comparing Notes

Panos Kakaviatos taking notes at the end of the tasting.


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History

Château Pontet-Canet has been owned by just three families over the last 3 centuries: originally Jean Francois de Pontet in the 18th Century, then the Cruse family for 110 years during the 19th and 20th centuries and now (since 1975) the Tesseron family.

Pictures: Starting the Tour

Château Pontet-Canet was established by Jean-François de Pontet in the early 18th century and expanded by his descendants to include adjoining vineyards in the lieu-dit Canet. 10 years following the 1855 classification, Château Pontet-Canet was purchased by an important Bordeaux négociant, Herman Cruse, in whose family the estate remained for many years. The Bordeaux wine fraud scandal in 1973 forced the sale in 1975 of Pontet-Canet to Cognac merchant Guy Tesseron, who had bought Château Lafon-Rochet earlier. Chateau Pontet-Canet is currently owned and managed by Guy’s son, Alfred (who we met in Washington DC), assisted by Jean-Michel Comme. Alfred’s daughter Melanie Tesseron also has a hand in the estate.

Pictures: Touring Château Pontet-Canet

Château Pontet-Canet

Located directly across from the Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac, Château Pontet-Canet has  the largest production (20,000 cases) of any classified growth. It also produces about 20,000 cases of its second wine, Château Les Hauts de Pontet.

The wines ferment in 6 to 8 days and receive an additional 9 to 15 days of skin contact. The vats are a mixture of stainless steel, cement and oak. They are cooled during fermentation by the circulation of water. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 15 to 20 months. Half of the casks are replaced each year. A traditional egg white fining takes place before bottling.

Pictures: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller with Alfred Tesseron at Château Pontet-Canet

Winemaking Philosophy

It is in the vineyard, where the Tesserons probably have most made their mark in Bordeaux, through the application of biodynamic principals. Alfred Tesseron has spent the best part of the last 10 years converting to organic and biodynamic viticultural practices. In 2010, Château Pontet-Canet became the first major Bordeaux wine producer to earn the official Agence Bio (AB) organic certification.

While many chateaux welcome new technology, Alfred Tesseron moves in the opposite direction.

Pictures: Owner Alfred Tesseron, Winemaker Jean Michel Comme and Christian G.E. Schiller

The château utilizes no computers to make harvesting or fermentation decisions. According to Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet does not perform any computer analysis until the wine is finished. Also, in the vineyards, he uses horses instead of machinery for some of the blocks. For the 2010 vintage, Alfred Tesseron added numerous rows of Nomblot to his wine cellar for fermentation. These concrete eggs were created in a joint venture between concrete vat manufacturer Nomblot and Michel Chapoutier. Remarkably, in the vineyard Alfred Tesseron is now moving away from green harvesting, a method for controlling yields and quality in the vineyard. Alfred Tesseron also has put an end to leaf-thinning.

Pictures: In the Stables of Château Pontet-Canet

Tasting

We tasted the Pontet Canet 2012.

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Robert Parker: A softer, less powerful and less prodigiously endowed Pontet Canet, the 2012 exhibits notes of creme de cassis and new barrique vanillin followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with sweeter tannin (and less of it) than is found in the great vintages that immediately precede it. The 2012 is certainly outstanding and, in fact, many readers may prefer it to the blockbuster, out-of-this-world, over-sized 2010, 2009 and 2008. Medium-bodied, pure and expressive, this classic Pauillac should only require 5-6 years of cellaring. It should drink well for two decades thereafter. No one will confuse the 2012 Pontet Canet with the 2008, 2009 or 2010, but proprietor Alfred Tesseron has turned in another high level performance in this more challenging vintage (especially true in the Medoc). Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #206 - Apr 2013

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Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and the World Wide Wine Empire of Bernard Magrez, France

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Tasting Château du Cros and other Petites Bordeaux Wines with Winemaker Julien Noel at Calvert and Woodley in Washington DC, USA 

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Touring Virginia with Anne Cuvelier, Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux

Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

Tasting with Alfred Tesseron the last 10 Vintages of Château Pontet-Canet in Washington DC, USA/France

An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux

Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basil Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France

Château Brane-Cantenac, Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855, Margaux – A Profile, France

Henri Lurton and his Chateau Brane Cantenac Wines

An Afternoon with Owner Henri Lurton at Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855, in Margaux, France

Tête-à-tête Dinner with Henri Lurton, Owner of Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux, at CityZen in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Reiner Flick, Weingut Joachim Flick, and Christian G.E. Schiller in Hochheim

346 wine producers submitted their best dry Riesling for the 2013 competition. The Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2013 went to Weingut Horst Sauer, Volkach, Franken, for the Escherndorf Am Lumpen Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs.

For previous years, see on schiller-wine:
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2013
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings - Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2011
The 11 Top German Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker German Riesling Cup 2010 (Vintage 2009)
The 13 Top German Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker German Riesling Cup 2009 (Vintage 2008)
Riesling Cup 2009 - Germany's Top Dry 2007 Rieslings

Riesling

Worldwide, there are about 34.000 hectares planted with Riesling. Germany – with 22.400 hectares – accounts for 2/3 of the total. The second largest Riesling producer is Australia, with 4500 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Nevertheless, Australia was a bit underrepresented at the 1st International Riesling Symposium. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Austria, the US with Washington State and New York State as well as New Zealand make up the remainder. But overall Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for only less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine.

The Top 14 Wines

1. Escherndorf Am Lumpen Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Horst Sauer, Volkach (Franken)

2. Niederberg-Helden Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Schloss Lieser, Lieser (Mosel)

3. Eppelsheimer Felsen Kalkstein Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut Russbach, Eppelsheim (Rheinhessen)

4. Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs trocken, Weingut Dönnhoff, Oberhausen (Nahe)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff

See:
An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

5. Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling trocken "S", Weingut Edelberg, Weiler (Nahe)

6. Wachenheimer Fuchsmantel Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut Zimmermann, Wachenheim (Pfalz)

7. Muschelkalk Riesling trocken, Weingut Friedrich Becker, Schweigen-Rechtenbach (Pfalz)

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller and Helena Becker in Frankfurt am Main

See:
5 Top Wine Makers at Premier Cru Wein Bistro in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

8. Wickerer Nonnenberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs trocken, Weingut Joachim Flick, Flörsheim (Rheingau)

Pictures: Weingut Joachim Flick, Hochheim, Rheingau

See:
FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany
Headwind (Gegenwind) – A Protest Wine against the Unbridled Exploitation of Culture and Nature

9. Ockfener Bockstein Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut von Othegraven, Kanzem (Saar)

10. Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling trocken, Weingut Robert Weil, Kiedrich (Rheingau)

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller, Martina Weil, Annette Schiller (ombiasy PR and WineTours), Wilhelm Weil at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

See for ombiasy PR and WineTours:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany

See for Weingut Weil:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

11. Plauelrain Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Andreas Laible, Durbach (Baden)

12. Maikammer Heiligenberg Riesling Spätlese trocken, Weingut August Ziegler, Maikammer (Pfalz)

13. Graacher Himmelreich Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Willi Schaefer, Graach (Mosel)

14. Johannisberg Hölle Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Johannishof - Eser, Geisenheim (Rheingau)

15. Dalsheim Hubacker Riesling trocken Großes Gewächs, Weingut Keller, Flörsheim-Dalsheim (Rheinhessen)

The Jury

Max Gerstl (Wine Retail, Switzerland), Gianluca Mazzella (Journalist, Italy), Daniel Gantenbein (Winemaker, Switzerland), Wolfgang Pfeifer (Hochschule Geisenheim), Karl-Josef Krötz (Bremer Ratskeller) as well as Dieter Braatz, Ingo Swoboda, Kenny Machaczek, Ulrich Sautter (all Feinschmecker).

schiller-wine: Related Postings

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

Bollinger Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann Moves to Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz, Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

5 Top Wine Makers at Premier Cru Wein Bistro in Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Marco Pallanti, Owner/Winemaker at Castello di Ama, Chianti Classico in Italy

See also:
Extraordinary Art and Wines at Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico, Italy

The best Italian wine guide is Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia. Italy’s top winemakers and the top wines are awarded glasses, from 1 glass to 3 glasses - Tre Bicchieri.

This is the 27th edition of Vini d’Italia, which was first published in late 1987 in newsletter format with reviews of a limited number of wines. It has grown in size and coverage each year since then. The latest edition is over 1,000 pages.

The Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia 2014 was issued in November 2013. The German and English versions are scheduled to be released in February 2014.

See here for previous years:
Italy’s Top Wines and Wine Makers – The 2013 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia
Italy’s Top Wines and Wine Makers – The 2012 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia
Italy's Top Wines - 2011 Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia Wine Guide

Italian Wine

Italy is home of some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards. Two thousand years later, Italy is world leader in wine, accounting for about 20% of world wine production. Italians also lead the world in wine consumption by volume, 59 liters per capita, compared with 8 liters per capita in the US. Wine is grown in almost every region of the country.

Wine Regions

There is wine everywhere in Italy, from the Alps in the North to Sicilia in the South, clustered into 20 wine regions, which correspond to the 20 administrative regions. The about 30 DOCG wines are located in 13 different administrative regions but most of them are concentrated in Piedmont and Tuscany.

The Piedmont area of northwestern Italy is further divided into the two popular regions of Barbaresco and Barolo. The predominant grape there is the Nebbiolo. Northeastern Italy has the Veneto area. Soave and Valpolicella are two important regions that produce many local varieties. The large area in central Italy is Tuscany and is known for Chianti and Chianti Classico. The Sangiovese is the predominant red grape in Tuscany. In Italy’s South are Puglia and the island of Sicily. The Negroamaro grape is widely grown in this area.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Giovanni Folonari from Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute

See also:
Kobrand’s Impressive Tour d'Italia 2011 in Washington DC, USA

Italy’s Grapes

There are several hundreds of indigenous grapes in Italy. The following is a list of the most common and important ones.

Rosso

Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. It produces Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino.

Nebbiolo - The most noble of Italy's varietals. Nebbiolo is difficult to master, but produces the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco.

Montepulciano - The grape of this name is not to be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano; it is most widely planted on the opposite coast in Abruzzo. Its wines develop silky plum-like fruit, friendly acidity, and light tannin.

Barbera - The most widely grown red wine grape of Piedmont and Southern Lombardy, most famously around the towns of Asti and Alba, and Pavia. Barbera wines were once considered as the lighter versions of Barolos. But this has changed. They are now sometimes aged in French barrique, intended for the international market.

Corvina - Along with the varietals Rondinella and Molinara, this is the principal grape which makes the famous wines of the Veneto: Valpolicella and Amarone.

Nero d'Avola - Nearly unheard of in the international market until recent years, this native varietal of Sicily is gaining attention for its plummy fruit and sweet tannins. The quality of Nero d'Avola has surged in recent years.

Dolcetto - A grape that grows alongside Barbera and Nebbiolo in Piedmont; a wine for everyday drinking.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Emanuela Strucchi Prinetti (Owner) at Badia a Coltibuono in Italy

See also:
Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy

Bianco

Trebbiano - Behind Cataratto (which is made for industrial jug wine), this is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy. It is grown throughout the country, with a special focus on the wines from Abruzzo and from Lazio, including Frascati. Mostly easy drinking wines.

Moscato - Grown mainly in Piedmont, it is mainly used in the slightly-sparkling (frizzante), semi-sweet Moscato d'Asti.

Pinot Grigio - A hugely successful commercial grape, known as Pinot Gris in France and Grauburgunder in Germany. Produces crisp and clean wines. Typically mass-produced wine in Italy.

Arneis - A crisp and floral varietal from Piedmont, which has been grown there since the 15th century.

Garganega - The main grape varietal for wines labeled Soave, this is a crisp, dry white wine from the Veneto wine region.

The 2014 Gambero Rosso Tre Bichieri Wines

In the 2014 Guide, 415 wines got the top award of Tre Bichieri. This compares with 399 in the 2013 Guide and 375 wines in the 2012 Guide.

Four regions (Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Alto Adige) got 212 awards between them, accounting for more than half of the total. Wines from the Piedmont received the largest number of awards (77), with Barolo and Barbaresco wines dominating the list. As usual, the producers listed read like a who’s-who of Italian wines – Gaja, Vietti, Giacosa, Conterno, and Grasso, to name a few.

Tuscany received 72 Tre Bicchieri awards, the second-largest number of awards. Chianti Classico wines garnered 17 awards, 4 more than in the previous year. 15 Brunello di Montalcino wines received awards. The list of Tre Bicchieri wines from Tuscany includes numerous Super-Tuscan wines from pedigreed wineries such as Tenuta San Guido, La Macchiole, Montevertine and Rocca di Frassinello, to name just a few. 4 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines received awards, an increase of 2 from the previous year.

The 2014 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia Awards

Best red wine of the year is the Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. Calcarole 2009 – Guerrieri Rizzardi in Bardolino at Lake Garda

Best white wine is the A. A. Pinot Bianco Sirmian 2012 – Cantina Nals Nals Margreid in Nals in South Tyrolia

Best sparkling wine is the Alta Langa Brut Zero Cantina Maestra 2007 – Enrico Serafino in Canale in the Piedmont

Best sweet wine is the Orvieto Cl. Sup. Muffa Nobile Calcaia 2010 – Barberani in Orvieto in Umbria

Best winery of the year is Colle Massari in Cinigiano in Tuscany

The title “best value for money” went to Bianco Maggiore 2012 – Rallo in Marsala in Sicily

The title “winemaker of the year” went to Sandro Princic, Azienda Agricola Princic in Cormons in Friuli

The award “up and coming winemaker” of the year went to Pala from Sardinia

Salcheto from Muntepolciano in the Tuscany region received the award for sustainable wine production

schiller-wine: Related Postings

The Wines of the 2010 Giro d'Italia

Italian Natural Wines

The Ultra-premium Querciabella Wines and a Taste of Tuscany at Open Kitchen in Virginia, with Querciabella’s Giorgio Fragiacomo

Meeting Winemaker and Owner Massimo “Max” di Lenardo from Friuli, Italy and Tasting His di Lenardo Vineyards Wines

Kobrand’s Impressive Tour d'Italia 2011 in Washington DC, USA

Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont

Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy

Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy

Dining and Wining where the Royals Eat: Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano– the Butcher of Chianti Classico

Meeting Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy

Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy

Extraordinary Art and Wines at Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico, Italy

Tasting Wines where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was Born – With Wine Maker and General Manager Francesco Nardi at Vignamaggio Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy

The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy

The Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta, Italy 

Visiting Barone Francesco Ricasoli and his Castello di Brolio in Chianti Classico, Italy

Pio Boffa and the Wines of Pio Cesare, Piedmont, Italy

The 1 Star Michelin Food of Chef Stefano Cerveni from the due colombe Ristorante and the Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta - Wining and Dining at il Mosnel, Italy  

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Lucas Pichler at Dirk and Gabi Wuertz's Koehnigsmuehle in Rheinhessen

I had the luck and pleasure to meet Lucas Pichler,Weingut F.X.Pichler, Wachau, Austria, and taste with him his 2011 vintage. Robert Parker said about Weingut F.X.Pichler: "…F.X. Pichler is the Chateau Latour, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Zind-Humbrecht, Sandrone and Helen Turley of the Wachau."

There is some discussion in certain wine circles in Germany and Austria about the 2011 Pichler wines. Some long-term customers of Weingut F.X.Pichler claim to have detected some unpleasant notes in the wine recently and have communicated their findings on facebook. In response, Dirk Wuertz, Managing Director (Betriebsleiter) at Weingut Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim and well-known German wine blogger, who also produces a regular wine video with the weekly “Der Stern”, contacted Lucas Pichler and asked if he could taste the wines. Lucas Pichler not only sent the wines but came along to the home of Dirk Wuertz in Rheinhessen (where Lucas Pichler’s wife comes from).

On Dirk Wuertz's Weingut Balthasar Ress wines, see:
Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

Picture: Dirk and Gabi Wuertz's Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen

Dirk Wuertz was so kind to invite me to the tasting. Also present were Ralf Kaiser (Weinkaiser), Helmut O. Knall (Wine Times) and Oliver Bock, wo writes for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, along with Gabi Wuertz.

Pictures:Christian G.E. Schiller with Helmut O. Knall (Wine Times) and Oliver Bock, wo writes for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

To make it clear right from the beginning: I was highly impressed by the wines and did not detect any notes that I would qualify unpleasant. Nor did Dirk Wuertz, Ralf Kaiser, Helmut O.Knall and Oliver Bock.

Weingut F.X. Pichler

Weingut F.X. Pichler is not only the most renowned wine producer in the Wachau but arguably all of Austria. The winery is in Dürnstein, surrounded by the Klostersatz vineyard and overlooking the famous Kellerberg, Schütt and Loibenberg wine terraces. The new and ultra-modern winery building is a piece of art in itself.

About 80% of the wines are classified as Smaragd and 20% as Federspiel, a ratio which is unrivaled in the Wachau and speaks volumes on behalf of the Weingut F.X. Pichler vineyards. Production is around 13.000 cases, exported to 42 countries, and selling out pretty much on release each year. Prices tend to be high for these sought-after wines.

Winery

Lucas Pichler told us that after the 2002 floods, where the old cellar filled to the roof, the decision was taken to build a new, above ground winery. Lucas Pichler on the winery: Every cellar has its own atmosphere, its own envelope. A cellar is the workshop for craftsmanship and art. We have picked up on the traditional theme of the natural stone wall and interpreted it anew. Surrounded by vines, our new caller facilities were built in 2009 in a contemporary architectural style to harmonically fit into the grown cultural landscape of the Wachau.

Single Vineyards

Lucas Pichler: We are proud of our single-vineyard sites. Proud, because the authenticity of our wines is individually based on each site. We believe in vineyard-designated wines – to us, they are challenge, goal and ideal all in one. It is primarily the steep mountainous terraces from the 12th and 13th centuries, which we cultivate and maintain with utmost respect – to us, an exceptional cultural asset. Our vineyards comprise some 18 hectares. Of this, around 52 percent is planted to Grüner Veltliner, the major portion being the clones selected by Franz Pichler Sr., around 47 percent boasts Riesling vines and approximately 1 percent is reserved to Sauvignon Blanc. Some 45 percent of the area under vine sprawls across the steeply rising terraces, which can be worked only by hand. The remaining plots extend at the foot of the mountains and in the plains of the Loiben basin, between Dürnstein and Rothenhof, at the eastern end of Wachau.
Frany Xaver Pichler

In 1971, Franz Xaver Pichler, at the time 30 years old, took over the family’s vineyard: by then about 3 hectares were cultivated. Already in the 1980’s, Franz Xaver Pichler was successful in gaining a high level of recognition, initially in Austria – and internationally at least since the 1990 vintage.

