E U R O P E A N F I N E W I N E No. M A G A Z I N E 4 12 · £6.9 9 · US $14 .9 9 · AU $15.9 9 183 F I N E W I N E S TA S T E D DWIDE RL P IO N · W O BIT HI O CLIM R ATE R TY TY A R TY ARITY ARITY ARITY ARITY ARITY ARITY HARITY HARITY E CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X PHOT OGRA PHY G P G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP G R AP O G R AP H PH H HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O OT H F 12 · £6.99 The 1000 Finest Wines · Château Pichon-Lalande · Romanée-Conti 1945 · Les Crayères · Wine Auctions · Bordeaux 1961 GUIGAL ­ THE PRINCE OF RHÔNE 1 C C C C C C C C C C

1 · Page 3 2 · Page 4­5 3 · Page 17 4 · Page 18­19 5 · Page 22­23 6 · Page 30­31 7 · Page 56­57 8 · Page 68­69 9 · Page 78­79 10 · Page 86­87 11 · Page 104­105 12 · Page 112­113 PURCHASING PRINTS To purchase one of these stunning wine art prints in contribution to fighting climate change, you can visit the FINE website at www.fine-magazines.com where you can view the photographs and order online. Alternatively, you can contact FINE on +358 9 2510 7222 or email info@fine-magazines.com. Only one print of each photograph is available to purchase and the last date of purchase is 28 February 2009. For further information about supporting causes for climate change please visit www.ran.org and www.operaatiomaa.fi For further information about the photographers please visit www.nuikki.com, www.kevinjudd.co.nz, www.image-bay.com 13 · Page 114 14 · Page 119 15 · Page 120­121 16 · Page 134 17 · Page 135 18 · Page 142 19 · Page 143 20 · Page 152­153 21 · Page 154­155 22 · Page 156­157

PHOTOGRAPHY AGAINST CLIMATE C H A N G E As an international magazine publisher, FINE Magazines is keenly conscious that it is having its own effects on the increasing changes in climate. With awareness of this impact, there is also the knowledge that FINE has the possibility to make a meaningful contribution to this impending global issue. As an official partner in the Climate Change & Wine 2008 Conference, FINE has recognised that innovative solutions are being called upon for the world's most complex environmental challenge to date. FINE is responding to the challenge of global warming with its own unique response, with this special edition. WORLDWIDE CHARITY EXHIBITION FINE is proud to present a unique wine photography exhibition in this magazine with each photograph available for sale as an original signed and numbered print by the artist. All profits from the sales of the prints will be donated to charity organisations supporting action against climate change. These are the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) with its Protect-an-Acre Program and the WWF project Operaatio Maa (Operation Earth). 1 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

Make a Difference­Buy Art! A unique photographic exhibition of some of the world's fi nest wine photographs appears throughout the pages of this magazine in place of advertisements. In total, 22 stunning black and white and colour wine photographs are available for purchase as an unframed, signed and numbered print ranging in size from 60cm x 80cm to 80cm x 100cm (24in x 32in to 32in x 39in). This special exhibition has been made possible by the support of our advertisers who have agreed to forgo their advertisements for this issue. The purpose of this special edition is to raise funds for this worthy cause as well as ignite thought and action. It is a startling reality that the beautiful wine sceneries and memorable landscapes captured in these photographs are threatened by climate change. Unseasonable weather is also likely to have a detrimental impact on vineyard crops. FINE's photographic exhibition is the first wine photography exhibition to appear simultaneously around the world due to it being published in several international editions of FINE Wine Magazine in 31 countries. The included editions are European FINE Wine Magazine, American FINE Wine Magazine and Scandinavian FINE Wine Magazine. FINE Magazines as a publisher is also finding ways to contribute. In the forthcoming future FINE Magazines will be available as digital editions, able to be purchased, downloaded and read online. THE PHOTOGRAPHERS Pekka Nuikki Pekka Nuikki has been named several times as the world's leading wine photographer. Having established himself early on in his career as an acclaimed fashion photographer, he has since turned his camera to his life-long passion of vintage wines and vineyards. The result is a revealing and poignant collection of his meanderings through the world's finest wineries. Pekka Nuikki has had numerous solo exhibitions around the world since 1990. Significant museums and private collectors have his work in their collections. His photographs have been published in hundreds of magazines and publications. Most recently his wine related work was exhibited at the Bordeaux festival Fête de la Fleur and Palais Coburg in Vienna. Several books have been published on his art, the latest being on the subject of wine, Wine Sights: Bordeaux. Nuikki's hand painted, black and white, wine-themed works are found also on the walls of many vineyards. He has been a member of the international professional artist organisation IIAA since 1993 and has been awarded more than a hundred international awards. Kevin Judd Kevin Judd is a man of many talents. Not only has he gained a reputation as one of New Zealand's most talented wine photographers, but he has also attracted international attention to the country's wine industry with the outstanding success of his vineyard, Cloudy Bay. Kevin Judd's photographs of vineyards around the world have appeared in numerous wine magazines since the early 90's. A collection of his best photographs were assembled for his first book, `The Colour of Wine', a photographic essay of the vineyards of Marlborough. With lush and absorbing landscapes, he portrays the working vineyard in doses of heightened colour and form. Kevin Judd is also one of the most, if not foremost, acclaimed winemakers in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay Vineyards has drawn intense interest since Wine Spectator named Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 1996 as the world's best white wine. Cloudy Bay Vineyards was also a founding member of the New Zealand Integrated Winegrape Production scheme, set up for the development of sustainable vineyard management, and has a continuing commitment to implementing environmentally friendly vineyard management practices. Joerg Lehmann Paris based, German photographer Joerg Lehmann's photographs have been gracing the pages of international magazines for over 20 years. His talents are today directed towards wine and food, however he has also covered fashion and reportage. His photographs can be found in the book Champagne Meets Encore, by chef Didier Elena, which received the Gourmand Award for the "best cuisine/wine book of the world". Numerous other cookbooks, including Total Cooking ­ Constructionismo Culinario by Chef Miguel Sanchez Romera, and magazines feature the elegant photographs of Joerg Lehmann. Illuminating yet playful, his photographs reveal vineyards and wines from a fresh perspective that accentuate the beauty of this industry. Combining his passion for fine foods and wines with photography has enabled him to visit the world's most prominent wineries and meet many of the gourmet world's greatest chefs. While wine, food and photography are his passions, he keeps time for his personal hobby of broadening his knowledge on Japanese food and culture. Rainforest Action Network's Protect-an-Acre Program RAN established the Protect-an-Acre program in 1993 to protect the world's forests and the rights of their inhabitants by providing financial aid to traditionally under-funded organisations and communities in forest regions. The PAA program supports projects that protect forests through grassroot efforts led by local forest communities, Indigenous federations and non-governmental organisations. The PAA program is an integral part of RAN's commitment to halting further destruction of the world's forests while also supporting the livelihoods and right to self-determination of those living in forest communities. PAA projects complement RAN's efforts to end agribusiness expansion, oil exploration and old-growth logging in critical forest areas. Operation Earth ­ Restoration and establishment of wetlands through WWF project In all of the Baltic States, largest proportion of eutrophicating nutrients is coming from diffuse loading, namely agricultural runoff in the catchment area. Wetlands are considered as the most effective method of removing nutrients and sediment discharge from the agriculture runoff­with up to 70% reduction capacity. However, most of the natural wetlands have been drained over the past 100 years in the Baltic Sea region. Restoration process is still severely underdeveloped. In addition to reducing nutrients, the importance of wetlands for serving biodiversity, landscape management and public recreation is considerable. WWF Finland has launched in 2008 a wetland project that focuses on building wetlands in the drainage area of the Archipelago Sea. It also includes advicing the local farmers of the importance of agricultural wetlands and involves the use of lobbying for the decision makers in order to improve the national financing of the wetland restoration. 2 F I N E

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE PINOT NOIR 60x60 cm 1000 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to our following advertising partners for allowing us to dedicate this entire issue to our charity exhibition: American Express, Bang & Olufsen, Bentley, BMW, Bollinger, Dom Pérignon, Gaggenau, Jaguar, Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Mont Blanc, Netjets, Nicolas Feuillatte, Palais Coburg, Panerai, Perrier-Jouët, Pommery, Les Sources de Caudalie, Sunseeker Yachts, Taittinger, Vertu, and Volvo. PHOTOGRAPHY by JUDD 3 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

4 F I N E

2 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE ROAD TO VOSNE-ROMANÉE 2004 1/5 1200 90 x60 cm PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 5 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

E U R O P E A N F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E PAGE 10 The 'Prince' of Rhô Th 'P i ' f Rhône PAGE 25 Châ Château Pi h Pichon-Lalande L l d A pearl of Pauillac PAGE 32 The 1000 Finest Wines PAGE 58 Th Napa V ll R The N Valley Reserve Members only PAGE 70 The smell of wine scandal PAGE 80 Th b The best vintage ever i B d i in Bordeaux? ? 6 F I N E

E U R O P E A N F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E PAGE 46 From the F th bottom of the sea PAGE 136 The winds of change Th i d f h Ch l PAGE 144 Champagne glamour 9 10 21 PAGE 88 FINE & rare FINEEDITORIAL FINE FINELEGEND FINE FINENUIKKI FINE FINEESTATE FINE FINE1000FINEST FINE FINELIFE FINE FINEKNOWLEDGE FINE FINEVINTAGE FINE FINETASTINGS FINE FINECLIMATE FINE FINEAUCTION FINE FINECLIMATE FINE FINELIFESTYLE FINE Editorial The Guigals ­ the emperors of Rhône How to improve your wine Château Pichon-Lalande ­ an unwanted estate? Introduction to the 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made The Napa Valley Reserve ­ Wine from a perfect world Be aware of wine frauds The greatest Bordeaux vintage ever? Recent fine wine tastings Pancho Campo MW ­ in the footsteps of Al Gore Fine wine auction highlights 2008 Wines in climate change Château Les Crayères ­ a paradise in Champagne tastings 25 32 58 70 80 PAGE 115 Climate lobbyist 88 115 122 136 144 PAGE 122 Auction news 7 C O N T E N T S Fi n e C o n t e n t s

E U R O P E A N F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E W r i t e r s FINEMAGAZINES 100 Pall Mall St James, London SW1Y 5HP United Kingdom WWW.FINE-MAGAZINES.COM Tel: +44 (0) 20 76648800 fax: +44 (0) 20 73213738 Editor-in-Chief Pekka Nuikki pekka.nuikki@fine-magazines.com Managing Editor Pekka Nuikki Editor-in-Chief Pekka Nuikki, founder and editor-in-chief of FINE-magazines, is an author and one of the leading experts on fine wines. He has published almost twenty international wine and art books, among them In Vino Veritas, a book on investing in wines, Drinking History on fine wines and their vintages between 1870­1970, a book about the Château Mouton-Rothschild ­Wine and Art 1924­2003 and most recently a book about the best German white wines. His next book will be all about the 100 Most Important Red Wines of the World. Mr Nuikki is also an award-winning photographer, who has exhibited his artwork all over the world and he has worked as creative director of advertising agency group. He is also the luckiest man in the world, having hit seven hole-in-ones. Juha Lihtonen Managing Editor Juha Lihtonen is the Editor of Scandinavian, European and American FINE Wine Magazine and manyfold Finnish sommelier champion. He was selected as the best sommelier in the Nordic countries in 2003. Mr Lihtonen has worked as a wine educator, a wine host on a radio programme, as well as the wine buyer of a major cruising line. He has written books on combining wine and food. Besides his day job, Mr Lihtonen studies for the Master of Wine qualification. Essi Avellan MW Contributor Essi Avellan MW is the first Master of Wine from Finland and the second ever from the Nordic countries. She is the Editor of FINE Champagne Magazine. Ms Avellan was awarded the Tim Derouet Memorial Award and the Lily Bollinger Medal for excellence in the Master of Wine examination. Ms Avellan contributes to a number of newspapers and international wine and food magazines. Additionally Ms Avellan judges at several wine competitions. Her expertise area and passion is champagne. Jan-Erik Paulson Contributor Jan-Erik Paulson is one of Europe's leading authorities on mature wines, specialising in Bordeaux and Austria. Mr Paulson has been internationally renowned for his top tastings for 30 years and for his Rare-Wine.com online shop. He is a passionate golfer and lives in Germany with his family. Andreas Larsson Contributor The best sommelier in the World in 2007, the best sommelier in Europe in 2004 and the best sommelier in the Nordic countries in 2002. Mr Larsson has worked as a sommelier in the best restaurants in Stockholm and won the Wine International Sommelier Challenge in 2005. He is a member of the Grand Jury Européen and has occupied many wine juror positions around the world. Mr Larsson is also a wine writer and educator. Andrew Caillard MW Contributor Andrew Caillard MW is a specialist wine auctioneer and wine author. In 1993 he became the fifth Australian to pass the Master of Wine examination winning the highly prized Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in wine tasting. As an author and wine reviewer Mr Caillard has written widely on Australian wine and wine investment. Mr Caillard is widely respected in the industry and is committed to the advancement of Australian fine wine on the world market. He is a member of the Australian Advisory Board for The Institute of Masters of Wine. Natalie Maclean Contributor Natalie MacLean works as a wine writer, speaker and judge. An accredited sommelier, she is a member of the National Capital Sommelier Guild in Canada, the Wine Writers Circle and several French wine societies. Her book Red, White and Drunk All Over was recently chosen the Best Wine Literature Book in the English language at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Ms Maclean has won numerous awards for her food and drink writing; she has been named the World's Best Wine Writer. Stuart George Contributor Stuart George is an awarded English freelance wine writer, who is known for his writing for The World of Fine Wine. Stuart studied English and European Literature at The University of Warwick. He has worked as a wine merchant, travelling widely in different wine regions, before turning to wine writing. In his free time Stuart listens to music, plays guitar and follows cricket. Martin Williams MW Contributor Martin Williams is a consulting winemaker from Australia's Yarra Valley. In addition to Australia he has made wine in Burgundy and California. Martin's qualifications are in Chemistry, Biochemistry and in Oenology. He passed the Master of Wine examination at his first attempt in 1999. He won Australia's Vin de Champagne Award this year. International Distribution - Pineapple Media Limited · shcirculation@ntlworld.com · www.pineapplemediauk.com Juha Lihtonen juha.lihtonen@fine-magazines.com Deputy Editor Anne Lepola anne.lepola@fine-magazines.com Publishing Editor Meri Kukkavaara meri@fine-magazines.com Editorial assistant Susan Immonen susan@fine-magazines.com Creative Director Pekka Nuikki Art Director Teemu Timperi teemu.timperi@fine-magazines.com Senior Advisers Seija Nummijoki, Martti Viitamäki, Tuomas Hirvonen Contributors Perry Simms, Juha Jormanainen, Pascal Kuzniewski, David Passarello, Philip Tuck MW, Stuart George, Jerome Bouix Photographer Pekka Nuikki Publishing Director Jarmo Hietaranta jarmo.hietaranta@fine-magazines.com Communication Director Markku Vartiainen markku@fine-magazines.com Marketing and Sales / USA Jesse Weisz jesse.weisz@fine-magazines.com Cover photograph: Philippe Guigal / Pekka Nuikki 8 Subscriptions subs@fine-magazines.com +358 (0)9 2510 7222 Price Subscription 4 issues Europe 89,00 / rest of the world 115,00 Printing House Libris Oy www.fine-magazines.com Publisher Oy Fine Publishing Helsinki Ltd KONE Building/Keilasatama 3 02150 Espoo Finland © Copyright: American Fine Wine Magazine Ltd ISSN 1797-0636 Fine Magazines does not keep nor return illustrations or other materials that have been sent to us without request. The opinions of contributors or interviewees presented in this magazine do not necessarily correspond to the opinions of the publisher or editorial staff. We withhold the right to make any modifications in texts and pictures published in the European Fine Wine Magazine. We reserve the right to refuse or suspend advertisements. F I N E

E U R O P E A N F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E 30 October, 2008 e it the breathtaking Douro Valley, the monumental chateaux of Bordeaux or the idyllic countryside villages of Tuscany, the wine world is beautiful. FINE Magazines are all about appreciating this beauty with you. Therefore, we share the concern for our environment in these dramatic times of accelerating climate change. If there is no reduction to our influence on the ecosystem, the wine world will look and taste very different. In a campaign against climate change we are dedicating this entire issue to the beauty of wine, captured by the world's best wine photographers. To emphasise our intentions we have set up a charity wine art exhibition of these photographs. Also, with the compliance of our advertising partners, we have made the decision to substitute all advertisements in this issue with the exhibited artwork. The wine industry has highly powerful press and critics compared to any other field. Wine critics have a substantial impact over what consumers drink, what the merchants sell, and sometimes even how the producers make their wines. Could there be ways for critics to also encourage sustainable wine production? B When it comes to wine reviews, all too often the critics simply focus on a description of the wine and scores. The consumer is not advised on how to enhance enjoyment of the wine, except in terms of its maturation potential. This habit also reflects on how many points the wine receives: the more potential, the higher the score. It seems perverse that a wine which is not as drinkable and balanced as another, gets more points because it has more future potential. Why should I go mad with delight if someone recommends me a wine that will only be enjoyable in 15 years' time? Besides, no one can say for certain how the wine will mature and in what sort of conditions it will be kept. At FINE we appreciate wines which are at their best today, and it is to them that we award the highest scores. Of course we also make estimates concerning the maturation of the wine and when we think it will reach its optimal time but they are not reflected in the scores. We also state how the wine ought to be served to enjoy its finest qualities. We are wine professionals who open and enjoy the most rare and valuable bottles on a daily basis. I dare to claim us being the only wine magazine in the world to do so. To highlight that we taste and appreciate these bottles, we have made a decision to show the pictures of them empty instead of full. Our intention is to give highly useful, fresh information about the condition and optimum drinking window of the wines to you. It is also worth knowing how to enjoy a wine that costs several hundreds, if not thousands in a way that lives up to its maximum potential. We rate wines very much the same way as readers experience them. We try to avoid rating wines blind as that is not the condition our audience encounters them. An essential element in experiencing wine is knowing what you are drinking. We also enjoy the fine wines in good company and pleasant surroundings. After putting together our experiences of more than 60,000 fine wines from over 200 vintages we decided to create a unique classification and represent it as a book named 1,000 Finest Wines Ever Made. You can read more about the rankings in this issue. The article on the great wine auction review sums up the prices paid this year for the world's most sought after wines. We discover how serious the risks of frauds are in the wine trade. We also meet the `Prince' of the Rhône, Philippe Guigal; interview the wine world's environmental lobbyist, Pancho Campo MW; and enjoy a splendid stay in France's best hotel, Château Les Crayères. Ta s t e o f f i n e Have an exciting trip! Juha Lihtonen Managing Editor 9 E D I T O R I A L Fi n e E d i t o r i a l

10 F I N E

Text: Juha L ihton e n · Photos: Pe kka Nui kki T he year is 1924 and 14-year-old Etienne Guigal lifts the iron knocker on the door of the Rhône's most well-known winery, Vidal-Fleury. Being a cellar assistant in Joseph VidalFleury's prestigious company would be the perfect launchpad for the future. Exactly 80 years later the door is opened by a slender young man with dark hair. This is Etienne Guigal's grandson, Philippe. Now 32, he owns the Vidal-Fleury estate, where his grandfather rose from cellar assistant to become the Chef de Cave. Philippe produces some of the world's most highly esteemed wines. His life also includes a Roman-style villa with attendant parklands and a swimming pool, sports cars, and a 16th century Renaissance castle, with perfectly manicured gardens. He is living a future that his grandfather could not possibly have imagined. 11 E . G u i g a l Fi n e L e g e n d s

ow did the Guigal family's dreams come true and what dreams does the future patriarch Philippe Guigal have? Over the span of 60 years the Guigal family business has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious in the Rhône region. In the New World similar success stories have happened in even shorter spans of time, but in France this rate of growth is considered exceptionally fast. This success story opens in 1946, when talented winemaker Etienne Guigal resigned from his position at VidalFleury. He founded the Guigal wine house and laid a foundation for success, for which his son Marcel was largely responsible. The 17-year-old Marcel had to quit his studies and assume an active role in his father's business when Etienne was unexpectedly struck blind in 1961. Marcel served as his father's eyes and aide in the cultivation and production of wine. He also took over the development of his family business. Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal had a clear vision. He would become the leading producer of quality wines in the region. Instead of outsourcing the growing of grapes, the Guigals focused on ownership in vineyards. In addition to this, production facilities, production methods and equipment were constantly updated. The Guigals, however, based their operations on the respecting of regional traditions. 12 F I N E H Plots leading to world renown In order to enhance quality the Guigals worked to acquire ownership in vineyards. Purchased in 1966, the onehectare La Mouline plantation, which is located on the slopes of Côte Blonde, set the stage for the Guigals' present reputation. Introduced the very next year, La Mouline single-vineyard proved to be a smashing success, and the active acquisition of vineyards continued. However, it would be more than 10 years before the Guigals introduced their next single-vineyard wine, La Landonne, in 1978. Just over 2 hectares in size, the plot was purchased piece by piece from 17 different smallscale growers. The Guigals finally revealed their true greatness in 1984 when they acquired the oldest winery in the Rhône, Etienne's former employer, Vidal-Fleury. This significant acquisition instantly made the Guigals the leading producer in the Côte-Rôtie region, giving them a 35% share of the entire region's output. This new acquisition also gave the Guigals ownership of Vidal-Fleury's La Turque plot. Introduced in 1985, La Turque cemented Guigal's reputation as one of the most prestigious producers of single-vineyard wines in the Rhône. The single-vineyard wines gave the Guigals the authority that helped them to profile their production from the Côtes-du-Rhône wines on. This is how Guigal evolved into the region's leading commercial AOC brand, whose only real contender is, for the time being, Paul Jaboulet Aîné. In the 1960's the Guigals were subjected to intense criticism when they modernised their wine production. The director of the administrative body overseeing wine production in the region threatened to exclude Guigal's Côte-Rôtie wines from the region's AOC classification. The use of new oak barrels was considered a method that went against tradition. Only 17 at the time, Marcel Guigal made a definitive declaration: ­ The AOC classification in our region is based on three things: loyal, local, and constant use. There are two hundred-year-old books in our library stating that first class Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie wines were aged in new oak barrels for three to four years. I'm young, so I'm flexible. For my part, you're more than welcome to use your 50­60-year-old chestnut barrels, but don't come to me and say that I have no respect for traditions or loyalty. I'm evidently the only producer here who does. You yourselves gave up the traditional use of new oak because of the lack of funds and availability coming out of the First and Second World Wars. We don't have that problem, so we are using new oak ­ in accordance with tradition.

