Chelsea Vintners Edition 4 - Behind Bordeaux

ISSUE 4

BEHIND BORDEAUX The new energy in this Old World region

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CONTENTS

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BEHIND BORDEAUX

JOSÉPHINE DUFFAULAGARROSSE

A WINE LOVER’S WEEKEND IN HONG KONG

Giles Cooper and Oli Bartle discuss the many reasons why for them Bordeaux will always be one of the world’s greatest wine regions

Jess Lamb meets one of St-Émilion’s most exciting young winemakers

We experience the wonders of Hong Kong through the eyes of former resident James Mead

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BORDEAUX AROUND THE WORLD

NEAL MARTIN

DISCOVERING COGNAC

The CV sales team reflect upon their favourite Bordeaux-inspired wines from across the globe

Giles Cooper catches up with his old friend and one of the wine world’s most authoritative voices

Cecily Chappel shares her love of the spirit that inspires drinkers and rappers alike

EDITORIAL: All content written and edited by Jess Lamb and Chelsea Vintners DESIGN: Pixie Agency Ltd PHOTOGRAPHY: All photography © Chelsea Vintners unless otherwise specified. © Ian Shaw / Alamy Stock Photo, 12; © JoeyCheung / istock.com, 34; © Gavin Hellier / Alamy Stock Photo, 37; © John Warburton-Lee Photography / Alamy Stock Photo, 39; © South China Morning Post / Alamy Stock Photo, 40; © Aleksandar Tomic / Alamy Stock Photo, 45; © The Last Drop Distillers, 64; © LVMH, 67; © LVMH, 69. A huge thank you to Sophie Peake for joining the CV team on their Bordeaux trip and providing some fantastic photography COPYRIGHT: All remaining content © Chelsea Vintners. All efforts have been made to ensure facts are correct at time of press. E&OE

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WELCOME

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n this issue of The Vintner we pay tribute to a classic region, home to the wines that drove the passion and started the careers of many of our team, and, for you our readers, were often the bottles that were the genesis of your collection … Bordeaux.

As you may know, Chelsea Vintners has a young team and some of our recruits have jumped straight onto the Burgundy train without stopping off at Bordeaux.

They and many others have felt Bordeaux has been slow to modernise and doesn’t offer the same level of interest and excitement as some of its neighbours and other regions around the world. However, for the most part, the days of Bordeaux winemakers chasing over-extraction and power are gone. Instead, you will find passionate vignerons seeking out subtlety and offering elegant translations of their great land.

Our Buying Director and Bordeaux fanatic in residence Giles Cooper wanted to shine a light on the exciting developments within the region and highlight the many reasons why the wine world should not be turning their backs on Bordeaux. The first step was a fantastic trip for our sales team which took place in June of this year and left even our most passionate Pinot Noir disciples with a new love for Cabernet Sauvignon … and now Giles and the team share that same passion with you between these pages.

In this edition’s interviews, we sit down with one of the shining lights of St-Émilion, Joséphine DuffauLagarrosse; determined, driven and downright brilliant, we learn more about her family estate and the excellent work she is doing on her land and in the winery. Meanwhile, Giles catches up with his old friend, world-famous Bordeaux critic Neal Martin, to find out more about Neal’s latest book and what Bordeaux means to him. Elsewhere, our Sales Director James Mead takes us on a wine lover’s tour of Hong Kong, a country that is very special to me having lived there for many years.

Hong Kong has re-emerged from the pandemic fighting to retain its top spot in the wine world and James gives us an evocative and thoroughly enjoyable insight into this amazing place. On the spirits side, I have spent some time reflecting on the history of Cognac; a passion of mine and a drink that is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to the adoration of many of the world’s greatest hiphop artists past and present.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome three new additions to the CV family: Richard Moorhouse, Damian Tillson and Felicity Glass. Richard has completed our leadership team as Finance Director and Damian takes the reins as our new Business Development Specialist, whilst Felicity joins us in sales support. Find out more about our new recruits in the New Starters section of this issue.

Finally, please join me in congratulating our Head of Marketing, Jess Lamb, on her recent admission to the Masters of Wine study programme. This is the wine world’s most challenging and rigorous qualification, and we are incredibly proud to have an MW student in our ranks. We wish Jess the best of luck and give her our full support in the coming years.

I very much hope that you enjoy this edition of The Vintner - and if you needed any convincing about the many delights of Bordeaux and its wines, I do hope we’ve succeeded!

CECILY CHAPPEL CEO

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T H E C V F A M I LY

NEW STARTERS

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s Chelsea Vintners continues to grow, we are very pleased to welcome three more new recruits to our ranks in line with our ambitious plans for the future. We know that each and every one of these hires brings something new and special to the CV team, and we are delighted to be entering the last months of 2023 with the largest team we have ever had – which is just as well, as we have just relocated CV HQ to a fantastic new office in the heart of London’s Victoria. The momentum and dynamism within our business is tremendous, and we are looking forward to a very bright future indeed and to welcoming you all to our new home.

We have further strengthened our leadership team with the addition of Richard Moorhouse, who joins us as the business’s first Finance Director. Richard brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, and, more recently, a number of roles within the wine and spirits industry.

Not only is Richard a maths whiz, but a wine lover too, with a deep understanding of the workings of a wine merchant from both sides. A rare talent in our industry!

On the sales side, we welcome Damian Tillson into the newly-created role of Business Development Specialist. Damian spent over two decades with Sotheby’s in London, honing his deep knowledge of the world of fine and rare wine. His experience includes the authentication and curation of some of the greatest cellars on earth, and his passion and expertise in this area is a fantastic addition to the Chelsea Vintners skill set.

Finally, we have Felicity Glass, another new face in the sales team who joins us in the role of Fine Wine Sales Support. Felicity has recently relocated back to the UK after several years spent in Dubai, bringing with her a suitably sunny disposition and a love of all things sparkling – it’s just as well, with a name like Fizz Glass!

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RICHARD MOORHOUSE

What is your most memorable wine experience?

Wine combines many factors; climate, culture, geography, geology, history (and more besides!). For me, the most memorable experiences happen when you explore those elements in person.

Travelling through the Loire many years ago we stopped in Chinon, tasting many superb wines - but the highlight was picnicking on a beautiful (if chilly) day, at the foot of a vineyard studded with Cabernet Franc vines, with a view of the Forteresse Royale de Chinon to complement the food and wine.

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

Great wine should be enjoyed in great company - so I’d simply invite my closest friends (also wine nerds) as special guests and we’d start with a Lucien Le Moine Bâtard-Montrachet 2015 alongside smoked eel. Next up, a Corison Kronos Cabernet 2010 to perfectly match a classic Beef Wellington, and finally a Royal Tokaji 6 Puttonyos 2000 to go with cheese.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

Being a Cabernet Franc / Bordeaux fan, I will gladly take a Lafleur ‘82 and Figeac ‘05 to taste two incredible, historic vintages side by side at two very different stages of development.

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FELICITY GLASS 8

What is your most memorable wine experience?

When I was far too young to be enjoying wine, I was lucky enough to have a few sips of a bottle of Mouton ‘45 with my father and godfather whilst taking in the beautiful Cornish scenery. I only wish my childhood memory could provide me with better tasting notes, but I do recall it was an exciting, “light bulb” moment for my little brain and the start of a lifelong love of wine.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

I am yet to meet a champagne I do not like. It’s simply the most luxurious and fun drink on earth. If I had to choose one, I would opt for Robert Barbichon’s Réserve 4 Cépages. Barbichon is a biodynamic grower-producer from the Aube region of Champagne. Though perhaps not especially well known, I have fond memories of visiting Robert Barbichon’s premises several times from a young age. This champagne makes a great aperitif and is a lovely expression of the limestone soils of the Côte des Bar with a subtle chalkiness.

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

I am passionate about horses, film and also enjoy a good laugh. As such, I would invite event rider Pippa Funnell, director Peter Jackson and comedian Suzy Eddie Izzard.

We would start with a hedonistic combination of La Tour Blanches 2003 Sauternes with foie gras, flambéed pears and toasted hazelnuts. This decadent amuse bouche sounds almost like a dessert, but I have yet to meet anyone who did not love it.

For the main event, I would pair turbot in a caper butter sauce with a fresh and fruity Moreau-Naudet 1er Cru Montmains Chablis.

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I was unfortunate enough to be born in a vintage that produced very little of note from the classic regions of Europe.

California, however, was a winner. Many years ago a good client of mine gave me the very last bottle of 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet from her late husband’s cellar (possibly the greatest cellar I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, selling and tasting from) - an extremely generous and thoughtful gift that I will never forget. I kept the bottle for years, concerned that it was on its downward slope but unsure when would be the most appropriate time to open it. A few years ago, she invited me to a dinner, presenting me with the perfect opportunity to pull the cork. The moment was not lost on her and the bottle was spectacular. It was so youthful, vibrant, multi-dimensional, with a humming energy coursing through it.

Powerfully restrained with a toned-down yet noticeable minty ripeness which set it apart from similarly aged Bordeaux. A beautiful wine and moment that will live with me forever.

If you could choose any wine from the CV Top 100, what would it be and why?

1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional. I managed to catch the end of a bottle at a pretty raucous wine dinner many years ago but our paths have sadly not

crossed since. It was so concentrated yet effortlessly elegant and has many, many years ahead of it.

You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone, dead or alive. Who do you invite and what would be your signature food and wine pairing?

I’m pretty relaxed about food and wine matching - I’m of the opinion that good food, good wine and good company is all good! I’d keep it simple with a slow cooked shoulder of lamb, a load of seasonal greens and roast potatoes. We’d drink 2002 Bolly whilst it’s cooking and wash it down with a couple of magnums of 1978 Monfortino from Conterno - finished off with Tarte tatin and a few bottles of Vin de Constance from Klein Constantia (any vintage will do) plus a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The guests … George Michael. I never liked him when I was a teenager but grew to love him when he started being naughty. Chris Morris, creator of Brass Eye (if ever we needed him, now is the time.) The Dalai Lama (I’ve got plenty of questions and it would mean more wine for the rest of us!) And my mum; she would have loved to have met George!

DAMIAN TILLSON

What is your most memorable wine experience?

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Night skies above Château Pédesclaux

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BEHIND BORDEAUX IN CONVERSATION WITH GILES COOPER AND OLI BARTLE Chelsea Vintners’ Buying Director Giles Cooper and Head of Trading Oli Bartle have spent a lot of time in 2023 thinking about Bordeaux.

From an invigorating en primeur tour (if you don’t include the wet sandwich lunch in a supermarket car park) to an inspiring team trip over the summer, their noses have been to the ground all year seeking out the best that this classic region has to offer. For this issue of The Vintner, Giles and Oli sat down to discuss the many changes that Bordeaux has experienced in recent years and why for them this will always be one of the world’s greatest wine regions.

