A guide to the appellations in the southern Rhône
It’s hard to miss Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the most famous wine appellations in the world but have you heard of Cairanne, Rasteau or Lirac?
Michel Chapoutier: the “inventor of soils”
Maison Chapoutier has become a landmark estate in the Rhône Valley, and for good reason...
Auction Report: Rayas & Bonneau
Rare wines and collectors’ bottles from former estates or from producers who have left the stage: iDealwine’s auction catalogues were full of these in the final auctions of 2017. Among them, two giants clashed in Châteauneuf: Domaine Henri Bonneau and the wines of Château Rayas. Two styles and two personalities to which wine lovers simply cannot remain indifferent. Here is a spotlight on the fine auctions of this sale. Jacques Reynaud, Henri Bonneau ... the memory of these two cult figures of Châteauneuf du Pape continues through their wines. The bottles produced by…
Château Rayas, iconic | Auction report
Both red and white wines from château Rayas have livened up the online auction, which ended on 16th August on iDealwine. Château Rayas occupies a special place in amateurs’ hearts and in the auction landscape. As we have been following the evolution of this mythical domain’s prices from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for nearly 20 years, we have only very rarely seen them drop. The rarity, of course, and the difficulty of finding wines elsewhere than at the domain (or on iDealwine J) contribute to making Rayas one of the best blue chips among the great…
Guigal purchases Domaine de Nalys, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
As in any industry, transactions are usual for the wine sector. Guigal acquired Domaine de Nalys at the end of July. A new adventure for the family historically from northern Rhône which now turns towards the southern part, starting with a prestigious name: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape are known worldwide and this may arouse certain interests. Consequence: at the end of July 2017, Guigal announced purchasing Domaine de Nalys from Groupama, which owned it since 1975. This acquisition enables Guigal, historically based in Ampuis, to conquer the South of the region, where it…
August Online Auction Report
Château Latour, Dujac, Châteauneuf du Pape and Vouvray top the August Online Auction The recent Online Auction that ended 29th August showed no respite of impressive results, even in the heart of summer! 550 buyers from around the world (25 countries) competed for lots. Despite the ups and downs of China's economy, Asia was not outdone, representing 8% of the buyers. The auction resulted in many price increases in all regions. In Bordeaux,where prices remain globallystable, Petrus continues to be one of the most demanded wines: +19% for the 1990 vintage (€3,200) and…
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…
Christophe Delorme of La Mordorée dies at age 52
Christophe Delorme, head of domaine La Mordorée (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel and Lirac), suddenly passed away on the 9th of June at the age of 52. Domaine La Mordorée (a reference to the particular colour of the woodcock, the emblem of the domaine) was created in the late 80s by Christophe Delorme, who traded his original profession in textiles for a life of vines and wine. His passion quickly revealed a particular focus on quality, both for vine growing and winemaking. Very soon the domaine was recognised as one of the great producers of the…
The six wines tasted during the iDealwine blind tasting competition
View from the top at London Wine Fair
What an exciting few days it has been! Last week, iDealwine exhibited at the London Wine Fair for the first time, as part of the newly launched premium wine section, The View. In-between seeing old friends, making new ones and tasting some amazing wines, we also put our visitors’ taste-buds to the test with our blind tasting competition. While the jury is still out as to the exact visitor numbers, the 35th edition of this world-leading trade event can no-doubt be hailed a success. Held again at Olympia London, the fair was set…
Meursault’s Roulot impresses on auction
Roulot may be less renowned than other Coche-Dury or Auvenay producers, but has emerged as a sought-after success during the recent auction sales of white Burgundy. A key reason for this is that Jean-Marc Roulot’s Meursault wines are not only of exceptional quality, but also with a strong personality and style which is becoming more and more popular. Many Meursault producers have gained a reputation for creating big and opulent Chardonnay that is rich and concentrated, often marked by a “smoky or toasty” character, wrongly suggesting that this is the only style of…