Chelsea Vintner Magazine | The Vintner | Effervescence | Edition 4

ISSUE 3

EFFERVESCENCE

A celebration of sparkling wine

CONTENTS

20 10 32

THE ART OF BUYING

Giles Cooper tells us about his journey through the world of fine wine and offers some sage advice for collectors

VITALIE TAITTINGER

Jess Lamb sits down with the President of Champagne Taittinger to find out more about this legendary Grand Marque producer

DISCOVERING ENGLISH WINE

We learn about one of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming new wine regions with James Mead

TYSON STELZER

Matt Love meets one of the world’s foremost Champagne critics and discovers what makes him tick

52 60

A TALE OF TEQUILA

Exploring the rise and rise of ultrapremium ‘cactus juice’ with our resident tequila expert Jon Higgs

SORRELLS WINE ROOMS

The story behind some of the world’s most beautiful wine storage spaces

EDITORIAL: All content written and edited by Jess Lamb and Chelsea Vintners DESIGN: Pixie Agency Ltd

PHOTOGRAPHY: Cover © Thomas Alexander / Taittinger, 2 © Es70photo | Dreamstime.com, 6 © iStock.com/Kloeg008, 12-13 © iStock.com/MarioGuti, 21 © ROUX Olivier/SAGAPHOTO.COM / Alamy Stock Photo, 34-35 © Rob Arnold / Alamy Stock Photo, 37 © PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo, 46-47 © Luciano Mortula / Alamy Stock Photo, 50 © ROUX Olivier/SAGAPHOTO.COM / Alamy Stock Photo, 53 © Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo, 73 © Sylvaine Poitau / Alamy Stock Photo COPYRIGHT: All remaining content © Chelsea Vintners. All efforts have been made to ensure facts are correct at time of press. E&OE

WELCOME

This edition of the Vintner marks the early stages of another year of change and growth for our business. So far in 2023, we’ve been thrilled to welcome three fantastic new senior hires to the CV family: James Mead as Sales Director, Giles Cooper as Buying Director and Oliver Bartle as Head of Trading. You can discover more about each of them and their personal fine wine passions as you delve further into this copy of The Vintner. However, we’re not stopping there! We have an ambitious plan to grow our fine wine sales team further over the coming months as we continue to focus on improving customer service and sharing our passion with fine wine and spirits lovers around the globe… so watch this space. As you may have discerned from the front cover, the focus of this edition is a not-sosubtle tribute to our Head of Marketing Jess’s favourite tipple - sparkling wine. We meet the fabulous Vitalie Taittinger to learn more about her time so far as President of the family business, find out what makes Comtes de Champagne (one of CV’s favourite prestige cuvées) so special and get the details on Taittinger’s expansion into the English sparkling wine market. We also catch up with Tyson Stelzer, the multiaward-winning wine writer and Champagne critic, on how he has come to be one of the world’s most authoritative voices on Champagne.

Elsewhere, we take a deep dive into English sparkling wine, with our resident expert James sharing some fascinating insights (acquired through several years of building one of England’s biggest sparkling wine brands) on why and how the industry is gaining momentum, as well as up-and-coming names to look out for now and in the future. We also spend some time with Giles, another of our new recruits, who delves deeper into his wealth of experience to talk us through the art of buying fine wine, tips for building a dream cellar, and the wines that his own cellar couldn’t be without. Our spirits feature in this edition, meanwhile, focuses on the rise of tequila. Our Associate Director and spirits heavyweight Jon Higgs muses on how tequila has risen from humble beginnings as a staple of the student night out (I’m sure many of you have a tequila tale or two of your own to tell!) to become one of the world’s most premium spirits categories.

Finally, we introduce you to Tim Lewis, the owner and Managing Director of Sorrells Wine Rooms; Chelsea Vintners have recently joined forces with Sorrells in what promises to be a very exciting new partnership for us. Sorrells are well known for designing and building some of the most amazing cellars in the world - Tim takes us through the intricacies of creating a dream cellar and shares some of his highlights from twenty years in the industry.

I hope you enjoy the read!

CECILY CHAPPEL CEO

NEW STARTERS

It’s an exciting time at Chelsea Vintners. We entered 2023 with new energy and ambitious growth plans, and we are very pleased to see our talented team growing in line with our aspirations. We have devoted much of our time in the last few months to building a senior leadership team that we are truly proud of, and so we are delighted to introduce some new faces to you. This trio of senior hires have all brought with them a unique skill set and unrivalled industry expertise, and all three are already having a huge impact on our business.

James Mead, our new Sales Director, is focused on developing relationships with our clients around the world, ensuring that we know each and every one as best we can and offering them that second-to-none Chelsea Vintners experience. James’s talents lie in strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones, and he will no doubt be spotted by many of you in locations around the world over the coming months – make sure you say hello.

As Buying Director, Giles Cooper opens up a new level of access to the world of fine wine, uncovering the interesting and unusual, the hard-to-find and the incredibly rare. Simply put, he enables us to offer even more of the world’s very best wines to our clients! His wealth of experience and network of friends and colleagues around the world will also allow us to offer our clients new adventures on the ground through a new programme of vineyard visits and winery experiences.

Last, but certainly not least, Head of Trading Oliver Bartle brings with him an immense talent for sniffing out great deals and finding the best possible wines with the most impeccable provenance at the most competitive price. Oli knows the fine wine market inside and out and is on hand to ensure that CV clients are always getting the best wines at the best possible market value; whilst also maintaining great relationships with our many trade partners and friends around the world.

We are thrilled to welcome James, Giles and Oli to the CV team, but we aren’t stopping there... look out for more new faces and exciting announcements over the coming months.

JAMES MEAD

What is your most memorable wine experience?

It’s a cliché but there have just been so many that it’s near on impossible to choose just one. However, it’s true to say that the very best have three things in common; people, place and food. It would be easy to throw in the names of some of the world’s greatest estates, and I am lucky enough to have had incredibly benevolent friends and clients who have opened many magnificent bottles. The one occasion which does spring to mind, though, was on a summer holiday to France with family. We stopped off to visit our wonderful great aunt on the way down to the South, and she produced some halves of an unlabelled white Burgundy to accompany lunch. It was clear from the very first sniff that this wasn’t just any old Burgundy. Layer upon layer of candied fruits and subtle brioche character soared from the glass, changing and developing as the wine warmed slightly in the glass. I attempted to enquire as to what the wine was and where it had been acquired from, but these were brushed off with typical French reticence. It was a lesson in learning when to spot a special moment and remembering to be present.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

Above all, I value elegance, complexity, length and balance in the wines that I seek out. I love discovering new producers from rising regions, but often end up revisiting areas for which, in the top estates, these characters are synonymous. Burgundy, the Northern Rhône and Piedmont are all regions which I adore but, given the chance to enjoy a true unicorn, the wine I would choose would be 1928 Salon –one of the all-time greats and the vintage which put this iconic property on the vinous map. Until a few years ago this was very much an insider’s wine but is now a property which every truly great cellar should include.

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

Easy! I would invite my father, who departed this planet a number of years ago, and was pivotal in instilling in me a love of great food and wine. Joining us would be my wife and two boys, who never got the chance to meet him. On the menu would be a roasted rib of beef, Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings (a favourite of both of ours) along with a magnum of 1961 Palmer, which was a vintage that he always spoke of as his ultimate desert island wine.

OLIVER BARTLE

What is your most memorable wine experience?

Back in 2017 I was invited to an evening at Château Haut-Brion during the annual en primeur week in the spring. As well as a tasting of the mind-blowing 2016s prior to dinner, we were treated to a delicious meal alongside Jean-Philippe Delmas who recounted some wonderful stories, including how the team approached the challenging heat of the 2003 vintage. To our delight this 100-point legend was served all evening and it is a wine that will stay fresh in my mind for the rest of my life.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

I had the pleasure of enjoying a bottle of 1976 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon over lunch with a client last summer, at the terrific Chez Bruce in Wandsworth. I have got to know this producer extremely well in recent years, but I had never had the chance to taste this legendary vintage until then. Still so youthful and full of energy, I can only hope another opportunity arises to open another bottle - but given the rarity I’m not holding my breath!

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

For me the perfect dinner party at home should be full of great characters who can tell interesting stories but most importantly, can have a laugh. I would have to invite Sir Elton John, Alan Curbishley & Peter Kay. I prefer to keep food simple at home and you cannot go wrong with a perfectly cooked Boeuf Bourguignon paired with a bottle of 1989 Haut-Brion. For dessert it’s a full bottle of 2001 d’Yquem with tarte tartin.

What is your most memorable wine experience?

Some wine experiences are memorable for the sheer indulgence of the events. Some of mine include 48 hours (pretty much all of it awake) in Istanbul for the launch of 2002 Dom Pérignon Rose, a vertical Cheval Blanc dinner with wines from 1990-1928, another with every top vintage of Harlan Estate poured from magnum… however, the ones that live longest in the memory are usually to do with sharing bottles with special people.

As a cricket nut it was hard to beat an amazing bottle of ’58 Laville Haut-Brion on the first day of the first Test at Lords. This was a wine which had no right to exist, certainly with the quality it displayed, the cork having dropped into the bottle at some previously unknown moment and a piece of clingfilm stretched over the top. Freshness, complexity, virtually no oxidation; a miracle.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

I maintain it’s hard to beat a perfect bottle of Latour ’82, so how about a magnum of Latour ’82, like the one served at a private dinner at the Chateau in early ’22?

At 40 years old it was in considerably better shape than I was at the same age… and looked set for another 40 happy years in that ideal format.

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

I love people who tell stories, so let’s go with Greg Davies (Taskmaster and Buzzcocks host, comic actor, ex-teacher) who is one of the funniest storytellers alive, Sir Ian Botham (who, let’s face it, must have loads which haven’t been told in public) and for a little gentle madness, Bob Mortimer.