"Our future is in the Rhône. If we ever feel the need to expand, we will do it here. The Southern Rhône is filled with very attractive areas," states Philippe Guigal, who confesses a predilection for Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. 13 E . G u i g a l Fi n e L e g e n d s

I'm in a very favourable position, because my father lets me experiment and learn that way. In ten years I've been able to make significant strides in our production of white wine. Philippe Guigal The prodigious son Etienne Guigal lived his dream until his death in 1988. He passed away at the ripe old age of 79 and lived to see 67 harvests. He realized the two dreams he had set for himself when he was 14 years old: to own the La Mouline plot and the house where he would eventually live. He managed to pass on his prodigious red winemaking talent to his son Marcel and saw the phenomenal growth of his company, with its annual production going from 13,000 bottles to over one million in the late eighties. Even though Etienne lived to see his enterprise prosper, he was not around to savour the excellence of the business his son Marcel created. Marcel Guigal continued improving the efficiency of production and expanded it wherever possible. Robots and other state-ofthe-art technologies were installed in the production facility, which freed creative human resources for demanding work in the vineyards. After acquiring plots in Condrieu, Marcel Guigal implemented new techniques in the production of aromatic white wines. After experimentations, he decided to let all white wines go through eight hours skin contact period. Marcel has worked 14 F I N E with white wines actively for over ten years. Now, he has a welcome sparring partner ­ his son, Philippe. Born in 1975, Philippe Guigal completed his studies in oenology in Dijon, did an internship at Château Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, and received his degree in oenology in 1997. In the making of fine red wines he sees eye to eye with his father and grandfather, but when it comes to the making of white wine he has introduced a host of fresh, new ideas: ­ I'm in a very favourable position, because my father lets me experiment and learn that way. In ten years I've been able to make significant strides in our production of white wine. The finest home in the Rhône The Guigals purchased the stunning Château d'Ampuis historical building in 1995, with major renovation work beginning, immediately. Built in the 1600's, the Ampuis castle would not only house the company's facilities, but also serve as the home for the next family patriarch, Philippe. Renovation work lasted for 11 years, with a work crew of over 100. Philippe experienced the same sort of resistance in the project that the Guigals had come up against

many times before in the region. This time, the resistance was coming from the French government. The original agreement was that the government would reimburse 40% of the renovation costs, but where the Château d'Ampuis was concerned, it only covered a measly 0.03% of the total costs, leaving the remainder for Guigal to pay. This, however, did not stop the Guigals from seeing the project through to its completion. The restored castle is a symbol of the family's superlative status. Although the Château d'Ampuis can be considered a sort of `show of force', it does not only represent the Guigals' status in the Rhône or its finest home, rather it also represents the new wines produced by Guigal. The Château d'Ampuis comprehends six prestigious plots on the slopes of the Côte-Rôtie. With the restoration of the castle the Guigals also resurrected its historic wine. The average age of vines on these plots is approximately 50 years. Each plot's crop is vinified and aged separately and is not blended until the last stage of fermentation, just before bottling. The total annual production is some 25,000 bottles, and its quality places it among the most legendary single-vineyard wines. New conquests Even though Guigal has firmly established its domination of the CôteRôtie, recent conquests have been made in Hermitage and St. Joseph. After acquiring the business operations and shares of highly esteemed Northern Rhône wineries Domaine de Vallouit and Jean-Louis Grippat in 2000, the Guigals were able to further improve the quality of their wines. The new acquisitions have resulted in the creation of the Hermitage Ex-Voto red and white, which Guigal produces from four vineyards only on the best years. Ownership of prestigious plots in the St. Joseph area has also helped Guigal to bring new white and red wines to market under the Lieu-dit St. Joseph and Vignes de l'Hospice names. This expansion has also caused many to speculate whether Guigal is interested in expanding beyond the Rhône and as far afield as the New World. Philippe Guigal, however, is clear on this point: ­ Our future is in the Rhône. If we ever feel the need to expand, we will do it here. The Southern Rhône is filled with very attractive areas, states Philippe Guigal, who confesses a predilection for Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. Seal of quality Oak has become the seal of quality for Guigal wines. Long ageing times in oak have forced perfectionist Marcel Guigal to ensure that his oak containers are of the absolute highest quality. This led to the founding of Guigal's own cooperage at the Château d'Ampuis in 2003. The availability and quality of the 500 new barrels needed every year was ensured by hiring a cooper, who builds five barrels a day. A better tomorrow The life's work of Marcel Guigal is truly unbelievable. He made Guigal wines stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest wines in the world and put the Rhône on the map. During his lifetime, Guigal production has increased from 13,000 bottles to 6 million. Young Philippe is now stepping into his father's very big shoes and the expectations are enormous. Preserving the quality image of Guigal and further developing the brand will pose serious challenges for Philippe. However, he states with mature reserve: ­ I'll admit to the challenges that this responsibility brings. But, on the other hand, do I look bothered? Philippe has grown up under the tutelage of his father and grandfather. The Guigal empire was created by the whole family pulling together, without compromising on quality. This has given Philippe a humility and respect for the work that his forebears have done. He knows his place and is aware of the possibilities. Even though Philippe Guigal, who grew up in luxurious surroundings, could just as well rest on the laurels of his successful family business, he will not. Philippe wants to keep moving forward: ­ It's useless to think you'll make progress by only looking back, states Philippe. > E . G u i g a l

E. GUIGAL Single Vineyards 1999­2003 Ranking by Juha Lihtonen 2001 Condrieu La Dorianne 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 1999 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2003 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2002 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2003 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 1999 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2002 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 1999 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2000 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2002 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2003 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 87p 95p 94p 93p 90p 96p 95p 93p 88p 98p 93p 91p 89p 88p wine feel closed at the end. Definitely needs time to deliver its full complexity, at least 10 years but most likely more. Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2001 (JL 91 p) 2007/2020 Dark, intense ruby colour. Very rich smoky bacony nose, with pepper tones and sweet cinnamon spices. Côte-Rôtie La Turque 1999 (JL 95p) Full-bodied, vivid acidity, refined tannins, very firm 2007/2035 mouthfeel with mouth-drying, white peppery finish. Intense and complex with wild berries, preserved Developing flavours with some volatile acids in very cherries, animal, meaty, lovely spiciness of clove, concentrated spicy taste full of ripe cassis and cinnamon. Full-bodied, ripe and rich wine with velvety brambles. Needs to be aged for at least 10 years more. texture and very elegant with ripe dark fruits. Supple wine with harmonious palate. Extremely refined and Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2002 (JL 89p) long lingering finish. Superb wine drinking well 2007/2018 already but most likely keeping over 2030. Very intense, moderately dark ruby colour. Medium intense, chocolaty nose, toasted almonds, cooked Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2001 (JL 93p) meat, apple peel. Full-bodied, moderately high acidity, 2007/2030 elegant tannins, floral and intense concentrated red Dark ruby colour. Pronounced, intense ripe jammed berries. Loads of Christmas spices. Big wine for the Condrieu La Dorianne 2001 (JL 87p) bramble nose with leathery, coconut, spicy peppery vintage. At the moment lacking elegance but showing 2007/now aromas with smoked bacon. Full-bodied, firm, vivid richness. Keep another 10­15 years. Beautiful rich yellow colour. Pronounced but acidity, ripe elegant but firm tannins, chewy texture elegantly spicy nose with hints of smoke, floral and with well-balanced high alcohol and jammed dark Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2003 (JL 88p) perfumy aromas, very appealing, ripe peaches, fruits. High concentration ensures this aristocratic 2007/2020 pineapple and lychees. Dry, medium-bodied, very wine a long life over two to three decades. Very dark and intense ruby colour. Very intense and delicate, moderate acidity, floral, well integrated high perfumy nose with plenty of dark chocolate, tarry, alcohol, moderately low fruit intensity, fine mineral Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2002 (JL 88p) smoky, and jammed dark fruits. Full-bodied, and oaky bite in the medium finish. No further ageing. 2007/2017 moderate acidity, very firm tannins and dark black Intense, dark violety colour. Powerful, cedary nose fruits. Tarry warming finish, very well-integrated Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 1999 (JL 94p) with white pepper and floral ­ violets. Full-bodied, alcohol, extracted fruit and dark chocolate. Sheer 2007/2022 vivid and refreshing acidity, fruit flavours revert more power. Needs at least 10 years before delivering its Deep, violety colour. Intense, charming ripe dark to ripe red fruits and supple tannins. Strong round true character. fruity nose, jammed raspberries, warm sweet spicies, sweet spicy influence of oak. Round and surprisingly clove, coconut, hints of tar still partly closed. Firmer feminine in style. Very well-balanced and enjoyable Already extremely approachable wines for their structure than the nose indicated. Rich mediumwine for its young age. Keep still well over 2015. young age. The freshest vintage 2003 stood out with bodied wine with firm tannins and vivid acidity. Ripe its New World style, almost overripe and voluptuous dark fruits are dominated by peppery flavours and Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2003 (JL 96p) fruitiness. Out of the three, La Mouline was most loyal floral tones. Moderately long, warming, gently oaky 2007/2035 to its elegant style. La Turque performed well with its finish. Very ripe but almost too appealing and round Intense, dark, ruby garnety colour. Pronounced spicy, vivid and opulent style, while La Landonne proved its due to high alcohol. Good balance. Drinking already deep, and big ripe jammy nose. Loads of sweet spices true character ­ big and masculine. The most now but will keep well over 15 years. ­ clove, cinnamon, dark chocolate and cocoa. Really appraised wine for the panel of 18 wine enthusiasts seductive nose. Full-bodied, round, rich satiny tannic was La Landonne 1999. The second was La Mouline Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2001 (JL 95p) structure, big meaty structure yet refined and not at 1999 and the third La Turque 2003. 2007/2040 all too jammy. Rather ripe refined texture and long Intense, deep, ruby violety colour. Broad, pronounced harmonious finish with loads of sweet spices and and warm spicy nose. Very complex nose serves roasted coffee. Extremely elegant and wonderful The best Guigals of previous vintages: floral, smoked ham, meaty, ripe jammed brambles balance for the super ripe vintage. Wine that most and toasty, chocolaty aromas. Full-bodied but probably keeps well until 2040. 1990 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 97p elegant taste with vivid acidity and very refined tannins. Extremely balanced and satiny texture with Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 1999 (JL 98p) 2003/2020 finesse and length. Alcohol superbly integrated and 2007/2040 1969 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 98p chewy tannins are supporting fresh and intense dark Deep, ruby colour. Very intense nose with very ripe fruitiness well. Harmonious wine with potential for cassis and hints of cooked root vegetables, Asian 2006/2010 excessively long ageing, presumably, until 2040. spices, leathery, roasted oak ­ reminding of classic 98p Médoc. Very tempting. Full-bodied, intense and vivid, 1976 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2003/2020 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2002 (JL 90p) with very refined firm tannins. Ripe intense supple 2007/2015 dark fruit, superb balance. Still partly closed although 1985 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 96p Intense, ruby red colour. Lovely upfront red fruit, delivering great appeal already now. Long lingering 2005/2020 cranberries, raspberries, wild strawberries, white finish with gentle muscular tannic structure. Will pepper. Full-bodied, moderately high acidity, firm deliver its best after 2020 and keeps well most likelly 1987 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 92p fleshy tannins, fresh wild strawberries, refined, until 2040. 2007/2015 concentrated and little herbaceous, white peppery, long finish. Slightly more one-dimensional than others Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2000 (JL 93p) 1988 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 97p but delightful wine with warming and firm finish with 2007/2022 2005/2025 cassis notes. Not a wine for very long term ageing Dark, deep ruby colour. Pronounced dark fruity nose 99p but will settle nicely within next ten years. with Asian spicies and violety perfumy nose. Complex 1985 Côte-Rôtie La Turque and rich but elegant notes with hints of tar and 2003/2010 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2003 (JL 93p) smoke. Full-bodied, rich big tannins, chewy and 1988 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 97p 2007/2020 meaty structure, moderate acidity, ripe and intense 2004/2025 Dark, deep, ruby colour. Very intense, port-like, dark cassis and black fruits. High alcohol is very well chocolate with very dark intense fruits, licorice, sweet integrated but the wine stands out as very masculine. 1996 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 93p fruits. Full-bodied, powerful, round and voluptuous, Long concentrated cedary taste with gentle mouth2004/2025 with mellow acidity and ripe velvety, still firm, big drying toasty finish standing very masculine in tannins. Long warming, nutty finish that makes the character. Will give its best after 15 to 20 years. 16 F I N E 16

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE LIME ROCK 60 x60 cm 3 1000 PHOTOGRAPHY by JUDD 17 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

18 F I N E

4 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE BODEGAS MUGA 2004 1/5 1400 90x60 cm PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 19 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

Wh e r e t o b u y w i n e ON L I N E S TOR E S : www.champersdirect.co.uk Luxury champagne online sales www.bordeauxindex.com Fine Bordeaux wine online sales www.chateauonline.co.uk Wine shop with great range of young and mature wines from various regions www.2020wines.com Top wines from major wine regions from 1808 to 2000, including futures www.bensonfinewines.co.uk Special stores for fine and rare wines mainly from private cellars dating back to the 1800s www.nickollsandperks.co.uk Nickolls and Perks have been fine wine dealers since 1797 www.oddbins.com Wide selection of top wines www.nicolas.com France's largest wine store chain www.bbr.co.uk Berry Brothers and Rudd, legendary online store www.bibendum.co.uk Great selection of French wines www.weinco.at High-quality Austrian wine store www.spanishwinesonline.co.uk Good selection of Spanish wines also from old vintages www.wyliefinewines.co.uk Peter Wylie's fine wine online provides great collections of mature, fine and rare wines from 1800s www.frw.co.uk Online brokers of fine and rare wines AUCTIONS: www.tcwc.com The Chicago Wine Company www.ackerwines.com/liveauction.cfm Acker Merrall & Condit New York auction www.brentwoodwine.com Brentwood Wine Co. online rare wine auction house from US Oregon featuring unusual and interesting wines www.hdhwine.com/content.cfm/auctions Hart Davis Hart Wine Company is offering wines of impeccable provenance from private cellars around the world www.magnumwines.com Rare and highly sought after auction wines including magnums www.christies.com/departments/win/overview.asp Christie's auction house with links to different locations www.sothebys.com/app/live/dept/DeptGlobal.jsp?dept_id=142 Sotheby's London auction house wine department www.winebid.com The largest Internet auction for fine and rare wines www.winecommune.com/auctionindex1.cfm WineCommune.com - the place to buy and sell fine wine online www.butterfields.com Bonhams & Butterfield's auction in US and Bonhams wine department in England www.morrellwine.com Wine store and auction www.winecommune.com Wine auction online www.rare-wine.com Excellent online store with flexible service providing broad range of mature wines from the previous century. Buys and sells wines from private people. www.classic-wines.net Online store for mature wines OTHERS: www.dunbarfinewine.co.uk Full investment service including sourcing and cellaring 20 F I N E

F I N E How do you get wine costing 50 euros to taste like wine that costs 200? sometimes wonder about the fine words of praise that the wine I have just tasted and had great expectations for, but now find dull and lifeless, has received from friends or wine professionals I hold in high regard. Occasionally, the reason is that the wine reviews I read date back decades, but it is often simply because of me: my inexperience and ignorance ­ I have either opened the bottle too late or too early. Longevity is an excellent quality in wine, sometimes even a magical one when an old vintage is drunk whilst at its very best, but even the best wine is easily spoilt if you drink it at the wrong time, and I am not now talking about decades, or even years, but hours. I believe that all mature wines benefit from decanting, as many people know. But it is much less common knowledge I Pekka Nuikki Editor-in-chief that young wines benefit enormously if they are decanted. Most of the wine on the market is very young and still immature. But never mind. Today a virtually undrinkable, unripe wine more often than not improves and becomes drinkable if decanted, sometimes so much so that a young wine costing 50 euros tastes and seems like one priced at 200 euros after being decanted for 12 hours. Most young wines, and now I am talking about vintages from the present decade, should be decanted for six hours at the very least. The better quality the wine, the longer the decanting time. For example, the Solaia 2001 was a completely different wine after being decanted for seven hours ­ the hardness, sharpness and imbalance that were apparent when the bottle was opened had given way to softness, tranquillity and balance. Romanée Conti Montrachet 2004 (six hours' decanting time), Vega Sicilia Unico 1996 (eight hours) and Mouton-Rothschild 2000 (fourteen hours) all also clearly benefited from being decanted over a fairly long period. As the air literally breathes life into the wine but also kills it off, it is very important to know how long to let the wine remain in contact with the air in the decanter and the glass. That is why every wine review in a FINE magazine will always mention the time (and is the only wine magazine in the world to do so) that we think the wine in question needs to breathe and reach its full potential. The time we give is based on our own experience of the wine concerned, and should be seen just as well-intentioned advice and not scientific truth. My own rule for young vintages is that two hours in a decanter is the equivalent of one bottle maturation year. This obviously varies, depending on the quality of the wine, the grape variety and the vintage. Try applying this yourself. With a little practice each of us can affect the taste of the wine we drink. When you are opening a bottle of young wine next time, decant it for six to eight hours before serving. It is very possible that the wine's taste will improve many times over during the day, at least to make its enjoyment worth the price you paid. the unbearable lightness of sharing 21 N U I K K I Fi n e Nu i k k i

22 F I N E

5 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE LEOVILLE 90x60 cm 2004 1/5 1400 PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 23 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

The estate that nobody wanted Text: J a n - E r ik Pa u ls o n a n d P ekka N u i k ki Photos: P ekka N u ikki I feel lucky receiving invitations to tastings and other wine events in the post. But having two professions and a family as well prevent me from doing everything. However, when I received an invitation to a lunch held in honour of the famous May-Elaine de Lencquesaing, I immediately dropped everything else. On the day in question, sometime in December 2001, Jan-Erik Paulson would be sitting in the Taillevent restaurant in Paris right next to madame herself, as it later turned out. Fi n e Es tat e

Château T The e state that nobody wanted An irresistible fifth Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is, when at its best, an irresistible wine. Its lavishly abundant fruitiness and silk soft tannins together create one of the most subtle and stylish wines that Bordeaux presents to the world every year. Originally, back in the 18th century, Château PichonLongueville Comtesse de Lalande and Château PichonBaron Longueville were one and the same estate, one of the finest in the whole of the Médoc. At the end of the century Joseph de Pichon-Longueville inherited the estate from his father. He had seven children, five of whom were alive when he himself died at the age of 95. As a legacy, the five each got a fifth share in the estate and this resulted in the property being divided up in the mid-19th century along with its cultivated land. It was then that Raoul de Pichon-Longueville founded Château Pichon-Baron and in 1851 built the magnificent château we can still see today. Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande remained in the possession of the family's siblings right up to the year 1926. When Countess Sophie de Lacroix, who managed the estate, died, her children decided to sell it. It was bought for 700,000 francs by Edouard Miailhe. Today it is his daughter, Madame de Lencquesaing, who is responsible for the estate and its wines, one of the few women in France to manage a vineyard. Madame de Lencquesaing is known for her ambition and determination, and she has often succeeded in putting Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wines on a par with Premier Cru wines as a result of her many innovations and her attitude to quality. As some of the estate's vineyards are actually in St Julien, this endows the wine with special characteristics: it is richer, fruitier and more feminine than Paucillac's virile, powerful wines, so it was hopefully to be the most refined and exquisite of occasions. Sutcliffe and David Peppercorn. Present too was a number of American collectors as well as several French guests, including that walking encyclopaedia, Michel Bettane. The event had been organised by the Californian physicist and well-known wine collector Bipin Desai. All the wines were straight from the château's cellars and in perfect condition. Bipin Desai prefers to order wine with food rather than taste them `naked' ­ not a bad idea, as that is its original purpose after all. It rounds off the wine's sharpness and makes for a more agreeable experience, allowing Bordeaux's `classic' characteristics as a full-bodied wine to accompany food to emerge. And it is precisely this that shows up the weakness of those over-extracted, over-oaked, high alcohol monsters that seem to fare so well at large tastings. Everyone there A small group of people ­ a sort of who's who of the world of wine ­ had arrived. Representing Château Pichon-Lalande were May-Elaine de Lencquesaing herself, and Gildas d'Ollone and his talented winemaker Thomas Dô-Chi-Nam. From the UK there was Hugh Johnson, Clive Coates, Serena 26 F I N E