In 1991, he produced his Grüner Veltliner “M” (for “monumental”) for the first time. It is a wine which is designed as a vineyard blend – and which targets the ideal combination of highly mature aroma and mineral freshness. In 1998, Franz Xaver Pichler made a Riesling which is designed similarly for the first time: “Unendlich” – it has been legendary since then.

Lucas Pichler

In 1999, F.X. Pichler passed on the responsibility for the winery to his son Lucas, though he continues to take care of the vineyard work personally.

Pictures: Lucas Pichler at Dirk and Gabi Wuertz's Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen

Wachau

Lucas Pichler talked a bit about the Wachau: Wachau is a cultural landscape in the truest sense of the word. And this was officially documented by the admission of this 36-kilometer long riverside between Melk and Krems as a "cultural world heritage" by Unesco. Natural elements like the elegantly snaking Danube, bottom lands, rugged rocks, dramatically steep slopes and charming hillsides complement one another in thrilling harmony. And the works created by man, from the vineyards rising high along stony terraces to the picturesque communes harboring architecturally intriguing estates, mansions and churches and, finally, the abbeys of Göttweig, Dürnstein and Melk as historically outstanding monuments of cultural interest.

Tasting

Dirk Wuertz issued a long posting on the tasting (in German). I am re-issuing his tasting notes below (in German). For the whole article see here.

2011 Loibner Klostersatz Grüner Veltliner, Federspiel

Dirk Wuertz: Rauchig und würzig, dunkle Beeren, dunkle Aromatik, etwas malzig, knochentrocken, lang und einen Hauch von Feuerstein. Keine Mullbinden, kein Eisen und auch sonst nichts Medizinales. Blitzsauber! Der Wein hat quasi keine Säure.

This vineyard was planted by the monks, hence the ‘Kloster’ in the name and is the flat vineyards just next to the winery.

The lightest of the wines we tasted. Bone-dry: only 1 g/litre of residual sugar. Crisp, with herbal notes.

Pictures: The Tasting at Dirk and Gabi Wuertz's Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen

2011 Dürnsteiner Liebenberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Gibt es erst seit 2010, die Anlagen sind von 20 bis 60 Jahre alt. Im ersten Moment leicht floral und auch wieder sehr würzig. Ich rieche einen Hauch von Lorbeer und weißem Pfeffer. Alles sehr klar. Ein Maul voll Wein, dicht, druckvoll, beinahe cremig (Knalli sagt: “nix beinahe”), lang ist er, ellenlang. Im Nachgang wird das Ganze unglaublich saftig – der Wein regt den Speichelfluss an und ist einen Hauch johannesbeerig. Salzig ohne Ende, ist er auch! Als ob man an einem Stein lecken würde. Ich kann keinen Fehler finden, und ich gebe mir Mühe einen zu finden. Der Wein ist nahe an der Perfektion.

Liebenberg is the coolest and driest site of the Weingut F.X.Pichler vineyards, in the east, next to the first of the Weissenkirchen vineyards, Achleiten. It is very steep with weathered gneiss and mica schist soils.

Floral and peppery notes on the nose, approachable and round on the palate, very mineral.

2011 Dürnsteiner Kellerberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Es riecht nach weißen Blüten – Orchideen – ein Hauch von Vanille, Minze, Filz, Weihrauch, Mango… es ist total verrückt, der Wein verändert sich beinahe augenblicklich. Ich rieche und rieche und will gar nicht aufhören zu riechen. Irre! Es schmeckt gigantisch. Es hört gar nicht auf zu schmecken. Der Wein hat einerseits Druck, andererseits ist er unglaublich elegant. Dieser Wein, so erzählt mir gerade Lucas, wurde als “untrinkbar” bezeichnet. Wenn das untrinkbar sein soll, dann darf mir das künftig jeder gerne schicken. Ich “entsorge” das Ganze dann fachgerecht. Der Wein kostet ab Hof 48 Euro und er ist jeden Cent wert. Der Wein hat keinen objektiv feststellbaren Fehler. Der “Fehler” des Weins ist seine Jugend. Der Wein ist groß. Das einzige, was ich anmerken muss, ist die Tatsache, dass dieser Wein jetzt nicht getrunken gehört. Vielleicht in zehn Jahren, aber ganz sicher nicht jetzt.

Kellerberg is Weingut F.X. Pichler's most important single vineyard. Lucas Pichler: Kellerberg is always relatively high in acidity. Notes of vanilla and mangoon the nose, great concentration, creamy and mineral on the palate.

Pictures: Lucas Pichler Pouring

2011 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd “M”

Dirk Wuertz: Riecht extrem konzentriert nach ganz vielen Dingen. Die öfter schon festgestellten weißen Blüten. Ganz viel weißer Pfeffer, das Holz ist feststellbar – perfekt integriert. Ich rieche einen Hauch von Anis, Lakritz und Vanille. Im unbestechlichen leeren Glas rieche ich Weihrauch und einen Hauch von Röstaromen. Der Wein hat Druck, Opulenz und Fülle. Er ist aber in keinem Moment plump oder ordinär. Auch hier ist die Jugend das einzige, was anzumerken ist. Ein Hoch auf die Jugend und wir sehen uns einfach in zehn Jahren wieder! Der Wein ist groß und hat keinen feststellbaren Fehler. Wer auf elegante und filigrane Weine steht, dem langt hier ganz sicher ein Glas.

Lucas Pichaler: The grapes are mostly (80%) harvested from the Loibenberg with the end product being a mix of the most potential single vineyard grapes left unharvested by the team for a couple more weeks after harvesting of the single vineyards. The grapes achieve higher sugar level and ripeness, thus producing a poweful wine with long cellaring potential.

This is a really big wine, with the alcohol level exceeding 15%, very long finish.


2011 Riesling Federspiel Loibner Burgstall

Dirk Wuertz: Kein Diskussionswein, ein Trinkwein. Wirkt reif, riecht extrem nach Aprikosenmarmelade. Trinken und Spaß haben. Fehlerfrei.

A relatively light and refreshing Riesling Federspiel.

2011 Loibner Oberhauser Riesling Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Sehr komplex, fruchtig und reif. Hat einen gewisse Würzigkeit, wird aber von der Frucht dominiert, ist beinahe schon “primärfruchtig”.

The Oberhauser vineyard is on sandier soils.

Herbal notes on the nose, creamy on the palate with notes of cinnamon and baked apple cake.

Pictures: Debating

2011 Loibner Steinertal Riesling Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Taufrisch. Zitrusfrüchte ohne Ende, Pfirsich, Anis. Der Wein ist extrem druckvoll, schmeckt ein wenig nach Mandarine, genau genommen nach dem weißen Zeug, was von der Schale noch an der Mandarine hängt. Der Wein ist extrem dicht und komplex, saftig und animierend. Die Säure ist reif und perfekt eingebunden. Hintenraus wird es super salzig. Der Wein hat keinen objektiv feststellbaren Fehler.

Steinertal (Valley of Stones) is at the eastern end of the Loibner Berg.

Floral notes on the nose, very expressive on the palate with delicious creamy nutty nuances, good acidity, long.

2011 Loibner Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Aprikose ohne Ende, fest und zupackend. Ein Wein mit irrem Grip aber keinerlei Hauch von Überreife. Trotz aller Konzentration ist das Ganze eher elegant. Ellenlang, hört nicht auf zu schmecken. Viel zu jung, absolut fehlerfrei! Großer Trinkfluß.

Attack of apricot notes on the nose, lots of minerality on the palate, creamy, gentle.

2011 Dürnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd

Dirk Wuertz: Reif, fest, dick, unendlich tief und schwer zu beschreiben. Völlig unterentwickelt, wie zubetoniert. Aktuell schwerstens vom Alkohol dominiert. Schmeckt nach Ananas und Aprikose, Vanille und einem Hauch von Mango. Extrem jodig und salzig, ultra mineralisch. Alles ist sehr warm, wirkt beinahe heiß. Muss viele Jahre liegen und ist ein wahrhaftiges Monument. Keinerlei Weinfehler feststellbar.

Lucas Pichler: The Dürnsteiner Kellerberg enjoys a special microclimate with steep terraces, a south easterly aspect with early-morning sun and large diurnal temperature swings due to the cool air flowing in from the bordering woods at the ends of the day, thereby extending the growing season.

Notes of tropical fruits on the nose, although the wine is still a bit closed, salty and nutty on the palate, powerful.

Picture: Dirk Wuertz Drafting

2011 Riesling Smaragd “Unendlich”

Lucas Pichler: Unendlich – The varieties of nature are never-ending, but each vineyard resembles a microcosm that reflects life and history – also those of our family." The idea to make the most of a terroir and varietal had already been alive long before the first "Unendlich" (the German word for never-ending). With the 1998 vintage, that vision for the first time became true. It reflects our passion to craft a wine that is an experience for all senses – a total work of art. The label for this exceptional offering was inspired by the stage setting created by Karl Friedrich Schinkel for Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute". It represents a starry sky on blue ground – a symbol of cosmic infiniteness. An allegoric way to describe a wine with a "never-ending" finish.

Dirk Wuertz: Das ist in der Tat sehr viel Wein. Der Alkohol springt aus dem Glas und an alles, was auch nur in die Nähe des Glases kommt. Dezente 15 Prozent sind hier angesagt. Das ist kein Wein zum so eben nebenher trinken. Essen muss her. Dick muss es sein. Schweinebraten wäre eine Idee oder irgendetwas anders Monumentales. Ein irrer Wein, von allen einen Tick zu viel, aber sehr faszinierend!

80% Kellerberg, 10% botrytis. Vanilla, biscuit, lemon curd notes on the nose, not over the top, just massive drive and power on the palate, never ending finish.


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Pictcure:Christian G.E. Schiller and Olivier Bernard,Owner of Domaine de Chevalier and President of the UGCB in Washington DC

The UGCB toured North America with stops in several American and Canadian cities. I had the pleasure to join the UGCB at the tasting in Washington DC on January 17. Here are the dates of all the 2014 tastings: Toronto: 16/01; St John's:17/01; Washington DC: 17/01; Montréal: 18/01; New York: 20/01; Chicago: 22/01; Las Vegas: 23/01; Denver: 23/01; Los Angeles: 24/01 and San Francisco: 25/01.

The 2014 UGCB tastings awarded guests the opportunity to taste the recent releases of (in Washington DC: 53) Bordeaux chateaux, as well as meet and talk with the owners/senior managers of the chateaux that produce the wine.

UGCB Tasting in Washington DC

The UGCB had been absent from Washington DC for a decade, but returned last year. Pearson's Wine and Spirits hosted the UGCB at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel's Grand Ballroom in 2013. This year, Calvert and Woodley organized the event, at the Park Hyatt.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Ed and Michael Sands of Calvert and Woodley at a Domaine Lucien Albrecht Winemaker Dinner at La Chaumiere in Washington DC

See also:
Fête du Bordeaux of Calvert and Woodley in Washington DC, 2012, USA

2011 Vintage

Will Lyons, Wall Street Journal: 2011 is a year of sporadic quality without a "one size fits all" thematic narrative. It is a year to buy judiciously, as quality levels are up and down. Those producers who have handled the conditions, particularly the high level of tannin this year, have made great wines in a restrained, classic style. Pomerol has produced some sensational wines, but again, quality isn't uniform. White wines and sweet wines have performed well in 2011 with fresh acidity and good concentration. Above all, this is a year to pick your producer wisely.

Pictures: At the UGCB Tasting in Washington DC

UGCB

Founded in 1973 by a group of Bordeaux winegrowers, the purpose of the UGCB is to join forces in order to promote and defend the interests of its members. The UGCB consists of 135 member estates located exclusively in the most prestigious Bordeaux appellations. The UGCB has a permanent staff of 5 assisted by a public relations agency in each major market. The Union organized 50 events in 15 countries last year.

Picture: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours, and Christian Schiller at the UGCB Tasting in Washington DC

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Schiller’s Favorites

I have included the comments of Panos Kakaviatos, which he published on wineberserkers and on his Blog Connections to Wine and the comments of Mike Grammer, who also published his comments on wineberserkers (he did not attend the Washington DC but another tasting). I have also added in brackets the per bottle prices (if you buy a case) of Calvert and Woodley at the Washington DC.

Domaine de Chevalier

Represented by: Olivier Bernard, Owner. He poured the red Grand Vin (48$) and the white Grand Vin (87$).

Domaine de Chevalier is Cru Classé de Graves in the AOC Pessac-Léognan. In 1983, Domaine de Chevalier was acquired by the Bernard family, leading French producers of industrial alcohol and major Bordeaux wine merchants. Domaine de Chevalier has been managed since then by Olivier Bernard, who took over the presidency of the UGCB last year. Stéphane Derenoncourt is retained as consultant oenologist.

From a property of 80 hectares, the vineyard area consists of 35 hectares of red grape varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot; and 4.5 hectares of white grape varieties: 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon.

The Grand Vin, Domaine de Chevalier, is annually produced in 7,000 cases of the red wine and 1,200 cases of the dry white. The red and white second wines, L'Espirit de Chevalier, has a production of 5,800 and 800 cases, respectively.

Panos Kakaviatos: (Red) Surprise? Not really. Owner Olivier Bernard has been fashioning some great reds from his estate that has been better known for its whites. As I had tasted in a blind vertical a couple of years ago at the estate, he can make lovely reds in difficult vintages and this one is no exception. If the price is right, which I hope it would be for most readers, this is a buy. Fine concentration, medium plus body, sap and energy if not super bright, which would come from a better vintage. Still, this was among the best reds I had among the 50 or so I tried in Washington D.C. on 17 January 2013. (92 points)

Picture: Panos Kakaviatos Taking Notes

Panos Kakaviatos: (White) My en primeur tastings confirmed here. Yet again Domaine de Chevalier proves itself as being among the top tier whites produced in all of Bordeaux. Medium to full bodied, with energy. Very focused, mineral, citrus and ripe yet not thick. Pristine comes to mind, with rounded richness around the linear line of flavor that results in a long and pleasing finish. Potential for a higher score, if you follow the numbers. These wines are built to last, as I had experienced in an all-white vertical reaching back to the 1970s in November 2013 in Merano Italy with owner Olivier Bernard. (95 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: Musky, as theirs sometimes tend to be. Aromatics have some pear and lime juice. This has more presence than the SLH, but not the usual richness. Much more of a dry style--the semillon, maybe? Good though, with lemon and salinity.

Château Haut-Bailly

Represented by: Daina Paulin, Marketing (83$)

Picture: Diana Paulin at the UGCB Tasting in Washington DC

Just a stone’s throw away from the city of Bordeaux, Château Haut-Bailly sits majestically in a 30 hectare (74 acres) vineyard at the heart of the Graves region on the left bank of the river Garonne. Neighboring estates include Château Malartic-Lagravière, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Carbonnieux. The estate's second wine is named Le Parde de Haut-Bailly.

Panos Kakaviatos: My tasting of this wine at Vinexpo is confirmed albeit a slightly better showing. http://www.connectionstowine.com/vinexpo-2013/haut-bailly-15-years/. Here in Washington D.C. I get more refinement and mid palate sap, plus a burgeoning richness reflected perhaps in the larger- than-usual proportion of Merlot (some 47%). A somewhat short finish however brings back memories of 2007. Give it time in bottle. (90 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: perfume, plum and just a smidge of bright raisin in the sniffer. Sure isn't giving much right now, closed as anything, the tannins pucker your mouth. I suspect it will always be a closed-kimono kind of wine, but very solid structure here and in no way overoaked. Again, reflective of the house style, where these take a long, long time to come around...but they always do.

The final dinner of the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy took place at Château Haut-Bailly, with Dianna Paulin. We all still have fond memories of this event.

Picture: At Château Haut-Bailly during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
See also:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

Château Olivier

Represented by: Alexandre de Bethmann, Owner. He poured the red Grand Vin (29$) and the white Grand Vin (30$).

Picture: Alexandre de Bethmann and Annette Schiller

Château Olivier, Pessac-Léognan appellation, is a Premiers Crus for red (18,000 cases) and dry white wine (6,000 cases) in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. In addition to a red and dry white Grand Vin, the estate also produces the second wine La Seigneurie d'Olivier du Chateau Olivier.

The estate has a long history dating back to the 14th century when the property was occupied by the d'Olivey family. The estate's château is today classified as a monument historique.

The present owners, the de Bethmann family, took control of the estate by the marriage of Agnew Watcher with Jacques de Bethmann in the early 20th century. For many years, Château Olivier was managed by Jean-Jacques de Bethmann, until his death in July 2012 led to his son Alexandre de Bethmann, who poured the wine, assuming control.

Château Pape Clément

Represented by: Nicolas Contiero, Director d’Exploitation. He poured the red Grand Vin (71$) and the white Grand Vin (146$)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Nicolas Contiero

Château Pape Clément is part of the empire of Bernard Magrez, which comprises about 40 wineries around the world. Château Pape Clément is a Cru Classé de Graves. The winery and vineyards are located in the commune of Pessac, in the larger Bordeaux City area.

Pape-Clément has one of the longest and best documented histories of all Bordeaux châteaux. The vineyards were planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, who later became Pope Clément V and moved the papacy to Avignon.

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: (Red) Now we're talking. The first one with real excitement on the nose---mocha and hint of nutmeg around gorgeous plum and black cherry fruit. And this is real Bordeaux. The suavity is already speaking out. Yes, the redcurrant and pipe tobacco is primal at this stage, but it's wonderfully leashed, speaking with such a strong, promising voice. If you like Bordeaux, you can't help liking this. WOTN and 2 bottles bought.

Panos Kakaviatos: (Red) What’s going on here? The nose offers much promise of red and black fruit and you may think that this wine would have some freshness. The attack is decent and the mid palate of medium plus body. But it ends up being an over extracted mess, with far too much drying on the finish. I could be wrong here, but my experience tasting it in Washington D.C. was not too positive – certainly worse than the from barrel tasting in 2012… (88 points)

Panos Kakaviatos: (White) As you can read HERE this wine is better from bottle than from barrel. Cyrus Hazzard of Total Wine, also at the tasting, loved the opulence. I did, too. The wine seems to have “come together” becoming more cohesive, combining adequate acidity to balance the ripe apricot and somewhat exotic fruit richness. A special bottle, although I do not believe that it will last as long as the Domaine de Chevalier Blanc – another style altogether. Still, for lovers of opulent whites, this is your ticket to be sure! (93 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: Nicolas Contiero (I love his title---Directeur d'Exploitation) was a fine host and took me through this and, later the red. Almost sexy lilacs and greens and yellow fruit in the sniffer. Almost soft dans la bouche, certainly has some misty mystery about it, with perfume, lemon, possibly some peach and herbs. But authoritativeness is lacking at this stage.