I love cooking and might knock up a slowcooked beef short rib ragu to serve with a mature Napa Cabernet (a 1992 Bryant Family or 1994 Harlan Estate would be ideal). However, if I’m allowed, I’d have Mark Hix serve freshly shucked oysters followed by roast chicken and French fries cooked in chicken fat with the crispy chicken skin crumb scattered on top, served with original release 1990 Dom Pérignon Rose, preferably from magnum…

GILES COOPER

THE ART OF BUYING

OUR BUYING DIRECTOR GILES COOPER TELLS US MORE ABOUT HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF FINE WINE AND OFFERS SOME SAGE ADVICE FOR COLLECTORS

BY GILES COOPER

I’m not sure anyone really knows how they got into the wine business – unless you’re born a Rothschild, or a de Villaine, or a Harlan, for example! In my case it was a desire to do something a bit different, to follow a career that would give me the variety of experiences, both hedonistic and intellectually challenging, that I craved. As with so many of my generation (I’m a ‘78 vintage) it was Majestic Wine that opened my first door into the wine world and set me on the path that would eventually bring me to Chelsea Vintners. Majestic nurtured my growing obsession with wine as a living, breathing product, but also as an element of cultural significance with a global following that extended from the mere ‘I’ll take the strongest/cheapest/nicest one please’ to the dedicated focus of a single-minded collector with a deep cellar and even deeper pockets.

My first serious trip to wine country took me to Bordeaux, so it’s unsurprising that this region became the linchpin of my wine life (where it firmly remains, I should add) but Majestic also

helped me to discover a passion for the wines of California. Our Burgundy-mad chairman John Apthorp would hold an annual tasting in which some very serious bottles, often in very serious formats, were pitted against the Californian collection of the then Logistics Director, Peter ‘Pedro’ Emerson. Pedro was a guy who I feared and loved in equal measure, with an encyclopaedic knowledge and unshakable belief in the quality of the best wines of the Golden State. I will never forget a particular battle between Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay and DRC Montrachet... the result was not as clear cut as you might imagine!

Post-Majestic, the eleven years I spent at a major UK-based global fine wine specialist with a particular penchant for Bordeaux really honed my understanding of, and love for, the wines of that famous region. Combining annual en primeur trips and regular tastings (not to mention the many, many bottles opened and enjoyed over more than a decade of client entertaining) created a circle of experience which has served me well. And, to date, not once have I ever got bored of the wines of Bordeaux…

THE ART OF BUYING

The process of buying fine wine can seem like a minefield, but I think it’s arguably easier now than it has ever been. This is mainly due to the democratisation of the market via public pricing networks such as Wine Searcher, combined with the raft of both professional critical opinion and peer review from the likes of Cellar Tracker. The sheer volume of writing on every aspect of the fine wine world now makes information far easier to find than it was even ten or twenty years ago. However, there is a point where information overload becomes very real and multiple voices become a cacophony; a vast selection of products and pricing is only helpful if one understands the true origin of the stock, its condition, authenticity, and so on. Add in the unscrupulous nature of rogue players who are inevitably drawn to any successful market (especially an unregulated one), and you may find that fine wine can still be a tricky universe to navigate.

Still. Let’s assume that as you’re reading this, you’ve likely cleared most of those hurdles and are now getting into the nitty gritty of wine buying and collecting, or are at least interested in how you might approach this in years to come. What is the best way to go about crafting the collection that you’ve always dreamed of?

KNOW YOUR SOURCE

Buying on release from trusted merchants is of course the best guarantee of perfect stock. It shouldn’t be too tricky to find out who these are, but a handy clue... they’re rarely the cheapest, or most expensive, on Wine Searcher! Nevertheless, buying from merchants often comes at a ‘hidden’ cost. Allocations are now so tight, due to lower production and increased demand for fine wine across the globe, that newcomers must really sing for their supper to gain eligibility for the best wines. In practice, this usually means buying a lot of wine you don’t necessarily want in order to get what you do, creating a potentially significant ‘buy in’. Many’s the time I have valued a cellar full of cases that (whilst perfectly good in their own right) were never really wanted by the owner and had not seen a penny rise in value – said owner had inevitably had to take this stock to gain access to the ‘good stuff’.

Buying from a serious broker who trades secondary market stock can relieve you of this burden, although there can be compromises; bottle/case price will typically be higher, and one must make greater demands as to the proof of provenance. To coin a phrase, you pay your money, you make your choice. Sadly, no broker can transport you back in time to buy that full original case of ‘99 Rousseau Chambertin (as much as you wish they could) but there are a few things to remember when searching out those hidden gems which can certainly help you to avoid big (expensive) trouble – and more importantly help you find treats where others see trash. So, I’ve taken the liberty in doing a little bit of myth-busting to help you on your merry way!

N.B. When you’ve finally acquired a few cases of the aforementioned ‘good stuff’, you’ll doubtless find yourself invited to some excellent wine dinners and lunches where the jovial and generous bring some gems out from the depths of their cellars – fine wine is a fantastic social glue, and you are bound to make friends for life!

CORK TALK

There are some aspects of the appearance of a mature bottle which really do count. Corks should be level with the lip of the bottle, not sunken or raised, and capsule condition should be requisite with age. Heavy scratching might suggest multiple movements, not ideal for keeping wine at its best, whilst being too shiny could indicate sub-optimal provenance (unless they have been in OWC and/or there is a record of legitimate reconditioning). Occasionally, capsules have been cut to reveal the name on a cork. This might suggest that at some point during its life, the origin of the wine was questioned. This isn’t usually a great sign, but if the revealed cork is legit, then it may be helpful.

Labels are a different matter. Again, signs of heavy wear and tear could be a sign of too much movement - but if the wine has been racked in a traditional wood and metal system, we all know how easy it is to scratch a label just by sliding it out and back in again (usually when we decide we’re not quite ‘excited’ enough to open that particular bottle). Staining, meanwhile, is a perennially bad sign, often found in conjunction with a raised or sunk cork and implying leakage due to dramatic temperature variation. Still, be mindful that accidents happen, and it is perfectly possible for pesky cellar breakages to leak onto other bottles. Be mainly wary of staining that looks like a downwards drip rather than a splash or splatter.

Finally, a fun fact. Rotting or mould on a label can be a very positive indicator! Despite creating a ‘look’ that some drinkers wouldn’t want anywhere near their table, a rotting label can be a sign of a blessedly humid cellar. When a bit of mould appears in conjunction with a good fill level and cork/capsule, you may just find that the worst looking bottles deliver some of the best wine experiences you will have. After all, you’re drinking what’s in the bottle, not what’s on it.

FINE WINE IS A FANTASTIC SOCIAL GLUE, AND YOU ARE BOUND TO MAKE FRIENDS FOR LIFE!

PRIORITISE PROVENANCE

Provenance is without a doubt one of the biggest buzzwords in the fine wine trade. We all know that one must be keenly aware of the origins and history of a case or bottle, particularly with ultra-rare or highly sought after wines made in limited volumes. But what does this actually mean? Provenance really covers two areas; lifetime storage/movement and authenticity. Most conversations relate to the former but in recent years wine buyers and collectors have had to become much more cognisant of the latter.

So, let’s assume your case is authentic. Provenance in this case relates to its movements post-release from the château or domaine, and a seller would be expected to account for the quality of storage at each phase of its life, the number of times it has moved within that life, and the locations where it’s spent its time. Ideally a case would move as infrequently as possible; however, several movements between high quality professional storage units in the UK would ultimately be better than long-term storage in a poor-quality environment. It’s also completely possible to ship wine around the world without having a negative impact on the contents of your case (after all, how does wine from the USA or Australia get here?) but it’s important to understand how the case got to its current location. Was it ex-local agent stock? Was it kept in ideal temperature and humidity-controlled conditions?

A note on authenticity. Some of the world’s most desirable brands suffer from fakes and frauds, whether it be Prada, Louis Vuitton or even Apple, so it’s hardly surprising that it should happen in wine too. The notorious Rudy Kurniawan and the ‘Dr Conti’ scandal of 2012 blew open the world of niche, albeit high-level fakery; and whilst the scale of this particular fraud was notable in and of itself, the actual volume of fake bottles versus true production is extremely small. However, Rudy was far from the only ‘rogue operator’ and his actions and those of others have led to all kinds of authentication processes and solutions being put in place by producers. We now see everything from proof-tagging bottles to creating forensic-level genetic maps of a wine produced in a particular vineyard using trace elements to guarantee origin.

The UK is relatively fortunate to enjoy a wide network of professional ‘under bond’ storage facilities but that doesn’t mean that wine bought from outside the UK should give you specific cause for concern – after all, notable amounts of every wine’s release allocation ends up on different shores. Fundamentally it’s about trust and the ability to rely on your chosen merchant to have both the contacts and connections to have confidence in trading, combined with the discernment and expertise to explore and approve of the origins of any given case.

A FINAL WORD ON FILL LEVELS...

A controversial topic. Whilst there is no doubt that for most wines from the 1980s onwards you should expect a fill level into the neck, I have encountered many older bottles with fill levels that would cause palpitations amongst some vinous perfectionists. These include bottles from Bordeaux, Spain, Italy and beyond, which, despite the contents reaching only to mid-shoulder or lower, have been fresh, pure and perfectly representative of their age and region/vineyard of origin. Again, it’s all about balance; if the cork and capsule look healthy, and there is no sign of seepage, then natural evaporation over time can be the simplest cause. With limited production control involved with old corks, it’s impossible to expect them to perform at a consistent level. So, don’t be casual about low fills, but don’t automatically discount them either.

So, the £64,000-dollar question (as it were)… what does a perfect collector’s cellar look like? Impossible to answer, of course, except to say that I have always believed that trading your stock is nothing to be ashamed of and a cellar to me is an ever-moving feast. Palates change, values rise and fall, and you probably won’t want to keep or drink everything you’ve ever bought. In a nutshell, if you never sell or drink anything you’ve bought, you’re not a collector – you’re a hoarder. And nobody wants that.

That being said, I think there are a few gems which should reside in any cellar worth its salt that will bring huge drinking pleasure over the lifetime of a collector. Turn the page for some passionate discourse on a few of my favourites!

TYRELL’S VAT 1 SEMILLON ANY VINTAGE!

What, no Montrachet? Surely I can’t be choosing a single solitary Australian wine as my must-have white? Where is the Burgundy, I hear you cry?! Well, I am choosing Australia, there is no Burgundy on this list, and anyone who has encountered this wine with any kind of maturity will understand instantly. The stats speak for themselves – this is one of Australia’s most awarded white wines in history with over 5,500 medals to its name and a loyal following around the world (which I am more than happy to count myself part of!)

However, this is no wine tourist’s drop. There is no Douro/Mosel/Cote d’Or majesty to the Tyrell’s vineyards, which are relatively flat and uniform, and in its youth Vat 1 is hardly a wine of which you would taste the new release and rush to your nearest merchant to secure a few cases. It is however a wine blessed with mind-bending ageworthiness, and drinking a bottle a decade or so on from release reveals the glacial, but wonderful, maturation of the liquid therein.

