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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…

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Bordeaux, a renewed interest | Auction report

The auction that ended on 29 March on iDealwine demonstrated the recent success of several grands crus from Bordeaux. A sign of a renewed interest for the region just as the 2016 En Primeur campaign starts. Bordeaux, in its diversity, finds the favors of amateurs at auction again. The sale that ended on 29 March on iDealwine has proved it once again. Good results have been found in mature vintages, such as Smith Haut Lafitte 2000 (€114, +34%) or Pontet Canet 2003 (€105, +17%). On the right bank, Angélus stands out in the…

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Bordeaux: Cos d’Estournel buys back Château Pomys in Saint-Estèphe

Château Cos d'Estournel’s owner has just acquired the neighbouring Château Pomys, once owned by Louis Gaspard d'Estournel. The acquisition is part of a vision to recreate the original complex. Businessman Michel Reybier, owner of Château Cos d'Estournel, a number of hotels and spas, and other vineyards in Champagne and Hungary (Tokaji), has just bought a new property- Château Pomys in Saint-Estèphe. The chateau lies a few hundred metres from the Cos d'Estournel estate and its acquisition is part of   "Cos d’Estournel’s heritage plans. The purchase of Château Pomys pays tribute to the…

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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…

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Buying tips: if I like this type of wine, which appellations should I choose?

This is an easy question for wine connoisseurs, but for beginners, the multitude of French wine regions can seem overwhelming. It's natural for novices to wonder which regions to focus on if, for example, they like fruity reds or slightly acidic whites. Here are a few pointers to help you navigate the country's vineyards. As our aim is to give a general overview of France's major winegrowing regions, this guide is a little simplistic. But although exceptions can be found in every region, there are also some broad themes. We should also point…

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Château Palmer white wines go on sale for the first time

The news may have slipped under the wine world's radar, but Château Palmer has just released its 2014 white (the first time these wines have carried a price tag)… on the Hong Kong market. Have you had the chance to try a white Château Palmer yet? This tiny production, launched in 2007, had until now been reserved for the estate's owners, and served at private receptions. The fact is that hardly any Médoc châteaux produce white wines, although some have been taking steps towards doing so over the last few years. There is,…

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July Online Auction Report

Magnums, double-magnums, jeroboams and imperials have been the main focus of attention in the last Online Auction that ended on the 8th of July. These generous formats benefit from a price premium compared to 75cl bottles. Bottling larger formats enables wineries to create a scarcity effect on wines that are not otherwise rare, as it is the case for large estates of Medoc. This effect is intensified by the quality of the vintage and the age of the bottle. In this first Online Auction of July, Château Mouton Rothschild perfectly illustrated this situation with…

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This year’s Top 50 wines over €1,000

The top wines sold at iDealwine’s Online Auctions during the first half of 2015 were unsurprisingly dominated by Bordeaux and Burgundy, particularly domaine Romanée-Conti, Petrus and Yquem. Of the Top 50 bottles sold for more than €1,000 since January 2015, Bordeaux and Burgundy occupies 47 seats, or 94% of the total – with 27 of the Top 50 wines from Bordeaux. These results support recent analysis of the most searched wines on iDealwine.com, where Bordeaux accounted for 92% of the Top 100 most searched wines. Burgundy came in second place, with 20 bottles…

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WineDex up nearly 8% for first half of 2015

Driven by the success of Burgundy wines, the iDealwine indices have recorded a growth rate of nearly 8% for the first half of 2015. During the last six months, buyers were particularly interested in top French wines, with the iDealwine iDealwine 100 indice appreciating by 7.92%. Several factors contributed to this good performance, but it can primarily be ascribed to the popularity of top Burgundy wines. These are traditionally more difficult to find than Bordeaux and available in minute quantities, with the top domaines of Côte de Nuits even more in demand due…

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Petrus | Wisdom in old age

Buyers of Bordeaux are bypassing the more recent vintages in favour of more mature bottles to get their fine wine fix, according to online auction house iDealwine. [embeddoc url="https://www.idealwine.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/10/2015-07-Petrus-iDealwine-The-Drinks-Business.pdf" viewer="google"] See Petrus wines currently for sale See all wines currently on sale Register here to access auctions and fixed-price sales Receive a free estimate of your cellar Read further on iDealwine Le Blog: Is Petrus worth the price? Auction Report: Strong enthusiasm for Petrus, La Chapelle 1961 & top Champagne Top 20 of Bordeaux wines

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