Pictures: At Château Pape Clément during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

Represented by: Julien Barthe, Directeur General (56$)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Julien Barthe

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, formerly Château Beauséjour-Dr-Fagouet, is a Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion. The estate also produces the second wine Tournelle de Beau-Séjour Bécot, as well as the "Vin de garage" La Gomerie.

Once a vineyard cultivated by the monks of the Church of St-Martin during the Middle Ages, in the 17th century it was acquired by the Gerès family. The estate received its current name after it was acquired in 1969 by Michel Bécot who began extensive efforts to modernize. Michel Bécot retired in 1985, and the estate was then run by the sons Gérard and Dominique Bécot, until Julien Barthe was promoted to DG.

In 1985, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot was demoted from Premier Grand Cru Classé B to Grand Cru Classé, as Beau-Séjour Bécot had in 1979 incorporated two other vineyards into its estate, La Carte, owned by the Bécot family since 1929, and Trois Moulins, increasing the vineyard area by 85%. The demotion was followed by unprecedented controversy. The estate was promoted back to its previous classification at the following revision in 1996.

The vineyard area totals 16.5 hectares with the grape varieties of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the Grand vin, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot and the second wine, Tournelle de Beau-Séjour Bécot, there is a total production of 5,000 cases.

In 1995, the Bécot family acquired the Gomerie vineyard, where it produces a highly rated “Garage Wine”, with low yields and new wood dominance. The wine consists of 100% Merlot, and production is limited to 1,000 cases per year. The family also owns Joanin Bécot in the Cotes de Castillon.

Panos Kakaviatos: This has chutzpah. And I like it better from bottle than from barrel. Certainly a plump and somewhat modern style, but a very good one. The Merlot driven succulence (about 70% Merlot) comes to the fore. A pleasing and supple attack leads to a rich and pleasing medium bodied palate. Just slightly drying on the finish, which is abbreviated, gives the vintage away. (91 points)

Château Canon La Gaffelière

Represented by: US Brand Ambassador Betsy Reynard (65$)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Betsy Reynard

Château Canon La Gaffelière is – along with La Mondotte – the flagship of the von Neipperg portfolio. Both chateaux were promoted to the extremely closed circle of Premiers Grand Crus Classés B in the new St. Emilion classification last year.

The von Neipperg family not only owns these two estates in France, but also owns/co-owns 6 other estates as well as a property in Bulgaria. Furthermore, in Germany, the brother of Count Stefan von Neipperg runs the family winery in Wuerttemberg.

Count Stefan von Neipperg hails from the German wine region of Württemberg where his family has maintained its existing vineyards since the 15th century and bottles its wine under the family label, Weingut des Grafen von Neipperg. In fact, the von Neipperg counts are descended from a noble line dating back to the Holy Roman Empire. The first record of the Count von Neipperg goes as far back as the 12th century.

Panos Kakaviatos: What can I say? I liked this en primeur – http://www.connectionstowine.com/bordeaux-2011/choose-carefully/#SaintEmilion – and loved in from bottle. This is rich and flavorful and succulent and one of my favorite reds of the tasting in Washington D.C. The wine may be modern in style but somehow it all came together nicely in 2011. Sure, the finish is not very long, but everything else is, well, quite delicious. If the price is right and you like Canon La Gaffeliere, purchase this one for shorter term drinking while your more age worthy vintages sleep in your cellar! (93 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: It is always a pleasure to speak with Comte Stephan, he has such a winning personality. He is one of those who is minded of 2001 for these wines. This has some mint chocolate nuances on the nose, along with bits of tobacco, bits of meat and blackberry aplenty. As always, the fine velvety feel and an extra level of pleasure sets this wine above others. It's still a tiny bit sparky and lean for now, but should grow into its bones. #7 tonight.

Pictures: With Stephan Graf von Neipperg during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Château Figeac

Represented by: Frederic Faye, DG, (108$)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Frederic Faye

For the past 60 years, Chateau Figeac was been associated with Thierry Manoncourt, who took over the management of the property in 1946, and his wife Marie-France; Thierry Manacourt passed away in 2010. It was under his leadership that Chateau Figeac rose to the front ranks of Saint-Émilion estates. His son-in-law Comte Eric d'Aramon took over the daily running of the estate in 1988. In 1992, Thierry Manacourt divided the business between his 4 daughters, bestowing the larger share on his eldest daughter, Laure, the wife of Comte Eric d'Aramon. Since last year, Frederic Faye has taken over the position of Comte Eric d'Aramon, who has left the chateau. At the same time, Michel Rolland was hired as a consultant.

The following wines are produced: Château Figeac (Saint-Emilion - Premier Grand Cru Classé B), La Grange-Neuve de Figeac (second wine) and Chateau Petit-Figeac (bought in 2002 as most of the vineyard was in the middle of their Château Figeac vineyard. The wine is now made at Château Figeac). In total, the Figeac estate amounts to 54 hectares of which 40 are planted with vines. Annual production is 10 000 cases.

Panos Kakaviatos: Pouring me the first vintage of Figeac under the supervision of Michel Rolland, technical director Frédéric Faye reiterated his invitation to come over and see the team. I have always loved Figeac and am not sure how the wine will change over time (see this article: http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/583758/rolland-vows-to-take-figeac-into-st-emilion-premier-league) but with Faye pouring, I must say that this 2011 was darn good. A break from the past was that the percentages changed: 40 per cent Merlot and 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with less Cabernet Franc than usual… Good structure, mid palate concentration, pleasing tobacco leaf hints, a touch drying on the finish, but that may well be just the vintage character. (92 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: Saucy violets and cherries bouquet, overlaid with baking spices. This is built for the long haul, quite lean right now, but has the building blocks for an elegant wine with dark plum and blackcurrant fruit replays lurking underneath.

Pictures: At Château Figeac during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Le Bon Pasteur

Represented by: Dany Rolland, Managing Director (58$)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Dany Rolland

The Bon Pasteur estate grew from the determination of Hermine and Joseph Dupuy who bought it around 1920. Its area was originally quite small, with several plots of land being added as the children, Geneviève and Serge Rolland, took over the management. It reached its current size of 6.62 hectare in 1955. In 1978, the two grandsons of the estate’s founders – Jean-Daniel and Michel Rolland – became the owners. This gave birth to the modern era for Le Bon Pasteur and the start of the career for Michel Rolland. In 2013, Le Bon Pasteur was bought by a Chinese Investor; management has however remained unchanged so far.

Panos Kakaviatos: A far better performance from bottle when compared to my experience tasting it from barrel in 2012, this was succulent and ripe and, well, delicious from the attack to the mid palate. Too bad that there was a bit of heady alcohol on the finish with some drying, but – this is splitting some hairs. We are talking about a wine that has that style in mind and for the vintage, I say it merits a success. (91 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: Aromatics are of candied meats and plums-a-lot, decently put together. Palate finds it rough-and-ready right now, with black bitter fruit and salted black licorice, if that makes any sense, at the back. Structure is decent, but not sure if the fruit will emerge over time.

Pictures: Lunch at Le Bon Pasteuer with Dany Rolland during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Château Siran

Represented by: Edouard Miailhe (27$)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Edouard Miailhe

Château Siran is a winery in the Margaux appellation that was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels as of the 2003 listing. It was once owned by the painter Toulouse-Lautrec`s great-grandmother. Since 1848 Siran has been owned by the Miailhe family and today run by Edouard Miailhe. Since 1793, the Miaihle family - one of Bordeaux’s best known wine dynasties - has been involved in wine, back then as well-known brokers and more recently as wine producers.

Since the sale of Pichon Comtesse by May Eliane de Lencquesaing (Edouard's daughter), the last grower in that family branch is her brother Alain’s son, Edouard Miailhe, at Château Siran.

As for the descendants of Louis, only his son, Jean, remained in wine-growing at Château Coufran and subsequently also at Château Verdignan. In the 1980s, his two children, Marie-Cécile Miailhe-Vicaire, the mother of Frédéric Vicaire, who hosted us during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy, and Eric Miailhe, took up the reins.

Château Siran has 25 hectares of vineyards which are very well-sited on a high gravel ridge. They are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (41%), Merlot (46%), Petit Verdot (12%) and Cabernet Franc (1%). The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and the wine is then aged in small oak barrels (35% new) for 12-15 months. The Grand Vin averages 75,000 to 90,000 bottles per annum.

Panos Kakaviatos: There is a silkiness to this Siran that is endearing. OK, a bit of drying detracts on the finish, but it is not over extracted. Just a vintage nature and probably good for earlier drinking! (88 points)

Château Léoville Poyferré

Represented by: Didier Cuvelier (81$)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Didier Cuvelier

The story begins in 1804 when Henri Cuvelier set out to share his great passion for fine wine with his friends of the grand bourgeoisie residing in the rich and dynamic towns of the North of France, including Lille, Boulogne Sur Mer, Arras, and Valenciennes. To this aim, he created Maison de Négoce de Vins Henri Cuvelier in Haubourdin, a wine merchant company whose success continued to develop throughout the 19th century.

100 years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, Paul Cuvelier and his young brother Albert, decided to purchase top quality estates in the Bordeaux area. They bought Château Le Crock in 1903, then Château Camensac in 1912 and finally the prestigious Château Léoville Poyferré as well as Chateau Moulin Riche in 1920.

Two of Max Cuvelier’s children have taken over the family’s activities in Bordeaux: Didier Cuvelier has been running Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Chateau Moulin-Riche and Chateau Le Crock since 1979 and Olivier Cuvelier has been managing the Wine Merchant company H. Cuvelier and Fils in Bordeaux since 1985.

In the beginning, the Cuveliers did not operate their chateaux themselves. Roger Delon, one of the owners of Chateau Leoville Las Cases was the first to manage Chateau Léoville-Poyferré. This changed in 1979 with the accession of Didier Cuvelier, who at 26 became the first member of his family to take charge of Leoville Poyferre, along with Moulin Riche and Le Crock. Didier Cuvelier put Leoville Poyferre on the map of wine lovers all over the world. Didier Cuvelier trained as a chartered accountant before passing the DUAD (a university diploma in wine tasting) in 1976.

The Grand Vin is Château Léoville-Poyferré (20000 cases). Typically the oak is 75% new each year. Wines produced from the plots once belonging to Château Moulin Riche (17000 cases) are vinified completely in cuve, before transfer into a mix of new and one-year-old barrels. The second wine is Pavillon de Poyferré.

Panos Kakaviatos: 2011 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. JulienLeoville Poyferre can really kick ass in off vintages. Take the 1999 for example. Well, 2011 is like that: dark fruit succulence, mid palate juice, and a delicious finish. If one want to be picky picky (2011, boys, come on!), then the finish does dry out a bit. But overall, I bet this will provide marvelous short term pleasure as your 09s, 10s, 05s, 03s, and 00s age. (93 points)

Pictures: At Château Léoville Poyferré with Didier and Anne Cuvelier during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina
Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Touring Virginia with Anne Cuvelier, Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux
Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

Château Lynch Bages

Represented by: Kinou Cazes Hachemian (104$)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Kinou Cazes Hachemian

Chateau Lynch Bages is a Fifth Growth in the village of Bages, just southwest of Pauillac. Jean-Charles Cazes was able to purchase Lynch Bages in 1939.

The history of the estate reflects the interesting history of English and French rule in Aquitaine. The original owners, the Lynch family from Ireland, could trace back their roots to an ancestor who was a companion of William the Conqueror. Without an heir, in 1824 the estate was sold and was in the hands of two other families before the Cazes family took over the property in 1933. Since then, the Cazes family has developed the estate with passion and tenacity and started an in-depth modernisation in the 1980s. They are committed to making the most of the terroir, and are devoted to attain the ultimate in quality and prestige of a classified growth.

The vineyards total 90 hectares, with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The white wine vineyard, planted on 6 hectares, is located to the west, with vines 20 years old on average, it’s composed of 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Semillon and 15% Muscadelle.

Panos Kakaviatos: Top flight Lynch Bages. I liked Pauillac in general in 2011, and this wine does not disappoint. OK, a touch drying on the finish but that is splitting some hairs. Veritably full bodied, this wine displays succulence and power, what one can expect from a quality estate like Lynch Bages. In recent vintages, I have decried a certain later picking and oak extraction, but 2011 seems to be marked by balance. (93 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: This year, 70% Cab Sauv, 23% merlot and rest Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Raspberry and meat with tobacco in the bouquet. For me, their style doesn't work, this is unprepossessing and has, to my taste, too much oak at this stage for the raspberry replays.

Pictures: With Jean-Charles Cazes, Owner of Lynch-Bages, during the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Ormez de Pez

Represented by: Kinou Cazes Hachemian (30$)

Château Les Ormes-de-Pez is in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. In the 2003 listing that was later annulled, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. It belongs to the group of six former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel (Château Chasse Spleen, Château Les Ormes de Pez, Château de Pez, Château Potensac, Château Poujeaux and Château Siran) that have decided to remain outside the Cru Bourgeois Classification.

The vineyard area, divided into two blocks north and south of the village of Saint-Estèphe, extends over 33 hectares, with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The annual production is 15,000 cases.

Ormes de Pez was purchased by Jean Charles Cazes in 1927.

Panos Kakaviatos: Starts out rich and flavorful and thus not bad at all. But like other reds in 2011, ends drying and attenuated on the finish. 2007 redux. (89 points)

Château Phélan Ségur

Represented by: Veronique Dausse (37$)

Picture: Didier Cuvellier, Leoville Poyferre, Veronique Dausse and Christian G.E. Schiller

Panos Kakaviatos: This one is a better Saint Estephe as it displays more sap and energy. Just barely 90, if you will, because the finish is no great shakes, but this has medium plus flavor intensity and a robust palate. Fits the bill. Get me a steak. (90 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: I love how they say "avec plaisir" when pouring and when you're done---it's so fine! This is 55% CS, 45% merlot. Really gets at you in the schnozz with old wood and cigar/pipe smoke, red cherry underneath. To taste, not bad, but not exceptional. Fruits poke out, but not in a harmonious way right now. I do like the nose.

Château Coutet

Represented by: Aline Baly (67$)

Château Coutet is a classified estate from the Sauternes-Barsac appellation located in Barsac, owned and managed by Philippe and Dominique Baly. The vineyard area extends 38 hectares with grape varieties of 75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon blanc and 2% Muscadelle.

On average 4,500 cases are produced each year of the Grand vin Château Coutet. Additionally there is produced the second wine Chartreuse de Coutet from the estate's younger vines, and a dry white wine named Vin Sec de Château Coutet.

The wine is composed of 75% Semillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle. The Baly family have owned the 95 acre Chateau since 1977 when Marcel Baly acquired the 95 acre property. Marcel’s sons Dominic and Phillipe took over running the operation in the 1980′s.

Aline Baly is the third generation proprietor of Bordeaux’s first classified growth Château Coutet (AOC Barsac) and currently responsible for the estate’s strategic marketing and communications. Aline received in 2008 her Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management (Evanston, IL, USA) with a degree focused on marketing and entrepreneurship. After 20 years of life as an ex-patriot, Aline moved back to Barsac recently.

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: Aline Baly's face lit up like a Christmas tree when I told her that I knew Angelo Manioudakis. We spent some time discussing the house style here too. This year, 75% semillon, 23% Sauv Blanc and 2% muscadelle, and I think she said the vines are about 30 years old. Lovely, expressive lime fruit and toasted coconut. I like this in the mouth too, the typical early Coutet coiled and bracing texture with coconut and lime notes and a distinct minerality. Very enjoyable #8

Château de Fargues

Represented by: Prince Eudes de Orléans, General Manager (113$)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Prince Eudes de Orléans

Château de Fargues has been owned by the Lur-Saluces family since 1472. The family owned d`Yquem until 1999 and de Fargues is known by some critics as d`Yquem junior. The same winemaking techniques are use at both properties.

De Fargues's 15 hectare vineyard is situated 4 kilometres southeast of d`Yquem and is planted with 80% Sémillon, and 15% Sauvignon Blanc. Yields are minute (lower even than d`Yquem) and the grapes are harvested in as many as 12 separate "tries". The grapes are fermented and the wine is subsequently aged for 3 years in one-year-old oak bariques that were previously used at d`Yquem. De Fargues's production is small with sometimes only 500 cases a year being produced.

Prince Eudes de Orléans is the youngest son of Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France and of Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg. Eudes is third in line to the Orleanist succession to the French throne after his brother Prince Jean, Duc de Vendôme, and his nephew, Prince Gaston.

Panos Kakaviatos: I liked this more than I did from barrel. A somewhat lower note perhaps than one would expect because I did find it somewhat over sweet. Let’s put it this way: the opulence on the nose and on the attack – with apricots and pineapples and spice – could have used more zing on the palate… Still, I could see this wine’s appeal. (91 points)

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: 80% Sem from 35 yr vines, and 20% SB, they leave it in 10-15% new oak for 3 years. Musky and herbal, lots of green herbs mixed with yellow fruit on nose. Palate is awfully expressive---the botrytis is just right and complements orange and a real peach flavour. A very different de Fargues for me, the first one I've ever truly liked.

Château Guiraud

Represented by: Laure Planty (Daughter of Co-owner) (48$)

This gem of an estate in Sauternes dates back to the 15th century. The vineyard currently covers 100 hectares. Château Guiraud is known for its organic approach to viticulture.

11,000 cases made. The blend of 65 percent Sémillon and 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc comes from 35- to 40-year-old vines.

Four partners - Robert Peugeot (of Peugeot automobiles), Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier), Stephan von Neipperg (Canon-La Gaffelière and others) and Xavier Planty, the estate’s longtime general manager - acquired Château Guiraud in 2006.

Mike Grammer on Wineberserkers: I actually didn't know this was under Comte Stephan's aegis as well. I spoke with Laure Planty and we talked about what is, for me, the unique and sometimes unpredictable style of Guiraud. This one is a bit wilder than the Rayne-Vigneau, some muskiness permeates the aromas of citrus and pineapple. In this one, the botrytis is quite prevalent, but I think it will integrate. Rich pear and pineapple, with maybe a tinge of pomegranate too. It's pretty good.