Derived from aged vines, the oldest blocks of which were planted in 1923, Vat 1 shows the sheer, crystalline purity and power of Semillon. This wine takes the drinker on a journey from ferocious acidity and eye-watering citrus-charged intensity in youth to a waxy, mineral complexity in maturity which allows it to stand shoulder to shoulder with any great white Bordeaux.

CRISTAL 1996

I am not alone in placing Cristal right at the very top of the Grandes Marques Champagne pyramid. Whilst 1996 is an occasionally controversial vintage for the region, I’m leaning towards it with this particular wine in mind – you can drink Cristal ‘96 with consummate ease right now or sit on it for two more decades if you wish.

A famous ‘10/10’ vintage (featuring an almost unheard-of 10g/l acidity and 10 degrees potential alcohol) 1996 provided a bumper crop of majestic grapes from a hot, dry summer and cool September, giving masses of ripe fruit character and the requisite enlivening acidity. As a result, many producers waited longer than usual to release their wines, but even the top bottlings were nowhere near reaching their potential when they hit the shelves in the mid-2000s. Some lost their fruit too quickly, leaving behind raw, jaw-trembling acidity – but when they’re good, they’re spectacular. At a ‘10 and 20 Years On’ Champagne tasting in 2016, the Cristal 1996 poured from magnum was the star of the show; at another event showing Cristal vintages from 2006 back to 1979, the 1996 again stood out for its sheer harmony and further potential.

CHÂTEAU FIGEAC 2016

At some point I guarantee you will get bored of me talking about Bordeaux 2016. I, on the other hand, will never get bored of talking about Bordeaux 2016. It is quite simply the greatest young Bordeaux vintage I have ever tasted. This vintage has the complete package in terms of sheer fruit quality, terroir expression, potential longevity, and a distinctive textural character which sets it apart from all others. I firmly believe time may judge this as the best Bordeaux vintage in recorded history, on a par with 1961 but with the benefit of deft, modern winemaking.

Figeac is a unique and distinctive property with a fabulous history which constitutes a minority amongst the highest echelons of Bordeaux in that it remains under majority family ownership. It’s often said that the estate has a foot on each ‘bank’, with Médoc-style Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc planted on gravel and traditional Right Bank Merlot planted on sandy, clay soils; the result is both noble and vertical, yet with a mid-palate plushness and a character all its own. 2016 is the zenith of the rebirth of Figeac under Technical Director Frédéric Faye, a wine that puts both the vintage and the estate into a sort of vinous Large Hadron Collider and produces the closest thing I have tasted to a ‘God particle’ in a wine glass.

PROMONTORY 2016

Sticking with 2016 but heading across the Atlantic, we arrive in the Napa Valley and another property which is both part of, and separate from, the majority. Promontory is an estate with a totally unique set of characteristics, being the only wine producing estate (anywhere?) which boasts volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types in its terroir. This of course gives incomparable potential for vast, dramatic complexity. Like Figeac, it is family-owned (in this case by the Harlan family), sitting just south of Harlan Estate on the edge of Oakville and boasting a state-of-the-art winery that defies belief in both its beauty and effectiveness.

2016 is my chosen vintage for two reasons. First, it was a spectacular year in Napa, with the high level of fruit purity that one expects from such a benevolent climate combined with a singular coolness and sense of vineyard expression that I personally believe sets it apart even from the vaunted 2013. Secondly, it is the year that the Promontory team really cracked the code for expressing this fabulously rugged and complex terroir, and the resulting wine shows a level of freshness and transparency unlike anything else from the valley. What’s more, with an increased emphasis on dry farming (which has led to earlier harvests promoting finer acidity without losing ripeness) in vintages still to come, it’s possible that Promontory may get even better still.

GUIGAL LA MOULINE 1991

Guigal’s famous trio of Côte-Rôtie redsLa Landonne, La Turque and La Mouline, collectively known as the LaLas – are a true test of patience. Their density and power in their youth (and well into their twenties in the best vintages) is often, rightly, considered a barrier to their potential for enjoyment. However, there is always that much anticipated moment where the LaLas suddenly drop their fearsome cloaks of hefty tannin and oak and the true aromatic qualities sing through with a resounding ooh la la! There is no better example than the magnificent La Mouline 1991, an oft forgotten ‘perfect’ Parker wine which undeservedly lives in the shadow of the more famous 1990.

The most aromatically charged of the three (a result of having the largest proportion of Viognier blended in with the majority Syrah) and sporting some nearly century-old vines within its plot on the Côte Blonde, La Mouline ‘91 is arguably most likely to be favoured by Burgundy drinkers. It can astonish and enthral with its Vosne-like floral aromatics, but there is no escaping that signature seared bacon fat and grilled peppered meat character that defines the greatest of Syrahs.

SICILIA UNICO 2004

Vega Sicilia’s flagship wine Unico defies convention in so many ways... even more so if you have had the opportunity to visit Ribera del Duero. It’s almost impossible to believe that a wine of such richness, such bombast, such hedonistic depth and complexity can come from an environment which looks at times like the surface of the moon. Arid, rocky and desert-like in its diurnal temperature swings, this is an unforgiving place to grow vines, and there are many volatile, untamed expressions of Tempranillo (locally called Tinto Fino) from this part of the wine world. And yet through it all, Unico remains steadfastly balanced, harmonious, almost claret-like in its mid-weight digestibility. Furthermore, it has ageability in spades thanks to healthy alcohol and vibrant acidity.

The 2004 seems to be an almost forgotten Unico vintage given its relative position in the market (it sits only marginally above recent releases despite having greater critical acclaim) and yet in my experience it should be considered one of the alltime greats.

VEGA

The transportation of bottles of Cristal in the wine cellars at Louis Roederer

MAGIC IN A GLASS

IN CONVERSATION WITH VITALIE TAITTINGER

BY JESS LAMB

In 1915, a young French army officer named PierreCharles Taittinger was sent from his native Paris to a posting in Champagne, where he fell so deeply in love with this special corner of France that he simply never left. Over the course of the 1930s, Pierre-Charles acquired two châteaux in the region with the help of his brother-in-law Paul Evêque... and so established the foundations of Champagne Taittinger, today one of the most celebrated Grand Marque properties on earth.

Nearly a century on, Vitalie Taittinger is the latest generation of her family to take the reins at her eponymous family estate. Vitalie has officially been President of Champagne Taittinger since New Year’s Day 2020, when she and her brother Clovis succeeded their father Pierre-Emmanuel in the roles of President and General Manager respectively.

Despite her unmistakeable surname, entering the family business was never Vitalie’s original plan. She studied art at the Emile Cohl school in Lyon, worked as an illustrator, a marketer and published a book about surrealist painter Alfred Courmes in her earlier years. However, a highly publicised period of turbulence for Champagne Taittinger in 2005 saw property investment trust Starwood Capital acquire the domaine and other Taittinger family assets for over €2 billion. Throughout this process, Vitalie’s father PierreEmmanuel was determined to regain ownership of his legacy and together with other family members subsequently raised enough capital to buy back Champagne Taittinger and its Californian outpost, Domaine Carneros, in 2006. This was the catalyst that both Vitalie and Clovis needed to return to the family business, and neither has looked back.

Now firmly back on track, Pierre-Emmanuel has handed the torch to Vitalie and Clovis (mostly… he is still involved despite his supposed retirement!) and Champagne Taittinger is looking to the future. This renewed energy has given rise to exciting projects such as the much-anticipated Domaine Evremond, a joint venture with Londonbased wine merchant Hatch Mansfield which will see Taittinger release its very first bottles of premium English sparkling wine in 2024.

Chelsea Vintners’ Head of Marketing Jess Lamb sat down with Vitalie to talk all things Taittinger and find out how the last three years have influenced the woman at the helm of one of the world’s most legendary Grand Marque producers.

The last three years have covered some tumultuous times, from economic upheaval to the Covid-19 pandemic. How do you look back on your time as President so far?

Those three years have been very exciting and interesting – very much my best years for learning. It was very tricky to have the Covid-19 pandemic begin right in the middle of the new job, but there were certainly positives to be found because I became very conscious of the responsibility we carry to care for the Champagne Taittinger brand and all the people we look after in the company. I think this gave us something very positive to take away.

The lockdowns also presented us with time; to think, analyse, to really discover who we are and to build our plans for the future. We took this time and made the most of the opportunity to ask what the company really is and what we want in our future. I am not like my father, and neither is my brother Clovis, so it was very important to work together with the team to build something different and create our clear vision for the next stage of Taittinger. I was able to spend a huge amount of very valuable time with my brother –as General Manager he is now travelling all the time and without Covid-19 we would never have been able to spend so much time together creating our vision for the company.

After this period of reflection, what are your ambitions for the future of Taittinger?

There is not just one answer to this but many. I first started working in the company in 2007, but becoming President was the first moment that I had the freedom to take the company in the direction that I felt was the natural progression for Champagne Taittinger. It was good to understand my vision and feel confident to discuss this with our team and our partners to create our plan for the future… and now we are doing a lot! There is so much happening and lots of things are being created that did not exist before. We are doing everything from refurbishing our visitor’s centre in Reims to bringing Champagne Taittinger to new foreign locations. Our Domaine Evremond project in Kent, England, is coming out of the soil with the first bottles due to be released in 2024, and so it’s a very exciting time.

You originally studied art and did not intend to join the family business. How have your experiences outside the wine industry influenced what you do now?

By definition I am a totally different person with a very different perspective to many of those I work with. I can’t do the same things as someone who has studied wine, but my education and experience give me the ability to create something totally unique which doesn’t look like any other producer or wine project. I think differently, but my brother is the same and this is one of our main strengths, that our perspective is unusual in comparison to most others in the wine industry.

We are focused on giving importance not only to the wines themselves but also what surrounds them in terms of culture and context. We know that brand is very important, and we are obsessed both with our wines and all the other aspects of the world which influence them. We love to think about Taittinger as not just wine but people, culture, and extraordinary moments, and our challenge is how we bring them all together as one.

There is a long legacy of strong female figures in Champagne –how aware are you of your role as a female leader in the industry?

In the beginning I was not particularly conscious of this. I was never thought that the fact that I am a woman should change anything and I was fortunate that for me it didn’t - at Taittinger the men of the family have always treated the women very equally. However, with more experience I understood how important this was for so many other women and how fortunate I was to have a place in business that many women can only dream of.

