Drinks Business – November 2014 by Union Press

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ISSUE 147

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OCTOBER 2014

ISSUE 147 • OCTOBER 2014

RED CARPET ROLLOUT

PROSECCO • GERMANY • PROWEIN PREVIEW • SOUTH AFRICA • LOW-ALCOHOL WINE • WHISKY • COGNAC

REVEALING THE MEDAL-WINNING WINES IN THIS YEAR’S GLOBAL MASTERS FOR RIESLING, SAUVIGNON BLANC AND CHAMPAGNE

SOUTH AFRICA

SPARKLING WINE

ARE WHITE BLENDS THE CAPE’S BEST WINES?

CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL COMPETITORS FOR PROSECCO

BULK WINE

LOOKING AT THE REAL COSTS OF SHIPPING IN BULK

BUILDING BELVEDERE • JACKSON FAMILY WINES

•

NYC’S TOP SOMMS

www.thedrinksbusiness.com

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editorial Own-brand Champagne is commanding a significant proportion of the market, much to the despair of some traditional houses IT’S OFTEN said that Champagne is a bastion of successful brands – buy why? According to the marketers, it’s a place where class-leading cuvées offer everything that consumers want: consistency (achieved through blending across a large area and different vintages), authenticity (due to provenance), simplicity (it’s just sparkling), and visibility (memorable branding, whether it’s on the bottle, ice bucket or in an advertisement). However, as this month’s lead article on Champagne highlights (pages 30-38), the majority of the region’s sales in UK retail aren’t from such effectively-marketed brands. Indeed, they are not even from marques owned and managed by a producer. Over 53% of the volume sales in Champagne’s largest export market, the UK, are from labels controlled by the supermarkets – whether they use their own name or one that’s exclusive to them. For example, to consider Britain’s biggest retailer, the Champagne on the shelf is likely to be either Tesco own-brand or its exclusive label: André Carpentier. But it’s the likes of the latter label that really drive sales. Regularly sold at half-price, such Champagnes account for almost 40% of Britain’s off-trade business. Obviously it’s more appealing for retailers to offer deals on something that is unique to them but doesn’t carry their own name, particularly considering it’s usually suffixed with superlatives such as “Finest” or “Extra Special”. In short, over half of UK consumers – and a similar quantity in France too – appear to just want to buy Champagne at the cheapest price. But is this situation bad for the region? The grandes marques would say it is, because it’s at odds with the region’s luxury positioning. But others say it opens up the appellation, with its upmarket associations, to a wider audience. It also holds back the competition from New World sparklers – or, in the UK, English

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ones – as well as preventing Prosecco taking an even greater share of the global fizz business. In essence, without the sales of exclusive-label Champagne through Europe’s largest retailers, the sparkling wine region would lose an important safety valve for a significant proportion of its circa 300 million annual bottle production – particularly worrying when times are tough. And considering the still shaky economic situation in Europe, we can certainly expect the usual low-priced Champagne deals in the run up to Christmas. Bearing in mind the latest quarter’s poor sales results from some of the UK’s leading supermarkets, one can be sure that Champagne prices will take a thoroughly comprehensive slashing later this year. But it’s not just fizz we feature in this edition. Elsewhere, we bring you the medal-winners from 2014’s Fortified Masters (pages 84-88), which follows on from a piece on the growing global taste for top-end Tawny (pages 76-80). We also consider Scotch sales in Asia after China’s austerity drive (pages 70-74), as well as the French regions to watch (pages 90-96). Then, as our cover attests, we look in detail at the drinks trends in travel retail, just in time for the annual TFWA show in Cannes (pages 50 to 66). Similar to the supermarkets mentioned in the Champagne article, travel retail is home to a high proportion of exclusives. But in this environment there’s a crucial difference: such retailers aren’t touting drinks for their cheap, discounted price – rather, they are charging a premium, because their products truly are exclusive.

PATRICK SCHMITT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

• Editor-in-chief Patrick Schmitt

• Chairman & Publisher Anthony Hawser

• Managing Editor Gabriel Stone

• Deputy Chairman David Rose • Art Director Alan MacKenzie-Morris

• Deputy Editor Lucy Shaw

• Director of Sales Spirits Bert Grant • Director of Sales Drinks

• Senior Staff Writer Rupert Millar

Andrew Oliver • Marketing Director David Hennelly

• Staff Writer Simon Howland

• Sales Executive Jennifer Frame • Spirits Manager Daisy Jones

• News & Website Editor Lauren Eads

• Advertising Manager Marcus Clark • Research & Events Sheila Crisp

• Contributing Editor Tim Atkin MW

• Events Manager Chloé Beral • Sales and Events Coordinator Natalie

• Sub-Editor Neal Baker • Contributors Giles Fallowfield, Michael Edwards

Sellers • Web Designer Matthew Quitter • Subscriptions Sales Manager

• Consultant Jack Keenan • US Consultant Clint Rodenberg

Lewis O’Sullivan • Production Manager Mile Budimir

Published by: The Drinks Business, Unit 122, 30 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS Tel: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 • Fax: +44 (0)20 7803 2421 • E-mail: info@thedrinksbusiness.com

Printed by: Buxton Press • ISSN: 1477-7495 Annual subscription: UK: £158 • Europe: £216 • Rest of world: £258 • Subscription enquiries: Lewis O’Sullivan www.thedrinksbusiness.com

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contents 68

60 news & views 06 news of the month China’s spirits drop; California quake costs $80m; Trade reacts to Scottish ‘no’ vote

features cover image Getty Images

26 interview Despite retiring from Diageo 14 years ago, Dr Alan Rutherford has never been busier

30 champagne Does the rise in own-brand supermarket Champagne threaten its luxury image?

40 champagne pressing Looking at the importance of the pressing stage in Champagne production

46 top ten champagne brands Finding out what it takes to become the world’s leading Champagne brands

52 travel retail We look at the forecast for the travel retail sector, with Asia set to overtake Europe

70 scotch Will the latest Scotch export figures dent confidence in the category?

76 port Looking at the top prices charged by leading Douro producers for their latest offerings

84 fortified masters Analysis of the full list of medal winners in this highlight of the Global Masters series

90 france Why French producers can still turn heads despite the dominance of the New World

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o c t o b e r 2 01 4 • i s s u e 1 4 7

OFFICIAL WATERS OF

finder

marketing

fine wine

100 campaigns

122 fine wine update

Lanson’s festive design; Grey Goose goes galactic; Jack Daniel’s takes to the stage

104 products Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2009; Zonin Prestige 1821; Grey Goose VX

108 trends Mintel figures are showing the return of the wine spritzer

on-trade 116 update Restaurant news; French wine in the ontrade; new Michelin stars announced

118 profile We look at the restaurant taking Levantine cuisine in London to a new level

Chinese boom ‘never really happened’; Asia will edge US in future auctions; Latour 1996

124 monitor Revisiting the underrated 2005 Bordeaux, and its potential to tempt buyers back

people 126 moves Casa Vinicola Zonin in board shake-up; Corney & Barrow Asia GM; Dirk Niepoort

132 salut Beckham jets to Singapore for Haig Club; Johnnie Walker at F1; Matua plays Bestival

Absolut Alfred Rothschild Andre Carpentier Ataraxia Avion Ballantine’s Beefeater Benedictine Bertrand de Bessac Bouchard Pére & Fils Brunello Buffalo Trace Campo Viejo Canard-Duchêne Champ de Rêves Champagne Deutz Champagne Gosset Champagne Henriot Champagne Pannier Chanoine Charles Lafite Charles Mignon Château de Pommard Château Haut-Brion Château Lafite Rothschild Château Latour Château Margeaux Château Smith Châteauneuf du Pape Chivas Regal Clarendelle Clos des Lambrays Cloudy Bay Compass Box Cordon Bleu Cristal De Cazanove De St Gall De Vallois Dom Pérignon Domaine Bousquet Domaine Clarence Dillon Domaine Michel Lafarge Drambuie Duval-Leroy Étienne Dumont Faustino Follador GH Martel GH Mumm Glanfarclas Glendiddich Grey Goose Graham’s Guinness Haig Club Havana Club Heidsieck-Monopole Heineken Hooch Inver House Jack Daniel’s Jackson Estate Jacob’s Creek Jacquart Johnnie Walker Kenwood Klein Constantia KWV Lanson Laurent-Perrier Legend of Kremlin Les Roches Blanches Louis Delunay Louis Dubince Louis Jadot Louis Roederer Louvel Fontaine Maison Albert Bichot Maison Burtin Maison Louis Latour Martell Matua Mercier Miraval Moët & Chandon Mouton Cadet Nicolas Feuillatte Niepoort Oudinot Pabst Penfolds Perrier-Jouët Petrus Piper Heidsieck Pol Aimé Pol Roger Pommery Quintus Raphaël-Michel Rémy Martin Rosso di Montalcino Schloss Johanissberg Scion Stoli Taylor’s The Balvenie The Macallan 6 Tullamore Veuve Clicquot Victoria’s Gin Villa Maria Wemyss Whyte & Mackay Zonin

14 31, 32 32 20 16 6, 14 14 56 34 93 16 106 66 31 24 44 36 36 36 31 32 36 22 92 64 10, 12 64 16 64 14 92 10 64 27 6 18 31, 32 31 32 18, 104 105 92 91 7 32 32 64 62, 64 31, 32 14, 31, 41 71 7, 100 100, 105 77 7, 101 132 14 31 26 101 72 101 12 14, 64 32 ,105 53, 100, 132 16 104 105 31, 100 31 58 34 36 34 91 36, 41, 104 38 91 32 90 6, 14 132 31 91 31, 44 101 31 77 31 24 64 36 64 31 32 36, 132 31 24 91 6 16 22 77 101 77 7 72 18 31, 41 132 64 26 8, 26 62, 105, 126

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top story

HARVEST 2014: EUROPE TESTED BY TOUGH SUMMER

As Europe brings its 2014 harvest to a close, few of the key wine regions appear to have escaped the unsettled weather conditions that look set to characterise this vintage, writes Gabriel Stone. For some, an Indian summer brought miraculous salvation for a vintage that appeared doomed as late as August. For others, the rain arrived at just the wrong moment, with results very-much dependent on the reaction of individual winemakers. On a national level, the big picture from 2014 has been the bounceback from France, where overall production rose by 10% on last year. This allowed the country to reclaim the number one global production spot from Italy, which was forced to endure particularly wet conditions. In Champagne, a disappointingly wet summer was salvaged by warm, dry conditions in September. However, a number of producers, such as Bruno Paillard and Veuve Clicquot reported that Chardonnay had weathered the conditions better than the thin skinned Pinot Noir. Declaring himself “happy” with the quality potential at this stage, GH Mumm chef de cave Didier Mariotti suggested that 2014 “looks fairly similar to the 2008 vintage in terms of ripeness and acidity levels.” For Bordeaux, a region eager for good news after a trio of underwhelming vintages, 2014’s fortunes appear to have been transformed by a burst of warm weather during September and early October. Summarising his feelings as

“both relieved and satisfied”, Dourthe CEO Patrick Jestin predicted “a really good vintage for the reds which wouldn’t have been possible without an Indian summer”. Meanwhile consultant Denis Dubourdieu pointed to “a rare and interesting vintage”. In Burgundy a warm spring meant the growing season went off to a flying start, with some vineyards two weeks ahead of their

‘For Bordeaux, a region eager for good news after a trio of underwhelming vintages, 2014’s fortunes appear to have been transformed’ normal development. Hopes for a bumper crop to replenish recent shortfalls were dealt a blow by a severe hailstorm at the end of June, which hit Pommard, Volnay and Beaune particularly hard. For those producers who remained unscathed by hail, the final story was a positive one. “It’s going to be a good harvest – the weather was great,” said Charles Lachaux of Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, who pointed to the likelihood of “a fresh easy-drinking vintage.”

Reporting from the Rhône, regional specialist John Livingstone-Learmonth indicated that in general the north had fared better than the south, where cooler conditions caused “stubborn ripening” for Grenache and producers reported the need for rigorous sorting of grapes. In the Northern Rhône, heavy rainfall hit Cornas in particular during the third week of September, causing problems for those producers who were still harvesting then. For all the challenges faced by French regions this year, other countries had much more severe weather conditions to tackle. Wet weather across much of the country saw Italy report significant declines in production, especially in its far northern and southern regions. It was not all bad news for quality however, as Stefano Girelli, owner of Sicilian estate Feudo di Santa Tresa, hailed “an exceptional year for Sicily”. In his view, “the reds have a perfect balance of fruit, alcohol and tannins. The whites really are stunning – the cooler conditions have resulted in higher than average acidity – they are excellent.” The Douro was another region hit by dramatic rainfall, which caused severe soil erosion in many parts of this steep valley and left many producers facing an unsettled end to a challenging year. Nevertheless, Paul Symington, joint managing director of Symington Family Estates maintained: “Those winemakers lucky enough to be able to get grapes from various locations across the Douro will certainly have made some brilliant Ports and wines. It was a year to take full advantage of judicious vineyard investment in the best sub-regions.” While Spain as a whole is expected by the OIV to return back to average after last year’s record high, Rioja’s consejo was predicting a bumper final harvest of 434m kilograms of grapes, compared to 368m kg in 2014. Although the region was hit by “unfavourable” weather conditions in the final part of the harvest, which brought problems with rot, the DOCa maintained that both quality and quantity were set to remain higher than previous two years. Despite periods of heavy rain, there were positive reports from Germany both in terms of quality and quantity. The OIV recorded that the country’s overall volume of production is set to rise by 16%, while the German Wine Institute reported “overall satisfaction with the quality of the harvested fruit.”

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n ews & v iews

TRIBUTES PAID TO HEIDSIECK WINEMAKER THIERRY ROSET The trade has paid tribute to the skill and modesty of Charles Heidsieck winemaker Thierry Roset, who died earlier this month aged just 55. During the launch of Heidsieck’s 2005 vintage in London last month, executive director at the Champagne house, Stephen Leroux, raised a glass to Roset, and described him as “the man behind the resurrection of Charles Heidsieck for the last few years”. Although Roset had worked at the house since 1988, he took over the reins as chef de caves at Charles Heidsieck in 2012 when Regis Camus, a man he had worked with since 2004, became director of viticulture and wine for Piper and Charles Heidsieck, which are both owned by EPI. Leroux said that Roset was “a

YVONNE MAY EVENT Members of the drinks trade are invited to raise a toast in celebration of the life of Yvonne May at an event in December. Yvonne, regional director for the UK and Europe for Wine Australia, died on August 29 at the age of 53 after a five-month battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Yvonne was a well-known and respected member of the UK trade, particularly with regard to Australian wine. A celebration of her life will be held at Australia House in London on December 9 at 2pm. Please RSVP by Monday, 1 December, by emailing emma.symington@wineaustralia.com

wonderful father, a wonderful friend, a wonderful colleague and a wonderful winemaker”, while noting that it was apt that attendees of the event should be served Heidsieck’s Champagne Charlie 1985, which was Roset’s first encounter with the brand. In a statement given to db, Louis Roederer’s head winemaker and vice president JeanBaptiste Lecaillon described Roset as a good friend with whom he shared his greatest winemaking secrets. “Thierry was an honest friend, a fantastic winemaker and he had the Charles’s style in his blood. “His descriptions of his wines were so intelligent and always very clever,” he wrote, adding, “We will miss him and his humble but

warm presence.” David Gleave MW, head of Liberty Wines, which is the UK importer for Charles Heidsieck, said Roset had an “outstanding palate” that was coupled to a “touching humility”.

