Resumption of activities

I have a lot to write as Cécile just got back from a week holidays.

As an opener, my partner Jean-Roger Calvet was just reelected as part of the list of the incumbent mayor (65%). This proves that work and dynamisms can sometimes be understood, even in small rural villages like Maury. It also shows that this community chose changes in the cooperative, in the village, the arrival of new winemakers, from Bordeaux, Americans, instead of withdrawing on themselves which is common in French rural areas.

Below, Marie Calvet wrote that the Michelin guide gave a star to a restaurant in Maury:
“La Maison du Terroir.
The news was published this morning: Pascal Borrell received 1 star from the Michelin Guide. It took less than a year for this chef to receive this recognition. This well deserved prize gives a great boost to all the efforts made by this community and reinforces the belief that a prestigious window is necessary to promote the wines from our terroir.
Congratulations to the chef and his team.
As for the work on our new cellar: it’s moving forward! This week, the walls will be finished and the roof structure will follow right after.”

We had a meeting with our Franco Chinese partner to check the progress of our project. Already 1 store is opened, 1 showroom and an office in Shanghai. The plan is to open 5 to 8 boutiques per year. We’ll see if it is possible.
In the meantime, we had a great lunch at “Atelier Robuchon”, just before it received it’s 2nd star from Michelin. I had the opportunity to run into Gérard Depardieu and talk to him.

Peter Sisseck:
Parker gave 99 points to Pingus 2005, 96 to Flor and 97 to Amelia. I think he should have gotten 100 points, but I am biased. In any case, I am proud of him. And when I see him remaining so humble and anxious about always doing better… while I boast with my 95 pts!
One more thing about Sisseck: a big article was just published in Weinwisser and he received 19/20 for Pingus 2005, 17/20 for Flor and 20/20 for Pingus 2004.

Quarin also made a classification for the top 100 Bordeaux.

TV7 produced a piece on Château La Dominique called “La Vie de Chateau”. It is broadcasted regularly (today at 4 :30 pm, tomorrow at 11 :30 am and 10 pm, Wednesday at 4 :15 PM…)

We drank with Anthony and Andreas Larsson, a bottle of Le Pin 1999, slightly corked , but still corked, that we had to dump in the sink… I understand when that happens to consumers with my wine!
Otherwise, the other bottles were good. We started with a Clos Badon 2000 and Magrez Fombrauge 2001, which I liked very much. Then an astonishing wine from Hungary Bock 2004 Villanyi, which showed that Andreas tasted and can still discover a few gems unknown to the consumers.
A bottle of La Conseillante 1962, still full of youth and would have surprised many with its great quality if it had been drunk blind. We finished with a beautiful and rare bottle of Lafite Rothschild 1928, reconditioned in 1990. Perfect.