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Jean-Charles Cazes, Owner of Lynch-Bages, at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages

The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours included a tour of and tasting at Château Lynch-Bages.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

On that day, we stayed at Hotel Château Cordeillan-Bages, which belongs to Château Lynch-Bages. Time to relax, to savor the beautiful surroundings and amenities of this Relais and Chateaux hotel. We felt a bit what it is like to be a châteaux proprietor in the Médoc.

After the visit at Château Lynch-Bages, including the museum and the winery, and tasting, we had the menu du terroir at Café Lavinal in Bages, which also belongs to Château Lynch-Bages.

Jean-Charles Cazes, owner of Lynch-Bages, greeted us.

Château Lynch Bages and the Cazes Family

Jean-Charles Cazes, the grandfather of the Jean-Charles we met, purchased Château Lynch Bages and Château Ormes de Pez in St. Estèphe on the eve of the Second World War. Lynch Bages and Ormes de Pez have been run by the Cazes family ever since.

Pictures: Walking from Hotel Château Cordeillan-Bages to Château Lynch-Bages

Until Jean-Charles Cazes took over in 2006, his father, Jean Michel Cazes, was at the helm of the family empire. He was a very influential personality in Bordeaux. Before returning to Pauillac in 1973 to take over the family's insurance and wine interests, Jean-Charles was for 10 years a manager, based in Paris.

In addition to the Cazes family wine interests, from 1987 to 2000, Jean-Michel Cazes developed AXA Millésimes, the wine properties department of the insurance company AXA. French insurance companies are required to invest in French property. Their assets in Bordeaux include Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Château Suduiraut, Cantenac Brown (recently sold) and Chateau Petit Village Abroad they own Quinta do Noval, a Port producer in the Douro Valley in Portugal, and the Tokay producing Disznókő estate in Hungary.

Pictures: In the Museum

In 2003 Jean-Michel Cazes was chosen the "Man of the Year" by the wine magazine Decanter. In 2006, after 33 years in charge of the Cazes family interests, he stepped down, handing over management of the family interests to his son Jean-Charles Cazes. Born in 1974, Jean Charles grew up at Lynch Bages, the last of four children, and the only son.

Jean-Charles Cazes assumed overall responsibility for management of the renowned Cazes family estates and winemaking operations, extending from Bordeaux to southern France and including joint ventures in Portugal and Australia, including the Bordeaux chateaux of Lynch-Bages, Ormes de Pez and Villa Bel-Air; the Michel Lynch brand of Bordeaux varietals; L'Ostal Cazes and the Circus line of wines from the Languedoc; a distribution company, JM Cazes-Selection; Xisto, a joint venture with the Roquette family in Portugal's Douro Valley; and Tapanappa, a joint venture in South Australia undertaken with the Bollinger family of Champagne fame and pioneering Australian winemaker, Brian Croser.

Pictures: In the Cellar of  Château Lynch-Bages

Jean-Michel Cazes continues to lead the wine and tourism division of the family’s activities, notably Château Cordeillan-Bages in Pauillac converted into a hotel and a restaurant of two Michelin stars.

Sylvie Cazes, Jean-Michel Cazes’ sister, is now President of the family group’s Board of Directors. Until last year, she also was Managing Director of Chateau Pichon Lalande and President of the
Union des Grand Cru Classes de Bordeaux (UGCB).

Château Lynch-Bages

Château Lynch-Bages is a Fifth Growth in the village of Bages, just southwest of Pauillac. Jean-Charles Cazes was able to purchase Lynch Bages in 1939.

The history of the estate reflects the interesting history of English and French rule in Aquitaine. The original owners, the Lynch family from Ireland, could trace back their roots to an ancestor who was a companion of William the Conqueror. Without an heir, in 1824 the estate was sold and was in the hands of two other families before the Cazes family took over the property in 1933. Since then, the Cazes family has developed the estate with passion and tenacity and started an in-depth modernisation in the 1980s. They are committed to making the most of the terroir, and are devoted to attain the ultimate in quality and prestige of a classified growth.

The vineyards total 90 hectares, with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The white wine vineyard, planted on 6 hectares, is located to the west, with vines 20 years old on average, it’s composed of 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Semillon and 15% Muscadelle.

Lynch Bages produces 3 wines.

Chateau Lynch Bages, AOC Pauillac, 5th Grand Cru Classe, 25,000 cases.

Echo de Lynch Bages, AOC Pauillac, 10,000 cases, often a blend of 50 to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 to 30% Merlot and 15 to 20% Cabernet Franc.

Blanc de Lynch Bages, AOC Bordeaux Blanc 4,000 cases. They begun making white wine in 1990.

Château Les Ormes-de-Pez

Château Les Ormes-de-Pez is in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. In the 2003 listing that was later annulled, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. It belongs to the group of six former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel (Château Chasse Spleen, Château Les Ormes de Pez, Château de Pez, Château Potensac, Château Poujeaux and Château Siran) that have decided to remain outside the Cru Bourgeois Classification.

The vineyard area, divided into two blocks north and south of the village of Saint-Estèphe, extends over 33 hectares, with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The annual production is 15,000 cases.

Ormes de Pez was purchased by Jean Charles Cazes in 1927.

Tasting


2012 Blanc de Lynch Bages

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013: Shows solid thyme, sweet pea and jicama notes, with a fresh, tarragon-filled finish. Features a stony hint and good cut.


2012 Ormez de Pez

Steven Spurrier, Decanter, April 2013: Dense purple-red and lots of cassis fruit, big fleshy ripeness and good grip for the future.


2012 Echo de Lynch Bages

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 8 2013: Features a light-bodied, floral feel, with bergamot, red currant and bitter cherry at the core. Offers a subtle, perfumy, mineral-tinged finish.

2012 Lynch Bages

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2013: Some of Lynch Bages's tell-tale cedary, black currant, earth and spice characteristics are present in the 2012's moderately intense bouquet. This wine exhibits good purity, a healthy dark ruby/purple color and medium body. There is a slight deficiency in the mid-palate, but it recovers sufficiently and offers up a decent finish that tails off ever so slightly. This good to excellent wine could use more fat and charm in the mid-section. Cellar it for a couple of years and drink it over the following 12-14 years.


2006 Lynch Bages

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 94 points (8/ 2011): This classic, powerful, firm Lynch Bages may be as concentrated (if not more so) than the 2005. It possesses a dense purple-tinged color, tell-tale cassis notes interwoven with hints of roast beef, savory herbs, spice box and subtle oak, good acidity and ripe tannin. The result is a full-bodied, fleshy Pauillac that will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring. It is capable of lasting 20-25 more years.

Menu du Terroir at Café Lavinal

After the visit at Château Lynch-Bages, including the museum and the winery, and tasting, we had the menu du terroir at Café Lavinal in Bages, which also belongs to Château Lynch-Bages.

Pictures: Menu du Terroir at Café Lavinal in Bages

Bye-bye

Picture: Leaving Hotel Château Cordeillan-Bages the Following Morning

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Picture: Annette Schiller, Clemens Busch and Rita Busch at Weingut Clemens Busch during the 2013 German Wine and Culture by ombiasy PR and WineTours

The 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, organized and headed by Annette Schiller, included a visit of Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley.

Most pictures in this posting were taken by Katharina Schiller. I had to drop out because of a conflict with the VDP Grosses Gewaechs pre-release tasting in Wiesbaden.

I am quite familiar with the wines of Clemens Busch. I spent several days with Clemens Busch earlier in the year in Seattle (4th International Riesling Symposium) and visited his winery in Pünderich in the Mosel Valley at previous occasions.

Weingut Clemens Busch

Weingut Clemens Busch is one of the top producers in Germany. And not only that. In a region where the humidity and extremely steep vineyards make most wine makers to rely on some level of pesticide, Clemens Busch is 100% organic/biodynamic. And: In a region where noticeable residual sugar in the finished wine and low alcohol is the calling card, Clemens Busch’s focus is on dry premium Rieslings that can compete with the best dry whites in the world. But Clemens Busch also produces off-dry wines as well as powerfully complex, nobly sweet wines.

Picture: In Seattle, Washington State, during the 4th Riesling Rendezvous (see: The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA) Clemens Busch from Weingut Clemens Busch in Germany, Christian G.E. Schiller and Hermann Wiemer, founder of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region in New York State. For Hermann J. Wiemer, see: German Winemakers in the World: Hermann J. Wiemer, Finger Lakes, USA

Weingut Clemens Busch is in Pünderich in the Mosel Valley, rather far down stream. The Busch family lives near the banks of the Mosel in a restored half- timbered house built in 1663. Because flooding can occur here, the vaulted cellar, built in the 1970s, lies nearby, on higher ground, at Clemens’s parents’ home.

 Picture: Weingut Clemens Busch in Pünderich in the Mosel Valley and Tasting Room

The business has been run by Rita and Clemens Busch since 1986, with son Florian joining the team in 2008. Clemens is the fifth generation winemaker at this estate.

Vineyard area: 10 hectares
Annual production: 55,000 bottles

The winery is since 2007 member of the VDP (Association of German VDP).

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Clemens Busch

Organic/Biodynamic

Weingut Clemens Busch is considered by many to be the master interpreter of the natural winemaking approach in Germany. Clemens Busch began using organic practices in 1984 and more recently moved towards biodynamic. Winemaking is practiced in accordance with the guidelines of the ECOVIN association.

Pündericher Marienburg

Most of the area under vines is situated in the Pündericher Marienburg vineyard which covers almost the entire hillside on the opposite side of the river from the village of Pünderich.

Pictures: The Pündericher Marienburg

Until the wine law of 1971, the Pündericher Marienburg consisted of several small plots and not without good reason, because the wines grown in the different parts of today’s Marienburg vineyard are still very different. It is not only the different slate soils but also the special microclimates that play an important role here. To emphasize the specific differences that exist within the Pündericher Marienburg, the corresponding wines of Clemens Busch still bear the names of the old plots: Fahrlay and Fahrlay-Terrassen, Falkenlay and Raffes, as well as Rothenpfad and Felsterrasse.

Fahrlay and Fahrlay-Terrassen, directly across the river from the Busch’s house, consist mainly of blue slate, producing a Riesling with a particularly intensive mineral flavor and slightly salty notes in the finish.

Falkenlay, including the old-vine section called Raffes, is made up of grey slate, producing particularly creamy, fruit-driven Rieslings.

Grey slate dominates in the original Pündericher Marienburg location and this is where the grapes for »Großes Gewächs Marienburg GG« are harvested among others.

Riesling grapes are grown on 95% of the area, along with Müller-Thurgau and Spätburgunder to a lesser extent.

Wine Cellar

In the cellar, it is obvious that Clemens Busch does without high technology. After crushing, the grapes undergo skin contact and ferment spontaneously in both stainless steel and in oak Fuder (wooden casks of 1000 liters), sometimes into the next year’s harvest. In addition to lees contact, Clemens Busch likes to do lees stirring to increase the wines’ fruitiness and richness.

As an exception, special yeast is used for noble-sweet wines where the sugar levels are sometimes so high that wild yeasts would not even begin to work. The wine ages in the oak fuder.

Export

The Weingut Clemens Busch wines are widely available in the US. As far as I know, Louis/Dressner is the main American importer. I also found them on the website of David Bowler Wine in New York and of German Fine Wine, which targets the Asian market.

Pictures: Tasting with Rita Busch

Louis/Dressner

Louis/Dressner: We have no brands. We are not looking for them. We do have a group of often fanatical growers who are doing their best to make wines that are original because they are honestly crafted. These might seem old-fashioned, but in the present context it is almost revolutionary....

Along with Immich-Betterieberg, Koehler-Ruprecht and Knebel, Clemens Busch is one of the 4 German producers in the Louis/Dressner Portfolio.

David Bowler Wine

David Bowler Wine: Is a New York based importer and distributor focusing on naturally made, small batch wines from around the world. Working with importers and directly with wineries, it is our mission to present wines of personality and character, wines that reflect something about where they are made and who made them.

They currently have 11 different wines in their portfolio, ranging from estate wines to super noble-sweet wines, including the following:

Riesling Kabinett Marienburg 2011 :‘The Busch 2011 Pundericher Marienburg Riesling Kabinett originates, as usual, in a windy, high-altitude portion of this Einzellage that permits long hang-time without high must weight or risk of botrytis, in this instance, until the end of October, though as Busch readily points out, it had become “almost too ripe by then for a classic Kabinett.” Fresh white peach and fig offer enticing aromas and a succulent palate impression. This is expansive and caressing yet (at 9% alcohol) retains a delightful sense of levity, and lime and grapefruit lend a tingling, lip-smacking sense of refreshment while warding-off any sense of excess sweetness. While not enormously complex – for now, anyway – it’s quite irresistible, and ought to be worth following for at least the better part of a decade. 90 Points” David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate #206, April, 2013

Pictures: Tasting with Rita Busch

Riesling Trocken 2011: “A good winemaker doesn’t make wine, he merely accompanies it during its creation. The fundamentals of this are always to be found in the vineyard. The cellar contains the art of intervening as little as possible and mainting a healthy environment for the natural processes.” -Clemens Busch. Clemens and his wife Rita are at the cutting edge of biodynamic agriculture and minimal-intervention winemaking in the Mosel. 11%, naturally dry fermented.

Riesling vom roten Schiefer 2011: Another village wine from parcels planted on red slate. It is Half-trocken, as Clemens rarely gets it to ferment dry. Fermentations stop at 11g or 14g but sometimes can go as high as 20g in residual sugars.

German Fine Wine

German Fine Wine: Was founded in the »Hometown of Riesling« in Germany to promote Fine Riesling wines from top German wineries internationally and in particular in China.

They have a dozen or so wines in the Weingut Clemens Busch wines in their portfolio, including the following:

2009 Riesling "vom roten Schiefer": Fresh and fruit-driven typical Mosel Riesling with intense minerality grown on red slate terraces

Clemens Busch does without high technology. After crushing, the grapes undergo skin contact and ferment spontaneously in both stainless steel and in oak Fuder (wooden casks of 1000 liters), sometimes into the next year’s harvest. In addition to lees contact, Clemens Busch likes to do lees stirring to increase the wines’ fruitiness and richness.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Annette Schiller and Clemens Busch at Weingut Clemens Busch in Pünderich at a Previous Visit

See:
With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

2008 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese: Juicy and harmonious wine with well-balanced sweetness, aromas of candied fuits and honey combined with a long-lasting finish

2007 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling "falkenlay": Fine and round Mosel Riesling of creamy softness and intense minerality grown on 'first growth' grey slate terroir

2006 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese "fahrlay": Sweet, mineral and fruity special selection wine with aromas of candied stone fruits and a good balance of acidity well integrated into its creamy texture

2009 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Grosses Gewächs: Round, mineral and fruit driven premium 'first growth' wine with delicate aromas of stone fruit and sweet citrus combined with a long finish

2006 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Beerenauslese: First class noble rot sweet wine with good concentration, aromas of ripe apricots and candied peach and a juicy, complex and long-lasting finish

schiller-wine: Related Postings (German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy PR and WineTours):

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

A Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau, with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn, Germany

Tasting with Rita Busch at Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley, Germany 

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

The World Meets at Weingut Weegmueller, Pfalz, Germany

Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany 

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The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Germany’s Best Winemakers (5 Stars) - Eichelmann WeinGuide 2013

With Wine Maker Clemens Busch in Puenderich at his Winery in the Mosel Valley, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Annette Schiller at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion with Claire

Ever heard of Gerard Dupuy and his Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion? Probably not. Unless, perhaps, you are into organic wines.

Château Beausejour is not one of the 300 or so winemakers in Bordeaux that produce a premium Bordeaux which sells en primeur for 50 to 500 Euros per bottle. No, Château Beausejour is one of the other 18.000 producers or so that are not in the limelight and that make so called petites Bordeaux wines. These producers have to struggle against the competition of wines from all over the world, including the New World. In my view, many of these petites Bordeaux producers offer very good value for the price.

Pictures: Arriving at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion

As part of the attempt to offer a broad perspective, the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy included a tour, tasting and lunch at Château Beauséjour. Gerard Dupuy could not join us, as he did the year before, but his partner in life and business Claire received us. He also had the pleasure to meet Gerard’s mother, Christiane Dupuy, who ran the estate with her husband for many years, and his sister, Annick Rada, during the reception.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Pictures: In the Vineyard

Gerard Dupuy produces wine under different labels. Produit en vente à la propriété:

AOC Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion
Château Beauséjour
Château Langlais

AOC Lussac-Saint-Emilion
Château Vieux Moulin Noir

AOC Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux
Domaine de la Grande Courraye

Les BULLES de Beauséjour, méthode traditionnell

 Pictures: Gerard Dupuy’s Wines

Gerard Dupuy’s wines are interesting and special for at least 2 reasons. He produces – like so many others – good value Petit Chateau Bordeaux wines and he makes them organically.

AOC Puisseguin-St. Emilion

Puisseguin-St. Emilion lies at the heart of the four satellite titles of the St. Emilion appellation on the right bank. The grape varieties permitted here are Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, Puisseguin-St. Emilion produces only red wines. Merlot is predominant, most often partnered with Cabernet Franc.

Pictures: In the Cellar

To qualify for the Puisseguin-St. Emilion appellation, wines must contain a minimum of 11% alcohol and come from vineyards planted to a density of less than 5500 vines per hectare. Puisseguin-St.Emilion was granted AOC status in 1936. 753 hectares of vine planted areas belong to the appellation.

The 4 St. Emilion satellites are St.Georges-Saint-Emilion, Montagne-St.Emilion, Lussac-St.Emilion and Puisseguin-St.Emilion itself – all located to the north of St.Emilion town. They are known as satellites because the area's more prestigious wine estates historically resented these supposedly inferior wines using the St.Emilion name.

Chateau Beausejour

Chateau Beausejour is Gerard Dupuy’s base, in the village of Puisseguin. It is a AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion. The vineyard area totals 13.5 hectares. Gerard Dupuy told us that the clay and limestone soil of Chateau Beausejour is planted with Merlot (73%), Cabernet Franc (22%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). All grapes are organically grown, certified by Ecocert.

Pictures: Reception, with Gerard’s mother, Christiane Dupuy, who ran the estate with her husband for many years, and his sister, Annick Rada

Château Langlais

This is also an AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, with the vineyard area totaling 12 hectares.

Domaine de la Grande Courraye

The vineyards of Domaine de la Grande Courraye are in the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. I did not ask Gerard, but my hunch is that Domaine de la Grande Courraye is not more than a name under which the wine from his vineyard in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is sold.

