Chelsea Vintner Magazine | The Vintner | Issue 2

VINTNER

BY CHELSEA VINTNERS

CHELSEA VINTNERS

TREVOR

tdy@chelseavintners.com

jh@chelseavintners.com

HAMISH

hg@chelseavintners.com

MATTHEW LOVE Private Client Specialist ml@chelseavintners.com

ANDREW MACDONALD LOCKHART Private Client Specialist aml@chelseavintners.com

COURTNEY

Private Client Specialist ct@chelseavintners.com

CECILY CHAPPEL CEO cc@chelseavintners.com

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

BEN USISKIN Finance Specialist bu@chelseavintners.com

CHRIS WOOD COO cw@chelseavintners.com

JON HIGGS Head of Private Client Sales

JESS LAMB Head of Marketing jl@chelseavintners.com

VIVIEN CROOK Finance Manager vc@chelseavintners.com

DE YONG Founder & Sales Director

GREENING Private Client Specialist

NICK SEYMOUR Logistics Specialist ns@chelseavintners.com

GARY BERRY Operations Manager gb@chelseavintners.com

SCOTT LIDBETTER Special Advisor sl@chelseavintners.com

TATE

THE VINTNER CREDITS

EDITORIAL: All content written and edited by Chelsea Vintners and Jess Lamb

DESIGN: Pixie Agency Ltd

PHOTOGRAPHY: 14: Massimo Santi | Dreamstime.com; 20: Delphotos / Alamy Stock Photo; 27: Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo;

56: Ian Shaw / Alamy Stock Photo; 60-66

Savills; 68: Iain Masterton / Alamy Stock

Photo; 74: JM Saguil / Alamy Stock Photo; 76: Scott Sim / 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

CONTENTS 6 17

2012 A YEAR IN WINE

We explore the many thrills and spills experienced through a huge twelve months in the world of wine

A DECADE OF WINE

Our Founder & Sales Director Trevor de Yong takes us through his most memorable bottles of the last ten years

CONTENTS

INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD ORDERS

CEO Cecily Chappel catches up with passionate collector Richard Orders to discover more about his life in wine

2012 IN CHAMPAGNE

Celebrating a triumphant year in Champagne with COO Chris Wood

A WINE LOVER’S WEEKEND IN MONACO

Hamish Greening discovers the best haunts for wine lovers in this iconic destination

52 61 68

THE PRICE OF FAME BURGUNDY 2012 - 2022

Jon Higgs looks back over the last decade in one of the world’s most legendary wine regions

INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR KEARNEY

Jess Lamb talks all things luxury with Savills Director Trevor Kearney

SINGLE MALT IN SIX DRAMS

Sam Riley takes us on a journey through the fascinating world of single malt whisky in six exceptional drams

WELCOME

In this special 10 year anniversary edition of The Vintner, we reflect on changes in the wine and spirits industry over the last decade and focus in on the year 2012. We catch up with illustrious wine collector, Richard Orders, on the road he took to building his collection and his tips for those looking to start their buying journey. We also take a spin around Monaco, and discuss some of our favourite single malt whiskies from around the world.

2012 offered much celebration. It was the year that the late Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 60 years on the throne, the UK basked in the reflected glory of its Olympic and Paralympic athletes and Barack Obama was re-elected President of the United States. 2012 was also the year that Chelsea Vintners was born.

I’m delighted to be writing the foreword to this milestone edition after completing my first three hugely enjoyable months on the job, made all the better by the company achieving a record-breaking August.

This bumper edition offers a true retrospective of the last 10 years. I have personally seen huge changes in the wine industry over the last decade during my time working in the trade in the UK, Asia, US and across Europe. It has been fascinating to watch a new generation of winemakers coming through and making their mark, and seeing the amount of investment and shared knowledge that has gone into improving vineyard management and winemaking processes.

Researching the past also makes one consider what may lay ahead. So, what might the next 10 years look like in the wine industry? Hard to say. Will NFTs still be around? Could the Burgundy bubble finally pop? Can auction prices for Macallan possibly get any higher? There is certainly a clear trend emerging for sustainability, with Jancis Robinson leading the charge by refusing to taste wines from bottles of more than a certain weight. Climate change will continue to have an impact and will encourage many changes in vineyard and winery practices. We will continue to be pressed to recommend up-and-coming winemakers and domaines, predominantly in Burgundy, which offer “value for money.” This is where Chelsea Vintners excels, and you will find within this magazine a few names to watch.

So, I may not be able to see into the future, but what I can guarantee is that 10 years from now, CV will look significantly different. We have exciting plans for expansion in headcount, geographies and technology to benefit you and provide the best customer experience possible. Our ambitions to disrupt the market will remain, as will our constant search to find the greatest wines and spirits at the fairest prices.

Finally, with everyone now able to socialise again, we are ramping up the number of tastings and events in the UK, Asia and Australia, and both the team and I very much look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the coming months.

I very much hope you enjoy this special edition of The Vintner. Happy reading!

CECILY CHAPPEL

CEO

2012 A YEAR IN WINE

BY COURTNEY TATE

The 2012 vintage is remembered as a mixed bag, with growing conditions in all the great regions generally described as ‘hit and miss’. This led to a year that was referred to by producers as ‘a winemaker’s vintage’ in which diligent work in the winery was required in order to coax greatness from even the best fruit.

However, putting winemaking itself aside, 2012 was a huge year for the wine industry, with many changes and controversies arising as the months passed - some glorious, some calamitous, and many in between! Chelsea Vintners’ Private Client Specialist Courtney Tate has taken a journey down memory lane and chosen her favourite recollections of the most notable wine events of 2012. Turn the page to discover Courtney’s thoughts.

RUDY KURNIAWAN ARRESTED!

Undoubtedly the most prolific and famous wine fraudster of recent times, Rudy Kurniawan spent years creating counterfeit wines so convincing that much of the world of wine was fooled. However, in March 2012, Kurniawan’s empire finally came crashing down as the FBI raided his home and discovered an entire laboratory full of counterfeiting materials.

Rudy had been well known in wine circles for his avid buying and selling of the world’s finest wines; he had even been given the nickname ‘Dr. Conti’ by some for his great love for the wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. He traded wine on a massive scale, with an apparent ability to sniff out incredibly rare and unusual vintages from the most sought-after producers on earth.

Despite his reputation and popularity, whispers began to follow him with the high-profile removal of several lots of fine wine which Kurniawan had sent to auction. In 2007, several bottles of 1982

Le Pin advertised through Christie’s were confirmed as fake by the winery; later that same year, a previous sale of eight magnums of 1947 Château Lafleur was confirmed as a fake on the basis that only five magnums of this wine were ever produced. In May 2008, over twenty bottles of Domaine Ponsot were removed from auction – they included Clos St Denis vintages from various years between 1945 and 1971, leading a puzzled Laurent Ponsot to clarify that the domaine’s first ever Clos St Denis vintage was not made until 1982. However, despite these incidents and more, questions still surrounded Rudy as to whether he was a counterfeiting master

or simply extremely unlucky to have been fooled by fakes himself, a valid question for a buyer so prolific. Although he was sued by famous collector William ‘Bill’ Koch in 2009 for selling fakes to Bill and others, it was not until 2012 that Rudy was finally apprehended. In his home, the FBI discovered an incredible volume of paraphernalia including a cork inserter, hundreds of new and used corks and foil capsules, rubber stamps for vintage dates ranging from Château Latour 1899 to Screaming Eagle 1992, and thousands of counterfeit labels for wines dating as far back as the 1899 vintage. There was even a recent Californian Pinot Noir vintage that Kurniawan had marked as ‘40’s/50’s DRC’ in a clear reference to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Rudy was indicted on numerous counts of wire fraud and mail fraud, and his highprofile New York trial featured witnesses including Aubert de Villaine of DRC and Laurent Ponsot. He was found guilty on 18th December 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, making him the first person in the USA to be jailed for counterfeiting wine. So notorious is Rudy’s story that he became the focus of ‘Sour Grapes’, a 2016 Netflix documentary, in addition to the many articles and features written on him. Owning a Rudy Kurniawan counterfeit or two has even evolved into something of a status symbol amongst collectors!

In December 2020, the wine community was once more abuzz as Kurniawan was finally released – he was deported back to his home country of Indonesia shortly after and his whereabouts are subject to much gossip but ultimately remain unknown.

CHELSEA

CHARLES LACHAUX TAKES THE HELM AT ARNOUX-LACHAUX

2012 saw the release of the first ArnouxLachaux vintage overseen by Charles Lachaux. Charles is the sixth generation of his family to make wine at their estate in Vosne-Romanée, where their vineyard holdings incoporate land across four Grands Crus sites including Clos de Vougeot and Romanée St-Vivant. Influenced by other

legendary Burgundians such as Jean-Yves Bizot and his neighbour Lalou Bize-Leroy, Charles has brought a new energy and dynamism to his family estate that has led to both reputation and pricing increasing tenfold over the last decade, making 2012 very much the beginning of a glorious new era for Arnoux-Lachaux.

