Category: <span>In the vineyard</span>

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…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:27 November 2016

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…

mouton-2014

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:25 November 2016

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…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:25 October 2016

Montrachet 2016… no production?

Following a harsh frost this spring, six of the most prestigious estates for the Montrachet appellation will only be producing a single wine between them this year, in micro quantities, which will probably never be marketed. Vineyards were hard hit by bad weather and in particular a frost at the end of April this year, so harvests are likely to be very small in some areas. Unfortunately Montrachet is one of them. Aubert de Villaine hinted to us in September that this was the case, and Le Point has recently confirmed it. Six…

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: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…

Read more about the article Exploring the South

Trade and press gather at the Sud de France tasting in London.

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:4 May 2015

Exploring the South

The South of France, and particularly Languedoc-Roussillon, is known for its mild, Mediterranean climate, modern production techniques and good value for money wines. A recent showcase by Sud de France in London highlighted this region’s diverse offering, from easy-drinking and fruit-forward sippers to the more serious and individual wines. Languedoc-Roussillon is the world’s largest vineyard and in 2013, more than 453 million bottles were exported. Germany remains its most important market, while sales in the US have doubled over the last five years. Of the 20,000 growers in the area, around 1,000 have…