Tag Archives: France

The Many Faces of Pinot Noir in Champagne: G.H. Mumm

Posted on April 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

A rare opportunity arose to taste vins clairs, the base wine for champagne after alcoholic fermentation is finished. Such a stating is exciting, because it allows for insight into what goes on behind the curtains on the backstage, so to say. Didier Mariotti, Chef de Caves at G.H. Mumm, presented a couple of Chardonnays and a wider selection of Pinot Noirs in order to illustrate the differences between the terroirs within the Champagne region. Continue reading →

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Chardonnay and Bottle-ageing: Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Blanc

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

The beautifully restored London St Pancras, now home to the Renaissance Hotel and the Gilbert Scott fine-dining restaurant, radiates the grandeur of 19th-century rail travel. It provided a splendid venue for this year’s Champagne Assembly. The tasting room evoked a Parisian atmosphere with its steel and glass structure, whilst the backdrop of towers and turrets were unmistakably Victorian.

Perrier-Jouët Chef de Caves, Hervé Deschamps, led the first tasting and presented six vintages of Belle Epoque to demonstrate Continue reading →

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Sauternes in the Making: Visit & Tasting at Ch. Suduiraut

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

The making of all great wines starts in the vineyard, they say. It is true in the case of the 1er Cru Sauternes property, Ch. Suduiraut, too, who devote a great deal of their time to maintaining a healthy and balanced vineyard. Most of the vineyards, approx 80-82 ha, is in one piece and there is another 10 hectares, which are situated close to the vineyards of Ch. d’Yquem, the unquestioned Continue reading →

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Posted in In English, The Sweet Chronicle

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Biodynamic Viticulture – A Bordelais Perspective: A Visit & Tasting with Alain Moueix in Saint Emilion

Posted on May 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Chateau Fonroque is a 17-ha large family-owned and run estate in Saint Emilion. In fact it used to be the home of Jean-Pierre Moueix, who founded JP Moueix, a renowned Libourne wine merchant company and owner of a number of estates in Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Today Ch. Fonroque is run by Alain Moueix, also the president of the Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe.

Upon our arrival, a brief discussion unfolded about the fact that estates in Saint Emilion are regularly reviewed in terms of their classification. Alain explained that the review of the classification was advantageous, because Continue reading →

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Biodynamic Viticulture – An Alsatian Perspective: Olivier Humbrecht MW’s talk at VinCE 2011

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Olivier Humbrecht MW of the Zind-Humbrecht Domaine in Alsace flew in to Budapest to present on biodynamic viticulture in combination with a tasting at VinCE 2011, the foremost event for the trade and consumers in Central and Eastern Europe organised by Decanter Hungary.
As I had been helping pouring three bottles of sherry into 75 glasses in another seminar room, I joined the session a bit late, so these notes will be in medias res.
Olivier was giving a brief background to Alsatian viticulture when I settled. He explained Continue reading →

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