THE MACALLAN SETS A NEW RECORD

July 2012 saw legendary whisky distillery

The Macallan hit the record books as the Guinness World Records officially awarded them the accolade of ‘most expensive whisky ever sold at auction’. The bottle in question was The Macallan’s 64-Year-Old in Lalique, Cire Perdue, which sold for an incredible $460,000 (£291,125). This was the oldest and rarest whisky ever bottled by the distillery, presented in a unique crystal Lalique decanter which had visited 12 cities on a fundraising ‘tour du monde’ before the final auction at Sotheby’s New York. All proceeds were donated to Charity:Water, an organisation which provides access to safe drinking water in developing nations, and ultimately enabled the charity to provide access to water to over 30,000 people.

Since this news, The Macallan has gone on to break its own record several times over; in October 2019, The Macallan Fine & Rare 60-Year-Old 1926 achieved a cool $1.9 million, demolishing the previous $1.5 million record set by the same whisky at a Christie’s auction in November 2018.

THE LOSS OF LEGENDS

Amidst the many events, dramas and achievements of 2012, wine lovers around the world also mourned the passing of two legendary winemakers. The first, Aldo Conterno, was one of the earliest and greatest winemaking pioneers in Barolo, eschewing tradition to focus on expressive, terroir-driven wine in his own inimitable style from his three great single vineyard plots. Aldo was a living legend of Piedmont and played no small part in making the region the powerhouse of fine wine that it is today, whilst elevating his own wines to become some of the most revered and sought-after Barolos in the world. He passed away in late May 2012 and is much missed, although his legacy is in safe hands with his sons Franco, Stefano and Giacomo.

Elsewhere in northern Italy, the Valpolicella region saw the passing of Giuseppe ‘Bepi’ Quintarelli (pictured above),

the man who revolutionised the production of ultra-fine Valpolicella, Recioto and Amarone wines through a time where much of Italy was focused on high volume, mass market winemaking. A meticulous eye and uncompromising attention to detail characterised Bepi’s approach to winemaking throughout his life from taking charge in the 1950s to his death in January 2012 at the great age of 84. He is survived by his daughter Fiorenza, who ably cares for her family estate with the help of her husband and children.

Whilst the passing of two such influential winemakers within such a short space of time cast a tragic pall across the wine world in 2012, the influence that these two godfathers have had on winemaking and fine wine across the globe is a legacy that is sure to live on for many years to come.

MEANWHILE, IN FRANCE…

2012 saw a very busy year for French wine, with events and developments across the country from Champagne to Bordeaux and everywhere in between. With so much going on, it is impossible to cover everything noteworthy, so Courtney has summarised just a few of her personal highlights.

A flurry of controversy surrounded Moët Hennessy as the eponymous Champagne’s Krug brand manager Romain Brunot received a 15-month prison sentence and a £25,000 fine for embezzling no less than £75,000 of stock from his employers over

a period of approximately four years. His haul included several hundred bottles each of Champagne Krug and Belvedere vodka, which Brunot gradually siphoned off from sample shipments and events at prestigious locations such as the Dorchester and stored in a cellar in East London. He even went so far as to create fake purchase orders to divert wines to his ‘personal’ collection, in a project which the judge described as ‘calculated and organised theft’.

2012 saw a notable shift in global attitudes towards climate change as the effects of a warming planet became more obvious

than ever before. In response to this, 2012 was the first vintage that Louis Roederer’s flagship Cristal was made entirely from biodynamic grapes, grown with no artificial chemicals or additions and the greatest of care taken to preserve the vineyard environment. Cristal joined many other famous French names such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Pontet-Canet in adopting biodynamic methods, marking a huge turning point in the viticulture of arguably Champagne’s greatest prestige cuvée.

The legendary en primeur campaign in Bordeaux fell rather flat in 2012, with the release of a ‘just very good’ 2011 vintage failing to justify their heady price points to many buyers. With world markets under pressure and en primeur having reached record breaking prices in 2010, most felt that the punchy pricing was hard to justify. Lafite and Cos-d’Estournel were two of the first to release their pricing in April 2012; Lafite came in at €350 ex-cellar (a 30% reduction from 2010) followed by Cos with a €108 proposition which represented a 50% slash on the previous year. Price

cuts across the region varied from 20% to 50% but found a subdued response from the market, with the 2011 vintage still coming out far more costly than many older vintages closer to their peak drinking windows. In a final blow to the campaign, Château Latour announced that in 2013 it would sit the event out entirely and has not sold wine en primeur since.

Change was afoot in Burgundy as French businessman Olivier Halley purchased not one, but two great domaines in the region.

2012 saw Halley (the principal shareholder

in Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer) acquire Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay, reflecting his deep love for the wines of the region. The Château de Meursault is one of the largest estates in Burgundy with vineyard holdings across 35 separate appellations, and both estates have benefitted hugely since from generous investment which has allowed them to realise a revolution in style and quality across their entire portfolios.

A DECADE OF WINE

10 MEMORABLE WINES OVER 10 MEMORABLE YEARS

BY TREVOR DE YONG

As you may or may not know, Chelsea Vintners was founded in 2012 by a small group of friends and wine lovers. As passionate drinkers and collectors of the world’s finest wines, we had become disenchanted with the status quo of the fine wine market. We received the same predictable wine offers year in year out, which meant that we had all ended up with very similar collections, full of wines that were too young to enjoy and that simply didn’t reflect our personal tastes. No-one had ever asked us what we really liked or helped us explore and understand our individual palates - so the idea was born that we could help others build the collection of their dreams by focusing on gaining a deep understanding of every client’s personal tastes and collecting goals, tailoring our offers and providing a truly personal service.

The decade since has taken us on the journey of our lives. We have shared so many incredible wines with our customers along the way, many of whom have become not just clients but lifelong friends thanks to the power of wine in bringing people together. As a result, it is impossible for me to list all the unforgettable wines shared over the last ten years, so (after much thought!)

I have narrowed it down to one wine per year that means something truly special to Chelsea Vintners and the people who have supported us along the way.

ROAGNA CRICHËT PAJÉ 1978

The wines of Roagna have always held a special place in our hearts and were a great influence in the formation of Chelsea Vintners. These were the kinds of wines and the kinds of people that we fell in love with; the wines and stories that we ourselves wanted to drink, enjoy and share with our customers. Luca and his family welcomed us in and supported Chelsea Vintners from the very start, for which we will always be grateful.

It’s almost impossible to find a bad Roagna, but my superstar bottle has to be the incredible Crichët Pajé 1978. Now a legend of Piedmont, in the early 1970s Crichët Pajé was still a secret experiment masterminded by Giovanni Roagna, using fruit from a unique single vineyard site which had previously only been enjoyed by the family. However, in 1978 this all changed when Roagna decided to release the wine to the market, making this the first ever vintage of this wonderful wine available for commercial sale.

Not only was this bottle a unique opportunity to enjoy a very special piece of wine history and a real lesson in the rewards of patience (Crichët Pajé requires decades of careful cellaring to reach its crescendo) 1978 also happens to be my birth year. I hope I’ve aged as well as this wine!

DOM PÉRIGNON 1976

For this wine, I must give huge thanks to a particularly generous friend and supporter of Chelsea Vintners from the very beginning (he knows who he is!) who deserves full credit for introducing me to the wonders of mature Champagne with an incredible bottle of 1976 Dom Pérignon original release, or P1 as this wine is now known.

The initial focus of our evening was a degustation menu and two stunning reds; a 1971 de Vogüe Musigny and a perfect bottle of 1978 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva (the 1978s are certainly becoming a theme here!) The Musigny was at its peak as one of the great vintages of Domaine Comte de Vogüe and I was so excited to taste the Monfortino after devouring so many tasting notes from Antonio Galloni on this legendary wine. At first, I dismissed the Dom Pérignon as just an appetizer, merely something to get the palate started in preparation for the ‘real’ wines.

As the evening progressed, I was thoroughly enjoying both reds and must admit that I was using the Dom Pérignon more as a palate cleanser than thinking of it as an equal to its companions. Both reds had fully opened up and were drinking beautifully, but I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that the DP was just getting better and better. As the last courses were served, I finally sat with it and gave it the attention it deserved… and was promptly blown away by just how good it really was. It had simply blossomed in the glass and was just so expressive on the nose, with a panoply of notes and a palate so complex and delicious that I couldn’t put it down. By now, I had completely forgotten about the Monfortino and the Musigny! This was a lifechanging introduction to how good mature Champagne can be, and I haven’t looked back since.

LEFLAIVE CHEVALIER MONTRACHET 1992

Not just one of the greatest wines I’ve ever tasted, but undoubtedly one of the greatest white wines in history!

I served this at an incredible tasting of top end Burgundies - one of those rare tastings where each bottle was better than the last, yet each wine amazing in its own right. Upon opening this bottle of 1992 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet, all were instantly delighted by the bright straw yellow tones rather than the gold hues we had expected from an aged Chardonnay. Right off the bat it looked so fresh and incredibly pleasing to the eye, let alone the nose! From the moment it was opened this wine burst with tropical and citrus fruits, confirming the incredible freshness implied by the beautiful colour.

As the night wore on, many great bottles featuring famous names from Coche-Dury to DRC were opened and their respective qualities extolled by each owner... but silence fell when I asked everyone to go back to the ‘92 Leflaive Chevalier. It had turned into the most delicious, buttered popcorn, pineapple, peach, dark hazelnut and chocolate flavour bomb, gobsmackingly good with breathtaking length of flavour. It transported me right back to trips to the movies as a kid, walking into the cinema to the scent of fresh, buttery popcorn! A truly life affirming wine, and one that I am very grateful to have shared with passionate wine friends.