I am mindful that I am super-lucky in my life, and as a leader I think now that we should share our experiences and work to reduce the differences between us and other women. You can succeed and achieve great things if you believe in your dreams, and I think being a woman should not hold you back in this – in the wine world or anywhere else. It is very easy to forget how blessed we are and how the positions we have are so important. So many women must fight for just a little bit of this success in a way that men very often don’t, and it is very important to acknowledge this and support other women wherever we can.

I also think what is interesting is the difference between what men and women can bring to a business like Taittinger. I realise more and more that we don’t think about things or build in the same way. We have very different and very valuable perspectives and I think that this is extremely important. Women have a unique and important view, and we should always support and celebrate this.

Your prestige cuvée, Comtes de Champagne, is a firm Chelsea Vintners favourite. What do you think makes this wine so special?

Comtes de Champagne is a gift. It is not our wine, but a wine which comes from the past, and so requires much patience from the people who create it. To see a Comtes that is truly yours, that was laid down during your time at Taittinger, you must wait for a while. My father’s first wines only really started to come through in 2006 when he was almost ready to retire!

This means that we always treat Comtes not as a project belonging to just one person, but as something that is for all of us at Taittinger. It is a treasure for the whole family that it is very important to take care of. There is always an impulse to produce a vintage every year because it is so loved but we know it is not possible - this wine must be treated with respect, and we must take care to be wise and ensure that it is not about sales figures or temptation. We must respect nature, time, and what our cellar masters have built over many years. For me, Comtes de Champagne is a noble wine that is a combination of history, beautiful ingredients, respect, and secrets, and I love the fact that we honour this in our work.

How has the recent release of Comtes 2012 been received?

When looking at the finished wine, we have been very lucky with modern Comtes vintages… except for the time between 2008 and 2011! Sometimes the quantities are not enormous, but this is life. We have a very strong range of wines across Taittinger, which means we are able to make the best Comtes that we can and protect it by having other wines to choose from when quantities are lower.

2012 has I think been received well, but to be honest I don’t worry about it! When we release a Comtes vintage I am always so confident and sure that it is right that I am totally convinced in the wine. Many people want to compare these wines (for example, some critics compared the 2011 to the 2008) but again, for me it is not a real question as I feel that every Comtes is its own unique and beautiful thing.

I think that the 2012 has marvellous minerality, richness and toastiness, very different to the 2011 which was more structured with higher tension and acidity. One thing that I think unites all the great Comtes wines however is this idea of matière, that unique substance of the wine, which for me means a special kind of chalky minerality that is perfectly expressed in Comtes.

What are your predictions for the future of Champagne? Do you have any advice to Champagne lovers on how to build their collections in the coming years?

I have huge conviction that our small appellation is capable of great things for many years to come. It is a real treasure and has so many distinctive qualities. Not only do we have the incredible soil but a certain climate, history, and a style of wine that is a symbol of wonderful things for so many people. For me, Champagne is just totally unique, and I think the future is excellent.

For champagne lovers and collectors, I have two pieces of advice. First, look for the wines which use the best quality grapes. Pay attention to the way Champagne houses are treating their fruit, right through from the growing sites and work in the vineyard to blending and dosage. The best houses are the ones who know exactly how to care for their fruit, and this is what makes the great champagnes that age so beautifully.

Secondly – share! I always love to share my wines. If I was a collector, I would make sure to buy the best prestige cuvées, pay attention to very good vintage and NV blends… but most importantly I would share it all with wine lovers and truly appreciate the job that is done in creating these wines and the time it has taken for this cuvée to age and finally reach the glass. Never forget to drink your champagne. It is good to age, of course, but always better to drink.

To me, drinking champagne is like putting magic in a glass. You may have a very normal day or even an awful one, but when you come back home and just sit at the table and open the champagne, at once something amazing happens. This wine means so many positive things. Champagne tells others that you love them without saying the words. With your friends it means joy and celebration. For me it is like turning a light on which makes everything become more lively and more beautiful. It creates a magical filter for the world. This is champagne.

Tell us more about your English sparkling wine project, Domaine Evremond. How is it going down in Kent?

The first wine from the estate will finally be released in 2024 as a multi- vintage blend, hopefully in the autumn, and we are very excited of course! It has taken a lot of work to reach this goal, but everything is going very well. In the vineyards we can do exactly what we want to do, which is very satisfying, and every day we discover something new and wonderful. In Champagne, all the vineyards were planted long before we came, and so it was great to design a winery and vineyards exactly as we dreamed they should be. It is just gorgeous, and the quality of the grapes is very nice. In 2022 we had a good harvest with some good yields and proved the ability of the soil to bring minerality to the grapes, and so we are happy.

It is also great to collaborate with our partners in the Hatch Mansfield team - mainly through Patrick McGrath, who is the English face of the domaine, working alongside the Taittinger team. He is totally crazy about this project, very involved and attentive to the details, and just brings pure joy to all of it. We also have great people in our winery and technical areas in the UK who work together with the Taittinger cellar master Alexandre Ponnavoy and vineyard director Christelle Rinville. All of them spend a lot of time together, and it is wonderful to see that the love and the Taittinger family spirit is there.

How have you approached winemaking in the UK in comparison to what you do Champagne?

Of course, it was important at the beginning to understand the differences and make sure we were not doing exactly the same as we do in Champagne. In Champagne we work with very different timings – England has a much later harvest, at least one month after France. We learned to understand the terroir but also how to deal with the English weather!

Now that we can comprehend the differences, it is very important to not do the same thing. Domaine Evremond is a rebirth for Taittinger. We cannot predict where we may be in 10 years’ time, but we know how important it is to take the time to observe and understand the unique emotions of the soil. We also don’t want to compare the two domaines. Of course, Taittinger cellar master Alexandre Ponnavoy is involved but for him they are very separate approaches and each domaine deserves to be treated in this way. However, the philosophy that we do bring from Taittinger is our focus on healthy, super-clean fruit, and purity. This is in the soul of all our wines, but other than this we want to let Evremond create its own unique expression.

It is crazy to consider that first vintage bottle from Evremond may not be released for 10 years or more… but the best quality sparkling wines follow their own unique calendar and we know it takes a decade and more to build a bottle. This is our contribution to history, and I am very proud of it. If you are patient, our sparkling wines reward you with pure joy, and we always need that!

FOR ME IT TURNING ON

WHICH

EVERYTHING BECOME MORE LIVELY AND BEAUTIFUL.

VITALIE TAITTINGER ON OPENING A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE

IT IS LIKE

A LIGHT WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING MORE AND MORE BEAUTIFUL. “

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath celebrating harvest at Domaine Evremond

ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE

We often view premium sparkling wine and Champagne as being synonymous; but it is unfair to overlook the regions outside northeastern France which are also producing top-quality traditional method wines. Believe it or not, England is one of these…

After several years heading up Roebuck Wines in West Sussex, our new Sales Director James Mead shares his expertise and insight into what is undeniably one of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming sparkling wine regions.

BY JAMES MEAD

It’s tough to pinpoint the exact moment when English wines first started to come to prominence within the world of wine. I think it’s fair to say that this growth has come as more of a gradual creep than a big bang! It is also undeniable that when you speak with wine lovers the world over on the topic of English wine, opinions are still very divided. There are those who are quick to condemn the wines out-of-hand without any recent evidence to back their opinion up, and others who simply may have been unlucky in what they have tasted so far. There are as many average wines out there as there are stars in the sky… but that not only goes for England but every other wine region on earth! However, there is also that savvy bunch who recognise England for what it is - an exciting emerging wine region with a great deal to offer, very much in the ascendancy both domestically and (more importantly for its success) globally.

The Origins of the Industry

The rise of English wine can be attributed to many different factors, but the first, and most important, is passion. The winemakers and growers who first set out on this journey must have been questioned over and over again as to why they would involve themselves in such a capital-intensive business with no guarantee of return on investment for many years... and when you put it like that, the answer can only really be ‘for the love of it!’ It was around the turn of the 21st century that the first passionate, pioneering English wine brands started to gradually emerge into the marketplace. Producers like Hambledon (notable for establishing the UK’s first modern commercial vineyard in 1952) Chapel Down, Nyetimber, Ridgeview and Hush Heath led the way and must be thanked for forging such a successful path for others to follow.

Fortunately, underpinning this passion are numerous other helpful features that England offers as a winegrowing region which have not only vastly improved over the years, but also help

WE ARE NOW SEEING QUALITY WINES BEING MADE EVERYWHERE FROM CORNWALL TO NORFOLK!

instil confidence in both new producers and consumers. Climate, inevitably, is often discussed as the most important of these. It’s clearly getting warmer (as anyone who happened to be in the UK in July 2022 will no doubt recall) which allows parts of the UK to successfully ripen grapes in areas that even 50 years ago would have been far too cool. Whilst the UK is still very much a marginal climate, comparable to the Champagne of twenty or thirty years ago, with consistent temperature rises come new opportunities to ripen high quality fruit in many areas of the country. We are now seeing good quality wines being made everywhere from Cornwall to Norfolk! However, as is increasingly clear from the global effects of climate change, with higher temperatures come more extremes and unpredictability. The industry has therefore had to improve its knowledge by a huge amount in a short space of time; Sussex-based Plumpton College has been particularly instrumental in helping to prepare both viticulturalists and winemakers to successfully to ride the waves of extremes.

The English harvest begins at least one month later than the harvest in Champagne.

The vines at Exton Park and the beautifully renovated Exton Hall (right)

A Long-Term Investment

Another significant factor which has changed the English wine industry for the better is investment. As I’m sure you can imagine, a huge amount of working capital is needed to set these businesses up and, in the case of producers focusing on sparkling wines, there is no immediate revenue for several years following the creation of a vineyard. Newly planted vines take 3-4 years to produce their first viable crop, and the nature of high-quality traditional method sparkling (which most of the best English wines are) means that bottles require several years of cellaring before they can finally be sold.

Fortunately, many investors have seen beyond this early drain on working capital, seemingly attracted by the chance to get in at an early stage on one of the last few truly new and emerging wine regions on earth at a time when land prices are low, and competition relatively limited. Many see the bright viticultural future that has arisen in the UK as unpredictable growing seasons in Champagne become more numerous, and a rising global demand for sparkling wines at all levels of quality means that English fizz has never been higher on the wine list.