Pictures: Reception

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

East of St. Emilion and its 4 satellites, above the town of Castillon, lie the Côtes de Castillon and the Côtes de Francs AOCs. Côtes de Castillon is an appellation for red wines only.

Pictures: Annette and Claire at Lunch

The dominant grape variety is Merlot (70%). Cabernet-Franc (20%) and Cabernet-Sauvignon (10%) account for the rest.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux was recognized AOC only quite recently (1989). For a long time the wines of Castillon were only used as complementary alternatives to enhance Saint-Emilion blendings in poor years. Until 2009, these wines were sold as Cotes de Castillon. In 2009, the Cotes de Castillon appellation was merged with several other Bordeaux cotes to form the new Cotes de Bordeaux title.

Pictures: At Lunch

Castillon has risen from around 2,450 hectares in 1982 to 3,250 today. During the last 25 years or so, several growers of Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and other famous areas have recognized the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux’s potential and invested in local vineyards. One of them is Stephan de Niepperg, who has acquired Château d'Aiguilhe.

Ecocert

Ecocert is an inspection and certification body established in France in 1991. Ecocert has developed its own international network. With 23 offices and subsidiaries, Ecocert operates and offers its services in over 80 countries.

Pictures: At Lunch

In the Vineyard of Chateau Beausejour

This year, Gerard Dupuy could not join as in the vineyard, but last year, he said: “The refusal of chemical treatments at our wineries dates back to their appearance on the market after 1945. We practice the total grass cover. This method allows regulating the ecosystem in a monoculture, while limiting soil erosion. In our vineyards, wild tulips thrive in the vineyard rows in the spring.” The average age of the vines is 40 years.

In the Cellar

Moving on to cellar, there he follows the natural wine philosophy. Again Gerard the year before: “In the cellar, we use a minimalist approach. Our wines are aged for a period of 12 to 24 months in oak barrels.” All of his wines are made at Château Beauséjour.

Lunch

Lunch was fabulous. We started out with an aperitif in the front yard and then moved into the Chateau for a wonderful 3-course meal and Gerard Dupuy’s wines.

Pictures: Lunch

The menu was prepared by the Chef of the “Auberge du Village” in 33330 Saint Christophe des Bardes. It was excellent.

Pictures: At Lunch

Jane Anson on Auberge du Village in 33330 Saint Christophe des Bardes: “Just the kind of local restaurant you look for – inexpensive, simple and charming - and it’s very popular. The wine list is short, but well chosen (hard not to be when you are surrounded by Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classés) and as keenly priced as the food.”

Bye-Bye

Thank you Claire for a wonderful event.


schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

Visit, Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France 

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France  

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages Museum and Winery, Bordeaux, France 

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

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Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Vin Bio de Bordeaux - At Château Beauséjour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Beauséjour (AOC Puisseguin-St. Emilion)– a Vin Bio de Bordeaux - with Owner and Wine Maker Gerard Dupuy, France

Picture: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy PR and WineTours, Christian G.E. Schiller and Cesare Benvenuto, Pio Cesare, at Bazin's on Church

Cesare Benvenuto, Co-owner of the famous Pio Cesare Estate in the Piedmont region, came to Washington DC to show us his great wines. Chef Patrick Bazin from Bazin’s on Church in Vienna, Virginia, prepared a great dinner and his wife Julie Bazin orchestrated the evening with a lot of charm.

Picture: Bazin's on Church

Piedmont

The province of Piedmont is in the northwestern corner of Italy, located in the foothills of the Alps forming its border with France and Switzerland. The most well-known wines from the region are Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape. While Turin is the capital of the Piedmont, Alba and Asti are at the heart of the region's wine industry.

Although the winemaking regions of the Piedmont and Bordeaux are very close in latitude, only the summertime temperatures are similar: the Piedmont wine region has a colder, continental winter climate, and significantly lower rainfall due to the rain shadow effect of the Alps. Vineyards are typically planted on hillsides. The warmer south facing slopes are mainly used for Nebbiolo or Barbera while the cooler sites are planted with Dolcetto or Moscato.

Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller at Château Léoville-Poyferré during the 2013 Bordeaux Wine Tour by ombiasy with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier.

The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours included a tour, tasting and lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré. Anne Cuvelier took us around and joined us for lunch, along with General Manager, Didier Cuvelier. Michel Rolland was at the estate during our visit and we had a chance to greet him.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

The Cuvelier Family in the North of France, in Bordeaux and in Argentina

Château Léoville-Poyferré is owned by the Cuvelier family. The story of the Cuvelier family begins in 1804 when Henri Cuvelier set out to share his great passion for fine wine with his friends of the grand bourgeoisie residing in the rich and dynamic towns of the North of France. To this aim, he created Maison de Négoce de Vins Henri Cuvelier in Haubourdin, a wine merchant company whose success continued to develop throughout the 19th century.

100 years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, Paul Cuvelier and his young brother Albert, decided to purchase top quality estates in the Bordeaux area. They bought Château Le Crock in 1903, then Château Camensac in 1912 (which was later sold) and finally the prestigious Château Léoville Poyferré as well as Chateau Moulin Riche in 1920. In 1947, Max Cuvelier opened a second Wine Merchant company in Bordeaux, moving nearer to the family properties.

Two of Max Cuvelier’s children have taken over the family’s activities in Bordeaux: Didier Cuvelier has been running Château Léoville Poyferré, Château Moulin-Riche and Château Le Crock since 1979 and Olivier Cuvelier has been managing the Wine Merchant company H. Cuvelier and Fils in Bordeaux since 1985.

Pictures: Starting the Tour

The Haubourdin wine merchant company was sold in 2002. The name has remained unchanged and it continues to distribute the Cuvelier estates wines.

In 1998, the Cuvelier family started to branch out to Argentina. Bertrand Cuvelier, the father of Anne Cuvelier, accompanied Michel Rolland in his great Argentine project, which was to become the “Clos de Los Siete” group. Three years later, Jean-Guy Cuvelier decided to join his cousin Bertrand in the joint aim of building a winery and producing fine wines worthy of the family tradition in Argentina.

Château Léoville-Poyferré

The Cuvelier family bought Château Léoville-Poyferré – one of the 3 Léoville estates that currently exist - in 1920. The 3 Léoville chateaux are the result of vast property broken up a long time ago. But up until the French Revolution, Léoville was the largest Médoc wine-growing property.

Pictures: In the Cellar

In the beginning, the Cuveliers did not operate their chateaux themselves. This changed in 1979 with the accession of Didier Cuvelier, who at 26 became the first member of his family to take charge of Léoville – Poyferré along with Moulin Riche and Le Crock. Didier Cuvelier put Léoville – Poyferré on the map of wine lovers all over the world. Didier Cuvelier trained as a chartered accountant before passing the DUAD (a university diploma in wine tasting) in 1976.

The Grand Vin is Château Léoville-Poyferré (20.000 cases). The second wine is Pavillon de Poyferré.

Château Le Crock

The first purchase made by the Cuvelier family was their property in St. Estephe, Chateau Le Crock in 1903. Today the vineyards of Château Le Crock cover a total of 32.5 hectares and touch two of the most prestigious châteaus of the appellation, Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose.

In the (annulled) 2003 Classification, Château Le Crock was a Cru Bourgeois Superieur. In the new system, in 2010, Château Le Crock qualified for the Cru Bourgeois Label.

Château Moulin Riche

Château Moulin Riche was bought in 1920 by the Cuvelier family. Château Moulin Riche has 49 acres of vines which are planted as follows: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.

Château Léoville - Poyferré, Barton and Las-Cases

The Cuvelier family bought Château Léoville-Poyferré – one of the 3 Léoville estates that currently exist - in 1920.

The 3 Léoville chateaux are the result of vast property broken up a long time ago. But up until the French Revolution, Léoville was the largest Médoc wine-growing property.

Pictures: The New Sorting Machine of  Château Léoville-Poyferré

The story of the 3 Léoville estates go back to 1638. At the time, the estate was called Mont-Moytié, named after its founder, Jean de Moytié. Domaine Mont-Moytié remained in the family for almost 100 years. It is through the marriage of one of the Moytié women that the estate passed into the hands of Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, who was the seigneur of Léoville and a president of the Bordeaux parliament.

The groundwork for the split was laid in 1769, when Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq died without an obvious heir. As a consequence the Léoville estate was inherited by four family members. One of them was the Marquis de Las-Cases-Beauvoir. One quarter was sold off by the four heirs. A number of years later, in 1826, this part of Léoville estate was purchased by Hugh Barton and became Château Léoville Barton.

The other three quarters remained in the family. This was the state of affairs when the Marquis was succeeded in 1815 by his son, Pierre-Jean and his daughter, Jeanne. Pierre-Jean inherited what is now Château Léoville Las Cases, whilst the portion that came to Jeanne was passed onto her daughter, who married Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré; this is the part that is today Château Léoville-Poyferré.

Pictures: In the Cellar

Although the estate bears the name of the Poyferré family to this day, it was not in their ownership for a long time. But it was under the ownership of the Poyferré family when the estate was classified as a deuxième cru in 1855 (as were the Barton and Las-Cases estates).

In 1865 Château Léoville-Poyferré was purchased by Baron d'Erlanger and Armand Lalande, bankers and local courtiers. The Lalande family, and later through marriage also the Lawton family, were in charge of Château Léoville-Poyferré until after World War I had passed. The Cuvelier family bought Château Léoville-Poyferré in 1920.

While the vineyards were separated, the buildings remained connected, just as they are today.

Tour of Château Léoville

We started the visit with a tour of the estate. Anne Cuvelier took us around.

Tasting the 12 Vintage

Following the tour, we sat down in the tasting room and tasted the 2012 vintage, Château Léoville-Poyferré and Château Le Crock, kind of en primeur tasting. I have included in parenthesis the current wine searcher average prices in US$ per bottle.

Pictures: Tasting Château Léoville-Poyferré 2012 and Château Le Crock 2012

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2012 (US$67)

This wine seemed primary and not totally filled out or complete. No doubt it will put on some weight given the significant Merlot content in the final blend. There is a certain firmness, stiffness and lack of intensity on the mid-palate, and some tannins kick in in the finish. Nevertheless, there is more to this wine than first meets the palate. It is medium to full-bodied with an opaque color, good ripeness and some attractive weight, but is closed and hard. It needs time to pull itself together, and it should turn out to be an excellent, possibly outstanding effort. Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Apr 2013

Pictures: Tasting

Château Le Crock 2012 (US$21)

Dense colour, fine fragrance of Cabernet fruit on the nose and fine clarity and depth , a quite earthy Saint-Estephe with class. 16/20pts ( 86/100pts) Drink: 2017 - 2025 Taster: Steven Spurrier

Pictures: Previous Tasters - Robert Parker and Michel Rolland

Michel Rolland

While leaving the tasting room the run into Michel Rolland, who is a consultant at Château Léoville-Poyferré.

Pictures: Michel Rolland Greets us

Lunch

We then moved over to the large banquet room where we had lunch. We were joined by Anne Cuvelier and Didier Cuvelier.

Pictures: Didier Cuvelier with Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller

Menu

Duck in puff pastry with foie gras, Jerusalem artichoke cream, wild arugula


Roasted saddle of lamb cutlet, risotto with lettuce cream, cabbage confit


Selection of cheeses


Red fruit with Champagne sabayon, cannel


Coffee


The Wines

I have included in parenthesis the current wine searcher average prices in US$ per bottle.


Château Léoville-Poyferré 2007 (US$75)

90 points Wine Spectator - Offers subtle aromas of smoky wood, fresh herbs and dark fruits. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and soft, silky tannins. Very well-crafted and polished for the vintage. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2012. (3/ 2010)

Pictures: Lunch

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2000 (US$203)

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - The plushest, most ostentatious and dramatic of all the Leovilles in 2000, this wine is already sumptuous, displaying some nuances in its huge nose of vanilla bean, black chocolate, jammy black cherries, cassis, and graphite in a flamboyant style. Opulent, savory, rich, and full-bodied, it is a head-turning, prodigious wine and a complete contrast to the extracted behemoth of Leoville Barton and the backward, classic Leoville Las Cases. The Poyferre’s low acidity, sweet tannin and an already gorgeous mouthfeel make it a wine to drink now as well as over the next 25 or more years. (6/ 2010)

Pictures: Lunch

Château Léoville-Poyferré 1996 (US$151)

Jancis Robinson - Deep crimson. Not much nose; still quite youthful. Big mouthful of round, supple fruit and some gunpowder undertow. Attractive balance and a quite meaty still. I don’t think this would disappoint any claret lover. 17.5/20 points. (9/ 2011)

Picture: Lunch

Château Le Crock 2005 (US$55)

Berry Bros and Rudd: Owned by the Cuvelier family of Léoville-Poyferré, Le Crock has produced an extremely appealing wine in 2005. There is far more balance and elegance here than we have ever seen before, along with some good earthy, St Estèphe minerality. Made from an interesting blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, this has concentrated dark cassis fruit mixed with black cherries and plums, all supported by firm, ripe tannins. A very good wine indeed from the Cuvelier team.

Picture: Thanks for a Very Good Service

Bye-bye

Thanks Anne and Didier Cuvelier for an extraordinary tour, tasting and lunch.


schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France  

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages Museum and Winery, Bordeaux, France 

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Château Léoville-Poyferré)

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Lunch with Didier Cuvelier at Château Léoville-Poyferré in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux (2012)

Bordeaux Meets Virginia: Touring Virginia with Anne Cuvelier, Chateau Leoville-Poyferre in St. Julien, Bordeaux

Château Léoville-Poyferré Winemaker Dinner with Anne Cuvelier at Eola in Washington DC, USA

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France 

Picture: The Official State Dinner Picture (Source: White House)

When French President Hollande was at the White House for a State Dinner in his honor on February 11, 2014, President Obama served 3 American wines, from California, Washington State and Virginia. All three wines, though made with grapes grown on American terroir, had their roots in France. Also, breaking with previous practice, the White House made the wine choice public this time.

American Wines with Roots in the Home Country of the Guest of Honor

When President Obama welcomed President Calderón of Mexico to the White House in 2010, the dinner had a Mexican soul, both the food and the wines. Two of the wines were made by Mexican-born American winemakers who worked their way up to become America’s best. One of them, Ulises Valdez, of the Valdez Family Winery, California, had come without papers to the US from Mexico, worked at picking grapes and received amnesty during the Reagan era.

When Chancellor Merkel from Germany was in Washington DC in 2011 and President Obama honored her with a State Dinner, regrettably, he served American wines that did not have much of a link to Germany. I have written extensively about American wines with German roots that President Obama could have served at the State Dinner for Chancellor Merkel, but chose not to do so.

Yesterday, President Obama served 3 wines with strong French links for President Hollande. Indeed, all three wines he served were made by winemakers who were borne, grew up and got their education in France, before moving to the US and starting to produce wine in America – American wines with a French soul.

Names of the Wines Released

The state dinner for China in 2011 spurred criticism of the administration’s lavish spending on wine after the worst recession in decades. A 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, one of the wines poured that night, was $115 a bottle at release. The wine earned a rare 100-point rating from critic Robert Parker. By the time of the White House dinner, it listed for as much as $399 per bottle, according to wine websites.

The practice of listing the name and the vintage of the wines served was stopped after the China State Dinner in 2011. It was resumed for the French President yesterday

Seventh State Dinner of President Obama

This was President Obama’s seventh State Dinner. The President and Mrs. Obama's previous State and Official Visits were: India in November 2009, Mexico in May 2010, China in January 2011, Germany in June 2011, Korea in October 2011, and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland in March 2012. There was no State Dinner in 2013. Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff refused to attend a dinner planned for October 2013 amid the furor over Edward Snowden’s revelations about U.S. spying on foreign leaders.

The first visit of a ruling monarch for a dinner at the White House was in 1874 with King David Kalakaua of the Sandwich Islands as the honored guest. It wasn’t until President Dwight D. Eisenhower that the modern protocol of the State Dinner was established, with the visit of South Korea’s president in 1954.

See for Previous State Dinners of President Obama:
President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao
State Dinner at the White House: Chancellor Merkel Dined and Wined with President Obama - The Wines they Drank and the Wines they did not Drink 
Wine Event: The Wines served at President's Obama State Dinner of the Indian Prime Minister
The Wines Served at President Obama's State Dinner for Mexican President Calderon

President Hollande in Washington DC

President Hollande arrived on Monday, February 10, in the afternoon. As a kick-off to his State Visit, President Barack Obama treated the French leader to a tour of Monticello, the historic Charlottesville, Virginia plantation home where President Thomas Jefferson lived for four decades. In the evening, President Hollande hosted a dinner at the French Embassy for the Managing Director of the IMF, the French Christine Lagarde, and the President of the World Bank, the American Jim Yong Kim.

Picture: President Hollande at the White House on Tuesday Morning (Source: White House)

On Tuesday, February 11, President Hollande's State Visit began at the White House with a review the troops. After, there were bilateral meetings. Then, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry co-host a luncheon for President Hollande at the State Department.

The day culminated with the State Dinner at the White House. Mary J. Blige, a nine-time Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, producer and actress born in the Bronx, N.Y., performed for some 350 guests who were seated at a modern-looking mix of square and oblong tables inside a huge white tent on the South Lawn. Guests first entered the White House and waited in a receiving line to be greeted inside the Blue Room by President Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama. Then they boarded an old-fashioned trolley for a ride down to the tent for dinner and Blige's performance.

President Hollande Solo

On the tour of Monticello, President Obama might have had something beyond historic meaning for President Hollande: Jefferson never married Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman who bore him six children during their decades-long relationship.

Picture: At the Dinner (Source: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

President Hollande has never been married. He lived several decades with Segolene Royal, the mother of his 4 children, as a family, but they were not married. Segolene Royal is a leading French Socialist Politician, who run for President, but was defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande’s predecessor. Francois Hollande separated from Segolene Royal in 2007 for Valerie Trierweiler, who became France’s First Lady, when Francois Hollande was elected President. Last month he went through a messy split with her, amid reports he had fallen for actress Julie Gayet. In fact, the invation for the Hollande State Dinner had initially Valerie Trierweiler’s name on it.

Picture: Valerie Trierweiler, Former French First Lady (Source: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

Coming solo on a state visit is not unheard of. Then-Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is married, came by himself on his 2011 state visit. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy traveled alone on his first visit to the U.S. as the leader of France.

The Menu

The first course featured American Osetra Caviar, farmed from the estuaries of Illinois, and paired with quail eggs from Pennsylvania and a dozen varieties of potatoes from farms in New York, Idaho and California.

