In the vineyard – Page 45 – Le blog iDealwine

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 October 2017

2017: a historically low harvest

After the superb 2015 and 2016, will the 2017 fall under the curse of the vintages finishing by "7"? If the quality is generally there, the quantities are lacking in certain regions or appellations, with a historically low harvest. Complicated weather conditions On 1st October 2017, the French Department of Agriculture reckoned the harvest was going to be down 18% compared to the five-year average[i]. Wine production is estimated at 36.9 million hectolitres, 19% lower than 2016. The harvest is thus historically low, and even lower than 1991, which also experienced a historic…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:27 September 2017

Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz: head in the stars

In the kingdom of Pinot Meunier, in Crouttes sur Marne, halfway between Reims and Paris, the vines from Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz have thoroughly become biodynamic, since 2009. Over a few years, Jérôme Diaz became the preacher of this philosophy which glows through his sharp cuvées. Would you like to taste them? Back to basics In his youth, Jérôme Diaz didn’t want to work at the domain. He used to help his parents in the vineyard, but it bored him. He wanted to work in the trade and ended up in an industrial supply company…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:21 September 2017

Pol Roger, the excellence of champagnes since 1849

With an exemplary regularity, Pol Roger champagnes are recognizable by their winey aromas, depth and roundness; they are often matured for a long time in the house’s cellars and still have a long ageing potential. In 1849, as he was only 18 years old, Pol Roger founded his trading house in Aÿ before settling in Epernay in 1851. In 1855 he began to favour the production of brut champagnes, much appreciated by English consumers. He died in 1899, leaving behind him a house of enviable reputation. At the beginning of the XIXth century,…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 September 2017

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret: Burgundy wine between wisdom and ambition

Let’s go to the Côte d'Or, with a focus on Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret located in Vosne-Romanée, between the legendary Château du Clos Vougeot and the small village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The family has been taking care of the vines for more than eight generations! The story begins in 1620. The reputation of Mongeard-Mugneret is due to its old-age, the finesse of its wines, the subtlety of its terroirs and the extent of its domain. The combination of the vines of Eugène Mongeard and his wife Edmée Mugneret gave birth to an important property of 30…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:25 May 2017

The “Pope of Condrieu” dies

The wine industry was recently saddened to learn of the death of Georges Vernay. Fondly known as the “Pope of Condrieu” he was a tireless advocate of the Viognier grape and fought throughout his life to promote wines from a village abandoned by producers after the war. “I preferred the wines from the slopes to those from the plains which I thought were mediocre” Georges Vernay stated last November. It wasn’t that long ago in fact that wine from the Rhône Valley was sold in bulk, and producers in the Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:24 May 2017

Maison Albert Bichot: United in Diversity

Maison Albert Bichot was founded in 1831. Over the years the company has developed and expanded considerably to become one of Burgundy's most prestigious winemakers. Much of its success can be attributed to the philosophy of Albéric Bichot. Somewhat echoing the motto of the European Union, he firmly believes that that each of his wine estates should keep to a human scale and have autonomy: in varietate concordia! On Monday, 15th May, the whole iDealwine team enjoyed a day trip to Burgundy. Maison Albert Bichot kindly welcomed us to show us around…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:2 May 2017

2017 vintage: French vineyard severely hit by frost

The spring frosts wreaked havoc across a large portion of the vineyards of eastern France, in Champagne, Burgundy, the Loire valley, Alsace, Jura... and even Languedoc-Roussillon and the South-West. Last week – during the night of Wednesday-Thursday 20 April, to be precise – a number of French wine regions were hit by frost. This event caused even more damage because of the precociously advanced state of the vines' vegetation cycle, as a result of the fine weather and high temperatures of previous weeks. Many regions affected by frost; some growers better…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:20 April 2017

Château Latour goes completely organic

Other estates have already done it. After Fonroque, Pontet-Canet and also Smith-Haut-Lafitte, it’s now Château Latour’s turn to announce its complete conversion to organic farming methods. This is headlining news in Bordeaux and it confirms that organic production is gradually making inroads. You may remember that back in 2015 Château Latour, an 1855 classification Premier Grand Cru, announced its intention to completely switch over to organic farming methods. François Pinault, who owns this iconic Pauillac estate, can pride himself on being the first among the Grands Crus to embark upon this adventure…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:12 April 2017

Stunning new cellars at Beychevelle and Kirwan

One by one, Bordeaux grands crus are updating their technical facilities... and their first step has been to make a call to the big names in the world of architecture. The latest to join this trend are Châteaux Beychevelle and Kirwan. Some of the finest Bordeaux Grands Crus have been undergoing something of a metamorphosis over the last decade. Their doors, previously firmly shut to visitors, are now being prised open in response to the wave of wine tourism sweeping across the vineyards. And the cellar makeover is a key pillar of…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 February 2017

Pomerol: vinification outside the appellation authorised

On Friday 27 January, the Conseil d’État (the highest French administrative court) overturned the 2014 decree stating that wines bearing the Pomerol PDO must be vinified within the appellation, thus ruling in favour of seven plaintiffs who own vines in Pomerol but have cellars outside the appellation. To recap, in August 2014, a decree ratifying an amendment to the Pomerol PDO specification stated that cellars used to vinify wines with this appellation must be located within the geographical boundaries of the production area and not in neighbouring appellations, as was sometimes the…