Japan

I left for Japan earlier this week for Osaka then Tokyo, to promote the 2011 Bordeaux futures.

My wines and of course those of my colleagues who accepted to pour their Bordeaux for the customers of our importer. He is doing an outstanding job and we would certainly be very happy to have more of these kinds of importers-distributors promoting Bordeaux.

We will also go to Hong Kong with this distributor to meet his Chinese partner, and also attend an event organized by one of our loyal Hong Kong importers.

Promotion

Great meal organized by the Wine Syndicate of Pomerol with the Hospitaliers de Pomerol for the Spring Festival June 9th, 2012 at Chateau La Croix. In addition to a great crowd, there should be a show put together by Eric Le Collen, a fine dinner supervised by Michel Guerard and good wine with 2008, 2005, 2001 and 1998 Pomerol. The 2008 Clos du Beau Pere will be served.

Next week, it will be the Jurade de Saint Emilion’s turn with the privilege to serve Clos Badon Thunevin to all the guests.

In the last issue of Decanter on 2012 Bordeaux, wine, people and stories, James Lawther, MW, wrote an article on Saint Emilion and its terroir and a brief comment on our sector of Saint Etienne de Lisse and its wines: Faugères, Pressac, Fleur Cardinale, Valandraud.

In Gault et Millau’s special issue on Bordeaux 2011 futures, written by Pierre Guigui, he wrote the following comment on Valandraud 2011, rated 18.5, in other words the same note as the top 7 wines: “It touches the sublime. This vintage is a great achievement, even a masterly demonstration of their knowledge. It is dense and deep, fully balanced, with a crunchy and really fine structure”

Also well noted, Clos Badon Thunevin with 16 “Dense and delicious softness expressing luscious fruit with undertones of blueberries lifted by licorice and violet”, which allows him to play on par with many classified growths of St. Emilion

Futures 2011

Still 80/100 wines to be released and it’s over. Already? Isn’t it too early? Well? Hard to make a donkey drink if it’s not thirsty, and still, I really believe that 2011 is a good vintage and the price we have to accept cannot be the same as the worst vintage available in the market. But only the market can control this.

There will always be wines that should not be offered as futures, wines which should wait until they’re bottled and wines which we do not have enough bottles, for example Pontet Canet...

Decanter

Bordeaux 2011 are being featured in the June issue of Decanter with a special recommendation from James Lawther for Virginie de Valandraud and Château Sansonnet. Thanks .

Excerpts: Clos du Beau père 15.5, Domaine des Sabines 15, Haut Carles 16, Croix de Labrie 15.5, Clos Badon 15.5, Gracia 15, Virginie de Valandraud 16.5, Sansonnet 16.5, Fleur Cardinale 16.5 and Valandraud 17.5

Notes

Last week Wednesday, I had a nice lunch at La Cadène, with 5 people. We started with a white from Lebanon, and then had a bottle of Malescot Saint Exupéry 2005, decanted and very good. I decided to read the comments and notes received by this wine I rarely drink, and noticed that the notes vary widely

97 for the Wine Spectator as well as Parker, and expected to see similar notes given by their other colleagues…16.5 in the RVF, Vinum and even Bettane et Desseauve ? As for the 15.5 points! And Jean Marc Quarin’s 15.75, he compares it to a wine from the right Bank so I understand why Murielle and I liked it: our palates are calibrated to our wines – Doctor, is there an issue to like wines from the Right Bank and one from the Left Bank?

