ABOUT WINE – Page 87 – Le blog iDealwine

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:26 January 2018

The 2016 vintage in France (part 1)

It’s here! The long awaited 2016 vintage is starting to appear on the shelves and, apart from having to endure a few freaks of nature, it was another good year in keeping with the excellent 2015 This week we are focusing on how the northern French regions fared from Alsace, Jura, Savoy and Burgundy to Beaujolais, Champagne and the Loire Valley. Alsace Dry whites: 16/20 Sweet wines: 14/20 Reds: 15/20 2016 will go down in history as an as unusual year, particularly concerning the staggering of the harvest from mid-September until the beginning…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:24 January 2018

New auction lots: Grands Crus for your cellar and exceptional magnums

The new auction has now opened! Once again some of the finest wines are up for sale here at iDealwine but, perhaps more excitingly, many of your favourite wines are also available in magnum format. The Great Classics From Bordeaux there is an incredible selection to choose from and includes some of the biggest names in the winemaking world. This auction brings together many fine examples from Petrus as well as plenty of extraordinary bottles of Château d’Yquem. The range from Pessac-Léognan provides many old and intriguing bottles, perhaps a 1945 Chateau De…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:22 January 2018

New Crus Bourgeois classification finalised

It's official: the new Crus Bourgeois classification was adopted at the end of 2017. And the outcome is… the reinstatement of the three former categories – Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Superiors and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel – along with the reintroduction of the five-year ranking in line with the organisation's wishes. The Crus Bourgeois had been talking about it for long enough, and now it's happened. On January 4th, the decree of December 29th was published in the Journal officiel, confirming the change to the Crus Bourgeois classification. The headline news: a return to…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 January 2018

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande: a first-class second cru

"A First-Class Second Cru"... it's hard to improve on Wine Spectator magazine's description of Château Pichon Lalande! The estate, which is now in the hands of the Rouzaud family (Roederer group), has benefited from the efforts of a succession of owners whose passionate efforts have gradually elevated it to "super second" status. Consistency and reputation: it takes a woman's touch The estate can trace its origins back to 1694. In 1850, following the death of the Baron de Pichon Longueville, his Pauillac estate was split between his two children. His daughter, Virginie de…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:10 January 2018

Bordeaux wines now contain three times fewer pesticides than less than 4 years ago

The topic of pesticides in wine and particularly in the wines of Bordeaux has become a recurring topic in the news and specialised media over the past several years. A UFC Que Choisir study has recently given a rather positive assessment of the changes in pesticide residues in Bordeaux wines, showing that they have been reduced threefold over four years. The consumer protection magazine UFC Que Choisir published a survey of pesticides and Bordeaux wines at the end of December (No. 565, January 2018). The consumer association looked at the pesticide residue content…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:19 December 2017

Obituary: Robert Wilmers from Haut-Bailly

The proprietor of Château Haut-Bailly, a classified cru vineyard in Graves, died at his home in New York on Saturday, 16th December. The world of wine has paid tribute to this businessman who was CEO of the American M&T Bank Corporation and also a great lover of wine and art and supporter of many French and American cultural institutions. An entrepreneur, Mr Wilmers was both a financier and a wine connoisseur. He was Chief Executive of the American M&T Bank Corporation and acquired Château Haut-Bailly in 1998 and Château Le Pape in 2012.…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:8 December 2017

iDealwine’s Tour in Asia

iDealwine has put a strong emphasis in the past few years on developing the Asian market and this strategy is proving very successful. The mature market of Hong Kong, where we opened a representative office in 2013, has been clearly leading the way, followed by mainland China, Japan, Singapore and more recently South Korea. Arthur de Lencquesaing and Alix Rodarie, from iDealwine’s international team recently travelled around the region for a series of meetings, wine fairs, tastings and masterclasses. Debrief! Overall perspective China's economic growth during first half of 2017, was nearly 7%,…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:5 December 2017

Bichot: when Burgundy comes to London

Monday 27th November, in the iconic wine member’s club 67 Pall Mall in London, the spotlight is on the Albert Bichot house. Arthur de Lencquesaing and Léa Fallourd, from the international team based in London, experienced a preview tasting of the 2016 vintage. A unique opportunity to taste and compare their great diversity of wines spread across all Burgundy. 2016 is a vintage which you can acquire with much confidence. When talking with Albéric Bichot, we understand that this vintage is characterized by fully matured grapes, although 2016 was not a relaxing year…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:28 November 2017

Wine Symposium at the Lake Como and a vertical tasting of Armand Rousseau, time stopped for a moment

Spend time on the shores of Lake Como, taste incredible wines, meet great wine figures, passionate connoisseurs and talented tasters, equally humble and smart... the story of 3 days suspended at the Villa d'Este between conferences, tastings and haute cuisine. The world of fine wines is fascinating because it is sometimes associated to the elegance of great moments in life. The Villa d'Este offers an incomparable setting, and welcomes each year since 2008 what insiders call the VDEWS (for Villa d'Este Wine Symposium). An almost intimidating name, heralding a high level programme concocted…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:24 November 2017

Grand Tasting 2017: come and meet us!

iDealwine has been a longstanding partner of Bettane+Desseauve, and of the Grand Tasting, the leading wine event they organise. This year, it will take place on the 1st and 2nd of December, in the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris. We will have several occasions of meeting our customers during this exceptional wine fair that connoisseurs know as unmissable! A few indications on this event and the masterclasses available, for you to get ready! 11 years ago, Bettane+Desseauve created this fair, which gathers the most renowned names from the French vineyard and from the…