BIBENDUM MERGES WITH PLB GROUP Bibendum Wine Limited has merged with drinks importer the PLB Group to create The Bibendum PLB Group. Both businesses will continue to trade as separate companies with the new group’s structure set to allow Bibendum and PLB to focus on their own area of expertise with Bibendum focusing exclusively on serving the on-trade and PLB the off-trade. The Bibendum PLB Group will be made up of five trading companies in total; existing Bibendum trading arms, the Wondering Wine Company, Instil Drinks Company and PLB’s beer division. It was also announced in October that Walker and Wodehouse Wines has joined the group, a

company which has a history dating back to 1794 that will focus on supplying independent merchants and regional wholesalers. Michael Saunders, chief executive of The Bibendum PLB Group said: “By uniting the strengths of Bibendum with the strengths of PLB, maximising the expertise within each company, our group will be uniquely placed to offer customers the best possible service.”

CALIFORNIA MAKERS HAIL 2014 VINTAGE DESPITE DISASTERS Despite a devastating earthquake and continued drought, Californian vintners are hailing the 2014 harvest as one of the best ever seen, calling it the “third great vintage of the decade”. The declaration comes following a year that saw the region rocked by an earthquake in late August, causing £80 million worth of damage just as the year’s crush was getting underway; tackle a number of wild fires which swept perilously close to some vineyards, notably in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Napa regions; and battle continued severe drought. However despite significant challenges, vintners are confident that 2014 will be one of the best vintages of the decade, according to the Californian Wine Institute. Following 2013’s record high crop, the United States Department of Agriculture is predicting that this year’s crop will come in at 3.9 million tonnes, down 8%, but still making 2014 the third largest on record. Corey Beck, president and director of winemaking at Francis Ford Coppola

Winery, went so far as to say that the 2014 was the best vintage he had ever seen in his 17 years at the winery. He said: “We’ve been so fortunate to have two back-to-back phenomenal harvests. We buy grapes from a variety of growers in various sub-appellations throughout Sonoma County, and to see that level of quality and consistency in each of the diverse varieties across the region is remarkable. The Chardonnay grapes were supple and succulent; the Cabernets were deep and complex— across the board, it’s a great vintage.”

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CHABLIS IS AS ‘STRONG AS CHAMPAGNE’ The strength of “brand Chablis” and its pulling power in terms of driving sales is on a par with Champagne, according to one leading producer in the region. Speaking to the drinks business during a recent trip to the region, Nathalie Févre of Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Févre said: “Chablis has the brand strength of Champagne to the extent that people buy on the fact that it’s Chablis over the domaine or climat name.” While Jean-Francois Curie, commercial

director at Domaine Drouhin Vaudon has noticed a newfound enthusiasm for grand cru Chablis, particularly in the US. “There’s a new wave of interest in Chablis at the moment, particularly in the grand cru wines; they’re hugely popular in the US. Chablis is considered apart from Burgundy as its own thing and its own brand. Of course it is Burgundy, but it’s Chablis first, Burgundy second,” he said. “The style of Chablis is going back to being more tense and linear, which is what we’re all about. The more fleshy and opulent Chablis of the ‘80s are being phased out and we’re coming back to what the region is known for,” he added. Domaine Drouhin Vaudon recently acquired two hectares in the premier cru climat of Mont de Milieu with “planting increasing every year”, said Curie.

‘Ghost’ tube stops could become bars London tube stops, abandoned since the Second World War, could be turned into bars, if a UK businessman gets his way. Ajit Chambers has been lobbying Transport for London for the past five years with ambitions to turn the subterranean stations into a number of bars, restaurants and museums. The capital’s 26 “ghost” stations, which have not been used since the 1940s and 50s, are estimated to be worth about £1 billion. Speaking to Bloomberg Chambers said he wanted the disused stations to become “the ultimate tourist attractions in London.” Transport for London said that it would not consider selling the stations entirely, but would consider if parts of the station sites could be used.

LIDL DEFENDS SELLING WINE BELOW COST Lidl Spain has defended its decision to purposely ignore retail regulations by selling some wines at below cost price, telling the drinks business that doing so “rarely ends up in disciplinary proceedings.” The discount retailer was embroiled in controversy as it emerged that leading Spanish winemaker Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres had reported it to market competition authorities for selling the producer’s wine brands at below cost price. A Marqués de Cáceres spokesperson told the drinks business that during the first fortnight in October, Lidl had advertised an offer for one of its products on a national scale whereby consumers could acquire its wines at a lower

price than the cost price paid by Lidl. Under Spanish law, the selling of products at below cost price is illegal, barring perishable goods that are going out-of-date. Marqués de Cáceres said the underpricing was “against its will and contrary to the explicit requirements conveyed to the supermarket chain.” However the supermarket has since hit back, telling db that the pricing was part of a promotional campaign and that being reported to market authorities “rarely ends up in disciplinary proceedings,” adding: “When it does happen, it does not mean that Lidl has actually violated the law.” Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres, which distributes to over 120 countries, said Lidl has “questioned the professionalism and integrity of the Marqués de Cáceres distribution circuit.”

Paso Robles divides into 11 appellations The Californian wine region of Paso Robles has been granted permission to set up 11 new appellations within its borders. The ruling was passed by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a subsidiary of the US Treasury, on 9 October. The Paso Robles AVA Committee, a trade body of the area’s winemakers, petitioned for the change in 2007, but it wasn’t until September 2013 that federal regulators issued the proposal to the TTB. The changes will allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and consumers to better identify wines. As of 10 November Paso Robles AVA winemakers will be able to label their wines with one of the 11 new appellations; Adelaida District, Creston District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita Ranch and Templeton Gap District.

Cattle develop a taste for Pinot Noir Van Duzer Vineyards in Oregon has found a novel use for its leftover Pinot Noir grape pomace – feeding it to calves on a neighbouring farm. The winery was left with 30 tonnes of pomace waste after this year’s harvest, offering it to the Flying F Ranch to feed its calves to supplement the lucky herd’s traditional diet of grain and hay. “We tried giving them the pressings from our Pinot Gris too, but the cows didn’t like those stems,” said Van Duzer’s vineyard manager, Bruce Sonnen. A recent study in Australia found that feeding cows grape pomace leads to extra tender, well-marbled meat. Given that the skins have been fermented, Sonnen said the traces of alcohol do have an effect on the cows. “They get a bit buzzed. The older cows don’t go for the skins, but the ‘teenage’ calves can’t get enough.”

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TURMOIL AT TESCO AS JAGO SUSPENDED

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is to carry out a criminal investigation into the finances of UK supermarket Tesco after it emerged the company had overstated its profits by £263 million, £13m more than it first admitted. The company first announced a £250 million overestimation of its £1.1 billion profit forecast in September, which prompted eight executives – including beer wine and spirits director Dan Jago – to be suspended and Sir Richard Broadbent to step down from his position as the company’s chairman. Bosses have since admitted that the shortfall was in fact £263 million and that its post-tax profits were down by 92% from £1.39bn to £112m, with sales from stores open at least a year suffering a 5.5% drop. Having completed its own investigation, accountancy firm Deloitte said the supermarket chain had overstated its profits by £118m in the first half of this year, by £70m in the 2013/2014 financial year and by £75m the year before that. Now, the SFO are to step in launching a criminal investigation into the supermarket’s finances in partnership with the Financial

Conduct Authority, the City watchdog. Announcing his resignation, Sir Richard said the financial problems were “a matter of profound regret,”adding that he would “prepare the ground for his succession. Despite the company’s misreported profits dating back for the last three years, industry veteran and former Sainsbury’s head of wine Allan Cheesman has stated his belief that the chain’s beer, wine and spirits division was not likely to have contributed much, if anything, to the supermarket’s accounting “black hole”. Speaking exclusively to the drinks business, he said: “In any dealings with suppliers there are various sources of income and support, and I am sure Tesco has tried and tested methods to track and account for these not-inconsiderable funds.”He continued: “I’m not sure the alcohol volumes would add much [to the gap in the accounts] and there are only a few mega suppliers in BWS – Diageo, Accolade, SABMiller and Pernod Ricard – a shrewd bunch.” Tesco shares have plunged to an 11-year low since it announced the overstatement in September. Warren Ruhomon, financial analyst at Finspreads, told the drinks business: “The lack of transparency on the level of profits that Tesco expects to report for full year performance is another dagger through the heart of investor sentiment. “The lack of guidance, a deeper than expected accounting hole and a grocery sector that is in structural decline are three of the biggest issues affecting Tesco right now.” A total of eight executives, including Jago, remain suspended from the company while the investigation takes place.

Canard-Duchêne results buck overall trend Canard-Duchêne has hailed a “truly historical performance” as it outshone the wider Champagne category by posting 2.5% growth for the first half of 2014. As the Champagne Bureau reported a 1.4% uplift in exports compared to the first six months of 2013, signalling an end to the consecutive declines seen in 2013 and 2012, Canard-Duchêne predicted “strong growth prospects for the remainder of 2014.”

The Ludes-based house shipped 1.67 million bottles between January and July 2014 and saw a particularly strong performance in Europe, where shipments rose by 17%. Its domestic market proved notably healthy with sales growth of 5.3% in the off-trade and 16% in the on-trade. By contrast, the wider Champagne category saw a decline in the French market, where shipments slipped by -3.1%. Beyond France, however, the overall picture was healthier with growth of 6.9%.

Wine lovers urged to embrace old Rioja “Buy it while you can” was the message from Sarah Jane Evans MW at a 50th anniversary tasting of Rioja’s classic 1964 vintage in London. If lovers of old, rare wines are being priced out of Bordeaux and Burgundy they would do well to consider Rioja, reckons Evans, who said at the event, “With rains at the right time and a long ripening period it is commonly thought to be the greatest Rioja vintage of the 20th century,” said Evans, who saw the tasting as “proof you can keep Rioja if stored in the right place and well-made to start with. The best had that lovely attenuated elegance – the mix of forest floor aromas, cherry fruit freshness and mature, vanilla oak to make a really lyrical blend.” Evans was particularly impressed by the Herederos del Marqués de Riscal. While praising the Consejo Regulador for boosting Rioja’s mainstream appeal, Evans questioned if “they’ve overlooked the great wines”, and if they are under-priced because the bodegas have not taken themselves “seriously enough.” She said: “It’s extraordinary that Rioja doesn’t feature more strongly in auctions.” Anyone interested in collecting old Rioja is advised to think about the cellar history. “Ask yourself where it’s been, and how it’s been looked after,” said Evans, who also pointed out that the terms; ‘Reserva’ and ‘Gran Reserva’ date from 1972. Older wines labelled as such are either fakes or were labelled post-1972 in the cellar. “Gran Reserva and Reserva from top bodegas with age sell well,” said Richard Harvey MW, Bonhams’ head of wine sales. “Crianza, even if mature, does not, especially if not from the top houses.”

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AUSTRIA STEPS UP SPARKLING AMBITION Italian woes sees The Austrian Wine Marketing Board has announced a new threetier quality hierarchy for the country’s sparkling wines as it seeks to raise the profile of this style. Level 1, the lowest tier, features a tightened minimum requirement for Austrian sparkling that guarantees all grapes and base wines have been produced within the country. Sparkling wines within this category must spend at least nine months maturing on lees. The second tier requires wines to be produced in the traditional method, with their secondary

fermentation carried out in bottle. All grapes and base wines must be sourced from one of Austria’s “generic” wine growing regions spending at least 18 months maturing on lees. At the very highest tier, Austrian sparkling wines may come only from a single commune, such as Gols or Langelois, with the option to include specific vineyard designations, with a minimum 30-month period of maturation on lees required. These wines may not reach the market until at least three years after their harvest. The AWMB, which hopes to achieve legal status for the classification in 2015, highlighted that these top end requirements are as strict, if not stricter, than leading sparkling wine styles such as Champagne or Franciacorta. Sparkling styles currently account for around 10% of the nation’s total wine production.

Singer launches cannabis-infused wine American singer Melissa Etheridge has announced the launch of a range of products made from cannabis, including a cannabis-laced wine, aimed at people suffering from cancer. Etheridge is a long-time proponent of cannabis reform and, having survived breast cancer herself, has often touted the benefits of cannabis to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy and attributes her recovery to its use. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Etheridge said: “I believe this is a huge opportunity, a huge business and a huge market and you’re going to see my name with a lot of these things.” Etheridge, who has recently released a new album, entitled This is M.E., went on to say she hoped to bring her cannabis-infused wine to all medical marijuana states soon.

YOUNG WINEMAKER DIES IN VAT FALL Nerea Pérez, niece of Bierzo winemaker Raul Pérez, died after falling into a fermentation vat and suffocating. According to police Nerea, 25, fainted while inspecting a wine vat during fermentation at the family winery in Salas de los Barrios in Spain’s north-west, and suffocated after falling in. She was found unconscious by her uncle Raul, one of Bierzo’s most highly regarded winemakers. A National Police unit helped

remove her from the vat, however paramedics were unable to resuscitate her. Nerea had been working in the winery for two years following her graduation from Coruña University in Chemistry and the Environment in 2012 and was also secretary of the Socialist Youth of Bierzo. Its district secretary, Alvaro Gerardo Courel: said: “We regret the loss of a member of Bierzo, a companion, which is made more painful by her youth.” Raul Pérez is a well known winemaker in the Spanish region of Bierzo. Carbon dioxide poisoning during winemaking can occur easily if precautions are not taken. The gas is colourless, odourless and heavier than air, which means it sinks to the bottom of vats and in wine cellars and a concentration of just 8% is enough to kill an adult.

France take top spot

France regained its position as the world’s biggest wine producer as the International Organisation of Vine & Wine released its global wine production estimates for 2014. The 271 million hectolitre worldwide total predicted for this year represented a 6% decline on 2013, itself a 37-year low for the industry, after a number of large volume countries struggled with difficult weather conditions during the growing season. Among these was Italy, which lost its number one spot after wet weather saw the country receive 73% above-average rainfall during July alone. Production estimates suggested total production volumes of 44.4m hl, a 15% decline on last year. Eastern Europe was also hit hard, with Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia seeing production slide by 30%, 20% and 16%. Despite some problematic weather of its own, France saw a 10% increase in production against last year to hit 46.2m hl. There was also a strong rise of 16% for Germany, where volumes hit 9.7m hl. Meanwhile, Spain saw production levels return to the country’s average of 37m hl after last year’s record high. Outside Europe, the US recorded its third consecutive increase to reach a predicted 2014 harvest of around 22.5m hl. The picture was more mixed in the southern hemisphere, where Chile slipped back by 22% to 10m hl in the wake of two record years. Argentina remained stable at 15.2m hl, just 1% higher than in 2013, while South Africa saw a 4% rise to reach 11.4m hl. Meanwhile, in Oceania, New Zealand enjoyed record production of 3.2m hl, smashing its previous 2013 record by 29%. It was a more measured performance from Australia, where volumes rose to 12.6m hl compared to 12.3m hl a year ago.