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GC When I first started getting interested in wine, Bordeaux was held up as the wine region that all others should aspire to. Coincidentally, it was also my first wine tourism experience, and visiting all those famous châteaux I’d only ever seen on wine labels was quite amazing!

I had my little Hugh Johnson pocket wine book and happily wandered around the estates and wine shops with this in hand. As a result, Bordeaux has been front and centre in my wine brain from almost the very start.

During my time at Bordeaux Index (which was of course a great education on the subject!) I sometimes worried that I was falling out of love with the region, simply because I drank so much of it, and we had such great access to such incredible bottles that it was easy to become oversaturated. However, every time I thought I was really bored, I would have a particularly good bottle and it would be so expressive, balanced, digestible, everything that a great Bordeaux wine should be. The more that I’ve considered it over the years, the more I realise that for me it is also about the sharing of knowledge and experience, alongside the wine.

There is so much wine made in Bordeaux that many people have the opportunity to enjoy it, which naturally results in more of a shared community experience than regions with significantly lower production such as Burgundy. When you also consider that the wines are five or six thousand pounds a case versus the same price per bottle in Burgundy, I think you find that people with great collections will typically drink them more frequently because they can top their cellars up much more easily – so Bordeaux

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drinkers are usually far more open to sharing and opening bottles!

OB For me, Bordeaux wasn’t the first region I ever visited, but it was the first proper wine trip of my career. This was back in 2016, when I went across for the 2015 en primeur campaign. It was incredibly enticing, and I’ve never forgotten that first time! The châteaux open their doors up and welcome you in with open arms, and I’m glad to report that Giles and I had that same experience when we went back for the 2022 EP earlier this year. I think part of the appeal for me is also that from where we are in London, it’s so accessible - just a short flight and a quick drive away - and it’s brilliant to have such a world-famous region almost on your doorstep, so to speak.

Right now, the region is moving in a very exciting new direction. There is an incredible energy from a new generation of young gun winemakers coming in and running estates after gaining masses of international experience. It’s a very different place than it was even five years ago, and we are seeing the likes of Troplong Mondot and Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) all listening and learning and making their wines more expressive and interesting. The team trip we took in June of this year felt particularly refreshing and honest for this reason.

Price-wise, when you compare Bordeaux to top Napa or Burgundy it’s always very good value. There are a few anomalies like Le Pin, Pétrus and Lafleur, where higher prices are chiefly due to smaller production volumes, but when you look at places like Léoville Barton or Lynch-Bages you really are getting

THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE ENERGY FROM A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG GUN WINEMAKERS COMING IN AND RUNNING ESTATES AFTER GAINING MASSES OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

so much quality winemaking for great value, and we are seeing more and more excitement and innovation from the region with every en primeur that passes.

GC I agree – and en primeur is such a good way to appreciate these changes. It’s a remarkable process, really, that time where the eyes of the wine world are all firmly fixed on just one region for a few weeks each year.

Any other wine region in the world would kill for a moment where hundreds of merchants and critics come and give them a platform and then report back to the entire world. However, for the wine trade it’s also a perfect opportunity for us to see what’s changed and to understand fully shifts in culture and mentality. This has never been more clear to me than when we first started returning to Bordeaux in person after the two Covid-19 releases (2019 and 2020) … so much had changed in that time. All of a sudden, people were casually mentioning things like organic and biodynamic principles, all kinds of new approaches, when five years ago they were all pointing at the likes of Château Palmer and laughing and saying you can’t be biodynamic in the Médoc!

There had been some seismic changes in those years, and nothing is quite as good for your own understanding as being there.

OB Exactly. I think to really appreciate the depth of this change it’s important to remember that the original purpose of en primeur was to create cash flow for châteaux – buyers simply got a good deal. I think sometimes those origins are forgotten as EP is a completely different game now, and almost all estates that sell their wine en primeur don’t actually need the quick cash. What it gives producers now is exposure and a platform to talk about their wines. As Giles said, it’s an incredibly focused period when everyone talks about Bordeaux, and without EP that conversation just isn’t the same.

I also think in terms of the styles of wines we are seeing now at en primeur, there really has been an incredible shift over the last five or ten years … but Giles, you probably have a wider perspective on that than me. I wonder whether you think that Robert Parker’s retirement has played a part?

GC That’s a great question. Until this year I never heard anyone in Bordeaux admit that the way they made wine was influenced by one critic’s palate, but now … producers may not have admitted it on behalf of

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themselves but there was certainly a level of general acknowledgment that at a point in time there was a culture of chasing Parker points. Everyone knew it, but admitting it is a different thing and I think it shows how far the region has come.

That being said, Robert Parker removing himself from the critical network was definitely one trigger, but there are plenty of other factors, particularly the changing climate, that have affected the way things are being done and the resulting style of wine.

It’s not just about what happens in the cellar but also the fundamental ability to grow grapes successfully in a changing climate.

It’s important to remember that this change is not just about temperatures but also extreme weather events - storms are now able to move further across the Atlantic and bring more strong winds, hailstorms and complex weather patterns to Bordeaux. This means that winemakers are having to think so much more about smart vineyard management and how they give their vines the best chance of withstanding the weather. Bordeaux is still a marginal climate, but perhaps for different reasons than it was in the 1960s and 1970s when it was simply a case of it being cold.

OB You can absolutely see the impact of the change in climate every time you go back.

When we visited the region with the CV team in early June, there were lots of comments about how unseasonably warm it was for that time of year. I remember Jean-Phillipe Delmas at Haut-Brion telling me about the blazing hot 2003 vintage and having to call his father Jean-Bernard back from holiday in August to start picking. Jean-Bernard thought they were joking! At the time, that felt like a

real anomaly but now twenty years later I think we will see picking in August become the norm more often than not. There will always be producers who don’t want to change their mentality and narrative because they’ve done it that way for so long, but there are also a huge number of innovators, and I think we will see in a few years’ time who will come out best. The number of interesting things that young winemakers are experimenting with is great. In June I particularly noticed how much more Cabernet Franc had become part of the conversation, especially on the Right Bank.

GC The savvy winemakers are paying close attention to the vineyard and the varietals that they are planting – and on that topic, another thing I think is curious is Malbec. It was one of the original Bordeaux grapes, but those at the top of the wine trade can be a bit sniffy about it and it’s been out of fashion for a long time. However, when you look at the top end of what Malbec can achieve, particularly with high altitude and the right soils, it can make breathtaking wine. There are multiple Bordelaise families who have interests in South America where most of the world’s top Malbec is made, but we have seen an increase in plantings in France and I wonder whether people will want more of it.

There is a lot of anxiety about the impact of climate on late ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and early ripening Merlot - could hardy Malbec plug that gap? It’s more resilient and has the potential to fill in some blanks, so I’ll be interested to see if it’s a fad or if it plays a bigger part in the wines going forward.

Climate change aside I think that Bordeaux generally has such a fantastic spirit of enterprise and innovation now and has really

started to transcend its traditional reputation and offer something new.

OB Absolutely, and for me St-Émilion is the best example of this. When I first started in the wine trade, it was by far the least interesting appellation of Bordeaux and now it’s got a whole new energy that I think makes it completely unrecognisable. This is of course great for wine lovers as well, and it’s a very interesting time to be building a collection, of both modern and back vintages.

From a collector’s point of view if you’re going to do modern Bordeaux properly it’s about establishing relationships with people who understand what you’re looking for. From a Chelsea Vintners perspective, we make it our priority to give balanced, impartial advice, not just in terms of wine character but also prices. Giles and I both came back from en primeur this year loving the 2022 vintage but even so, there are always those wines which aren’t worth the money. We aren’t afraid to say to clients that we think that they’ll love a wine, but EP is not the time to buy it.

GC We certainly have the ability to take our time and think carefully about our approach. As a broker we can talk honestly and independently on pricing. If a wine is good and people want to buy it, we can be open about the fact that en primeur is not always the best time to do this.

OB If I were a collector at this point, I wouldn’t rush. There is so much Bordeaux around that you don’t have to scrabble for tiny allocations like you do with Burgundy.

Understanding the style you like best is important; we can all go online and search by top scores, but to get the best for your own personal collection when there is so much wine on offer you have to be very clear on your own personal preferences.

With Bordeaux you can afford to take time and ask the right questions.

Investment-wise, Bordeaux is absolutely worth the effort, but you need great advice when it comes to price. Investment involves a very different mindset than that of someone who wants a drinking collection.

Returns are not necessarily vintage driven – for example, the 2013 vintage was one of the most difficult in recent years but many people have made good money on it. It’s not just about seeking out the best of the best, but about being clever and buying at the right price at the right time.

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Giles and Oli hard at work in the Château Figeac tasting room

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GC That’s 100% right. Quality relative to price is really the question. Take 2017 for example, which has seemed to be a vintage in limbo. The wines were not hugely well received by merchants across the board because that year followed two glorious vintages in 2015 and 2016 which were both real standouts; so, when 2017 came out the prices didn’t look super smart, and it struggled due to a lot of consumer chat around the early frosts in that year. Many people see spring frost as something catastrophic which fundamentally affects quality - which it doesn’t at all. Neal Martin’s article on the vintage was called ‘The ‘F’ Word’ for that very reason! However, we’ve since tasted a lot of ‘17, particularly on our recent team trip, and found it to be a very classic, digestible vintage. It doesn’t have oodles of stuffing so potentially it won’t have super old bones but it’s beautifully balanced and very drinkable.

OB 2017 also struggled during en primeur and didn’t show particularly well. I have always thought that it was a very decent vintage but has taken some time to grow into itself. On the whole, it was very expensive on release, a bit like 2014. Now, however, ‘14s are looking like really good value and are showing that these things do come around, which brings me back to my point about investment. I wouldn’t have recommended that anyone buy 2017s for investment en primeur but now I’d recommend them entirely. The prices are still very close to the original release numbers whilst the wine is only going one way and really coming into its drinking window. Now, I would absolutely put money into ‘17. We saw the same thing with ‘14s and many investors have done well on those.

GC Absolutely, and let’s not forget that this principle of vintages growing into themselves also requires a few corks to be pulled! There are two major industry tastings that follow the progress of Bordeaux vintages and draw a lot of critical attention. One is the Southwold Group tasting run by Farr Vintners with the likes of Neal Martin, Jancis Robinson and Lisa Perotti-Brown, and then both Bordeaux Index and Farr do major ‘ten years on’ events.

There used to be a perception that you couldn’t really tell what was going on with a vintage until the wine was at least a decade old because they were tough and would only start to open up at ten, so many people don’t open bottles too much until that point. As a result, prices will often appreciate to a certain point then plateau until the ten-year tasting

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comes around. I’m particularly excited about this happening with the 2016s as I think at that point this vintage will be seen as the real deal, one of the truly great modern vintages.

As soon as this happens, people are on the phone the next day wanting more and more even if they have a cellar full already and the vintage will start to disappear from the market.