"She cried for three days, because this was the only estate that none of her siblings wanted" 27 B O R D E A U X Fi n e Es tat e

Having warmed up with ta i l l e v e n t 's e xc e l l e n t house champagne (Deutz), we make our way into a private room for an unforgettable lunch. I had the honour to sit next to our hostess, so I gained quite a lot of insider knowledge on the wines we were enjoying. Such as when in 1978 everyone in the family drew lots from a cake tin containing the names of all their estates, Madame de Lencquesaing got Pichon de Lalande. She cried for three days, because this was the only estate that none of her siblings wanted. The entire Bordeaux region was in the grip of a slump, and Pichon was sorely in need of renovation and massive investment. But she dried her eyes and seized the opportunity, starting by going back to school. She and her husband, a retired general, went to enology classes and began planning a future for their vineyards. With grim determination, they started to make the necessary changes, and before long Pichon Comtesse had become one of the best-loved wines of all. Ravioli de champignons and Bouillon de potau-feu truffé served with vintage 1934, 1955, 1964, 1975, 1978, 1990 and 2001. Vintage 1934 and 1955 were both magically soft and agreeable, the older 1934 showing some volatility, but nevertheless enjoyable. 1955 is a wonderful year: it was the last before the destructive frosts of 1956 and still has a marvellous structure and fruitiness. 1964, in my opinion, is still the most underrated of the Bordeaux vintages, and the delightful Pichon is still in good shape, though it no longer improves by keeping. 1975 was not an easy year; most of the wines on the left bank are simply too tannic and most of them have long since dried out. PichonLalande is an exception, however, and, with Latour, it is probably the best Médoc wine from that year. There is no evidence whatsoever of hard tannins, and all in all it is at present highly enjoyable and will remain so for some time to come. As it happens, it was made by May-Elaine de Lencquesaing's old school friend and neighbour, wine-maker Michel Delon, now deceased, from Château Léoville-Les Cases (maker of the following two vintages also). 1978 was Madame de Lencquesaing's first vintage ­ and virtually everything that could go wrong during the growing season did. The winegrowers of Bordeaux were expecting disaster, but in the end the weather changed and a glorious autumn meant several excellent wines that year, including Pichon-Lalande. The 1979 Pichon is still a stylish wine, with fine tobacco aromas. But it is starting to show signs of ageing, so I would recommend it to be drunk now. May-Elaine de Lencquesaing herself has always been rather disappointed with her 1990 wine, especially as that year was such a recipe for success. Her husband being ill at the time, she could not attend to the harvest and winemaking as closely as usual. I also remember my own remarks on this somewhat mediocre performance, although in recent years there are clear signs that the wine has added some weight, and it really was a lot better than I remembered. 2001 is a delight, and still young, but will surely be a fine wine in the very near future. Royale de fois gras de canard and Cappuccino de châtaignes (a dish worth the trip to paris alone) served with vintage 1926, 1953, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1995 and 1996. 1926 saw a very small harvest of top quality wines, including an attractive, sweet, almost Burgundian Pichon. Some signs of ageing, true, but still very good. 1953 is one of the most delightful and most `classic' of all the Bordeaux vintages, and Pichon-

The e state that nobody wanted Lalande made one of the best wines ever. Still slightly dark in colour, perfect in balance and class. In my view, 1985 is the `modern' version of the 1953 vintage. It is magnificent, and its strength lies more in its immaculate balance and charm than in its intensity. Vintage 1985, as compared to 1982 and 1986, is beginning to appeal to me more and more on the whole. And like the 1953, the 1985 will age better than is generally believed. The 1986 is a thrilling wine, spicy, powerful and still quite tannic. In around 10 years' time it will be a really wonderful wine to drink. The 1989 PichonLalande is one of the many stars of its vintage, highly exotic and a joy to savour both now and in many years to come, and far better than the 1990. The 1995 and 1996 are both still very youthful, but completely different in style ­ the 1995 is sweet and seductive, but rather light, while the 1996 will be a future classic, very stylish and, in my opinion, the greater of the two. only surrender to. Not quite the case on this occasion ­ very pleasant but no front-runner. Michel Bettane puts the 1959 before the 1961, and here I would agree with him. Then came the 1982, which acquired Pichon-Lalande the status of `super second'. This has always been utterly seductive and a great success for the château. A very soft, attractive wine, without the massive tannins you often get with the 1982 vintage. This wine appears to be developing in a number of ways: I have tasted it from bottles in which it already seemed to be fading and needed drinking up, but also from bottles which still had a good future. The bottles we were served in Paris were, of course, perfect, and having enjoyed them, it is easy to see why Pichon Lalande is so very popular. Then we had a sweet, impressive 2000 and 2003. Tasters of young wines more experienced than I am said positive things about them, remarking too that they were not so overripe as many other wines from these years. This was an amazing and instructive opportunity to see how a certain estate's wines have developed with time. It was also an excellent chance to discover how the fortunes of a wine growing family, with its ups and downs, have affected the different vintages. The `terroir' clearly had a role to play and its impact was very conspicuous over the years. Hugh Johnson expressed it perfectly when he said that the Pichon-Lalande wines are above all an enormous pleasure to drink, both young and old. That is what wine is all about of course and I for one hope that more winemakers will bear that in mind. > Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1874­2003 (Pekka Nuikki) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1874 92p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1899 87p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1918 73p (PN 1999) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1924 87p (PN 2003) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1928 86p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1929 91p (PN 2000) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1937 65p (PN 1998) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1947 87p (PN 2004) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1950 85p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1952 90p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1953 94p (PN 2000) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1959 95p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1961 89p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1962 87p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1964 88p (PN 2004) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1966 87p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1970 84p (PN 2003) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1971 80p (PN 2003) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1975 91p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1978 90p (PN 2004) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1979 86p (PN 2001) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1981 88p (PN 2000) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1982 98p (PN 2005) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1983 94p (PN 2000) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1985 90p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1986 92p (PN 1999) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1989 93p (PN 2004) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1990 81p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1994 88p (PN 2001) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1995 93p (PN 2002) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1996 96p (PN 2002) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1998 85p (PN 2004) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2000 96p (PN 2006) Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2003 92p (PN 2006) The last act consisted of the impressive vintage 1929, 1945, 1959, 1961, 1982, 2000 and 2003, to accompany Quasi de veau aux légumes d'automne. 1929 proved to be a typical year, combining sweetness with the unexpected, which keeps it fresh, agreeable and still very drinkable. 1945 produced dense, fruity wines, with a fine structure and backbone, and Pichon-Lalande is no exception. A very clean and lively wine. It is always fascinating to compare 1959 and 1961. This time the 1959 was beautifully balanced and stylish. The 1961 often presents an irresistible, penetrating concentration one can Fi n e Es tat e

30 F I N E

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE 6 CAHORS 90 x60 cm 900 by PHOTOGRAPHY LEHMANN 31 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

"The Michelin Guide to Wines" The world's 1000 best wines­today What is the world's best wine? What about the ten best? These are the questions that wine enthusiasts and professionals are eagerly searching for an answer. There is an unlimited amount of answers depending on the place and time. Nevertheless, FINE Magazines decided to answer these questions conclusively and indisputably.

Tasting wine is a personal experience and therefore always subjective. Experience, palate, personal taste preferences, and the personality of the taster play a major role in assessment of wine. Tasting wine is to interact with it. It is therefore important to know who the taster is, what their preferences are and experience of tasting the wines concerned. The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made relies on the judgment of five experienced palates. Pekka Nuikki is one of the leading experts of fine and mature wines and a founder and editor-in-chief of FINE Magazines. Juha Lihtonen possesses the title of the Best Sommelier in the Nordic countries and he is the editor of American, European and Scandinavian FINE Wine Magazine. Essi Avellan is a Master of Wine and the editor of the world's only FINE Champagne Magazine. Ralf Frenzel is one of the most known sommeliers of his time and the editor-in-chief of the German edition of FINE. JanErik Paulson is one of the leading mature wine specialists in the world and a contributor of FINE Magazines. The above group of fine and rare wine experts have collected notes and memories of the world's best wines for the most part of their adult lives. They have made fine wine their life and profession. Over 60,000 fine wines have been tasted by this pentad, giving them the perfect background to create such a demanding, comprehensive, and daring classification quoted as "the Michelin Guide of wines". It took an enormous amount of time to find consensus on the list of 1000 best wines, their ratings and the order that does the wines complete justice. Since rare and mature wines are our focus and specialty, the question of bottle variation and storage history plays a significant role. The validity and trustworthiness of this classification relies on the vast number of tasting experiences and bottles that have been assessed to give the wine its ranking. Our experts have tasted each wine from one to one hundred times, valuing certainty from a multitude of opinions and bottles. The points given to each wine derive from the best bottle evaluated. The information is provided on how many tasting times the assessment is based on. Old and rare wines have been a popular target for wine fraud over the past few decades. As there may be an element of uncertainty about the authenticity of old bottles, only tasting notes from wines of s a basis we had two topics ­ the figure 1000 and the present moment. We wanted to determine the 1000 finest wines of all times based on their taste today. A task that had never been accomplished before. We set the time frame of the evaluated wines as long as possible, from 1774 to 2006. This enabled us to cover all wines that can be found on the market at present. The only criterion of the evaluation was how enjoyable the wines are today. Most of the wines were tasted with the knowledge of the producer and the vintage. The point evaluation system ­ using the American 100-point scale ­ is primarily based on the quality and the balance of the wine at the moment of tasting, and secondarily on the cultural history of the wine. It should thus be taken into account that our point evaluation system differs considerably from those used by other evaluators, such as Robert Parker or Wine Spectator. We do not give extra points for the future potential of the wine, but instead, base our evaluation on its quality today and its ability to give pleasure in the here and now, both physically and mentally. A 33 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

known origin or from wines that have been tasted with similar notes from several bottles that derive from different origins have been accepted. In the book there are also listed separately a few wines that clearly would belong to the 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made, but the authenticity of which there was no guarantee yielded the wines to be listed as declassified. One of the greatest strengths of the book is its up-to-date evaluations and tasting notes. Only wines tasted since 2000 are taken into account. The reader can therefore trust the accuracy of the notes and condition of the wines. In addition to full tasting notes, some essential background to the wines, vintages and producers is given to enlighten the qualities, histories and stories of the fine wines to the reader. As the potential of the wine is not taken into account, we give estimates about future potential and optimal drinking time for each wine in the tasting notes. Uniquely, we also give insight into required decanting times to make the best of each fi ne wine experience. READING OUR TASTING NOTES Our five experts have all contributed with numerous tasting notes in the book. Therefore, the style and focus of the assessment may vary by the individual. Our group of experts has agreed on the most important parameters of the evaluations. The focus is on describing the personality and essence of the wine: its acidity, fruit, tannin, structure, depth, and length, all of the factors that affect the wine's balance. It is the balance that is considered as the most important factor in the quality of a wine. Mature fine wines can today be found in many quality wine shops. Wines from the years 1970 to 1990 are easily accessible, as is the knowledge of their future maturing and recommended time of drinking. But as you go further back from the 1970's the recommendations become fewer and more complicated, and uncertainty of the wine's condition grows. The guidelines and recommendations that accompany the evaluations are based on our experts experiences with the wine in question and their estimation on its potential in the future. The evaluations rely on the presumption that the wine has been and will be stored properly. The classification with the notes is updated biannually. It is published in a form of a book ­ The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made. The volume is available in English, and an updated version has recently been published in German. In the following pages some wines from this classification are being introduced. The old saying "there are no perfect wines only perfect bottles" still remains valuable today. 34 F I N E

no. 1 Château LATOUR 1961 (Pauillac) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki Our unanimous, highest rating went to the fantastic Château Latour 1961. It is a truly unique, classic and perfect wine. The Latour 1961 has been tasted by us more than 70 times, and only on eight occasions has it not scored a faultless 100 points! No other wine from the approximate 60,000 wines we have tasted, has had such an exceptional and perfect track-record as the Latour 1961 or the story behind it. Some years ago I traveled through the Sahara desert with friends. In those hot, thirsty weeks of sleeping in a hammock I could only dream of a glass of good Claret, and how unrealistic that felt at the time! Or so I believed. But like many times before, destiny had an unexpected surprise in store for me. We had been driving for six long, dusty days in the desert without encountering a soul. The cruel variations of temperature (-8°C to +43°C) mocked our unsuitable clothing. Red dust got everywhere, coloring our blond hair and skin in new a fashion. Despite a couple of flat tyres and getting stuck in the sand, the journey was advancing well and we had managed to avoid any major deviation. The heat and dust had, nevertheless, taken a heavy toll on our water supply, and since all the windows and air holes had to be kept tightly closed because of the dust, the temperature in the car rose to over 50°C. Relief and joy was considerable when the last true oasis of the Sahara, the desert city of Tamarasset, appeared like a mirage on the horizon. Just before dark we entered the city, which so vividly reminded us of those prairie cities so familiar in western films ­ only here camels replaced horses in front of the saloon. The only lodging in the city was easily found: a two-story travesty of a hotel where each wall was painted in a different, screaming color. The rooms (I use the term loosely!) had no doors, and were just a few square metres, wide with the thinnest of walls. The only luxury waiting for the fatigued traveler could be found on the pillow ­ a box of condoms instead of the traditional chocolate ­ and that in its own sad way told of a man's foremost need after a long and lonely journey through the desert. In the hotel's one and only shower the water was recycled to serve the next lucky user. After about an hour's wait it was my turn to enjoy the now weary water, and soon enough, I was ready to seek out local refreshment. There were only two bars to try in the city. On entering the first it felt as if we were walking into a world of bestial sound and sights and the last hope for a decent glass of wine disappeared like a sigh in the Sahara. Although large crowds of women swarmed in front of the bar, entering was forbidden to them. These were truly places for men, where rough males so far from home could spend their last moments in the presence of civilisation, and a few pints of beer, before disappearing into the vastness of the desert. And the going was rough indeed. There was a compulsive need gleaming in their eyes to relish the moment, as if it was their last chance to feel the togetherness of a group and to enjoy the friendship of unknown companions in misfortune. At least five different anthems rang out, accompanied by melodious bursts of laughter and the clink of mugs. These dirty, shirtless, and genuinely cheerful men had arrived in the Sahara from many different parts of world to confront solitude and isolation. And now it all unraveled. The unbridled atmosphere of the place, radiating with testosterone, stole my courage to even ask for a wine list. My friends, true men of course, had instead long dreamed of a pint of cold beer. They felt right at home and disappeared into the heaving crowd. I however, decided otherwise. I left to try my luck at the other place, which against expectations was almost empty. Only a few passed out souls occupied its dark corners. As I wondered at the place's desolation a very understandable reason was explained to me. The bar had been emptied, drank out, two days ago and a new stock of beverages would not arrive for a week. I was also told of the momentary wild rise in demand. About a hundred kilometres from the Niger border local Beduins had started a war against each other and no one was let through the front. The ones courageous and crazy enough to try had lost their cars and equipment in robberies, and there were also rumors of disappearing travelers. So we were now trapped in the middle of the Sahara and no one knew for how long. But as the smiling bar keeper said, there were also good sides to the matter, at least when it came to local service trade. I heard that there was even a bus full of women ordered all the way from Morocco to entertain the cornered, frustrated travelers, 99% of which were men. The knowledge that our journey had come to a standstill for what could be weeks made my dry throat desperate. I plucked up my courage and asked discreetly whether there might be a bottle of wine left under the counter. The bar keeper shook his head and explained that they did not serve wine. Discouraged, I was turning to join my friends when I felt a tug on my sleeve. The owner gestured me to follow him and told that in his cellar there were some very old wine cases, but the wine would probably be unfit to drink. Maybe I would still like to take a look at them? 35 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t i

I had a vision of a naive traveler, knocked out and mugged in the shadows of a cellar, somewhere at the back of beyond. I took my courage in both hands and started to descend the cellar stairs behind the owner. After groping in the dark for a while my eyes got accustomed to the dimness. The faint light of a candle revealed two cases of wine at the far end of the cellar. One was already open and inside it, under a thick layer of dust, there were indeed some bottles. I took one out and tried to wipe away the dust. After a few moments of eager rubbing a picture of a familiar lonely tower was uncovered and beneath it the unbelievable numbers 1961. It was true indeed. In a dark cellar, in the middle of the Sahara, I was holding in my hand a dusty but intact bottle of Château Latour 1961. From my point of view, what I was feeling must have been similar to what Columbus felt when the coastline of America appeared after an endless sea voyage, or how Neil Armstrong felt when his feet first touched the surface of moon ­ or at least this was what my vivid imagination let me believe. The fact of the matter was that in front of me were two cases of incredibly valuable wines, beyond price, in a place where one would last expect to find them. I was unable to hide my astonishment from the bar keeper, who probably then tripled the price at that very moment. And the price he asked for was five U.S. dollars per bottle. After hearing this I regained a calmer face, but to bargain I totally forgot. As I was selecting the bottles I remarked to my sorrow that the corks in most of them had risen alarmingly high due to the great variations in temperature. I grabbed the two best and hurried back upstairs as though afraid to wake from a dream. In the bar there were of course no wine glasses, but a few large snifters were found. Decanting was understandably not possible, neither was I ready to wait several days for the lees to settle. So I just carefully poured that noble drink, which at that moment and in this place was more precious than gold. The wine was dark red, almost orange at its edges, and truly mature in color. The scent was tight, classic, a perfectly merged bouquet. The presence of fruit was unbelievably rich. I raised the glass to my lips. A sublimely rich, firm, still quite tannic, full, very long and abundantly fruity taste of this classic wine blew my desperate, wearied sense of taste into new life. Time lost its meaning. The sensations I experienced in that moment are almost impossible to describe and for the first time because of wine, my eyes were filled with tears. Right then and there, in the company of worn-out, passed-out and snoring travellers, I felt both the loneliest and the happiest man in the world. The next day, as I drank the second sixty-one, I heard the whole story. A couple of years ago a truck knocked about by a sandstorm had barely made it to Tamarasset, and a broken axle had prevented it from journeying further. The driver was forced to wait for spare parts for over two weeks. As is well known time passes slowly in the desert, so he spent most of it in a bar, this one. After he ran out of money he paid for his cold beers with some cases of wine that his truck was transporting. The bar keeper had this way received five cases: three of Château Pétrus 1961 and two of Château Latour 1961. Those had settled bills worth roughly a hundred dollars. Some lucky traveler had previously bought the cases of Pétrus for US$100 a case. To celebrate this splendid act of business the bar keeper himself had corked a bottle of Latour. The wine had probably already suffered from the heat and tasted foul. My host had come to a conclusion that the rest of the bottles must also be unfit to drink, and forgot about the whole matter until I arrived. I felt truly sorry for the truck driver in question when I heard that the wine was on its way to the cellars of Mobutu Sese Seko, the despot of Zaire at the time. One can only imagine what happened when they learnt that the most precious of wines were missing ­ the cases of Latour and Pétrus. Their value was dazzling, even then. Back in Tamarasset we had to wait for over a week for the Beduin crisis to be settled. Finally, a Hercules from the Algerian air force landed in the middle of the desert and took us and our cars under its wings, literally, and flew us over the border to Niger. In the last fort of the desert there was left not one full bottle of that mythical wine to ease the occasional traveler's loneliness. Wine, which had reminded one of the civilised world's best qualities in a place where civilisation wanted to be forgotten. Tasted six times after that trip and the wine is reaching an even better state of harmony. One of the best wines ever made. 100p 1961 Château Latour 2008/2025 x79 D2h/G3h no. 1 Although the year 1961 was not perfect at Château Latour, the wines were! A very rainy winter was followed by an exceptionally warm February. Growth started in the first few days ­ that is to say a month early. The first half of March was very warm and the first leaves were noted on March 10th. April was unstable and predominantly cold, slowing down growth. The end of May was very cold and on May 29th disaster struck. The flowers were frozen and the sterile grapes dried immediately after, threequarters of the crop was lost. There had never been frosts in May. July was not good on the whole: overcast with no rain and no sun. In the first three weeks of August the vineyards lacked both water and sun but fine weather settled in on August 24th and continued without a break until of September 28th, (almost as dry as in 1949). It rained on September 29th and 30th and harvest took place from the 19th until the 28th September. The weather was very hot, which caused problems with vinification. Yields were very poor, as had been expected, so the harvest was short. Almost all of the bottles we have tasted have been in very good condition with only a few of them top-shoulder or lower. The ideal decanting time seems to be 2.5 hours. This last bottle of Latour 1961 lived up to the romantic memory of our previous experiences. It has a beautiful, dark-red, fully mature colour which is almost orange on the rim. The scent is sound and open, classic, a perfectly merged bouquet. The presence of fruit was unbelievably rich. This sublimely rich, firm, still quite tannic, full, very long and abundantly fruity classic blew our well-educated senses of taste into new life. Perfect balance and structure. The sensations we experienced in that moment are almost impossible to describe. What we love most about this Goliath was the endless awe-inspiring finish. Not only was the mouth-feel like drinking liquid silk but the aristocratic finish of multi-layered Cabernet stayed on the palate for an eternity. The best wine we have ever encountered. We take a deep bow to it. 36 F I N E

no 37 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 2 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki The Mouton-Rothschild 1945 has been tasted by us more than 30 times, and only on seven occasions has it not scored a faultless 100 points. It has an almost as exceptional and perfect track record as the Latour 1961. Although the Mouton-Rothschild wines from 1926, 1949, 1959 and 1961 are normally impeccable, the 1945 has always had something extraordinary, which for us is hard to describe without deep emotion. Maybe that something is the long and rich aftertaste, which keeps coming back again and again, or perhaps it is the fact that it is the "Victory Vintage" that symbolizes the victory of good over evil and freedom. We actually do not know, but we do know that there is nothing quite like a Mouton-Rothschild 1945. 100 p Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2008/2025 x37 D 2.5 h / G 2 h To commemorate the Allied victory, Baron Philippe had the idea of embellishing the Mouton-Rothschild 1945 label with an artwork: on this occasion, a symbolic design intended to celebrate the return of peace. He commissioned this work from a young unknown artist, Philippe Julian. Julian submitted several drafts for the label and the final one is based on the "V for Victory", made famous by Winston Churchill throughout the war. This marked the beginning of a series of specially designed labels for each vintage. For each year a different artist was commissioned and the payment was in wine. The 1945 was tasted nine times during the last twelve months and it proved each time to be a very exclusive moment for our friends and ourselves. These last two bottles were in exceptional condition with fine unbroken labels. Levels were almost by the neck, and both bottles were decanted two hours before tasting. Deep, dark and thick colour. Sound and wide-open, huge incredibly sweet nose of black currant, coffee and eucalyptus. All the pieces came together in perfect balance creating such an extraordinary, highly concentrated, luxurious and prosperous wine with a powerful, everlasting aftertaste. 38 F I N E

