For those who didn’t read the thread on the forum of La Passion du Vin, here is the comment I posted regarding second wines.
Virginie 1996, old style was the true 2nd wine of Valandraud and in my opinion should have already been drunk. Light, like any good 2nd wine. Since the 1997 vintage, it became a 2nd brand. The high price it reached in the marketplace pushed me to create a 3rd wine which actually became the 2nd wine of Valandraud (and Virginie). I only copied Latour with its Fort de Latour (which has no longer been the second wine for quite a long time, in my opinion) and its 3rd wine, the Pauillac de Latour.
I know that this concept is a bit complicated, but this is the way it is… I could still change my opinion in the future. This depends on the market, my clients and my objectives (financial, image, etc.). One needs to understand that, regardless what the owners say, a second wine is made with lesser lots, grapes from younger vines… The only difference with me is that I age them luxuriously in 80% - 100% new barrels.
Other than that, yesterday was my “médocaine” day.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Passion for wine
Regarding the long aging for Valandraud 2004 and in response to the statements of Vincent Lucien, Bertrand Le Guern, Pinard and Mauss:
In fact, refining without drying out is the difficulty. Of course, I could have thought about stopping the extractions process during the vinification, but it is too late… So it is a matter of looking for the polymerization of aggressive tannins by a smooth and patient aging process. Michel Rolland already recommended this long aging process for the 1994 vintage which worked well as Valandraud 1994 was quite a success in the context of this vintage.
2004 is of course a much better vintage, and to answer Vincent Lucien, I will only know if my choices were right when my customers will taste the first bottles.
In Mr Pinard’s words, who had the kindness of saying good things about l’Interdit de Valandraud 2000 and who had especially the good idea to carafe this wine in order to get its full potential…Well we come back to Jean Marc Quarin’s statement (which I take at face value): each bottle is different and everything is important, the moment, the place, the company, the glasses, the temperature, the ventilation and our frame of mind.
Of course, regarding the price of my wines, everyone knows even without being well informed, that they are in the luxury category, and this, for more than 15 years!
In fact, refining without drying out is the difficulty. Of course, I could have thought about stopping the extractions process during the vinification, but it is too late… So it is a matter of looking for the polymerization of aggressive tannins by a smooth and patient aging process. Michel Rolland already recommended this long aging process for the 1994 vintage which worked well as Valandraud 1994 was quite a success in the context of this vintage.
2004 is of course a much better vintage, and to answer Vincent Lucien, I will only know if my choices were right when my customers will taste the first bottles.
In Mr Pinard’s words, who had the kindness of saying good things about l’Interdit de Valandraud 2000 and who had especially the good idea to carafe this wine in order to get its full potential…Well we come back to Jean Marc Quarin’s statement (which I take at face value): each bottle is different and everything is important, the moment, the place, the company, the glasses, the temperature, the ventilation and our frame of mind.
Of course, regarding the price of my wines, everyone knows even without being well informed, that they are in the luxury category, and this, for more than 15 years!
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