Thursday, August 16, 2012

The cellars (a hot topic for the press)

For some time, several Chateaux in Saint-Emilion have done a tremendous amount of construction and are now catching up on the Médoc, Rioja, Napa Valley.

Some of the cellars are already done and active, among them the most ambitious: Cheval Blanc, designed by Mr Portzamparc as well as a series of great achievements including the beautiful, and original, Chateau Faugères, signed by Botta. The most visited cellar today is, I think, Soutard, where agro tourism has been at the heart of the process, and Villemaurine with its active underground caves?

Fonplégade is equally successful, as well as the harmonious Troplong Mondot, Fleur Cardinale very discreet, Sansonnet with a perfect cellar, Barde Haut contemporary and original, and there are more just as successful.

Some are still under construction: Angelus as well as Pavie both rebuilding their cellars. I wonder when I drink their wine, what they will improve considering the “top” level they already have. La Dominique, with the talent of Nouvel, and probably other projects that are added to what was or is already taking place in Pomerol (Pétrus, Le Pin, La Conseillante, Petit Village, Le Gay, etc...), even in the greatly forgotten area of Fronsac, with La Dauphine, La Riviere, Carles...

If you do not like wine, you will still be able to appreciate these works of art and the owners’ different philosophies regarding their own wines, technology and the image they want to communicate.

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