I think 2016 is a very smart buy right now.

has completely changed that mentality.

She is a fantastic bona fide winemaker and the wine is absolutely pure Lafite again, so transparent and elegant, noble but not stuffy or dated. It’s so balanced and bright with a gorgeous fresh touch. A place of that scale approaching its art with an open mind and asking how they can be better is great and really sums up the ‘new’ Bordeaux.

However, vintages aside – Oli, are there any producers that you have your keen eye on at the moment?

OB There are also plenty of ones to watch.

I’d name Château Berliquet, which is next door to Canon (they are both owned by the Chanel group) who are doing everything right and seeing their prices are on the up as a result. Next, Beau-Séjour Bécot, which has had a lot of investment and I’m really starting to enjoy those wines. It’s interesting that I’m going all St-Émilion, isn’t it! That just goes to show the depths of the shift in the appellation and the brilliantly modern way they are doing things that keeps them at the front of your mind. These producers have always had amazing land underneath them, and just needed the mentality and willingness to use it in what we think of in the modern wine industry as the ‘right’ way.

OB One of my favourite properties currently is Les Carmes Haut Brion. They are disrupting the industry in a positive way and completely changing the game. Their technical director Guillaume Pouthier is creating something mind-blowing and making so much noise for such a small property.

It’s incredibly authentic, too - when the CV team visited in June 2023 it felt like a little piece of paradise, they were so open and welcoming and really wanting to throw the gates open for business. Otherwise, I’ve only visited Troplong Mondot once, but they have also had a huge shift in mentality and style.

They used to be known for massive, high alcohol, high tannin wines, but from 2016 onwards they have shown such a transformation. I don’t think you’d be able to taste a Troplong wine from twenty years ago alongside a modern vintage and confidently say they were from the same producer. In my opinion they’ve never looked better.

GC I’d also add Château Canon to that list. They are similar to Les Carmes in terms of the message that they have nothing to hide, which is such a lovely shift in mentality and something we’re seeing all over the region. Of course, Canon has had some huge investment, but I also think that everything their winemaker Nicolas Audebert touches turns to gold. Elsewhere, I have to mention Rauzan-Ségla; for me this is increasingly the second-best wine in Margaux and is pushing Château Palmer super hard for that spot. Palmer is a unique style and if it’s for you, you love it, but for disciples of classic Bordeaux, Rauzan is just about as classic a Margaux as they come.

Finally, it might sound ridiculous, but I think Lafite is doing great things at the moment.

You would assume that this is the kind of place that is all about that image of the ultimate serious, traditional ‘old school’ Bordeaux style, but Saskia de Rothschild

GC One of my top up-and-comers would also be Château Pédesclaux, which is making lovely quintessential Pauillac. With so many of these wines, as Oli mentioned, we almost need to step away from the concept of comparisons and back vintage pricing. Sometimes you must concede that those old wines and prices just aren’t relevant now because the wine is so totally different. Winemakers, owners and ethos have changed so much for so many properties that there’s no point in comparing. Pédesclaux is a prime example of this. It’s amazing to see the château itself with its huge glass wings and the amazing tank elevators, but they spend just as much on the vineyard as they do on the winery. They aren’t just throwing money at the glamorous parts, and I think they have massive potential.

OB With Pédesclaux you’re exactly right, and at this moment to have such a good Pauillac for under £50 a bottle is unusual for what is on average one of the most expensive appellations. Pédesclaux will be a more expensive wine in years to come, no doubt, but right now I think that balance between cost, value and quality is unrivalled in Pauillac.

I can’t wait to see how it goes for them.

GC Any last words?

OB Fancy going for lunch?

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The state-of-the-art winery at Château Pédesclaux

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OLI’S TOP BOTTLES

CHÂTEAU PONTET-CANET 2009

CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION 2003

CHÂTEAU COS D’ESTOURNEL 1928

This was the first 100-point wine I tasted after I moved to London in 2012. I remember being blown away and thinking it tasted like incredible adult Ribena! This of course is a wine created in a legendary vintage by a fantastic producer, but is also a bottle that started getting me really excited about Bordeaux and gave me one of the benchmarks that I still use for the region today.

I was very kindly invited to the château for dinner during en primeur in 2017, and to be sat drinking this legend within the château itself was one of the most remarkable wine experiences of my career. As well as a tasting of the mind-blowing 2016s, we were treated to a delicious meal with JeanPhilippe Delmas who recounted some wonderful stories, including how the team approached the challenging heat of the 2003 vintage – and to everyone’s delight that same wine flowed all evening. This isn’t just one of my top Bordeaux wines, but one of my ultimate bottles of all time.

I was co-hosting what started out as a very calm tasting event. However, when I announced that I had just opened this bottle, I remember it seemed like every person in the room ran towards me for a sample – which just goes to show the power of great Bordeaux! Very mature wines from any region can always be a gamble, but I’m pleased to report that it was a pretty good bottle too. Just as you’d hope from one of history’s greatest vintages.

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GILES’ TOP BOTTLES

CHÂTEAU PALMER 1928

CHÂTEAU CHEVAL BLANC 1959

CHÂTEAU FIGEAC 2016

My first moment of post-Covid lockdown levity in summer 2020 took the form of an invite to the famous ‘grouse club’ lunch at the home of a great friend and collector, Andrew Brudenell-Bruce. Four 1928s were served alongside the grouse, shot and cooked by The Ledbury’s Brett Graham, and the Palmer was the pick of the bunch.

So youthful still, it evinced the importance of great provenance and storage as much as the vintage itself.

It takes a long vertical tasting to find out where the sweet spot of maturity really lies, and for me there was one particularly memorable Cheval vertical from 1928 to 1990 that really hit the spot. The ‘61 was fabulous but the ’59 was total and complete perfection. It was also amazing to observe the special Cheval Blanc ‘thread’ that is present in even the most recent vintages.

This really is a very special place.

The coming of age of a legend. The last of the cooler, high class vintages made in the first of the ‘new wave’ style, the 2016 vintage had both the quality and the sense of vineyard transparency and expression (a sense of ‘place’, if you like) which shows exactly why Figeac is so unique and so special. The terroir for each varietal just sings. It was after this that I was absolutely convinced the estate would achieve Grand Cru Classe ‘A’ status at the next re-classification, which it duly did. Bingo.

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The winery at Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most famous in all of Bordeaux

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

JOSÉPHINE DUFFAULAGARROSSE

BY JESS LAMB

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arlier in 2023, the Chelsea Vintners team had the great privilege to join Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse for dinner on the eve of her thirty-third birthday. Over the course of a suitably convivial evening, we drank in both the stunning surroundings of the château and vineyard and some magnificent back vintages of Joséphine’s family wines, selected from the incredible network of limestone cellars which sit directly below the house. Joséphine has held the reins at her family’s estate, Château Beauséjour (formerly Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse) for less than three years, but her passion and energy is already bringing a new dynamism to an estate that is fast becoming one of the St-Émilion plateau’s most talked-about terroirs; we believe that Beauséjour will surely be one of the stalwarts of any great collection in years to come.

Our Head of Marketing Jess Lamb caught up with Joséphine to talk about her amazing journey from veterinary student to vigneron.

The last few years have been a rollercoaster for you and your family estate. Can you tell us more about how you came to take charge at Château Beauséjour?

Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) has been in my family since 1847 and I represent the ninth generation to make wine here, so it has been a huge part of our heritage for a very long time.

However, in 2020, some of my family decided that they wanted to sell the estate. We had around thirty family shareholders, but apart from my father Vincent, who was the estate manager, they were

mainly working outside the wine business and living across various parts of the world. This was a very sad time for me and the other members of my family who wanted to keep Beauséjour - we really love this place, not just for the wines but because it has always been a family home where we had holidays as children and created lots of memories with our grandparents.

I was working for the Bernard Magrez group as an estate manager at the time but decided to try and find someone to help us keep control. This was very hard in the beginning as I didn’t know anyone who could step in or how to approach people.

However, I found a great opportunity in 2021 when I met Prisca Courtin-Clarins, who had recently become CEO of the Clarins Investments branch of her family business. Even though we are from completely different worlds we had this great feeling of two young businesswomen who shared the same energy and dynamic and had a lot in common in being from the same generation - she was 34 and I was 30 at the time. She understood how important it was to me to keep Beauséjour, and I think she was touched by the family story.

Prisca came to visit us in Bordeaux and, of course, she fell in love with the vineyard and our amazing underground cellar. It was a perfect match. She called me back twenty-four hours later after talking to her family and confirmed that we could make a joint bid for the estate. This was great news but not an easy time as there was also interest from the Cuvelier family at Clos Fourtet and the family Boüard from Angélus, both of whom very much wanted the site. It was a fight, but in the end, we succeeded! It was an amazing feeling and Prisca’s family were all very excited and proud as it was the first time they had invested in wine.

What is the working relationship between you and Prisca like now?

Prisca and I are a great match. She brings a huge amount of business savvy and I have all the winemaking knowhow, so the balance is perfect and I love working with her.

We speak almost every day via WhatsApp and I am always sending her updates on the vineyard – we have just planted a new parcel of Cabernet Franc and she had pictures of that every single day! It is very important for me to let her know what is happening in the vineyard as all the estate management and winemaking is completely new to her. She visits every two or three weeks and we have an official meeting once a month to talk about the commercial and technical elements of what we are doing. It’s great because I am comfortable and completely free to make my own decisions in the vineyard, I just have to let Prisca know what I am doing and why. She is very keen to learn and understand and so I always explain in detail the reasons why I am making my decisions, which helps my thought process too.

Tokaji, the Beauséjour winery dog

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I am very comfortable with the winemaking, of course, but the business and commercial aspects are completely new to me since we took over in the last two years and Prisca is an amazing help.

It’s wonderful that she wants to be so involved in every part of the process. Earlier this year when we were releasing our 2022 vintage en primeur, we were calling each other every ten minutes before I sent the release email to the négociants! I was really stressed, but

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Views across the vineyard at Château Beauséjour

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she simply said, I know you and I trust your decisions. There is a lot of pressure but it is great to learn from each other, we trust each other completely and have the shared goal of putting Beauséjour at the very top.

I think I’m very lucky. The Courtin family are great, and all check in with me regularly - particularly Prisca’s father and uncle, who always want to know what’s happening in the vineyard. They are lovely and always make sure I’m okay and supported … it’s a new family for Beauséjour.

Did you always want to be a winemaker?

In the beginning, no. I grew up with my parents in Lalande-dePomerol and my father worked in the vineyards (he managed Beauséjour and two other properties) whilst my mother was a lawyer. I remember joining my father for winter pruning when I was young, and I did not like it at all. It was hard because the cold made my hands painful, and I didn’t want to go back! I saw then that being a winemaker is not so easy because you cannot control everything, and most of the time it is nature that is in charge’ even when you are doing your best.