Passionate People

Once the initial trailblazers who initially pioneered modern English wine had settled in, then came a raft of other enthusiastic new entrants. Predominantly based in the southern counties of the UK and with their eyes on the prize of an increasingly enthusiastic domestic market, producers such as Gusbourne, Exton Park, Hattingley Valley, Wiston, Coates & Seeley, Simpsons, Harrow & Hope (and lots, lots more!) entered the

fray and started to develop their own core styles, brand USPs and market channels. A long list of consumer categories including domestic on-trade dining, independent wine shops, large supermarket chains, hotels, pubs, sports and leisure, and travel and wine tourism, mean that there is a huge amount of opportunity to be shared around. The new wave of producers has been incredibly efficient in setting themselves up to capture this business.

The last couple of years also have seen new kids on the block like Taittinger’s Domaine Evremond, Rathfinny and Roebuck Estates really start to push both the scale and quality of traditional method sparkling wine production. There are some fabulous boutique producers like Black Chalk, Penn Croft and Sugrue who have a clear focus on maximising quality whilst maintaining a smaller scale… and then come those who are doing things radically differently.

The Uncommon are pioneering quality English wines in cans, Blackbook and London Cru both have achingly trendy London-based urban wineries, whilst Mark Dixon and architectural practise Foster & Partners have drawn up plans for a ‘Kentish Wine Vault’ and focus on making sparkling wine using the Charmat method, which is predominantly associated with Italian Prosecco wines. These incredibly varied and creative approaches all have a place in the dynamic UK wine scene and it’s great to see so much innovation and blue sky thinking from people who have often entered the market with experience in totally different sectors. You can find everyone from ex-bankers to ex-lawyers and ex-chefs to ex-farmers

strolling through their rows of freshly planted vitis vinifera. Long may this innovation continue!

The Still Wine Revolution

The other major category which I have not yet touched upon is still wine, which accounts for around 30% of UK production. Whilst the UK is most closely associated with sparkling wines, still wine production is not new here – there are many producers across the country, both large and small, who have been making still wine for many decades. The standard of these has historically been variable but in the last few years it feels like the level of quality and expertise in making exceptional English still wine has really turned a corner. The likes of Danbury Ridge, Simpsons and Artellium are crafting truly exceptional still wines and are laser-focused on pushing quality as high as possible. Some of the existing behemoths of English sparkling wine have also stepped up to the plate, with Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty and Gusbourne’s Boot Hill vineyards producing still wines of unfathomable quality. There is still much to be discovered in this category, with some of the drier sites in the East of England, particularly Essex and Suffolk, showing really terrific potential for achieving the higher levels of ripeness needed for great still wine.

It is very clear to me that the foundations for a thriving wine industry are all there and this energy shows no signs of slowing down. There is no shortage of passion, knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit in the many fine winemakers and viticulturalists who have thrown their lot in with English wine; this, partnered with increased investment, warm summers and a bit of luck from time to time make for an incredibly exciting new category. No doubt there will be headwinds to contend with - access to labour, increasing costs and the challenge of opening up new export markets, to name but a few. However, if sheer quality continues to hit the levels we have witnessed in recent years, rivalling the best found anywhere in the world, the future for English wine is incredibly bright indeed.

The rolling hills of Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty vineyard in Kent, the Garden of England.

SIX ENGLISH WINES TO WATCH

DANBURY RIDGE PINOT NOIR 2020

One of a new band of producers in the UK focusing purely on the production of still wines, Danbury Ridge is the brainchild of two generations of the Bunker family, who planted their vines on a spectacular estate in 2014. The further east you go in the UK, the drier it gets, and in 2020 Danbury Ridge experienced just 550mm of rain; it is this, along with long sunlight hours and low cloud cover, that makes for perfect ripening weather. Their 2020 Pinot Noir (amounting to a mere 4573 bottles) was fermented for 10 months in 100% French oak and shows a precision like no other English still I have encountered. Polished with dark cherry fruit, hints of delicate Asian spice and with a balanced seam of juicy acidity. Very impressive indeed.

GUSBOURNE BLANC DE BLANCS ‘SELHURST’ 2017

I have long been a fan of Gusbourne – not only do they have an incredible attention to detail in their wines, but they are also an all-round nice group of people. Their vineyard sites straddle Sussex and Kent, and in recent years their focus has really honed in on wines from the most expressive plots which will be released, in very small quantities, on an annual basis. It is effectively a project which will document, in vinous terms, their hunt for a Gusbourne monopole vineyard and one which will surely be beneficial to follow. Interestingly in the 2017 vintage, one which was largely unsuccessful for English producers due to some very late spring frosts, they crafted some superb single vineyard wines. Their 2017 Selhurst, produced from a single West Sussex block of Chardonnay, was incredibly impressive. Lean, tight and restrained but with clear power, focus and balance. Delicate stone fruits and lemony citrus combine with a meal-like texture to create something really quite special.

BREAKY BOTTOM SEYVAL BLANC ‘CUVÉE KOIZUMI YAKUMO’ 2010

Peter Hall’s reputation as a visionary is well documented. He planted his beautiful Breaky Bottom site back in the 1980s and, contrary to most new entrants, committed to the oft-maligned hybrid grape varieties Seyval Blanc and Muller-Thurgau. In more recent years he has added the holy trinity of classic sparkling varieties – Chardonnay, Meunier and Pinot Noir - but the original Seyval still represents a theme running through many of his blends. His 2010 Seyval Blanc Cuvée Koizumi Yakomo has received very long lees aging and is an incredible expression of this unique variety. Real autolytic character underpinned by layers of complex citrussy charm and fine bubbles.

ROEBUCK ESTATES BLANC DE NOIRS 2015

One of a new wave of wine producers on the English scene and a producer who I know very well indeed… having helped build the business from its infancy in my life before Chelsea Vintners! This Blanc de Noirs is unashamedly Pinot in character, and hails from Roebuck’s Roman Villa vineyard which is nestled in a serene valley in the lee of the South Downs Hills. The combination of smaller-bunched, more intense Burgundian clone Pinot Noir, with the much juicier, Champenoise cloned Pinot make for an outstanding combination. Red apples, delicate red berries, cemented by a fullness afforded by partial fermentation in oak give this wine a Bollinger-esque richness. One to seek out.

EXTON PARK RB|23 ROSÉ

Exton Park is a great example of international winemakers being lured to English shores by the sheer potential that they hold. Wine Director Corinne Seely cut her teeth in her native France, working first at Domaine du Chevalier in Bordeaux and then Portugal and Australia before settling in Hampshire.

Corinne has thoroughly modernised Exton’s wines and now produces the much-lauded ‘Reserve Blend’ series. All the wines in this range draw on a huge selection of reserve wines assembled from across Exton’s 60 acres of vineyards over a decade of vintages, to create wines that are truly greater than the sum of their parts. The RB|23 rosé comprises 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier from 23 different reserve wines, and its energetic peach and light floral notes make it a hit with gastronomes including the three-Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, who offers this as his house pour at the legendary l’Enclume.

CHAPEL DOWN KIT’S COTY CHARDONNAY 2020

There are few vineyard sites in the UK with a reputation as good as Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty. This chalky 100-acre site on the North Downs in Kent has it all going on – southerly aspect, incredibly good drainage, low average rainfall, high heat accumulation at the right times of the year and a history of producing exceptional quality fruit. A winemaker’s dream! The 2020 iteration of their still Chardonnay from this prized site has a biscuity richness combined with ripe apple character and a beautiful seam of balanced acidity. A benchmark wine for other English producers to look up to.

TYSON STELZER

THE

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF CHAMPAGNE ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PASSIONATE CRITICS

BY MATT LOVE

Tyson Stelzer’s list of accomplishments is an impressive one. From numerous Wine Writer of the Year accolades spanning more than a decade to an entire library of publications, native Australian Tyson has written on everything from home cellaring to New Zealand Pinot Noir Classifications – and that’s before we get onto the topic of Champagne, his specialist subject. Tyson’s voice in the wine world is energetic and authoritative (in 2021 he was named Most Influential Opinion Maker in the annual list of Who’s Who in Australia by Meininger’s Wine Business International), yet his wide smile is genuine, and his sheer passion is undeniable. During our video call, he eagerly leaps up and delves into his bookshelves again and again, to return and proudly wave a copy of his first home cellaring book or the original Champagne Guide in front of the camera. At one point, a small boy enters stage right to inform his father that dinner is ready and that although he has looked everywhere, he can’t find his brother. This atmosphere of great joy and warmth continues throughout our conversation as Tyson waxes lyrical on his passion for Champagne. All things considered, it is not difficult to understand how he has risen to become one of the most insightful and trusted Champagne critics on Earth.

Your journey into wine writing wasn’t a conventional one –how did you find your way to where you are now?

No, it certainly wasn’t conventional! I think you would expect someone like me to have been a sommelier, retailer or otherwise associated with the wine trade before I started writing. In fact, I was a science teacher, working as the Head of Science at a school on the Gold Coast. I first discovered ‘proper’ wine on a trip to the Barossa Valley and was enchanted with the idea of this amazing thing that unites people, place and taste. I was then lucky enough to visit many of the great wine regions of the world on my first wine trip to Europe in the year 2000. This included some of the world’s greatest estates, from Krug and Latour to d’Yquem and Rousseau, and established the benchmarks that I still use today.

When it came to writing, I always felt compelled to write and share what I was learning and used a lot of online forums based in Australia (there were no such thing as blogs then!). However, it was very hard to do this more formally, as publishers don’t tend to want to know you without some kind of track record, and so I ended up self-publishing books on the topics that interested me. I have since written on everything from home cellaring to the screw cap revolution - the scientist in me loves the research!

The 17th century chalk cellars at Billecart-Salmon - 2km of vintage champagne storage

What were the wines that you first fell in love with?

As I mentioned, my first wine trip was a visit to the Barossa in the mid 1990’s to see my wife’s aunt and uncle, who own a winery there. I was just a novice drinking sub-10 quid wine (I’m sure you can imagine) but in the Barossa I discovered things like beautiful single vineyard Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. These wines had all the features that we love in fine wine - authenticity, a sense of place, character, ageability, structure, to name but a few. I became besotted with this unique thing that somehow links people, place, and taste, and then becomes the most incredible conduit for human connection. The thing that I love most is sharing wines with great people around the world via my events and personal relationships. The fact that wine removes barriers and helps to build wonderful shared experiences is what makes it so much more than just an expensive beverage.

When did you realise that you wanted to make Champagne your main focus?