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France take top spot

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4G TO TAKE ON NORTHERN HEMISPHERE The man behind South Africa’s ambitious 4G wine venture has acknowledged the challenge of creating a completely “new category” for the wine market. Introducing the 2012 vintage, the third commercial release produced by this self-proclaimed “First Growth of the Cape”, 4G Wine Estate’s CEO Philipp Axt described his project as “the talk of the country” in South Africa. “Some are reluctant to see change, but others say that it’s good to have someone from outside looking to take us in a different direction,” he told the drinks business of his peers’ reaction to 4G, which releases a maximum of 6,000 bottles per year of its grand vin at around £250 each. Emphasising the difference between 4G and South Africa’s other high-end wines, Axt maintained: “Even the boutique wines are targeted at high production – 30,000 bottles, not 3,000 – so it’s difficult to change their financial model.” With 4G’s vineyards spreading out on a 130km radius across the Western Cape from its winery base in Stellenbosch, Axt summed up the mentality as a meeting between Old World and New World mindsets.

“We’re combining Bordeaux and Hermitage in style,” he claimed of the predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend, noting the influence of consultant Denis Dubourdieu. “We have the Burgundian approach in selecting vineyard, or even rows in the vineyard, and combine that with the New World blending approach to have the maximum complexity,” explained Axt. He praised the particular suitability of the Cape for such a project, maintaining that no other country “has the concentration of very different microclimates in one spot.” By way of example, Axt noted: “We have one vineyard that’s like Bordeaux: 400m high and 3km from the sea. Then you drive 30km and you’re in the middle of the desert with thick fruit and it’s totally different. That’s specific to the Cape.” As for the market’s reaction to 4G, Axt noted that the maiden 2010 vintage received critic ratings “on a par with the big wines we want to play with,” while: “2011 and 2012 went beyond that.” Having previously compared his venture to Australian icon Penfolds Grange, Axt said: “The idea was to make the best wine of the Southern Hemisphere and then ultimately to take on the Northern Hemisphere. That’s a vast universe of quite different styles but being a part of that playground is fascinating.” However, he accepted that achieving this would take time, saying: “We are creating a new category and the market must understand that. Professionals understand it, but consumers will take a bit longer.”

Champagne celebrates ambassadors The great and good of the Champagne community descended on Reims last month to celebrate 10 years of the Champagne Ambassador’s Awards. The tenth anniversary of the Comité Champagne’s pan-European Champagne Ambassador Competition, the only competition to recognise and reward wine educators, was marked with a Gala dinner in Reims on 16 October, with ambassadors from the past nine years invited to intend. The Gala was held in place of the competition at the Palais du Tau in Reims

with the intention of strengthening the network to promote Champagne and to reach out to future ambassadors. The competition was first founded in 2005, taking place in nine European countries including the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. However at the event Thibaut Le-Mailloux, communications director of the CIVC, hinted at plans to further expand the competition.

Champagne houses eye-up English fizz

Champagne houses will soon be seeking to acquire some of England’s top sparkling wine estates, according to one producer in the UK. Speaking to the drinks business, Christian Seely, co-owner of Hampshire-based estate Coates & Seely said:“The French have already expanded the Champagne region as much as they can and there is nowhere left to plant so no more Champagne can be made. Their next move is to target China, and once Chinese consumers catch on, there won’t be enough bubbles to go around, so they will have to start looking elsewhere. Due to supply and demand, the price of Champagne will inevitably go up and the Champenois will start scouring the UK for land.” Though perhaps loath to do so, Seely believes the French are finally coming round to the idea that England makes decent fizz. “English sparkling wine is not far off being taken seriously by the French. The quality from the top producers is astonishingly good, and we’re doing this with relatively young vines. This hasn’t escaped the notice of the Champagne houses and their investment committees, which I think is an entirely positive thing that I’d welcome,” he said. As for whether English fizz would profit from a catchall name like “Champagne”, Seely isn’t sure it would work. “We trademarked ‘Britagne’ and use it to describe our sparklers, but I’m not sure there will ever be one single name for English sparkling wine. The French call it crémant d’Albion, which I rather like, but I think people might end up asking for a glass of ‘Hampshire’, ‘Sussex’ or ‘Kent’,” he said.

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DOURO REFLECTS ON ‘YEAR OF THE FOX’ Dramatic landslides and heavy rainstorms have brought mixed results from the Douro in a year that Symington Family Estates’ managing director Paul Symington has dubbed “The Year of the Fox”. Conceding that 2014 was “a challenging year in the Douro”, Symington pointed to a very wet winter that brought 44% more rain than the region’s average – welcome news for the vines, but less helpful for those replanting vineyards on the Douro Valley’s steep slopes. Coupled with mild spring conditions, the wet winter encouraged early budbreak. This was followed by what Symington described as “unsettled” weather during early summer, culminating in a “huge rainstorm”, which hit parts of the Douro on 3 July. With more than 80mm falling on the area around Pinhão within a few hours, he said: “This caused extraordinary damage, flooding the local railway station and precipitated an avalanche of rock and mud that destroyed the car of a well-known winemaker in the village.” After the damage from this storm had been cleared up, the region enjoyed cool conditions throughout August. “In fact we all began to think of 2007, when an equally cool August delivered some stupendous quality grapes to our wineries,” admitted Symington. As the harvest began in early September, two weeks ahead of 2013, he pointed to grapes “in really lovely condition; soft skins, full berries and balanced sugars and acidity; perfect for making great Port and very good Douro wines.” Despite these promising results, the return of unsettled weather led to problems in certain

parts of the Valley, especially Baixo Corgo. Producers were hit by another downpour of more than 80mm recently just as the harvest came to a close. Nevertheless, Symington remarked: “It is clear that some extraordinarily good wines were made in the Douro Superior which had only occasional rainfall and that was of short duration and therefore ran off quickly.” Summing up the likely results from 2014, Symington predicted: “Those winemakers lucky enough to be able to get grapes from various locations across the Douro will certainly have made some brilliant Ports and wines. It was a year to take full advantage of judicious vineyard investment in the best sub-regions.” As for the decision to nickname 2014 “The Year of the Fox”, he pointed to the “wily” skills required in order to manage such a challenging growing season.

Alcohol found to improve memory Far from impairing your memory, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol in later life could actually help improve it. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that for people aged 60 and over who do not have dementia, light alcohol consumption during later life could actually help them to remember events. More than 660 patients who did not have a history of alcohol abuse were monitored as part of a study. The findings revealed that light and moderate alcohol consumption in older

people was linked to the ability to recall memories of events better and a larger “hippocampal” volume – the part of the brain responsible for short and long term memory. Furthermore, the results showed alcohol had no significant impact on executive function or overall mental ability. Scientists warned that long periods of alcohol abuse is still harmful to the brain. The findings were published in the American Journal of Alzheimers Disease and Other Dementias.

Arrests made over £80m alcohol fraud Three people have been arrested in relation to a £80 million alcohol fraud after a series of dawn raids by UK HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers. More than 70 officers swooped on properties in London, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire on 17 October as part of a series of co-ordinated raids. Two men, aged 37 and 39, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in an alcohol diversion fraud suspected to be worth up to £80m a year in lost duty. A woman, aged 30, was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering offences. All three are believed to have laundered money or assisted in the fraud for their personal gain. Cash totalling £150,000, computers and personal and business records, as well as a Taser gun, were also seized. All defendants have been bailed until April 2015.

Scotland to reduce drink drive limit Drivers in Scotland will have to adhere to tougher rules on drink driving this festive season with the country’s blood alcohol limits set to be slashed. New measures will come into force from 5 December when the blood alcohol limit will decrease from 80mg per 100ml to 50mg. The changes will bring Scotland into line with Northern Ireland and most of Europe, while the limit in England and Wales remains at 80mg. It means that drivers could be over the limit and breaking the law if they have drunk a small glass of wine or one pint of beer. The Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, said the plans had “broad support” with almost three quarters said to back the change according to a previous government consultation. He said support had come not just from the police and law enforcement, but from the general public and those involved in road safety. Around one in ten deaths on Scotland’s roads involve drivers who are over the limit.

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DIAGEO CONFIDENT DESPITE SALES SLIP Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes has told investors to expect an improved performance this year, despite the company reporting a 1.5% decline in organic net sales for its first quarter. Following a £1.1 billion sales slide in 2013/14, the group described its figures for the first three months of its new financial year to the end of September as “in line with expectations”. In Europe, sales were impacted by declines in Russia and Eastern Europe, which Diageo linked to the ongoing tensions in Ukraine. Meanwhile sales in Western Europe fell by 1%, primarily driven by price increases in Benelux and

“continued weakness” in the German market. Despite a “weak” performance from Nigeria, the group pointed to positive results from its regional markets and East Africa. It also hailed a “good performance” in core domestic markets across Latin America and the Caribbean, although Brazil saw a decline in sales as a result of price increases in a large number of states. The biggest decline came from Asia Pacific, where sales fell by 7.4%. In contrast the group pointed to “good growth” from India, the Middle East and its Global Travel Asia division. Despite this, Menezes said he expected full year top line growth to improve on last year’s performance, adding: “I am confident we are on the road to realise our full potential.”

1914 Pol Roger bottle sells for £5k A bottle of 1914 Pol Roger Champagne, harvested to the sound of WW1 gunfire, has sold for £5,640 at a Bonhams auction in London. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Imperial War Museum in London to support the refurbishment of its First World War Galleries. Regarded as one of the finest vintages of the 20th century, the grape harvest in 1914 very nearly didn’t take place, with German soldiers having engulfed Épernay at the start of the war. With all able-bodied men called up to fight, the harvest was carried out by women, children and men who were too old or unwell to fight. Some of the grapes were picked earlier than usual as Pol Roger feared the Germans would renew their offensive, with the increased acidity contributing to its longevity.

GLENFARCLAS UNVEILS SHERRY TWIST Speyside whisky producer Glenfarclas has confirmed plans to introduce a 1966 fino Sherry cask expression as the first part of a new series to be released. A total of 1,400 bottles have been filled from four fino casks which were discovered in the Glenfarclas warehouses last year. “We didn’t realise we had this,” admitted George Grant, sales director at Glenfarclas. After realising that a

group of casks had been seasoned with something other than the oloroso Sherry more normally used by the brand, the team consulted diaries kept by Grant’s grandfather and discovered that he had purchased some fino casks from an Edinburgh broker. Having bottled the whisky in December last year, Glenfarclas now plans to release it around the world in November. Although precise allocations and prices are yet to be confirmed, the UK is expected to receive around 300 bottles, priced at about £750-800 each. Each bottle is packaged in a black box bearing a silver coin which features an image of John Grant, who founded the distillery six generations ago. It marks the first in a series of six different Glenfarclas special releases, one for each generation of the family.

Sonic Decanter seeks funds to launch in US

A decanter that claims to be able to improve the taste of wine using sound waves is on the cusp of being launched via a Kickstarter campaign. Invented by Charles Leonhardt and marketed via Dionysus Technology Concepts, in addition to improving the flavour of wine, the Sonic Decanter also allegedly enhances aroma, mouthfeel and finish “in minutes”. The patented technology uses “safe, ultrasonic sound wave energy” to change the molecular and chemical composition of wine, reducing sulphur dioxide levels. During the process many of the dissolved gases in the wine are released to create new chemical bonds similar to those formed during the traditional ageing process. Dionysus Technology Concepts’ CEO, Michael Coyne, claims the device has “simplified the tedious process of waiting for red wines to develop with bottle age”. “The Sonic Decanter makes every wine taste better, adding flavour, aroma and finish never before achievable in such a short timespan,” he said. Having trialled the decanter, John Allen, national operations manager for beers, wines and spirits at Woolworths, said: “It changed the wine in ways that I hadn’t expected. It makes wines that may have a bit too much grip or tannin much softer and more flavourful, making the wine more gentle and drinkable.” After placing cold tap water and your chosen wine into the decanter, all you have to do is push the “Red” or “White” button and wait for 15 minutes. The device can also be operated on smartphones via the Sonic Decanter app. If it reaches its Kickstarter target of US$85,000, (£53.6k) the decanter will go on sale in the US for $199 (£123). At time of press, the decanter has 330 backers and raised a total of $45k (£28k).

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sponsored profile A word from the UK trade HAL WILSON, DIRECTOR, CAMBRIDGE WINE MERCHANTS “There has never been such choice of good quality, affordable Bordeaux that is ready to drink, and at Cambridge Wine Merchants we have wines from vintages 2000-2010 that are delicious for drinking right now.” CHARLES LEA, DIRECTOR, LEA & SANDEMAN “There is a general feeling that Bordeaux is expensive, although the reality is that the prices of most wines have barely moved in 10 years.”

FINE WINE

for all

Its top wines may be pricey, but Bordeaux continues to win fans with a broad range of everyday styles WITH ITS prestigious châteaux and luxurious pricing, Bordeaux can feel a world away from the dinner tables of most wine lovers. In fact, this reputation masks the reality of a region that remains full of producers working hard to create a broad spectrum of highly accessible styles and price points. From dry whites to refreshing rosé, classic claret and its sweet golden gems, few parts of the world can match the breadth and expertise on offer in this particular corner of France. As one of Bordeaux’s most longstanding and loyal customers, the UK continues to be an important market. While IRI data for the UK off-trade shows a 2.8% decline in overall wine volume sales during the two years to 21 June 2014, the same period has seen Bordeaux volumes soar by an impressive 17.1%. What’s more, consumers appear to be broadening their stylistic horizons, in particular towards

white Bordeaux. The last two years show a 40% increase in volume sales for this category, which today accounts for 26% of all Bordeaux wine sold in the UK. To raise further awareness about the approachable nature of these wines, the Bordeaux Wine Council has launched a new advertising campaign highlighting the special strengths of the region and the diversity of its wine, while also supporting its wider promotion of “Everyday Bordeaux”. CIVB marketing director François Jumeau explains: “Our global strategy is to make wine drinkers more aware of the quality, diversity in styles and accessibility of the wines produced in Bordeaux. The Everyday Bordeaux campaign, which is a global initiative, focuses on an annual selection of wines priced between £6-£20 available in each market and selected by independent local

LUCY CLEMENTS, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR WINE, TESCO “Value is incredibly important in our whole range and what Bordeaux offers is the comfort and security of a traditional region. We are delighted with the style and quality of our Finest Bordeaux range, while still respecting the traditional terroir of our regions of sourcing – Médoc and St Emilion.” SIMON TAYLOR, DIRECTOR, STONE VINE & SUN “We used to be rather philosophically undisposed to Bordeaux, but paradoxically we’re buying more and more. It’s what our customers want and there is some great value from the 2009 and 2010 vintages between £8 and £25.” JOHN MELHUISH, FINE WINE MANAGER, TANNERS “Despite inflated prices at the top end, Bordeaux provides us with some of the best quality and value Cabernet and Merlot based wines in the world. Tanners Claret is still a best seller.”

judges to fit the criteria of approachability and great value for money.” To find out more about the campaign and the wines chosen for this year’s selection, visit www.bordeaux.com/uk

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GAMAY: NZ’S RED ANSWER TO SAUVIGNON? The winery that claims to be New Zealand’s only Gamay producer has suggested that this grape variety could fulfil a similar role for the country as Sauvignon Blanc. Speaking to the drinks business at a portfolio tasting of his company’s wines, Te Mata estate director Nicholas Buck, who took over the helm at the Hawke’s Bay producer from his father last year, pointed to the success of New Zealand Pinot Noir as creating an opportunity for lighter wine styles such as Gamay. “Pinot Noir introduced the concept that red wine didn’t have to be a blockbuster; that’s been a good thing for New

Zealand and has allowed an opening for Gamay,” he said. Although Te Mata’s own single vineyard Gamay carries a high-end price point of £17.99, Buck noted an important part of the variety’s appeal was its ability to produce wine at an accessible cost. By contrast, he observed, “Pinot Noir has a very high price point around the world but when it’s not good it tends to be one of the meanest wines – and it’s still expensive.” Buck suggested: “You could have Pinot Noir for your icon wines, but then something more like Gamay, just as Beaujolais sits alongside Burgundy, as a fruity, light red.” Indeed, he maintained: “It fulfils a similar role to that which Sauvignon Blanc has carved for itself with whites from New Zealand.”