All the pieces came together in perfect balance creating such an extraordinary, highly concentrated, luxurious and prosperous wine with a powerful, everlasting aftertaste. 2 39 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 3 1945 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Côte de Nuits) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is without question the most famous estate in Burgundy and arguably the greatest, producing some of the best wines in the world. It is probably one of the most traditional wineries in France. Wines are produced in small quantities while the demand is huge. The domaine has 25 hectares of vineyards, all Grand Crus, including the jewel in the crown, the 1.8 hectare monopole of Romanée Conti. phylloxera that had first appeared in Vosne-Romanée in 1882, had taken finally over in Romanée-Conti and Richebourg vineyards. While most other winegrowers had grafted their vines to resistant American rootstock decades earlier, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti had fought against the aphid successfully for over 60 years with carbon disulphide. Apparently, the Second World War had taken its toll and there were shortage of everything as well as carbon disulphide. The vineyards begun to decline during the war and due to the Romanée-Conti, a vineyard of four and a half acres, was originally the property of the Abbey of St. Vivant. In 1760 Prince Conti acquired it against the competition of a famous jewellery collector, Madame de Pompadour ­ the King's Minister against the King's mistress. He withdrew it from the market and reserved it for his own dazzling social events. It was he who created the myth surrounding Romanée-Conti. impulsion of the new partner Henri Leroy the vines of Romanée-Conti were torn up after the harvest in 1945 and replaced in 1947 with grafted clones. Luckily this harvest became the legendary one with its quality. The severe frosts in mid-spring reduced the crop before the growing season had even properly started. The weather changed rapidly to beautiful during the end of the spring and a hot and dry summer followed. The grapes became super concentrated The price of this tiny, treasured vineyard was 80,000 livres, which in those days was worth a small kingdom. Reclaimed as property of the nation during the Revolution, the vineyard passed through the hands of several proprietors to an ancestor of the present owner for 14,000 gold pounds in 1868. and the harvest was superb in quality but unfortunately restricted in quantity. It is very difficult to find this vintage available anymore. Only 608 bottles of this wine was produced. 1945 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la 100 p Romanée-Conti (Côte de Nuits) This 1945 Romanée-Conti will remain as a relic of the ancient times of the wine world. Vintage 1945 is the last ever made Romanée-Conti from the ancient pinot noir fin -vines dating back to 1585. These vines with their descendants had produced highly esteemed grapes for over 360 years. Thus it was an inconvenient decision for the board of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to renew the historic vines. Unfortunately, there was no other option since the disastrous small aphid, a 2005/2020 x4 D1h /G3h Fine looking bottle with 3 cm level. Decanted one hour. The wine is very deep, dark and richly coloured with a unique exotic nose of oriental spices, black truffles, and plenty of depth ­ very lively! On the palate a full, unbelievably concentrated and sturdy wine. Chewy, intense and showing not a trace of its age ­ this wine will last forever! Magnificent in a good old-fashioned way! The best Burgundy we have ever tasted. 40 F I N E

Chewy, intense and showing not a trace of its age ­ this wine will last forever! Magnificent in a good old-fashioned way! The best Burgundy we have ever tasted. 3 41 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 8 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle Paul Jaboulet Aîné (Rhône) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki The 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle is one of those fairy tale wines you will never forget. No other wine from the region has left such an indelible mark on our hearts. In 1961 the weather conditions in the Rhône valley were variable ­ a mild winter, chilly and rainy weather in June and July reduced the crop size, drought in August and a beautiful sunny September brought the rest of the grapes to full Just a few months ago we took a long hike to the top of Hermitage hill to see the terraced vineyard where the tiny Saint-Christopher chapel stands, built by the knight Chevalier Gaspard de Stérimberg in 1235. In 1224 Gaspard de Stérimberg was wounded while on crusade. On his way home, this returning knight fell in love with the spot and spent the rest of his days leading the life of a hermit there. Jaboulet bought the chapel in 1919. maturity. Jaboulet´s vineyards Bessard and Le Meal only yielded one-fourth of their normal crop size ­ around one tonne per acre, but magnificently intense and concentrated grapes were born. 100 p Jaboulet Aîné (Rhône) The name of the great wine comes from there, but not the wine itself. This vineyard is situated too high on the hill of Hermitage to produce high-quality wine ­ but what a breathtaking view it has over the town Tain L'Hermitage. Jaboulet has a 21-hectare holding, spread over the various microclimates of Hermitage and La Chapelle, which has always had a blend of vines with an average age of 40 years grown in the vineyards of Les Bessard (19 ha) and Le Meal (6 ha). These are assembled to produce about 5,500 cases of the inimitabe "La Chapelle" per year. 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle 2008/2030 x24 D4h /G2h The bottle was in good condition, ullage was 2 cm. Very dark and youthful looking colour. A sound and wide-open nose of leather and truffles. Decanted 3 hours before serving. Very rich in flavour possessing an astonishing complexity and weight. Perfect harmony and balance now. Still quite a masculine and vigorous wine ­ will probably last eternally. Impressive length. We were so fortunate to taste this remarkable wine again ­ all the bottles have been real treasures. 42 F I N E

Impressive length. We were so fortunate to taste this remarkable wine again ­ all the bottles have been real treasures. 8 43 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 21 1947 Château Lafleur (Pomerol) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki This picturesque estate produces around 18,000 bottles per year which is less than half what its famous neighbour Château Pétrus does. The tiny production and great demand have made Lafleur wines hard to find. When it comes to this legendary wine from a superb vintage, it is almost impossible to acquire. 100 p 1947 Château Lafleur (Pomerol) 2008/2020 x16 D2h /G3h A peculiar thing with Lafleur is that the owners, the Robin family, have been producing this outstanding wine in very primitive conditions ­ in a barn with poultry and rabbits. This was changed only in 1984 when the barn was dedicated solely to wine production by Marie Robin's cousins, the Guinaudeaus, who took over the estate. Château bottled with high-shoulder level. Decanted one hour. A moderately deep, brick-red colour with some cloudiness. Intense youthful nose of ripe red berries dominate the wine: cherries and brambles alongside raisins and floral tones. After a while more aromas are creeping out: spices, meaty nuances and tar ­ mainly secondary and tertiary aromas. The medium-bodied wine has crisp acidity and loads of dark fruits, cherries and wild strawberries. Tannins are powdery but elegant. The finish of the wine is very fresh and long with a mouth-watering effect. An astonishing satinlike texture! 44 F I N E

Intense youthful nose of ripe red berries dominate the wine: cherries and brambles alongside raisins and floral tones. 21 45 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 29 1907 Champagne Goût American Heidsieck & Monopole (Champagne) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki In the early hours of November 3rd 1916, off the coast of Finland, the Jönköping, a small Swedish wooden schooner, was stopped by the German submarine U-22. She was carrying 3,000 bottles of champagne, 10,000 gallons of cognac and 17 barrels of Burgundy wine, as well as steel products in her hold. Because of the steel products, the commander of the U-22 decided to sink her instantly, but saved the lives of the crew. The vessel went down in less than an hour, remaining untouched at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for more than 80 years. An astonishing, very old looking bottle. Excellent level; decanted only five minutes before tasting. Pale and light, almost youthful colour. Still has some sparkle left. Sweet, fruity, and fresh nose dominated by honey and exotic fruit and raisins. Sweet and one of the richest champagnes we have ever tasted. It has an amazingly good balance and structure. Not too sweet, even though the Heidsieck Goût American style had a relatively high dosage. Surprisingly long and pleasing wine, which moved smoothly and easily down our throats, leaving a most memorable and historic aftertaste. 1907 Champagne Goût American 99 p Heidsieck & Monopole (Champagne) 2005/now x6 D 15 h / G 20 min In early 1997 the wreck was found by a Swedish search team at a depth of 64 meters. The water temperature in the Baltic Sea, hovering around four degrees Celsius, the total darkness and the water pressure at 64 meters had all combined to preserve these bottles in immaculate condition for 82 years. 46 F I N E

Sweet and one of the richest champagnes we have ever tasted. It has an amazingly good balance and structure. 29 47 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 35 1985 Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido (Tuscany) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki from the main family business of raising thoroughbred racehorses. Nevertheless, it was never his intention to make commercial wine; he "unintentionally" created the most influential wine in modern Italian history. The first bottles of Sassicaia appeared in small quantities in 1948, and were all enjoyed by himself and his guests on the estate. From then on to the early 1960s, Sassicaia was a completely private estate, and all the Sassicaias were drunk on the estate itself. Each year, a small number of cases were stored in the cellars, and the Marquis discovered that the wine seriously improved with age. In the mid 1960s he planted two more vineyards with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The first one, new "Sassicaia" vineyard (about 10 hectares), was situated approximately 300 meters lower than the original vineyard, as was the second one "Aianova" vineyard (three hectares). In time all the wines produced from these vineyards became known as Sassicaia. After almost 30 years of experimentation and solid work the Marquis decided to release Sassicaia´s 1968 vintage to the open market using his cousin Antinori´s distribution network in the early 1970s, with instant sensation. At a Decanter tasting of Cabernet wines in London, 1978, Sassicaia from vintage 1972 beat all the other 33 wines of France and California, and since then Sassicaia has been one of the leading wines in the world and in great demand among wine collectors and investors. The saying "behind every great wine is a great man" is fairly true f l in the history of wines. Several of today's legendary wines have been born just because of the force and foresight of these wine pioneers who had the vision and courage to create something out the ordinary in their own region. Often these men lived and influenced wine areas, which prior to their success had produced mediocre wines at most for decades or even for centuries. In a way, Brunello di Montalcino owes its origin to the Ferruccio Biondi Santi, The Bodegas Vega Sicilia Unico to Domingo de Garramiola y Arbe, Château Musar to Gaston Hochar, Penfolds Grange to Max Schubert, Barca Velha to Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, and Tignanello to Marchese Piero Antinori, as does Sassicaia to Marquis Mario Incisa della Rochetta. Sassicaia was the drive and foresight of Marquis Mario Incisa della Rochetta, a native of Piedmont, along with the guidance from Piero Antinori´s winemaker, Giacomo Tachis. In the 1920s, whilst a student in Pisa, Marquis Mario Incisa della Rochetta dreamed of creating a "refined" wine. Like many of the Italian aristocracy at the time, he preferred the taste of the finest Bordeaux ­ Château Margaux was particularly his favorite. In 1940 he moved with his wife to his Tuscan estate, the Tenuta San Guido, located a few miles from Bolgheri, a small town on the Tuscan coast. Because of its nearness to the sea, Bolgheri had never before been considered as a quality wine region. After settling down, Marquis della Rochetta experimented with several grape varieties and came to the conclusion that it was Cabernet that had that refined bouquet he was looking for. In 1942 he planted one thousand cuttings of Cabernet vines from Château Lafite-Rothschild on the hillsides of Castiglioncello, which in his opinion was influenced by the location's similarity to graves in Bordeaux. "Graves" means "gravel" in French, and likewise, the earth at Castiglioncello gave Sassicaia its name, which in Tuscan dialect means "stony grounds". To make wine that had Cabernet Sauvignon as its primary variety was a brave decision and took courage in those days, when no one had even considered to make wines from Bordeaux varieties on Italian soil. Despite protest from the locals, he kept experimenting with Cabernet Sauvignon as a sideline, separate 99 p 1985 Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido (Tuscany) 2008/2020 x11 D 1.5 h / G 2.5 h The best vintage of the 1980s in Tuscany was by far the 1985. And the best wine of that year in Italy was Sassicaia. This vintage is in a different league from any other Sassicaia ever made, even the legendary 1972. Moderately intense, ruby red colour. Very open and complex nose full of violets, ripe blackcurrants, dark chocolate, cedar wood, spices and tobacco. Rich medium-bodied palate shows fresh acidity and intense sweet dark fruit alongside ripe velvety tannins. The taste is very concentrated, savoury and long-lasting. A really elegant wine with enough energy to hold well for years or even decades. 48 F I N E

The taste is very concentrated, savoury and long-lasting. A really elegant wine with enough energy to hold well for years or even decades. 35 Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 94 1962 Unico Bodegas Vega Sicilia (Ribera del Duero) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki Once upon a time as I was walking the narrow side streets of Rincon, a seashore town east of Malaga, I spotted a very promising looking wine shop. I had been looking for old Unicos on my previous trips to Spain without success, but once again I decided to try my luck. Inside, I found one Unico 1985 on the shelf, but that was all. I took a little time to look at what other interesting bottles the dusty shelves might hold, and in a far corner, high up on the last shelf I discovered a small wooden case. On tiptoe I managed to get it down, and as I blew away the dust the text on it revealed: Unico 1962 Magnum ­ my own birth year. The smile on my face grew even wider as the owner told me that for years he had assumed the case was empty, and he would now happily sell it to me for the original price. The bottle itself was good as new, as was the buyer. ­ The Unico wine is produced only in exceptional years, that is, in the course of one decade two or three vintages are "sacrificed" in order to maintain the high quality. It is right that the effect of the harvest is present in each wine: then the '81, '74, '75, '66 and '65 are Unicos in aromatical complexity reaching baroque extremes and the '70, '89, '62, '42 and '22 ones are based on the tannic power reaching to be perpetual wine, said Mr. Alvarez, the manager of Vega Sicilia, to me when I asked his personal opinion about what other vintages might reach the level of the 1962. 98 p 1962 Unico Bodegas Vega Sicilia (Ribera del Duero) In Spain the climate conditions in 1962 had all the characteristics of a great year: cold winter and mild spring with high pluviometry. During the hot summer there were great thermal fluctuations between day and night, a phenomena which contributes to the mark of a great vintage. The harvest took place under excellent temperature conditions and sunny skies. Because of the excellent climate conditions the harvesting began at the beginning of October. The result was very good, and it was possible to bottle 87,600 bordelais bottles and 2,000 magnums. Excellent looking magnum with level by the neck. Decanted one hour. A very classic Unico nose ­ cherries, blackberries, vanilla, and cedar wood aromas. Still a tannic and youthful wine. Full-bodied with an ideal inherent sense of balance. Very long and complex aftertaste. An absolutely brilliant wine. This great Vega Sicilia Unico 1962 has the potential to live for another decade or more. 2008/2015 x9 D2h /G4h 50 F I N E

An absolutely brilliant wine. This great Vega Sicilia Unico 1962 has potential to live for another decade or more. 94 51 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 97 1976 Grange Hermitage Penfolds (South Australia) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki It took 10 years from the time the first experimental Grange was made before the wine gained general acceptance and the prejudices were overcome. As the earlier vintages matured in bottle and progressively became less aggressive and more refined, people generally began to take notice. In retrospect, the 1950's were exciting years of discovery, faith, doubt, humiliation and triumph. The 1960's were rewarding years of contentment in the knowledge that the continued making of Grange was safe with ample funds available for this purpose. Since that time, Grange Hermitage has never looked back. It is safe to say the 1976 Grange comes from one of the top three vintages of the 70's. It has taken the test of time very well as is expected from such faultlessly ideal ripening conditions. The vintage was warm and the Grange still shows high extraction and a big structure. The 1976 is 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new American hogsheads for 18 months. Fine looking bottle with top-shoulder level. Decanted 1.5 hours. Dark, bright, deep red colour. Fragrant nose with hints of over ripeness, rich blackcurrant, mint, and vanilla. The palate has an excellent concentration of cherry and black fruits with bags of gentle oak giving a fat, spicy underpinning. The mouthfeel is creamy and it has fine balance. Super intense and long, rich ending. Wonderful to drink now. 98 p 1976 Grange Hermitage Penfolds (South Australia) 2008/2020 x6 D3h /G2h 52 F I N E

The mouthfeel was creamy and it has fine balance. Super intense and long, rich ending. Wonderful to drink now. 97 . 53 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

no. 240 1896 Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) Text and photos: Pekka Nuikki It is an early autumn morning and from the nearby river Ciron a large mist cloud rises over the hillside vineyards. As the day grows older the sun permeates the mist and warms the hillside. The distant figures of pickers can now be discerned between the vine rows. The experienced pickers walk roundshouldered and select the most ripe, almost raisin-like, and mould covered grapes, often just one at a time. The first phase of Château d'Yquem's harvest of vintage 1896 is under way. It started on September 21st as the sun comfortably warmed the still limber backs of the pickers, and continued under favourable conditions for the next five days. The result of this first careful harvest was some ten barrels of very concentrated wine. The second phase started on the 28th of September again under good weather conditions and ended with good results. The outcome of one day was 15 barrels. which was considered a good achievement, though the alcohol content dropped. The fifth and final phase produced some 300 barrels in seven days, under very poor conditions, but the alcohol content stayed under 10% so they could not be used in Yquem. Altogether the harvest gave 826 barrels (22hl/ha) under variable weather conditions, but only the first quarter was up to the standards of Yquem. 96 p 1896 Château d'Yquem (Sauternes) 2007/2010 x6 D1h /G2h The pickers returned to the fields and the botrytis covered grapes for a third time a week later, when the volatile weather was already giving signs of approaching heavy rain. The amount harvested was raised to 24 barrels a day. The unceasing rain arrived three days later and stopped the whole harvest for a week, giving the pickers a well-earned rest. The fourth phase of harvest was disturbed by constant rain, the outcome however amounted to 200 barrels in four days Decanted for 30 minutes. Retained its best characteristics for one hour after opening. Bottle outwardly as new, recorked at the estate in 1967. Wine level top shoulder. Very dark, but clear colour. The bouquet was very modest at the beginning, but after about 45 minutes the wine was totally different. It transformed into an intoxicating combination of caramel, overripe exotic fruit and honey that overwhelmed the room. Surprisingly full, creamy and silky wine with the same kind of velvety smooth, almost tangible softness as the 1811. Good balance and structure. Even the aftertaste included fresh, sweet fruit and sprightly acidity. A surprisingly elegant wine that appeared much younger than we expected. 54 F I N E

It transformed into an intoxicating combination of caramel, overripe exotic fruit and honey that overwhelmed the room. 240 55 1 0 0 0 F i n e s t W i n e s Fi n e 1 0 0 0 f i n e s t

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE CLOS DE BEZE 2006 1/5 1200 90x60 cm PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 56 F I N E

7 57 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

The Napa Valley Reserve ­ Wine from a perfect world Text: Juha Lihtonen · Photos: Pekka Nuikki Many people dream of having their own vineyard. Would it not be wonderful to drive up to your own estate and take a look at how the grapes are ripening on the vines, how the previous year's harvest is maturing in the barrels, to sample the different vintages from time to time, and enjoy a scrumptious lunch with the produce of your own vineyard? Life would be just perfect... But even that would not be enough for everyone, at least not in the United States. The estate must obviously be significant, and it should be located in America's highly regarded wine growing region, the Napa Valley, in a setting worth tens of millions. Of course, your winemakers would have to be world leading and your lunch cooked in a two Michelin star kitchen. It sounds like a millionaire's playground, but you only need a few hundred thousand dollars. Pure fantasy? No, it's true and for now still within reach of us all. 58 F I N E

­ This is a wine club with numerous opportunities ­ as a member you may also participate in the vineyard. You get your own row of vines, and with the help of our first-rate winemakers you can keep your eye on the production of the wine from the cultivation stage right up to bottling. 59 N A P A V A L L E Y Fi n e Na p a Va l l e y

