May 2016 – Le blog iDealwine

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:29 May 2016

Ruinart, the very first Champagne house – since 1729

Ruinart is known internationally for the quality of its chardonnay grapes and the purity and aromatic finesse of its cuvées. This illustrious Champagne house has been in business since the beginning of the 18th Century. The history of this renowned Champagne house spans more than three centuries. The story began in the era of Louis XIV with a Benedictine monk, Dom Thierry Ruinart (1657-1709). Originally from Champagne, Dom Thierry worked in t he Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris where he became aware of worldly society and the "bubbling wine" much loved by young…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 May 2016

iDealwine’s WineDex® 100 remains stable in April and up 4.48% in 2016

iDealwine's wine indexes showed little movement in April. However, they have kept ahead of the CAC 40 index since the start of the 2016 financial year. On the auction front, a "wait and see" approach is always required in this "pre-primeur" period, and prices of recent vintages, most of which are listed in iDealwine's indices iDealwineindexes, remained stable in April: the iDealwine indice100 rose slightly to 0.42%, driven mainly by wines from the Rhône valley (+ 0.63% for iDealwine indiceRhône) and also by Burgundy wines (+ 0.49%) . In Bordeaux, stable rates are…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:18 May 2016

Château Palmer white wines go on sale for the first time

The news may have slipped under the wine world's radar, but Château Palmer has just released its 2014 white (the first time these wines have carried a price tag)… on the Hong Kong market. Have you had the chance to try a white Château Palmer yet? This tiny production, launched in 2007, had until now been reserved for the estate's owners, and served at private receptions. The fact is that hardly any Médoc châteaux produce white wines, although some have been taking steps towards doing so over the last few years. There is,…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:13 May 2016

Auction Report: top bids for 1966, prestige Champagne & old Yquem

Prices for Bordeaux and Burgundy wines have calmed down, but wine lovers seem keener than ever on rare and prestige vintages from Champagne, the Rhône, Alsace and the Loire. And with a number of bottles celebrating their 50th birthday this year, our bidders seem ready for anything… The top sale at this auction was a case of high-end Bordeaux 2005 wines - Château Margaux, Lafite Rothschild, Cheval Blanc, Petrus, Latour and Mouton Rothschild. Congratulations to the Swiss buyer who walked off with this much in demand lot for €6300 (+11% on its iDealwine…

Read more about the article Spring frosts: Loire and Burgundy hit hard

Severe Weather Europe © Silvan Rossr

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:13 May 2016

Spring frosts: Loire and Burgundy hit hard

Although it's still too early for a full report, the long-feared spring frosts have taken their toll in northern Burgundy, as well as in the Loire appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil. We bring you a dispatch from the front line. Given the mild winter and the early appearance of the buds, growers were already on the alert. And their fears were well-founded: the spring frosts hit a number of French vineyard regions hard, mostly (but not all) in northern France. In the Loire, the Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:6 May 2016

Where does the sweet taste of dry white wines come from?

In terms of taste, the balance of a wine depends primarily on the level of acidity and its tannic structure, but equally on its sweetness and smooth taste. This usually relates to “sucrosity”, a neologism which describes a sweet taste unrelated to sugar. But where does the sweetness that can be found in fine dry white wines come from, since it is not the product of residual sugars as is the case with dessert wines? Axel Marchal – who holds a doctorate in wine science from the University of Bordeaux – wrote a…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:5 May 2016

Report from ProWine Asia and thoughts on the Singapore market

Following our last visit to Shanghai in March for the Grand Tasting, we're back in Asia with Alexandra to promote iDealwine at the first edition of ProWine Singapore. Unlike in Shanghai, where the attendees we met were individual wine lovers, the Singapore event was open to professionals only. More than 8,000 delegates came from the region's main countries – including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia – to discover wines from nearly 250 exhibitors, producers, importers and distributors. The market is still a small one, with a population of just over 5 million, but…