That was followed by a salad of petite radishes and baby carrots on a bed of merlot lettuce and splashed with red-wine vinaigrette. It was served in a clear, glass bowl and resemble a terrarium.
The main course, dry-aged rib eye beef from a farm in Greeley, Colo., was paired with blue cheese, charred shallots, oyster mushrooms and braised chard.

Picture: The Menu (Source: White House)

Dessert was chocolate malted cake, described as a modern version of a layer cake made with bittersweet chocolate from Obama’s native Hawaii, Florida tangerines and served with vanilla ice cream from Pennsylvania.

After dinner, guests could dip into a serving dish made entirely of sugar to sample fudge made of Vermont maple syrup, shortbread cookies made with lavender from Mrs. Obama’s garden and cotton candy dusted with orange zest.

The Wines

American wines with French roots were served. They retail in the §30 to $50 range.

2011 Morlet Family Vineyards, "La Proportion Doree", Napa Valley, California

Morlet Family Vineyards is a niche producer in California, owned and run by Luc and Jodie Morlet. Luc Morlet was borne in the Champagne region and represents the fourth generation of a French winemaking family. Growing up in Avenay-Val d’Or, he spent all his spare time working on his family’s estate. His university studies of viticulture and winemaking were put into practice during years of work in vineyards and wineries in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the south of France.

When Luc left France in 1996 to join his wife Jodie in her native California, his goal was to adapt the old world principles he knew so well to his new home.

The core of the Morlets’ endeavor is the eight-acre vineyard they planted on the Knights Valley bench, near Calistoga and facing the western slopes of Mount St. Helena. In addition to these family acres, they direct the farming under long-term contract on seven acres in the Sonoma Coast, Bennett Valley and Dry Creek as well as five acres in Oakville, Napa Valley. In St. Helena, near the family home, the wines are crafted and matured in a naturally cool cave, which was drilled into the volcanic rock.

La Proportion Doree is a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grown in Sonoma County, inspired by the whites of the Bordeaux Pessac-Léognan

2009, Long Shadows Vintners, Chester Kidder, Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington State

Long Shadows in Walla Walla has become, in a short time, one of the premier wineries in Washington State. It is an unusual set up: Former Simson-Lane CEO Allen Shoup works with renowned winemakers from around the world for this venture. Each winemaker produces a single wine using Washington State fruit and resident winemaker Gilles Nicault assists them to shepherd all of the wines along at Long Shadows in Walla Walla.

After learning his craft in the Rhône Valley, Provence, and Champagne, resident winemaker Gilles Nicault came to Washington State in 1994. He worked at Staton Hills Winery, Hogue Winery, and Woodward Canyon, where he was head of enology and production from 1999 to 2003, before being hired by Shoup at Long Shadows.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Gilles Nicault in Washington State

Chester-Kidder is a Bordeaux-style blend named after Alan Shoup’s grandmother and grandfather. Most of the Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from warm vineyard sites on Red Mountain and Candy Mountain. Gilles Nicault keeps the juice in contact with the skins for as long as 40 days during fermentation, then ages the wine for 30 months in 90%-new French oak.

I visited Long Shadows Vintners in June 2011 (and focused with Gilles Nicault on Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling, Armin Diel, from the Nahe region, is one of Germany’s most highly regarded Riesling producers).

See:
Allan Shoup’s and Gilles Nicault’s Long Shadows Wines from Washington State, USA
Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA
President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao

NV Thibaut-Jannison "Blanc de Chardonnay", Monticello, Virginia

Thibaut-Janisson is a new and small producer of ultra-premium sparkling wine in Charlottesville, Virginia. The flagship sparkler NV Thibaut-Jannison "Blanc de Chardonnay" -- Monticello, Virginia is arguably the best sparkler produced in the US East Coast and is as close as you get to (French) Champagne outside of France (in terms of quality). The NV Thibaut-Janisson Chardonnay, Brut was served at President Obama’s first State Dinner in 2009, which gave the Thibaut-Janisson sparkler a nation-wide audience.


Thibaut-Janisson is owned by Claude Thibaut and Manuel Janisson. Claude is also the winemaker, while Manuel is producer of Grower-Champagne in France. Output currently is around 2500 cases.

Born and raised in the Champagne, Claude Thibaut, after having studied oenology in Reims, left his family’s vineyard in France to spend years creating well-known sparklers in Australia (3 years) and California (7 years). Claude Thibaut worked at the Kendall-Jackson, Jordan and Iron Horse wineries in California as well as Champagne Veuve Devaux, Bar sur Seine, France and Yarra Bank, Victoria, Australia. Claude is the original winemaker for the popular J sparkling wine from California

In 2003, Claude moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, joining the Kluge Estate (which was recently bought by Donald Trump) as a consultant to spearhead the creation of a sparkling wine. Two years later, in 2005, he started his own label – Thibaut- Janisson - in partnership with Frenchman and friend Manuel Janisson, producer of the Champagne Janisson & Fils. Right from the beginning the objective was to produce ultra-premium sparkling wines from Virginia grapes.

“Why is it 100% Chardonnay and not a blend of Chardoannay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier” I asked Claude. “Because of the Virginia terroir and climate, there is no Pinot Noir produced here” said Claude.

See:
As Close as You Can Get to Champagne – Claude Thibaut and his Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar, USA

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Allan Shoup’s and Gilles Nicault’s Long Shadows Wines from Washington State, USA

Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA

President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao

The Wines Chancelor Merkel Served President Obama and Michelle Obama in Berlin (and the Wines she did not Serve), Germany

State Dinner at the White House: Chancellor Merkel Dined and Wined with President Obama - The Wines they Drank and the Wines they did not Drink

Wine Event: The Wines served at President's Obama State Dinner of the Indian Prime Minister

The Wines Served at President Obama's State Dinner for Mexican President Calderon

As Close as You Can Get to Champagne – Claude Thibaut and his Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar, USA

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Chef Bart M. Vandaele and Jean Trimbach at B Too in Washington DC

Jean Trimbach from Maison Trimbach in Alsace, France, was in town (Washington DC area). Again, he organized a winemaker dinner with Bart M. Vandaele - as he had done 2 years ago. This time, however, the dinner did not take place at Chef Bart M. Vandaele’s Belga Café on the hill, behind the Capitol, but on 14th Street NW in his newly opened B Too. It is much larger and bit more casual than the Belga Café, but the food is also excellent and the set-up also very appealing.

Pictures: B Too

As expected, it turned out to be a fun evening. Jean Trimbach is a wonderful entertainer. The wines of Maison Trimbach are outstanding and paired very well with the delicious food prepared by Chef Bart M. Vandaele and Chef Thijs Clinckemaillie.

For more on Maison Trimbach, see:
Back in the Washington DC Area: Jean Trimbach Presented Maison Trimbach Wines at a Winemaker Dinner at Open Kitchen, USA (2013)
Visiting Jean Trimbach at Maison Trimbach in Ribeauville in Alsace (2011)
With Jean Trimbach from Domaine Trimbach, Alsace, at Bart M. Vandaele’s Belga Café in Washington DC (2011)
Jean Trimbach and the Wines of Maison Trimbach in Washington DC (2010)

Maison Trimbach in Alsace

Alsace is one of the several world class French wine regions, which produces many excellent still and sparkling, red and white wines, but above all it is highly appreciated for its unoaked, dry and crisp white wines. They tend to be different from those in the other parts of France: Higher in acidity, sometimes really sour, but always a pleasant experience to have them in the glass. And they go very well with the Alsatian food, which is also unique in France. The famous choucroute you find only there in France. But of course, you find it also in neighboring Germany, for example in Frankfurt am Main. Compared with Germany, which also is famous for its world class dry wines, Alsace wines tend to be drier, more full-bodied and higher in alcohol. Finally, sweeter white wines and red wines play only a minor role in Alsace, but they have a very good sparkling wine, the Cremant d’Alsace.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Jean Trimbach at B Too

Alsace sits in the northeast corner of France, sheltered by the Vosges mountains to the west and hard against the German border to the east. The vineyards reach from around Wissembourg in the north to Mulhouse, 70 miles south. Some 12 million cases are produced annually from 32,000 acres of vineyards.

Alsace is a fascinating amalgam of the German and French. The end of the 30 Years’ War in 1648 gave Alsace to France. In 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War, Alsace was taken by Germany. After World War I, it was once more part of France — until 1940, when Germany reclaimed it. With the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, Alsace became French yet again — and so it has remained. Wine production in Alsace traces its beginnings to the early centuries of the Roman Empire, when the Romans conquered Alsace and introduced wine.

Picture: Jean Trimbach and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too

One of the most intriguing characteristics of Alsace wines is that they are bottled under their varietal names, unlike virtually all other French wines. Four grape varieties are considered to be the best:(i) Riesling – like in Germany, the most celebrated grape; (ii) Muscat – often used to produce sweet wines in France, the Alsace version is bone-dry; (iii) Pinot Gris and (iv) Gewurztraminer – Alsace's signature grape. Three other white grape varieties are also grown: (i) Sylvaner – A high-yielding grape, producing a refreshing wine, often used for blends, (ii) Pinot Blanc and (iii) Chardonnay – used only for sparkling wine. In addition, Alsace does have a little red wine made from the Burgundy grape, Pinot Noir. The Alsatian red wines tend to be quite lightweight, but can be delicious and interesting.

Maison Trimbach

“All French 3 star Michelin restaurants offer Trimbach wines, except for one” says Jean Trimbach. This is really impressive and clearly shows what the name Trimbach stands for today: Wines of the highest quality. Jean explained that the latest 3 star Michelin restaurant – in Saint Tropez – has not yet put Trimbach wines on its manual. “But it will happen” said Jean.

Picture: Jean Trimbach and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too

Maison Trimbach’s wine-making history goes back to 1626, when Jean Trimbach was recognized as a citizen of Riquewihr in Alsace. From then on, the Maison Trimbach became renowned for its wines. However, it was not until the turn to the 20th century, when, under the leadership of Frédéric-Emile Trimbach, business really took off. Since then, Maison Trimbach has remained a family run business, based in Ribeauville, just a few miles north of Riquewihr, were it all began almost 400 years ago.

Picture: Jean Trimbach and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too

Jean and Pierre Trimbach, the 12th generation, are now in charge, with Pierre looking after the wine-making side and Jean after the selling and marketing side of it. The next generation is already involved. Anne, Pierre’s daughter, is with Jean in the marketing branch; inter alia, she is in charge of the facebook and twitter activities.

Maison Trimbach is very export-oriented with more than 85 percent of the production being exported. It is both a domaine and negociant, thus it produces wine sourced from own vineyards (40 hectares) and from lease contracts (60 hectares).

Winemaking Philosophy

Maison Trimbach's vineyards are all situated around Ribeauvillé, where the soils are mainly limestone. The best sites include the Grands Crus Rosacker, Osterberg and Geisberg, but as indicated above, Maison Trimbach is one of the winemakers in Alsace that are staying away from the Grand Cru AOC system, while Maison Trimbach’s Clos Ste Hune, a Grand Cru, is arguably the finest wine of Alsace. In terms of grape varieties, the emphasis is on Riesling, but Maison Trimbach also grows all other classic Alsatian grape varieties, such as Gewuerztraminer.

Jean explains Trimbach’s wine making philosophy: “In the vineyard, the vines are cared for with a restricted approach to the use of chemicals, including insecticides and fertilizers. We ferment at 20 to 21 degrees Celsius in stainless steel tanks and large, wooden barrels. It does not really matter, if a wine is fermented in a tank or a barrel. It is more a question of fitting our needs with what is available. The barrels are smaller than the tanks and therefore the wines we produce in smaller quantities tend to end up in the wooden barrels. We never use new oak. We never do malolactic fermentation. As a rule, we bottle very early to preserve the freshness and the fruitiness. This is what Alsace is all about. The wine then matures in the bottle. The same principle as vintage port. We release wine often only 5 years later. Sometimes we wait up to 10 years.”

Picture: Jean Trimbach and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too

The Trimbachs let their wines age in the bottles in the cellar during several years before they release them on the market, especially the grand cru wines, such as the Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile. Wines are tasted frequently and released when deemed appropriate.

The Maison Trimbach Wine Portfolio

When I visited Domaine Trimbach, Jean took us through the whole Maison Trimbach wine portfolio. The Trimbach wines come in 4 quality groups: (i) the Classic range, (ii) the Reserve range, (iii) the Reserve Personelle range and (iv) the Prestige and Collection wines.

Trimbach Classic: This is the Trimbach entry level range. These wines represent the traditional, dry, crisp Alsace white wine style and come as Trimbach Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, Gewuerztraminer and Riesling.

Trimbach Reserve: The Reserve wines are made from sections with mostly old vines. These are more complex wines than the Classic wines and can age longer. The Reserve wines come as Muscat, Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Maison Trimbach is not particularly known for red wines, but they do produce a Pinot Noir Reserve as well as a Pinot Noir Reserve Personelle.

Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller with Jean Trimbach in Ribeauville at Domaine Trimbach

Trimbach Reserve Personelle: The wines of the Reserve Personelle range are from the best terroirs of the estate and not produced every year. These wines will keep for years. There are 3 Reserve Personelle wines: (1) the Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile, (2) the Gewurztraminer Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre and (3) the Pinot Gris Reserve Personnelle. They are clearly recognizable because of their golden labels. The Cuvée Frédéric Emile is probably the best known Trimbach wine. It is one of the finest wines of Alsace, if not one of the world's greatest white wines.

Trimbach Prestige and Collection Wines: This group comprises (1) the Riesling "Clos Sainte Hune", (2) the Vendanges Tardives wines and (3) the Sélection de Grains Nobles wines, made from Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewuerztraminer. The Clos Sainte Hune is an exceptional terroir, exclusively planted with Riesling, located in the heart of the Grand Cru Rosacker, in Hunawihr. This Clos totals 1.67 hectares and has been in the propriety of the Trimbach family for more than 200 years.

Chef Bart M. Vandaele, Belga Café and B Too

With his European flare, Belgium native Bart M. Vandaele has taken Washington DC by storm since opening his Belga Café in the historical Barracks Row area near the Capitol a few years ago. Now he has opened a second restaurant, B Too on 14th Street NW.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Chef Bart M. Vandaele at B Too

B Too: Vandaele’s vision for the restaurant as a vanguard for Belgian cuisine and culture is evident in the design and décor. Beautiful and comfortable, B Too brings together a mixture of elements to evoke Vandaele’s love of contemporary Belgian design, and to make the space feel like home. The approachable and moderately priced B Too is a playful, comfortable space encompassing nearly 5,000 square feet across two floors with seating for 160 guests. An open kitchen is the focal point, complete with a Spanish-designed Josper oven used for charcoal grilling—the only such oven currently being used in the city.

Raised in the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium, Bart developed a passion for the kitchen at a very young age. Surrounded by family members active in the industry, he began his training early in life. In addition to years of formal training, Bart gained much of his knowledge, drive and creativity through his experiences in some of Europe’s top fine dining locales, such as Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which received the second Michelin star while Bart served as Sous Chef under respected Chef Roger Souvereyns. Bart M. Vandaele was recognized as a Rising Star of 2006 by starchefs.com.

Chef de Cuisine Thijs Clinckemaille is a Belgian chef who worked in renowned 3 star Michelin restaurants such as Hof van Cleve (Belgium) and Maison Pic (France). He graduated in 2004 from Spermalie Culinary School in Bruges and has more than 8 years experience with modern cuisine. Being the sole chef in a restaurant in France for two summer seasons, he learned to deal with all the different aspects of running a kitchen.

What We Ate and What We Drank

Apero

Flammekuche with Tete de Veau


2011 Trimbach Muscat Reserve

Jean Trimbach: A dry wine, with pronounced fruitiness and a characteristic bouquet of fresh grapes.


Start

Fish Bouillabaisse-style
Razor clams/ scallop/ lobster/ mussels/ rockfisch


2010 Trimbach Riesling

Jean Trimbach: Riesling is the most emblematic of Alsace grape varieties. Its delicate bouquet, the fine balance between its dry personality, its distinguished fruitiness and its natural vitality contribute to its exceptional richness. As the house style dictates, it is vinified dry. Pierre Trimbach says 2010 is the more “vibrant, precise and pure vintage in the last years”.


2006 Trimbach Riesling, Cuvee Frederic Emile

The Cuvée Frédéric Emile is probably the best known Trimbach wine. It is always made from Grand Cru fruit from the Geisberg and Osterberg vineyards although, as mentioned above, the label neither declares the vineyard of origin, nor its grand cru status. An Alsatian Riesling at its best, with a fresh, crisp and fruity character, a rich and fat wine with lots of minerality.

Jean Trimbach: The Frederic Emile is made from very old vines, the oldest were planted 70 years ago, on average a good fifty, these vines have very deep roots, this means: minerality.


Entrée

Wild Mushroom Waffle
Enoki/ beech mushrooms/ pesto


2007 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve

Bright, pale gold with aromas of peaches and pears. Full-bodied with ripe, smoky tropical fruit flavors and a long, nutty finish. 88 Points, Wine Spectator


Main

Stuffed Guinea Hen
Black truffle/ Belgian endive/ spaetzle/ Pinot Gris sauce/ Juniper barriers



2011 Trimbach Gewuertztraminer

Jean Trimbach: The fruitiest and the spiciest of the varietals – a unique wine. It is in Alsace that this grape variety reaches the height of perfection. Its dry personality makes it ideal as an aperitif and it pairs extremely well with specialty cuisine with pronounced flavors.


2005 Trimbach Gewuertztraminer Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre

Jean Trimbach: The predominately “Keuper” marl-limestone soils on which it is produced lend this rare wine a full and powerful style. Produced from old vines from the former wine estate of the Lords of Ribeaupierre, the grapes are selected and harvested at the peak of their ripeness. It is a wine with flowery and spicy aromas and a dry personality, and yet so rich and so fruity that it almost hints at sweetness … a mere illusion. In youth, the roundness and viscosity can mask its typical dryness as well as the underlying finesse which is the Trimbach trademark. This Gewurztraminer is only produced in the very best vintages and it can be cellared for ageing for up to 20 years.

