http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-22004471-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); ]]> Copyright 2012, Wendy Narby Wendy Narby en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120120-232829 Tonnellerie Millet is an artisan family run barrel maker not far from Saint Emilion that supplies many of the top wine properties in Bordeaux and further afield as far as California and Spain to name a few.

The owner Dominique is kind enough to open this doors to visitors to explain the passion that goes into producing barrels in close collaboration with wine makers giving the aromatic complexity they are looking for from their use of oak.

One address I did not spot in his warehouse of barrels awaiting shipment Mauritius. So imagine my surprise when, on a tour of the Chamarel Rhumerie high on the hills in the South West of Mauritius over looking the Indian Ocean, I found rum aging in Millet barrels.


Millet barrels in the Chamarel cellars

Opened in 2008 the eco friendly Chamarel Rhumerie (French Spelling) uses Millet barrels for aging it’s ‘Coeur de Chauffe’ Rum Agricole for 18months and for 3 years giving it’s ‘Gold Rum’. The first production of the 3 year old barrel aged Gold Rum will be released onto the market at the end of this month.

Similarly to wine barrel aging of rum adds vanilla and spicy flavours and the slow oxygenation and exchange of tannins adds body, the golden colour also comes from the barrel as opposed to some rums where the colour comes from the addition of caramel.


The beautiful Chamarel Valley


]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120120-232829 Wendy Narby Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:28:29 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=01&entry=entry120120-232829 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120119-215819 Get Wed with Wine , and Saint Valentine’s day would be the perfect time to find out. There are no end of wonderful restaurants and romantic hotels to choose from in the region, however you could celebrate with your loved one in the romantic setting of a Bordeaux Chateau. Two properties from opposite banks are opening their doors for an intimate evening on the 14th of February.

Jérôme Cadillat, the chef at Château Troplong Mondot, classified growth of Saint Emilion is offering a fireside dinner menu accompanied by champagne and amour de Mondot - a special bottling of the second wine of the property for the occasion. You can prolong the romantic atmosphere by staying over in one of their lovely guest rooms or cottage in the vines.


The Cottage in the vines of Chateau Troplong Mondot

On the left bank Chateau Haut Bailly, whose wonderful dining room is usually only available for private groups is opening up with tables of 2 dotted through the beautiful salons of the Chateau. Their innovative Chef, Tanguy Laviale, has created a 5 course menu accompanied by champagne and 3 different wines from this Classified growth of Pessac-Leognan.


The beautiful Chateau Haut Bailly

If you cannot make it over here, you could always order a bottle of the most romantic Bordeaux wine : Chateau Calon Segur. This 3rd growth of Saint Estephe will probably be flying of the shelves in the run up to the big night. The heart on the label makes it easily recognisable, created by the property’s owner the Marquis de Segur, who, despite owing Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite at the time always said his heart lay with Calon Segur and drew a heart around the name just to prove it.

]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120119-215819 Wendy Narby Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:58:19 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=01&entry=entry120119-215819 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120104-041200 Chateau Canon with 22ha, Chateau Troplong-Mondot at 33 ha, Chateau Cheval Blanc at 37 ha and the largest Chateau Figeac with 40ha under vines and a further generous 14ha in parkland, buck this trend. Classififed growth Chateau Soutard is amongst this group with 22ha under vines unchanged around the 18th century chateau for the last 100 years. The monumental Chateau is one of the largest buildings at the heart of a Saint Emilion property with 30 000 sq ft of roofing.