A joyful buzz of conversation combines with the soft warbling sound of a jazz band playing in the background. Children tread grapes while their parents relax on the patio with a glass of wine in the midday sun. It is their own wine they are drinking. A glorious sea of vines spreads before them. Each family has rows and around 200 families are celebrating the harvest on the estate. Among the party are doctors, politicians, lawyers, professional sportsmen and women, and people from the entertainment industry, real estate and technology. Only membership of America's most exclusive wine club, The Napa Valley Reserve, will get you admitted to celebrations like this and this particular social circle. The best sort of expertise We are sitting in the simple but stylish library of The Napa Valley Reserve. The windows that reach from the floor to the ceiling offer superb views of the vineyards. The estate's director, Philippe Norfleet, is contently seated in a chair. ­ This is a tranquil place. It is nice to sit here, enjoying your own wine, immersed in the world of books. A full-time historian works here and maintains the foremost winery library in the United States, says Norfleet, showing me the rarest books in the library, the Family Dictionary, which dates back to 1695, and The Miller Gardeners' Dictionary, from 1759. In addition to the comprehensive collection of books on wine, on the shelves are to be found vessels for serving it, including a Roman amphora from the 2nd century, a decanter from the 3rd, and a Greek bowl from the 4th. It is an impressive collection. In its precious atmosphere of calm it says a lot about The Napa Valley Reserve. The place was built strictly for those who wanted more from wine than just the pleasure of its taste. ­ This is an exclusive wine club with numerous opportunities ­ as a member you may also participate in the vineyard. You get your own row of vines, and with the help of our first-rate winemakers you can keep your eye on the production of the wine from the cultivation stage right up to bottling. In addition, all members have the right to use the facilities. You can organize parties, tastings, lunches and dinners, or simply spend time here. We also put on special events, run courses and arrange interesting trips, explains Norfleet. The idea is to give members a chance to produce wine they would seldom otherwise get the opportunity to make as private vineyard owners. Just finding a good wine parcel for sale in Napa Valley is difficult, not to speak of the cost ­ this is the priciest wine growing region in the United States. And if there happened to be just a tiny vineyard to buy, it would fetch more than a hundred times the cost of aThe Napa Valley Reserve membership. The quality of the wines would be different too. The members have at their disposal some of the world's most highly respected winemakers: H. William Harlan, Bob Levy and Michel Rolland. Harlan, who set up The Napa Valley Reserve, has invested over 50 million dollars in the project. He has conducted precise soil surveys, planted the most suitable clones from the legendary Harlan Estate in ideal rootstocks, and aligned the vines at the best possible angle to the sun to ensure grape quality. ­ The advantage of our program also lies in the fact that our members don't need to be responsible for the production and success of the work, as the experts ensure the quality of the wines that are made, observes Norfleet. 60 F I N E

­ This is a tranquil place. It is nice to sit here, enjoying your own wine, immersed in the world of books. A full-time historian works here and maintains the foremost winery library in the United States. The estate's director, Philippe Norfleet. N A P A V A L L E Y 61 Fi n e Na p a Va l l e y

62 F I N E

Becoming a member But you don't get to become a member just like that. There is a membership committee which considers applications, Norfleet says. ­ We have to restrict the total number of members according to how productive our vineyards are. If each member desires one barrel of wine we will have approximately 450 members. If they choose to purchase less than that, we will have a bit more room. We haven't had to start a waiting list yet, but it looks as though we're going to need one within a couple of years or so. It's impossible to speculate how vacancies will come available. Because of this we are careful about who we accept as members. We want interesting people to join The Napa Valley Reserve. We are always keen to have new members from abroad. To cater to our members around the world we have organized events in Europe and tastings in Asia. For example, we had a trip to France where we visited all of the First Growth's, a high performance car ice racing trip to Sweden, and several pending trips to South America, Spain and Italy. Most of our current members are from the USA, but we've been glad to accept members from countries such as China, Korea, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Panama, and Canada. The average age of members is presently 50, and most are couples. Our youngest member is 28. Members have to be 21 years of age to join and pay a US$165,000 refundable deposit. Membership is per household and can be handed down to children in the family. If a member leaves, he gets back 80% of his deposit. Besides the deposit, each member has to pay an annual fee of 2,000 dollars and buy at least 72 bottles of wine from the estate every year. One bottle costs 75 dollars. There is, also, a limit to how much wine you can have. Every year a member can purchase a maximum of three barrels of wine, which is 900 bottles. The wines are allocated and members have to say how much they want to reserve as their share before bottling takes place. ­ We want interesting people to join who are good company at dinner. We are always keen to have new members from abroad." 63 N A P A V A L L E Y Fi n e Na p a Va l l e y

If desired, members are able to influence the style of their wine, under the direction of Bob Levy and on a per barrel basis. Having your own wine is in itself an inducement to apply to be a member. With The Napa Valley Reserve, the situation is even more tempting. Membership allows access to America's most sought after wines, because the same man ­ H. William Harlan ­ is behind them. There are long waiting lists for Harlan's cult wines, Harlan Estate and Bond, both of which fetch hundreds of dollars and are extremely difficult to get a hold of. Membership in The Napa Valley Reserve guarantees access to the Harlan wine, and of course your very own. Each member has the ability to personalize their wine by creating their own individual label, if they so choose. Each bottle of The Napa Valley Reserve wine is accompanied by tasting notes that proudly state that the wine is produced by the Harlan Estate winemaking team. Creating your own wine During the year a number of events are organized for members at The Napa Valley Reserve, some of the most popular of which are Michel Rolland's seminar on wine and Margrit Mondavi and Patricia Wells' culinary arts and wine classes. During the growing season there are numerous wine events, where members have the opportunity to take part in and follow the various stages of production. If desired, members are able to influence the style of their wine, under the direction of Bob Levy and on a per barrel basis. After production, members decide what size bottle they want for their wine. There are various options: normal (75cl), magnum (1.5 litres), double magnum (3 litres) and imperial (6 litres). Finally they can design their own label for the bottle, though each requires the approval of The Napa Valley Reserve. All of the wine is for members' personal use; it may be donated, given as gifts, but not commercially sold. The estate's first vintage so far ­ the 2004 ­ is still maturing in the cellars. Whilst waiting, members have the opportunity to purchase introductory wine that is produced by the Harlan Estate winemaking team. A cellar deep in the ground The Napa Valley Reserve is still maturing ­ like its wine ­ and is not completely ready yet. That is indicated in the production areas that are being renovated behind its fashionable reception buildings. However, the cellars, hollowed out of the rock and measuring 40,000 square feet, are almost complete. Wine production and the maturation areas are ready, but the cellars for storing the bottles are still being finished. It is obvious that no expense has been spared in the production areas. 64 F I N E

N A P A V A L L E Y 65 Fi n e Na p a Va l l e y

All the equipment and apparatus are the best one can get. Meticulous attention has been paid to detail. The technical solutions have been designed with the wine itself in mind, to ensure the best possible quality. One example is the oak barrel racks, which enable the barrels to be turned over at the fermentation stage. Turning the barrels four times a day makes for better integration of the tannins and oak in the wine as well as exposing the free-run juice to the skins. The temperature is controlled by thermal piping under the floor and in the walls. The tunnels next to the technical production area lead to a splendid area for members. Twelve tasting areas hewn out of the rock and insulated by means of glass walls will function as members' cellars. The lockable storage areas located here guarantee ideal conditions for keeping the wine. 66 F I N E

The perfect leisure destination ­ Adjacent to the wine estate, just a moments drive away, is one of the finest properties in the Napa Valley. Meadowood Napa Valley is a Relais & Châteaux property with a two-star Michelin restaurant and our members are able to enjoy it. Meadowood, which Harlan owns with his partners, is a natural extension of the wine estate, offering our members such facilities as golf, tennis, swimming, and spa treatments. Meadowood's two Michelin star restaurant also handles all The Napa Valley Reserve's catering, guaranteeing our members not just superb wines but access to one of the best restaurants in the country, praises Norfleet. The Napa Valley Reserve, with the Meadowood facilities comprise together a unique whole. A first-rate setting, the world's leading winemakers, and its luxurious accommodation and catering services make it the world's most perfect wine estate. And the best thing about it is, it could be yours. With no responsibilities and no big risks you will have available to you a leisure destination, your own exclusive wines and hundreds of new contacts from around the world. Life really can be perfect. > www.thenapavalleyre serve.c om ­ A unique wine club where members can participate as much or as little as they would like in all the activities they would normally have as vineyard owners but without the risk. Each area has its own computer to monitor temperature and moisture levels. In order to eliminate mould spores, no natural fibres have been used here, and the furniture is of metal. New tasting areas will be built as required, to cater for the growing membership. Overall, though, The Napa Valley Reserve offers its members magnificent facilities. The only thing one wonders about is where to stay over night during the visit. 67 N A P A V A L L E Y Fi n e Na p a Va l l e y

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE FROSTY MORNING IN BRANCOTT VALLEY 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 60 x60 cm JUDD 68 F I N E

8 69 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

Nata lie M clea Na ta li e Ma cl ea n ta l a Ph ot os : Pe kk a Nu i k ki h o t os: e kka u k Most are an intriguing blend of prestige, greed, cunning and secrecy. Even some of the most august labels have been counterfeited: Château Pétrus, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Sassicaia and Penfold's Grange. But who knows how many more there may be--these are just a few for which the thieves have been caught purple-handed. I t has an invitingly rich aroma, with surprising green notes and a good grip down the middle, but it's hard to swallow. Mmmm... the smell of a good wine scandal. 70 F I N E

M a c l e a n 71 Fi n e Ma c l e a n

I n 2002, a gang of counterfeiters in China re-labeled US$200 bottles of wine as 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild, which sells for up to US$5,700 a pop, and then sold them for US$1,100. Customs agents eventually seized more than 700 bottles, but had no idea how many more bottles had already been sold before the raid. Customs and Excise agents in Hong Kong found another 12,000 of falsely-labeled 1995 Mouton Cadet in a supermarket. Faulty taste buds Wine is a natural for fakery. It has the aura of sophistication and often a substantial price tag: the best labels sell for high prices, such as the 1982 Pétrus, which commands US$4,000 a bottle today. (But the substituted plonk costs only a few bucks, giving counterfeiting a nice margin.) Then there's the easy access: wine is stored in unlocked bulk barrels until it's bottled and the packaging is easily duplicated. After it leaves the winery, a bottle may have passed through numerous hands before it reaches the glass, so its provenance is taken on trust by the person who buys it. And even if it tastes bad, less-expert drinkers may be cowed into believing that their taste buds are at fault, not the phony wine. As a result, counterfeiting wine and other luxury products, such as art and jewelry, attracts both petty thieves and organized crime. In fact, more than a quarter of all criminal groups and drug traffickers are involved in some form of product counterfeiting. (A report by Britain's National Criminal Intelligence Service points out that fakery is also an excellent way for terrorists to both raise money and to launder it.) Noah's Ark It's also so prevalent among spirits that the Scotch Whisky Association estimates that 65% of scotch sold in Taiwan is fake. Fake Canadian ice wine is also a problem in Asia, where more than half of what is sold is made from grapes that have been frozen in the freezer or from juice concentrate rather than from grapes naturally frozen on the vine. It sells for much less than the real thing under bizarre labels such as "Muzzy Land" and "Chilliwacko." And when will fraudsters stop "discovering" more eighteenth-century bottles from the cellar of Thomas Jefferson? They now seem to be as common as slivers of wood from the cross sold in some religious shops ­ enough to build Noah's Ark. 72 F I N E

Canterbury Tales This is hardly news though: man has been tampering with wine almost since he began making it. In ancient Egypt, clay wine pots were sealed with the Pharaoh's stamp to guarantee quality ­ but clever forgers soon made a convincing likeness. One of the earliest literary references to doctored drinks comes from Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth-century Canterbury Tales: Keep clear of wine, I tell you, white or red, Especially Spanish wines which they provide And have on sale in Fish Street and Cheapside. That wine mysteriously finds its way To mix itself with others ­ shall we say Spontaneously? ­ that grow in neighboring regions. Anti-fraud Agency Today, there are even more wines and misdemeanors: Serena Sutcliffe, head of the international wine department at Sotheby's, believes that the high end market is "awash in fakes. "The famous American wine critic Robert Parker concurs: "I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of what's in the cellars of big collectors turns out to be fakes." That's hardly just a tempest in a Riedel glass. Those who wish to benefit illicitly from wine usually target the great French regions: they represent the benchmark of quality and therefore of price. As a result, the French anti-fraud agency has forty-five full-time agents dedicated to the field of wine alone. The laws are strict and complex for French vintners as well. They have to follow rules about the number of vines they plant per hectare, methods of viticulture, total yield, the process of making their wine and the labeling of it. Further quality classifications are based on certain regions and châteaux. All of this regulation translates to high prices for those who are at the top of the hierarchy--and strong temptation for those who are not. In 2002, Bordeaux wine distributor Jacques Hemmer was caught blending and mislabeling some 4,000 hectoliters of wine. Hemmer admitted to illegally diluting the Bordeaux wine with cheaper plonk from southern France. He was sentenced to eighteen months in jail and fined a million euros (the equivalent of over a million dollars). 73 M a c l e a n Fi n e Ma c l e a n

Some producers conscientiously break the rules to make better wine. Infamous suicide Then there was the infamous 1973 "Cruze Affair," named after the family empire caught selling table wine as quality wine. The French court fined the family US$8.1 million, the business collapsed and one family member even committed suicide. As a general rule, though, the great houses are targets rather than culprits--since they have more to lose. But in 1998, an ex-employee blew the whistle on Château Giscours, one of the top sixty-one classified châteaux among thousands in Bordeaux. The estate's former general manager had apparently not only blended 140,000 litres of its 1995 secondlabel wine with another vintage, but had also stretched the batch with cheap wine from another region, added sugar to increase the alcohol level and for good measure, tossed in some wood chips for that lovely toasted barrel aroma. (The moral of the story: wineries should either abide by the law or offer better severance packages.) The French newspaper Le Monde referenced the 1980´s American soap opera in describing the scandal as a "Remake of Dallas." Preventing oxidation The only tampering that's legal in France is topping a wine with more of the same vintage to prevent oxidation. The older wines of some top châteaux were allegedly "rejuvenated" with younger vintages. Several years ago a Belgian wine merchant got caught trying to sell more than 350 bottles of such "reconditioned" 1900 Lafite and Margaux. He was unrepentant about his deed though. "Let's quit the hypocrisy," Khaled Rouabah told the French press. "Adding a little younger wine to an old bottle protects the ancestor and regenerates it, which satisfies the consumer." Perhaps he's right. Certainly, France has been criticized for crippling its own wine industry with arcane laws. That's one of the 74 F I N E

reasons why it has steadily lost ground to New World producers, who have more freedom to blend different grapes and regions, add sugar to their wines and even irrigate their crops. In fact, some French regulations almost seem designed to prevent new producers from making better wine and hence disturbing the established hierarchy. Back in 2000, the upstart St-Emilion producer Château Valandraud was required to declassify part of its wine. Its crime: covering part of the vineyard ground with plastic sheets so that excess rainwater wouldn't reach the vine roots and thin the grapes, and thus the wine. Real Super Tuscans Some producers conscientiously break the rules to make better wine. Twenty years ago, a handful of Italian vintners decided to simply abandon the coveted Chianti D.O.C. quality designation so that they could choose their own grapes and methods. They created the nowcult wines called Super Tuscans, such as Sassicaia. In France, though, most producers are still stuck with the Byzantine regulations. In Burgundy, the system is especially complex. Unlike Bordeaux, where estates are large and easily identified because of the traditional system of passing the entire inheritance on to the firstborn, Burgundian land is divided equally among the offspring. As a result, the region is a patchwork of vineyard owners. (The most famous is Clos de Vougeot, which has eighty-two owners.) Therefore, rather than being bottled at the château, most wine is blended and bottled by 115 merchants. These négoçiants choose from 96 appellations that include 562 classified vineyards. In the late 1980´s, it was discovered that several Burgundian négoçiants had beefed up poorer vintages of their Pinot Noir by adding the robust wines of southern France. Other small operators had labeled non-vintage everyday red wine as the august 1990 VosneRomanée. More recently, in 2000, one Beaune merchant not only blended cheap wines with more expensive ones, but also added water, glycerine and aromatic essences to them. He tried to sell the result under some of the most prestigious labels, including Volnay, Gevrey Chambertin, Meursault and Nuits-Saint-Georges. But the Burgundy Bottom of the Barrel Award should go to winemaker Bernard Grivelet, who in 2001 was caught bottling plonk in magnums. Evidently he figured that no one would open such largeformat bottles (1.5 and 3 liters) until they had aged for ten years. But one curious wine expert called his bluff and detected the fraud. Of course, France isn't the only country where shady dealings take place in dark cellars. In Italy, the Fraud Squad seized more than a million bottles of ersatz Chianti in 2000. But they were convinced that many more fakes were produced-- some six and half million bottles, or roughly 10% of the region's annual production. And temptation is thrusting its roots deeper in the region. Tuscan winemaker Piero Antinori says that most of the local vineyards were planted in the 1960´s, and now need to be replanted. But that would leave a five-to-seven-year gap in production, since new vines take that long to start producing. Cheap fakes New World producers are not immune to such nefarious activity: even cheap wines can be nice little earners at the right volume. Fred Franzia, former president of the California Wine Institute, pleaded guilty in 1994 to falsely labeling the varietals used in US$5million worth of the Bronco Wine Company's product. One of the varieties was white zinfandel, which is considered plonk anyway. He was fined US$2.5 million. Last year, several South African winemakers were detected adding flavorings to their sauvignon blanc to give it more of the classic green pepper and gooseberry aroma. Apparently, authorities were aware of this several years ago but found it impossible to identify the chemicals from the naturallyexisting essences in the wine. It was measurements of the total level of these substances that finally put the nail in the barrel. A health concern Some say this is the inevitable result of the pressure to produce the homogenous international style of wine that the market demands at increasingly low prices, coupled with more sophisticated technology and laboratory techniques. And one wonders if this popular white wine can still be expected to help position South African wines as premium products on international markets. 75 M a c l e a n Fi n e Ma c l e a n

Then there are the scams that don't even involve anything drinkable, but capitalize instead on the elusive promise of profit. In Britain, a network of fake firms swindled millions of pounds from unwary consumers in what became known as the "Claret Web." The fraudsters got hold of the shareholder lists of several public companies and then cold-called people, promising huge returns on wines for a small investment. The wines never materialized. Two million Profit Also in England, in the lead up to the millennium, two creative charlatans set up a grand-sounding company called the House of Delacroix. They conned more than a thousand investors into buying large quantities of champagne, which were to be kept in a warehouse until retail stocks were in low supply­ then auctioned off for "the biggest party the planet has ever thrown." They pocketed £2 million after palming off low-quality fizz. Even the counterfeiters have to protect themselves against fraud In an effort to keep ahead of counterfeiters, winemakers and law enforcers are relying on an increasingly sophisticated range of methods. They borrow technology from the pharmaceutical industry to produce tamper-proof capsules and from the banking industry to create no-tear, micro-printed labels which is used for small print such as the words "United States of America" around Andrew Jackson's picture on an American $20 bill. In fact, bottle labels are the prime focus with Braille, hot stamping, embossing, laser etching, ultraviolet inks and guilloché engraving, which reveals an embedded void message if a document is photocopied. Other techniques include holograms, radio frequency tags, tracking systems and of course, greater security on-site at the winery. (Apparently, even the counterfeiters have to protect themselves against fraud: several were discovered to have installed elaborate security cameras to protect their equipment.) The theory is much like car alarms and security sticks on the driving wheel: thieves would rather pick off an easier target. Fake spelling But sometimes, the only method needed to spot a fake is a sound education in spelling. On several phony bottles of 1990 Penfold's Grange, the word "pour" was spelled as "poor." That crook is almost as hapless as the Canadian man who recently tried to persuade a printer to reproduce the famous 1975 Château MoutonRothschild label design by Andy Warhol. Fortunately, the printer alerted the police. Sometimes tampered wine can even be a health concern. In 1999, French police seized 100,000 bottles of Côtes du Rhône wine because dried cow's blood had been used as a clarifying agent. Several materials are used to fine the wine by binding to excess proteins, tannins and pigments in order to clarify the product. Bentonite is common, as are egg whites; they settle out of the wine and aren't considered harmful. However, this particular producer had used dried cow's blood which was banned following the European mad cow scare. Similarly, the Australian winery Kingston Estate used silver nitrate as a fining agent to get rid of the byproduct hydrogen sulfide, which can produce a rotten egg smell in wine. The legal substance is copper sulfate; silver nitrate is banned. Still, the amount used was far less than what is already in the country's drinking water. So why the fuss? The Australian Wine and Brandy Commission had forbidden the use of silver nitrate in an effort to position the country's wines as pure and natural. This was particularly a concern in the aftermath of the Austrian antifreeze scandal. Back in 1985, several small winemakers were caught trying to give their wines more body by adding diethylene glycol, an ingredient in antifreeze. Although the additive posed no health risks, the country's annual wine exports plunged from 27.5 million liters to 4.5 million liters the following year. Other additives have had fatal, rather than just financial, consequences. In 1986, twenty-three people died and many more suffered liver damage after drinking Italian wines to which the toxic chemical methanol had been added. And only last year, Cox Newswire reported that more than 22,000 Russians died from drinking phony vodka. 76 F I N E