Dessert

Blue Cheese Cream with Yukon Pears
Apple/ walnuts/ raisin bread/ sirop de Liege/ quince/ dried fruit


2003 Trimbach Pinot Gris Vendages Tardives

Jean Trimbach: Only produced in the best vintages like 1990, 1997, 1999 and 2000, Late Harvest Pinot Gris is quite difficult to get as the grape’s skin is very thin and fragile and can rot easily if it starts raining or so. The strict legislation about VTs and SGNs says that Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer grapes have to reach a minimum potential of 15,3°. The best matches would be goose foie gras, goose pâté, white meats on creamy sauces, Asiatic cuisine, lobster, etc. Ageing potential : 10 – 15 years +


Chanting

At the end of the meal, Jean invited us to sing a song. It was a wonderful evening!


schiller-wine: Related Postings

Dinner at Restaurant Winstub Gilg in Mittelbergheim in Alsace, France

Stopping at Domaine Armand Gilg in Mittelbergheim after Dinner at Winstub Gilg, Alsace, France

Visiting Colette Faller at Domaine Weinbach in Kaysersberg in Alsace

The World Class Wines of Alsace

In the Glass: Hugel et Fils wines at the cuisine des emotions de Jean Luc Brendel at Riquewihr in Alsace

In the world class white wine region Alsace

Hugel et Fils Wines and the Cuisine des Emotions de Jean Luc Brendel at Riquewihr in Alsace, France

Visiting Yann-Leon Beyer at Maison Leon Beyer in Eguisheim in Alsace

The Wines of Domaine Lucien Albrecht and the Food of La Chaumiere in Washington DC, USA/France

Hotel and Restaurant L’Ami Fritz and Domaine Fritz-Schmitt, both in Ottrot, Alsace, France

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Maison Trimbach)

Back in the Washington DC Area: Jean Trimbach Presented Maison Trimbach Wines at a Winemaker Dinner at Open Kitchen, USA (2013)

Visiting Jean Trimbach at Maison Trimbach in Ribeauville in Alsace (2011)

With Jean Trimbach from Domaine Trimbach, Alsace, at Bart M. Vandaele’s Belga Café in Washington DC (2011)

Jean Trimbach and the Wines of Maison Trimbach in Washington DC (2010)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Cooperage Berger et Fils in the Medoc

One very special visit during the 2013 Bordeaux Wine Tour by ombiasy was the one at Cooperage Berger et Fils. The tour, where we learned how a barrel is made, was most interesting and we stayed much longer than planned and thus had to cut short our following visit.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

The company is currently run by Rene Berger and his wife Veronique Berger. Veronique was our charming guide. We met Rene towards the end of the tour.

Cooperage Berger and Fils

Rene Berger: My passion was born from that of my father and grandfather. I am the proud descendant of a family of coopers, based in the Médoc, a truly exceptional land, since the beginning of the last century. From a very young age, these two men breathed into me the love of manual work and craftsmanship. They raised me in the pure artisanal tradition of master coopers, passing down their ancestral savoir-faire. It was therefore a natural conclusion that I should become a cooper in my turn.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Rene Berger and his wife Veronique Berger Cooperage Berger and Fils in the Medoc

When my father passed away in 1991, my first aim was to preserve and perpetuate his work, transmitting the craftsman’s skills to my own children. My mother’s full support was very important to me then, as it is now. It was also important to me to fight against an increasing standardization of production within the profession.

Running a family-based artisanal company does not, however, exclude innovation. I am very conscious of the new quality control requirements in an increasingly technical market. I use the latest technology allowing me to offer you the guarantee of high quality barrels, simply because: YOUR WINE DESERVES THE BEST.

Making a Barrel

Veronique took us through the whole process of producing a wine barrel. A wine barrel is made up of staves which have been shaped into a bulging cylinder, and flat heads or ends. The staves are held in place by metal hoops. Six to eight hoops encircle the barrel spaced along the length. It takes approximately eight man hours to produce a single wine barrel.

Selection of the Oak

Veronique Berger: We choose the wood for our barrels with the help of well-known professionals, selecting slow-growing French Haute Futaie oak trees which become fine grain timber.

French oak is considered to be the most desirable wood for making wine barrels. Most French Oak comes from one or more of the forests planted in the days of Napoleon for ship building. Five of those forests are primarily used for wine barrel making: Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Trancais and Vosges forests. American Oak is considered to have too much influence on the content of the barrels. But usage is on the rise as the larger influence is sometimes desired and as American barrels are substantially less expensive than the French barrels. Hungarian Oak is also being used for barrel making.


The Stavemaker’s Work

Veronique Berger: To achieve the best blends, we acquire stave wood coming from different forests in the centre of France. For the same reason, we work in collaboration with different stave makers in the various areas ensuring a diversification in our supplies. Since 2003 we have developed a partnership with one of them who now prepares staves exclusively for the Tonnellerie Berger.

The selection of the stave wood is extremely important because it essentially determines the quality of the finished product. Wood is selected based on many criteria, including tree shape and growing conditions. These factors determine the textural variety of wood fibers, the fineness of grain and tannin content. Tight grain and fine tannin content are found only in the best wood.

Coding the Wood

Veronique Berger: Each pallet is coded by computer on arrival at our cooperage in Vertheuil, thus allowing the traceability of the barrel. The staves are then carefully stacked in the timber yard.

Natural Seasoning for 36 Months

Veronique Berger: Following the coding the staves are washed and then dried in the open air for at least 3 years in our 16,000 M2 timber yard. The wood will free itself of its harsh tannins and will gain the maturity and complexity necessary for the making of a great barrel.

Preparation of the Wood

Veronique Berger: Pallets of staves will be selected according to their origin, and assembled to create a personalized blend corresponding to the needs and wishes of each customer.


Assembling

Veronique Berger: Once selected, the staves are prepared and then assembled on a pattern table where the cooper “raises the barrel”, forming a daisy shape. The wood fibres are softened by pre-heating. Then comes the hooping that, thanks to the effects of fire and water, transforms the daisy into a barrel.


Toasting

Veronique Berger: The crucial stage of our art. Only the complete mastery of wood and fire makes the difference between a simple container and an exceptional barrel ready to age the wine. The “bousinage”, adapted to respect the particularities requested by each client, exults and nuances the aromas expressed by the wood. The hand-crafted nature of our cooperage enables us to create a tailor-made barrel for each and every one of our customers.


Hand-fitting, Marking and Scalding

Veronique Berger: The barrel heads are then individually fitted and each barrel is stamped to ensure traceability. A code records the origin and blend of the wood. An impermeability test is carried out by scalding. 10 litres of water heated to 70° C is pumped at high pressure into the barrel which is moved around so that the water is in contact with the whole surface of the inside of the barrel. This process allows us to check for possible leaks but also to collect test water to be analysed for each finished barrel in the aim of receiving the “Excell Inspection” certificate.


Finishing

Veronique Berger: At this stage we take great care of the aesthetic appearance of our barrel. They are thus sandpapered or hand-scraped for customers who prefer the “guistrage” finish. And the final galvanized steel hoops replace the assembly hoops. And last of all, according to the type of barrel, pine bars held in place by chestnut pegs are set on the heads for the Château Ferré, and four chestnut hoops, bound with a type of wicker are installed for the Bordelaise Traditionnelle. This last step is carried out only by very experienced craftsmen. It is a true heritage of ancestral expertise that can only be mastered after years of practice.


Bye-bye

Thank you very much Veronique and Rene for an unique experience.


schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France  

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France

Tour at Tonnellerie Berger and Fils: How is a Barrique Made? Bordeaux, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

Pictures: In the Vineyard with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf

In the Nahe Valley, the 2013 Germany Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy included 2 stops: A tasting with Riesling Guru Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doenhoff and visit of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim.

At Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, we were received by Georg Rumpf, who has taken over the winery a few years ago. Weingut Kruger-Rumpf is one of Germany’s leading Riesling producer. In the US, it is in the Terry Theise/Michael Skurnik Portfolio, as is Weingut Doennhoff.

See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf has a great wine tavern, run by Georg’s mother, which includes a lovely deck. There, we sat down with Georg for a typical regional lunch and tasting.

In addition, there is an idyllic garden restaurant. Especially during the summer, the garden restaurant of the winery provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the evening in a cozy al fresco atmosphere with a hearty meal and a good glass of wine. In fact, we did the tasting with George in the garden restaurant.

See: 
Winemaker Dinner with Georg and Stefan Rumpf and with Cornelia Rumpf at Weingut Kruger- Rumpf in the Nahe Valley, Germany 
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany

Pictures: Georg Rumpf Welcoming us at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in in Muenster-Sarmsheim

Before lunch, however, he took us with his truck into the vineyards in the Nahe Valley. We already had a couple of Kruger-Rumpf wines there. And we quickly toured the wine cellar of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf.

Weingut Kruger-Rumpf

“In our family, viniculture has been tradition since 1708 - a tradition that we have been cultivating in our vineyards as well as in our manor house which was built back in 1830” said Georg Rumpf. Stefan Rumpf, Georg’s father, brought Weingut Kruger-Rumpf up to where it is today: After completing his studies in agricultural sciences, including stints in Californian wineries, and conducting research at the Geisenheim research institute, Stefan Rumpf took over the estate from his parents in 1984. Up until then, the wines were sold almost entirely in bulk. Stefan Rumpf changed this and started to bottle his wines and to market the bottles himself. Less than 10 years later, in 1992, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf was invited to join the VDP, the about 200 German elite winemakers, a clear sign of what Stefan Rumpf had achieved over the course of just 8 years.

Today, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf has 3 (of) 5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland. It took 1st place in the DER FEINSCHMECKER Deutscher Riesling Cup 2008.

Picture: Stefan and Georg Rumpf in the VDP Members Book

The vineyard area totals 22 hectares and the annual production is 14.000 cases. Georg Rumpf has taken over the winemaking aspect of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, while his father is now more focusing on sales and general management.

Weingut Krueger-Rumpf sells 70% of its production in Germany and exports the remaining 30%. Accordingly, “80% of the wines we produce are dry wines” said Georg “and 20% are fruity-sweet and noble-sweet wines.” In the US, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf is imported by Terry Theise.

Cellar Tour

Georg took us on a quick cellar tour.

Pictures: In the Cellar with Georg Rumpf

Vineyard Tour

Georg took us on a quick vineyard tour, where we already tasted 2 wines.

Pictures: In the Vineyard with Georg Rumpf

The top sites are: Münsterer Dautenpflänzer (slate with sandy loam); Münsterer Pittersberg (slate); Münsterer Rheinberg (weathered quartzite and sandy loam); Binger Scharlachberg Rheinhessen (Rotliegend and porphyry).

Pictures: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller in the Vineyard with Georg Rumpf

Grape varieties: 65% Riesling, 10% each of Silvaner and Weissburgunder, 5% each of Chardonnay, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder. In fact, Kruger-Rumpf was the first estate in the Nahe region to plant Chardonnay.

Pictures: In the Vineyard with Georg Rumpf

We tasted 2 wines in the vineyard.

Quarzit, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Nice entry level wine, fresh and crisp, excellent.


Munsterer Rheinberg Riesling GG Trocken, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Terry Theise: Rheinberg is the steepest of the three GG sites, on weathered quartzite and dusty loam – “similar to Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck,” according to Stefan. It’s flavors are indeed virtually identical, though the Nahe wine has a grace and curvaciousness the more stoic Rheingauer lacks. Sweet apples and yellow fruits are paramount here, though the minerally terroir notes give a firm foundation. These are wines of true charm, not merely winning ways.


Lunch and Tasting at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf

I love to wine and dine in the Kruger-Rumpf wine tavern. Towards the end of the year, after the harvest, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf always organizes two winemaker dinners. These are exceptional events, because of the wines, the food and the ambiance. When we are in Germany during that period, we always try to participate. This year (as well as in 2011), we made it.

For 2011, see:
Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany

Pictures: Lunch and Tasting with Georg Rumpf in the Weingut Kruger-Rumpf Wine Tavern

As usual, the food was excellent. And George paired the food with a very nice selection of his wines.


Weisser Burgunder, Kruger-Rumpf 2012
Weisser Burgunder S, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Georg Rumpf said that the Bourgogne varieties now account for 1/3 of the Kruger-Rumpf output. The first one is a nice entry-level wine. The Silberkapsel was fermented and aged in a large “Holzfass”. It is rounder, smoother, and more creamy.


Dautenpflanzer Riesling Feinherb, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Terry Theise: From the same raw material as the GG, but from a component that wouldn’t ferment dry; it’s every bit as “Grand” in a slightly different style, more exotic and Ali-Baba perfumed, tangy and salty, could even have been 5g sweeter (!). Münsterer Dautenpflänzer is composed of slate and sandy loam and is one of Kruger-Rumpf’s top sites. Multi-faceted and complex, this GG site is one of the leading Grand Crus of the lower Nahe, with a typical mélange of soil types within its borders.


Scheurebe Spatlese, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Terry Theise: I happen to have learned these grapes are a mixture of Würzburg and Alzey clones. There’s a piece of otiose information with which you can bamboozle your wine friends. As often this wine’s a lot like Riesling with chef’s-special-sauce, some mix of papayas, vetiver and sage; slinky and slithery but not as id-suffused as the kinky `11. Don’t know Scheurebe? It’s why you can ignore all but the very best Sauvignon Blancs, because this grape does much the same dance, but far better.


Munsterer Pittersberg Riesling Auslese, Kruger-Rumpf 2004

Pictures: Lunch and Tasting with Georg Rumpf in the Weingut Kruger-Rumpf Wine Tavern

Munsterer Pittersberg Riesling Eiswein, Kruger-Rumpf 2012

Terry Theise: “The best in the history of the estate,” they said. And thinking back to `08 and `02, they have a case to make. 100% clean fruit picked December 15th; not a mega-must weight but swoony and elegant and essence-of-pear. Either I froth and spume to the bottom of the page or we leave it at: a nearly perfect Eiswein in a form you can drink down. Pittersberg is the other of the top Crus, and this site is more classic and less mischievous than its neighbor. Stefan refers only to “slate” and very often the wine smells just like Mosel wine – in fact just like Graacher Himmelreich. “In parts dusty loam over slate,” according to the textbook. Pittersberg is related to the Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg, which is just over the Rhine less than two miles north, though without the Taunus-quartzite of the Rheingau site. Diel’s great Pittermännchen is also on slate; I’m sure the similar names are not coincidence. Pittersberg gives firm, nutty Rieslings.


Dorsheimer Burgberg Riesling Trocken, Kruger-Rumpf 1989

Fresh and lively, a wonderful wine – Georg wanted to show us that dry wines can age.


Bye-bye

Thank you ver much Georg for the very exciting cellar tour, vineyard tour, tasting and lunch.


schiller-wine: Related Postings (German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy PR and WineTours):

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Wine and Culture Tour to Germany Coming up in August 2013

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region - A Profile, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

A Tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau, with Angela and Peter Jakob Kühn, Germany

Tasting with Rita Busch at Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley, Germany 

Ernst Loosen Presented his Wines at Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel Valley, Germany

Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

The World Meets at Weingut Weegmueller, Pfalz, Germany

Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany 

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Weingut Kruger Rumpf)

Winemaker Dinner with Georg and Stefan Rumpf and with Cornelia Rumpf at Weingut Kruger- Rumpf in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Wine Maker Dinner with Stefan Rumpf at Weinstube Kruger-Rumpf in Muenster-Sarmsheim, Germany

Visiting Georg Rumpf and his VDP Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in the Nahe Region, Germany

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Pictures: The Group, Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Tertre Rôteboeuf with François Mitjavile

The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours included a visit at Tertre Rôteboeuf with François Mitjavile.

See:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Tertre Rôteboeuf is one of the finest châteaux in Saint-Emilion. Yet, it is not well known. Why? First, it is not in the prestigious group of classified chateaux, although its wines are clearly in the same league as those wines that are made by chateaux that are classified. And, François Mitjavile does not sell his wines through the Place de Bordeaux, but has his own distribution channels. Nor is he a member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB). This is as far as I know unique for a Bordeaux producer who is able to sell his wines at a price level at which François Mitjavile does. Obviously, François Mitjavile is far away from St. Emilion mainstream. He does not bother to be included in the prestigious Saint-Emilion classification, he does not sell his wines through the Place de Bordeaux nor does he care about a UGCB membership.

Pictures: Arriving at Tertre Rôteboeuf

20 years ago, Tertre Rôteboeuf was unknown. But since then, Tertre Rôteboeuf has become a cult wine producer in St. Emilion and the price of Tertre Rôteboeuf has gone up significantly. This has been spearheaded by a unique individual, François Mitjavile, helped by his wife Miloute, his son Louis and daughter Nina.

It did not come as a surprise to me that last year, the leading German Fine Food and Wine Journal, Der Feinschmecker, selected François Mitjavile as Winemaker.

Pictures: François Mitjavile Greeting us

History

The origins of Tertre Rôteboeuf lie with a vineyard named Le Tertre that was owned by François Mitjavile's late father-in-law. After he passed away in 1961, the property was inherited by his daughter Miloute. She leased it to her cousins, who owned Chateau Bellefond-Belcier.

Meanwhile, François Mitjavile was working at his family's successful haulage business. He decided to change course in life and try his hand at winemaking.

Between 1975 and 1977, he went through the school of Chateau Figeac. When he returned to Le Tertre after the 2 year apprenticeship, he suffixed Rôteboeuf (its literal translation is the unsavory "hill of the belching beef").

Pictures: François Mitjavile Explaining his Vineyards

1978 was the first vintage that François Mitjavile made entirely by himself. His breakthrough on the wine scene was with the 1985-vintage. Since 1994-vintage, he removed the word “Châteaux” from the label at his wines.

Tertre Rôteboeuf

Tertre Rôteboeuf looks a bit garagiste - a small estate with a vigneron house build in the 18th century lovingly tended by Miloute and François Mitjavile, two kilometers south-east of the village of Saint-Emilion, not far from Chateau Troplong Mondot and Chateau Larcis Ducasse.

The limestone based vineyards of Tertre Rôteboeuf (5.7 ha) are planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot-vines are on average 45 years old, while Cabernet Franc ones are 5 years older.

Pictures: François Mitjavile Explaining his Vineyards

François Mitjavile's winemaking approach: He picks the grapes as late as possible and maintains low yields. The wine stays on the skins for a long time and is aged in 100% new oak barrels for 18 to 24 months. The very late harvest combined with long alcoholic fermentation and extraction at 35°C results in a voluptuous, full-bodied, and very complex wine. Super-ripe Merlot is the key.

The estate does not produce a second wine.

When François Mitjavile took over, he was considered as an odd person with strange ideas. Today, he is acknowledged and respected by his peers.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian G.E. Schiller at Tertre Rôteboeuf with François Mitjavile

Estate Walk and Barrel Tasting

The estate walk and barrel tasting with François Mitjavile was clearly one of the highlights of the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy. We met a very articulate and eloquent wine maker, a very cultivated person and a passionate communicator, who likes to illustrate what he wants to say about his wine with parallels from music, art and philosophy.