Under ownership of the de Ligneris family since the early since 1900’s the property was sold to La Mondiale insurance company in 2006. La Mondiale already knows a thing or two about St Emilion owning the neighbouring classified growth Château Larmande for the last 20 years, Grand Cru Château Grand Faurie La Rose and, the most recent addition to the team, Château Cadet-Piola. In total, the company owns almost 55 hectares of vines in the classic terroir of the limestone and clay plateau and extending throughout the clay, limestone and sandy slopes at the very heart of Saint-Émilion.
Claire Thomas-Chenard manages all four properties, assisited by cellar master Véronique Corporandy, and she has overseen the two year renovation of Chateau Soutard. The 2011 harvest was the second crop to enter the new cellars and they are spectacular - showing that some things are just worth waiting for. An elegant marriage of steel and oak in both the decor and the fermentation vats (50/50 stainless and oak small vats) the classic varietal blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc enter into the cold storage rooms before being transferred to the vats, allowing not just temperature control of the must but an even flow management of the process. Even the remontage of the cellars is automatied allowing Claire to keep a close on all four cellars simultaneously during the busy harvest period.




It is not just in wine making where they are reaping the rewards of their investment. Chateau Soutard won the 2012 Best of Wine Tourism award for parks and gardens offering a unique way of discovering the property. As well as visiting the cellars and tasting the wine the gardens and vineyards allow visitors, map in hand to discover the different themes, from the natural approach to cultivation of the vines, to a childrens tour or a romantic moonlit visit. The boutique is open to the public, not just to sell wines, there is a large range of books and momentos including a children's corner. If you would like to taste, pull up a chair on the terrace to taste their wines with some local cured ham or buy and bottle and borrow a picnic hamper to go and picnic in the grounds.
If you fancy more formal dining book ahead for a private lunch, dinner or cooking class and then cycle off lunch by pedalling through the four propeties and you can even stay the night at one of the guests rooms at Château Grand Faurie la Rose to sleep it all off.
]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120104-041200 Wendy Narby Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:12:00 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=01&entry=entry120104-041200 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111128-065953
www.sources-caudalie.com new=true]Les Sources de Caudalie[/url] will host a 4 star dinner on 11th December, that is four one star chefs sharing their talents, to raise money for Japan. Bordeaux has it's fair share of Michelin stars now, one of whom, Nicolas Masse, of la Grand Vigne at Les Sources de Caudalie, will welcome Keisuke Matsushima the inspiration behind this event, who holds a Michelin star for his restaurants in both Tokyo and Nice, and his neighbours Pascal Nibaudeau from Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux and Christophe Giradot from La Table de Montesquieu in the neighbouring village of La Brede. Together on the 11th December they will offer a food and wine dinner where the proceeds will benefit the victims of the Japanese tsunami.

Each chef will produce a course combining the best of France and Japan accompanied by wines from Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, of course, but also Laurent Perrier and Château Gazin. Book now to avoid disapointment.


La Grande Vigne Restaurant
]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111128-065953 Wendy Narby Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:59:53 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=11&entry=entry111128-065953 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111116-005327 Traditionally a major market for Bordeaux wines, the links date back to the 17th century. The Dutch being an important seafaring nation (think Dutch East India Company) their ships would often call into the Port of Bordeaux, France's largest port at the time, delivering goods from their colonies but also picking up the lighter more acidic red wines for the sailors as, at that time, it was safer to drink a lightly alcoholic wine on a long sea trip than water which would soon become unsafe to drink.
They also bought up white wine, not for drinking but for distillation, to make their famous spirits, and they were a major influence on the growth of white wine production in the Bordeaux region.
We can thanks the Dutch for introducing the use of sulphur dioxide to Bordeaux, transforming the production from a wine whose acidity was the only way it could be preserved to the more sophisticated barrel aged 'New French Claret' pioneered by the Graves region and snapped up at a premium by the English market.

As if these links were not strong enough Dutch engineers were invited over to drain the Médoc in the 17th century also resulting in the development of the peninsula for the great wines produced there today - the Bordelais have a lot to thank the Dutch for.

But it is not really all about wine in Amsterdam. Traditional and locally produced spirits and beer dominate the market and the price point for wines is low and very competitive. Bordeaux organised an event for the restaurant trade and sommeliers to present the diversity of the ‘Everyday Bordeaux’ selection at the hip restaurant Lute on the outskirts of Amsterdam.