And it was for security not sentimental reasons that the Bordeaux Château Cos d'Estournel returned its ornate and engraved label from the 1890s for its 1997 vintage. The Super Tuscan Sassicaia also redesigned its bottles in 2000 after discovering 20,000 knock-offs were on the market. The estate name is now embossed directly into the glass, rather than just printed on the label; and Sassicaia is also considering an embedded microchip that could be recognized by an electronic scanner. Wine´s DNA To further frustrate criminals, scientists at the National Institute of Agronomic Research at Montpellier, in southern France, are mapping the DNA of six hundred wines. They hope to someday develop genetic profiles of high-quality wines. Right now, DNA testing can detect the presence of certain grapes in a wine, but not their relative quantities and quality: the purification and filtering of winemaking remove much of the wine's DNA. Still, what's left can be useful: Australian giant BRL Hardy now impregnates the label ink of its premium Eileen Hardy Shiraz with DNA from hundred-yearold vines. The DNA can be authenticated by a scanner that was first developed for the security systems at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. (Now you and your wine can be scanned at airports and dinner parties.) But despite his country's contributions to wine security techniques, Australian counterfeit investigator Ken Taylor says that fewer than one per cent of winemakers around the world actually take any measures to protect their wines. That's surprising considering how important the wine industry is to many countries. In France, for instance, the wine industry employs more than a million people, from winemakers to distributors, and brings in more than US$10 billion a year. Loss of reputation But in an ocean of wine, why cry over a few spilled glasses? The Bordeaux malefactor Jacques Hemmer's ill-gotten stash represented less than .05% of the region's annual production of a billion bottles. But the disreputable actions of a few can affect everyone, as in the case of the Austrian debacle and the Cruze Affair; in its wake, prices for all Bordeaux wines fell by more than 20%. Worse still is the loss of reputation for a winery or an entire region. It can take years for both to recover. And with each scandal that's exposed, we consumers become more selective, a little less willing to splurge on the expensive stuff. But what we really need to do is change our attitude toward wine. Do we see it as a commodity, to be traded like pork bellies, or as a work of art? Do we maybe revere it a little too much? Perhaps it's time to take wine off its pedestal and put it on the table where it belongs. Yes, it's a natural product but technology has helped to improve it. Yes, it's a multilayered sensory experience but it's also just a drink. And yes, there are experts who can write pages of purple prose but we can still decide for ourselves whether the wine we drink is good or bad. > M a c l e a n The Shampain School for Scandal 77 But even though wineries may be slow to adopt espionage-like protective technologies, the aftereffects of publicized scandals can be encouraging, prompting more natural winemaking practices, from gravity-flow wineries to organic and biodynamic methods. And there's nothing like a scandal for a good housecleaning and soul-searching. Almost twenty years later, Austria has some of the strictest winemaking legislation in Europe and its annual exports have bounced back to 80 million liters. Fi n e Ma c l e a n

78 F I N E

9 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE ALSACE 90x60 cm 1000 PHOTOGRAPHY by LEHMANN 79 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

the greate st B ordeaux vintage ever? Text: Ja n-Er i k Pau l s on Photos: Pekka Nuikki I 'm writing this during the en primeur campaign for the 2007 vintage and notice that the Bordelais châteauowners and négociants have been unusually quiet this year. I have followed this part of the market from a distance for close to 30 years now and have been told about a large number of "vintages of the century". After the wines have been bottled and sold or the other way round, as the case is in Bordeaux, these claims tend to be modified. Who are the serious contenders for the title "The Greatest Vintage Ever"? During the 19th century there were a number of vintages with a great reputation made from pre-phylloxera vines. These include the legendary "Comet vintage" 1811, 1864, 1865, 1870, 1893, 1895 and 1899. Most are too old for anyone now alive to have tasted them at their peak. In the book "The 1,000 Finest Wines Ever Made" 1961 is the Bordeaux vintage mentioned most often, with 22 châteaux. 1945 is mentioned 19 times, 1947 16 times, 1982 14 times and 1959 13 times. What is the definition of a great wine? During the 20th century claims have been raised for the vintages 1900, 1921, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949 (by me), 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989 and 1990. In the present century already three out of the eight vintages produced ­ 2000, 2003 and 2005 ­ have been mentioned by an overly excited wine press as candidates for the title. It is a wine that has a long drinking span. It has to be good to drink young, but it must also be able to age for a long time without losing its attractiveness. A good vintage produces wines fulfilling these requirements. It is a wine that has an extra dimension giving you an unforgettable drinking experience ­ in other words, a "Wow!" effect. 81 B O R D E A U X Fi n e Vi n ta g e

A great vintage, however, is equally good in all major regions of Bordeaux, both on the left o bank and right bank. It is also a vintage where spec something special was produced in all the appell different appellations, from the lowest Cru Bourgeois to the mightiest Premier Cru. 1961 fulfils these requirements better than any fulfils other vintage. vintage It was the vinta where the most incompetent winemaker just couldn't make a poor wine and the wines drank very well at an early w stage; in most cases they still do so to stage this very day. v Some extremely impressive wines were produced in 1945, but these were mainly from the left bank and a large number of the wines had lar excessively high tannin levels, exces which made them increasingly dry as they aged. 1947 produced the most stunning wines on the right bank but many wine wines on the left bank had problems wine with volatile acidity. 1959 produced a number of wines that are at the same level and sometimes even a bit higher than the some corresponding 1961's, and some corre experienced wine critics like Michel exper Bettane prefer 1959 to 1961. But Betta 1959 doesn't have the same consistent quality at all levels. quali 1982 undoubtedly produced many very impressive wines but I feel that the wines from the right bank lack w structure and have not aged very well struc and only very few wines from Margaux and Médoc were a great Marg success. succe The twin vintages of 1989 and 1990 may come closest in overall quality, but it is too early to judge their ageing abilities yet. The same obviously goes for the wines from this young century. What made 1961 so special? It was a very small crop, the smallest since the Second World War. This was partly due to coulure (cold weather at the time of flowering) and in some parts because of frost on the night between 30th and 31st of May, together reducing the yield per vine to about a third of the usual size at that time (which, compared to today's harvests, seems miniscule). This concentrated the minerals and potency of the vine amongst the few remaining grapes and was the reason for the success of minor châteaux, which would normally produce much higher yields than would be good for their wines. August and September were both hot and extremely dry. This drought caused the ripening to take longer than the usually mandated 100 days. The harvest was delayed until 22 September, but enjoyed perfect conditions. Because of better cellaring techniques the wine-makers avoided the hard tannins of 1945 and the volatility of the 1947's. The wines have a very deep colour, a seductive nose and full-bodied, concentrated mature fruitiness, with enough tannins and acidity to give the wines structure and freshness. I arranged a major tasting of more than sixty 1961's in 1989 and all the wines were very good, even from minor châteaux or from more famous properties that had not produced anything worthwhile for a very long time and some that have not done it to this day. I also arranged a tasting, together with Dr. Peter Baumann, of fifty wines in November 2001. I had expected a large number of these to now be over their zenith but was amazed to see that many had not seemed to age at all during these intervening 12 years. With very few exceptions they were still very much alive. 82 F I N E

Fi n e Vi n ta g e

the wines: Ma r g a u x a n d M é d o c This is usually the most variable and disappointing group at any horizontal tasting with a large number of underperforming châteaux. The star of this group and a serious candidate for the wine of the vintage is Château Palmer. It first reached fame in 1978 as it won the famous Dr. Taam tasting in Holland. It is a precocious wine that was drinkable before most Premier Crus had softened and many tasters have underestimated its longevity. I remember arranging a tasting for Château Palmer in 1995 where I decanted the wine just before the tasting, believing it to be past its best. It did not show very well so Peter Sichel, the co-owner of Château Palmer, suggested that we decant the bottles planned for dinner five hours before serving them. It had then fully opened up showing all its softness and warmth coupled with power and strength for a long life. One of the best wines after Palmer and Château Margaux, which will be covered in the group of the Premier Crus, is Malescot-St. Exupéry. Brane-Cantenac, Giscours, Cantemerle and La Lagune are all still good but need to be drank soon. G r av e s La Mission Haut-Brion is a fantastic wine, more powerful and concentrated than the soft and charming Haut-Brion. Other very good ones include La Tour Haut-Brion, Domaine de Chevalier, HautBailly and Pape Clément. St. E s t é p h e Cos d'Estournel is very good, Montrose is now shedding its tannins, whereas Calon-Ségur needs drinking, having given much joy over the years. St. E m i l i o n 1961 is one vintage where I prefer Figeac to Cheval Blanc; both are very good but Figeac shows more complexity and elegance. I prefer Cheval Blanc's '64 to its '61. Ausone and Canon are both lovely elegant wines but they do not have the concentration of a top '61. Two very underrated wines are L'Arrosée and La Gaffelière ­ both are very impressive and still bargains if you are lucky enough to find them. Po m e r o l The two rarest and most expensive wines from '61 both come from Pomerol. Pétrus and Latour-à-Pomerol. Both are tremendously impressive ­ Latour-à-Pomerol with great sweetness, richness and concentration. Pétrus with similar richness but with even more power and structure. I have never had the pleasure of drinking these two 84 F I N E

giants next to one another but expect Pétrus to have the longer life expectancy. Vieux-Château-Certan is a wonderful mature wine, as is Lafleur. A wine I have also found very good over the years is Château Gazin. It did then include grapes from a parcel of the best part of Pomerol, now belonging to Château Pétrus. I don't have any tasting notes on Trotanoy or L'Evangile, but both have a great reputation. St. Ju l i e n My personal favourite here is Ducru-Beaucaillou, possibly the most elegant of all wines. I have drunk it twice this year, and it was not showing any signs of ageing at all. It is closely followed by GruaudLarose and Léoville-Las Cases, both very impressive. Léoville and Langoa-Barton did not have a very good period then and are, like Léoville-Poyferré, disappointing for the vintage. Talbot and BranaireDucru are good but need drinking soon. Pa u i l l a c Both Pichons are good but I prefer Pichon-Baron as it has more structure and concentration than the slightly overripe Pichon-Lalande. Lynch-Bages is still very good just like Pontet-Canet. Pontet-Canet was bottled by several négociants, and the one to drink is the Crusebottling which was the unofficial château bottling at the time. Th e Pr e m i e r C r u s The star here is Château Latour. It is the most majestic of wines and the wine that will become the new collectors' item for millionaires as Mouton '45 and Cheval Blanc '47 start to fade away. It has great concentration of cabernet fruit with a firm tannic structure. Truly an iron fist in a silk glove, only now opening up to reveal its true greatness. It is also the wine that was ranked in first place in "The 1,000 Finest Wines Ever Made". Château Margaux made its finest wine since the legendary 1900 and it is still wonderful to drink. Mouton is a luscious wine on a par with its wonderful '59. Haut-Brion is soft and lovely but not as great as its '59. Lafite shows big bottle variation as it was still bottled from cask to cask at the time and over a long period. At its best it is very fine and delicate with little power but great elegance, at its worst it is a tired wine with no body or fruit left. Unfortunately great quality coupled with small quantity always leads to high prices, and this is particularly the case with the 1961 Bordeaux. However, all true winelovers should at least once in their lifetime have drunk a good '61 to know what a perfect claret can taste like. > 85 B O R D E A U X Fi n e Vi n ta g e

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE AUTUMN 60x60 cm 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by JUDD 86 F I N E

10 87 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

Wine Evaluation and Point System FINE evaluates all wines in circumstances as similar as possible to those which our readers would encounter them. In order for the evaluations to be truly beneficial for the reader we always act upon the following norms: We always evaluate the wines in good company ­ We strongly believe that the best part in enjoying a wine is in sharing the joy and pleasure. We do not taste the wines blind ­ Our readers do not usually drink their wines blind, so we are always aware of its name, origin or vintage when tasting. These factors naturally have an effect on the experience of the wine. We evaluate the wine within an hour of its opening ­ This is when most of our readers also have their wines. We give points to the wines based on their current enjoyment possibility ­ We believe that the most significant factor is how the wine in your glass tastes today, not ten years from now. This is why one of our most important tasks is to find amongst the thousands of wines we taste, those that are at their peak right now. In most cases we evaluate the wines in Riedel tasting glasses ­ As our readers do not always have the possibility to enjoy wine in the perfect glass, we have chosen the neutral Riedel tasting glass for our evaluations. Together with the wine evaluation we also advise how the wine should be served to enable best enjoyment. With each evaluation there is a mention of decanting time and serving temperature for the wine. As one of FINE's fundamental values is to support excellence, we have made the decision to not publish wines that receive below 79 points in our evaluations. We also appreciate wines that represent excellent value in their price to quality ratio and we present these for our readers' benefit. TASTING NOTE EXPLANATION We use a 100-point evaluation system, where the wines have been divided into the following categories: 99­100p A wine with the wow-effect. Sheer perfection to all senses by every parameter of wine quality. A true gift from nature. 86­89p A good wine with balance and complexity. 80­85p An average, though well-made wine. Nose and palate are somewhat one-dimensional and impersonal. 95­98p An outstanding wine that leaves an unforgettable tasting experience with its perfect structure, complexity and personality. 50­79p A modest and straightforward wine lacking life and harmony. This wine is excluded from appearing in FINE. 90­94p An excellent wine, that stands out by balance, intensity, complexity and character. 88 F I N E

RECENT FINE TASTINGS The Vine Club 1961 Bordeaux tasting page 90 the 1000 finest wines ever made book launch tasting page 94 napa valley cabernet 1997 page 97 australian premium shiraz 1998 page 99 premier wine club tasting page 101 the fine tasting club page 106 fine random rarities tasting page 108 89 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

The Vine Club 1961 Bordeaux tasting 100p Château Latour (Pauillac) This half bottle of Latour 1961 lived up to the romantic memory of our previous experiences. It has a beautiful dark red fully mature colour, which is almost orange on the rim. The scent is sound and open, classic, a perfectly merged bouquet. The presence of fruit was unbelievably rich. This sublimely rich, firm, still quite tannic, full, very long, and abundantly fruity classic blew our well-educated senses of taste into new life. Perfect balance and structure. Time 2008/2050 D3h/G1h lost its meaning. The sensations we experienced in that moment are almost impossible to describe. What we love most about this Goliath was the endless awe-inspiring finish. Not only was the mouth-feel like drinking liquid silk but the aristocratic finish of multi-layered Cabernet stayed on the palate for an eternity. The best wine we have ever encountered. We take a low bow to it. 100p Château Pétrus (Pomerol) A clear, moderately intense, brick red colour. A stunningly pronounced nose, which expanded in the glass. Complex aromas of cigar, cedar wood, smoke, dark chocolate, black berries, teak, and black olives. Such a youthful nose for its age. The taste has an extremely broad mouth-feel with elegant 2008/2020 D2h/G1h lively acidity, supple mellow tannins and ripe dark fruit aromas. A savoury finish with immense richness. A silky wine with an amazingly youthful style. This wine has scored a full 100 points seven times since we first tasted this wine in 1989. 99p Château Palmer (Margaux) This wine was one of the stars of the tasting. Medium intense cherry red colour. Pronounced and extremely complex nose shows very intense sense of dark fruits, cassis and lovely toastiness with elegance. The palate is broad and very elegant. The texture is satin-like and this medium-bodied wine has a super harmonious balance with gentle acidity, mellow tannins 2008/2015 D1h/G1h and ripe dark fruitiness. Lingering and immensely long finish. The wine just seems to have everything one might expect from a great wine. Nevertheless, I found some WOW factor lacking from this flawless wine, since it did not reach full 100 points. This wine is as good as it ever gets, so no point cellaring it any longer. 90 F I N E

98p Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Graves) At Château La Mission Haut-Brion a short period of intense cold at the end of May caused "exceptional coulure" (the lack of pollinisation due to wet or cold weather). A hot summer, but above all very dry (the driest on record). A very fine September yielded a harvest with good maturity and concentration. Harvesting began on September 12th and ended on September 25th. Pre-auction tasting at Christie's. Low neck level, otherwise like 2008/2020 D2h/G2h new. Decanted for one hour before tasting. Good, dark, maturing colour. Very wide, rich and intense nose with ripe fruit, tobacco and some oak aromas. Full-bodied and tannic. Big, thick, complex wine with great balance and very long and soft, seductive aftertaste. Serious wine and one of the many much-beloved 1961s. Tasted numerous times with similar notes. 98p Château Haut-Brion (Graves) This spectacular vintage had a rough start due to a cold period at the end of May causing severe coulure. After a poor fruit set in late spring, the weather changed into very hot and dry for the summer, actually the driest on record. Very fine weather in September guaranteed ideal ripeness of grapes and extremely high concentration. The rainfall this year was almost half the average in Haut-Brion. 2008/2020 D3h/G1h Both of the two bottles were in good condition. Decanted for two hours. This is Haut-Brion at its best without a doubt. Very dark, garnet in colour. Gorgeously intense nose ­ exotic, sweet black fruits and oriental spices. Full-bodied, very well balanced with an excellent structure. This finely concentrated but generously open wine shows a lovely sweet, round and intense ending. A real joy of a wine. 98p Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) Everytime we have tasted this wine it has been absolutely magnificent. This last bottle was bought from Christie's. It was in a very bad condition from the outside. Decanted for one hour before tasting. Dark, deep and mature colour. Ripe cassis fruit, herbs and sweetness could be sensed in the bouquet. A strangely seductive 2008/2030 D3h/G2h combination. Very youthful, rich, soft, voluptuous and elegant wine. Considerably more spirited and vital than the outside look would have led us to expect. A balanced acidity and tight fruitiness, long and pampering aftertaste. A gentle but most impressive acquaintance. 98p Château Latour-à-Pomerol (Pomerol) Wine shows tawny red, bright and moderately intense colour. The nose is suprisingly youthful and delicate for the vintage with complexity deriving from ripe blackcurrant aromas and tobacco. There is a hint of volatility enhancing the complexity of the wine. Moderately high acidity together with firm tannins and ripe dark 2008/2015 D 1 h / G 0.5 h fruit forms a great mouthfeel and balance which is well supported by integrated high level of alcohol. The length of the wine is remarkable. Touch of sweetness caused by high level of alcohol at the very end intrigues you to go for another sip of the wine. 97p Château L'Evangile (Pomerol) Decent looking château-bottling. Level by the neck. Dark and deep, fairly youthful colour. Lovely complex and a very fragrant, vigorous nose of fresh blackcurrants and cedar with a peppery note. Dazzling silky texture on the palate, with pleasing balance 2008/2020 D 1 h / G 0.5 h and acidity. A wine of real depth, fat structure and breadth. The soft tannins and oak were well integrated decades ago and the overall impression is sweet fruit driven. Long, aromatic and elegant ending without being too biting. A rich and solid claret. 97p Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac) Fine looking bottle. Level was top-shoulder. Decanted one hour. Moderately deep garnet colour with orange hue. Extremely elegant and delicate nose with spices, mint, soy, cigar box, and ripe blackcurrants. Medium-bodied wine shows an exquisite elegance thanks to its vivid acidity, silky tannins and supple ripe black 2008/2015 D2h/G1h fruit character. Spicy cinnamon and ginger flavours combined with elegant cedar and leathery aromas. Incredible persistence and overwhelmingly balanced lingering finish. Elegance par excellence. 91 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

96p Château Margaux (Margaux) Moderately deep tawny colour. Intense and complex nose with rich coffee aromas and high concentration with vegetative nuances. Firm, medium-bodied wine with lively acidity and minerality, supple tannins, and surprisingly intense fruitiness. 2008/2020 D3h/G1h Very vibrant and energetic wine with great balance and finesse in the lingering finish. Still very youthful, so no hurry to uncork. Keep well another 10­12 years. 95p Château Cheval Blanc (St-Emilion) Medium intensity with brick red colour. Voluptuous and pronounced nose, full of ripe dark fruits, some vegetal aromas and spices. Rich but still elegant medium-bodied palate. Very supple tannins 2008/2020 D2h/G1h and lively acidity. Surprisingly youthful wine with cassis and leafy aromas. Stunning wine although not near the greatest Chevals. The wine will reveal its true colours in next ten years and will evolve nicely in another 15 years at least. 94p Château Léoville-Barton (St-Julien) Medium intense ruby colour. Very intense nose with cassis aromas, nutty and little herbaceous nuances. Dry, moderately high acidity, elegant tannins, cassis combined with cranberry 2008/2012 D 1 h / G 0.5 h flavours. Moderately long finish, but still somehow closed. Very sophisticated wine with charming elegance. Can be kept at storage for another 5 years. 94p Château Montrose (St-Estèphe) Medium-intense brick red colour. Round and very toasty and seductive nose with sweet cocoa and dark chocolate aromas. Medium-bodied palate is intense and round with mellow tannins 2008/2012 D1h/G1h and ripe dark fruits. Harmonious wine with great appeal. The wine is peaking now and will evolve most likely another 4­6 years. 93p Château Léoville-Las Cases (St-Julien) Moderately light in colour. Lovely nose ­ elegant and complex cassis notes along with cedar. Very lean, medium-bodied, and persistent palate with lively acidity, ripe red berries and gentle 2008/2015 D2h/G1h tannins. The finish is still restrained and the wine presents very classic cool vintage Médoc. Charming wine that is drinking well now but will keep most likely well another ten years at least. 93p Château Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) Medium-intense, brick red colour. Peculiar nose with very developed cooked root vegetable flavours ­ beef stock, pea soup, and spices. Moderately high acidity, mellow tannins and round ripe fruitiness followed by a subtle finish. Very balanced wine with 2008/2015 D 0.5 h / G 0.5 h good youthful grip. One of the best Rauzan-Séglas we have ever had although wine lacks bit of finesse. Drinking well now but will easily keep another ten years. 93p Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) Little hazy, moderately intense brick red colour. The elegant nose is less expressive but has many layers in it making it fascinating and seductive ­ warm, vegetative, leafy, and floral. The palate reveals vivid acidity together with round tannins and less of a body weight. At the same time very polished and lean in style 2008/2025 D 1 h / G 0.5 h with lingering finish with elegant blackcurrant and cedar notes. A classy wine although not a great charmer. This reserved wine benefits for at least 5 hour decanting to expose itself completely. Keeps well another 15­17 years. 92 F I N E