JOSEPH PHELPS INSIGNIA 1978

This was a true revelation bottle! I was introduced to mature Californian Cabernet Sauvignon by the late Ed Burns, a dear friend and one of my most influential mentors in the world of wine, someone who was larger than life not only in personality but also in his huge generosity with his time and seemingly endless wine knowledge. The Insignia 1978 (another birth year vintage for me, what a great year!) sits amongst the top three wines that I have ever tried and will always be special for the immense significance as well as the incredible taste and quality. If you have never tried a mature California Cabernet, then this is undoubtedly the place to start your journey. Thanks, Ed.

DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉECONTI, LA TACHE 1966

Over the last decade, the Chelsea Vintners team have been extremely fortunate to share many incredible bottles with our customers; most of whom have become close friends through shared experiences and a passion for the finest wines of the world. For me, this wine is the perfect example of the unique way in which amazing wines bring people together.

Collecting fine wine can be something of a strange phenomenon, in that you sometimes find that you have special bottles tucked away that you are desperate to share, but only with those few that truly know and can appreciate the magic in the glass - the DRC La Tâche 1966 is one of those once in a lifetime bottles (unless you are one of the lucky few who still own a case or two!). This bottle was shared, as it should be, between a group of friends and lifelong DRC disciples thanks to one particularly passionate and generous collector amongst us. One of the most intense, haunting and utterly unforgettable vintages of La Tâche that I have ever tasted, this was a Burgundy of exceptional beauty that just got better and better as we came back to it throughout the night. A shared experience which brought us all closer together and that we will remember forever.

Dom Pérignon statue - Moët & Chandon cellar, Epernay

VEGA SICILIA UNICO 1968

The wines of Vega Sicilia have always stood out for me amongst many more illustrious names from around the world, and the iconic Unico is the pinnacle of what this amazing Spanish producer has to offer. Unico has graced many a Chelsea Vintners dinner table over the last ten years and will no doubt continue to do so for a long time to come.

Since the inception of CV, we have had great fun discovering and enjoying many vintages of Unico from across the years; however, time and time again we all find ourselves returning to our favourite decade, the 1960s (which also happens to feature three of our founder’s birth years!). I have enjoyed Unico from the 1960s on several occasions and for me, the years that really stand out include 1962, 1964 and 1965 – I also love the 1968 and 1970, and I think that with some bottle age that this wine really is hard to beat. In essence, Unico is one of those wines which is delicious and reliable year in, year out, rewarding patient drinkers and collectors with what we see as one of the best drops of red in Europe.

CHÂTEAU HAUTBRION 1989

A Chelsea Vintners favourite before Chelsea Vintners was even a gleam in our eyes!

This is without a doubt my ultimate desert island wine. When I see that gold label with the ‘89 stamp in a cellar I get very excited! As a collector I have a real emotional attachment to Haut-Brion ‘89 - it has been my rock in the world of fine wine, and I have been fortunate enough to drink it and watch it evolve over the past 20 years. I’ve seen this incredible wine reach its peak in every format going, from bottle, magnum, double magnum and even an unforgettable half bottle from the cellars of Tour d’Argent in Paris.

This is not a brash or flashy wine (I’ve heard some say it is even a little too constrained or doesn’t give enough, although I disagree) but for me it is the epitome of classic Bordeaux and represents everything that a fine wine should be. It has a rustic charm which keeps it grounded in the Old World but is paired with a sophisticated modern outlook that gives me a mental image of the vinous love child of Michael Broadbent and Robert Parker! In the simplest terms, for me Haut-Brion ‘89 is like a favourite book that you find the same joy in every single time you open the cover.

PENFOLDS GRANGE 1998

As an Aussie born and bred, I couldn’t go through the last decade in wine without a visit to my home country! I enjoyed this vintage of what is undoubtedly Australia’s most legendary wine on release as I was beginning my wine journey and I fell in love straight away. I was absolutely mesmerised - I’d never tasted anything like this before, and on reflection I would have to say this is the very bottle that propelled me into a career in wine. It was so intense from the beginning; unlike a young Rhône or Bordeaux which can be quite tight and tannic in their youth, the 1998 Grange was generous and confident from the start. Like a young racehorse, it was smooth and dark, muscular, compact and flighty. You could feel the underlying tension reverberating in every sip, and I have loved watching this wine mature over the past two decades from a glossy, twitchy colt into a magnificent stallion. This will be a forever favourite for Chelsea Vintners.

DOMAINE D’AUVENAY, MEURSAULT GOUTTES D’OR 2004

What can I say about this wine … other than it is as close to wine perfection as it gets.

The founders of Chelsea Vintners fell in love with the wines of Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay well before the rest of the world discovered this secret gem and prices skyrocketed. We just couldn’t keep our hands off them and seemed to find any excuse to open a bottle, becoming well versed in what we saw as the most exceptional and downright addictive white Burgundies we had ever encountered.

As all wine lovers know, the combination of great wine with great food is a fundamental pleasure and we just loved taking these wines everywhere we atethey were just so good! It’s incredibly hard

to narrow down my favourite d’Auvenay to just one wine, but it has to be the 2004 Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d’Or which has stuck with me the most. The first time I tasted this wine was in Villa Mas, an incredible seafood restaurant just north of Barcelona, where the Gouttes d’Or stood head and shoulders above a plethora of other exceptional wines, receiving unanimous votes for wine of the night and remaining a talking point for days afterwards. I’m pleased to report that it has performed with the same elegance and panache every time we’ve opened a bottle since, blowing everyone away with its complexity, balance and sheer brilliance. I find it quite hard to put all my feelings about this wine into words, so I will stick to just one - perfect.

JABOULET HERMITAGE LA CHAPELLE 1978

I couldn’t finish without topping everything off with one more birth year wine!

The Rhône Valley is an incredible region that is sometimes overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours such as Burgundy and Bordeaux – but to underestimate these amazing bottles is a mistake. The wines of Jaboulet are legendary amongst collectors, and the ‘La Chapelle’, taken from a tiny plot of land on the hill of Hermitage, is considered by many (including me) to be the very best wine that the region has to offer – on a par with any great Grand Cru or First Growth.

Aged Rhône Valley Syrah is a delight for all the senses, and I can still recall that incredibly distinct profile on tasting the ‘78 La Chapelle for the first time. An ethereal pale ruby colour with the most amazing complex flavours you can imagine, from tobacco and saddle leather to liquorice and chargrilled steak. However, the thing that struck me most was the incredible intense dark fruit, which was as rich and fresh as I imagine it was the day it was bottled. We all marvelled at how youthful and energetic this wine was several decades after its creation- there’s a reason why wine lovers know that this is one of the greatest wines ever. I can only conclude that there’s just a special something about the year 1978!

FROM BORDEAUX TO BURGUNDY

RICHARD ORDERS A LIFE IN WINE

BY CECILY CHAPPEL

Since his first foray into wine by way of his father’s cellar, Richard Orders has become a passionate wine collector and drinker, with a collection that he enjoys sharing with a wide network of fellow fine wine lovers – very much in line with the Chelsea Vintners philosophy that great wine is made to be drunk and enjoyed with friends!

Our CEO Cecily Chappel caught up with her long-time family friend to discover his insights into the world of fine wine and find out what his thoughts are for aspiring collectors who are starting their own journey into this wonderful world.

Where did your love of wine begin?

My father worked with wine companies for many years whilst I was growing up. As a happy consequence of this he had a fine collection of clarets, largely comprising interesting bin ends that he’d acquired along the way. This inspired me to spend my gap year before university living and working in Bordeaux at Château Beychevelle in Saint-Julien. I stayed in the Château

Château Talbot

and did everything from cellar tours to boxing up the 1970 vintage (I’m showing my age!). I think I may even still have a bottle or two of that exact wine somewhere.

I then went to Oxford to study English Literature and became very involved with the University Wine and Food Society and their events. We benefitted from visits and tastings from many of the best-known merchants of the time, who were keen to capture aspiring collectors at an early stage!

When I left university and joined Barings Bank, I used my first bonus to buy a 12-bottle case of Château Talbot 1970, bottled by Berry Brothers & Rudd – I’ve one or two of those left as well. From then on, if I had some spare cash I always put it into wine and have continued to do so ever since.

How have your tastes developed and changed since you first started collecting?

I’ve been influenced by both single events and general trends in the wine world. For example, in the course of my time with Barings I moved to Singapore, where I won a blind tasting competition sponsored by Champagne Deutz. The prize was a weekend in Champagne hosted by the House, so I naturally became quite keen on Champagne from then on!

Gradually, my path led me to Burgundy (all roads lead to Burgundy eventually, it seems). I had my first trip to the region in the mid 1980s, visited regularly from then onwards and ultimately my love of the region overtook everything else. Throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s I became extremely focused on Burgundy in all its guises and it’s been that way for me ever since.

What in particular drew you to the wines of Burgundy?

Traditionally, most collectors and drinkers from the UK started their wine education in Bordeaux; British families tended to drink mostly claret and port, with Hock and Moselle for whites, and as a result the wine trade was largely focused on those areas.

