As summer was warming up in France, several specially selected clients travelled to Bordeaux for an iDealwine Secret Dinner. Are you ready to find out more?
These types of dinners are something that iDealwine shares with its most loyal customers. The team organises exclusive evenings with winemakers in its network so that wine enthusiasts can learn more about an estate, its wines and the people who make them. Everything is meticulously chosen and prepared. iDealwine VIP Dinners can be organised at the property itself or in the finest cities in the world. As well as offering an amazing experience, they also allow the iDealwine team to meet their best customers and get to know them better. And let’s face it, there’s nothing better than sharing the secrets of a fine wine to build solid links between enthusiasts. In July this year, two incredible evenings were held in the Bordeaux region.
Carmes Haut-Brion x Stéphane Ogier: Two regions coming together
On 17 July, wine enthusiasts headed to Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion for an evening dedicated to not one but two accomplished winemakers. Guillaume Pouthier, the property’s manager, welcomed us. This talented winemaker, trained in Toulouse and then in the Rhône Valley, oversees the renaissance of the property, bought by the Pichet family in 2010. There, he produces on of the wines that enthusiasts love and look forward to the most, year after year. But what made this event even more special was the fact that the talented Stéphane Ogier travelled from the heights of the steep Côte-Rôtie to share a special moment with us. The evening started with a tour of the property and a visit to the winery which was built in 2016 by Philippe Starck and Luc Arsène-Henry. This state-of-the-art building in the shape of an upturned boat is located on a tiny island in the middle of the small Peuvre river which flows through the estate. It was designed to not drain to much energy and the temperature is a stable 13.5°C all year long.
At the end of the visit, the valiant and motivated attendees climbed the building’s four flights of stairs to arrive at the private dining room where a dinner created by chef Arthur Leprevost awaited. To accompany his menu, the two winemakers were given the floor. They had both chosen wines from the same vintage that were to be tasted at the same time. The enthusiasts could taste the exceptional 2016 Carmes Haut-Brion before enjoying two of Stéphane Ogier’s Côte-Rôties also from 2016. They were the rare Belle Hélène – crafted from old Syrah vines growing in the outstanding Côte Brune terroir – and Lancement, which comes from a small plot of the same name located on the Côte Blonde. And we did exactly the same with the main dish. Another surprise was in store as the diners weren’t served red meat but an unexpected combination of sea bass and foie gras with a red wine sauce made using the 2016 Carmes Haut-Brion and a bottle from the 2005 vintage was tasted with the dish. This was a remarkable occasion to measure the ageing potential of the wines but also to see how the style of each of the winemakers evolved over time. What emerges is a precise interpretation of the terroirs and a great deal of finesse in wines that have decidedly assertive profiles (whole bunches were vinified for La Belle Hélène, but not for Lancement). To conclude the dinner, a 2020 Condrieu Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay by Stéphane Ogier was brought out and it enhanced the flavours in the dessert which was an homage to citrus fruits… This was before a secret bottle appeared to round off the evening – a green Chartreuse from Guillaume Pouthier.
When time stops at Château d’Yquem
Another soirée, another setting. At the end of a boiling hot, summer’s day, we set off in the direction of Sauternes. Welcomed in the perfumed gardens with its rosebushes in bloom, the enthusiasts took a stroll along Château d’Yquem’s centuries year old walls. The property was built at the start of the 17th century on the hill that overlooks the majestic Ciron Valley. Our little group meandered towards the winery which was superbly cool and filled with silence as the sun slowly started its descent. It brought a sense of peace and serenity to the space where these precious sweet wines are crafted and aged over many years. The tastes buds were well and truly tantalised by the visit and impassioned explanations given by the group’s guide who led them to the property’s terrace as the sun was setting. Welcomed by Lorenzo Pasquini, manager of the property since he joined the team in 2021 it was in fact the 2021 vintage of Château d’Yquem that started the evening’s festivities. Tasting such a young vintage, isn’t that sacrilege?! Quite the contrary! It highlights one of the estate’s new approaches. The vines are tended to, and the wines are crafted in a way to create a Sauternes that unveils a vivacity and delicate energy, leaving a light, delicious freshness on the palate when tasted in its first few years. It’s now difficult to imagine a better way to ignite your appetite before going to the dinner table.
In Château d’Yquem’s dining room, our host had prepared a delicate menu full of surprises in partnership with chef Olivier Brulard, a connoisseur of the property’s wines. The wine and food parings are no problem for him and are second to none when it comes to marrying vegetables – freshly harvested from the garden – seasoning and various dishes that are colourful and poetically thought out. This rare chance to taste the estate’s dry white wine, the famous 2016 Y with a dish of cured fish, vegetables and flowers before moving onto a further two stand-out wines. These were Château d’Yquem’s 2016 in its spirited youthfulness and a 1986, tamed and complex, bringing tropical notes and beautifully spiced aromas to the evening. The sun had already set, throwing the estate’s vines under the colours of a flaming sky. There was just enough light to take once last walk to one of the property’s reservoirs (they have five in total). And before we knew it, it was time to return to Bordeaux with our souls filled by the beauty of the chateau and its wines.
How to take part in iDealwine’s VIP Dinners?
These dinners are carefully organised by our team and offer our clients unforgettable, exclusive moments. Invitations are mainly sent to iDealwine’s Quintessence customers and especially to those who have shown a keen interest in the estate’s wines or a region These private events are one of the many advantages reserved for the passionate wine enthusiasts who are loyal iDealwine. Furthermore, we are arranging a VIP dinner in Italy this autumn so watch your inbox to see if you receive a golden ticket. To know more about the iDealwine Loyalty Programme, peruse our dedicated page.
Find out more about Château Les Carmes Haut Brion
Find out more about Château d’Yquem