I still loved wine and appreciated it from a young age, but I decided to do something else and pursued veterinary studies for two years - but I came back very quickly. I really enjoyed this time, but veterinary school was very hard. I realised that I wanted to do something different every single day and that this career would not be enough for me.

So, in 2012 I went to Napa Valley and worked at Inglenook for seven months. I particularly enjoyed this period because I went to Las Vegas as well! I then returned to France and continued my studies, which included a year in Burgundy in 2014 for a Masters degree in wine trade and marketing. At the age of 25 I returned to Bordeaux briefly, but I really wanted to continue to travel, so I went to New Zealand for five months and then had the amazing opportunity to go to Mexico, where I worked at an estate in Chihuahua called Cavall7. This was a great experience, although I was amazed by the crazy way they drive in Mexico and did not

dare to get behind the wheel of a car once!

I returned to Bordeaux at the end of 2015 but struggled to find a job, so I went to prune in Lalande-de-Pomerol, which was very ironic as I found myself going back to the very same thing I had hated as a child! I eventually went to work for the Bernard Magrez group, where I stayed until 2021 … and then there was the beginning of the new story.

These years were wonderful because in each place I learned something new. I studied extraction in Burgundy and was amazed by how different the reaction of Pinot Noir to a barrel is to Bordeaux grapes. Napa and New Zealand were very focused on new technology in the cellar and vineyard, and it made me reflect on the fact that here in Bordeaux we can be very traditional and sometimes a little slow moving. Lots of winemakers from the previous generations have not travelled as much as we do now - this is absolutely not a criticism as what they do is great and has laid the foundations for new winemakers but it’s also helpful to have a different, dynamic point of view. My generation of winemakers are very well-travelled and we have social media and the internet, so we can learn a lot about what is going on around the world in a way that was not available to previous generations.

Do you think that it is easy to see this generational split between winemakers across Bordeaux?

I think in Bordeaux – and I guess this is the same around France, but I can only speak about the region I know – a lot of things are changing because of the different experiences that the new generation of winemakers are having. We are seeing techniques change, and new approaches such as more precise extraction mean that the taste of the wines is very different. They are just not the same wines we made ten years ago … but again, it is really important for me to make it clear that we are in no way against the last generation, because they did a great job here in the vineyard.

In fact, we are inheriting everything, from the grapes we harvest to our passion for the wines, from this generation. The huge majority of the choices they made were extremely good and it’s thanks to them we have such great quality of grapes. Even if you have

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the best extraction and the most high-tech tools, you simply can’t make great wine without great grapes, and they took decisions that have left us with amazing fruit. There is no sense of split or opposition … it is simply that they are passing the baton to us.

difficult time without any of the experience and knowledge we have today. This for me demonstrates that it’s not all about radical changes … sometimes you just need to relax and focus on what kind of wine you want to leave for the next generation.

Bordeaux is currently experiencing a period of very dynamic, exciting change. What are your thoughts on the future of the region?

It’s definitely very exciting for us to be making wine in Bordeaux at the moment, as we feel it changing so much. I think the main goal for me is to find balance in the vineyard with varietals and rootstocks; we are making choices to help the vines cope with climate change in the future. In my opinion we should take our time and pay attention because lots of fashionable but quite extreme decisions are being made and I’m not sure that is good.

When you follow a trend, you can sometimes forget to think about the impact further down the line and as winemakers, we want to think in the long term. When I taste wine from Beauséjour (and Bordeaux in general) from the 1960s and 1970s I have this feeling that most of the winemakers of this period were not so radical as we are now. In my opinion, we don’t have to make changes just to follow trends. We just have to be steady, observe the vineyard and make the right decisions at the right times.

Do you think that winemaking in Bordeaux will be able to cope with climate change?

I think so, yes. I think that whilst we understand that the climate is changing, it is important that we don’t take drastic decisions the vine is adaptable and so we must observe and take action based on what we see but not panic or move too quickly. We will do things because the vineyard tells us that they are needed, not because we think we should. I learned about this when I worked in the Médoc at Château La Tour Carnet; they have a collection of around seventyfive different grape varietals and do experiments with each one. As a result, when I was there I had the opportunity to taste all of them, including the new approved varietals that the region has recently permitted for use in Bordeaux AOC wines. They aren’t bad, but it is just not the same as the classic wines of our region. In a blind tasting, you would never say that any of them were a Bordeaux wine, and this is why we should be careful. We don’t want to lose those things that make us unique and special.

In fact, I really hope that we will be able to produce great wines like the last generation did without any new technology. I have never tasted the 1947 vintage, but people say that it is an incredible year and for me, this sums it up; that just two years after the end of World War Two, this legendary wine was made in an incredibly

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We need to keep climate change in mind and it’s interesting to experiment and make sure we are trying lots of new things, but there is still plenty we can do in terms of vineyard management to help our vines without resorting to drastic measures!

What is your vision for the future of Beauséjour?

Currently we are classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘B’,

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and one of the goals that Prisca and I have is to become a Classé ‘A’ property alongside Figeac and Pavie – but this is not our only ambition. For me, achieving the Classé A classification is not a question of if, but when, and so we want to go further and become a truly iconic international wine brand. I will be happy in ten years if the people who really appreciate wine include Beauséjour on their wish list of ultimate wines from around the world and are excited to get even just one case or a few bottles of each release, because they have to have these wines … and I know that we will do it.

We want to show people what makes us so special, but for me it’s not always easy to explain because I think it is so obvious! It’s so easy to say terroir – we have an amazing place at the very top of the St-Émilion limestone plateau, and visitors love to see our underground cellar carved out of the rock – but it is also much more than that. I think when people visit Beauséjour they feel that it is different from many other estates because we are so authentic.

It is not just a question of terroir but a question of soul. We are just five people working on the estate because we love it, and you can feel this in everything we do.

This kind of simplicity for me can be very hard to find and I am very keen to preserve this even when Beauséjour does become iconic in the way that we hope. I want people to be surprised when they come here and to be absorbed by the authenticity of the place, the people and the landscape. I also want people to feel that Beauséjour is a wine that you drink. For me, it is the kind of wine that should be opened and shared and used to create memories with. I don’t want to make wine to just put it away in the cellar and not be enjoyed. We need to drink it!

The 2022 en primeur was your second campaign since taking over at Beauséjour. How was that experience compared to 2021?

I enjoyed 2022 very much, especially because 2021 was a very different, complicated experience. The 2021 en primeur campaign came only two months after Prisca and I first took over the estate and it all happened very quickly. I don’t know if it’s the publicity that Beauséjour has had since we have become the new owners or the amazing quality of the ‘22 vintage, but this year in 2022 we had at least 40% more people visiting us at the estate. Camille (de Villenaut, co-technical director of the estate) and I had to share the appointments because so many people wanted to visit us and taste, it was completely crazy. On Monday we had our usual planned appointments but then all the rest of the week I was receiving texts from people who had had conversations with their colleagues and friends and wanted to come and see us as a result. When we finally finished at 7:30pm on Friday night we have never felt so exhausted!

It was a great experience, we felt so much more confident than we did in 2021 and it was wonderful to receive such excellent feedback from our guests on the wine. When it came to the release day for the 2022 we had everything sold out within two hours, and I was receiving lots of messages from people who were happy with their allocations but also many who wanted more! It was so good to see that because I believe it shows that people are not only putting their trust in Beauséjour but also putting their trust in Prisca and I.

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We are finding our feet more every day and it feels like we are going in exactly the right direction.

Whilst we are eagerly awaiting future releases from Beauséjour, are there any back vintages that Bordeaux lovers should be exploring now?

That’s a very good question, because we are in such an interesting place right now in Bordeaux and it is very difficult to predict exactly what our wines will be like in fifty years, so it is very important to celebrate our wines from the past as we go into the future. For drinking now, I absolutely love where our 2001 is at this point, and actually the ‘15 as well. I tasted the 2015 very recently and was happy and surprised to find that it is not difficult at all to drink, it is really starting to open up and I think will keep getting better for a long time.

However, for me the ultimate Beauséjour wine has to be the 1990 vintage, a legendary release that was our first vintage to receive 100 Parker points and was the wine that really began to put us on the map in people’s minds. It’s also my birth vintage so I really love it for that reason too. We are seeing that it’s not so easy to find it now as so many people want it and the price is skyrocketing to 700 or 800 Euros a bottle – which I think is crazy, we could never have predicted that people would want to drink Beauséjour so much!

The 1990 embodies exactly what our vision is for Beauséjour … iconic but authentic.

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The breathtaking barrel hall at Château Montrose in the Médoc, which spans over 1000 square metres

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A WINE LOVER’S WEEKEND IN HONG KONG Our Sales Director James Mead spent four happy years living and working in Hong Kong, getting to grips with both the international wine trade and the unique appeal of this amazing place. He reminisces about his time there, muses on the many qualities that make Hong Kong so special and offers a few insider hints and tips for wine lovers planning their next trip east.

BY JAMES MEAD

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am convinced that I was destined to fall in love with Hong Kong from the moment I was born into this world. My grandparents moved there just after their wedding in the early 1930s, and my formative years were spent listening to evocative stories of their time in the thenBritish Territory. It is no understatement to say that they adored life in Hong Kong, had some wonderful experiences and left after two years having made some incredible enduring memories.

When Hong Kong took the groundbreaking decision to entirely scrap duty and tax on still wine imports in early 2007, an already buoyant international wine hub exploded overnight. At that stage I was a relatively junior private client specialist with a North London merchant, tasked with looking after new enquiries; the vast majority of these were coming out of Hong Kong and provided the direction of travel that my career was set to take. Around 18 months later I moved companies to take on an export-specific role and very quickly it became obvious that Hong Kong was the place to be.

The New York of the East After a rather nervous conversation with my then-fiancée in the summer of 2011, we made the decision to relocate. What could be easier than organising a wedding from halfway around the world, hey?!

The big move happened in October 2011, and we had initially planned for a two-year period. However, what we both encountered when we moved was like nothing we had envisaged. We only knew a handful of people when we arrived there but everyone we met made us feel incredibly welcome and endeavoured to introduce us to anyone they knew who might be able to help us, either on a friendship basis or in relation to our respective industries ...

Networking comes incredibly naturally to those in the ‘New York of the East’.

Everyone knows almost everyone, and if they can’t get you a direct introduction, they know someone who can. Doors to some of the most influential wine lovers

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in this amazing place were opened with relative ease; and whilst it seemed that the vast majority of folk with something to sell were avoided, wine specialists were welcomed with open arms. Inevitably, after just a few short months, we had the Hong Kong bug. We had completely fallen in love with the place, and it became inconceivable that we might only spend two short years there.

in shady corners) with huge premiums being paid. Seasonality is embraced, with delicacies like white truffles, hairy crabs, British asparagus, Japanese strawberries, Malaysian durian, and Chinese caviar (to name but a few) brought into the city when they are at their peak. You can eat like a king with great ease in Hong Kong and the link between food and great wine is indelible.