René Gabriel also released his notes:
Valandraud blanc 19/20, Valandraud rouge 18/20, Clos Badon 17/20, Bellevue de Tayac 16, Marojallia 17, and also
Franc Maillet Jean Baptiste : 17
L’Inclassable 17/20
Fourcas Hosten 15/20
Sansonnet 18/20
Croix de Labrie 18/20
Croix Figeac 17/20
Fleur Cardinale 16/20
Gracia 17/20
Domaine des Sabines 16/20
Lynsolence 16/20
Maro de Saint Amant 16/20
Villhardy 17/20
Clos du Beau Père 16/20

Bettane & Desseauve

More good news. I hope it lasts ! Bettane & Desseauve published their notes and comments:
15/16 for Croix Figeac, Franc Maillet, 3 de Valandraud etc.. 16 for Clos du Beau Père, Haut Carles, Sansonnet, Bad Boy, Sabines, Fourcas Hosten, Croix de Labrie, Tour Carnet, Le Gay and Manoir de Gay Le Prieuré, etc…
16/16.5 for Fombrauge, Marquis de Terme, Le Moulin, etc…
16.5/17 Virginie de Valandraud, Clos Badon, Fleur Cardinale, Gracia, Rol Valentin, Vray Croix de Gay, Fleur de Gay, Petit Gravet Ainé, Clos Saint Julien, Pressac, etc…

The notes of the best wines have just been published yesterday and Valandraud is among the top with 18-19 and the following comment: “Bright, creamy, with beautiful length and breadth, the gorgeous fruit extends its depth. One of the top wines vintage, with one of the finest tannins.”

In the Quebec newspaper, Le Journal du Devoir, in Jean Aubry wrote in his Wine of the week section called “L’émotion” a beautiful comment on Constance Thunevin Calvet 2008. Thank you to our Canadian cousins who love our wines!
Cuvée Constance again in the spotlight, winning a silver medal in the nice price category.

Futures campaign

The Futures campaign started early. Unfortunately we have no allocations of Château Lafite Rothschild; instead we offer Mont Perat, La Mauriane, which we have successfully been selling for several years now and have regularly been selling out at the property as well as at our place. This encourages us to buy futures even though there is little or no appreciation or speculation.

Since the beginning of this campaign the talks have been on how low the prices will go, 10% less 20, 30 and Lafite Rothschild which was released this year at 350 instead of 500 last year, partly confirms this drop. But for what percentage of the production and what will the price be for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tranche and other wines?

Also discussed is Chateau Latour’s decision to leave the futures market system. I would like to defend my colleagues negociants in Bordeaux who are not those speculating and driving up prices because like everyone else knows, it is the customer who drives up prices.
If the consumer does not buy, it's over, producers and middlemen are brought back to reason: Just look at today's prices which are cooling down except for wines with 100 points Parker or the Wine Spectator!

Notes

Decanter :
4 stars for Fleur Cardinale, Sansonnet, Virginie de Valandraud, Valandraud (17.5)
3 stars for Clos du Beau Père, which puts it is the top 20/25 in Pomerol, reaching our goal. We just need to aim for a better note. 3 stars as well for: Clos Badon Thunevin, Haut Carles, Domaine des Sabines (also in the top 20), Fourcas Hosten.
We’re just missing our whites and Bellevue de Tayac, we’ll see in the print copy?

Izak Litwar also published his notes on Bordeaux 2011 on April 13 as well as on Mark Squires BB:
Valandraud 95-96, Valandraud Blanc 92, Virginie de Valandraud 91, Virginie de Valandraud blanc 90, Clos Romanile 88, Bellevue de Tayac 90, Clos Badon Thunevin 90-91, Clos du Beau Père 92, Domaine des Sabines 89, Domaine Virginie Thunevin 87, etc… Fleur Cardinale 90-91, Sansonnet 87 ?, Haut Carles 90, Marquis de Terme 91

Hurrah to Jean Marc Quarin who propelled Rémi Dalmasso’s wine Clos Romanile into the stratosphere. I should point out that with 1500 bottles produced, few will be able to taste it and buy some!

The 2011 future have started!