In 2010 I came to England for my long-time friend and collaborator Matthew Jukes’ wedding and added on a family holiday in France. We had planned to spend part of the summer in Champagne and so I looked to find a recent Champagne guide. At that time, Michael Edwards MW and Tom Stevenson were the go-to writers on Champagne, but I discovered that they were no longer publishing an annual guide, as they had done for many years, and there was no alternative.

With this in mind, I visited various Champagne houses that summer, saw a niche for an annual Champagne publication – and went for it! My first edition of ‘The Champagne Guide’ was published online only (this was the time of the e-book revolution) but happened to come out just before Christmas of 2010 and so I had a lot of requests for hard copies. I printed 330 copies for gifts, and they sold out overnight.

I decided to enter the guide into the Louis Roederer International Wine Writer Awards, and a few months later was stunned to find myself on the way to London to accept the prize for International Champagne Writer of the Year. Michael Edwards MW, part of the judging panel and one of my gurus in the world of Champagne, said to me, ‘I’m in the process of retiring, so it’s good to see Champagne is in good hands’. I nearly cried!

Off the back of this success, I decided that I should do it properly and visit Champagne for an extended period - I visited 50 houses in 5 weeks in 2011 and now make a pilgrimage to the region several times a year. The Champagne Guide is now in its 6th edition with the 7th due to be published in November 2023, and I have recently created a new Champagne Guide Online resource featuring every review I’ve ever written, which was just launched in mid-April 2023.

What are the challenges of specialising in a very European wine category whilst based in Australia?

I often wish I could be in the UK and just flit across the Channel whenever I like. However, it does mean that all my engagement with the region must be very purposeful and focused, which brings a lot of benefits - although when I’m there, it’s very intense! Normally, a writer would visit two or three estates each day across a five-day

week, but I must use all the time I have and will visit four or five producers seven days a week to fit it all in.

Having this international perspective also means that I get to engage with Champagne lovers around the world on a regular basis; I hold my yearly Taste Champagne events in London, Hong Kong and across Australia, and I love having such a wide world view.

Can you tell us more about your charity work with the Teen Rescue Foundation?

One thing I have always observed about wine is that drinking can be a hugely positive social glue, but it can also be a massive problem. It’s therefore incredibly important to establish healthy habits and attitudes to alcohol from a young age.

When I was still a teacher, my students would often talk to me about seeing their peers drinking to excess and becoming unwell. Many were worried about what might happen and how they could be responsible and support friends. At that point I did some research and work in the community with kids and parents around safe alcohol consumption, with some great results.

As I became more embedded in the world of wine, I met plenty of winemakers who had similar concerns and wanted to build a positive culture for young people and alcohol consumption. The goal of a winemaker is that their products are used to enhance social interaction and not as a vehicle to drink to excess, with all the negative consequences that brings. So, I set up a charity to channel resources donated by wineries into helping young people develop positive drinking habits.

Over the last decade, we have raised around half a million dollars to support initiatives which promote a positive approach to alcohol consumption. I also try and practise what I preach; I personally always drink in company, with food where possible, and never if emotional or upset. We are lucky to have many incredible wines to enjoy together, and I think it’s so important that the experiences we share are just as special and positive as the wines themselves.

Your Taste Champagne events take place in Australia, London, and Hong Kong – do you see cultural differences in the way different regions consume and enjoy Champagne? Absolutely. It’s incredible to see the diversity of champagnes being shipped around the world and how different markets respond. We’re fortunate that the Comité Champagne publish some incredibly detailed reports on consumption and international shipments which makes it very easy to see regional differences. For example, a huge number of grower champagnes are shipped to Italy in comparison with the UK and Australia, who focus more on the big houses; whilst America just absolutely loves rosé!

This engagement also tells us a huge amount about how different markets are evolving. Australia and the UK are probably the most similar in their champagne drinking habits – in fact, in 2021 Australia overtook the UK in its per capita consumption of champagne and is now the biggest consumer outside mainland Europe. We import close to 10 million bottles per year, up from just 1 million in 2000.

ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT CHAMPAGNE IS THAT WE CAN PREDICT THE FUTURE IN HUGE DETAIL; WE HAVE INCREDIBLE INSIGHT INTO WHERE CHAMPAGNE IS GOING TO BE IN A DECADE OR MORE BECAUSE THE BASE WINES ARE ALREADY MADE.

TYSON STELZER

Why do you think the popularity of Champagne continues to rise so significantly?

In my mind, Champagne is the best value fine wine region in the world right now bar none. One of the greatest things about Champagne is the fact that you can so easily buy any number of the world’s best sparkling wines at any supermarket or merchant in your home country. In in the UK, it’s perfectly easy to pick up anything from a classic Bollinger NV to a Taittinger Comtes de Champagne from Waitrose, for example. This is totally unique –you simply cannot do that in the same way with any of the other great fine wine categories such Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo, or even Barossa and Napa. Nowhere else in the fine wine world are the benchmark wines still relatively available and affordable.

It’s exciting to enjoy a luxury premium category that is still so accessible, and I love writing about fine wines that are not yet so elitist that normal consumers can’t access them if they want to. Champagne pricing is certainly increasing, and I don’t think that the current situation will last forever, but I fully believe that great champagne is the last remaining bastion of affordability in the world of fine wine.

What is it about Champagne that you love so much?

Ultimately, Champagne is fast-evolving yet still vastly underrepresented in wine writing. I love to tell the story of the world’s most complex wine (in terms of winemaking) and blow people’s minds with the level of input that goes into each bottle.

Champagne is the most complex wine style on earth, with twice as many production steps as any other. Nowhere else do you effectively make a wine twice. There are so many details to consider, from secondary fermentation to blending, dosage to time on the lees. With my science mind I have always wanted to understand why wine tastes and smells and feels like it does based on how it’s produced, and I love how much rigour goes into this incredibly complicated style. The average Pol Roger bottle, for example, goes through 20 to 25 different stages and sets of hands before it reaches the consumer.

I have also found that consumers at every level are hungry for this information. I’m increasingly writing for trade consumers with a high level of technical detail but finding that mass market consumers want to engage at that level too – this just goes to show the level of passion that people feel for champagne. You can also see this reflected by the producers, many of whom are moving from generic, glossy marketing to offering much more specific details via features like bottle ID, QR codes and tech sheets. Consumers are becoming more interested in every stage of the process from base vintages to dosage levels and it’s great to see how the Champagne world is changing in this regard.

Now, the big question… can you share a few of your favourite producers?

I am so often asked if I feel I can name my favourites and I always say yes – I’m a critic, I can say what I want!

I have a Hall of Honour in my Champagne Guides which is based on market performance over the previous year and changes with

every edition; but for me personally there is also a list of those who I think consistently perform at the very top level. These are Krug, Egly-Ouriet, Charles Heidsieck, Bollinger and Billecart-Salmon. One thing I always consider is whether a house can produce a consistently awesome NV or entry level cuvée. Anyone can throw the book at the process to put together a fantastic prestige cuvée, but it is much more difficult to maintain consistently high quality in an NV and that’s what I really rate.

I then also have a second tier which are my 9/10 producers... primarily Pol Roger and Louis Roederer alongside a few others. In my mind these houses are consistently great but not quite hitting that very top note with such consistency.

What do you predict for the future of Champagne? Next big thing, up and comers, trends?

One of the amazing things about Champagne is that we can predict the future in huge detail... we have incredible insight into where Champagne is going to be in a decade or more because the base wines are already made. For example, Vincent Chaperon at Dom Pérignon recently showed me the 2021 vintage base wine, which doesn’t even have bubbles yet. It is just about to be laid down and won’t be released for a decade or more, but we can already make very accurate predictions about what it will look like in the future.

We are at a very dynamic point of change in the Champagne world, arguably the most dramatic that we have seen in our lifetimethis is mainly driven by climate change. In the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Champagne struggled with under-ripeness and producers needed to blend in reserve wines and use high levels of dosage to counter austerity and searing acidity. This has now completely reversed, and we are now seeing consistently ripe years and a new richness of fruit. 2022 was the ripest vintage ever seen in the region. As a result, winemaking philosophies are changing, and the aim now is to preserve balance and bolster freshness. High levels of dosage are disappearing, with blending and reserve wines now used to preserve freshness and acidity instead of reducing it. There are pros and cons to this, but one unmistakable benefit is that entry level non-vintage wines are so much better than they were. Wines that were practically undrinkable 20 years ago are now very accessible thanks to the increased ripeness of the fruit.

Climate change also means an increase in extreme weather patterns, such as hailstorms, frost, rot and mildew. This creates an increasing disparity between the best and lesser vineyard sites and heightens the effects of chalk vs clay soils. We have had an interim era over last twenty years where every grower in the region has been able to make decent single varietal and vintage wines from lesser terroirs because of the climate, but these sites are not well suited to coping with extreme conditions, and I think this will see increased blending return and become a very important trend in the future.

Although many see this current situation as a sweet spot, if the climate continues to warm at the same rate, it is very likely to mean even harder challenges. If every vintage is overripe, we will struggle without the fresher years that are essential to bring balance to blends.

All this being said, what is the mood amongst winemakers and growers in the region?

Pre-Covid, I visited Champagne three or four times a year for a decade. When the pandemic hit, we couldn’t leave Australia for two years and it was very difficult to gauge the mood in Europe. When I finally got back in November 2021, I was certainly very nervous to see how the region was coping with all these struggles. It wasn’t just Covid, but also a recent run of difficult vintages (2017 was possibly the challenge of a lifetime) lack of workforce, and political turmoil around the world. I wasn’t overly optimistic and expected the wines to reflect this.

What I actually discovered completely floored me! There is a wonderful optimism throughout Champagne that I just didn’t expect. The Champenoise were delighted to see visitors, and the base wines I tasted have never been as strong. Jean-Baptise Lécaillon at Louis Roederer summed it up perfectly for me - he commented that the Champenoise are incredibly resilient, but can become complacent, so tend to do to much better in adversity. As a result, many of their best wines come after a period of struggle! Take for example the post-war years of late 1940s or the financial collapse of 2008. These and many more have preceded some of the most legendary Champagne vintages of modern times, and this now seems to be playing out again post-Covid. Simply put, the wines I’m tasting now have never looked better. It’s a wonderful contradiction and an incredible story of human spirit triumphing over adversity.

What advice do you have for Champagne lovers who want to build their collections?

First and foremost, develop a relationship with a great broker. You will be rewarded with certainty of provenance and a level of access to the best champagnes that you just won’t get if you don’t work with a business that is similarly passionate and can make the great stuff available to you. Thanks to the huge increase in demand that stemmed from Covid, it is an increasing challenge to get hold of the best cuvées, vintage and non-vintage alike.