From a vinous perspective, we had to be on our toes. Exploration was everything.

Not an evening went by when there weren’t all kinds of bottles being cracked open by both amateur enthusiasts and knowledgeable trade colleagues. We witnessed a strong cultural preference for the old Bordelaise stalwarts, which had for so long been the bread and butter of the British wine trade in the Far East, develop into a taste for wines from a myriad of up-and-coming places and names. Formerly unfashionable regions (relatively speaking) such as Burgundy, the Rhône, Piedmont and Tuscany were gathering new followers in Hong Kong at every turn and it wasn’t just the big names - there was enormous excitement about unearthing the next great producer, and every new vintage release from wine regions across the globe came with a huge sense of anticipation. Who were the most relevant wine critics? Whose palate most closely matched one’s own?

Who was gaining influence? All questions that were endlessly debated whilst tasting great wines and breaking bread with likeminded enthusiasts.

A Homecoming in Hong Kong Back in April, I returned to Hong Kong for the first time in several years and was delighted to be welcomed back to the place which I now think of as my second home. It’s undeniable that the Covid-19 years have caused some significant changes, and it was impossible to get away from the region’s ongoing political difficulties, but the old buzz that I so fondly remembered was still there.

Hong Kong is a city that gladly offers a tremendous amount to all its visitors, and one which I wholeheartedly recommend spending time in. Here are some of the places which for me make Hong Kong what it is, many of which were staples of my time in the city.

A Foodie’s Paradise As with many great wine hubs of the world, the food scene in Hong Kong is another thing that is taken very seriously indeed. Rising culinary stars are sought out and those who achieve the heady heights of Michelin star awards are treated with the greatest reverence.

New establishments championing cuisines from all over the world open on an almost daily basis, although the vast majority of great eateries do still cater first and foremost to the local Hong Kong communities. Sky-high demand for the very best quality sees planeloads of fresh ingredients jetted in from all corners of the globe (and often traded

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I AM CONVINCED THAT I WAS DESTINED TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HONG KONG FROM THE MOMENT I WAS BORN INTO THIS WORLD

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THE UPPER HOUSE ADMIRALTY

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The Upper House, a gorgeous designled hotel in the heart of the city, is a brilliant place to base yourself; relax and enjoy some of the city’s most outstanding views alongside great food, wine and cocktails. It’s the epitome of contemporary chic and a real treat to either stay in one of their beautiful rooms or enjoy top-notch Upper House hospitality in Café Grey.

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LAMMA RAINBOW LAMMA ISLAND

If you fancy something both authentic and a little adventurous, take the ferry from Hong Kong Central Pier 4 to Lamma Island. There, you’ll find a wonderful selection of dining establishments of which Lamma Rainbow (formerly the Rainbow Seafood Restaurant) is my favourite.

Expect plastic seats, plastic tables, plastic cutlery, nonchalant service, poor glassware and even more plastic … but also the most

unbelievable seafood of all shapes and sizes. Try the house special, Star Garoupa (rainbow fish).

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THE CHAIRMAN CENTRAL

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The Chairman is a wine trade institution not to be missed, serving Cantonesestyle food with a Western influence crafted using only the freshest of ingredients. Check in advance for BYO rates, but historically they have been incredibly wine-friendly and this is a perfect venue to share some of your treasured bottles with good company.

Plus, the steamed flowery crab is one of my favourite dishes in the city!

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8 ½ OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA CENTRAL

One of a generous handful of 3 Michelinstar establishments in Hong Kong (and the only 3-star Italian restaurant outside of Italy itself) this amazing restaurant from chef Umberto Bombana never fails to impress. White truffle season, of course, is a particularly good time to head here to sample some of the best Italian cookery anywhere in the world … including Italy!

The wine list is particularly strong, and you could even partake in a cold predinner pint, served from a pewter tankard, in the nearby Captain’s Bar if you were so inclined.

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THE AUBREY — (AND DEVENDER SEHGAL’S NEGRONI!) CENTRAL

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Devender Sehgal is something of a Hong Kong legend thanks to his bartending skills and fabulous hospitality (his Negronis in particular are the stuff of dreams). I’m not the only one who thinks so - his spiritual home, The Aubrey, can regularly be spotted at the top of ‘best bar’ lists in both Asia and the world. You will find Devender and The Aubrey

up on the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, offering an irrepressibly fun, eccentric venue and a suitably luxurious spot to while away a few nights in the middle of vibrant Soho.

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WHISK TSIM SHA TSUI

Head down to Hong Kong Ferry Pier in Central and take a trip on the Star Ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui, where you’ll encounter a very different vibe from the city proper. With locals selling watches, suits, day trips and everything in between, this side of the Fragrant Harbour just does things differently, and it’s a great change of pace. Hidden

away in the terrific Mira hotel is Whisk, which offers a wonderful combination of French-Japanese cookery whilst being extremely wine friendly. A real insider’s choice for those in the know!

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BÂTARD SAI YING PUN

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An incredible haven for wine lovers founded by our friends at The Fine Wine Experience. If you are partial to a bit of bottle porn and have exceptionally deep pockets, this place has simply one of the greatest ranges of wines that I have ever seen in a retail space. Every famous label you’ve ever dreamed of is represented here!

Browse the epic bottle selection and grab one (at retail price) to drink next door in the French-inspired dining room.

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In honesty, I could go on and on with my recommendations for this spectacular city – but in the interests of brevity, I will conclude and simply say that you must feel free to reach out personally if you are heading over and need some pointers!

I’m sure I could even make some introductions to the many other vinously-minded folk who would be delighted to show you around and make sure you fall hopelessly in love with Hong Kong in the same way that I did.

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BORDEAUX VARIETALS AROUND THE WORLD Whilst Bordeaux is undeniably the spiritual home of a number of our great grape varieties from Cabernet Sauvignon to Malbec, there is no doubt that many of the names that have made this region so famous are also achieving incredible things across the globe. It is possible to unearth everything from scintillating single-varietal Cabernet Franc to buoyant Bordeaux blends in almost every wine region on earth – so, in the spirit of our Bordeaux theme in this issue, we challenged our sales team to share their favourite Bordeaux-inspired wines from around the world.

We’re sure you’ll agree that the selection the team has come up with is as varied and intriguing as it is delicious!

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always stood out from the crowd. In 1972 Robert Mondavi identified this cattle farm as being ideal to produce premium wine, and so, fortunately for us wine lovers, Denis and Tricia Horgan transformed their site into exactly that.

LEEUWIN ART SERIES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018

Today, Leeuwin’s wines are truly stunning, and in my opinion none more so than their top-tier Art Series.

As much as I love the award-winning Chardonnay, for the ultimate Leeuwin experience it has to be the Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon, for me the indisputable king of Margaret River wines. Even after a brief few years in bottle this wine behaves like a modern Bordeaux, sophisticated, pure, elegant and graceful, but with the subtle added richness and texture you would expect from this region. You really are getting so much more bang for your Aussie buck. If you ever get the chance, visit the estate – it’s an unmissable wine experience and the award-winning restaurant is exquisite.

A N DRE W M AC D O N A L D LO CK H A RT

When you step away from Europe’s finest wines, where do you find yourself headed? There are so many great options around the world now, providing not only top quality but value too. However, I find myself going back to Australia more often than not. I have relations and friends here and have spent a lot of time Down Under over the years, so I love the country and the wines it can produce. I even worked for a year in a winery in the Upper Hunter Valley on the East Coast and loved every second … but crikey, it was hot at 45°C! I have had a lot of time to try wines from all over Australia and naturally gravitated towards Margaret River on the West Coast. This is a cooler maritime climate that produces a much more European style. There are so many great wines made here, but for me it is Leeuwin Estate that

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PROMONTORY 2018 F E L IC IT Y GLASS

One of the most hedonistic of all Cabernet Sauvignon experiences can be found in the heart of the Napa Valley, several thousand miles away from its Bordeaux homeland. The wine in question is the fantastic Promontory, nurtured tirelessly by legendary growerproducer William Harlan.

The original Harlan Estate - ninetyseven hectares of splendid winegrowing terroir – was acquired in 1984, with Harlan’s intention to produce a wine to rival the best First Growths of Bordeaux.

After Harlan Estate came Bond, a conquest more closely inspired by Burgundy than Bordeaux. However, not entirely satisfied, Harlan still had a yearning to acquire one particularly unique plot which he first came across whilst exploring the mountains of California; Promontory.

In 1980, a decade before the first release of wines from Harlan Estate, William came across an expansive isolated territory whilst hiking along Oakville’s Southern Ridge. Struck by its wild and untamed beauty, he was determined to make it his own. In 2008 this dream was finally realised, and the result was a vibrant, fresh and elegant wine which offered a pure expression of the exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Promontory, unclouded by excessive oak.

Simply put, Promontory is a triumph of a wine, which most recently showed its class and quality at a particularly memorable dinner. A beautiful 2005 Le Mission Bordeaux been given all the proper treatment, aged appropriately and decanted prior to drinking. Once the bottle was finished, the sommelier produced a surprise bottle of 2018 Promontory Cabernet Sauvignon.

Still just a baby, it had not even been decanted, and was unceremoniously poured straight from the bottle. What ensued was the most pleasant and staggering surprise. Whilst so brand new, the 2018 Promontory was mindbendingly delicious. The tannins were so soft, fine and well-integrated, they resembled cocoa powder. The delightfully elegant wine provided a sensory journey through aromas of cassis, black prunes, peppermint,

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bergamot, with hints of sandalwood and cracked pepper. With oodles of aging potential still unfulfilled, one can only marvel at how astonishing this marvellous Cabernet Sauvignon will be in the years to come.

THE WINES OF CATENA ZAPATA HAMISH GREENING

Early in 2023, on a sunny morning in East London, I had the rare opportunity to taste through nearly 20 years of Bodega Catena Zapata’s Malbec Argentino and Nicolas Catena Zapata.

This cemented beyond doubt the estate’s remarkable contribution to the representation of Bordeaux varietals on the global fine wine scene, and allowed winemaker Laura Catena to make a strong argument for her favourite contentious claim … that Malbec is the international Bordeaux varietal of the future!

Malbec Argentino is the estate’s flagship (a 100% Malbec cuvée from their greatest vineyards) with incredibly distinctive label artwork designed by

Laura’s younger sister Adrianna. The Nicolas is its more traditional twin (70% Cabernet Sauvignon with 30% Malbec) with proportions that were rather more popular in Bordeaux than one might think until the vast majority of Bordelaise Malbec was ripped up after the 1956 frosts destroyed nearly the entire crop. Laura’s father Nicolas, for whom the latter wine is made, has long been a fan of the wines of Bordeaux and originally wanted to create a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine to emulate the age-worthy characteristics of the First Growths.