92p Château Canon-Gaffelière (St-Emilion) Medium intense, ruby red colour. Rich and intense nose with licorice, spicy and herbaceous aromas wrapping nicely the intense ripe dark fruit aromas. Very intense and rich medium-bodied 2008/2010 D 1 h / G 0.5 h palate. Intense dark fruit flavours with firm but refined tannins. Fleshy wine with balanced finish. Very appealing now but can be cellared few more years. 91p Château Ausone (St-Emilion) Bright and clear cherry red colour with depth. Well-evolved nose with dark chocolate, English butterscotch, violets and root vegetable aromas. Medium-bodied wine with less refined style. Drying tannins and stony mineral flavours dominate the palate 2008/2015 D 2 h / G 0.5 h leaving the fruit beneath. Very lean in style with nice balance but lacking greater complexity. The nose was more promising. Still very fine wine which is not benefiting for further ageing, but will keep easily another 7-8 years. 90p Château Clos L'Eglise (Pomerol) Moderately intense tawny colour with ruby tints. Nicely evolved, very ripe nose with tobacco, earthy, and spicy notes. Firm structure with medium-body, vivid acidity and supple tannins. 2008/now D 1 h / G 0.5 h Ripe dark fruit flavours with spicy tones forms a great balance to firm structure. Long appealing finish. Very good wine but lacking the depth to be a great one. Not benefiting from further ageing. 90p Château Cos d'Estournel (St-Estèphe) Moderately intense tawny colour. Less pronounced but very elegant nose with blackcurrants, nuts, cedar, smoke, and hints of violet. Moderately intense on palate with mellow tannins and vivid acidity. Lacking a bit of fruit while restrained flavours of tobacco 2008/now D2h/G2h and cedar dominate the moderate length. Very supple wine with finesse and elegance. Drinking superbly now, no further ageing recommended. 89p Château Lafleur-Pétrus (Pomerol) Surprisingly light colour intensity with ruby colour. Less expressive and one-dimensional nose with lean ripe dark fruit notes ­ blueberries, brambles. Firm medium-bodied structure with vivid acidity, firm tannins and moderate fruit intensity with dominating 2008/now D1h/G1h mineral tones. Minerality together with the tannins overpowers the fruit and wine leaves slightly austere in the finish. Not giving high expectations for beneficial further ageing. 87p Château Figeac (St-Emilion) Ruby red colour with medium intensity. Developed earthy bouquet with intense aromas of ripe dark fruits. Firm and crisp mediumbodied palate with marked mineral flavours. Moderately intense 2008/now D1h/G1h dark fruits with hints of spicy notes escorting moderately long finish. Less elegant and vivid wine with rustic style. No further ageing. 93 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made BOOK LAUNCH TASTING This tasting was organised for an exclusive group of fine wine lovers after the 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made -book was launched in Vienna. All wines were tasted blind. 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional 1961 Château Latour 1929 Pommard Les Grands Epenots Magnum 1978 Château Pétrus 1975 Château Trotanoy 1945 Echézeaux Grand Cru Magnum 1989 Château Latour Magnum 100p 96p 95p 94p 93p 93p 92p 1962 Château Lafleur Magnum 1981 Gaja Barbaresco 91p 89p 1965 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 89p 1943 Château d'Yquem 1995 Château de Fieuzal Blanc Magnum 1958 Gaja Barbaresco 1969 Gaja Barbaresco 88p 88p 86p 84p The wines in tasting order: WHITE WINES 88p 1995 Château de Fieuzal Blanc Magnum Bright, yellow colour. Very intense, refined, and youthful nose with herbaceous aromas of cassis leaves and grass completed with lovely lemony and remotely toasty nose. Dry and crisp on palate, fresh fruit with firm acidity and intense mineral flavours. D3h/G2h The aftertaste lacks bit of volume and fruit intensity while the well-integrated toasty oak together with mineral flavours take the control in the zesty moderately long finish. Drinking well now but will keep most likely well until 2015. RED WINES 86p 1958 Gaja Barbaresco A unique wine since Angelo Gaja claimed that this wine has actually never been made. After seeing the picture of the bottle he realized that this wine was specially made by his father for him to celebrate his birth in 1958. Very light, orangy brick red colour with plenty of sediments. According to Andreas Larssons words ­ this wine had amazingly intense oven-baked banana aromas in the glass. Then came more D 20 min / G 45 min leathery, tarry and dried raisiny aromas. Also some volatility but not disturbingly much. Quite light although medium-bodied body weight with high acidity and mellow gentle tannins are combined nicely with sweet red fruits and high alcohol forming pleasant moderately long finish. Wine is definitely declining but still intense and very smooth. 84p 1969 Gaja Barbaresco Light, orange red colour with sediments. Moderately intense nose with pronounced forresty, earthy, and pine raisin aromas. Dried fruits ­ figs and dates together with floral tones can be spotted underneath. Again moderately light but still medium-bodied wine D 30 min / G 30 min with high acidity, very gentle tannins, and dried sweet fruits. Holding well in moderately long sweet finish, but not the wine with great complexity. Drinking well still, but definitely no further keeping. 94 F I N E

89p 1981 Gaja Barbaresco Medium intense tawny red colour. Appealing nose with wild red berries, plum, dill and leathery tones with hints of orange peel. The nose reminded of mature Rioja. The medium-bodied wine stands out with firm and high acidity supported by stalky tannins. D1h/G1h Intense red fruit flavours impresses with youthful style. Average length, quite one dimensional palate but lovely perfumey and floral flavours add a positive twist in the end. Wine can still be restored but I would recommend to drink it soon. 95p 1929 Pommard Les Grands Epenots Magnum (the producer unknown) Moderately light tawny colour with refined sediments. Astonishingly charming nose ­ ripe but very classic Pinot aromas. Extremely seductive ripe red berry aromas combined with cappuccino, and marvelously evolved earthy and wild aromas. Very structured D 30 min / G 1,5 h medium-bodied palate with intense sweet red fruitiness, vivid acidity and supple satiny texture. Ultimately balanced wine which is blooming now! 93p 1945 Echézeaux Grand Cru Magnum (the producer unknown) Medium intense, brick red colour. Intense and floral nose with darker fruits, roasted coffee, earthy, hints of farmyard, root vegetables and plenty of licorice. Medium-bodied wine with intense fruitiness D 30 min / G 1 h but at least as firm and impeccable tannic structure and firm acidity. Still somehow youthful on palate with plenty of dark fruits. Will keep and even improve still within 5 years ageing. 89p 1965 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Light medium intense ruby colour. Pronounced although partly closed nose ­ and thus not very complex yet. Aromas such as blueberries, black currants, cranberries and black olives. Medium-bodied wine with very high acidity, gentle tannins and pro- D3h/G2h nounced mineral taste that last very long in less complex aftertaste. Fresh fruitiness ­ feminine, elegant and extremely stylish. Quite one-dimensional wine but very elegant. No further ageing. 91p 1962 Château Lafleur Magnum Rather dark, mahogany red colour. Developing and earthy nose, black currants, intense dark fruit, smoky with distinctive nose of black truffles. Refined medium-bodied wine with refreshing D3h/G2h acidity, elegant tannins, reserved but ripe fruit. Very mineral and long restrained finish. Drinking well now, no benefit for further keeping. 92p 1989 Château Latour Magnum Quite intense, purple colour. Very dense and closed nose with some reductive aromas. After breathing in the glass wine starts to open slowly. Complex and intense ripe nose with dark fruits ­ blackberries, black currants, cedar and cigar. Rich medium-bodied palate stands out as extremely firm structured. Moderately high D 12 h / G 5 h acidity, firm tannins and intense ripe but elegant dark fruit. The powerful long finish with black olive flavours. Surprisingly youthful and elegant for the super ripe vintage! Will benefit from further ageing at least for a decade or likely two. 93p 1975 Château Trotanoy Intense ruby red colour. Very rich and intense nose with ripe black currants, dark chocolate, and cigar box aromas. Medium-bodied wine with moderately high acidity with firm slightly green tannins. Sweet dark fruits, walnuts and licorice flavours in mid palate. The D 2 h / G 1.5 h finish is long but little coarse, lacking elegance and some fruit to be in great balance. Nevertheless big wine with rich and rustic style. Drinking well now, not improving but will keep another 5­10 years still. 95 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s RED WINES

RED WINES 94p 1978 Château Pétrus Moderately intense ruby colour. Delicate and somehow almost shy nose with fragrant floral aromas and hints of plums. The less expressive nose is followed by surprisingly big palate. Mediumbodied wine has refined tannins, intense dark fruits and broad D3h/G2h texture with glycerol sensation. Very long and elegant finish which is wrapped up in elegantly mouth-drying tannins. This ought to be enjoyed soon although will most obviously keep well another 5-7 years still. 96p 1961 Château Latour Beautiful ruby moderately intense colour. Very intense, deep, smoky and cedar nose with plenty of ripe black currants, brambles and black olives completed delightfully with hints of violets. Very youthful nose showing only tip of the iceberg at this stage. Fullbodied palate, lively acidity and really masculine ripe tannins that has together with toasty oakiness pronounced mouth- D8h/G2h drying effect on long finish. There is still plenty of fresh dark fruits together with pronounced mineral flavours hidden under wine's masculine structure which suggests this is truly a huge iceberg for a wine that takes still 5­7 years to open and decades to last. Immense experience, but this bottle had not reached its optimum drinkability yet. 100p 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional Hazy, tawny red colour with medium intensity. Extremely seductive nose­full of sweet dried fruits, dark chocolate and adorable perfumey tones with lovely dash of sweet spices. Full-bodied, sweet taste has super refined satiny texture with delicious acidity and velvety tannins. The opulence of sweet ripe fruits is immense. Appealing amount of spices is adding a fascinating complexity D6h/G4h into the wines harmonious long lingering finish. A perfect wine! It is impossible to find anything more to wish from the wine like this, only access to experience it as many times as possible during a lifetime. This wine is at its peak but will probably remain there for years to come. 88p 1943 Château d'Yquem Intense, golden amber colour. Moderately intense waxy nose, caramelized peaches, orange peel, dried apricots and touch of toastiness. Sweet but not luscious taste with balancing acidity and medium intense fruitiness ­ peaches and apricots. The finish is D 30 min / G 45 min drying up being slightly austere with botrytis flavours and strong mineral iodine flavours. Not a great charmer but very enjoyable wine. No further ageing. The highlight of the evening was the number one wine of the book Château Latour 1961 which amazed everyone with its energetic and youthful character. Another star of the evening was Quinta do Noval Nacional 1963 which was such a rich and appealing wine while Pommard 1929 showed what mature Burgundy can be at its best. The group experienced a thrilling moment when Pekka Nuikki challenged everyone by donating Volvo XC 90 V8 car to anyone who could point out Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1965. No one scored. Everyone considered the Wynns was an off-vintage Péssac-Léognan or Médoc from 1980's. 96 F I N E

Napa V alley Cabernet 1997 It was a great opportunity to re-evaluate these great wines from such an appreciated vintage after the experience in 2002 when almost the same flight was tasted. That time the scores were just 87­90. Now that the wines have evolved another five years they are blooming and delivering more complexity fullfilling expectations. Although they are much better now the most of them will probably reach their peak in the next five years. The very positive experience began with our blind aperitif J Schramsberg which led us directly to Champagne. All the rest of the wines were tasted openly. 1997 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1974 Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red 1997 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 97p 96p 96p 95p 94p 1997 Abreu Madrona Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 93p 1997 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 92p 1997 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 91p 1997 David Arthur Elevation 1147 Cabernet Sauvignon 90p SPARKLING WINES 92p 1999 J Schramsberg Brut Moderately pale, straw yellow colour with small vivid bubbles. Fresh, lean yeasty nose with apples and citrus. Dry and very crisp medium-bodied wine with good structure. Lean, mineral and firm D ­ h / G 30 min palate has lingering long finish with apple flavours. Drinking well now, but will keep to 2015­2017. WHITE WINES 93p 2003 Kistler Cuvée Catherine Chardonnay Rich, yellow colour. Opulent toasty nose with ripe tropical fruits and pronounced buttery aromas. Although rich still very elegant with seductive spiciness and complexity. Dry taste and full-bodied for white wine. Enough acidity to balance the ripe fruit and rich D 15 min / G 1 h buttery texture. Lingering toasty finish with great elegance. Very refined and stylish Chardonnay with great balance. Will most likely keep until 2015, but enjoy now­why wait!? RED WINES 96p 1974 Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 4,543 cases) D 30 min / G 45 min Moderately intense, brick red to tawny colour. Pronounced nose shows complex and evolved aromas­farmyard, mint, dark chocolate, nougat, and black currants. Medium-bodied palate with moderate acidity and fruit intensity, refined and elegant tannins, silky texture, and great concentration. Minty and leathery flavours in long finish. Wine is in great shape still and will most likely keep up to 2015. 97 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

RED WINES 90p 1997 David Arthur Elevation 1147 Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 125 cases) Very intense, extracted, blueberry colour. Intense nose with loads of ripe dark fruits­black currants and raspberries, spicies, tar and smoke, leather and violets. Rich and full-bodied palate. Velvety texture with ripe cassis flavours, moderately low acidity and ripe D 4 h / G 2.5 h supple tannins. Harmonious wine until the very finish where the taste turns restrained. The wine will not benefit from further ageing in my opinion since it lacks the concentration to last very long. 94p 1997 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 2,000 cases) D 4 h / G 2.5 h Very intense, ruby colour. Intense, youthful, and complex nose. Violets, ripe cassis and blueberries, lovely smokiness, licorice and teak. Full-bodied taste with vivid acidity, good intensity of ripe dark fruits, firm ripe tannins, and well-integrated high alcohol. Although being extracted with flavours, the wine is very elegant and fresh with great balance. Drinking lovely now but will keep until 2020 at least. 91p 1997 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 11,700 cases) D 2 h / G 1.5 h Moderately deep, ruby colour. Pronounced nose with lovely range of aromas­nuts,cassis, tar, smoke, and delicate perfumey nuance. Medium-bodied style with vivid acidity and mellow tannins. Ripe dark fruit flavours mostly cassis. Moderate length with elegant style. Although mellow tannins, the fruit intensity was a step behind the acidity, making this wine the most restrained Cabernet in this tasting. This wine will evolve still, but not beneficially. Drink up or before 2015 at the latest. 97p 1997 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 1,000 cases) D4h/G3h Moderately intense ruby colour. Extremely refined, elegant and aristocratic nose with extensive depth of dark fruit aromas­Crème de Cassis and blueberries. Full-bodied wine with astonishing structure and silky texture. Super refined tannins, vivid acidity and jammed dark fruits. High alcohol is well-integrated, same as oak and the finish very rich, long and balanced. Great concentration and wine ought to have tremendous potential for ageing with such a structure at least until 2020. This wine has definitely some WOW effect making it a great experience. 93p 1997 Abreu Madrona Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 1,000 cases) D 4 h / G 2.5 h Deep, ruby red colour. Pronounced nose delivers very complex but less evolved aromas. Bell pepper and cassis, appealing oak aromas of toast, smoke, and roasted coffee and cedar. Dry, mediumbodied palate with vivid acidity. Less powerful and masculine in style. The dark fruit is not jammed but ripe and tannins are firm but supple. The finish is a bit edgy and restrained with mineral flavours in the finish. Wine reminds me of St-Estèphe in style. It is still youthful cool climate style wine which is never going to become as opulent as the rest of the wines in the flight. Further ageing recommended up to 2012­2015. 92p 1997 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rather rich and intense ruby colour. Pronounced nose reveals ripe dark fruits, loads of spicies, dark chocolate, nuttiness, and hints of green aromas, like capsicum. Full-bodied palate with moderately intense ripe fruitiness, vivid acidity and mellow tannins form a very (Made 400 cases) D 4 h / G 2.5 h elegant structure. Great concentration and lovely matured wine with reserved style and even closed finish which is dominated little by alcohol. Further ageing recommended and the wine will presumably reach its optimum in 2015­2020. 98 F I N E

RED WINES 95p 1997 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red (Made 2,100 cases) Deep, intense brick red colour. Very intense nose­jammed wild strawberries, spicy, licorice, medicinal and even port-style nose. Somehow very genuine Napa aromas. Full-bodied wine with overwhelming richness and concentration but extremely well in balance. Jammed dark fruits, dark chocolate, and cassis as flavours. D4h/G3h The structure shows very firm ripe but powdery tannins, moderate acidity and well-integrated high alcohol. High concentration in the chewy long finish with great grip and energy suggesting the wine to reach its optimum by 2020. 96p 1997 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon (Made 500 cases) D4h/G3h Moderately intense ruby colour. Rich nose shows very appealing aromas of chocolate mint, café latte, roasted coffee beans, cedar and cigar. Delicately full-bodied wine with moderately high acidity, refined and elegant tannins, and delicate dark fruitiness with a touch of green bell pepper flavours. Satin-like texture and lovely concentration. Very polished wine but lacking the WOW effect one might expect from such esteemed wine. Drinking well now but will keep and evolve up to 2010­2012. AUSTRALIAN PREMIUM SHIRAZ 1998 The vintage 1998 turned out to be a great vintage in South Eastern Australia. The growing season started early with a warm spring. The weather was very hot and dry during the whole summer, yielding an early harvest with super concentrated grapes. The vintage can be compared to such great vintages as 1962, 1990 ja 1991. All wines were tasted half blind. Ranking 1998 Astralis, Clarendon Hills 1998 Grange, Penfolds 1998 Pyrenees Shiraz "Eagle Series", Dalwhinnie 1998 Hill of Grace, Henschke 1998 Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Henschke 1998 Reserve Shiraz, Fox Creek 95p 95p 94p 93p 93p 92p 1998 Run Rig, Torbreck 1998 The Armagh Shiraz Clare Valley, Jim Barry 1998 Shiraz Heysen Vineyard, Veritas 1998 The Dead Arm Shiraz, d´Arenberg 91p 90p 89p 88p 1998 Draycott Reserve Shiraz, Burge Family Winemakers 87p 1998 The Octavius Shiraz, Yalumba 87p RED WINES 87p 1998 Draycott Reserve Shiraz Burge Family Winemakers (Barossa Valley) Deep, ruby red colour. Nose is deep and intense ­ dark chocolate, cassis and ripe brambles with touch of mint and licorice. Fullbodied, jammy fruitiness with moderate intensity, warming alcohol, toasty and spicy finish, lacking of elegance. Broad texture D 3 h / G 1.5 h all over the mouth with moderate acidity and mellow tannins but burning mouthfeel. Very classic Aussie Shiraz. Does not improve with further ageing. Will keep to 2012. 99 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