Offer for our 2nd purchase: Chateau Fourcas Hosten 2011, Listrac, with a futures consumer price in France of 9.60 Euro ex-VAT!
This property is one of the rising stars of the Médoc, still sold at a reasonable price.
Who said that Bordeaux are expensive? The first wine offered for France is Chateau Croix Cardinal, Saint Emilion Grand Cru with a retail price of 16.80 euro ex-VAT. If you add VAT 19.60% plus shipping it still remains a good value

Thursday, April 5th and Wine Spectator's Notes

First, the good news: 92-95, the 2nd highest score of the vintage behind Cheval Blanc which has 93-96! In addition our wine was tasted blind outside our property.
Last Thursday, a lot of visitors came, nice attendance, especially at 12:30 pm. It is true that Serge and his aides can perform miracles!

Everything is fresh and good and bottles offered by exhibitors make this moment more convivial, although a few friends don’t grasp the spirit of the place where they have to get up, help themself and let everyone help themselves. As long as it can remain that way, it's good - knowing that if it’s free for all those present, the exhibitors do participate.

I spent all morning with a Dutch television and a Dutch colleague and winemaker who owns a vineyard in St. Romain La Virvée: La Tulipe de la Garde. The subject: Garage Wine and Saint Emilion Grand Cru, I had a good time and my charismatic colleague had a special mug and asked questions with a very "French" flair.

In the evening, I met with a few journalists but no dinner plans, so went to bed early. I woke up well rested and was told by Christophe that the best notes from the Wine Spectator were posted on their site... I think that James Molesworth saw the qualities of this vintage without taking in consideration prices and the economic environment (Vieux Certan, Cheval Blanc, Clinet for example). Valandraud has usually been well noted by most critics, which is often the case in complicated vintages.
James Suckling gave 93-94, Jean Marc Quarin 92/100, Desseauve included Valandraud among the great wines and particularly liked Clos Saint Julien, Haut-Carles, Pressac and Faugères (Hurrah for Terre de Lisse!)

Wednesday, April 4

We had fewer visitors in the morning, but it picked-up in the afternoon and the evening got a bit too busy to manage traffic with our visitor friends. We’re starting to feel tired from these 3 days, just a few days left and then, it will just be pre-arranged appointments.
More sommeliers, Swiss, Germans, Americans, bloggers, Vitisphère and an interview by Emily Porcher and her friend. Thierry Desseauve, who tasted a lot of wine and told me about new projects including possible new events in London, with the Grand Jury Europeen, Michel Rolland's book "the wine guru", fellow traders with their customers and some Bankers and lawyers!
In the evening, dinner with Russians with songs and drinks!
Buisson Charles 1er cru Goutte d'Or 2007 and Valandraud Blanc 2007: they guessed them. Following and more difficult to find, a vertical of 3-Marie Thunevin-Calvet 2008-2006-2005-2004; the Grenache is aging really well, the black peppery 2005 will be a reference. After, as I was stunned by the talent of the sommelier, Anton (best Russian sommelier), I served an impossible wine to guess, the world's rarest and highest rated by Parker for it had at least 370 points!
A blend of four vintages of Valandraud (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009). The 2009 was the winner and this table wine blended four hours before the meal tasted very good. They all found that it was a right bank from Saint Emilion!
At the end, paired with chocolate and desserts, our Maury 2004 and to finish our Fine Bordeaux.

Monday, April 2

James Suckling’s notes just came out. He gave nice ratings to my wines and those of my friends.
1st day before UGC, all of our colleagues exhibitors are ready and in good spirit except Jean Michel Deiss who has an issue with his digestive system, a problem I know, also being affected by gout!

Our wines are showing well and we had a lot of visitors, a few journalists including José Penin, always curious and happy, Georg Drescher, bloggers – Facebook family, including Hélène, Worldwine.com, anthocyanes.fr, restaurant friends, Belgian, French, even Bordeaux like our favorite Kinette Gauthier, buyers, more Japanese distributors, Taiwanese, Ukrainian, Americans and the staff of the largest French distributor, a retail chain and even wine stores from St. Emilion.
For lunch, we enjoyed a nice glass from a magnum of Croix de Labrie 2008 and a glass of Lynsolence from our friend Denis Barraud.