Secondly, be very selective on vintage. Cooler regions always have a greater disparity between the best and worst vintages, and in Champagne I think these swings can be particularly dramatic. My go-to years would be the epic 2008 (although there’s not much about!) 2012 for drinking in the short to medium term, and 2013 for longer term cellaring - 2013 will be longest lived vintage since 2008. Ensure that you make the most of these great years because many of the warm years coming through simply won’t have the same cellar stamina.

Finally, don’t hold back on investing. As I said earlier, in the grand scheme of fine wines champagne is available, accessible and affordable. We won’t see this last in the long term... just look at Burgundy and Bordeaux. We would have bought all the Grand Cru Montrachet and First Growths that we could 30 years ago had we known what would happen to pricing! I don’t think Champagne prices will be that extreme, but I believe that they will increase 3-5% every year and volumes will go down, so buy whatever you can from the best years and cellar it. We are in a golden age for champagne collecting right now, but it won’t last forever.

Finally, the million-dollar question… what do you think makes a champagne truly great?

We all know that we should look for components such as balance, acidity, structure and so on. My personal benchmarks and tasting process are similar to still wine tasting, with a few more layers. I look for balance of fruit with complexity, acidity and structure, and in a truly outstanding wine I’m looking for great length and persistence. However, in a less practical sense, I want a champagne to display a certain unique character which shows an intrinsic connection with the terroir that it comes from and influences the way I perceive it.

The idea of minerality in wines from chalk soils is particularly important to me. I can’t explain it scientifically, but as with other great wines grown on chalk such as Barolo, Sancerre, and Burgundy, there is somehow a connection between those prehistoric soils and something that Pascal Agrapart once described to me as ‘going back to primary school and getting a mouthful of chalk from teachers banging dusters together!’ It’s a wonderfully mysterious idea. Science can’t prove or show any kind of physical transfer of chalk particles from the soil to the grapes but undeniably something happens.

I think for me the champagne that best demonstrates this is Krug Clos du Mesnil. This wine has a profound sense of chalk minerality that reminds me of Montrachet; there is a unique freshness, persistence and evenness that seems to come exclusively from 70 to 90-million-year-old chalk. I really think you can taste the sea! For me, that extra depth and complexity is what makes the difference between a 95-96 and a 99-100-point wine.

As a scientist, I love that the thing that enchants me most about these wines has no scientific backing whatsoever! It’s a very special kind of magic.

A TALE OF TEQUILA

THE RISE AND RISE OF ULTRA-PREMIUM ‘CACTUS JUICE’

BY JON HIGGS

My earliest tequila memory is watching the classic comedy movie Three

Amigos! with El Guapo and his banditos swigging intriguing bottles of white spirit and terrorising the villagers of Santa Poco. My second earliest memory involves downing shots of a ghastly liquid as a youth, which we somehow believed was made more bearable by licking table salt and chomping down on a wedge of lime. That particular tequila brand is still instantly recognisable thanks to a small, plastic red sombrero adorning the cap of the bottle… and is not something I am in a hurry to ever drink again.

I will also admit that I have had the dubious pleasure of eating a worm from a glass of tequila’s parent spirit, mezcal (well, not a worm exactly, but the insect larvae of a moth found in the agave plant) but again, it’s not on my radar to repeat. It is worth noting before we go any further that mezcal is the name for any spirit made from the agave cactus, which includes tequila, but tequila must be made exclusively from the Weber Blue agave species.

Thankfully, tequila has come a very long way since the rough and ready 90’s; no longer is this a simple yet powerful distillate of cactus juice and the spirit of choice for marauding bandits and rampaging students alike, but instead an ultra-premium spirit with a rapidly growing fan base amongst fine alcohol aficionados worldwide.

“IN THE ARTISAN CATEGORY, NOBODY STANDS OUT FOR ME MORE THAN GERMAN GONZALEZ, A ‘MAESTRO TEQUILERO’ REGARDED BY MANY AFICIONADOS AS THE GREATEST DISTILLER ALIVE. ”

The Renaissance

It is fair to say that most spirits have had a renaissance in style and quality in recent years, with more brands of gin, rum, vodka and whisky on the market than ever before. When I first worked in a cocktail bar in the late 90’s we listed a maximum of four types of gin on our list (almost always Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, Plymouth and Finsbury) but today, even your local pub will have at least ten or twenty gin brands available, with more appearing every week. This massive growth has been fuelled by an ever-increasing demand for wider consumer choice and increased focus on artisan, small batch and designer products across almost all spirit categories.

It appears that tequila and mezcal are some of the last spirits to join this revolution - but the numbers speak for themselves. The global tequila market is booming, with worldwide consumption increasing by over 40% in the last five years to achieve a current total market

value of around $10 billion. Predictions suggest that for the first time ever, spiritloving Americans will spend more on mezcal and tequila in 2023 than they will on US-made whiskey. Further still, given the current meteoric rise in demand, it looks increasingly likely that tequila will also supplant vodka in this race by the end of the year – no mean feat in a market currently worth over $100 billion! There is nothing wrong with being a little late to the party, of course, but how have the agave amigos become so successful in such a short space of time?

Firstly, as the tequila market increases in size and value, considerably more attention is being paid to production and quality at all levels. In terms of tequila, this starts with selecting the finest Weber Blue Agave cactus plants and the best places to grow them – agave plants love a dry southerly or Mediterranean climate and prefer a bit of altitude thrown in if they can get it, making parts of the southern USA and Mexico the

perfect spot for some cacti cultivation. The demand for increased quality also means that we are seeing many more tequilas comprising 100% agave juice; the higher quality agave was historically mixed in bulk with lesser spirits, as a buffer against high production costs and low demand. When considering that it takes seven kilos of agave to produce just one litre of tequila, this really does show us how much extra care is going into our bottles.

Believe it or not, in an increasingly health-conscious society, tequila also fits the trend as a healthier alternative to many other spirits - much lower in calories and sugar and with zero carbs. To be honest, I’ve never considered tequila as the healthy option, but there you go! Whilst on the subject of health, the legendary fear that tequila is stronger than other spirits and causes considerably worse hangovers has been proven as a myth. Tequila in fact has no worse side effects than any other drinks in the

40%+ alcohol category. Trust me, anything that is consumed by gulping down a shooter or two will inevitably make the morning after considerably more difficult! Fortunately, tequila is outgrowing its bad reputation and no longer needs to be washed down instantly in shots or mixed in sugary cocktails. This spirit is now considered on a par with many fine wines, Cognacs and single malt whiskies, offering luxurious depth, complexity and flavour profiles which can be sipped slowly and dissected as intensely as any fine Bordeaux.

However, I think that the thing which truly elevates tequila above most other spirits is how delightful great tequila can be on its own, neat, as a sipping drink which appeals to all ages (above the legal drinking age, of course). Vodka and gin are of course far from appealing on their own – unless you have particularly strong taste buds! - and brandy and whisky are more powerful, favoured by older generations with more experienced taste buds. Premium sipping tequila is enjoyable and accessible for all palates and preferences. Trust me, there is a sipping tequila out there for you no matter how much moonshine you knocked back as a bleary-eyed undergrad.

The Evolution

As spirit aficionados look outside whiskies and vodkas for the latest new frontier to explore, demand has also increased for finer, aged tequilas in addition to the original three styles.

Of the three classic iterations, Blanco is earthy and sweet (distilled straight to bottle), Reposado is mellow and oaky (aged 2-11 months in barrel), and Anejo is amber-coloured, smooth and oaky (aged 1-3 years in barrel). Two new ultra-premium categories have also emerged in recent years - the rich and aromatic Extra Anejo is considered the finest style that money can buy and requires a minimum of three years in barrel in a very similar vein to some bourbons, cognacs and Scotch whiskies. This has proven to be the most popular category for tequila lovers so far, requiring the most skill and patience

from experienced, artisan tequileros to produce the very best bottles available on the market today. Fifth and finally, the most recent and trendiest style is Cristalino, in which aged Tequila is filtered through charcoal, returning the spirit to its original transparent colour and softening the mouthfeel. (Cristalino tequila is currently all the rage in the VIP club scene… or so I’m told!)

Futhermore, we mustn’t forget the massive influence of the numerous celebrities who have jumped on the tequila bandwagon with countless endorsements and ownerships of tequila brands of all shapes and sizes. Whilst celebrityowned drinks are not a new trend (we are all familiar with everything from Brangelina’s Miraval rosé to Jay-Z’s Armand de Brignac champagnes) the sudden surge of stars who have been tempted by tequila is immense. The list of celebrity tequila brands is a real the who’s who of Hollywood royalty –some of the most famous names include George Clooney’s Casamigos (recently purchased by drinks giant Diageo in a deal rumoured to be worth as much as $1 billion) Teremana from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Cincoro from Michael Jordan and Mark Wahlberg’s Flecha Azul, with many, many more besides. Even Elon Musk has attempted to join the party with a tequila brand that he hoped to call ‘Teslaquila’… fortunately, the Tequila Authority Council stood firmly in his way.

The Best of the Best So, the big question now is what are the finest premium tequila brands on the market today?

Casa Dragones, founded in 2009, was a pioneer in the rise of ultra-premium Tequila. Their ‘Joven’, a blend of Blanco and Anejo, remains one of the finest sipping tequilas to be found anywhere on earth. What’s more, this brand is made by Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, the first ever woman to be certified as a ‘Maestra Tequilera’.

Clase Azul is another powerhouse with a slightly longer history (founded in 1997) which has emerged as perhaps the most

iconic brand worldwide in recent years. This is not just for their stunning spirits, but for their distinctive hand-painted ceramic bottles – no matter how deep or otherwise your tequila knowledge may be, these beautiful bottles are instantly recognisable and just as iconic as their contents. The Clase Azul Reposado is simply delicious, offering a fantastically pure expression of tequila’s natural earthy and vegetal flavours supported by smooth oak and vanilla notes.

In the artisan category, nobody stands out for me more than German Gonzalez, a ‘Maestro Tequilero’ regarded by many aficionados as the greatest distiller alive. The Gonzalez family’s incredible history goes back for many generations in Mexico; one of German’s direct ancestors, General Manuel Gonzalez, was instrumental in leading Mexican forces to victory against the French on the 5th of May 1862. Today, this date is known by the more familiar title of ‘Cinco de Mayo’ and represents the largest celebration of Mexican culture on earth. I think it’s highly likely that more tequila is consumed on 5th May than any other day of the year!