However, for my generation, there was a natural progression from the classicism of Bordeaux to the hedonism of Burgundy, as a consequence of a surge in quality resulting from the emergence of a group of young, passionate winemakers determined to make the best wine they could. As I gained more independence and started tasting outside the box, I discovered Pinot Noir and I’ve never looked back. Now, Burgundy really is my true love although increasingly I’m drinking Barolo and Barbaresco too and finding them very appealing. They are very similar to Burgundy in that certain sophistication and lightness of touch.

For me, the appeal of Burgundy is the luscious combination of flavours, with sweet red and black fruits, exotic spice and a unique complexity of flavour offering a level of sheer hedonism that is impossible to find anywhere else. It also makes the wines incredibly versatile in food pairing which is fantastic. The added bonus now is that the wines are made so much better today than they were back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Of course, it is entirely possible to find great old drinking wines from Burgundy but frankly these old wines are always a bit of a lottery.

Is there anyone in particular who has inspired and helped you along the way?

I remember more than 20 years ago when the late Clive Coates told me without hesitation that the next big wine focus was going to be Burgundy. I was surprised and somewhat dubious then, as quality in the region at that time was not where it is today. In those days you could get Rousseau Chambertin for £60 a bottle…! However, Clive’s advice turned out to be very prescient.

“ ONE OF THE PRIZES WAS A WEEKEND IN CHAMPAGNE HOSTED BY THE HOUSE SO I NATURALLY BECAME QUITE KEEN ON CHAMPAGNE FROM THEN ON!

There are many other people from whom I have learned and continue to learn so much. I would single out the late Bill Baker, a wonderfully acute taster; Jasper Morris, whom I have known since he started his career in the wine trade and whose views I respect enormously; and the incredibly thoughtful Jancis Robinson, whom I follow religiously. Also Allen Meadows and Anthony Hanson on Burgundy, David Peppercorn, who was a huge influence on my perspective on Bordeaux, and Serena Sutcliffe.

Finally, I must mention the late Becky Wasserman and her husband Russell Hone. I have enjoyed so many happy times with Becky and Russell over the years, mostly over amazing Burgundy tastings where we’ve tasted all kinds of grower verticals from Méo-Camuzet and Grivot Richebourg, Leroy Clos de Vougeot to Drouhin and de Vogüe Musigny… and many more.

Do you have any advice for those seeking to start or grow their own wine collection?

That’s a tough question! I think what I would say is that firstly you must decide whether you’re a collector and drinker or a collector and investor, because those two approaches are very different … although you can be both.

Collecting for investment is relatively simple. Just spend your time buying the maximum amount of the finest and rarest wines that you can get hold of and afford, store them properly and hope that time does the rest (it doesn’t always though, timing is everything and there is always an element of luck!).

For a drinker, collecting is very different. My advice would be to buy small amounts of a whole range of different wines across the quality spectrum and don’t just confine yourself to the best-known names. For example, don’t neglect village Burgundies or less fashionable growers - there are some wonderful Volnays, Pommards, Marsannays, Givrys and St Aubins, for example, and Nuits St Georges has many much-neglected climats offering relatively good value. I drink a lot from producers such as Gouges, Chevillon and de L’Arlot, and latterly I find myself drinking more and more white Burgundy in particular.

Finally, I would say be open minded and follow your palate! Don’t confine yourself to just a few classic countries or regions but look around the world. There is so much good wine being made in virtually every corner of the globe now from the New World to Eastern Europe, Asia even – quality is universally higher than ever before, competition for the market is fierce and there are fantastic wines to be found in all sorts of places at very affordable prices.

What persuaded you to buy land in Burgundy and what advice could you give others considering making a similar investment?

Well, I would say once you’ve identified a wine region that you love, try do something that helps you to feel as much a part of it as possible.

With that philosophy in mind, in 2008 we bought a parcel of vines in Meursault. We had been on the lookout for land for some time because we wanted to have an emotional and physical stake in the region and to feel that we were more than just wine tourists. Jasper Morris helped us to find a plot in Les Clous, and our grapes are now made into a village Meursault by Jean-Philippe Fichet.

I remember the notaire telling me when we concluded the purchase that I could now describe my occupation as ‘viticulteur’ in my passport.

This was in 2008 where the alternative for me was ‘banker’, so it felt rather handy because at that point bankers were not flavour of the month … to put it mildly.

All that being said, don’t make a purchase like this expecting a financial return. It’s about passion, not investment or profit. If you have the means, then do it for fun and simply enjoy it.

Which producers could your collection not be without?

The trouble is that this is going to sound so obvious, but there are good reasons why the top Burgundy growers are who they are! In no particular order, Rousseau, Dujac, Mugnier, DRC, Raveneau, Roulot, Roumier, d’Auvenay, d’Angerville and Leroy, many now well beyond my personal budget!

I also love Port from Graham’s and Fonseca, whilst my two favourite Champagne Houses are Salon and Pol Roger. My nod to the New World comes in the form of Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace, and I must also mention Bordeaux, where it all began for me … my must-haves being Cheval Blanc, Latour, Trotanoy and of course Beychevelle.

What have been your greatest wine experiences?

I mentioned earlier the many, many lunches and dinners enjoyed with Becky Wasserman, her husband Russell Hone, Jasper Morris, and my partner Ivy over the years. These were always wonderful occasions and are treasured memories. Whilst on the subject of Burgundy, the Corney & Barrow DRC dinner in November 2019 when I was privileged to chat at length with Aubert de Villaine was an especially memorable event.

Aside from this, I look back particularly fondly on a 1961 magnum dinner in London earlier in 2022 which I was very fortunate to be included in – the two stars of the evening were Mouton and Cheval Blanc. Sadly, the Latour was corked but the concentration and energy of the other wines served was extraordinary, just an unmatched vintage. It made me wonder if, even with all the technology, expertise, selection, and investment available to winemakers today, whether the greatest Bordeaux vintages such as ‘45, ’59 and ‘61 will ever be surpassed … I somehow doubt it, and in a way I hope not. Nature should always be a critical element in winemaking, reminding us to remain humble and remember that this great beverage cannot just be churned out with sophisticated manufacturing technology.

Finally, what is your one desert island bottle?

Can I have two?!

I’ll be kind and allow you one red and one white …

Aha! That’s better. For many reasons, my red is a sensational bottle that I have enjoyed with Ivy on a couple of occasions – Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti 1966.

For a while I wasn’t sure if I would settle on a Montrachet, because there are so many great white wines that I love. However, if I’m playing it safe then my white has probably got to be Ramonet Montrachet 1978 (on a good drinking day) which I have been privileged to taste just once in my life, courtesy of a very generous collector.

I HAVE ENJOYED SO MANY HAPPY TIMES WITH BECKY AND RUSSELL OVER THE YEARS, MOSTLY OVER AMAZING BURGUNDY TASTINGS WHERE WE’VE TASTED ALL KINDS OF GROWER VERTICALS FROM MÉO-CAMUZET AND GRIVOT RICHEBOURG, LEROY CLOS DE VOUGEOT TO DROUHIN AND DE VOGÜE MUSIGNY… AND MANY MORE

Becky Wasserman-Hone

2012 IN CHAMPAGNE

A ‘TRIUMPHANT’ VINTAGE FOR GRANDES MARQUES AND GROWERS ALIKE

BY CHRIS WOOD

Although there are areas of the wine world which look back at 2012 as a growing season that they’d rather forget, Champagne is not one of them. Indeed, whilst many winemakers held their heads in their hands, the Champenoise celebrated with adjectives such as ‘triumphant’, ‘legendary’ and ‘miraculous’ all used liberally to describe the fruits of their labour. JeanBaptiste Lécallion, Chef de Cave of Louis Roederer, was heard to say that ‘the quality is outstanding … a great vintage. Probably better than 1996 and close to 1990 on average. But in some special location it could well be better than that, closer to a 1947’.

This was far from an easy victory, though. The growing season threw everything that it had at Champagne – February saw temperatures fall as low as -20°c after a relatively mild winter, with the cold snap bringing in its wake devastating frosts and a savage hailstorm that vignerons described as one of the worst in living memory. Just 15 minutes of intense hail saw areas of the Côte des Bar lose anywhere between 50% and 100% of its burgeoning crop, with vines sustaining damage to such a level that the effects would also be felt in 2013.

It didn’t end there; Arctic conditions gave way to a miserably rainy spring which caused poor flowering and intense disease pressure in the vineyards right through to June and July. Mildew thrived for much of the summer, with producers using organic and biodynamic methods finding themselves particularly under pressure to combat these various threats without the support of chemical intervention.

However, the weather came through at the eleventh hour, and the misery of the months thus far gave way to elation as August arrived and the sun came to stay. The six or

so weeks from the beginning of August through to harvest were as perfect late-season conditions as the Champenoise could hope for (to the point where the warmth even caused a touch of over-ripeness in places) and was the miracle saviour of the vintage. Those hardy berries which had survived sub-zero temperatures, frost, hail, damp, rain and disease began to thrive in their newfound luxury and developed into a small but extremely high-quality crop.