For dinner, after tasting a series of Meursault from Buisson Charles, which I enjoyed greatly, we had Valandraud Blanc 2010. Then, blind, we had fun: Smith Haut Lafitte 2009 and Valandraud 2009, 2 different styles, 2 babies full of promises, what a great vintage!
Following, I did again the trick with magnums served in 2 different carafes. This time: Valandraud 2003, everyone guessed both glasses , bravo, it will be tough to do this again soon… The 2003 was remarkable; magnum is really the best format for wine.
After, at the request of Didier, 3 wines, this time everyone had a hard time to guess, except for Gilles L’Interdit de Valandraud 2000 compared to a great bottle of 2000 Leoville Las Cases and the true “incredible” “Thunevin” value Compassant 2004! With dessert, blind, Yquem 2005, a special treat.
For the meal: Pata Negra, omelet with truffles (very good truffles), leg of lamb with flat string beans, brie with truffles, also delightful and to finish: strawberries and raspberries.
The night was short but enjoyable because of the nice notes given by James Suckling.

Journalists and critics

We already saw Anthony Gerbelle, who was the 1st to taste our wines as well as Robert Parker and currently James Molesworth.

Following, were Michael Schuster on Thursday, Izak Litwar and Niko Dukan on Friday. Saturday, the actual beginning of the futures tastings got on the way with existing customers, including some big and smaller ones as well as journalists such as Eric Riewer, Louis Havaux, Jean Marc Quarin, James Lawther and James Suckling, and colleagues and friends owners equally famous!

Saturday, we had a good time at home for lunch, proof that the vintage is not so bad, even good since that day a top journalist preferred 2011 to 2008 and 2001!

The meal was prepared by Serge and Murielle:
Fine PataNegra Bellota ham, olive oil from Andrea Franchetti
Scallops, Leeks and truffles
Roast beef and mashed potato
Basque cake from Mr. Lopez

The wines were all served blind, not to trick anyone (for the notes already given were quite similar among critics present but for their differences in style), the wines served were from allocations from my wholesale business:
Pape Clement White and Valandraud Blanc 2006: Two different worlds, Pape Clement modern, mine classic, goes to show!
Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse and Valandraud 2005: 2005 have still not improved at this stage. Beauséjour was shut tight and still needs another 10 years minimum?
Mouton Rothschild and 1998 Valandraud: the Valandraud bottle was quite pleasant to drink but a bit too mature. Old bottles of Valandraud have all been bought on the open market and some may have already travelled around the world which affects the wines. The bottle of Mouton was incredibly youthful but unfortunately was slightly corked.
Following, Cheval Blanc and Valandraud 1995: Valandraud was powerful and very young and Cheval Blanc delicate, two very good wines.
In the afternoon, it was the turn of Rene Gabriel and his friends (they must have already tasted 250 wines)
This evening will be water and soup for us for dinner!

Sunday it was the turn of one of our biggest customer and bloggers Miss Vicky, Marilyn as well as our Russian and Ukrainian guests in our houses and our exhibitor friends from Burgundy and Roussillon.

No April fool jokes this year?!

2011

We tasted a few bottles of 2011 brought to my office to get our opinion: I pity with all my heart the critics who have to taste everything!
Their lips, gums and teeth will suffer. Some of the wines will certainly be on the edge of being like a mouthwash, as some wines we just tasted are so acidic, as if they hadn’t yet gone through their malolactic fermentation. It's a shame because even in these wines, the fruit and ripening is present?
For others, it is a treat, the level of 2010, it will be hard to understand that we are in a special vintage, you should hear the first comments made where it is compared the 2008, 2001 , 2007, 2002, 2004, I would have added 2006 for the form...