France takes world blind tasting title France has beat reigning champions Belgium in the second annual world blind tasting championship, held at House Bollinger near Épernay in Champagne. Competitors were given 12 wines from around the world, of which four were French, and asked to determine the main grape variety, country of production, name, producer and vintage. A total of 18 from countries including China, Russia, Argentina and Brazil competed, however the French team dominated, managing to identify all five criteria for three of the wines tasted – a record for the competition. The winning quartet, from Toulouse in south west France, was made up of Jean-Michel Perrussan, Eddy Gautier, Didier Sanchez and Pierre Cistern. France won the competition ahead of Belgium, with Spain third.

DIAGEO FINED £18K AFTER TWO INJURED

Drinks giant Diageo has been fined £18,000 after it was found guilty of breaching health and safety regulations that led to two workers suffering injuries including broken bones and memory loss. Robert Edward, then 51, fell nearly four metres from a portable ladder while clearing a blockage inside a chute in a grain silo at Burghead Maltings in Moray, Scotland, in 2012. He was found unconscious on the floor by another worker and taken to hospital with concussion, a cut to his head and a dislocated finger. Two months later, at Glenlossie Dark Grains Plant in Thomshill, Elgin, Peter Douglas,

then 43, was standing on the engine bonnet of a loader shovel to wash the roof when he slipped and fell more than two metres to the ground. Mr Douglas was taken to hospital suffering from a bleed to the brain and a shattered bone in his left leg and now suffers from short-term memory loss. Both men have since returned to work, however an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that Diageo had failed to take sufficient steps to prevent the incidents which “could have proved fatal”. HSE principal inspector Niall Miller, said: “It is not sufficient for health and safety instructions merely to be given to workers; employers must also ensure those instructions are carried out.” Diageo Scotland Ltd was fined £18,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the health and safety regulations.

Sazerac: Big brands ‘stifle innovation’

Sazerac master blender Drew Mayville – a leading hand in the distiller’s Bourbon offerings like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare – has hit out at big producers’ lack of experimentation, claiming they are “all about consistency” at the expense of encouraging new ideas. Speaking to the drinks business at a portfolio masterclass in London, Mayville revealed his thoughts on what he says is the unimaginative atmosphere that exists in some of the world’s biggest spirits brands. He said: “I used to deal with some of the biggest brands in the industry: Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, Crown Royal, Seagram’s Gin – all the main brands. All we did was try to maintain consistency. If you came in with a new idea it was like “see ya later Charlie” because it’s all about the marketing and making the money at the end of the quarter,“ adding: “When I worked for the big companies, Diageo especially, you were always on guard. It was all about the politics.”Comparing this environment to that of Sazerac, he said, “It was really different. Here we treat it like our own business. We want to make money, but we’re not out to gouge. I mean look at our pricing; we could easily charge more, so it’s a completely different type of company.” Sazerac is around four months into its first Bourbon experiments at Warehouse X – a purpose-built million-dollar facility set up at the company’s Buffalo Trace distillery to gauge the effects of a number of environmental factors in Bourbon production, including light, temperature, air flow and humidity in an effort to create “the perfect Bourbon.”

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i n association w i th C y p ru s Trad e C ent re in Lo n do n

A new era for Cyprus wines Winemakers of the island are refining their unique traditions and varieties for a modern marketplace THE LAST 10 years have seen dramatic changes in the Cypriot winemaking landscape. Following the country’s entry into the EU in 2004, the winemakers of Cyprus have taken the best of what Europe offers from wine production through to marketing and branding and combined it with their own personality and history to offer UK consumers something unique. Winemaking in Cyprus stretches some 6000 years into the past and it is widely believed it was these early vineyards that triggered the spread of winemaking around the ancient world. Cyprus still boasts some of the oldest wine grape varieties, unaffected by phylloxera at the beginning of the 20th century, many of which have colourful histories of their own. None more-so than the renowned and several-times award-winning Commandaria. The amber-coloured sweet wine documented in Cyprus back to 800 BC and has the distinction of being the world's oldest named wine still in production. It was said to have been served at the wedding of Richard the Lionheart during the crusades of the 12th century. As the base of various orders of knights, the region and wine came to be known as Commandaria, or military Indigenous grapes give the wines of Cyprus a unique selling point in the UK market and blend well with imported varieties

headquarters, and soon after the wine could be found at the royal tables of Europe. Commandaria wine is made exclusively from the indigenous grapes Xynisteri and Mavro. After harvest the grapes are laid in the sun to concentrate their natural sugars. During fermentation winemakers have the option of fortifying the wine, which is then aged in oak for a minimum of four years. But more impressive than ancient history are the more recent advances of the industry. When it comes to native grapes, Cyprus has identified those with the greatest quality potential, white and red, and is growing plantings, ensuring there is a real sense of place to the wines produced. The leading indigenous white variety Xynisteri produces fresh, light-coloured wines with low alcohol levels that are, until now, not amendable to ageing, performing best when young. A new generation of oenologists has also proved that Xynisteri may give aged wines with rich, complex flavours and a full-bodied palette. Also, one of the best-known is red grape Maratheftiko or Bambakada, that makes for a concentrated wine for which the tanning, fragrance, colour and structure are extremely close to those of Cabernet. It is a multidynamic variety that can give a multitude of wine types – from rosés and light reds to reds suitable for ageing. On the other hand, Mavro (black) is by far the most widespread red wine variety of the island, which performs best from vines found

in mountainous regions with poor, barren soils giving red wines that must be consumed young. Maratheftiko and Mavro often blend together to give truly Cypriot red wines. Indigenous grapes give the wines of Cyprus a unique selling point in the UK market and blend well with imported varieties, such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Muscat of Hamburg, Grenache and the greek Lefkada, which are mostly planted over the past forty years, and are also vinified on their own. Since 2004 Cyprus has upheld a classification system based on the right given to four viticultural regions on the island (Akamas Laona, Vouni Panayias – Ambelitis, Pitsilia and the villages of Limassol) to produce wines denoted as ‘Wines of Controlled Appellation of Origin’ and a fifth region where Commandaria Wine (Protected Geographical Indication) is produced. Over the past generation the four key traditional wineries - ETKO, KEO, SODAP and LOEL – have been joined by over 60 smaller regional wineries which gave birth to a new era in Cyprus viniculture and wine production. Cyprus’ winemakers are continuously expanding production by planting new vineyards, buying and restoring old wineries and investing in human expertise to develop new techniques and blends in winemaking that have led to many international distinctions. When it comes to wine marketing however, Cyprus is all about modernity. Its brands and labels, sharp, sleek and of simple design, reflect how the industry presents itself within the global wine market. Its wine industry has strived to stay globally competitive by investing large sums to maintain the best facilities. The effects can be seen in the quality of the visiting centres at wineries across the country. Tasting rooms are state of the art and there is the Wine Routes of Cyprus – seven designated tours taking in fascinating scenery whilst tasting wines in some stunning settings. If world-class wines and incredible scenery aren’t enough on their own, consider the annual Wine festival of Cyprus, held between late August and early September. The festival consists of days of music, traditional Cypriot fare and, of course, wine in abundance. Alternatively, wine lovers can visit the Wine Museum, built near Limassol to showcase the long history of Cyprus’ wines and their diversity and the relationship between the islands viticulture and its culture. Overall, the Cyprus wine industry has a battle on its hands, but everybody in the sector acknowledges that the island rapidly gets the place it deserves on the international wine map. After all, Cyprus wines continue a wonderful 6000 year-long tradition of enjoyment! A comprehensive directory of wineries in Cyprus can be found on the Cyprus Trade Centre website: www.cyprustrade.com

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interview

(From left to right) The Jackson/Banke and Seillan Families: Nicolas Seillan, Julia Jackson, Helene Seillan, Monique Seillan, Pierre Seillan, Katie Jackson, Barbara Banke, Shawn Kajiwara (Katie Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband), and Christopher Jackson

A FA M I LY matter Most business partnerships fall apart before their founders retire, and seldom do they reach into the next generation. But, against all odds, the Jackson-Seillan wine partnership is roaring into the next generation. Roger Morris reports

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interview

OVER THE speakerphone from Château Lassègue in St-Émilion, Julia Jackson and Hélène Seillan giggle like school girls as they recall their adventures as teenagers a decade ago, riding their horses bareback through the Sonoma mountain vineyards owned by Julia’s parents; vineyards that produced grapes that were made into wines by Hélène’s father; wines that, a few years later, were being given perfect 100-point ratings by Robert Parker. That partnership between the late Jess Jackson and his wife and business partner, Barbara Banke, and the French winegrowing couple Pierre and Monique Seillan, was – is – a special one that has now expanded over almost 20 years to include five separate wine brands made in three different countries on two continents. And, rarer still, it now firmly spans two generations.

Katie and Christopher, all work in some aspect of the Jackson Family Wines Collection which oversees the partnership with Banke as its chairman. FINE WINE AMBITIONS It all began in the late 1990s, when Jess Jackson was expanding the wine business he had started in 1974 and set a personal goal of making a world-class California Merlot. Already, his Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, an off-dry table wine first introduced in 1982, had exploded in popularity to become a huge commercial success. But Jackson’s popular wines had not impressed the critics, and he now wanted their acclaim. One beautiful evening in June 2010, Jackson recalled the details of what proved to be a hugely successful quest as I sat with him on the veranda of the family’s estate in the mountains east of Healdsburg, the unofficial capital of California’s Sonoma wine region. The occasion was a weekend of festivities celebrating a 100-point score given by Parker to the 2007 Vérité La Joie, the first of the Jackson/Seillan partnership wines which began with the 1998 vintage. Later, six more vintages of Vérité three blends – La Muse (Merlot-based), La Joie (Cabernet Sauvignonbased) and Le Désir (Cabernet Franc-based) – would also receive perfect Parker ratings. By any accounting, Jackson and Seillan were on their way to exceeding goals set a decade earlier. Although the topic of his health didn’t come up that evening, the 80-year-old Jackson was then being treated for what proved to be terminal cancer. Dressed smartly in a brown suit with a brown spotted tie, Jackson was a lean but stillimposing figure, stubble flecking his square jaw and a straw hat covering a bald head that was once a massive shock of white hair. Yet then and over the next two days Jess Jackson seemed the picture of vitality, and

‘I wrote to Immigration, I wrote the State Department, I wrote the President. I said, ‘If you don’t let Pierre into the US, you will be making a big mistake!’ While it is commonplace for family businesses to pass from one generation to the next, seldom do the children of partnerships continue that business relationship. Among the reasons: disaffection among the original partners, no family ties or inheritance provisions and no special closeness among the next generation that cousins often have. Yet today, Hélène and Julia, now in their mid-20s, are fully immersed in their family alliance. Hélène is making wines in Sonoma and Bordeaux, and Julia is working her way up through the business side. Moreover, Hélène’s older brother, Nicolas, and Julia’s two siblings,

that evening his voice was firm – imagine, if you will, the film actor Peter Graves talking – and he laughed often as he told stories. His partner, Pierre Seillan, a shorter, but tough-looking former rugby player from Gascony, sat nearby, often chuckling and stroking his own square chin. Before meeting Jackson, Seillan had already made a reputation as a Bordeaux winemaker with a speciality for Merlot. “Vérité was a dream of mine and his,” Jackson said as he slouched in his chair facing the glow to the west. “We both have a passion for land and the grapes, but he was the one that brought the technical skills. I’ll share a story with you that Pierre has heard a few times,” Jackson said, grinning at his French partner. “It was in the 1990s, and Pierre was having trouble getting admitted in the United States to work. I wrote to Immigration, I wrote the State Department, I wrote the President. I said, ‘If you don’t let Pierre into the US, you will be making a big mistake!’” Such was the warmth of the relationship between the men that went beyond making wine. Ten months later, Jackson was dead. The relationship started with a chance meeting between a friend of Barbara Banke, who had married Jess in 1988, and Monique Seillan in 1995 at the Bordeaux 

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Convention Center, where Monique had a marketing job. She suggested the two couples get together, which they did the following summer. “We did not even know the Jackson name at that time,” Monique says.

Pierre remembers. “Jess wanted to change that.” And so the Seillans decided to move to California in late 1997. Monique and Hélène would go first and set up housekeeping. Older brother Nicolas, along with Pierre, would follow. INSTANT RAPPORT “My first memory of the Jacksons was I saw this man in my house in Bordeaux who looked like a cowboy,” says Hélène, who was nine at the time and spoke no English. “A week later, we went to California on his plane.” There she met Julia Jackson, who is a year younger. “We instantly felt comfortable together,” Hélène recalls. “My mom called us double trouble.” The 1998 vintage was a challenging one for the Vérité venture – “not a good vintage, at all,” Pierre said, shaking his head – but the wine quickly improved in subsequent years. In fact, the partnership was soon going so well that

‘My first memory of the Jacksons was I saw this man in my house in Bordeaux who looked like a cowboy’

The couples liked each other immediately, and Jess asked Pierre to work with him in Sonoma. “At the time, Merlot was not considered to be a premium wine in Napa and Sonoma,”

(From left to right) The Second Generation: Nicolas Seillan, Julia Jackson, Katie Jackson, Hélène Seillan, Christopher Jackson, and Shawn Kajiwara (Katie Jackson’s husband)

Jacksons asked the Seillans – Monique was now working for the venture, as she still is – to take on three more brands: Anakota Cabernets in Knights Valley, the new Arcanum estate in Tuscany, plus also to locate a suitable property to purchase in Bordeaux. In 2003, with the Seillans as partial owners, the partnership bought Châteaux Lassègue, just up the road from Château Pavie and just down the hill from Mondotte. With Lassègue came a contiguous property, Château Vignot. By then, Nicolas Seillan had completed his formal education with an MBA from Golden Gate University and had been for three years a financial analyst for top corporate clients at BNP Paribas in San Francisco. It was Jackson who invited him to come into the business. “Nicolas said, ‘Why not?’” recalls Pierre, who had just negotiated the Lassègue purchase. “It

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interview

meant a lot that Jess asked him to help with the closing on the estate.” DIVISION OF LABOUR Today, Nicolas, now 40, is managing director of the properties in Italy and France. Although he has an interest in the winemaking side, he says, “I try to make sure that things are happening, being in charge of production, finances, banking, the auditors.” Katherine – Katie – the oldest of Jess’ and Barbara’s three children at 28, is employed in the sustainability and community relations part of the business,

which she developed as an art student in college and which drives her preference for international sales and marketing. Hélène, 27, on the other hand, is a chip off the old barrel, working since 2006 with her father, especially at Lasseque during her formal studies. “Dad always gave me a lot of confidence,” she says, “especially when it was my turn to learn blending,” the heart of Bordeaux-style winemaking. Hélène was given a first shot as lead winemaker in 2009 with her own new label, “Cenyth,” a red Bordeaux blend with Sonoma grapes. Of course, her colleague Julia designed the label. “I’m more of a realist in painting” Julia laughs, “so naturally they wanted me to do an abstract for Cenyth.” Hélène adds, “She approves of my winemaking, and I approve her art.” The first vintage was released last year to good reviews. But it was with the 2011 vintage that Hélène felt she had come of age when Pierre had to return to France before she was finished with the blending. “After he left, I sent him my formula for the blend,” she says. “When he got off the plane, he simply sent back the word ‘Blend.’”