Even the cocktail served was from Bordeaux called ‘Passion Bordeaux’ - let’s hope we reignited their traditional passion for Bordeaux.

See the video ]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111116-005327 Wendy Narby Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:53:27 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=11&entry=entry111116-005327 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111115-003639 Chateau Pontet Canet, classified growth from Pauillac and Chateau Guiraud, first growth from Sauternes, have both recently obtained organic certification and prestigious Chateau Fonroque is a leader in biodynamic agriculture.


Ploughing the vines of Chateau Latour the traditional way

There is also an important underlying eco-movement in Bordeaux which is not restricted to the top vineyards. Bordeaux is a big place with, currently, around 8700 wine growers each owning, on average 14 ha (about 35 acres). The vast majority of these properties are family owned, and with family ownership comes the notion of stewardship; the belief that the land is there to be looked after and passed down to the next generation, a philosophy that goes hand in hand with the notion of eco-responsibility.
However, conversion to sustainable, organic or even biodynmaic agriculture is a long and often expensive process both in financial terms and, for a family run business often more importantly, time.
Several initiatives to help producers in their evolution towards more eco-friendly production have been spearheaded by the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) and these are putting Bordeaux on the eco map.
In 2010 Bordeaux was the first vineyard region to measure their carbon footprint and launch the Bordeaux Wine Climate plan 2020 which stated clear objectives for reducing the carbon footprint of the vineyard :
20% less green house effect 20% energy savings;20% renewable energy 20% water savings and the carbon footprint by 40 000 tons carbon equivalent by 2020 (today the footprint is 203 000 tons).
Objectives are fine but this is also backed up by an online carbon footprint calculator available for all producers and merchants, which allows them to understand exactly where and how these carbon economies can be made.
The Ecophyto 1018 plan, also a CIVB initiative, has a goal of a 50% reduction in pesticide use throughout the vineyard and 20% of the surface area in organic agriculture by 2018. About 5% of Bordeaux’s vineyard is currently under organic agriculture (the same of eco friendly Switzerland, for example).
The major innovation however is the 2010 SME (Syteme de Management Environnemental). This is not just about setting industry wide objectives but is an associative management tool, helping individual properties to improve environmental performance. Under the SME, piloted last year, smaller producers, that don’t necessarily have the finances or the time to spend understanding and implementing what needs to be done to reach certification but who are motivated by a desire to become more environmentally friendly can work together, sharing the costs of a consultant and their experiences. In the first year pilot, 27 companies successfully worked together to reach the environmental certification ISO 14001. With this success under its belt the initiative is now spreading to other vineyards.
However, in the genuine desire to improve environmental practices, there are various certifications and associations which can be confusing for the consumers, especially as each country seems to have different definitions and legislation.


Healthy leaves .........


give healthy grapes


The SVBA (Syndicat des Vins Bio d’Aquitaine) currently has 140 members producing wine from organic grapes. There is currently no such thing as organic wine, only wine made from organic grapes, although this is a work in progress with the possibility of a certification for organic wine in the pipeline for 2012 (at the earliest).
The SVBA is showing their members' wines this weekend, the 19/20th November, in Begles (better known for its Rugby than its wine!) just on the edge of Bordeaux city centre. Organic producers form other regions, such as the Jura, will also be present, which is typical of these environmental initiatives that seem to cross geographical barriers with ease.
]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111115-003639 Wendy Narby Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:36:39 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=11&entry=entry111115-003639 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111107-115851
Recently teaching a classto wine professionals recently in the USA I saw that there is evident confusion between the name Claret and Clairet and even between Clairet and rose.