German’s small batch ‘Tears of Llorona’ is a sensational Extra Anejo aged in single malt, sherry and cognac barrels, only produced for personal consumption until friends begged him to release to market. Arriving in the UK for the first time in 2022, this unique bottling has gone down a storm, with many buyers coming back for more before their first bottle has run out. This really is the ultimate in aged sipping tequila, with caramel, dried fruit and dark chocolate aromas and a heady spiciness that wraps up your palate like a warm scarf on a cold day.

I have had the fortune of tasting many of the best premium tequilas and mezcals over the last few years and can safely say there will be no more shooters or slammers for me (other than perhaps the occasional Margarita!). These days, I enjoy my tequila in a more classic style - delicately sipping whilst watching the sun go down, preferably with a Hoyo de Monterrey cigar clasped firmly in the other hand. Arriba!

Agave - where every bottle of tequila starts its life

SORRELLS WINE ROOMS

helsea Vintners are very proud to partner with Sorrells Wine Rooms, one of the world’s leading creators of bespoke wine rooms and storage solutions. Sorrells cellars can be found in the homes of wine lovers around the globe, from Putney to Pennsylvania! We caught up with Sorrells’ owner and Managing Director Tim Lewis to learn more about the hard work and passion that goes into designing and building some of the world’s most beautiful wine storage spaces.

FROM CHICKEN SHEDS TO CLEARWATER

Tim spent the first part of his career working for large companies in sales and marketing roles. However, a thirst for knowledge, a natural sense of entrepreneurialism and a personal interest in wine meant that when the opportunity came up to combine all three, he grabbed the chance with both hands! Tim purchased Sorrells Wineracks in 2003 and then set the up Traditional Wine Rack Company shortly after. ‘It’s changed massively since then’, says Tim, ‘especially when you consider that the business started in 1947 in a chicken shed in south-west London! We are now based in Essex in a brand-new 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility and have approximately 40 employees… and that’s not including our new US office in Clearwater, Florida.’ A deep sense of pride is evident in the Sorrells team, with top-quality bespoke workmanship at the heart of their philosophy. As Tim explains, ‘we are constantly trying to push forward and to bring more elements in-house so that we can offer our clients the best complete service possible. For example, we recently moved into our new premises and immediately opened a metal fabrication area so that we can offer in-house made metal doors for our clients.’

With close to a century of combined experience in the industry (Sorrells celebrated their 75th birthday in 2022) and a wealth of history and knowledge to draw upon, Sorrells now create approximately four completely bespoke cellars around the world every week. The concept of a complete service is one of the things that has taken top priority in making the Sorrells experience special, taking clients on a unique beginning-to-end journey. ‘We take huge pride in manufacturing everything that goes into our cellars, from bespoke hand-made joinery, to double-glazed and argonfilled glass doors, to the AC system’, comments Tim. State-ofthe-art technology which ensures that every single bottle remains pristine is also extremely high on the agenda for many clients –and Sorrells meet this demand by ensuring that every part of the process is under their control. ‘We have complete control over the manufacture and quality of our product, as everything is made under our roof and undergoes a thorough quality check before leaving our premises. Additionally, all our installation teams, both AC and joinery, are employees of our company, which allows us to closely monitor our product. We prioritise quality and aim to provide our customers with the best possible experience.’

COMMERCIAL COLLABORATIONS

In fact, you may have been closer to a Sorrells cellar than you realise… their work can be seen in some of the UK’s most interesting and exciting commercial venues, including hotels, member’s clubs, and wine merchants. Some notable projects include the 10 Cases restaurant in London’s Covent Garden and the instantly recognisable wine wall at the Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds. ‘Working on commercial projects is always exciting for us at Sorrells, as it allows us to showcase our expertise and collaborate with likeminded individuals and businesses’, says Tim, ‘we are proud of the work we have done in this sector and are always looking for new opportunities to create exceptional cellars for our clients’. Tim remembers one or two such projects particularly fondly. ‘One of our standout projects was creating an incredible 12,000-bottle cellar at an extremely prominent member’s club in London’, he recalls, ‘and we have also had the opportunity to work with renowned hotels such as the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester, which is owned by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. It’s possible that one of them even ended up with a personal cellar built by us!’

GOING GLOBAL

However, there is nothing that compares with helping private clients to achieve their wine storage dreams, no matter how weird or wonderful the space may be. ‘One of the most memorable builds we have done at Sorrells so far is a fantastic project in Godalming, Surrey’, Tim recalls, ‘a double-height cylindrical, temperaturecontrolled fine wine cellar with a spiral staircase winding down the centre. We installed angled bottles all around the cellar so that all you can see are the bottle labels – and then to top it off we created another separate cellar in an adjacent room. This project was incredibly challenging as it was a 7m tall bespoke area, and so the complexity lay in both the design and installation. However, the outcome was stunning and made all the hard work worthwhile. It is projects like this that make us proud of what we do at Sorrells’.

“”

Every Sorrells cellar is tailored to its owner’s unique passions - and can even combine them

Such is the quality of their work that Sorrells are seeing a huge increase in international demand, and in recent times have had the opportunity to create stunning wine cellars all over the world, from India to Hong Kong, Panama to Switzerland, and the Caribbean to Putney! No matter where you are in the world, it becomes more and more likely that you are never too far from a Sorrells build. As a response to this fantastic demand, Sorrells have recently opened a dedicated US office in Florida and have been experiencing significant growth in North America, creating amazing cellars in various states including New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas. ‘We also have many more exciting projects in the pipeline. Sorrells are always eager to expand our horizons and take on new challenges,’ says Tim, ‘and we look forward to continuing to create exceptional wine cellars for clients all over the world’.

THE SORRELLS STYLE

Tim further reflects on how his clients’ requirements for their bespoke cellars has changed over time; since the days of working out of a chicken shed, he has seen preferences and designs become more exacting, with a clear demographic shift towards more younger clients investing in their own cellars. ‘Fine wine has increasingly become a symbol of success that is appealing to a younger audience, who are in turn becoming incredibly passionate about their own personal collections,’ observes Tim, ‘for example, we are currently designing a cellar in Piedmont for a Serie A professional footballer, and his request was for a ‘classic cellar’ featuring lots of beautiful oak joinery, soft lighting, and elegant bottle displays - very much a hallmark Sorrells creation. It’s worth noting that he is only 25 years old!’.

In fact, this increase in demand from a younger audience has had a huge influence on design, with a new focus on ultra-modern spaces which heavily utilise materials such as metal and are less centred around classic finishes such as solid oak or walnut. ‘That’s not to say that the traditional look is going out of fashion,’ comments Tim, ‘we still have a very strong core group of traditionalists who prefer the classic designs, and even among the younger generations we do see a demand for traditional wine cellars. Ultimately, Sorrells are always adapting to these changes and are dedicated to creating wine cellars that meet our clients’ needs and preferences, whether they are looking for a traditional or modern design. The beauty of what we do is that we are able to help clients to create the wine cellar of their dreams, no matter how that looks – and we are very excited to see what our clients have in store for us in the future!’

QUICKFIRE Q&A WITH TIM LEWIS

What has been your favourite Sorrells build so far?

It has to be the Holland & Holland project at their gorgeous shooting grounds on the outskirts of London. The cellar (well, it’s really more of a large wine wall) is stunning, and the location is amazing – it’s a beautiful place, both the grounds and the building itself.

Which wines could your own cellar not be without?

I have so many different wine passions that it feels almost impossible to choose, especially when I’m constantly being introduced to new regions and styles! However, if pushed... I would always make sure that Brunello and red Burgundy were in plentiful supply.

What’s your ultimate desert island wine?

Tenuta San Leonardo 2015... if the island was cold and damp! If we’re talking tropical conditions, then it’s a top-quality Meursault from the likes of Coche-Dury or Roulot.

What are your most memorable wine experiences?

I love holding events with our clients – particularly exploring themes such as old vs new and sharing wines that are 50 or 60 years old. I find the concept of aging wines absolutely fascinating, so it’s lucky that I’m in the cellar business! I recently did a wine tour to Sicily which was eye-opening. The wines are incredible and there was so much to learn about a unique region. However, for obvious reasons my most memorable wine experience would probably be fitting my first ever wine cellar in Balham many, many years ago.

If you would like to find out more about how Sorrells Wine Rooms can help you design and build the cellar of your dreams, please contact your dedicated Chelsea Vintners Private Client Specialist directly or email sales@chelseavintners.com.

CECILY

TREVOR

GILES

HAMISH

MATTHEW LOVE Private Client Specialist ml@chelseavintners.com

JESS

GARY

NICK

COOPER Buying Director gc@chelseavintners.com

DE YONG Founder tdy@chelseavintners.com

GREENING Private Client Specialist hg@chelseavintners.com

CHAPPEL CEO cc@chelseavintners.com

ANDREW MACDONALD LOCKHART Private Client Specialist aml@chelseavintners.com

LAMB Head of Marketing jl@chelseavintners.com

BERRY Operations Manager gb@chelseavintners.com

SEYMOUR Logistics Specialist ns@chelseavintners.com

jm@chelseavintners.com

jh@chelseavintners.com

TEAM NOTICES

MOVING ON

ct@chelseavintners.com

It is with great sadness that this month we say goodbye to our COO, Chris Wood. Chris has been with Chelsea Vintners almost since its inception, and his unwavering dedication, passion and hard work over the last 10 years has been instrumental in making our business what it is today. Chris will be greatly missed by the whole team and we would all like to take this opportunity to thank him and wish him the very best of luck - Chris will always be a part of the CV family and we look forward to raising many more glasses with him in the future.

NEXT ISSUE BORDEAUX

In the next issue of The Vintner, we will be taking a deep dive into Bordeaux, arguably the world’s most legendary wine region. The CV sales team are taking a trip to visit some of Bordeaux’s most famous properties over the summer and we can’t wait to share our adventures with you.

COURTNEY TATE Private Client Specialist

JAMES MEAD Sales Director

OLIVER BARTLE Head of Trading ob@chelseavintners.com

SAM RILEY Junior Buyer & Private Client Specialist sr@chelseavintners.com

JON HIGGS Associate Director

BEN USISKIN Finance Assistant bu@chelseavintners.com

SCOTT LIDBETTER Special Advisor sl@chelseavintners.com

BY COLLECTORS, FOR COLLECTORS WWW.CHELSEAVINTNERS.COM