In Haut Carles, we tasted three vintages from the 2 cuvees made by our friend’s property: Haut Carles and Chateau de Carles. The wines were good, of course, but the 2009 and 2010 have already been receiving high marks from a wide range of critics, journalists and fans.

But this 2011 Haut Carles is likely to be one of the few best cuvees Haut Carles has produced so far. Change in winemaking technique since 60% is now vinified in barrels. Winemaking technique called integral, which I am usually guarded regarding this method; I must say that the wine has improved in finesse, smoothness and harmony, without losing the “fresh” characteristic of the vintage. A revelation from this 2011 Fronsac.

2011 Bordeaux UGC tasting

I didn’t taste all the wines presented by this great organization, but at least 50 very good wines: Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte, Fieuzal, Balestard La Tonnelle, Canon La Gaffelière, Dassault (very good), Clos Fourtet, La Tour Figeac, Soutard, Troplong Mondot (very good), Villemaurine, Clinet (very good), La Conseillante, Lascombes (very good), Marquis de Terme, Gloria, Léoville Poyferré (very good), Lynch Bages, etc...

Many people attended, good atmosphere, pragmatic, rather positive opinions about the wines presented with, of course, a few remarks on wines too extracted, with too much oak, a little dry, but nothing major. Few comments were made about the price, 10%, 15% or 50% less? No one dare to forecast anything, but the general feeling is that Bordeaux has experienced many challenges, so there is no reason that the next release goes wrong. Everyone should not make a mistake, except those whose wine is an exception, etc...

Following the morning tasting, reserved for the heads of big wine merchants and brokerages firms, the afternoon was devoted to “small” companies, brokers, with their sales force, export managers, etc...

My employees also participated and will be able to get an idea on this 2011 vintage; this will allow everyone to have a vision of what our customers can expect on April 3/4/5 and as early as March 29 for journalists already here in Bordeaux.

For the lunch, pity they were not more ambitious, but I don’t know the price paid by the UGC, but as my friend Alain would say “Don't look a gifthorse in the mouth”. So at lunch, where we ate with colleagues, property managers or owners, our colleagues put on the table two great and super sexy wines, too much, too good, blah, blah... The members of the UGC gave us 2009 vintage! A delicious Petit Village 2009, damn it was good, only given 91 by Robert Parker, for the pleasure it gave us, it was worth 95 points (FYI, I have no inventory in my cellar nor in my company ), and after, it was, of course, the turn of some of my colleagues on the left bank, including a wine which was only half left bank since it belongs to the same owner as Clos Fourtet, and rarely tasted so well: Poujeaux 2009. Really, what vintage... noted 92 points, I more than agree with that!

Following, I brought for dessert, a remarkable Château de Fargues 2009 (95-97).
Long live the Sauternes when one flirts with the stars!

2011

Yesterday, Rémi Dalmasso, Jean Philippe Fort and I blended the various batches of 2011 to present to journalists and clients.

We have this year, unlike many colleagues, many fine and top quality wine in each property: probably the result of replanting our vineyards with a density of 8400 stocks per hectare, the detail work done on the soil and the yield per plant as well as our luck for making the right choices - harvesting later and taking more risk. We ended with a better vintage than in 2007 and even 2008. Of course, this is only my opinion, but I fully prepared to stand by my statement.

Still, the vintage is generally more heterogeneous and the market more challenging; even if by some miracle, the price became acceptable by our customers, “lesser” vintages are always difficult to sell as futures the 1st year. However, let’s not forget that 2008 was a good deal for our customers for it gained tremendous value later. Bordeaux is able to make the worst or the best, so I am reasonably optimistic about the way our wines will perform.

Later, I will have a better overall impression of the 2011 vintage in Bordeaux thanks to the first tasting organized by the UGC for Bordeaux trade and brokerage firms.

The 2011 futures have started!