For Europeans, or should I say Brits, there is a world of difference. Claret has long been used as a collective noun by the British for all reds from Bordeaux, be they great classified growths or more run of the mill basic Bordeaux. It is also a relatively old fashioned name associated with gentleman’s clubs and traditional merchants (think Berrys Brothers Good ordinary Claret) as claret drinking (or should I say Bordeaux drinking?) was for many years. Clairet (with the i) is relatively unknown unless you have been lucky enough to taste it on a visit to Bordeaux. Bordeaux red is now breaking out of this ‘old fashioned’ mould, being made by a younger generation of wine makers, offering wines more suited for early drinking and more in touch with what the majority of wine drinkers are looking, at once fruit driven and elegant. So can the name Claret shake off a fusty old image and move with the times?

It is a name that has it’s origin in history and probably goes back to the mispronunciation by the English of the word ‘clair’ meaning clear. This well described the wines produced in Bordeaux as of the middle ages during the Plantagenet rule of Aquitaine and before the arrival of ‘The New French’ Claret when wines from from the region, or more particularly the Graves, were able to be aged in barrels thanks to the introduction of sulphur. A style that was particular popular with the English market as of the 17th century, and still is to this day. The fact that this style of wine was labelled with an english expression shows not only where the wines were headed but also the importance of the export market for the wines of the region, then as now. 32% of all Bordeaux is currently exported half of which comes from the Medoc and the vast majority of the classified growths head overseas.

The importance of export is hardly surprising given the history of Bordeaux, in the 17th century Bordeaux was France’s largest port and this created close links with other seafaring nations such as the Dutch and the British who shipped the wine all over the world. The Quai des Chartrons on the Garonne river front was a who’s who of international merchants with names such as Schyler, Barton, Johnstone and Sichel still present today.

So Claret is not Clairet, Clairet today is still defined by it’s light colour, somewhere between a rose and a red, Claret is definitely red, no mistaking it for a rose however dark. To qualify as a rose in Bordeaux there is a colour element included. If your rose is too dark, as some can be in very ripe vintages such as 2003, it will not pass muster as a rose but will have to be labelled as a Clairet. There is a definite trend in recent years for Bordeaux roses to become lighter and lighter. Check out Château Bauduc’s rosé for a perfect example. The

Bordelais know all about Clairet, it is a very popular summer or picnic wine, on the beach or with the BBQ or as an aperitif. The French however do not use the name Claret - so no confusion for them.

The question of a name for export markets can also be an conundrum for individual properties with confusing historical names that are often difficult to pronounce by new customers in export markets.

Note the recent changes to some top Bordeaux properties. Bahans Haut Brion, the second wine of 1st growth Chateau Haut Brion changed to the Clarence de Haut Brion in the 2007 vintage and Haut Bages Averous, the second wine of Chateau Lynch Bages to Echo de Lynch Bages as of the 2008 vintage

Chateau Angelus also very subtly changed it’s name from l’Angelus to Angelus removing the L as of the 1990 vintage to make it easier to say and more esthetically pleasing on the label. Talking of apostrophies, is it Château Yquem or d’Yquem? It’s definitely d’Yquem, this prestigious property never seems to need to change to suit fashion, it is always in style.



With or without the ' that is the question.
]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111107-115851 Wendy Narby Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:58:51 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=11&entry=entry111107-115851 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111025-072522 link

]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111025-072522 Wendy Narby Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:25:22 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=10&entry=entry111025-072522 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111006-144556 previous post it certainly is the year of the cellar.
It’s all happening on the right bank, after the opening of the wonderful new cellars at Cheval Blanc, La Dominique, right next door is under renovation and Petrus is finishing it’s new underground cellar.
Smaller but perfectly formed the new cellar at le Pin has also been christened with the 2011 Harvest.
For many years, pilgrims to the tiny estate (2.48ha with the latest purchase) have struggled to find the rather insignificant looking building, home to Jacques Thienpont’s baby. Only the pine trees overshadowing the house on the Pomerol plateau, about 1 km from the family’s Vieux Château Certan, gave the game away.
Now however the striking modern building in white and slate is a lot easier to spot and the pine trees are still there. Started in 2010 and designed by the Belgium architect Paul Robbrecht (The Thienponts are Belgium wine negociants as well as Bordeaux Chateau owners) the whole cellar is designed as a wine makers dream as far as efficiency is concerned. Gravity feed is clearly illustrated as you climb the stairs up to the terrace, strangely reminiscent of a Californian roof-top pool, with fabulous views over towards Château Petit Village, another very modern addition to the skyline of Pomerol.
Le Pin has no second wine but if you’re lucky enough, try and get hold of Trilogie, a non vintage blend of declassified Le Pin with a dash of Cabernet Franc, unlike Le Pin which is 100% Merlot. The name Trilogie is a reference to the blend of 3 vintages. There's not enough I imagine per vintage, seeing as the total production from the property is only about 5 000 bottles a year.