All the time during his presentation in his backyard, he walked back and forth. I was told that François Mitjavile actually walks in the vineyard during the night, with his hands on his back, talking lovingly to the vines and I believe it.

Wine Searcher Average Prices Tertre Rôteboeuf

2012 US$164
2011 US$171
2010 US$242
2009 US$251
2005 US$378
2000 US$418

Roc des Cambes in Cotes de Bourg

Roc de Cambes is a Côtes de Bourg estate and one of the finest producer in the appellation today. François Mitjavile bought it in 1988 by.

There are 12 hectares of vines, planted with 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. The soil here is a blend of chalk and clay. Vines are on average 50 years old.

Pictures: François Mitjavile Lecturing

The grapes are harvested as late as possible, and are then vinified in temperature controlled cement vats. The wines are massive and dense, spending two years in 100 per cent new oak.

When Francois Mitjavile bought Roc de Cambes, it was in quite bad shape. He put renovation and modernizing in full swing immediately. In just a few years, he Roc de Cambes one of the top-wines of Côtes de Bourg.

The second wine labeled as Domaine de Combes comes under the basic Bordeaux appellation.

Wine Searcher Average Prices Roc des Cambes

2011 US$ 61
2010 US$ 71
2009 US$ 71
2005 US$ 85
2000 US$ 81

Domaine de l’Aurage

The Mitjavile family owns another Bordeaux property located in Cotes de Castillon. Louis Mitjavile is completely in charge (with his wife Caroline Mitjavile). Domaine de l’Aurage was previously bottled under the name Chateau Cadet, before it was purchased by the Mitjavile familiy.

The 18 hectare vineyard is planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. On average the vines are 25 years of age. It is the goal for Domaine de l’Aurage to have their entire vineyard eventually planted to 100% Merlot vines. The wine is vinified in traditional concrete vats and is on average is aged in 80% new oak. On average the production is close to 7,500 cases of wine per vintage.

What we Tasted in the Wine Cellar

2012 Tertre Rôteboeuf (US$164)

Picked on 9th October and a blend of 20% Cabernet Franc and 80% Merlot, Francois Mitjavile’s 2012 has a wonderfully pixelated bouquet with pellucid dark cherries, fresh raspberry and minerals. It is not as intense as either the 2009 or 2010, but then again, why should it be. It has the kind of bouquet that creeps up on you. The texture of the tannins scream “Burgundy!” on the entry, but there is a seam of graphite threaded through the dark berry fruit that brings you back to Bordeaux. It is not a powerful, extravagant or even a “gourmand” Tertre-Rôteboeuf, but it exudes poise, harmony and that oft-forgotten word...drinkability – Neal Martin. (Neal Martin score 92 – 94)

Pictures: Tasting in the Wine Cellar

Tertre Rotebeuf 2011 (US$171)

Picked on 22nd September, the Tertre-Rôteboeuf has a very pure, lifted bouquet with great precision and minerality. It is not powerful, but it has great refinement and finesse. The palate is introverted, remaining its shell, but it has crisp, almost chalky tannins and very pure, pixelated dark berry fruit with hints of spice on the linear finish. It is not expressive at the moment, but it has great potential. Tasted April 2012. Score: 92-94 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com, April 2012

Pictures: Tasting in the Wine Cellar

Domaine de l’Aurage 2007 (US$50)

Duvault Blochet: An early vintage. July and August were not so good, low sun overall and low heat too, harvesting was 4th & 5th October. The wine saw 75% new oak although as with all Mitjvile wines it is only in the texture that you ever get any sense of this. This wine has a lovely balance, it is medium of body with a richness but not heaviness, lovely now but will age well for 8-10years, for a 2007 it is mighty impressive and a cracking debut for the estate.

Pictures: Tasting in the Wine Cellar

Bye-bye

Thank you very much François Mitjavile for a phantastic event.


schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Organic Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France  

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France

Tour at Tonnellerie Berger et Fils: How is a Barrique Made? Bordeaux, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Tertre Rôteboeuf)

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

François Mitjavile, Winemaker of the Year 2013 (“Der Feinschmecker”), St. Emilion, France

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Picture: Annette Schiller, Stefan Ress and Christian G.E. Schiller at Weingut Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim 

In the Rheingau, the 2013 Germany Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy included a dinner (Winzerplatte) and wine tasting at Weingut Zum Jungen Oetinger in Erbach, a tour and tasting at Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, a tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn in Oestrich-Winkel, an impromptu tasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, in Erbach and a tasting with Stefan Ress, Weingut Balthasar Ress, in Hattenheim.

See:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

At Weingut Balthasar Ress, we were received by Stefan Ress with a glass of Balthasar Ress Sekt in the court of Weingut Balthasar Ress and then went to the wineBank for a tasting of Balthasar Ress wines.

Weingut Balthasar Ress

Founded in 1870 by Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim in the Rheingau, Weingut Balthasar Ress has developed into one of the leading wine estates of the Rheingau region and became a global player in the wine trade. It is a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers.

Stefan Ress – now senior boss - owned and run Weingut Balthasar Ress for many years. In 2010, his son Christian Ress took over and Dirk Wuertz became Winemaker and then Managing Director.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut Balthasar Ress, Hattenheim

With 46 hectares under vine it is also one of the larger estates in the Rheingau. Riesling accounts for 90 % of the grapes in the vineyards: Berg Roseneck, Berg Rottland and Berg Schlossberg (Rüdesheim), Engelmannsberg, Nussbrunnen and Schützenhaus (Hattenheim) as well as Höllenberg (Assmannshausen). Since June 2009, the winery owns by a 3,000 square meter vineyard ion the island of Sylt; it is the most northerly vineyard in Germany.

History

The Ress family is an old, established family in Hattenheim. For generations, they were butchers, and the butcher shop "Metzgerei Ress" exists to this day.

Balthasar Ress

In 1870, Balthasar Ress, who was a butcher himself, founded the inn "Gasthof Ress" on Hattenheim's main street, thereby laying the cornerstone of a long tradition in the hotel and restaurant business as well as the wine estate and wine business. In the 1880s, he purchased the property of a bankrupt estate on Rheinallee 1, the site of today's hotel and restaurant Kronenschlösschen and its predecessor, Hotel Ress, which Balthasar Ress opened in 1894. Under the management of the Ress family for nearly a century, it decisively helped shape the hospitality trade in the Rheingau. When Balthasar Ress began his career as a hotelier-restaurateur in 1870, the family also began to produce its own wines - literally, "Von Unserm" (our own) - a brand that is still used by Weingut Balthasar Ress to denote its most important house wines.

Carl Ress

By the 1920s, a thriving wine business had developed. In 1919, the cellar of the neighboring Wachendorff estate had been leased, and in 1923, one of Balthsar Ress' sons, Carl, purchased the Heimes estate situated between Hattenheim's main street and Rheinallee. Valentin Heimes (1741-1806) was the suffragan of Mainz, a staunch defender of the separation of church and state in Germany, and no great friend of the Curia Romana. He spent his final years at the Hattenheim estate. Ultimately, Carl Ress built the entire complex into an impressive winery and to this day, the site of the estate's manor.

Hotel Ress as well as the winery "Kellerei Carl Ress" had primarily always marketed the wines of well-known VDP estates. For many years, for example, Ress was exclusively responsible for bottling and marketing the entire crop of the Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern estate. Finally, in 1947, Carl Ress founded "Balthasar Ress KG - Wine Estate Proprietor, Winery, Hotel Ress." Because he had no children of his own, he made three of his nephews limited partners. At that time, Balthasar Ress' other sons - he had seven children - had long established businesses of their own. The restaurant at the monastery Kloster Eberbach, a bus line between Hattenheim and the monastery, and an agency of the Köln-Düsseldorf Rhine steamer line were all Ress family operations.

Pictures: Starting with a Glass of Balthasar Ress Sekt, Brut

Paul Ress

In 1947, the wine estate owned nearly three hectares (ca. 7.5 acres) of vines, including holdings in the Oestricher Doosberg site that are still cultivated today. At the end of the 1940s, Balthasar Ress KG acquired more and more vineyards, among others, those owned by Baron von Frentz, which contained the so-called "Stellwerk," a parcel in the Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg site that is also still owned by the Ress estate. During these years, Paul Ress, one of Carl's nephews, increasingly assumed responsibility in the business. He married Gertrud Breuer and moved into the former Hotel Schwan in Lorch. Until World War I, it had been a highly esteemed hotel with a distinguished clientele, including the last German emperor, who was a regular guest.

In 1950, Balthasar Ress KG procured the Wilhelm Hess wine estate in Rüdesheim and with it, parcels in today's Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland, Bischofsberg, and Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg, which expanded the scope of the Ress portfolio. In addition, the purchase included the tavern "Weinhaus Engel" on Rüdesheim's world-renowned Drosselgasse. In 1957, the company was able to take over a leading export winery "Hasensprung - Joachim Bäumer," thereby laying the foundation for a strong international presence for Balthasar Ress KG.

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Stefan Ress at Weingut Balthasar Ress

Stefan Ress

In 1963, Paul's oldest son, Stefan Ress, joined the company as a limited partner. Although he was still quite young, his father gave him considerable free rein. For example, he succeeded in acquiring 1.2 ha (ca. 3 acres) in the famous Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen site at what was nearly a spectacular auction in 1968. The lease price for this vineyard was ca. 18 DM per "Ruge" (25 square meters) - an extremely high price in those days. Yet, it was from grapes grown in this site that the wine estate produced its very first Trockenbeerenauslese, in 1971.

In 1976, in the aftermath of Carl's death, the then Balthasar Ress KG was strategically reorganized in the course of estate distribution. The Stefan B. Ress KG Weinkellerei (winery) was founded to handle all export and winery business; Balthasar Ress KG was expanded in its role purely as a wine estate. Two years later, the bankruptcy of the Jakob Horz estate enabled Ress to procure parcels in the Geisenheimer Kläuserweg and the vineyards of Schloss Reichartshausen. This did not simply mean an additional seven ha (ca. 17 acres) of new vineyards for the estate, but also sole ownership in the appellation Schloss Reichartshausen.

After Paul Ress died in the early 1980s, the family's entire properties were once again redistributed.

Stefan Ress' siblings received the properties in Rüdesheim; he remained the proprietor of the wine estate and winery. The wine estate continued to grow. In 1989, it became a member of the VDP. In 1993, Stefan Ress was elected president of the regional organization, VDP-Rheingau, and in 2010, the president of the Rheingau Wine-growers' Association.

Pictures: Moving to the wineBank

Christian Ress

Since 1999, after several professional apprenticeships in Germany and abroad, Stefan's son, Christian Ress, entered the business as the fifth generation of the founding family. In 2004, he became a co-proprietor of the estate with his parents, and in 2010, assumed responsibility as director of business operations. Since then, he has continued to expand the wine estate, which today comprises 46 ha (ca. 114 acres). Christian Ress has achieved considerable attention in the wine trade for innovative projects, such as planting Germany's most northerly vineyard on the island of Sylt, near the border with Denmark, in 2009; opening the wineBANK in Hattenheim in 2009; "sinking" bottles of RESSpekt in 2010; and last but not least, through his tireless, quality-oriented efforts within the realm of sustainable viticulture.

Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller - "Un Pot" in a Sidewalk Cafe in Bordeaux City

Bordeaux City

The city of Bordeaux is a jewel, with vestiges from the Roman era and medieval town gates. However, the 18th century was its golden age. Victor Hugo once said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux.”

Bordeaux is often referred to as "Little Paris". Baron Haussmann, a long-time prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux’s 18th century, big-scale rebuilding as a model when he was asked by Emperor Napoleon III to transform a then still quasimedieval Paris into a “modern” capital that would make France proud.

The city was ruled by the English for a long time, which is why Bordeaux seems to have an "English flair". After the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Bordeaux came under English rule between 1152 and 1453. It was then that the British first developed their taste for Claret, as the red Bordeaux wine is called in the UK.

The city has recently been classified by UNESCO as an “outstanding urban and architectural ensemble”.Bordeaux has a million inhabitants, including a lively university community of over 60,000.

Pictures: Visiting Bordeaux City

Bordeaux is a flat city, built on the left banks of the Garonne. The Garonne merges a dozen kilometers below the city with the Dordogne to form the Gironde, which is biggest estuary in France. The two main entertainment spots are: (1) Formerly inhabited by wine merchant warehouses, the docks (les quais) are now home to gardens, bike and skate paths, boutiques, museums, cafés, bars and restaurants. (2) La Victoire is the other area for entertainment: Historical monuments meet student life and bars. Most of the pubs and bars of the town are here. Virtually, all the shops in the surroundings of this area are bars.

See:
In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars

Le Bar a Vin

3 Cours du 30 Juillet

Le Bar a Vin is located on the ground floor of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux, diagonally opposite the Grand Théatre. The Maison du Vin is the headquarters of the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux), home of all the Bordeaux wine professionals, wine producers, brokers and négociants of the Gironde, the Wine School and the Bar a Vin.

Pictures: Le Bar a Vin

Le Bar a Vin is one of the few wine bars open all day. However, if you are interested in premium Bordeaux wines, this is not the place to go. Le Bar a Vin does not showcase the wines of the perhaps 400 producers people talk about in the world, but the wines of the 15.000 or so other producers that also make excellent wines. Most wines are around Euro 3 per glass including tax and service. The menu - updated every several weeks - includes about 20 Bordeaux wines, all served by the glass only. But Le Bar a Vin also serves one or two premium wines; we had the 4. Cru Classé en 1855 Château Lafon Rochet 2007 at €8. The food menu is plates of charcuterie, and cheeses for Euro 6.

Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery

14 Cours de l'Intendance

Not too far away from Le Bar a Vin is Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, just the opposite of Le Bar a Vin. The enomatic system contains wines of the 400 producers or so that are known all over the world. For higher-end wines, Max Bordeaux is the place to go. If you have questions, a wall-mounted iPad offers fact sheets and wine critics’ tasting notes about every single wine, in English. However, no casual seating or food is available. Also, Max Bordeaux closes early in the evening (8 pm).

Pictures: Max Bordeaux

Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin

8 Rue de la Devise

Like Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, wines are also dispensed with the enomatic system and, more like Le Bar a Vin, this cute wine bar offers more affordable wines. Unlike both Le Bar a Vin and Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, its selection includes also non-Bordeaux wines - 32 different wines: 8 whites, 8 red from Bordeaux, 8 red from other parts of France and 8 red from abroad. In addition, you can always order a bottle from the 130 references wine list. Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin also serves cheese and charcuterie platters, but not a full meal. A hipp, young crowd.

Pictures: Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin

Wine and Soul

23 Rue du Couvent, in the Chartrons district

A cozy and funky wine bar that offers a large selection of wines, good food and music concerts once a week. The ramshackle furnishings belie owner Jeremy Renard’s serious industry connections.

La Part des Anges

23 Rue des Pilliers de Tutelle

Vicky Wine: This small wine bar with a limited wine list is specialized in Bordeaux Wines but each month you have a focus on 4 regions so you're sure to always get something new. November, Greece and Beaujolais on the menu, and Vicky's wines. The perfect place for an afterwork with a good friend. Bonus: when you buy a bottle you get a saucisson free.

Pictures: At La Part des Anges, with Cecilia Dupuy and Mark J. Dryfoos

Owned and run by Cecilia Dupuy and her mother. Cecilia - who knows a lot about wine - has a number of wines "in tubes", which I found very interesting. Clear focus on Bordeaux wines. No kitchen, only small plates.

Le Wine Bar

19 Rue des Bahutiers, in the historic St. Pierre district

Run and owned by two charming Italians, the large wine list also includes many Italian wines. A cosy, small place. Depending on the time, you may be asked to have a full meal. Le Wine Bar is an excellent location to enjoy a glass on an outdoor terrace.

Pictures: Le Wine Bar

Vinome

13 Bis Rue Montbazon

Showroom and Bar a Vin

Vinome: Dans une ambiance conviviale et chaleureuse, Julien Rouzies convie les amateurs de vin à découvrir au verre toute une gamme de vins de Bordeaux dont de délicieux Sweet Bordeaux ! Le concept est simple et novateur : il vous suffit de recharger votre carte Vinôme pour vous servir librement le verre de Sweet Bordeaux votre choix parmi les bouteilles présentes en vitrine de dégustation. Pour couronner le tout, direction la cuisine pour accompagner votre verre de Sweet Bordeaux par une mise en bouche cuisinée sous vos yeux : toast de chèvre chaud, magret de canard, noix de saint-jacques…

Pictures: Vinome

Vinset

27 Rue des Bahutiers

Recommendation of Cecilia Dupuy from La Part des Anges. Looks very interesting on the web site.

Vinset: Largest choice of Bordeaux Wines by the glass. From 3€ & more. Unbeatable bottle prices. The reference of Bordeaux Wines in Bordeaux. Accompanied by carefully selected local producers of amongst others hams "Jambon de Bayonne" and the famous tasteful cheeses from the Pyrenées "Fromage de Brebis."

Wine More Time

8 Rue St. James

Wine Shop and Wine Bar

Yelp comment: Calm, kind of groovy space to try some new wine. Sit at the bar, sit on the big sofas, or relax outside and people watch when the weather's right. Various small plates offered: aged ham, cheeses, olives, bread.

L’Univerre

40-42 Rue Lecocq

Bar - Restaurant

Bordeaux expert and Bordeaux City resident Jane Awson recommendation on twitter.

L’Univerre: Après le Verretigo, Fabrice Moisan ouvre l'Univerre à Bordeaux, un bistrot dédié à la découverte des vins. Dans un ancien bistrot de quartier entièrement repensé par LaSuite Atelier, Fabrice Moisan a ouvert début novembre l'Univerre, un lieu où déguster les vins de sa cave prolifique et manger généreusement, façon tapas ou à table. À deux pas de la caserne des pompiers, l'Univerre s'inscrit dans la lignée du Verretigo, dont il fut l'un des fondateurs : une carte des vins rare, curieuse, fournie (1300 références) à des prix d'amis, une cuisine sans chichi mais inspirée qui fait la part belle au produit.

L'Intendant

2 Allées deTourney

Wine Store

Not a wine bar., but an amazing wine store of 4 levels connected by a single spiral staircase, just next to the Grand Hotel. The collection includes over 15,000 bottles.

Pictures: At L'Intendant

Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series.

Schiller Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France (2012)

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Bourdeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours 2013)

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Organic Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France   

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France

Tour at Tonnellerie Berger et Fils: How is a Barrique Made? Bordeaux, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

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