However, his daughters Laura and Adrianna are completely team Malbec and have enduring faith in the wine’s ability to age even beyond its more popular blended versions.

What was most clear is that both of these wines age beautifully and are amongst the greatest examples of their varietals on the planet – especially in cooler vintages, where they begin to emulate top Left Bank Bordeaux after just 10 to 15 years of aging. However, what was particularly special to witness after several direct comparisons was that Laura is undoubtedly right. Whilst there may exist an outlying vintage or two which were not chosen for the tasting, everything we tried offered a resounding answer to everyone in the room; 100% Malbec ages more slowly and gracefully than its blended cousin.

I’m not going to pass judgement on which of the wines is better – personal preference, apart from anything else, seems likely to be king here – but if Nicolas set out to make wine with the hope of providing a legendary drinking experience akin to aged Claret, he has most certainly succeeded. He just never knew it would be achieved with nothing but Malbec! The changes of climate in modern Bordeaux mean that this is hardly a rallying cry to the Bordelaise to reclaim their former glory via the once locally beloved Côt Noir. In fact, it seems to me more like a cry of ‘the King is dead, long live the King!’, for the world’s greatest Malbecs will surely forever now come from Argentina. All all that follow will have Laura Catena and her father Nicolas to thank for that.

KANONKOP PAUL SAUER 2015 SAM R ILEY

Tasting a record-breaking wine is always special; drinking it with the man who made it, more special still. This is exactly how my first experience of Kanonkop’s remarkable Paul Sauer 2015 transpired, at the home from home of London’s South African community, High Timber. This Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch had a cult following for a very long time before the 2015 was released, but it was that vintage that forever changed the course of South African wine culture. Long beloved by the wine trade, this cuvée proved to the world that South Africa was capable of producing a perfectly scored wine, in this case from Tim Atkin MW. Grown from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes on the home estate in Simonsberg, this is a big, evocative wine with a strong core and a never-ending finish that really needs a further decade to fully hit its stride. For those wine lovers who managed to snaffle a case of the 2015 vintage – or indeed any prior vintages – this will be an absolute treat.

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to the extraordinary scope of Cabernet Franc. It was an incredibly memorable wine that I would now describe as a higher-octane version of Cheval Blanc … something like Cheval’s more generous and extroverted younger sibling.

As a self-proclaimed Cabernet (Sauvignon and then, Franc) nonbeliever, Poggio al Tesoro set me on a voyage of discovery where I learned which Bordeaux grapes and Bordeaux blends I enjoy most. You won’t be surprised to hear that they all contain high or dominant proportions of Cabernet Franc. I think Cab Franc is a grape that can thrill Pinot Noir drinkers, seduce Bordeaux lovers, and convert Napa followers, and is well overdue its turn in the vinous spotlight. Its progeny Cabernet Sauvignon has held the limelight for far too long.

POGGIO AL TESORO BOLGHERI SUPERIORE DEDICATO A WALTER 2013

My love of this grape and producer was further cemented in 2021 on a visit to the UK when I was lucky enough to taste a bottle of the 1989 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny ‘Le Bourg’. Made from just one cru vineyard where the vines date back to 1948, modern pricing for this bottle (if you’re lucky enough to find one in the first place) easily hits four figures, so the level of expectation was high … but Le Bourg delivered on every level. I remain convinced that these stunning wines are one of the world’s best expressions of Cabernet Franc, reaching thirty years of age and more with grace and elegance, and showing us that there is so much more to this underrated grape than a second-tier billing in traditional Bordeaux blends.

CO URTN E Y TATE

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to be told by my wine mentor, ‘Courtney, you can go and pick any wine from my cellar’. I think this kind of offer naturally divides people into those who end up picking the ‘polite’ thing … or the ones that go straight to the good stuff!

In this case, I was definitely the latter and headed straight for the bottom righthand corner of the dustiest back wall of the cellar, where I pulled out a wine I had never seen before, complete with an appropriately ‘old school’ label. This bottle turned out to be one Bolgheri estate’s love letter to Cabernet Franc, the Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore 2013. This wine was (other than a couple of dalliances with some brave Aussie winemakers and the ultra-delicious Breton from South Africa’s Lukas van Loggerenberg) a complete eye-opener

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First, I must confess that I am not a huge drinker of Bordeaux …! As a result, you may not be surprised that when we were set this challenge, my mind immediately went to the Loire Valley thanks to many fond memories as a young somm discovering the powerhouse grape that is Cabernet Franc. I will never forget my first bottle of great Loire Cab Franc, which came in the form of a bottle of the legendary Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny which I tasted close to a decade ago and fell in love with immediately. We (a bunch of snooty somms) were comparing this bottle to other Loire Cab Francs at a similar price point and the Clos Rougeard was head and shoulders above any competition. It was like the rest were playing a different sport altogether! This was a particularly memorable moment in my wine career, and I don’t think it’s hard to see why these bottles command such hefty prices on the secondary market today.

CLOS ROUGEARD SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY ‘LE BOURG 1989 MAT T LOV E

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Kanonkop is not only one of South Africa’s leading wine estates, but surely also one of the most beautiful

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If you know, you know … the view from the Promontory tasting room

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NEAL MARTIN The world according to one of the most illustrious wine writers and critics of modern times

BY GILES COOPER

F

rom a relatively inconspicuous and notably winefree start in the world of insurance, a chance job offer set Neal Martin on a vinous trajectory that launched him through various far-flung galaxies to land as the first ever UK-based writer for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Since then, Neal has become one of the wine world’s most authoritative voices on various regions, including Bordeaux and Burgundy, and he now fills the role of Senior Editor at Antonio Galloni’s much-lauded website Vinous … when he’s not working on solo projects, such as his recently published book ‘The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide: One Hundred and Fifty Years from 1870 to 2020’.

Chelsea Vintners’ Buying Director Giles Cooper caught up with his old friend over a glass of the good stuff to find out more about Neal’s unique journey through wine and how Bordeaux came to be one of his (many) great passions.

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You’ve had a bio or two written about you in your time (I’ve noticed that people love to describe you as ‘Essex-born’) and we know that your route to where you are now was not a straightforward one. Can you tell us more about how you first discovered the world of wine?

For me – like many in the industry - finding a career in wine was completely serendipitous.

Growing up, we never had wine in the house and to this day I’ve never seen my mum drink wine, ever. She comes from a properly working-class family, and so anything she views as a luxury, such as wine, she simply feels that she doesn’t need. Even at some of my best wine dinners closest to home I’ve never seen her drink a drop. So, when I went off to the University of Warwick to study Management Science (which of course turned out to be not at all useful) I drank either cheap Diamond White cider or ruby port with lemonade …

After university I worked in insurance before heading to Japan for a year to teach English, which was a great adventure. I never got into a plane until I was 18 or 19, and Japan was my first ever long haul journey.

When I returned to the UK, I went back into insurance, but I missed Japan and couldn’t work out why I came back … I remember sitting in a long after-hours meeting about how and where we should move the office photocopier, thinking ‘please, someone kill me’. Particularly since in the end they decided to leave the machine where it was!

It so happened that quite literally the day after Photocopier-Gate, a subsidiary company of Japanese Airlines approached me about a job (sourcing both wine and paper cups) and I thought yes, anything to get me out of here. I knew nothing about wine, so I went to an offlicense in Southend the night before the interview and memorised the names on the bottle labels. I could have bought one and taken it home but at that point I didn’t actually drink the stuff, so I think I just ended up with a packet of crisps. It was incredible, because I had memorised things like Black Tower but fortunately the person interviewing me didn’t have a clue about wine either, so we were both very happy and I was offered my first job in the wine world.

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FOR ME - LIKE MANY IN THE INDUSTRY- FINDING A CAREER IN WINE WAS COMPLETELY SERENDIPITOUS

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That first job must have felt like a very steep learning curve!

Yes and no. In the beginning it was more like an admin job, where I saw some good brands like Gosset champagne but nothing spectacular happened. That is until one very pivotal day when the telex machine went off (this was 1996) and we received an order with something like a hundred cases of DRC La Tâche and two hundred cases of Château Lafite on it. Quite literally overnight I went from doing bills of lading to sourcing Grand Cru Burgundy and First Growth Bordeaux. This was the 1990s and so whilst the quantities were and still are mindboggling, those were the days when you could generally whip up twenty cases of La Tâche at a moment’s notice, no problem.

As you can imagine, I had no concept of what these wines really meant at the time. One of my first proper lunches was with Corney & Barrow, and I can remember drinking things like Henri Jayer and thinking, ‘I should probably start learning about this now …’

At what point on the journey did your website, Wine Journal, come into being?

As my career ramped up, I enrolled in the WSET and completed what is now the Diploma - my advice to anyone starting out in the industry now would be to get those valuable qualifications. I was also enjoying being wined and dined a lot because my buying remit had become very big. I was very diligent during that period and kept a spreadsheet for my tasting notes, which just got bigger and bigger.

I really knew absolutely nothing and so this was the only way. I was completely Machiavellian about it and always tried to engineer opportunities to fill drinking gaps in my spreadsheet wherever I could by dropping careful suggestions to my hosts.

When it came to Wine Journal, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I had amassed all these notes and could see that the internet was going to have a massive impact. I was playing PacMan one afternoon and again wondering what I was going to do next when an idea came to me … I walked down to Piccadilly Waterstones, bought a book on HTML, and that afternoon to my astonishment managed to copy and paste a tasting note into something resembling a webpage. This was in fact June of 2003, almost twenty years to the day that we are having this conversation.

Initially my triumph was completely ignored, obviously. But then all of a sudden, I was drinking Dom Pérignon ‘69 at a lunch and noticed that I’d had two hundred website visits. I’d written an article on La Féte de la Fleur at Château Mouton which was slightly wry and selfdeprecating, and a link had been put onto the Robert Parker forum.

From that minute it just went mad, like turning a tap on. Looking back, the numbers became astronomical. I was number one on Google for all Bordeaux château reviews with web hosting that cost me 99p a month. Wine Journal only existed for three years but at that time I don’t think anyone else was communicating in that sort of tongue in cheek style and it seemed to work for people.

You’ve got to remember at that stage there were literally four or five writers with websites doing what I was; I guess you would call us the disruptors, with the old guard being broadsheet newspapers. In fact, I applied to join the Circle of Wine Writers and they rejected me because I was ‘just a blogger’!

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Three years after the launch of Wine Journal, you were approached to join the Wine Advocate team. How did that come about?

Robert Parker was more switched on than most, particularly when it came to online content, and could see what was happening in that world early on. I knew through a mutual contact that Parker was reading my site, and one day I simply got an email out of the blue. I initially thought it was a joke and phoned a friend to ask if they were having me on … but no, it turned out to be genuine.

Funnily enough, the original offer was to cover the Loire and Provence, so some negotiation was needed. I was the first UK-based person to write for Wine Advocate but I didn’t want to do regions I knew nothing about, and so eventually they allowed me to continue what I had been focusing on with Wine Journal, which was the most important thing for me throughout the discussions and one of the reasons I am where I am now.

