OPIMIAN SUGGESTS

Zoé discovered the world of wine while growing up in Bordeaux and explored new-world styles during her time in Australia, where she fell in love with Shiraz. She particularly enjoys the bolder red wines of the Médoc on the Left Bank. Since starting at Opimian, Zoé has learned to love dry whites and always enjoys a rosé for apéro. As a Lorraine native, she has a soft spot for G. Rozelieures whisky!

CHÂTEAU CAMINO SALVA, AOC HAUTMÉDOC, 2019, LOT 3397, P20

OUR PICKS FOR THIS CELLAR

NEWSDRINKER MERLOT, AOC BORDEAUX, CHÂTEAU SURAIN , 2020, LOT 3366, P11 G. ROZELIEURES, SINGLE MALT WHISKY, ORIGINE COLLECTION (PART OF MIXED CASE), LOT 3376, P67

BERNARD PERRIN, CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE BRUT, LOT 3430, P52 LES ALLÉES DE CANTEMERLE, AOC HAUT-MÉDOC, 2016, LOT 3398, P21 CHÂTEAU GRANDPUY DUCASSE AND PRÉLUDE À GRAND-PUY DUCASSE CASE, LOT 3412, P70

MANAGING DIRECTOR MICHAEL LUTZMANN

Michael has level 3 training from WSET. Before discovering more about wine through training, he only drank heavy reds. While those are still favourites, his palate pleasers now include the full spectrum with dessert/ fortified wines edging toward the top of his list. The expanded selection of Beaujolais has him looking to add fantastic lighter reds to his collection.

MASTER PIECE The 1855 Classification and Second Wines

Jane Masters MW is Opimian’s Master of Wine

An increasing number of Bordeaux wine estates produce a second wine. Some produce third and even fourth wines. These are nothing new. There are records dating back to the 18th century of famous estates making second wines.

But second wines are not the sole preserve of famous or classified growths, they are made by many estates and can offer excellent wines at more affordable prices. The highest quality wines are made by estates that strive for excellence. Producing a second wine allows winemakers to use only the very best barrels of wine for the “Grand Vin “. The balance, those that don’t make the cut, are cascaded down to a lower level, available to go into producing a second, third or fourth wine. Some wine may even be sold anonymously on the bulk market. This assures the quality of the Grand Vin is maximized at the same time some cash flow is generated. The same care and expertise are employed in vineyard management and wines are made in much the same way conferring the house style. As consumers, we get high-quality wines ready for earlier drinking and an apercu of the Grand Vin. Second wines are often produced from grapes from younger vines. Grape vines can live for centuries. Generally, older vines of 20+ years consistently produce grapes that create wines with greater complexity and depth. Younger vines can produce concentrated quality grapes and must be nurtured if they are to make great wines in future. Specific vineyard plots, which produce lighter styles or different flavours, may be designated to the second wine on an ongoing basis. Alternatively, plots may be declassified one year due to particular growing conditions and weather events. Counterintuitively, the quality of second wines may actually increase in difficult years as a result of a greater proportion of wines cascaded down a level. The Bordeaux region has the highest density of premium wine estates than any wine region in the world. Many of these have been traded internationally for centuries and a number of classification systems exist. The most famous of these is the 1855 classification ordered by Napoleon III to showcase the best of France at the Exposition Universelle de Paris. A group of négociants and brokers ranked the top 60 Bordeaux estates of the Médoc (including Haut-Brion) into five classes according to wine prices paid. The most expensive wines, namely Lafite, Margaux, Latour and Haut-Brion, who had developed a strong reputation for quality and a loyal following, became the First Growths. Bordeaux sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac were ranked at the same time. The classification, reflecting the market’s view of relative quality, was simple and easy to understand and has stuck. It was based on the estate name