‘He and my father are like-minds... Both have a little stubbornness in their personalities, but in a critical storm both keep their eye on the goal’ although she has worked her way up through a number of jobs in California and abroad. “I try to look after the family’s reputation in the community through outreach programs and sitting on non-profit boards,” she explains. Christopher, 24, the youngest Jackson, is in law school at the University of California at Berkeley, “following in my father’s footsteps.” He says he thinks he will eventually be part of the business. “Pierre is like a father to me,” Chris adds. “He and my father are like-minds,” he says, still using the present tense. “Both have a little stubbornness in their personalities, but in a critical storm both keep their eye on the goal.” But it is the two youngest women – the “double trouble” – that perhaps best embody the spirit of the joint venture. Julia, 26, has a strong creative streak

A HAPPY SHIP Of course, it is Barbara Banke who now keeps things running – a continuation of her total involvement with the wine business even while Jess was living. In addition to her and Jess’ three children, Jess’ two daughters by his first marriage and their husbands are part of the business. One, Don Hartford, is her CEO. Now that the recession is over, Barbara has expanded the Jackson family empire significantly with large purchases in Australia, California and Oregon. She also heads the family’s thoroughbred stables. “Jess and I wanted our children to be involved in the business,” she says, “but we wanted them to come to it on their own. Our company is a meritocracy, and

Helene Seillan (left) and Julia Jackson we believe in cross-training.” That said, she and her friend and partner Monique Seillan sometimes themselves act like siblings, and Barbara says their children “are more like brothers and sisters.” She says she sees herself as everyone’s “resources manager.” The five primary wines produced in partnership with the Seillans are now all part of the Spire Collection within the Jackson Family Wines Collection. It is always difficult to predict what will happen next. Pierre and Monique may one day retire to their own family winery, Bellevue Seillan, in Gascony, but it is difficult to imagine him soon leaving Lassègue, where he is still making innovations. Who else, for example, not only makes his own barrels for aging wine, but also gets to choose which trees to use? Meanwhile, the five children – the next generation – are still young and fully engrossed in the different aspects of their work. For now, it’s a big and exciting adult playground they’ve created. db

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S UAV E

sauvignons Reporting on this latest addition to The Drinks Business Global Masters series, Gabriel Stone reports how the quality and style range of some of the wines had our judges talking

SAUVIGNON BLANC is undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories for the wine industry in recent years. While Sancerre has long been a staple of fridges and wine lists around the world, the vivacious, aromatic expressions unleashed by the New World in particular have catapulted this grape variety to a whole new level of consumer awareness. The latest report to July 2014 from the Wine & Spirits Trade Association shows that, in the UK at least, Sauvignon Blanc remains on a firm upward trajectory. What’s more, commanding a well above average off-trade retail price of £6.08 per 75cl bottle (compared to £5.27 for Chardonnay), this is far more than just a volume driver. As such, Sauvignon Blanc represented an obvious candidate for the latest extension to The Drinks Business Global Masters Series. What’s more, with no fewer than 17 different countries represented among the medallists, the blind tasting format flagged up both the high quality and truly international offer from this grape variety today. This diversity of origin extended right up to the very highest medal categories. While New Zealand scooped a predictably large proportion of gold medals awarded, it shared this podium with Spain, France, Australia, South Africa, Chile and the US. Meanwhile it was a Sauvignon Blanc from Spain – hardly the first place most people would associate with this grape – that took home the only Master of the competition. Regardless of origin, the judges offered a clear view of what they look for from Sauvignon Blanc. “It needs to be alive, tight and mouth-watering,” summed up Sarah Knowles, buyer for The Wine Society. Expanding on this view, Clive Barlow MW, director of merchant and consultancy business Press Wine Services, remarked: “There always needs to be harmony between crisp acidity and fruit, whatever that fruit style may be.” Despite the proliferation of Sauvignon Blanc in the marketplace, he also warned: “It’s not

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sauvignon blanc masters Trade talk: Why enter wine awards?

a forgiving variety. You’ve got to be careful or you can lose some aromatics.” SUCCESS STORIES As the discussion developed, there was an acknowledgement of the significant impact that one country in particular has had on this variety’s profile. “New Zealand has been so successful it’s shaped the market,” remarked Barlow. However, he stopped short of suggesting that competitors need to pursue this country’s trademark highly aromatic expression in order to succeed. Rather, he continued, “New Zealand raised the profile of the variety. It made people realise there’s more out there and maybe helped to break that Pinot Grigio stranglehold.” In particular Barlow pointed to the boost this raised awareness has given to the Loire. “People know it’s not the New Zealand style but they’re still happy to

‘It’s not a forgiving variety. You’ve got to be careful or you can lose some of those aromatics’ buy it,” he reported. “New Zealand has moved people towards a grape that they might not otherwise have tried. The Loire is still the home of Sauvignon Blanc and sells really well.” Despite the success of these two regions, for those in search of a bargain, Laithwaites’ global buyer & winemaker Robin Langton waved the flag for a completely different corner of the world. “New Zealand is still the category leader but Chile is better value for money,” he insisted. “Under £10 Chilean Sauvignon Blanc over-delivers quality to price.” For all this area of strength, that was not to suggest that the country should restrict its

ROB BUCKHAVEN, TORRES SENIOR BRAND MANAGER, JOHN E FELLS We have to be selective about which awards we enter as there are now so many in existence. However, wine awards are a great vehicle for brand building and sales; the two are not mutually exclusive. We enter awards as our customers find any successes great to promote the wines and in turn stimulate sales. For example, we were approached to submit Torres Fransola into the db Masters by several of our customers who are currently championing premium Spanish wines. Fransola’s success in the competition will act as an additional tool to support that promotional initiative. But winning an award is not enough in itself to promote a brand or see an uplift in sales. Torres sets the benchmark among wineries in how to maximise the impact of a win. They take every success and really capitalise on it, in all their marketing communications – from medals on bottles through to full-size banners at shows and wine fairs. They really know what to do with any win they have, on a local and a global level. We have examples where they have taken awards they have won in the UK and used them to promote the winery at trade fairs throughout the world. This is how Torres tell their story: by taking successes like these and using them effectively. It’s very impressive and highly effective!

focus to the entry level. While Langton praised Leyda as offering “benchmark” expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, the competition also threw up a pleasant discovery for presenter and consultant Sam Caporn MW: “One real surprise was a 2006 Sauvignon from Chile that had passed the test of time really very well,” she reported.

About the competition  The Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and is an extension of its successful Global Masters series for major international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  With Sauvignon Blanc entries from around the world, in total nearly 150 wines were judged blind by a group of Masters of Wine and senior buyers using Schott Zwiesel Cru Classic glasses supplied by Wine Sorted.  Wines were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, with only the very highest scoring entires being given the accolade of a Master.  The wines were tasted over a single day at Broadway House in Fulham, London.

OAK WORRIES If there was one particular area of contention among the judges, it was the issue of using oak to vinify Sauvignon Blanc. Described as “a car crash” by Hugo Rose MW, chairman of the Wine Investment Association, others offered a more nuanced view. “Undoubtedly there are some great oaked Sauvignon Blancs around the world,” commented Knowles. “When it’s done well it’s great, but when done badly then it’s the worst wine in the bottle. There’s no middle ground.” For Langton, this approach to Sauvignon Blanc requires intelligent handling by the producer. “It’s about winemakers trying to take the wine somewhere other than just tank-fermented and clean,” he observed, but warned that with a variety as “unforgiving” as Sauvignon Blanc, “if you’re going somewhere else it’s easy to overdo it.” Above all, Langton maintained: “As soon as you use new oak



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sauvignon blanc masters 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked Company Unoaked under £10 Quinta de Maipo Four Seasons Wines Marisco Vineyards Viña Valdivieso Viña Casa Silva Lismore Wines NZ Sumaridge Estate Wines Te Pa Family Vineyards Viña MontGras Gruppo Mezzacorona Australian Vintage Santa Carolina/Ehrmanns Viña Siegel DGB Bottle Green Viña Casa Silva Viña Casa Silva Mt Beautiful Les Vignobles Foncalieu Cono Sur Viña Valdivieso Vinimark Bergsig Estate Santa Rita Estates Santa Rita Estates Brand Phoenix Crown Cellars/Carlsberg Australian Vintage Viña San Pedro Tarapaca Weingut Gross Miguel Torres Chile

Wine

Country

Vintage

Medal

Palo Alto Sauvignon Blanc Ritu Sauvignon Blanc The Ned Sauvignon Blanc Valdivieso Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc Flying Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc Te Pa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Amaral Castel Firmian Sauvignon Blanc McGuigan Classic Santa Carolina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Siegel Special Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Franschhoek Cellar, Statue de Femme Sauvignon Blanc The Long White, Spring Creek Vintners Reserva Cuvée Colchagua Sauvignon Blanc Doña Dominga Coasta Sauvignon Blanc Mt Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc Le Versant Sauvignon Cono Sur Reserva Especial Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Porcupine Sauvignon Blanc, Boekenhoutskloof Bergsig Sauvignon Blanc Carmen Wave Sauvignon Blanc Doña Paula Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc First Cape Vineyards, Special Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc Cono Sur Las Ondas Sauvignon Blanc Nepenthe Altitude Sauvignon Blanc Castillo de Molina Reserva, Elqui Valley Jakobi Sauvignon Blanc Cordillera Sauvignon Blanc

Chile India New Zealand Chile Chile New Zealand South Africa New Zealand Chile Italy Australia Chile Chile South Africa New Zealand Chile Chile New Zealand France Chile Chile South Africa South Africa Chile Argentina South Africa Chile Australia Chile Austria Chile

2014 2014 2014 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 2006 2014 2013 2014 2014 2013 2014 2014 2014 2013 2013

Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Unoaked £10-£20 Craggy Range Saint Clair Family Estate Framingham Wines DGB Cono Sur Pernod Ricard Crown Cellars/Carlsberg Bottle Green Andeluna Cellars Matahiwi Estate Babich Wines Accolade Wines Nederburg Wines Accolade Wines DGB Pernod Ricard Marisco Vineyards Carolina Wine Brands Viña Errazuriz Tarras Wines Forrest Wines Saint Clair Family Estate Weingut Gross Diemersdal Wine Estate Diemersdal Wine Estate

Sauvignon Blanc, Avery Vineyard, Marlborough Pioneer Black 3 43 Degrees Sauvignon Blanc Framingham Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Boschendal Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Estate Terroir Series Sauvignon Blanc Invenio, Sauvignon Blanc Vistamar Sepia Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Andeluna 1300 Sauvignon Blanc Matahiwi Estate Sauvignon Blanc Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Mud House Sauvignon Blanc Nederburg Private Bin D234 Sauvignon Blanc Mudhouse Woolshed Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Boschendal 1685 Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Estate Letter Series “B” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc The King’s Favour Sauvignon Blanc Viña Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Max Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Tarras Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Forrest Sauvignon Blanc Saint Clair Marlborough Premium Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Steirische Klassik Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Diemersdal 8 Rows Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand South Africa Chile New Zealand France Chile Argentina New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand South Africa New Zealand South Africa New Zealand New Zealand Chile Chile New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand Austria South Africa South Africa

2013 2014 2014 2012 2014 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2013 2013 2014 2013 2013 2014 2013 2014 2014

Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver

the aromatics almost fight each other.” One enthusiastic advocate of barrels for this variety was Caporn. “I really liked the oaked styles,” she declared. “When done well it adds a layer of complexity and interest that is otherwise quite hard to find in Sauvignon Blanc.” HIGH-END APPEAL? This connection between oak and more ambitious expressions of Sauvignon Blanc

‘I really liked the oaked styles. When done well it adds a layer of complexity and interest that is otherwise quite hard to find in Sauvignon Blanc’

led naturally to a debate about the appeal of this variety once you venture up above the £10 or even £20 mark. It may command a higher than average price point in the UK but, with a few notable exceptions, Sauvignon Blanc is rarely viewed as being in the same aristocratic league as Riesling or Chardonnay. Nevertheless, there were plenty of examples reaching right up to the  £30 mark that won acclaim from the

Cultivating and processing grapes scientifically in order to produce a wine with unmatched sensory dimensions and health-promoting properties: this is the vision of Prof. Dr. Michael Popp, pharmacist and CEO of Bionorica SE. At his country estate “Es Castellet” nestled in the Tramuntana Mountains of north-western Mallorca, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes flourish on the Steep and narrow ancient stone terraces that give this exclusive wine its name: “Stairway to Heaven”. These terraced plots are optimal for the production of great wines. Sundrenched by day, this Cliffside perch stores the heat to insulate the vines during the cool nights. Complementing the beneficial climate are fertile soil an natural drainage. Dense planting guarantees highest-quality grapes, which – in keeping with the vineyard´s demanding standards – are carefully hand-picked and subject to a strict selection process while still on the mountainside. The wines are matured in barriques made of French and Hungarian oak and fermented in innovative oak and steel tanks.

Bodega Castell Miquel Ctra. Alaró – Lloseta Km 8,7 07340 Alaró / Mallorca – Spain Tel. 0034 971 510 698 Contact: Gaitanis@castellmiquel.com www.castellmiquel.com

VIGNON B L AU

GOLD 2014

MASTER NC S A

Castell Miquell – the wine with positive health benefits.