Many Houses and growers saw yields down in the region of 4000 kg/ha to 8000 kg/ha (significantly below the permitted maximum of 11,000) but as is the case in winemaking the world over, triumph is often the result of adversity and cellarmasters universally praised ideal levels of sugar and acidity, perfect aromatic flavour profiles and enthusiastic, healthy fermentations which seemed to promise great things… and wholeheartedly delivered. In fact, some producers even chose to reduce their production of nonvintage cuvées in order to focus on emphasising the unique expression of the year.

Today, 2012 is viewed as one of the greatest vintages since 1990, with dizzyingly high scores awarded with glee by critics and a level of desirability in the market that many struggle to match. Most telling of all, great houses and grower producers alike now unfailingly celebrate 2012 (the hail and mildew but a bad memory). It is true that this vintage, which put even the most hardened winemakers to the test, represents some of the very best Champagnes available on the market today, drinking beautifully now even ten short years later whilst promising further greatness in the years to come.

It is an almost impossible task to narrow the Champagnes of 2012 down to just six of the best, but I’ve tried my hardest and selected three great Grandes Marques and three legendary growers whose 2012 vintages are some of the best to be had anywhere … I’ll let you decide the ultimate winner!

GRANDES MARQUES

CRISTAL 2012

2012 was the first year that Louis Roederer used 100% biodynamic fruit in their flagship cuvée – and whilst this must have felt like a baptism of fire during the growing season, it has resulted in a sensational wine with the lowest dosage ever used in Cristal (7g/l), a clear testament to the incredible quality of the fruit.

‘Rich, vinous and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far … radiant and luscious yet possessing remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth … 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that’. Antonio Galloni, Vinous

DOM PÉRIGNON 2012

Described by the house as a wine of ‘explosive harmony’, the 2012 vintage of Dom Pérignon is a masterclass in the power and precision that makes this house great. Low yields resulted in fruit of extraordinary intensity, with a muscular energy that promises to make this one of the longest-lived cuvées of the entire vintage, offering a wealth of riches and rewards to the patient collector.

‘A dense, powerful wine… I am almost shocked by its unbridled intensity and power. The 2012 reminds me of the 2003 but with more finesse and not quite as pushed. One of the most reticent young Doms I can remember tasting, I wouldn’t even think of opening a bottle for at least a few years’.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

AN HONOURABLE MENTION MUST ALSO GO TO TAITTINGER’S COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE, A PERENNIAL CHELSEA VINTNERS FAVOURITE. AT THE TIME OF WRITING (OCTOBER 2022) THE 2012 COMTES VINTAGE HAD NOT YET BEEN RELEASEDSO BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, YOU’LL KNOW MORE THAN ME, BUT BASED ON THE OTHER GRANDES MARQUES FROM THIS VINTAGE IT SEEMS FAIR TO EXPECT GREAT THINGS!

SALON 2012

Where to start with Salon? One of the rarest, most beguiling and most desired of all the Champagne Houses, Salon reassured itself at the end of the 2012 season that ‘Mother Nature loves to play tricks’, and fortunately this stoicism was about to pay off in spades. The result of this trickest of vintages is the ultimate Salon style; mysterious, secretive, seductive and, above all, absolutely stunning.

‘Absolutely gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of radiance and energy that seems to capture a little bit of the elements of some of its older siblings … the 2012 Salon is all harmony and class’.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

GROWER CHAMPAGNES

PIERRE PÉTERS CUVÉE SPÉCIALE ‘LES CHÉTILLONS’ 2012

Even in the worst of years Pierre Péters is famed for some of the best Blanc de Blancs to be found anywhere in the Côte des Blancs, particularly from the Grand Cru ‘Les Chétillons’ site at Le Mesnil sur Oger which has been under the care of the family since 1930. The wine itself is the kind of BdB to which all others aspire, a marriage of that famous chalky minerality with poise, precision and generosity that is epitomised in the 2012 vintage.

‘‘Fabulous. Rich and explosive in the glass, the 2012 has all the intensity of a ripe year but without the more tropical leanings of vintages like 2002 … the interplay of 2012 richness and Le Mesnil tension makes for an utterly compelling, vivid Champagne of the highest level’.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

LARMANDIERBERNIER ‘VIEILLE VIGNE DU LEVANT’ 2012

Although Larmandier-Bernier have been one of the leading lights in the ever-growing popularity of grower Champagne in modern times, make no mistake – this producer has eight generations of winemaking wisdom under its belt alongside some of the best Grand Cru sites to be had in Cramant, Avize and Oger. This cuvée uses fruit from vines up to 80 years in age, cultivated organically and treated like a member of the family at every stage of the process, 2012 being no exception.

‘‘Another standout in this range from Pierre and Sophie Larmandier. It possesses tremendous intensity and tons of pure power … the 2012 is dense, rich and full of personality’.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

PERTOISLEBRUN ‘LE FOND DU BATEAU NO. 12’ 2012

I couldn’t end without one top tip for future greatness. Their scores and reviews may be largely nonexistent and you wouldn’t be blamed for not recognising the name, but Pertois-Lebrun are a Champagne star on the rise. Clement and Antoine are the fifth generation of their family to oversee production from 9 hectares of prime Côte des Blancs vines, producing exclusively Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs styles that are intensely terroir-driven and expressive of the vintage.

Perhaps this explains why the 2012 ‘Le Fond de Bateau No.12’ is such a triumph, with just 1g/l dosage used to conduct a chorus of incredibly high-quality fruit into perfect harmony. Not only is the 2012 vintage one to watch, but so is Pertois-Lebrun. You can thank me later!

A WINE LOVER’S WEEKEND IN MONACO

BY HAMISH GREENING

The entire principality of Monaco covers less than 200 hectares, giving the world’s highest concentration of millionaires space to play in an area roughly equivalent to Burgundy’s three largest Grand Crus (Corton, CortonCharlemagne and Clos de Vougeot) combined. The winding streets navigate you through a temple dedicated to excess, where fast cars, high stakes poker tables and outrageous super yachts are the bread and butter for seasoned residents. But what role does wine have to play in the kingdom of decadence? In just 48 hours, I discovered a myriad of incredible options to satisfy any oenophile who favours Petrus over poker…

Arriving in Style

Unless you arrive to Monaco by sea, all journeys start and finish at Nice airport; a perfect excuse to catch lunch at one of the region’s best restaurants, ‘Les Agitateur’. Simple plates of pasta and fresh local fish take a back seat here, for whilst the food is good, it’s the restaurant’s wine allocations you’ve really come for. Make sure to work your way through an impressive hit list of top producers from the Rhône Valley, with the usually unobtainable Château Rayas and its sister estates all gracing the wine list for well under market price.

When it’s time to enter Monaco, a taxi may seem logical, but helicopter is often recommended as the most cost-effective option … modes of transport notwithstanding, you’d best choose your accommodation wisely. Monaco is notorious for its widespread disdain for corkage, but there are a few notable exceptions where you are able to enjoy wines from your own collection in peace. Le Méridien is the only hotel in Monaco with its own private beach and asks no more than a gesture of a corkage fee - for which they’ll provide you with ice buckets and glassware galore, so you can break open some serious bottles with your feet in the sand.

Champagne and Superyachts

Ready to catch up with a friend on the ground, I picked up a sensational bottle of Billecart-Salmon’s Cuvée Nicolas Françoise 2002 (the house’s legendary Blanc de Blancs) in town for just over a hundred euros. Ollie Pryce is a young Englishman living his best life in the Mediterranean’s most exciting port as a yacht broker for Y.CO, the most exciting name in the region’s vast and passionate nautical scene. Ollie takes great pride in knowing the people he calls his clients inside out, recalling each individual’s likes and dislikes at the drop of a hat. Strolling through the marina, he gives a few cursory nods to familiar faces, before pointing at 90 metres of the cleanest fibreglass I’ve ever seen, ‘he likes his Super Tuscans –always asks for old Sassicaia – but she only drinks Dom Pérignon and Whispering Angel… whatever the weather!’.

Just down the road is The Niwaki. The newest splash in Monaco’s culinary pool, you can expect high end Japanese cooking, a Hakkasan-style interior and a sommelier who knows his stuff. We began with a Chelsea Vintners favourite, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2007, which was drinking as beautifully as ever. Australian drinks maestro Rob Willey advised on pairing their list of rare sakes with a selection of fresh sashimi, before getting into some serious Burgundy to complement their exquisitely grilled lamb chops. The list here is extensive and not inexpensive (stretching even to a DRC Romanée-Conti 2005) but one would expect no less considering that the cheapest car in the vicinity was a Porsche Taycan and my view of the Plage du Larvotto was obscured by an incredible replica (assuming it wasn’t the real thing!) Batmobile from the Tim Burton series of films… parked inconsiderately across two spaces. Batman must have been in a rush to make his dinner reservations.

A Morning Stroll

After breakfast on the beach, a morning’s browsing should begin at Dionysos. Hidden away between a selection of patisseries and restaurants in the heart of Monaco, this is the passion project of three extremely talented former sommeliers. Combining decades of discoveries from Europe’s Michelin-starred establishments, they’ve not just curated one of the most exciting wine shops I’ve ever visited, but also one of the best priced. A walk amongst their sparsely decorated shelves is like a journey through everything you wished you’d been smart enough to buy. Not only can you find almost any wine you’ve ever dreamed of, but they only seem to sell the best vintages for drinking now and at upsettingly good prices. I spent plenty of time grazing the walls of Leroy, Bonneau and Sine Qua Non, but left with a suitcase full of mature grower Champagne and cult wines from the Rhône, Loire and Jura – still leaving room for the afternoon’s adventures.