The view across Pomerol from the terrace of Le Pin's new winery
]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111006-144556 Wendy Narby Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:45:56 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=10&entry=entry111006-144556 http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111003-113758
The hot and dry spring resulted in an early flowering with right from the get go producers predicting a 2 or 3 week advance on the average and fears for a drought. However July was cooler and wetter, not great for tourists – but a lifesaver for the grapes as it slowed things down. The cooler nights in August helped with maintaining acidity and complexity.

However the weird climate did take its toll. Some vines were affected by the early spring drought, which held back development and created problems with ‘vascular connections’ that may not have reformed, preventing some the berries developing fully when the weather turned cooler and damper in July.

To add insult to injury there was periodic hail storms throughout the year, April hail hit Sauternes, Margaux was hit in June, especially on the Rauzan plateau and the hail hot again, dramatically, on the 1st September the around us here in the Entre deux Mers and violently in Saint Estephe causing considerable damage on the plateau around Cos d’Estournel

Consequently 2011 is turning out to be quite a challenging year for both vine growers the wine makers, especially after 08/09/10 trilogy where some (modest?) winemakers claimed the wine made itself!

Canopy management to control lack of water and then to allow air to circulate preventing botrytis as the more humid weather arrived was extremely important.

In recent years many properties have been introducing sophisticated machines to help the selection process and with a year like this where ripe, under ripe, dry and even hail bruised grapes can be seen on the same bunch they will really get their money’s worth.
Chateau Lagrange, the largest classified growth of Saint Julien has installed an Optical Scanner that can select grapes from the conveyor at a record speed of 72 kms per hour 2.5m/second! Which results in 9 tonnes per hour being sorted instead of 3 by hand – and a lot less fatigue. Mattieu Bordes, the technical director, has another new toy for this vintage too, an oscillating vertical destemmer to ensure only the grapes make it into the selector.


Selected grapes fall from the optical selector at Château Gruaud Larose



Mattieu Bordes admires the new vertical destemmer

Château Figeac, first growth in Saint Emilion, was also using an optical selector this year, after a test in 2010, but at a purchase price as around 150 000 euros new decided to test it out by renting first, director Eric d'Aramon concluded that it is still early days for these machines and renting ensures it comes with a technician in case there are teething problems. These machines are also highly electronic and storing them unused for eleven--and-a-half months of the year in a damp cellar is not a risk he is prepared to take.


The berries are photographed by the stemmer at Château Phelan Segur to allow selection

It’s not only the top classified growths that have invested, Château Phelan Segur, who welcomed guests at their harvest table during the picking, also use the same technology as do many others. Some however have chosen the 'trie baie' system (The Vignobles André Lurton properties for example) using must with different densities to select quality grapes, and yet others such as Château Grand Corbin Despagne an airflow system whereas others rely on a dedicated team in the field and in the cellars to separate the wheat from the chaff – rendezvous in April to taste the results of these different methods ‘en primeur’.


All that time saved allows for a longer lunch break - harvest lunch in front of the magnificent Château Phelan Segur





]]> http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111003-113758 Wendy Narby Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:37:58 GMT http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/comments.php?y=11&m=10&entry=entry111003-113758