O E GL BAL S TH

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sauvignon blanc masters 100% Sauvignon Blanc – Unoaked Company Crown Cellars/Carlsberg Viña Garcés Silva Cortes de Cima Aresti Chile Wine Accolade Wines Vinivola LA Cetto Nederburg Wines Viña Quintay Foucher Lebrun Viña Garcés Silva Babich Wines Foucher Lebrun Quinta de Maipo Spier Wines Pernod Ricard Cono Sur DGB Kingsland Spier Wines Aaldering Vineyards & Wines Paul Cluver Estates

Wine Cloud Island, Sauvignon Blanc, ZGM Boya Sauvignon Blanc Cortes de Cima Sauvignon Blanc Aresti Trisquel Sauvignon Blanc Flagstone Free Run Sauvignon Blanc L. A. Cetto Sauvignon Blanc Nederburg Manor House Sauvignon Blanc Q Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Pouilly Fumé “Les 2 Collines” Amayna Sauvignon Blanc Babich Family Estates Wakefield Downs Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre Blanc “Foucher Lebrun” Gran Devoción Sauvignon Blanc Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Estate Flight Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc Reserve De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc Spier 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc Aaldering Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc

Country New Zealand Chile Portugal Chile South Africa Mexico South Africa Chile France Chile New Zealand France Chile South Africa New Zealand Chile South Africa South Africa South Africa South Africa South Africa

Vintage 2013 2013 2013 2014 2011 2013 2014 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2014

Medal Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Unoaked £20-£30 Blaxland Wine Group Sunstone Vineyards & Winery

Jonathan Tolley Sauvignon Blanc, Copestick Murray Sauvignon Blanc

Australia USA

2014 2013

Bronze Bronze

Unoaked £30+ Casa Vinicola Zonin

Tenuta Ca'Bolani Aquilis Sauvignon Friuli

Italy

2013

Bronze

Medal

100% Sauvignon Blanc – Oaked Company Oaked under £10 Nederburg Wines

Wine Name

Country

Vintage

Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

South Africa

2014

Gold

Oaked £10-£20 Santa Rita Estates Matahiwi Estate D'Aria Winery Te Pa Family Vineyards Viña Valdivieso Viña Valdivieso Australian Vintage Craggy Range Viña San Pedro Tarapaca Viña Leyda Backsberg Australian Vintage

Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc Holly Sauvignon Blanc The Songbird Sauvignon Blanc Te Pa Oke Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Nepenthe Petraea Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough Tarapacá Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Lot 4 Sauvignon Blanc John Martin Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Tempus Two Copper Sauvignon Blanc

Chile New Zealand South Africa New Zealand Chile Chile Australia New Zealand Chile Chile South Africa Australia

2013 2013 2014 2012 2012 2010 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014

Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze

Oaked £20-£30 Gitton Père et Fils Australia West Wine Exports Bodegas Castell Miquel Winetraders Cakebread Cellars Yarden Golan Heights Winery Vinimark

Sancerre Galinot Larry Cherubino Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc Castell Miquel Sauvignon Blanc Stairway to Heaven Bellbird Spring, Block Eight Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara Sauvignon Blanc Yarden Sauvignon Blanc, Golan Heights Winery Reyneke Sauvignon Blanc

France Australia Spain New Zealand US Israel South Africa

2010 2013 2013 2012 2013 2013 2013

Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Bronze

judges, although there was a general consensus that Sauvignon Blanc’s natural comfort zone lies below £20. “The most impressive category in my view was £10£20,” remarked Rebecca Palmer, associate director and buyer for Corney & Barrow. “This is the range that seemed to offer the

‘Over £20 it was harder to see the value and a couple of wines were actually penalised for that’

best quality and value on the style catwalk, with wines that spanned the spectrum from exuberant, self-assured Kiwis to the more restrained and savoury.” By contrast, she found that when venturing above the £20 mark “some were simply too full bodied to do the variety any favours.”

GOLD 2014

THE G LO

RIESLING AL B

TERS AS M

VIGNON B L AU

MASTER NC S A

O E GL BAL S TH

033_db_nov_Adverts_Layout 1 30/10/2014 11:06 Page 1

GOLD 2014

no family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine

Reserva Especial Complete and consistent, this range of Premium wines reflects elegance and is an excellent selection for special occasions. It also has great cellar potential

the drinks business is proud to announce the launch of the Chianti Masters. Arguably the most iconic of all Italian wines, the competition will recognise and reward only the finest Chianti on the world stage. As part of the drinks business Masters series, wines from the Chianti region will be judged exclusively by style and price by a panel of leading industry experts. The judging panel will be composed exclusively of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior wine buyers. The wines will be tasted blind and only the best wines will be awarded medals ranging from Bronze through to Gold, with the opportunity for truly exceptional wines to be awarded the title of “Master”.The results will be published to an international audience both in print and online.

To enter your Chianti, please contact Chloé Beral on chloe@thedrinksbusiness.com or by phone on +44 (0) 207 803 2437 Deadline for entry is Friday 5 December 2014

inks busin dr

s es

THE CHIANTI MASTERS 2015

www.conosur.com

th e

20 Barrels Limited Edition In 1996 we decided to tackle the challenge of making our first ultra premium wine; the chosen variety was Pinot Noir and for its inaugural production we set apart 20 barrels of the best fruit the `96 vintage had provided.`

CHIANTI 2015

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sauvignon blanc masters Blends (minimum 50% Sauvignon Blanc) – Unoaked Company Miguel Torres/John E Fells Robert Mondavi/Accolade Wines Santa Rita Estates Maison Ginestet Château Hostens-Picant Sumaridge Estate Wines Marchesi Antinori La Motte Wine Estate Jackson Family Wines Jackson Family Wines Château Brown Maison Ginestet Maison Ginestet Accoalde Wines Chamlija Wines Lapostolle/Berkmann Wine Cellars Jackson Family Wines

For Caporn, “you get what you pay for if you spend over a tenner as you get deeper concentration, better flavours, length and complexity.” However, at the very top end she echoed Palmer’s view, suggesting: “Over £20 it was harder to see the value and a couple of wines were actually penalised for that.” Nevertheless, while the £10-£20 price bracket proved a particularly prolific source of top medals, the healthy cohort of £20-£30 gold medal winners indicated both strong interest from winemakers in making these upmarket styles and the qualitative success of many such endeavours when sensitively handled.

Wine Name Torres Fransola Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Fumé Blanc Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc Marquis de Chasse Cuvée des Demoiselles Maritimus Conte della Vipera, Castello della Sala La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc Atalon, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Kendall Jackson Vintners' Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Chateau Brown Ginestet Mascaron par Ginestet Treaty Tree Reserve Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Chamlija Sauvignon Blanc Casa Sauvignon Blanc Matanzas Creek Winery Sauvignon Blancm Sonoma County

‘I really liked the oaked styles. When done well it adds a layer of complexity and interest that is otherwise quite hard to find in Sauvignon Blanc’

Country Spain USA Chile France France South Africa Italy South Africa US US France France France South Africa Turkey Chile US

Vintage 2012 2012 2014 2013 2012 2011 2013 2014 2013 2013 2012 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013

Medal Master Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

BLENDED OFFERINGS One final area of discussion centred on the handful of blended Sauvignon Blanc entries. There was particular enthusiasm for the results when this variety is combined with Semillon, as demonstrated so prominently by Bordeaux and Margaret River in particular. “Semillon gives you that breadth on the palate,” noted Langton as he considered the merits of this combination. However, for the moment at least, Knowles described the Sauvignon/Semillon blend as “very difficult to sell.” 

035_db_nov_Adverts_Layout 1 30/10/2014 11:07 Page 1

Flying Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Flying Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc comes from selected vineyards in the Marlborough province which is New Zealand’s sunniest and predominant wine region.

inks busin r d

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Silver Medal Global Masters

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PINOT NOIR 2 l Masters

The Global Pinot Noir Masters 2015 After the success of last year’s competition that judged wines from no less than 16 countries, the drinks business is proud to announce the second year of the Global Pinot Noir Masters.

Grapes were harvested in early April then transported to the winery for crushing and pressing to obtain fresh clear juice. The juice was fermented slowly in stainless steel at cool temperatures to retain the unique Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc varietal characters, using a range of carefully selected aromatic yeast strains to preserve the intense varietal character and vibrant flavours of this wine, combining a crisp acidity and ripe tropical fruit characters bursting with classic passionfruit, gooseberry underlying hints of lemon lime. Fantastic value!

VIGNON B L AU

SILVER

MASTER NC S A

All Global Masters are judged blind by the finest palates in the world – a panel of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior buyers only. The best competing wines are awarded medals from Bronze through to Gold, and ultimately “Master” for exceptional examples.

O E GL BAL S TH

The competition will recognise and reward the finest Pinot Noirs on the world stage.

2014

The calibre of the judges guarantees international recognition of all the medals awarded.

To enter your Pinot Noir into the Global Pinot Noir Masters, please contact Chloé Beral on +44 (0) 207 803 2437, or by email on chloe@thedrinksbusiness.com.

Deadline for entry is Friday 5 December 2014

For further information contact: Canal House 100 Lissadel St. Salford Manchester M6 6BP Tel: 0161 736 9500 Email: info@myliko.co.uk Web: www.myliko.co.uk

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sauvignon blanc masters

Even if this style remains something of a trade secret for now, with Sauvignon Blancâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s star shining so brightly at the moment winemakers around the world have plenty of incentive to continue refining their product and pushing boundaries. Of course, many consumers will undoubtedly remain content to lap up the cheaper, crowd-pleasing expressions that occupy such a vast expanse of shelf space. However, it is reassuring to know that there are plenty of rewarding options for those who choose to explore further up the price ladder. db

The judges

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Clive Barlow MW, director, Press Wine Services Sam Caporn MW, consultant John Casson MW, consultant Simon Howland, staff writer, the drinks business Sarah Knowles, buyer, The Wine Society Robin Langton, senior buyer & consultant winemaker, Laithwaites Wine Rebecca Palmer, associate director & buyer, Corney & Barrow Hugo Rose MW, chairman, Wine Investment Association Gabriel Stone, managing editor, the drinks business Patrick Schmitt, editor in chief, the drinks business Clem Yates MW, sourcing & supply director, Off-Piste Wines

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36-40 Champagne Masters Nb_Layout 1 30/10/2014 12:14 Page 36

AWA R D I N G

luxury

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Champagne Masters showed that efforts to create the upmost in luxurious sparkling wine stretched beyond the top-end offerings and into categories that previously didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fare well, writes Patrick Schmitt

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champagne masters BEARING IN mind the high price of Champagne, particularly grandes marques, one should expect a large collection of medal-winners in any competition devoted to this sparkling wine region. But having awarded silvers to almost half the entries in this year’s Champagne Masters cheapest category – Brut NV under £30 – we realised that the sector’s base level was now home to very high quality fizz, and undoubtedly fewer disappointing examples compared to 2011, when we first held the competition. Furthermore, former weak points in the tasting – the extra brut and rosé categories – both contained firstrate wines in 2014, proving that Champagne with very low levels of sugar can be attractive, while pink Champagne is a serious fizz too. In essence, the results attest to the fact that viticultural and winemaking improvements across the region are really becoming evident now in the wines, whatever the style. FAMOUS FACES Initially, the non-vintage category at all prices yielded some impressive results, and in particular, proved the quality available among Champagne’s most famous names. Commenting after the tasting’s results were revealed, chair of the judges and Berry Bros buyer Simon Field MW said, “The grandes marques are really on form at the moment,” before adding, “Showing well across the piece were, not to my great surprise, Charles Heidsieck and Deutz.” He then mentioned his particular respect for Louis Roederer, which, like Heidsieck, achieved the top award of the tasting: a Master for its Brut NV. “Hats off to Roederer’s Brut, demonstrating [chef de caves] Monsieur Lecaillon is primus inter pares when we are discussing Champagne masters!”

Findings from the tasting  Champagne’s grandes marques performed well in this year’s competition, particularly Charles Heidsieck, Louis Roederer and Deutz.  Brut NV Champagnes proved high quality and good value, while rosé and extra brut styles did better than in previous competitions, suggesting a quality improvement among wines in these fashionable categories.  Blanc de Blancs Champagnes gained good scores, particularly more expensive examples.  Charles Heidsieck was the outstanding house in this year’s competition, a testament to the skill of its late chef de caves, Thierry Roset, who died suddently aged 55 in October this year.  Some lesser-known houses also performed well, such as Chassenay d’Arce and Ployez Jacquemart.  The overall quality standard was extremely high.

Nevertheless, it was Charles Heidsieck that performed the best overall in this year’s competition. Not only did this house achieve a Master for its Brut Réserve, but also its Brut Millésime 2000, while it gained a gold for its Blanc des Millenaires 1995 and a silver for its Rosé Reserve. Indeed, while we are paying tribute to winemakers, such a successful outcome for Charles Heidsieck Champagnes is testament to the skill of the late Thierry Roset, chef de caves at the house, who sadly died suddenly in early October aged 55. Also impressive were the scores of Charles Heidsieck sister house PiperHeidsieck, which achieved the only gold in the NV category for Champagnes priced £30-40 for its Brut Essential, while it gained a silver for its Brut NV in the under £30 category. Another notable success was Jacquart, which gained a silver for its Brut Mosaïque – a Champagne that has undergone a quality improvement since former Veuve Clicquot winemaker Floriane Eznack joined the brand in January 2011. It also earned silvers for its new prestige cuvée Alpha, with the 2005 vintage, as well as its blanc de blancs 2006 and its extra brut NV. Meanwhile, the little-known brand of Chassenay d’Arce picked up silvers for its Cuvée Premier Brut NV, Pinot Blanc

Judges Pictured, left to right: Simon Field MW, buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd Jamie Hutchinson, owner, The Sampler Sue Daniels, wine buyer, Marks & Spencer Rebecca Palmer, associate director & buyer, Corney & Barrow Michael Edwards, journalist, author, Champagne expert Anthony Foster MW, director/buyer, Bonhote Foster Marcel Orford-Williams, buyer, The Wine Society Patrick Schmitt, editor-in-chief, the drinks business

‘The grandes marques are really on form at the moment’



36-40 Champagne Masters Nb_Layout 1 30/10/2014 12:14 Page 38

champagne masters Champagne Masters 2014 – The Results Company Non Vintage Under £30 Champagne Ployez Jacquemart Champagne Paul Goerg Champagne Jacquart Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Chassenay D'Arce Vranken Pommery Champagne Drappier Champagne Palmer & Co Le Brun de Neuville Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Comte Audoin de Dampierre Champagne Boizel Champagne Delamotte Champagne De Castelnau

Wine

Medal

Style

Extra Brut Passion Tradition Brut Mosaïque Brut Cuvée Première Brut Pommery Brut Royal Carte d'Or Brut Réserve Cuvée Authentique Brut Réserve NV Grande Cuvée Brut Réserve Brut NV Brut NV

Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Extra Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Non Vintage £30-£40 Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Mumm Champagne Henriot Champagne Jacquart Champagne Pannier Champagne Philipponnat Lanson International UK Champagne Perrier-Jouët Lanson International UK

Brut Essentiel GH Mumm Brut Cordon Rouge Brut Souverain Extra Brut Brut Selection Royale Réserve non dosé Champagne Massé Brut Grand Brut Lanson Black Label NV

Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Extra Brut Brut Brut Nature Brut Brut Brut

Non Vintage over £40 Champagne Charles Heidsieck Champagne Louis Roederer Champagne Deutz Champagne Gosset Lanson International UK Lanson International UK Champagne Piper-Heidsieck