It would be a travesty to wander back up to Monte Carlo’s historic look out and not consider stopping in at Le Bar Américain. An institution of the Hotel de Paris, this 1920’s inspired shrine to soft leather and timber décor has hosted numerous presidents and featured in no fewer than two James Bond films. You’ll forgive me for casting the wine list aside on this occasion, but I was seated next to Alina Bodleva (a.k.a. Miss Russia and Miss World 2021) thus a glass of rosé, no matter how famous the label, simply wasn’t debonair enough for my inner Sean Connery. Instead, I enjoyed a perfectly executed Negroni, accompanied by a plate of freshly chopped fillet steak tartare and serenaded by a 7-piece band nailing their take on George Gershwin’s Summertime.

IT WOULD BE A TRAVESTY TO WANDER BACK UP TO MONTE CARLO’S HISTORIC LOOK OUT AND NOT CONSIDER STOPPING IN AT LE BAR AMÉRICAIN.

AN INSTITUTION OF THE HOTEL DE PARIS, THIS 1920’S INSPIRED SHRINE TO SOFT LEATHER AND TIMBER DÉCOR HAS HOSTED NUMEROUS PRESIDENTS AND FEATURED IN TWO JAMES BOND FILMS

The Niwaki is Monaco’s go-to for high end Japanese cuisine paired with an impressive wine list

Hotel de Paris cellar, Monaco

The World’s Greatest Wine Cellar

As you exit the Hotel de Paris lobby, something extremely special lies beneath your feet. I’m not referring to the secret tunnel linking it to the Hermitage Hotel (originally designed for unscrupulous husbands and wives to meet their forbidden lovers), but the legendary caves. Often described as ‘The World’s Greatest Wine Cellar’, the hotel’s cellar was created in 1874 by Marie Blanc, who employed 100 workers to dig over 10m into the tough Monaco stone. The magnificent result spans 1.5 square kilometres and houses no less than 350,000 bottles. The bulk of the contents consists of First Growth Bordeaux and prestige Champagnes, of which the hotel’s consumption can exceed 300,000 bottles a year… these are kept closer to the entrance for obvious logistical reasons. Step over a few cases of 1990 Le Pin and you can feast your eyes on the best selections, including 1890 d’Yquem and unfathomable amounts of 1945 Mouton. None of which is for sale, of course...

This historic temple survived looting during Nazi occupation by obscuring the most revered sections of the cellar with vast piles of smashed bottles of ‘lesser’ wines. Perhaps more impressively still, it survived numerous parties thrown by the iconic Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly, whose wild celebrations in the 1970s are the stuff of Monaco legend. Sadly, the cave is strictly closed to the public, so you’ll need an inside man within the Sociéte des Bains de Mer or some serious industry clout to wangle your way in, but to stand within the many walls is a truly humbling experience for any wine lover.

Sunday the Monaco Way

A stroll down to Monaco’s world-famous yacht club will bring you to the Wine Palace Monte Carlo, sitting pretty a mere 10 yards from a berthed 7-deck superyacht (or two). A dramatic staircase lined by floor

to ceiling Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque 2012 elevates visitors to the port’s best selection of spirits, from premium sipping tequilas like Clase Azul to Japan’s Hibiki 21 and an entire cabinet of Macallan - including the mythical Red Collection! Assuming you resist the urge to spend nearly a million euros on Scotch’s most collectible set, head back down to the air-conditioned bliss of the cellar. This is all about big names and big vintages from big regions. Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa in all their glory. The best bit? Whilst you are always welcome to sit and enjoy a drink on the waterfront, all the bottles are priced for you to take home and enjoy by the hotel pool.

Dinner at Cantina Antinori gives a feel for the more Italian side of Monaco, offering simple elegant cooking paired with an all-star wine list of back vintages from Tuscany’s most famous estate. Start with a glass of Cervaro della Sala 2016, the estate’s iconic Chardonnay, and a bowl of their suitably luxurious take on a classic carbonara, which replaces pancetta with salty cured wagyu strips and a generous helping of summer truffles. Then delve into the countless back vintages of big hitters Tignanello and Solaia, paired with a perfectly seared fillet steak tagliatta. We finished the night with aplomb, polishing off a sensational Rieussec 1986 with a specially prepared olive oil ice cream.

Monaco may be most famous for its annual Formula 1 race, the glitzy casinos and multi-billion-pound collection of superyachts, but this tiny principality also offers a host of delights for any wine lover. Whether you prefer perusing endless walls of First Growth Bordeaux in the world’s most outrageous wine cellar or tasting an eclectic selection of cult wines presented by a talented sommelier, you’re sure to end the day with a bottle of great Champagne, listening to the lapping of waves against 300-feet hulls and the far-off revving of a Maclaren P1 – and isn’t that what life is all about?

THIS TINY PRINCIPALITY OFFERS A HOST OF DELIGHTS FOR ANY WINE LOVER

THE PRICE OF FAME

BURGUNDY 2012 – 2022

BY JON HIGGS

The legendary region of Burgundy is the perfect embodiment of both past and future. On one hand, Grands Crus sites that have been celebrated and coveted for centuries remain safely in the hands of multi-generational family dynasties. Indeed, history and tradition are so deeply ingrained in the culture of the region that in 2015 Burgundy was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. However, outside investment, adjustments to the appellation system, and the realities of climate change (which have necessitated adaptations in viticulture and winemaking methods) have all combined to bring about significant change in the region in recent years.

CHELSEA VINTNERS

A Drop in the Ocean

Burgundy accounts for approximately 0.3% of the world’s wine production – a miniscule drop in the global wine ocean. The trouble is that this figure incorporates all the greatest, most prestigious, most famous Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays on Earth. Every top restaurant and every wine connoisseur wants these wines front and centre in their cellars and there is simply never enough supply to meet demand. Consider the wines of the much-vaunted Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, for example, whose top vineyard of the same name produces what is considered by many to be the greatest Pinot Noir vineyard on Earth. Yet, the tiny monopole that is Romanée-Conti accounts for less than 500 cases of wine each year, not enough to satisfy even the tiniest percentage of the world’s passionate Burgundy drinkers and collectors.

Land prices also reflect this ever-growing demand, at a time when acquiring a parcel or two of Burgundy’s best has never been more desirable. Grand Cru vineyards account for just 2% of the total area under vine in Burgundy, yet prices have more than doubled in the last decade, spurred on by several high-profile property deals. The cost of a Grand Cru parcel currently averages somewhere in the region of €6.5M/HA. Bourgogne Premier Cru can sell for anything from €300K/ha to €3M/HA, depending on the vineyard, whilst ‘cheaper’ Burgundy villages land can be purchased for €30K/Ha to €50K/HA.

Notable Acquisitions

2012

Olivier Halley buys Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay

2014

LVMH purchases Clos des Lambrays, growing a fine wine portfolio featuring the likes of Krug, Dom Pérignon and Château Cheval Blanc

2017

Francois Pinault (owner of Bordeaux First Growth Chateau Latour) purchases Clos de Tart

2017

American Stan Kroenke (billionaire owner of Arsenal football club) purchases 80% of Bonneau du Martray

A Changing Climate

The realities of global warming are being felt ever more significantly across the globe, but vineyards in marginal regions such as Burgundy are feeling the temperature rise more than most. In the last decade alone, the Burgundy growing season has warmed to the point that we are seeing harvest begin on average two weeks earlier than has been the norm over the last six hundred years. In 2012, the harvest generally commenced around September 22nd; just ten years later, 2022 saw growers bringing in the first of their fruit as early as August 19th. Domaine des Comtes Lafon started the harvest in their Meursault vineyards in the week commencing August 22nd, with Leflaive and Arnoux-Lachaux not far behind .

Not only do warmer summers and milder winters shorten the growing season and create the possibility of less balanced fruit, but yields are also suffering hugely due to both changes in temperature and the increasing number of extreme weather events that Burgundy, like everywhere else in Europe, is experiencing. For example, terrible hailstorms notably affected the red wine villages of the Côte de Beaune in three successive vintages from 2012 to 2014 – in 2014, up to 40% of the potential crop across Meursault, Pommard and Volnay was decimated in just five short, heart-breaking minutes of hail. Meanwhile in Chablis, the last four years have only seen one fully successful grape harvest (2018) thanks to a combination of frost, hail and mildew issues which have combined to reduce yields anywhere from 50% to 100%.

However, possibly the most destructive threat to the vineyards of Burgundy is unpredictable, aggressive spring frosts, the

occurrence of which is likely connected to disruption in the polar vortex causing bulges of arctic air in spring, which roll down into the Northern Hemisphere. This new threat is at its worst when combined with overall warmer temperatures, which mean increasingly early dates for budburst; historically, vines would not begin to bloom until the risk of frost had passed, but now delicate new vine growth is destroyed overnight as frosts hit. In 2016, April frost reduced the overall Burgundy harvest by 30%, and only mass action by growers lighting straw fires to produce a smoke filter just before dawn evaded a similar catastrophe in 2017. Striking images of Burgundy vineyards illuminated with bougies (large candles) are becoming a yearly fixture of the growing season as winemakers seek to warm their sites and protect these precious new buds from the freezing temperatures.