What do you feel is the relevance of scoring in today’s wine world?

Do you think the industry attaches the same importance to scores as it did at the height of Robert Parker’s influence?

I think to a great extent scores depend on who they’re from. I always joke that if you just want as many numbers as possible, I can ask my mum … she might not drink wine, but she can certainly count!

When I speak to merchants it’s clear that there are still certain voices with the power to move the market, but that brings with it a certain danger, which I felt with 2022’s en primeur campaign – there’s never going to be another Parker-level critic with that much power and influence but I think that now the châteaux now want as many voices as they can get. Some seem to be looking for a sort of chorus line of people to go to en primeur and give as many high scores as possible, which they can then combine and use as a mandate to sell wine. The problem is that this obviously dilutes the value of scores as a whole.

It can become less about credibility and more about big numbers and in the long run that can undermine the wines and the region.

Critics have to remember that these things do influence consumer behaviour; I make my money by having a clear, honest perspective, not from giving relentlessly high scores.

How do you feel en primeur has changed since you started writing on Bordeaux?

I think en primeur has changed massively. When I started attending, you had to be writing for a ‘serious’ publication to be invited; then there was a period where you had to have an established presence on the internet, then a stage where you could have started a blog the week before and they’d invite you in. That all means that I think now it’s probably too many people. There’s also been a big shift from trade to journalists more broadly; I’ve always felt the core of primeur should be about trade but it’s now more about jockeying for position in terms of brand image and where you sit in relation to your peers and neighbours. Whether you sell your wine or not is almost neither here nor there, which is a far cry from the days where that was the key purpose of the campaign.

Do you pay attention to the commerciality of en primeur or do you try and see the vintages and wines as an objective intellectual exercise?

When I write my report it’s totally objective – although Parker always used to include a few notes on the market for context and I do that too.

I love Bordeaux wines, always have, and I want it as a region to do well, so when I taste a really good wine with great reviews that is really going places, and then see a stupid, prohibitively expensive price, I sometimes wonder what the point was. The trouble is that a lot of châteaux are divorced from the reality of the market because they are essentially removed from it. Many people forget that selling out to négociants in one day isn’t the same as actually being sold out. If négociants started sending anything unsold back to the producer it would change overnight … although now there are plenty of places with super-wealthy backing who perhaps wouldn’t even worry about it.

I get the impression that there is a real shift in terms of what Bordeaux wines are going to cost, as we see more movement to things like organic vineyard work. Surely, more expense and more investment at all stages means that prices are inevitably going to go up.

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THE IDEA OF LEGACY IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND - AND FOR ME, THE BOOK IS THE BIGGEST PART OF MY LEGACY SO FAR

You mentioned that the Bordeaux has begun to change in terms of winemaking philosophies. What do you think the future holds for the region?

Bordeaux has always been a very dynamic place. It has lots of space for innovation, lots of supporting industries supplying all kinds of interesting technology and exciting new kit, and there’s lots of toys to play with!

However, this isn’t often mentioned in polite society but you just can’t underestimate the impact it had when Parker stopped reviewing Bordeaux. It was a massive thing, and whether you loved him or loathed him there was an incredibly strong market for the style of wine that had become synonymous with those reviews. However, Bordeaux has since become a far more interesting place than the region of fifteen years ago where everyone was focused on those oaky, rich styles that Parker loved. Everything is much more heterogenous.

At the same time, I do think that consultants are still very influential in the region, and I believe they have a uniformity of their own. I wonder whether maybe we have lost that culture of the maverick wines and winemakers that are completely different to others; the wine that epitomises that rogue mindset for me is Palmer ‘18, one of the few times when I really felt that I understood a wine. Palmer is generally not my style but when I knew the background and realised that this was a wine totally off the leash that was going to be different to every other Palmer … it was amazing. You’ll have to wait a long time for it to be really ready but I wish there were more of those bottles now.

The wine styles that have emerged post-Parker see much less new oak, which naturally gives way to more vineyard expression, but I think that when wine is young you see the stamp of the vintage and only when it’s aged do you see the quality of the production … a young

wine can trip you up. When it comes to maturing Bordeaux, it’s not a straight road but a meandering river, so it depends when you catch your fish, so to speak. All this tech can mean that wines can be quite photoshopped, and I think maybe you want to see the imperfections.

Perhaps what gets lost is those flaws that make things more interesting and beautiful. My analogy is that if you were to auto-tune Bob Dylan’s voice, would it make a better song? Of course it wouldn’t.

With wine it’s exactly the same principle.

What advice would you give to collectors and aspiring Bordeaux buyers at this point?

Find the châteaux that appeal to you irrespective of cost and start your journey from there. Say for example you decide you love Figeac … ask whether there is a mini version of Figeac out there doing the same thing, a newer or smaller producer working with dominant Cabernet Franc. There is always a lot of interest and excitement in seeking out new and different properties doing things in a similar style. I like to have different vintages lying around as well and I think that buying back vintages is always fun. Remember that new releases are great but can also be brilliant opportunities to look at older vintages and backfill your collection.

Speaking of older vintages … there is much discussion of 2016 as Bordeaux’s greatest vintage of the last two decades. Where do you stand on this?

I think the reason why 2016 was so successful is that post the Parker era, 2016 was the first vintage that really epitomised where Bordeaux was going. It had miraculous elegance and lightness, which really seemed to say, ‘here we are and look what we can do!’. That’s why it attracted so much attention. There was also so much difference between this and the run of previous vintages, especially ‘09 and ‘10. I felt that 2009 was particularly backward looking, after which there was a slow shift in style with 2016 being the first year to really nail that special purity.

Weather-wise it was also a sweet spot, preceding a run of really hot summers which completely changed the game for vintages like 2018.

When château owners hold the ‘16 up as example of amazing purity and balance, that was in no small part achieved thanks to a relatively cool summer in comparison with what was to come. Many look back at that year as both a perfect pinnacle and turning point, with the wines striking an amazing balance between looking back and looking forwards, whilst enjoying the added benefit of some new tech but not enough to make it too polished. I gave more 100-point scores in 2016 than I have in any other year.

What’s the difference for you between a 99-point and a 100point wine?

I think I’m always pretty consistent about where I will give 100 points.

The way for me to approach it is, if you have to ask yourself whether it’s a 99 or a 100, then it’s a 99. No doubt. It sounds funny but often you just sort of know it, the way I knew it when I tasted Palmer ‘18.

The first true 100-point wine I ever tasted was Latour 1961. It was quite early on in my career, a slightly dodgy looking bottle with a low ullage that I really wasn’t sure about, and yet when it opened … even today I can’t put it into words. I just knew. Andrew Jefford has a great perspective on this and discusses the fact that some see 100 points as a plateau to reach and maintain, whilst others see it as a peak with room for only one or two. I’m very much a peak person. Only one person can stand on top of Everest at any one time! When you’ve tasted a true 100-pointer (‘55 La Mission is another that springs to

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mind) you just know, and it puts everything into perspective regardless of whether it’s a young wine or old.

I am always very careful with scoring because all your notes continue to live – I still reference notes that I wrote 25 years ago - so you have to be completely sure because once you’ve given that score it’s not going anywhere. With blind tasting I always go back when the wine is revealed and see if that bottle is consistent with previous notes, and if not, why not? Is it me? The bottle? You have to be able to justify why something may have changed, particularly if you’ve put a massive score down somewhere in indelible black and white.

It’s another very interesting thing about en primeur in that people forget that a crucial part of winemaking is whether you can translate a 100-point wine from barrel to bottle, because really the only way is down. There is massive skill in being able to do that (‘15 Haut-Brion is a great example) and I think the ability to harness something that is bright and vivacious in the barrel and keep it the same in bottle is one of the talents of a great winemaker.

Is there one single 100-point wine that represents the very peak for you?

Until I tasted that wine, that question was always very difficult to answer, and I would agonise over whether it was perhaps La Mission ‘55 or Latour ‘61. But then came a bottle of 1870 Lafite at a friend’s birthday and it was game over. And that was after we’d had a Margaux 1900! This Lafite was just so … it felt like nothing could ever be that good again. I suppose you could ask whether it was something to do with pre-phylloxera vines, but we won’t go into all that. It wasn’t the age either, just some other indescribable magic.

Let’s talk about your latest book, the seminal work that is The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide. What would you like to tell our readers?

Buy it!

That goes without saying! It’s worth noting that it is a fantastic journey with you as a person. The wine, music and film pairings you create are so unique and joyous, and it is great to see you bringing passions together.

I loved writing it. I wrote it in my spare time and it was just great fun to research and piece it all together. I had some rules to keep it tight – I could only have one song per artist and one film per director, so I kept endlessly changing and rewriting as I went along.

It’s not a new concept, in that much of that content existed on the original Wine Journal website, and I did it then in almost exactly the same format for the book. I wanted to write something fun that you could use as a reference if you were having a dinner and wanted to explore the wines you were enjoying.

As a wine writer, the best thing you can do is know that wine is boring. If you’re not in the room when someone is drinking a bottle then it really doesn’t mean much to you, and the trouble with a lot of wine writing is the assumption that the reader is present. Your task is to communicate that feeling to a drinker, so you have to think of a way to make this subject more interesting. I’ve always tried to take my writing outside of wine to make it as entertaining as possible. It’s about offering the bait that draws the reader in and keeps them interested before you segue into wine.

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The feedback I’m getting is that even people who are not into wine really love the book, which I think says a lot. If you’re encouraging more people to drink better wine, very technical articles or books really aren’t the way to go about it - you’re just writing for the same old audience. Thinking outside the box is incredibly important and you have to come up with a way to do things differently. For example, you want someone who doesn’t know much about Haut-Brion or could never afford it to still get huge enjoyment and value from your writing.

How did you approach the music and films for the older vintages, assuming that your knowledge of the 1900s was limited?!

Well, I’ll have you know that I am in fact a Grade 5 clarinet player, so I know a little bit …!

Mainly I relied on research and a friend who loved classical music. I sent him a first draft to ask whether I’d missed any ‘bangers’ but he was very complimentary. It was much harder than I thought - in my head I thought that I knew a lot of classical music but then narrowing this down to specific years was difficult and I often had to compromise to keep it fairly mainstream and avoid those obscure musical alleyways that are less relevant to most people.

I also had to also make sure to not be too British or too niche. 1988 was a particular compromise. At that point I was really into clubbing and the song I chose (Promised Land by Joe Smooth) is pretty obscure for most people but that one meant so much to me that I thought, you may not know it, but I really don’t care. It’s been very interesting to see that the music in the book has taken centre stage ahead of movies and events; I don’t think that there’s anything more powerful than music to trigger a sense of time and place in your head.