Brut Réserve Brut Premier Brut Rosé Grande Réserve Lanson Extra Age Brut Lanson White Label Dry-Sec Cuvée Sublime

Master Master Gold Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Sec Demi-sec

Vintage £30-£40 Champagne Cattier Champagne Ployez Jacquemart Champagne Serge Matthieu

Vinothèque 2007 Extra Brut Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2005 Millesime 2008

Silver Bronze Bronze

Brut Extra Brut Brut

Vintage over £40 Champagne Charles Heidsieck Champagne De Castelnau Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Henriot Champagne Gosset Vranken Pommery Champagne Mumm Champagne Deutz Champagne Philipponnat Champagne Charles Heidsieck

Brut Millésime 2000 Vintage 2002 Vintage 2006 Brut Millésime 2005 Grand Millésime 2004 Pommery Grand Cru 2004 Vintage 2006 Brut 2007 Cuvée 1522 millésime 2005 Rosé millésime 1999

Master Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Lady de N Clovis

Silver

Brut

Confidences Brut Palmes d'Or Brut 2004

Gold Gold

Brut Brut

Collection privée Joyau de France Clos du Moulin Brut Cuvée Alpha 2005 Pommery Cuvée Louise 2002

Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Prestige Cuvée £30-£40 Le Brun de Neuville Prestige Cuvée £40-£100 Chassenay D'Arce Centre vinicole Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Soutiran Champagne Boizel Champagne Cattier Champagne Jacquart Vranken Pommery

‘This does prove that you do have to spend quite a bit on blanc de blancs, but when you do, you are rewarded’ 38

Extra Brut, and a gold for its blanc de blancs 2005 as well as its prestige cuvée, named Confidences. Meanwhile, Field mentioned further houses which impressed him in the tasting, which was conducted, like last year, at The Dorchester hotel. “I was pleased that some of the less lauded houses such as Lanson and Piper were able to rise to the challenge too.” He added, “This indicates to me a confidence across the region and an overall qualitative consistency.” Finally he said that he was pleased to see Cattier, Palmer and Henriot “all showing their worth”, describing them as “three houses I admire”. In particular, he commented that he was “encouraged” to see large co-op Palmer making “such good wines”. HIGH FLYERS At the peak of Champagne’s price pyramid, prestige cuvées over £100 performed extremely well, although it was only Deutz’s Cuvée William Deutz 2002 that achieved the ultimate by gaining a Master. Such a result was both a sign of the quality winemaking from this house, but also the conditions of the vintage, with 2002 considered one of the standout harvests of the last decade. Among the more niche categories of Champagne, as noted above, drier Champagne styles did well this year, suggesting that winemakers are becoming better at producing fizz with little added sugar – doubtless choosing riper, richer base wines to reduce the potential for tartness. Serge Mathieu, Drappier, Chassenay d’Arce, Jacquart and newcomer to the competition, Ployez Jacquemart were all awarded silver medals for the extra bruts. Then there was the blanc de blancs category which this year in particular drew attention to the quality of pure Chardonnay Champagnes. While Palmer was the only wine to be awarded a gold for Blanc de Blancs under £40, over that price point and no less than four golds were given – 50% of the wines judged at this more expensive level. As one judge said, “This does prove that you do have to spend quite a bit on blanc de blancs, but when you do, you are rewarded.”

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36-40 Champagne Masters Nb_Layout 1 30/10/2014 12:14 Page 40

champagne masters Champagne Masters 2014 – The Results Company Prestige Cuvée £100+ Champagne Deutz Champagne Deutz Champagne Charles Heidsieck Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Philipponnat

Wine

Medal

Style

Cuvée William Deutz 2002 Amour de Deutz 2005 Blanc des Millénaires Millésime 1995 Rare Millesime 2002 Clos des Goisses 2005

Master Gold Gold Silver Silver

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Alternative Grape / Blanc de Blancs £40 Chassenay D'Arce Pinot Blanc Extra Brut

Silver

Extra Brut

Blanc de Blancs Under £30 Le Brun de Neuville

Cuvée Chardonnay

Silver

Brut

Blanc de Blancs £30-£40 Champagne Palmer & Co Le Brun de Neuville Champagne Cattier Champagne Delamotte Champagne Jacquart Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

Blanc de Blancs 2008 Lady de N Chardonnay Brut Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Blancs NV Blanc de Blancs 2006 Grand Cru Chardonnay Millésime 2005

Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Blanc de Blancs Over £40 Champagne Henriot Lanson International UK Champagne Deutz Chassenay D'Arce Champagne De Castelnau Champagne Mumm Champagne Philipponnat Champagne Louis Roederer

Blanc de Blancs Lanson Extra Age Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Blancs 2008 Blanc de Blancs 2005 Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Blancs Mumm de Cramant Grand Blanc 2006 Blanc de Blancs 2007

Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Blanc de Noirs Under £30 Champagne Serge Matthieu Champagne Serge Matthieu

Extra Brut Brut Tradition

Silver Silver

Blanc de Noirs £30-£40 Comte Audoin de Dampierre Champagne Serge Matthieu Champagne Dosnon

Cuvée des Ambassadeurs Grand Vintage 2005 Millesime 2008 Champagne Dosnon & Lepage Récolte Noire

Gold Silver Bronze

Brut Brut Brut

Blanc de Noirs Over £40 Champagne Cattier Champagne Philipponnat

Cattier Brut Blanc de Noirs Philipponnat Blanc de Noirs 2008

Gold Silver

Brut Brut

Rosé Under £30 Champagne Drappier The Wine Society

Brut Nature Rosé Champagne Jeanaux-Robin Rosé Brut NV

Bronze Bronze

Brut Nature Brut

Rosé £30-£40 Champagne Palmer & Co Lanson International UK Champagne Jacquart Champagne Boizel Champagne Cattier Lanson International UK

Brut Rosé Champagne Massé Rosé Rosé Rosé Brut Rosé Lanson Rose Label NV

Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Rosé over £40 Champagne Henriot Champagne Deutz Lanson International UK Champagne Philipponnat Champagne Charles Heidsieck Vranken Pommery Champagne Mumm Champagne Delamotte Chassenay D'Arce Champagne Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cattier

Brut Rosé Rosé 2009 Lanson Extra Age Rosé Royale Réserve Rosé NV Rosé Reserve Pommery Apanage Rosé Brut Rosé Rosé NV Cuvée Rosé Brut Blason Rosé Clos du Moulin Rosé

Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut Brut

Design & Packaging Champagne Drappier Chassenay D'Arce Champagne Cattier Champagne Cattier Le Brun de Neuville Le Brun de Neuville

Coffret Grande Sendrée Pinot Blanc Extra Brut Clos du Moulin Brut en Coffret Brut Sensation Millésime 2006 Edition Limitée - Cuvée Chardonnay Collection

Master Gold Gold Silver Silver Bronze

Extra Brut Brut

We also had a good showing from blanc de noirs in 2014. Both Cattier and Comte Audoin de Dampierre impressed the judges with this style, and each of these houses gained golds. As judge Michael Edwards said of the wines, “These are wonderful winter Champagnes”, while fellow judge Anthony Foster MW said, “These are food Champagnes.” As in previous competitions, the vintage category attracted high levels of praise from the judges and plenty of high scores, while unlike last year, rosé achieved a clutch of golds. Particularly delicious examples of the latter came from Henriot, Deutz and Lanson. Overall, the blind tasting drew attention to those houses producing cuvées of exceptional quality, while showing the high standard of wines being made in Champagne today. It also proved that the fashionable pink and very dry styles of Champagne have undergone a marked quality improvement. For value and quality, however, the results suggest that the region’s biggest category, Brut NV, is hard to beat. db

About the competition The Champagne Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business and an extension of its successful Masters series for grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as regions such as Rioja and Chianti. The competition is exclusively for Champagne and the entries were judged by a selection of highly experienced tasters using Riedel Chianti/Riesling glasses supplied by Sensible Wine Services. The top Champagnes were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those Champagnes that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Champagne Master. The Champagnes were tasted over the course of a single day at the Dorchester Hotel in London. This report features only the winners of medals.

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42-46 Reisling Masters 2014_Layout 1 30/10/2014 09:12 Page 42

riesling masters

RIESLING

f ro m t h e a s h e s When judges are kicking down the door to join in with a tasting, and medalists are hailing from all corners and at all price-points, you know you have a special varietal on your hands. Patrick Schmitt reports on the Global Riesling Masters OF ALL the grapes that featured in September’s Global Masters, it was Riesling that attracted the most interest from our pool of potential judges. While we coaxed Masters of Wine to sample Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, we actually turned some away when it came to Riesling, such was its popularity among the professionals. As a result,

before the grape was even tasted, we were acutely aware of the strong affection that exists in the trade for Riesling. However, it was only after the tasting that we realised the force of feeling when it comes to the handling of this grape, which, few would disagree, is capable of producing some of the greatest and most distinctive white wines in the world.

And just as great Chardonnay can result from an ideal balance between fruit and oak, great Riesling is about a balance too, but one between sugar and acidity. As competition judge Neil Sommerfelt MW commented, “The balance between the residual sugar and the acidity provides the key – and at all levels of price and from all regions.”

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riesling masters Feature findings

In other words, it is not the actual level of sugar that matters. Neither sweetness nor sharpness should dominate the wine, but together they should enhance it. Hence, stated judge Alex Hunt MW, “We rewarded balance… as well as complexity” (see pXX for Anne Krebiehl MW’s Riesling feature). Evidence of Riesling’s rare ability to both please and cleanse the palate, even when sugar is present in massive qualities, was behind the fact that our sole “Master” in the competition was by far

white grape in the world, but it is certainly the most versatile,” commented Sebastian Payne MW. Proving his point, the second highest scoring wine of the tasting was a bone dry example from Australia: Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling 2012. After this particular wine’s source was revealed, Beverly Tabron MW admitted she had thought it was European, and described the wine as a “revelation”. Further proof of the grape’s adaptability can be seen in the source countries of the gold medal winners, as well as range of sugar levels. GLOBAL SUCCESS Rieslings from Australia, Germany, France, Chile and Canada all gained top medals in the tasting, including, it was interesting to note, two major global wine brands: the aforementioned Jacob’s Creek, and Cono Sur, with its single vineyard Riesling that, like the former, was another that many of the tasters thought was European. Although few gold medals were awarded, the tasting saw a remarkably high number of silvers relative to the number of entries, pointing to Riesling’s reliably high level of quality. “There were good wines at each price point,” recorded Payne, adding, “there was a huge proportion of silvers compared to the number of wines entered: the average standard was incredibly high.” Summing up, he stated, “Riesling is a very safe bet.”

‘Riesling is either the best or second best white grape in the world, but it is certainly the most versatile’ the sweetest – 2004 Kaseler Kehrnagel Eiswein from Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier. Containing 185g/l, and waves of alternating dried and fresh fruit flavours, it finished with a pleasant tang to make sure one would salivate, and reach for another sip. But not all our high scorers were laden with sugar. Indeed, the range of wines at the top of the table attests to another important Riesling trait: versatility. “Riesling is either the best or second best

 There was a high demand to judge in the Global Riesling Masters because the grape is much-loved among professionals.  The results proved that top quality Riesling must achieve a balance between residual sugar and acidity.  The tasting also highlighted the versatility of Riesling, which can be made in a variety of styles from diverse sources.  Riesling’s characteristic petrol aroma was considered a positive component when present at low levels as part of a complex aroma.  The high proportion of silvers proved that the average standard of Riesling, even at low price points, is very high.  Riesling has a strong and clearly identifiable personality.

Hunt agreed, although he commented that Riesling “should be something that can be done well at a relatively low cost” – a point that was proven by the fact four of the six golds in the competition were for wines under £20. A CERTAIN WHIFF Of course, no Riesling tasting could be complete without a discussion about the scent of petrol – an aroma closely associated with the grape, particularly after many years ageing in bottle. Although considered a defect in a wine when present at very high levels, particularly in a youthful wine, in low levels the judges felt this smell can add a layer of complexity as well as character to the wines. “When Riesling is very good it has the most fantastic smell, but there are people who really don’t like Riesling, and



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riesling masters The Global Riesling Masters – Results Company Dry (up to 4g/l) Charles Schleret Karl May Jacob's Creek - Pernod Ricard Jacob's Creek - Pernod Ricard Freigut Thallern Wein GmbH Australian Vintage Vinteloper Jacob's Creek - Pernod Ricard Larry Cherubino Domäne Wachau Wakefield/Taylors Wines Wakefield/Taylors Wines Penfolds Wakefield/Taylors Wines Chateau Ste. Michelle Viña Cousiño Macul Brotherhood America's Oldest Winery Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Charles Schleret Brooks

Wine

Vintage

Country

Medal

Alsace Riesling 2007 Bechtheimer Geyersberg Riesling 2013 Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling Jacob's Creek Reserve Barossa Riesling Riesling Alte Ried McGuigan Shortlist Riesling Vinteloper R1/13 Watervale Riesling 2013 Jacob's Creek Riesling Cherubino Riesling Riesling Smaragd Kellerberg St Andrews Riesling St Andrews Riesling Penfolds Bin 51 St Andrews Riesling Dry Riesling Isidora Dry Riesling - New York Premium Selection Riesling Eroica Alsace Riesling 2005 Ara

2007 2013 2012 2013 2012 2014 2013 2012 2011 2013 2012 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 2013 2005 2011

France Germany Australia Australia Austria Australia Australia Australia Australia Austria Australia Australia Australia Australia USA Chile USA USA France USA

Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Medium Dry (up to 12g/l) Cono Sur Cono Sur Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut Langmeil Jean Biecher et Fils Cave de Ribeauvillé Villa Huesgen Weingut Die Weinmacher GmbH Freigut Thallern Wein GmbH Nederburg Wines Firesteed Cellars Brotherhood America's Oldest Winery Kloster Eberbach Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Cave de Ribeauvillé ZGM

Single Vineyard Riesling Reserva Especial Riesling Domdechant Werner Hochheim Riesling Classic Eden Valley Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Riesling Schlossberg 2013 Riesling 2010 Grand Cru Osterberg, Alsace Grand Cru AOC Villa Huesgen Alte Reben Riesling Blue Fish Riesling Trocken Riesling Selektion Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve Riesling Riesling Riesling - New York Premium Selection Wiesbadener Neroberg 'Crescentia' Dry Riesling Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Trocken Riesling 2013 Collection, AOC Alsace Invenio Riesling

2013 2013 2012 2012 2013 2010 2013 2013 2013 2014 2011 2013 2013 2012 2013 2013

Chile Chile Germany Australia France France Germany Germany Austria South Africa USA USA Germany Germany France Germany

Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

I think one of the reasons is that they don’t like the smell of petrol,” proposed Payne, before pointing out that of all the possible Riesling characters, it is the smell of sherbet that puts him off, “although that seems to have diminished.” Meanwhile, Hunt commented, “I don’t mind if the petrol is there as part of the aromatic mesh, but if comes on very strong and very early [in the wine’s development] then it is upsetting.” What was apparent however was that the wines in the tasting, with few

‘There are people who really don’t like Riesling, and I think one of the reasons is that they don’t like the smell of petrol’

exceptions, seemed to overtly display Rieslingness, if such a word exists. “Riesling has personality,” stated Payne. Similarly, Hunt commented, “All the wines had varietal character, and very few would not be immediately identifiable as Riesling.” But what made them obviously Riesling? Well, aside from the occasional hint of petrol, Sommerfelt in particular listed a few key traits for the grape. “Stylistically, depending on a wine’s particular origins, I would expect to see wines exhibit flavours that are

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riesling masters The Global Riesling Masters – Results Company Medium Sweet (up to 45g/l) Schmitt Söhne Mission Estate Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Die Weinmacher GmbH Sula Vineyards Langmeil - Berkmann Wine Cellars Schmitt Söhne Framingham Wines Friedrich Wilheilm Gymnasium Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt

Wine

Vintage

Country

Medal

Rethink Riesling Mission Estate Riesling Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Feinherb Blue Fish sweet Riesling Sula Riesling Live Wire Thomas Schmitt Private Collection Kabinett Framingham Classic Riesling Fritz Willi Riesling Josephshöfer Riesling Kabinett

2012 2012 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2013 2013 2013

Germany New Zealand Germany Germany India Australia Germany New Zealand Germany Germany

Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Sweet (+ 45g/l) Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Peller Estates Winery Zimmermann-Graeff & Müller Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt Dr Loosen Friedrich Wilheilm Gymnasium Louis Guntrum

Kaseler Kehrnagel Riesling Eiswein Signatures Series Riesling Icewine Peter & Peter Riesling Sweet Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Graacher Domprobst Spätlese Riesling Spätlese Oppenheim Herrenberg

2004 2012 2013 2011 2013 2013 2012 2013

Germany Canada Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany Germany

Master Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze

redolent of citrus fruits (lemon/lime), exotic fruits (peach/nectarine) with a keen-edge of vibrant acidity and minerality, depending on a wine’s origins.” Continuing, he noted, “Alcohol levels will vary according to the origin, chosen style and vintage but in all cases a purity, vigour and tension should be evident to a greater or lesser degree.” While picking up on the point raised at the outset, he concluded, “Even wines at the very sweet end of the spectrum should offer sufficient acidity in order to ensure that the wine is ultimately appetising, leaving the palate cleansed and refreshed.”