All these challenges of course have an impact on goings-on in the cellar and vineyard. As warmer temperatures lead to increasingly ripe fruit, many winemakers have scaled back on techniques that amplify the richness of white wines, such as lees stirring or maturation in new oak, in order to retain freshness and acidity. When it comes to red wines, fermentation methods incorporating stems or whole bunches have gained popularity again to preserve freshness in riper vintages. Biodynamic and low-intervention methods in the vineyard are also helping Burgundy cope; many of the region’s most famous domaines are taking an increasingly holistic approach to viticulture in order to regenerate and re-energise their land and help the environment to better adapt to and cope with environmental change.

Notable Producers Adapting to Climate Change

The list of Burgundian producers using organic and biodynamic methods is ever-increasing and reads like a who’s who of the very best names in the business, from Domaine Dujac and Dugat-Py to Comtes Lafon, JacquesFrederique Mugnier and more ...

Domaine Leflaive

A pioneer of biodynamic viticulture led by Anne-Claude Leflaive, whose daughter Marine Leflaive is pictured left. All Leflaive vineyards farmed biodynamically since the 1990s

Domaine d’Auvenay

Burgundian legend Lalou Bize-Leroy uses the strictest biodynamic methods in the vineyards of her home domaine

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

After some experimentation converted all of their vineyards to biodynamic viticulture from 2007

Past, Present and Future

Despite its long, proud legacy of winemaking, Burgundy is no slouch in recognising when changes need to be made to help consumers understand and enjoy its wines. 2017 saw a huge overhaul in the way that Burgundy classifies its vineyards, bringing the appellation total down from 100 to 84 and creating a new category entitled ‘Bourgogne Côte d’Or’ The most significant change was the addition of 14 Denominations Géographiques Complémentaires (DGCs) to the basic ‘Bourgogne’ appellation together with an overall reduction in the number of regional AOCs from 23 to 7. There is a new village appellation for the Auxerrois village of Vézélay, while Marsannay Rosé is now included in the Marsannay appellation.

Meanwhile in the Maconnais, 2020, after a ten-year-long application process, the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) approved several new vineyard classifications across the region, making Pouilly-Fuissé the first appellation within Burgundy’s Mâconnais sub-region to be awarded Premier Cru status. In total, 22 new Premier Cru sites across nearly 200 hectares of land were created, marking the first occasion on which a new Premier Cru site has been created in Burgundy since 1943 and giving a great boost to the reputation of PouillyFuissé wines.

Not only do rules change – so do faces and philosophies. I already touched upon the massive increase in the use of biodynamic and organic viticulture, as well as changes in the winery to combat riper fruit and maintain classic styles of Burgundy, or indeed to create something new and exciting. However, on the human side of things there are a great number of rising stars in Burgundy, both the scions of great dynasties and new kids on the block, who are all creating a name for themselves with unique approaches and sensational wines. Although prices continue to rise, land becomes ever harder to acquire and winemaking methods remain in a state of climate changeinduced flux, it is undeniable that Burgundy remains the reigning monarch of the wine world. Ethereal, mysterious, joyous, lifechanging… these wines have inspired millions of drinkers around the world, commanding record-breaking prices and breaking a few hearts in the process, no doubt!

Make no mistake, though. Burgundy is not some stuffy old matriarch, set in her ways and unable to move with the times, but a dynamic, energetic, beautiful entity, able to adapt and change with the times to ensure that she remains on the throne – which I am sure will be the case for many years to come.

Burgundy Producers to watch right now

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot

Dézize-based producer creating excellent white wines produced from 10HA in the Côte de Beaune, run by Marc and Alexandre Bachelet, grandsons of Burgundian royalty Bernard Bachelet

Jean-Yves Bizot

Cult wines (with prices to match) made by Jean-Yves Bizot himself in Vosne-Romanée

Marc Soyard, Domaine de la Cras

A Domaine Bizot alumni using organic viticulture and traditional low-intervention techniques

Philippe Pacalet

The nephew of natural wine king Marcel Lapierre, using some family inspiration to craft extremely distinctive wines

Pierre & Anne Morey

A father and daughter team with enviable credentials - (Pierre headed up the biodynamic conversion of the Leflaive estate) renowned for excellent Meursault

Domaine Arlaud

Three third-generation winemaker siblings farm eight Premier Cru and three Grand Cru sites with the help of their plough horses Nougat & Oka

HOT PROPERTY

JESS LAMB MEETS SAVILLS

DIRECTOR

TREVOR KEARNEY TO TALK ALL THINGS

LUXURY, FROM SUPER-PRIME PROPERTY TO DOMAINE D’AUVENAY

BY JESS LAMB

The world of fine wine is intimately related to a diverse range of other fabulous luxury goods and assets, from whisky and cigars to supercars and watches. However, high-end property and ultra-fine wines are particularly close cousins; not only is it imperative to have a fantastic home cellar in which to store your collection, but wine and property markets can each tell us a great deal about the other and where we may be headed in the future.

Chelsea Vintners Head of Marketing Jess Lamb sat down with Trevor Kearney, Savills Director and Head of London Office, to get his unique take on the ways in which the worlds of wine and property collide – enjoying some incredible anecdotes and reminiscing about favourite bottles in the process!

How did you find your way into the luxury property market?

Like most agents that find themselves dealing in the world of super prime, I started off selling houses in the mainstream markets. My career began at a small independent agency in Claygate, which is a small village next door to Esher - quite quickly I became a big fish in a very small pond! When Savills opened their newest Elmbridge office in Cobham, I was excited by the opportunity of both this location and joining Savills. It felt like the right approach for me to go on and further my career with Savills, which I believe is the best real estate brand in the world.

Backed by reputation and success combined with a lot of perseverance, I climbed to a position where today I advise and transact in the ultra-high net worth and super prime ecosystem. This has been built through strong relationships, which are created by always delivering and doing what we say

that we will on every occasion, to the highest of standards.

What for you are the most exciting things about the world of luxury property?

For me it has always been people over property. It’s the about the people that we get to meet and enjoy a glass of wine with, more than the houses that they live in. The homes, however, are of course incredible and it is a privilege to be trusted with the sale of one of a client’s most financially valuable assets. I come from incredibly humble beginnings, so this is not the world that I was used to or that I grew up around - I have always aspired and wanted more, which this industry has afforded me to achieve. Now I feel totally at ease and comfortable within this world. I am an intrinsic part of the super prime property world and a voice of authority within the industry, which gives me a great deal of pride.

The homes I work with are at the forefront of design, style, taste and technology within real estate. We really do get to see and sell some of the finest homes in the world. We are seeing cutting edge designs and finishes going into super prime houses right now that historically have only ever been used in the commercial space due to the scarcity and cost of unique materials. I look at the relatively recently created ‘Shoe Heaven’ at Harrods, for instance; the level of detail, including the use of marble, joinery and bespoke finishes, is incredible. I can now see features such as those being translated into residential properties, which I think is amazing. It’s the finishes, the detail and the choice of materials that makes these homes stand out from the rest. Our clients desire the very best, not only when it comes to wine but homes too!

What makes your role within Savills so special?

We offer a totally bespoke service at the very top end of the market for both buyers and sellers. We are able to give our clients, the

sellers of these houses, a level of access to buyers that I believe that nobody else can match - I genuinely believe that we have the best ‘little black book’ in the industry. We have the best contacts in the world from the likes of Chelsea Vintners and McLaren to family offices, wealth managers and private jet and yacht brokers. We are deeply and intrinsically immersed within the world of luxury 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and can bring all our contacts into play for our clients. Savills, my London office team and Savills Sports & Entertainment teams are all an inherent part of the luxury lifestyle ecosystem and very proud to be so.

What are your views on the short/medium term future of the luxury property market? Any thoughts/top tips for investors?

We are entering a very interesting time, both politically and economically. What is particularly fascinating is that in July 2022, the value of stamp duty receipts recorded by HMRC stood at £1.5bn. Despite the economic backdrop, the previous month

INSPIRED

recorded £1.4bn; a full hundred-millionpound increase month on month shows us in real time that the market remains solid despite the uncertainties we all face and the obvious challenging headwinds. It shows us that there is still trust and belief in the UK housing market and that people still want to buy and sell houses, including the super prime markets. My short-term view is that over the coming months there will be a period of stabilisation. In my opinion, stock will increase and there will be more options for buyers, so the supply vs demand balance will stabilise. We have over the last couple of years had periods where the buyer to seller ratio was as much as five buyers registered to buy to every one property listed for sale, but this has and will continue to ease as more properties come to the market.

The Savills five-year forecast is that prices will increase about 20% across that time frame, so I have belief and knowledge that markets will continue to be strong and will continue to grow. And that’s supported by the simple fact that we still have more buyers than we do sellers!

IT TOTALLY

ME; I WANTED TO SIT AROUND THAT TABLE, UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS TASTING, AND GAIN A DEEPER LEVEL OF INSIGHT INTO WHAT I WAS ENJOYING AND WHY

The Water Mill, Guildford, Surrey

What parallels do you see between the luxury property and fine wine markets? Wine has even started to outperform property in some years … what are your thoughts on this?

