Wine ChroniclesSpring frosts hit Bourgogne winegrowing region unusually hard
Posted on April 29, 2016
Press release from the Burgundy Wine Council – 29 April 2016
I was in Champagne, at Duval Leroy, when this terrible news was reported, and Champagne was also hit by some frost, as I contributed to this decanter.com story. But it seems that the Bourgogne region was particularly hard hit by springtime frosts over the past few days. What follows is the text of a press release from the BIVB, or Bourgogne Wine Council.
Temperatures fell below freezing across the region on the night of 26-27 April, with visible consequences on the vines.
This event is causing a great deal of stress among winegrowers, who once again feel helpless in the face of the whims of the weather, and are concerned about the potential of the future harvest.
Zind Humbrecht shines yet again in 2014
Posted on April 26, 2016
After a superlative 2013, 2014 an excellent follow up
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
26 April 2016
About one year ago, I was singing praises for Zind Humbrecht 2013. Not meaning to be a bore, but I have to sing praises yet again for the 2014. Although overall, I may give a slight edge to 2013, it is still early days and certain wines – take the noteworthy example of Riesling Rangen de Thann – seemed even more vivid, vivacious and vibrant in 2014.
Reading the harvest report, spring and early summer months were marked by high heat and dry weather (mainly in the spring), which lead to precociousness. Flowering started end May, about two weeks earlier than average, and finished rapidly around 10 June for all the vineyards, after some extremely warm conditions. Fast and homogenous flowering was good, but then temperatures reaching 37° Celsius (over 98°F) led to some coulure and flowers aborted because of the extreme heat, usually rare so early in Alsace. Read More
Confusion over Bordeaux’s latest “great” vintage
Posted on April 25, 2016
2015 has excellent barrel samples. If priced too high, seek 2014
Update! Best bargain wines #Bdx15
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
25 April (to mid-May) 2016
Tasting notes by appellation/region (watch for updates!):
Mad about Margaux – Pomerol panache! – Subtle, smooth, successful Saint Julien – Pessac-Léognan (and Graves) pizzaz – Merlot al Dente (and other tales from Saint Emilion #Bdx15) – Intriguingly Pauillac – Sauternes satisfaction
Greatness?
Internationally acclaimed flying winemaker Michel Rolland reportedly complained about wine journalists during en primeur week as quoted in this Drinks Business story: “For me 2015 is a great vintage. Too many arseholes [that’s us hacks] won’t notice of course. We’ll see in 10 years though, as always.”
He could be on to something. Blend barrel samples with (sometimes overly) proud wine writers and you get premature pronouncements. Definitive assessment comes in a bottle and – even better – 10 years down the road, as one can experience HERE.
With wine critics Yves Beck and Elin McCoy at Bordeaux stadium, tasting #Bdx15 from barrel.
But let’s get real. Barrel samples tend to define the vintage, rightly or wrongly. My conclusion? 2015 is often excellent, but in a lower key to the all encompassing “great” – especially for people expecting large-scaled wines à la 2010. Read More
Dom Perignon 2006: a generous vintage
Posted on April 16, 2016
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
16 April 2016
Dom Perignon. The abbey at Hautvillers. When I visited back in 2014, I had an amazing vertical, reaching back to 1969, my notes were published by Harpers Wine & Spirit.
Dom Perignon can be really delicious. I like it most in vintages with extra briskness, like 1996, 2002 and 2004.
I was particularly happy to have purchased a bottle of Dom Perignon 2006 at Oslo airport late last year, after having tasted with fellow #winelovers Christer Byklum and Roger Kolbu.
The advantage of alcohol monopolies such as that in Norway is that the tax rate is the same for all wines, so more expensive wines are taxed just as much as less expensive wines. The result? Dom Perignon 2006 cost me €99, all taxes included. Yep. I need to get back to Oslo, just to buy a few more bottles.
Finances aside, how is Dom Perignon 2006? Read More
Visiting Roederer with Jean Baptiste Lecaillon
Posted on April 16, 2016
Assessing positive impact of grower Champagne (see video)
By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com
16 April 2016
What a great visit to Louis Roederer, at first guided by Maria Garcia Gragera, pictured below, who seemed as if she had been with this famous Champagne house for ages, as she conveyed so much knowledge. As turns out only for a few months. Nice job! It was great to talk with her about the house’s relatively low key publicity approach, when compared to, say, Maison Veuve Clicquot and all its glitzy marketing campaigns like Scream Your Love and sponsorships.
I arrived on 29 February, as part of my research for an article on Champagne sales to appear in the next issue of Meininger’s Wine Business International. This is what I call fun research!
Back in 1845, Louis Roederer acquired 15 hectares in the Grand Cru vineyards of Verzenay. The idea – which was quite unusual at a time when grapes had little value – was to become a wine grower in order to master the entire process of creating his vintage wines, according to literature provided by the estate. Ever since, every Louis Roederer vintage originates exclusively from their own vines, which is rather rare among major Champagne producers. Read More
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