And once this is in place, one imagines there will be even greater demand among the judges to take part in the Global Masters for Riesling. db

DEPTH FROM OLD AGE But if there was one key aspect to Riesling that was not addressed in the tasting, it was the grape’s remarkable ability to develop greater complexity after many years, decades even, ageing in bottle. With the majority of wines from the 2010 vintage onwards, the judges weren’t able to enjoy the beauty of aged Riesling, although we plan to correct this next year, with a new category for older examples.

46-50 Jackson Family tasting Nbgs_Layout 1 30/10/2014 08:44 Page 46

Left to right from Jackson Family Wines: Dimitri Mesnard MS, international brand ambassador; Monique Seillan, vice-president of communications; Barbara R. Banke, chairman and proprietor; Nick Bevan, senior vice-president; Gayle Bartscherer, vice-president of international marketing; and author and Californian wine expert Stephen Brook

FA M I LY p o r t ra i t The clarion call sounded across London, summoning some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top sommeliers to The Dorchester hotel for what Patrick Schmitt discovered to be an eye-opening tasting of some of Jackson Family Winesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; top offerings

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j a c ks o n w in es event Feature findings

WHEN A London tasting room is packed with silent sommeliers, you know it’s something special. Seated in the quiet and upmarket confines of The Dorchester, attendees from the capital’s finest restaurants awaited a rare, revealing, and spoiling tasting – and their excited anticipation was not sparked by vintage hype. The event, organised and hosted by Jackson Family Wines, would see library samples from its top-end Californian brands sampled alongside the likes of Lafite and Pingus, but began with a tasting of the latest releases of Jackson’s Cardinale, Vérité and Lokoya from the 2011 vintage – a year renowned not for its greatness, but extremely challenging weather conditions. Introducing the 2011s was wine writer, author and Californian (as well as Bordeaux) specialist Stephen Brook. “2011

oversee the harvest at Jackson’s sole Bordeaux property, Château Lassègue, and on his return, the grapes in California still weren’t fully ripe. But rather than expressing concern about the vintage conditions, Brook suggested that they may have yielded wines that might suit the palates of the London audience. “We in Europe like this type of vintage because there is some restraint; it’s still ripe, but not overblown,” he said. Adding to Brook’s analysis of the vintage was Jackson Family Wines’ chairman and proprietor Barbara R. Banke. “It was a cool vintage, but because Pierre [Seillan] loves to pick early he managed to get the grapes in before the rains,” she said of Sonoma’s Vérité estate. As for Cardinale and Lokoya, she noted, “Our Napa wines are from mountain vineyards so they are very well drained and the grapes ripened in due time, although they produced less.” Summing up the vintage character, she commented, “It is a really good vintage for wines which will age, wines which will be around for a long time, and wines which will be interesting for a long time.” Also part of the panel during the tasting was Monique Seillan, Pierre’s wife and vice president of communications at Jackson Family Wines. “We need this type of petit vintage, where it is the soil that is very important for the wine, not just the sun,” she commented.

‘We like it when it is a little difficult, because in a challenging vintage you do better, because you have to pay a lot of attention to the vineyard’ was the kind of vintage that sends most Californian growers into a panic,” he began, before commenting that it was also the type of year European winemakers are used to. Not only did the Californians face a later start to the growing season as rains delayed flowering, but then they faced a cool summer, punctuated by a few heat spikes, followed by more rain in early autumn. Illustrating the delaying effect on grape ripening due to the anomalous conditions in California during 2011, Brook recalled that Vérité’s winemaker, Frenchman Pierre Seillan, went to St-Emilion to

VERITABLE BLESSING Then, focusing on the wines of Vérité, she commented, “Vérité has spectacular terroir, it is a dream for a winemaker, and we are blessed because we can work with four different appellations in Sonoma, so we can blend to make a dream wine.” She continued, “We like it when it is a little difficult, because in a challenging vintage you do better, because you have

 Although the cool and wet 2011 vintage in California was the type of year that throws growers into a panic, it produced wines of restraint that can be favoured by Europeans.  Furthermore, despite the difficult 2011 vintage conditions, Jackson Family Wines made wines without blemish due to rigourous selection, as well as the use of early-picked fruit and grapes from free-draining mountain vineyards.  Jackson Family Wine’s Vérité brand benefits from the best sites across Sonoma and a fine-tuned barrel toasting regime.  The company’s Cardinale label sources Cabernet from a selection of Napa vineyards to create a symphony of the best sites.  On the other hand, Lokoya comprises four wines, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and each from a different mountain site in Napa.  A global comparative tasting of library vintages showed that Jackson Family Wines’ top Californian labels can compete with the world’s greatest wines, from Masseto to Mouton.

to pay a lot of attention to the vineyard. Pierre says his job is easy; he just has to listen to the soil. You must be humble, the terroir gives the signature to the wine, not the maker.” She then considered the sites for the wine, which has three labels in the range: La Muse, which is Merlot dominant; La Joie, which is Cabernet dominant; and finally Le Désir, which is Cabernet Franc led. “We source from Alexander Valley, but there is no valley in Barbara’s portfolio – it is really Alexander mountain; we are in the clouds,” she



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CARDINALE SYMPHONY Shifting to Napa, Banke began with a look at Cardinale, which she said was “a Cabernet-based blend,” before introducing the component parts. “Cardinale winemaker Christopher Carpenter says his vineyards are instruments to create a composition with Cabernet, and Cardinale is supposed to represent a symphony of the best sites in the Napa Valley,” she said, mentioning vineyards such as Keyes, Veeder Peak and Spring Mountain. Picking up on her earlier point about the benefits of mountain vineyards in the wet

‘In California, we have differences in vintage, differences in terroir, and differences among winemakers. I just say make the best wine you can’ began, pointing out that clay soils in this AVA are used primarily for Vérité’s Cabernet Franc. As for the Merlot, this is mainly sourced from the Bennett Valley vineyard planted by Pierre Seillan in 1999. “I think we are now getting the best Merlot from this very beautiful vineyard,” she commented, while Brook added that Bennett was “a sweet spot for Merlot, not in the jammy style, but for producing wines with lift and raciness.” Indeed, Banke added that Jackson Family Wines was behind the recognition of Bennett as an AVA around 10 years ago. Next, Monique mentioned Knight’s Valley, which, at the foot of Mt St Helena, “is beautiful for Cabernet, and we are just across the street from Peter Michael.” Finally, she identified Chalk Hill AVA as home to the Vérité winery but also

first-rate Cabernet Franc and Merlot in chalk soils. Aside from the superb Sonoma sites that are used for Vérité, Seillan also pointed out that the wine benefits from Jackson Family Wines’ barrel sourcing (the company is part owner of a stave mill in the Vosges mountains in France). “Because we have a stave mill in France, Pierre has taken a great interest in the barrel regime and chooses which part of the forest he wants for his staves, and how long to season the wood, as well as which toast profiles – he uses 22 different ones, which each change for every block,” she recorded. She also stressed, “In 2011 we have many more micro crus than when we started in ‘98 – and even more in 2014, so Vérité is going to be better and better – remember that.”

2011 vintage, Banke said, “We picked later in 2011 than we would in Sonoma [for Vérité], but Chris was able to get away with it because the mountains were able to drain the rainfall, so 2011 is a good vintage for the mountains… it’s not big, but it’s a focused vintage.” For a more detailed look at Napa’s mountain wines, the tasting then turned to Lokoya, which comprises four wines, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and each from a different mountain site: Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Mount

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j a c ks o n w in es event

Veeder and Howell Mountain. Barbara said that the wine from Veeder was known as “the monster” due to its concentration and tannins, and it was her late husband Jess Jackson’s favourite source of Cabernet in California. On the other hand, she added that her favourite was Howell Mountain because, “it’s more towards the blue fruit”. Agreeing with Banke, Brook then commented, having tasted through the wines at the outset, “The Howell Mountain for now has the most complexity and it is the most harmonious of the quartet.” The discussion then turned to the wines from the 2011 vintage, with both attendees and Brook expressing their respect for what Jackson Family Wines had achieved in a challenging vintage. In essence, to create such accomplished wines in 2011, Barbara admitted that for all three estates at the tasting they “had to green drop on a truly massive scale because some of the grapes just weren’t going to ripen.” And this in part explained Brook’s observation that, much to his surprise, “I was expecting the vintage to show some greenness, but there isn’t any greenness in these wines – it just isn’t there.” Banke then provided the final words on 2011 across the eight wines tasted: “In

California, we have differences in vintage, differences in terroir, and differences among winemakers. I just say make the best wine you can.” SURPRISE SELECTION Following a brief break and a glass of Henriot Champagne, imported by John E Fells – the UK agent for Jackson Family Wines – attendees returned to their seats to find a different, and thrilling selection of wines in their glasses. Sitting alongside Vérité La Muse 2004, Cardinale 2007 and Lokoya Mount Veeder 2001 were some of the world’s greatest wines from the same vintages, including Bordeaux first growths Mouton and Lafite Rothschild, as well as first growth equivalents from Spain, Australia and Italy: Dominio de

Pingus, Penfolds Grange, and Sassicaia respectively – along with Merlot blockbuster Masseto. Explaining the selection of wines was Gayle Bartscherer, vice-president of international marketing and business development at Jackson Family Wines. She said, “The comparative tasting component is not supposed to be a beauty contest to prove our wines are the best, but to show how different terroirs react in the same vintage.” Continuing, she noted, “We also want to promote discussion and show how our wines can age and sit comfortably among the great wines of the world, but, because the wines are so different, it’s not about saying which one is your favourite.” Initially, the 2004s were tasted and discussed. “2004 was first rate in California: the vintage was a bit cool initially but the wines were opulent and enjoyable from the moment of release,” recorded Brook. Speaking of the Merlot-

‘I can imagine sitting down and drinking these wines with a book in the winter’

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jacks on w in e s event The wines tasted 2011 Vérité La Muse 2011 Vérité La Joie 2011 Vérité Le Désir 2011 Cardinale 2011 Lokoya Spring Mountain 2011 Lokoya Diamond Mountain 2011 Lokoya Howell Mountain 2011 Lokoya Mount Veeder 2004 Vérité La Muse 2004 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto 2004 Château Mouton Rothschild 2007 Cardinale 2007 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 2007 Dominio de Pingus 2001 Lokoya Mount Veeder 2001 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2001 Château Lafite Rothschild

dominant Vérité La Muse, he then commented, “This is a terrific wine, it is opulent with freshness and youthfulness. It has some of that opulence that you look for with California, and you can drink it

the concentration of a truly great vintage. On the other hand, he applauded the richer, flamboyant style of the Masseto 2004, which had benefitted from time. “It can seem monolithic when it’s young,” he stated, adding, “This is a massive wine with freshness; it is magnificent, admirable, but brutal.” 2007 was the focus of the next flight, beginning with Cabernet Sauvignondominant Cardinale 2007. Brook began with his thoughts on the wine: “On the nose you expect great concentration, but actually it’s not that concentrated on the palate, with chewy tannin, a nice balance, and it still has great potential.” The wine was tasted along with Penfolds Grange 2007 and Dominio de Pingus, representing top expressions of two different grapes: Shiraz and Tempranillo respectively. Brook put the Cardinale ahead of the Grange, before expressing his delight at the Pingus: “It’s complex and seductive, and usually I would be tearing my hair out at 15.5% abv, but I don’t get any burn.” Banke said how much she had enjoyed all three wines in the flight. “I can imagine sitting down and drinking these wines with a book in the winter.”

‘I really liked the 2004 Vérité La Muse – it is a terrific wine – and I loved the Cardinale’

now, but it will hold.” Tasted alongside this was Mouton Rothschild 2004, which Brook said was a little disappointing – “it lacks punch and drive” – but added that 2004 was not a brilliant year in Bordeaux, and consequently the wine didn’t show

We then moved back more than a decade to 2001, with Lokoya Mount Veeder, Sassicaia and Lafite Rothschild. Just 270 cases were made of the Lokoya from the Veeder site that produces bunches with extremely small berries, giving wines of immense concentration and colour. Indeed, the wine seemed to have the youngest appearance of any of the wines in this comparative tasting. “I love the nose, with black fruit, a touch of Christmas pudding, and on the palate it is still going strong; it is not fading in the least, and I see it staying on a plateau. You have done an excellent job with this wine,” said Brook. Sadly, the Sassicaia seemed prematurely aged. On the other hand, the Lafite was just emerging and showing extremely well. “It’s a beauty, with some evolution and cassis. It’s so poised and stylish, and although it’s not a blockbuster it still holds its own after all the other wines,” commented Brook, adding, “The tannins, acidity, and oak are all beautifully integrated; it is so immensely drinkable.” Concluding, Brook picked out his star wines: “I really liked the 2004 Vérité La Muse – it is a terrific wine – and I loved the Cardinale 2007, while I thought the Pingus was gorgeous, and I’m humbled by the Lafite, which is a beautiful wine, but they’ve been doing it for 200 years…” As for Banke, she added, “I wouldn’t turn any of these down. They are all excellent in their own way.” db

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