Being as central as I am in the super-prime property market and all things ‘high end’, I track and watch the luxury asset markets forensically. Whether it’s fine wines, super cars, vintage cars, art or antiques, I think that all these categories follow a similar trajectory, mirroring and relating to one another much more than we realise. When the luxury property market is booming, we see that the luxury wine market follows suit and at the moment that’s reflected in the number of record prices that are being achieved.

Chelsea Vintners have shown me evidence from recent times that suggests wine is actually capable of outperforming property. I believe that there is one particularly good reason for that ... vintage. When you look at any great name from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to Petrus, there are always certain years that are in huge demand but of course the nature of a vintage wine means that stock is always finite. Meanwhile, collectors continue to buy and store; but most importantly, I am seeing that a large number of these wine lovers are buying and drinking more than ever, even at the most exclusive end of the scale. Therefore, vintage wines become more and more exclusive, with buyers willing to pay a huge premium for certain vintages.

In houses this is slightly different in that buyers can compromise on the history of house they buy or even on the location a little. We can change and develop what we thought that we wanted and desired in real estate but in wine that is rather different. Our taste buds cannot be convinced otherwise!

How important is top-notch wine storage for your clients?

Wine storage is big business in the world of premium property. So many of my clients care deeply about their wine storage and wine investment and are making decisions on the houses that they are building or buying based on wine storage and in some cases how to display their collections. This can be in the form of anything from a luxury tasting room, a temperature-controlled facility or an underground wine cellar. The tradition of storing wine in our homes goes back hundreds of years (we often see amazing wine cellars within important country houses and

estates) but the trend we are seeing more and more is the creation of wine rooms and cellars in brand new super-homes. Self-made first-generation wealth is now focusing more on wine today than I have ever seen before in my two decades in property. Wine is high on the agenda – wine lovers want to store it, drink it and show it off.

Do you have any advice for buyers and renters on what to look for in terms of ensuring home cellaring?

What clients need to be careful of is efficient climate control and exposure to light. There are some truly spectacular bespoke wine rooms that I have seen in my time, but what I notice on occasion is wine storage facilities focused purely on aesthetics, forgetting the key functions of temperature control and light exposure management. This can be a fundamental error, particularly for older vintages which need extremely careful cellaring to remain at their best.

We have just seen a client move into a rental property which had extensive wine storage facilities, perfect for his collection of some incredibly rare vintages but also his day-to-day drinking wines -most of which were sourced and bought expertly through Chelsea Vintners! Unfortunately, the wine storage was not temperature controlled and had underfloor heating running through the chillers as well as a cooling facility. This was a major design fault on a new-build property which of course caused havoc with the temperature controls and resulted in the wine being spoilt. It wasn’t spotted during summer when the underfloor heating wasn’t in use and the temperatures monitored… six months later with the heating on but no-one keeping an eye on the wine temperature gauge, we had a problem!

My advice is to always work with the professionals. There are plenty of excellent wine storage experts and cellar designers who can offer excellent advice on storing your wine if it is being kept at home and create a dream facility in which to do so. Also … keep an eye on the thermostat!

What’s the most amazing home wine cellar you’ve ever seen?

For me, it has to be the wine cellar at Pickhurst. Pickhurst is a country estate just south of Guildford that I sold for a lovely British family of property tycoons. It had the ultimate cellar, holding several thousand bottles of wine, but also featuring

a stunning tasting room. It was a pared back design with a beautiful antique furniture and the most natural beautiful aroma - the ultimate room for any wine connoisseur. We see some fabulous cellars housing with fabulous wine storage facilities, but I always go back to Pickhurst. It was a proper cellar and it just blew me away. (The owner’s wines were also very good, as you might expect!)

In fact, drinking and learning about wine in that very wine cellar is one of the many experiences that gave me my personal passion for wine. It totally inspired me; I wanted to sit around that table, understand what I was tasting, and gain a deeper level of insight into what I was enjoying and why. I’ve had great fun exploring my palate ever since.

What are your personal wine preferences/passions?

Screaming Eagle today remains my number one wine closely followed by much of the Mouton Rothschild stable. However, for day to day drinking at home (especially in spring and summer) we open a lot of white wine and for me that means Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet – my go-to every single time. I’m a massive fan of the PulignyMontrachet region of Burgundy and have been lucky enough to enjoy many tastings and cases of these very special wines.

If I could only have one last bottle of wine right now, not taking affordability into any consideration, it would have to be a bottle of Domaine d’Auvenay Montrachet Grand Cru 1998, perfect for sunshine drinking. Having said that, as the winter months draw in, I’m sure that my path is going to change and I’m going to be choosing Screaming Eagle 1997 or 2010. I can but dream!

A JOURNEY THROUGH SINGLE MALT IN SIX DRAMS

BY SAM RILEY

The world of whisky is every bit as fascinating and addictive as its fine wine counterpart, and just as appealing to passionate hedonists and collectors. When the Chelsea Vintners team aren’t enjoying an incredible bottle of wine, we are equally partial to a dram or two!

There is a reason why the word whisky derives from the Celtic uisge beathe, meaning water of life; this unique spirit has given life to drinkers around the world for centuries, with the best examples representing the ultimate in fine spirits and commanding prices that make even the most exclusive wines seem positively accessible...

Sam Riley, just one of our several in-house whisky enthusiasts, has mapped out his own journey into the beguiling world of single malt whisky in six sensational drams. Cheers and slàinte mhath!

LAGAVULIN 16YO

An accessible international classic thoroughly deserving of its reputation as the ‘nectar of the gods’. This is a classic foray into Islay whisky and a real essential for any enthusiast’s home collection.

Intensely flavoured and full bodied, dominated by peat, iodine and seaweed, but with a rich, deep tropical sweetness. Pungent smoke fills the palate with a gentle hint of caramelised pineapple, followed by a long sea salt finish and hints of cask oak. Best served with cold kippers and freshly shucked Scottish oysters.

COMPASS BOX

‘THE PEAT MONSTER’ ARCANA

This properly peated number comes from London maestros Compass Box. CB are blenders at the very top of their game, showing that some of the best drops on the planet come from the ancient art of marrying casks to create a sum better than the parts. Blended whisky fell out of fashion around the turn of the millennium, largely because buyers became fearful that they were being fobbed off with unsellable cheap nonsense (which many were). Founder John Glaser has the obvious answer to this problem – and it’s written on the back of each bottle. By releasing a full recipe to accompany each blend, you can see (although probably never replicate) just what you’re enjoying. A special 20th Anniversary edition of their classic Peat Monster was dubbed the Arcana and aged in custom French oak barrels for an additional 2 years. Jaw droppingly good.

HIBIKI 21YO

This waited patiently on my list for a long time before I finally tasted it with a good friend and wizard of a sommelier, Dom Smith. The richness and complexity is just mind-blowing, like a liquid Christmas pudding; full of spice, smoke and treacle, PX sherry, cherry and roasted nuts. What was ridiculous was how easy it was to drink! After our first mouthful I remember just grinning at each other – we didn’t need to talk to explain the giddy joy it brought. Further proof that blended whisky can be truly great.

Ichiro Akuto, the man behind Chichibu and Hanyu, might just be the greatest independent distiller in Japan. For this incredibly rare bottling, he emptied a few casks of his Chichibu single malt into a holding tank before sending this precious cargo to his favourite craft brewer, who aged their top IPA in it for an extended period. The brewery returned the ‘beerwashed’ single malt casks to Ichiro to fill with his single malt for an extra special maturation. As a lover of IPAs, the obvious imparting of hoppy bitterness alongside flavours of blossom honey, yuzu and grapefruit won me over in an instant. This shows that Japanese distillers have not just an admirable respect for tradition, but a wonderful streak for experimentation as well.

PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23YO

To Kentucky and perhaps the most revered name in Bourbon County … Pappy Van Winkle. Everything I’ve ever tasted with those words on has knocked me backwards – they’re just so delicious and you can easily see why they command the prices they do with their scarcity. I’ve got a terribly sweet tooth and great Bourbon for me hits all the same high points as a great dessert … toasted coconut, roasted espresso, dark chocolate, buttery toffee, vanilla, nutmeg and star anise. This delivered by the bucket load and tasted like a hypothetical combination of a Bounty Bar and a Werther’s Original Butterscotch, two British classics I’m rather partial to! True whiskey hedonists won’t do much better in the way of drinking pleasure.

THE LAST DROP 1971 TRIPLE MATURED 45YO

A sensational gift from my colleague Cecily, this revealed to me just how good Scotch can get if you wait. It was humbling to drink a serious dram that has matured for twice as long as I’ve been alive, revealing a complexity and softness that only the greatest patience can produce. Enjoyed at the end of a great dinner with friends, every drop was savoured and went down effortlessly, but the remarkable depth of flavour from three separate maturations stunned us all into silence. My only complaint is that there’s none left – and that it’s given me the insatiable desire to find something that might live up to it.

The barrel room at Pappy van Winkle

Tasting time at Pappy van Winkle

The Yamazaki’s incredible ‘whisky library’ holds a dram of every whisky ever produced

BY COLLECTORS, FOR COLLECTORS WWW.CHELSEAVINTNERS.COM