After tasting Thursday for lunch at the Domaine de l'A a series of vintages spanning from 2000 to 2011 around a great meal, we started again at home for dinner. Murielle prepared a meal for our friends and journalists who came to discover our 2011 Saint Emilion. We started the evening between us in “small committee” and gaged our wines, we tasted the 2011 Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Croix Cardinale and Secret de Cardinale, Château Sansonnet 2011, Clos du Beau Père 2011, Domaine des Sabines 2011 and the wine from Domaine Virginie Thunevin 2011.

Although I am the anxious type, I believe that many customers will like all these wines and that they will be among the 30% successful cuvees of this heterogeneous vintage. With the journalists, we tasted the 2011 Château Valandraud, Virginie de Valandraud and Clos Badon: ratings and comments will be published in the April issue!

Following, with our meal, we had the first white asparagus of the season paired with our 2011 Valandraud Blanc, with a majority of Sauvignon this year. At the same time, we served Blanc de Valandraud No. 1 and No. 2 2009.

Paired with beef sirloin with shallots confit and flat beans, we served Château Fleur Cardinale 2009, an explosion of fruits and blind Château Valandraud 2005 which, for once, was opened, expressive, almost too good (but we are a bit coo-coo). Indeed, the 2005 vintage is kind of reserved right now (like the 2005 Domaine de l'A), in Pomerol, the château Trotanoy 2005 is actually totally closed when just opened, this aristocrat took time to open up in our glasses. I recommend opening it in at least 5 years to enjoy all the facets of one of our favorite wines with Petrus. We’re lucky to drink on a regular basis. We rarely drank so little, have we become reasonable?

We drank one of Joseph Roty Gevrey Chambertin paired with strawberries and raspberries with sugar. It did suffer from being served after 2 Bordeaux 2005. And tonight we’re at it again...

Talbot

The 1st presentation of the wines of Chateau Talbot 2011 to Bordeaux merchants and brokers took place on Tuesday, March 13. Another good wine from Talbot considering the challenges of this vintage, in other words between average and good. Note that I find 2007 good while 2004 average. Lots of investments have been done to give this property the necessary tools, without over-doing it.

The picture of the cellar, which I found quite beautiful, doesn’t substitute the physical sensation and smells of new barrels, a prefect aging cellar.

Following, we tasted the 2011 from Château Fleur Cardinale, another good vintage, Secrets de Cardinale, Fleur Cardinale and a new cuvee called Croix de Cardinale. The 3 will be, I hope, the successes of the vintage. Tasting opened for everyone on April 2nd: an opportunity to check my statements!

From April 2 to 5

During the important futures tasting event organized in Bordeaux by the UGC, many places offer alternative tastings called “off”, including ours, which will be held in our house in Saint Emilion, where Valandraud was created in1991.

This year, the event will take place from Monday 2 to Thursday, April 5 only, as nothing much happens on Friday because industry professionals often travel to other places, even if in 2012 Vinitaly will be held before, March 25 to 28.

So we'll have the pleasure to welcome you in early April for you to taste our last production

L'express, with Bettane & Desseauve

A Wine Special written by Bettane and Desseauve and a Special Edition were included in the 3140 issue (week of September 7 to 13) of the magazine L’Express.
A nice comment on Bad Boy 2010 with 16-17/20 “beautiful lean and fine tannins, good fruit expressing nicely some notes of cassis, plenty of aromatic charm and length. (15 euros in France)”

Another particularly flattering comment for Haut Carles 2010 (17/20) and for my friends’s wines in the right bank: Marjosse (16), Reynon (15), La Fleur de Bouärd (18), La Dauphine (16/17) , Manoir de Gay (16), Pressac (17), La Dominique (18).
Left bank, many more wines listed, in particular: Fourcas Hosten (16), Gloria (17/18), Lagrange (17/18), Lafon Rochet (17/18), Phélan Ségur (16/17), Tour Carnet (16/17), Carbonnieux (16/17), Fieuzal (18), etc....