It’s been researched and music is proven to have a more powerful cognitive effect than any other medium. This is why we can all still recite word-perfect lyrics to songs that came out when we were 9 but we can’t remember what we wrote on the shopping list this morning.

Would you do anything differently with hindsight?

I wouldn’t, no, but let’s say I did a second edition. I’d love to change the music or do an expanded edition. I had so many songs where it was impossible to choose with the rules I had set, and I had to discard so much amazing music. I remember that 1989 again was a massive year for me personally and I was torn between Fool’s Gold by the Stone Roses and Back to Life by Soul II Soul. For me, Soul II Soul were miles bigger because they were huge in Essex, and it was the song of the summer for me … but Fool’s Gold was the real icon so that was the winner. Another of my rules was to maintain a good spread of genres and 1988 was had been dance music whilst 1990 was Madonna, so I needed something more indie.

A South African winemaker asked me quite recently what my legacy was going to be. The idea of legacy is important to me because I believe that you have to leave something behind, and for me, the book is the biggest part of my legacy so far. Yeah … it’s doing alright, really.

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A striking blend of old and new – the winery at Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, designed by architect Philippe Starck

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DISCOVERING COGNAC B Y C E C I LY C H A P P E L

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C

ognac has always held a special place in my heart. Not only is it located in one of my favourite parts of France (just a hop, skip and a jump from Bordeaux) but for me Cognac is one of the most unique and special spirits out there. Each sip tells an evocative story with a unique balance of fruit, wood, and alcohol that is quite unlike any other spirit on earth.

Once considered a stuffy spirit for oldschool drinkers, Cognac has certainly had its image problems over the years. However, things are changing, with an ever-younger consumer base lured in through inventive cocktails and flashy bottles, and celebrity hip-hop stars lining up to endorse their favourite brands.

The History of Cognac Cognac as we know it today started life in the 16th century, when Dutch settlers in the Charente region in the south-west of France discovered a penchant for the area’s wines. Drinking them in situ was one thing; but transporting them home to the Netherlands was a different matter entirely, with significant risk of the low-alcohol, unfortified wines suffering during the long sea voyages which were the only method of transport at that point. Ever the innovators, the Dutch employed the art of distilling to fortify the wines for their travels – originally, this took place when the wines arrived at port in Holland, and created a spirit known as brandewijn (‘burnt wine’).

As demand grew, the Dutch installed copper stills in France itself and added a second distillation to the process which improved the basic eau-de-vie and created a smooth, rich alcohol that kept the flavour of the original wine without sacrificing ease of drinking.

This spirit was stored in wooden casks made from the nearby forests in Limousin, and the Dutch inadvertently discovered that their new creation improved with time spent in these barrels thanks to shipping delays!

This combination of pioneering distillation methods and serendipity was the genesis of Cognac, with the first dedicated Cognac house (Augier) established in 1643.

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Creating a Cognac Like Champagne, Cognac must be produced in a specific geographic area of France, which is sub-divided into six regions or crus; Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne (not to be confused with the sparkling wine region of northeastern France!), Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires. This has remained the same since France released a Decree which defined the region on 1st May 1909.

The difference in soil types across the six crus results in significant differences in the quality of grapes produced. The most prized soils are ancient Cretacean chalk, which, coincidentally, are very similar to the best soils of the Champagne region! The most respected and sought-after crus are the Grand Champagne, which boasts the purest chalk, and Petit Champagne and Borderies, which offer growers a host of chalk-limestone soil combinations and gently rolling hills.

Whilst any type of fruit can be used for once-distilled brandy, the much more refined, twice-distilled Cognac can only be made from a short list of white grape varieties; primarily Ugni Blanc, with much smaller proportions of others such Folle Blanche and Colombard. In fact, Ugni Blanc (an Italian grape which you may know better by its original name, Trebbiano) accounts for 98% of the region’s vineyards and is favoured by producers due to its high yields, high, fresh acidity and naturally low alcohol, a combination which works perfectly for Cognac production.

As a region, Cognac is home to more than 4,000 growers across just over 83,000 hectares of vineyards supplying some 2,000 distillers and 265 Cognac houses, which include the region’s most legendary brands. This is no small operation - in fact, this 83,000 hectares accounts for an enormous 10% of the total French vineyard area! The region is big for a reason. When twice-distilled, 10 litres of white wine makes just one litre of Cognac, so quantity as well as quality is very important here. The traditional system sees the eaux-de-vie of small farmhouse operators purchased by larger houses, from the massive names to boutique producers. And whilst in recent years the smaller, artisanal brands have become fashionable with consumers looking

for a story, the ‘big four’ brands, Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Martell and Courvoisier, continue to dominate, producing a whopping nine out of ten bottles consumed worldwide (97.2% of all Cognac produced is consumed outside of France) and providing some of the most fundamental building blocks of any respectable drinks trolley.

Behind the Label There are various quality levels and classifications of Cognac, with a healthy number of different labels to go along with them (see the helpful chart on the right which explores these in more detail!) but there are a few fundamental principles to which all Cognac producers must adhere.

Cognac must undergo two distillations, a key part of the process which sets it apart from the majority of other spirits in this category - Armagnac and all other brandies are only distilled once. The second distillation is what produces the high-quality eau-de-vie which is then blended, aged, and released when the producer deems it ready.

In fact, the vast majority of Cognacs are blends, composed by the cellar master from an eau-de-vie library of various ages and origins to create a final Cognac that is beautifully balanced, complex and consistent. Finally, distilled water is added to dilute the spirit to the desired strength, which is usually 40% ABV.

DID YOU KNOW? THE EQUIVALENT OF 20 MILLION BOTTLES OF COGNAC IS LOST EACH YEAR DUE TO EVAPORATION DURING STORAGE. THIS PHENOMENON IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE ANGEL’S SHARE.

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UNDERSTANDING THE LABEL

LABEL

MEANING

DETAIL

V.S

Very Special

The youngest eaude-vie is aged for a minimum of 2 years

V.S.O.P

Very Special Old Pale

The youngest eaude-vie is aged for a minimum of 4 years

X.O

Extra Old

The youngest eaude-vie is aged for a minimum of 10 years

X.X.O

Extra Extra Old

The youngest eaude-vie is aged for a minimum of 14 years

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CECILY’S FAVOURITE BOTTLES

THE LAST DROP 1925 GRANDE CHAMPAGNE COGNAC One of my greatest tasting experiences of all time was thanks to The Last Drop Distillers and their 1925 Grande Champagne Cognac, which I tasted alongside a 100-year-old Pinneau des Charentes at the same estate (also fabulous) in the company of industry veteran and great friend Ben Howkins. One incredible single cask was acquired and bottled by my friends at The Last Drop, having been concealed behind a hastily built wall during the Second World War as the Nazis advanced and forgotten until it was uncovered nearly 80 years later by a member of the family doing some renovation work.

This is quite simply the best Cognac I’ve ever tasted. They just don’t make them like this anymore and I cannot find a single word to do this incomparable spirit the justice it deserves. If you ever become one of the fortunate few to acquire a bottle … never let it go.

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MAISON PRUNIER, TRES VIELLE GRANDE CHAMPAGNE COGNAC This is a magnificent example of how to blend great old Cognac. Rich, complex, yet elegant. Ticks all of the boxes for me and at a relatively affordable price. No drinks cabinet should be without it.

HERMITAGE 1975 GRANDE CHAMPAGNE COGNAC I love what Hermitage Cognacs do. This is superb, distilled at an undisclosed Cognac house and bottled independently

by Hermitage. Expect spicy notes such as cloves, turmeric, thyme and rosemary, with a sprinkle of macadamia nuts. Seriously moreish.

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Pass the Courvoisier At first glance, it’s perhaps hard to believe that Cognac (a sleepy rural commune in southwestern France) has such a strong connection to the world of hip-hop.

However, any music lover worth their salt will know that Cognac is in fact a darling of the rap music industry and is regularly name checked by some of the world’s most famous musicians from Snoop Dogg to Jay-Z. From the early 1990s onwards, the ‘bling’ era of rap saw American artists in particular writing music that focused on luxury, wealth and excess, with the consumption of Cognac (the preferred beverage of the rich and the royal) becoming one of the symbols of this hedonistic lifestyle. Jay-Z’s 1991 track ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ was the first to name a particular brand with the lyric ‘sipping Rémy on the rocks, my crew’; and with this, hiphop’s blingy love affair with an old-money French aristocrat had truly begun.

Over a decade later, the year 2002 saw the release of Busta Rhymes’ ‘Pass the Courvoisier Part II’, a collaboration with P. Diddy and Pharrell which celebrated hiphop’s love of luxury with lines such as ‘rockin the fur coat … diamonds light up the block’ and, of course, ‘pass the Courvoisier’. The video for this song is unashamedly decadent and features lashings of Courvoisier being enjoyed at every turn. Statistics would later show that this song alone had a tangible effect on spirits sales in the US, with some estimates claiming that ‘Pass the Courvoisier’ boosted sales of Courvoisier alone by as much as 30%.

To this day, the most celebrated Cognac producers are a fixture of hip-hop culture in a long-term partnership that has ultimately proved incredibly beneficial – and lucrative – for both parties, with international Cognac sales receiving huge boosts and rappers and stars regularly becoming brand ambassadors and even owners of Cognac houses. Jay-Z is the founder and co-owner, alongside drinks leviathan Barcardi, of luxury brand D’USSÉ (in early 2023, he sold a sizeable part of his stake back to Bacardi in a deal reportedly worth a cool $750 million) whilst 50 Cent produces a Grand Champagne Cognac in a joint venture with French liquor producer Branson Cognac. Kayne West, meanwhile, is a huge fan of Hennessy and it has been

reported that he keeps a Hennessy and Coke machine backstage to quench his thirst at concerts … in fact, in the hours before his infamous onstage interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Music Awards, West had been swigging from an open bottle of Hennessy on the red carpet!

So, to conclude. My simple message is that it’s time to dig out that old Cognac bottle from the back of your drinks cabinet, dust it off and give it the new lease of life it deserves. In my experience, you’ll rarely be disappointed. It might even be the start of a new and lifelong love affair!

COGNAC AND RAP Ludacris is a co-owner of Conjure Cognac, which was originally founded in 1863 and is the largest independent family-owned Cognac house. He is known to be very hands-on and has even created a special blend for the brand himself.

A song simply named ‘Hennessy’ appears on 2Pac’s posthumous album ‘Loyal to the Game’. This collaboration with Obie Trice celebrates the brand with lyrics such as ‘they wanna know who’s my role model, it’s in a brown bottle …

Hennessy’.

Rapper and songwriter Megan Thee Stallion ‘went Courvoisier crazy’ and paid tribute to her favourite spirit in the 2018 Top Ten hit ‘Cognac Queen’.

Rapper Nas has recently collaborated with Hennessy to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop

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The incredible underground cellars at Château Margaux house a priceless collection of decades of back vintages

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