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Meursault and Marsannay return to the forefront

All French appellations have their "sleeping beauties", those who lack in fame despite their exceptional heritage. Until “Prince Charming” (an investor) comes along, making every effort to produce wines worthy of the pedigree. This has been happening to the châteaux of Meursault and Marsannay since 2012. One such Prince Charming is Olivier Halley, heir to a family shareholder of Carrefour and head of "H Partners" (owner of brands including "Du Pareil au Même" and "Tout Compte Fait"), who bought Château de Marsannay (35 hectares of vineyards in Marsannay and Côte de Nuits) and…

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High bids for Clos de Tart, Côte-Rôtie and Champagne

One of the February Online Auctions at iDealwine attracted particularly active buyers from outside of France. Representing 30 different countries, these buyers bought nearly 50% of the lots sold, with Côte de Nuits, the Rhône Valley and Champagne all reaping impressive results. While Bordeaux’s prices remained mostly stable, there was renewed interest by Asian buyers in Lafite Rothschild, Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Palmer and Léoville Las Cases. The wines from Pontet Canet were also sought-after and their conversion to biodynamic practices has been particularly instrumental in the rise of prices for…

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Selecting the right glass

The shape and size of a wine glass is very important and while experts believe that a wine shows best in a larger glass, is bigger always better? When tasting (and drinking) wine, it is better to hold the glass by its base, not the body, which will warm the wine and make the flavours too volatile. It is a well-known fact that the tulip shape of a wine glass concentrates the aromas, making them more detectable. The type of material used (crystal compared to “cristallin”, which contains less lead) won’t significantly influence…

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