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Auction Report: December, DRC 1991 sold for 10,320€ (+28%)

The latest iDealwine online auction, which closed on 14 December, put Burgundy grands crus in the spotlight.  A bottle of Romanée-Conti topped the €10,000 mark in this sale. Burgundy grands crus are unlikely to see a let-up in prices any time soon. For some years, rarity, prestige and global demand have combined to produce an explosive cocktail, and on the rare occasion a Côte de Nuits grand cru comes up for sale, the price invariably goes sky-high, regularly setting new records. That’s what happened in the auction on 14 December, when an Austrian…

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Tasting: choosing the right wine glass

It’s something we have all had the misfortune to experience at one time or another: a fine wine served in an unsuitable glass that doesn’t remotely do it justice. The choice of wine glass has a significant effect on the taste experience. It can unlock flavours, heighten or reduce the sense of acidity or potency. We tell you everything you need to know about selecting the right glasses to get the best out of your wines. A spot of history... You have probably noticed that the glasses on your table or in restaurants…

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Auction Report: focus on Bordeaux first growths

The trend seems indisputable - prices for recent vintages of Bordeaux grands crus have remained stable for many months. At the end of November, the indice iDealwine iDealwine Bordeaux index rose by 4.24%. This is slightly lower than the general index for grand cru wines, the indice iDealwine 100 (up by 5.57 %). However, some results from the auctions suggest contrasting developments. What exactly is going on? Let's take a closer look. Bordeaux bashing has not really had much impact at iDealwine. Our auctions are overflowing with grand cru wines from this region…

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Auction Report: November, all top domains on the rise

Of the 3,000 lots offered at the auction closed 16 November, each region offered up some genuine treasures; rare wines originating from ultra-sophisticated domains, or produced by legendary winegrowers who are no longer with us. It was a real paradise for wine lovers, who took part in what amounted to a vineyard treasure hunt... and it was a hunt which led to some pitched auction battles. Here's a detailed, region-by-region breakdown. There were few surprises or steep price rises from Bordeaux, whose wines nonetheless accounted for the largest share of the transactions recorded…

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Auction report: Jura wines make a breakthrough

Of all France's wine regions, the Jura has changed most in recent years. Some vintages fetched record prices at our last auction,  but for wine lovers fed up with soaring prices it as an ever more popular alternative to other regions.   Fasten your seat belts. A bottle of 2000 vin jaune from Domaine Overnoy sold for €1,032 at iDealwine's auction on November 16. This is a record! But however well a few savvy wine lovers may know and appreciate this estate, we are still a little surprised. Most people think of vin…

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The Barton family celebrates 190 years in the Médoc

A few days ago, the Barton family celebrated a remarkable anniversary in their own elegant way: the acquisition, 190 years ago, of 50 hectares of land in the Médoc that now forms the Léoville Barton vineyards. A few days ago – first in Paris and then in London – the Barton-Sartorius family gathered to celebrate 190 years of its founding in the Médoc.  In the region, that sort of continuity is almost unheard of! The Bartons' Médoc association actually goes back a little further than even that, to 1722, when Irish-born Thomas Barton…

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Read more about the article David Hockney illustrates Mouton 2014
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David Hockney illustrates Mouton 2014

The label for the 2014 vintage of Mouton Rothschild has just been unveiled. In the year of the death of the figurehead owner, Philippine de Rothschild, it was a personal friend of the family, David Hockney, who designed the 69th Mouton-Rothschild label, bearing this message: "in tribute to Philippine". The Mouton labels In 1924, the year in which Baron Philippe de Rothschild bottled his first vintage at the château, he decided to call upon the graphic designer Jean Carlu to create a special label. It met with a mixed reception, and so it…

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Top wines up for auction in aid of the charity “Restos du Coeur”

French vintners and wine merchants united, for the second year running, in an act of solidarity.  Around a hundred magnificent lots are currently being offered for sale in aid of the charitable organisation “Restos du Coeur” in the iDealwine online auction running until 30 November. This is the result of an initiative by a group of major French producers who have joined forces under the auspices of the “12 de cœur” association. With the season of giving approaching, now is a good time to hail the generosity of the large producers who met…

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Auction Report: October led by Haut Brion 1989, Bonneau, Château-Chalon, Overnoy and top champagnes

Here, we take a look at the highest selling wines at iDealwine's auction closed on 28th October. Bordeaux grands crus classés saw great success, with Haut-Brion 1989 leading the way. Rarer wines from the Rhône Valley (Bonneau), Jura (Perron and Overnoy) and Champagne also performed well. Bordeaux premiers crus classés did remarkably well at iDealwine's online auction on October 28. Château Latour, buoyed by the scarcity of its wines, achieved an increase of 7% to €416 for its 1995 vintage. Château Margaux was also highly sought after, including in traditionally less popular years…

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Franc de pied vines: history and impact on the taste

  The story of franc de pied vines To understand this expression, we need to take a trip back in time and remember that during the second half of the 19th century, phylloxera – a minute American louse accidentally introduced into Europe – was laying waste to the vineyards of France. It attacked the roots, digging a host of tiny tunnels and killing all the vinestocks. The result was a genuine economic and human catastrophe on a scale which is hard to comprehend today (for example, 2.5 million hectares destroyed in 30 years).…

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