RED WINES 95p 1998 Astralis Clarendon Hills (Barossa Valley ­ South Australia) Deep, intense, ruby colour. Pronounced, classic, Bordeaux-like, floral, jammy cassis, little herbaceous, smoke, leather and cedar. Intense, velvety texture with jammed fleshy blueberry and cassis fruitiness, powdery tannins and well-integrated toasty oak. 2008/2020 D 5 h / G 3 h Balancing acidity and hebaceous flavours although dominating still with gently mouth-puckering wine with long warm finish. Will benefit for further ageing at least for 5-8 years. Optimal at 2020. 89p 1998 Shiraz Heysen Vineyards Veritas Winery (Barossa Valley) Opaque, ruby colour. Very intense, little closed, dark chocolate, smoke, licorice, ripe blueberries, cassis, and brambles with violet tones. Very concentrated, lovely acidity, gentle tannins, ripe intese 2008/2025 D 3 h / G 2.5 h cassis and elegant spiciness. Very balanced and long lingering finish. Drinking well now, but will keep easily for another 10-15 years. 93p 1998 Mount Edelstone Shiraz (Eden Valley) Medium intense, ruby colour. Very pronounced, developing, animal and less elegant but toasty and opulent, jammy, herbaceous ­ basil and eucalyptus mixed with medicinal tones. Rhône-like wild nose. Surprisingly crisp, ripe firm tannins, ripe less extracted fruit 2008/2020 D 3 h / G 3 h intensity, brambles, cassis, and herbaceous taste with smokey finish. Drinking wonderfully now, but will keep and evolve within the next 10­12 years. 91p 1998 RunRig Shiraz Torbreck (Barossa Valley) Opaque, blueberry colour. Medium intense, medicinal, dark chocolate, cocoa, violets, spirity Port-like nose, less complex but refined and deep. Full-bodied, intense jammy cassis fruitiness, dark chocolate, cocoa, ripe big tannins, long chocolatey finish. 2008/2012 D 7 h / G 3.5 h High alcohol, lack of vividness. Drinking well now and not a wine for long ageing. Thick and intense. Little disturbing alcohol. Super concentrated wine. 88p 1998 The Dead Arm Shiraz d'Arenberg (McLaren Vale ­ South Australia) Moderately deep, ruby colour. Moderately pronounced and less expressive but intense dark fruits, cassis, herbaceous ­ basil, chocolate, cocoa, less complex but appealing. Dry, full-bodied, moderate acidity, dry tannins dominated, dark chocolate, lacking 2008/2020 D 3 h / G 3 h fruit to balance the tannins. Spicies dominate the finish. Lacking finesse but rich and opulent style, drinking perfectly now, but will keep another 10­15 years. 95p 1998 Grange Shiraz Penfolds (South Australia) Opaque, blueberry colour. Pronounced, etheric, spirity, hazelnuts, chocolate, very seductive sweet spicy nose with mintiness. Classic Australian Shiraz nose. Full-bodied, intense jammy fruitiness with balancing acidity. Very appealing spiciness and long intense 2008/2025 D 6 h / G 3.5 h finish. Very intense wine with true Australian style but elegance. Lovely chocolate finish. Drinking already but will keep easily 15­20 years. 93p 1998 Hill of Grace Shiraz Henschke (Eden Valley) Deep, ruby colour. Very pronounced aromas ­ herbaceous eucalyptus, cassis and blueberry jam nose with mint and chocolate, gently spirity. Reminiscent of Bordeaux. Intense, fullbodied, nicely concentrated firm youthful tannins, jammy cassis 2008/2020 D 5 h / G 3.5 fruit, eucalyptus and warming finish with masculine but refined tannins, highly sensitive alcohol dilutes the concentration. Very youthful still, improving after 5­10 years, keeping well another 15 years. 100 F I N E

RED WINES 87p 1998 The Octavius Yalumba (Barossa Valley ­ South Australia) Opaque, blueberry colour. Very masculine, cocoa, dark chocolate, burnt wood, sweet spicies, varnish. Full-bodied, moderately low acidity, ripe tannins, jammed fruit, alcohol dominates with toasty 2008/2010 D 2 h / G 2 h cocoa flavours. Long port-like finish. One dimensional but drinking nicely now. No further ageing. 90p 1998 The Armagh Jim Barry (Clare Valley ­ South Australia) Deep, ruby colour. Intense, concentrated nose with elegantly jammed cassis, mint, new oak, sweet spicies, clove, still surprisingly elegant. Full-bodied, very extracted, jammy, less elegant, too 2008/2015 D 4 h / G 3 h expressive, austere and posh in style. Firm tannins and chocolatey in the finish. Still youthful but somehow in pieces still. Improves presumably with 5­7 years ageing. 94p 1998 Pyrenees Shiraz Dalwhinnie (Pyrenees - Victoria) Moderately deep, ruby colour. Intense, developing, blueberries, earthy, floral and spicy with brambles and cassis notes. Very Rhône-like nose. Firm, full-bodied, very intense, powdery tannins, 2008/2030 D 4 h / G 3.5 h chocolate, animal, medicinal, toasty, jammed fruit, very compact style with reserved finish. Very intense wine with good grip and potential for long-term ageing. 92p 1998 Reserve Shiraz Fox Creek (McLaren Vale ­ South Australia) Opaque, blueberry jam, purple colour. Very intense, big but elegant, restrained but promising ­ blueberries, brambles and cassis with elegant spicy notes. Full-bodied, velvety structure, 2008/2020 D 3 h / G 3 h intense youthful jammy fruitiness ­ blueberries, eucalyptus, medicinal, and very spirity bite in the long spicy finish. Burning bite disturbs a little. PREMIER WINE CLUB TASTING A legendary movie tasting took place for the second time this year in Helsinki. This time the movie was the famous Cheval Blanc 1961 movie ­ Sideways. As always in the movie tastings, the wines that are tasted are very fine and rare ones. All wines were tasted openly with the exception of the DRC Montrachet 2000. Ranking: 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1921 Château Cheval Blanc 1961 Château Latour-à-Pomerol 1961 Château Latour 1961 Château Cheval Blanc 100p 100p 97p 96p 95p 1832 Château Lafite-Rothschild 94p 2000 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Le Montrachet 93p 1928 Pol Roger Reserve de Wermacht 1820 Guilherme II Porto 91p 88p 101 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

THE TASTING ORDER: CHAMPAGNE 91p 1928 Pol Roger Reserve de Wermacht This bottle was apparently one of those good old Polly bottles reserved for Sir Winston Churchill at Pol Roger cellars. During the Second World War the Nazis were fully aware of this when invading the cellars of Pol Roger and declaring this bottle among the others as reserved for the Nazi regime. The appearance of the wine is bright, pale golden yellow colour with very slow refined bubbles. The nose is very delicate and elegant ­ ripe apricots, sophisticated yeastiness, waxy tones and curious notes of apple tart with cinnamon. Dry, very crisp D 10 min / G 2 h taste with light-bodied and lean structure. Very concentrated and persistent lingering after taste. Gracefully aged, less complex but sheer concentration. The wine really stood out in the glass for hours revealing more butterscotch aromas. Not in the most perfect condition anymore although very enjoyable. Overall a fascinating experience ­ sipping something which was once reserved for Churchill and then captured by his greatest enemies, only to be finally enjoyed now as an aperitif at a unique event in Helsinki. WHITE WINE 93p 2000 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Le Montrachet This wine was served blind. DRC made 3,541 bottles of Montrachet this year. Pale, lemon yellow colour with green tints. Pronounced and refined nose delivers very fresh spearmint, lemon, spicy and smoky aromas with butter notes. Dry, broad texture and medium-bodied palate is highlighted by intense mineral flavours, lovely smokiness, D 30 min / G 45 min mint and hints of lilies. The wine is in great balance although it shows moderately low acidity level and high level of alcohol. Still it has plenty of the ripe fruit and firm oakiness balancing the palate. A very enjoyable wine at the moment. In respect of the mellow acidic structure and ripe style wine does not benefit from further ageing. RED WINES 97p 1961 Château Latour-à-Pomerol Beautiful, moderately deep, brick red colour. Extremely complex and intense nose with super refined style ­ ripe dark fruits, fruit cake and floral tones enhanced with hints of tar and herbaceous aromas. Medium-bodied palate is very intense and concentrated. D 1 h / G 2.5 h Refined powdery tannic structure and rich mineral aftertaste. Extremely elegant ripe dark fruit flavours with complex mineral twist. A truly charming wine for years ahead. 94p 1832 Château Lafite-Rothschild This château bottled wine was recorked at the château in 1986. The cork seemed to be leaking a little anyway and the wine was a top shoulder condition. After decanting the wine it showed out well. The colour was medium intense and brick red. The nose was etherised with a broad range of tertiary aromas ­ soy, meat stew, cooked vegetables, red fruits, cassis and herbaceous nuances plus a strong hold of Asian spices. The medium-bodied palate D 5 min / G 30 min revealed crisp mineral freshness, moderately intense flavour of red fruits mostly cherries, touch of tar and still noticeable although declining tannic structure. Sweet cooked vegetable aromas with juicy mouthfeel and lingering mineral finish. The concentration is getting loose at the end but the wine is still performing amazingly well! 102 F I N E

95p 1961 Château Cheval Blanc A château bottle in a perfect condition. Moderately intense, garnet red colour. Developed nose with toasty, waxy and wild aromas ­ positively sweaty, horse saddle, cigar box and vegetal bamboo shoot nuances. Medium-bodied palate shows firm chalky mineral grip with refine tannins supported by ripe and moderately intense dark fruit flavours mostly blueberries. The finish is intense and spicy with nutmeg aromas. Overall classy and delicious wine with D 1 h / G 1.5 h fascinating wild flavours extending the complexity of the wine. Compared to Cheval Blanc 1921, this wine was more elegant, lighter in style and more evolved lacking the concentration of Cheval Blanc 1921. Although sipping this wine with Miles in a diner at the movie made the experience complete it did not convince us of this being even close to the best Cheval Blanc ever made. 100p 1921 Château Cheval Blanc Surprisingly intense garnet red colour. Gracefully developed, rich, intense and vibrant nose with intense aromas ­ bucketfuls of wild strawberries, flowers and chocolate aromas. Full-bodied palate with velvety texture formed by ripe chunky tannins and minerals along with discreet acidity and intensely rich dark fruitiness. The D 30 min / G 45 min roasted coffee, ripe black berries and very dark chocolate flavours enrich the experience in long lasting, broad and chewy aftertaste. Amazingly youthful and energic wine that is in no way near retirement. Depends always on the bottle variation but quality like this one keeps easily another 20 years. 96p 1961 Château Latour This bottle was in perfect condition. Medium intense, garnet colour. Rich and elegant but reserved nose shows broad range of layers, great intensity and concentration. Still restrained aromas of ripe dark fruits, ink, walnuts, pipe and earthiness. Firm and explosive on the palate. Very big in style but still medium-bodied mouthfeel. Huge D2h/G2h concentration with intense astringent tannins. The aftertaste is immensely long with delicious perfumey and walnut flavours. Sheer power and utterly youthful wine which gives an expression of the wine that needs still time to mature. A great wine which will open up within the next 20 years. 100p 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild If there is a wine to challenge Latour 1961, it shall be Mouton 1945. Thus it was attractive to taste two of the world's best wines side by side. This bottle derived directly from the cellars of Château Mouton-Rothschild as the "Reserve du Château" marking expresses in the label. Moderately intense garnet red colour. Truly seductive nose that shows classic Mouton aromas ­ mint, ripe cassis, roasted coffee and Asian spices which, on this occassion were green curry aromas. Beside these aromas one could pick also smokiness and cooked meat stew aromas. Such a deep and intense nose. On the D1h/G2h palate wine is broad and opens beautifully. Round velvety tannins, overwhelming vivid acidity, silky texture with same flavours picked from the nose, mint being very marked. Gently mouthpuckering, firm and warming finish that remains in the mouth for long time. Astonishing wine for immediate consumption. No use to wait any further, the wine is perfect now! As a comparison between Latour 1961 and this wine, Mouton 1945 is in its peak now while Latour 1961 hasn't reached its peak yet. 88p 1820 Guilherme II Porto The oldest vintage port I have ever tasted. The bottle was flawless and the producer unknown. Moderately pale amber colour and large particles of sediment. Rich nose with burnt sugar, dried fruits, cherry liqueur, vernissa, plum marmalade and chocolate. Medium- D 15 min / G 1 h sweet, mellow palate with moderate acidity. The taste is dominated by chocolate and coconut flavours. Well-integrated alcohol and balanced moderately long aftertaste. Not a big and complex, but lovely evolved and enjoyable wine. No further ageing. 103 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

104 F I N E

11 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE 12 RIBERA DEL DUERO 2008 1/5 1000 90x60 cm PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 105 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

THE FINE TASTING CLUB This exclusive tasting club combines the fine and rare wines with fine and rare delicacies served by our private game hunter and fisherman Juha Jormanainen. This time again all wines were in proper shape and the dishes were extraordinarily tasty. 96p 1979 Krug Collection (2008/2022) Intense, golden yellow colour with very vivid bubbles. Intense, lovely toasty nose with freshness. Crisp and dry, very elegant and refined palate with vivid acidity and fresh fruitiness. Very intense, lingering long finish. Lovely smoky and toasty flavours in the end. D ­ / G 1.5 h After 20 minutes in the glass, the wine opens up and reveals more toasty and citrus flavours with broad texture. Drinking well now but will keep definitely another 10 to 15 years. 93p 1976 Dom Pérignon (2008/now) Intense, golden colour, very vivid bubbles. Refined evolved nose with complex aromas­foie gras, dried peaches, apricot stones. Dry, crisp, powerful and pronounced palate. Well-matured wine D ­ / G 1.5 h with flavours of toastiness, dried fruits and apricot stones. Broad texture and concentrated wine. Lingering mineral finish. Drink up! 93p 2001 La Montrachet DRC (2008/2015) Intense yellow colour. Pronounced rich and buttery nose with peppermint aromas. Dry, moderately intense, medium acidity, buttery texture with medium-bodied structure. Long lingering D 45 min / G 1.5 h finish shows some minty, lemony and creamy vanilla flavours. Drinking superbly now, but will keep another 7 to 10 years. 91p 1978 Puligny-Montrachet La Pucelle Mladovic (2008/now) Golden colour, evolved. Moderately intense, developed nose with lemon and dried fruits­apricots. Medium-bodied intense palate with moderate level of acidity, and loads of dried fruits. Well- D 30 min / G 1 h structured wine with balance. The long finish shows citrus and nutty characters. At its peak, so drink up! 96p 1959 Château Lafleur (2008/2014) Moderately intense, tawny colour. Intense and concentrated nose shows black olives, nuts, dark fruits, earthiness and black truffles. Dry and vivid on the palate with intense dark fruit flavours D2h/G2h combined with firm tannins and moderate acidity. Very long and firm finish. Absolute charmer that will keep most likely another 5 to 7 years easily but is truly magnificent already now. 95p 1959 Château Latour (2008/2025) Deep, intense dark ruby colour. Dark intense nose, black olives, ripe black currants, tobacco and cigars. Firm full-bodied structure with very persistent tannins and elegant acidity. Dark black D3h/G3h fruits with smoky flavours are following the long finish. Another amazingly youthful Latour. Keeps easily another 10 to 15 years. 95p 1985 Richebourg (2008/2020) Medium intense, tawny colour. Extremely intense, pronounced complex nose with fresh red fruits, hints of smoke, earthiness and licorice. Crisp, very intense, and concentrated style with D4h/G3h long finish. Great texture, refined and delicious style. Long finish, extremely elegant. Drinking well now but keep easily another 10 to 15 years. 106 F I N E

TASTING CLUB DINNER Cold smoked Tornio river salmon Dom Pérignon 1976 · Krug Collection 1979 Fried fillets of Teno salmon and Siberian sturgeon, vendace roe sauce Mladovic Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Pucelle 1978 · DRC Montrachet 2001 Creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1959 · Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Caithelins 1978 Fresh water tiger prawns Tom Yam Leroy Musigny 1949 · DRC Richebourg 1985 Braised deer leg, red wine sauce Château Latour 1959 · Château Lafleur 1959 Cheeses Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 1975 Pineapple with melon in Kirsch 93p 1949 Musigny Leroy (2008/now) Moderately intense, ruby brown colour. Intense, powerful and rich nose with lovely floral aromas with earthiness. Medium-bodied, moderate acidity, low tannins, ripe dark fruits, moderately long D 45 min / G 1.5 h finish. A bit one-dimensional in the end not reflecting the great complexity anymore. Drink up! 92p 1959 Hermitage La Chapelle Jaboulet Aîné (2008/now) Medium-intense tawny colour. Pronounced nose with rubbery, minty, tarry, smoky and licorice aromas. Medium-bodied, supple, moderately low acidity, round tannic structure with ripe dark D1h/G2h fruits. Smoky and tarry flavours in medium long finish. Drinking now very well, further ageing not beneficial. 92p 1975 Quinta do Noval Nacional (2008/2020) Dark, tawny colour. Moderately intense nose with rich chocolate flavours combined with floral nuances, almonds, and cocoa. Rich, sweet medium-bodied palate, moderate acidity, long intense chocolaty finish with spicy violety flavours. Great concentration D5h/G3h lacking only a fine touch of elegance. No hurry to drink, but is very enjoyable now. 90p 1978 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestines (2008/now) Moderately intense, tawny colour. Prounounced intense chocolaty nose with leathery and floral aromas. Full-bodied palate with medium-level acidity, very pronounced floral flavours with nice licorice tones. Marked high alcohol in the warming finish. Rich D2h/G2h and big wine reflecting much younger style wine than the vintage indicates. Powerful wine that presumably will not gain any more in a cellar so drink up! 107 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

FINE Random Rarities Tasting CHAMPAGNES 95p 1973 Bollinger R.D. (2008/now) Intense golden colour. Pronounced toasty nose with lovely complexity ­ intense apple aromas, brioche and delicate D 10 min / G 1 h yeastiness. Dry, crisp, broad texture and very mineral mouthfeel with green apple flavours. Long lingering finish. 93p 1993 Mercier Vintage (2008/now) Moderately intense golden yellow, vivid bubbles. Very seductive toasty and creamy nose with roasted coffee. Dry, medium-bodied, crisp palate with fresh fruitiness. Pronounced lime flavours with D 15 min / G 1.5 h hints of butter. Less complex on palate with dry toasty finish. Now at its best. 92p 1999 Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé (2008/2022) Very light pink colour with energetic bubbles. Medium intense, refined nose with delicate red fruit aromas combined with marked biscuit aromas and floral tones. Very crisp palate with high acidity, great concentration of minerals and red fruit flavours. Long persistent finish. Great structure with power but refinement. D 30 min / G 1.5 h Harmonious balance. The richness of flavours is still unrevealed due to the young age. Although the wine has great potential as it will show its complexity within next 5 to 7 years at earliest, it is still very enjoyable now. 91p 1988 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (2008/2018) Intense, vivid bubbles, golden colour. Rich, creamy nose with toffee, waxiness, and peppermint aromas. Dry, crisp, mineral texture with refined creaminess, fresh apples and lemon, very D 10 min / G 1.5 h intense grip in long lingering finish. Surprisingly youthful and crisp still! Lovely now but will evolve nicely within next 7 to 10 years. 90p 1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill (2008/2022) Medium-intense pale yellow colour, vivid bubbles. Fresh, very intense nose but still closed ­ citrus aromas with yeasty twist. Crisp and concentrated palate with high acidity and very mineral flavours. Hints of lemon and biscuit flavours but still very tight and D 45 min / G 2 h one dimensional. Will definitely improve after at least 5 to 7 years ageing. If served now decant 15 minutes before. 108 F I N E

98p 1999 Tarantella Sine Qua Non (2008/2019) Intense yellow colour. Pronunced but elegant, buttery, and toasty nose with ripe tropical fruits and peppermint flavours. Dry, broad oily texture, moderate acidity and lovely spicy flavours. Incredibly rich structure with great finesse. Buttery taste has marked toastiness pushed to the limit of elegance. Also high alcohol is D 1.5 h / G 4 h extremely well integrated into the wine and the wine stays long in the mouth showing superb complexity. Big but sophisticated wine. Taste it blind and get lost in ripe vintage Montrachet. One of the best Chardonnays in my memory. 95p 2002 Kracher Scheurebe TBA No. 5 "Zwischen den Seen" (2008/2102) Intense golden yellow colour. Pronounced and very intense honeyed nose with rich apricot marmelade and citrus aromas, and touch of spiciness. Lusciously sweet, medium acidity and rich oily texture with apricot marmelade and citrus flavours. Full-bodied D 15 min / G 4 h wine with astonishing concentration and eternal length. Drinking well already but presumably will keep an immense period of time ­ 50 years? 100 years? 92p 2002 Whispering E Sine Qua Non (2008/2012) Golden yellow colour. Pronounced smoky nose with butter and toasty aromas. Loads of ripe pineapple, peach and hints of honey. Dry, moderate acidity and oily texture. Ripe tropical fruitiness is D4h/G3h well wrapped with refined toasted oak. Long finish where alcohol tries to dominate. The wine has a long life still ahead. 98p 1967 Château d'Yquem (2008/2015) Golden colour. Very complex nose with intense apricot aromas, crème brûlée and vanilla. Sweet, moderate acidity, very intense fruitiness of apricot marmelade with lovely toasty flavours and D 30 min / G 1 h oily broad texture. Long spicy finish with great balance and surprisingly youthful character. 89p 1971 Puligny-Montrachet Folatières (2008/now) Developed golden yellow colour with amber tints. Evolved and complex nose shows waxy, nutty, ripe peach and mineral aromas. Dry, moderately high acidity, broad oily texture, nutty mineral grip D 45 min / G 1.5 h in the crisp finish. Drinking perfectly now. RED WINES 91p 1981 Château Mouton-Rothschild (2008/now) Moderately intense, ruby colour. Pronounced , complex nose with intense cassis aromas, cedar, roasted coffee, and chocolate. Dry, vivid acidity, moderate low fruit intensity, very mineral, D2h/G2h smooth tannins and long supple finish. Very delicate wine lacking substance in fruitiness but still harmonious and pleasant to drink now. 90p 1978 Volnay Les Champans Devissy (2008/now) Medium intense, evolved, brown colour. Complex, perfumey nose serves broad aromas of mocha, herbaceousness, green pepper, smoke, and sweet cherries. Medium-bodied palate with silky structure, no tannins apparent. Vivid acidity, sweet dark fruit, D 10 min / G 30 min and moderately high alcohol makes the lingering aftertaste with perfume flavours. Moderate length. The wine is at its peak. 109 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s WHITE WINES

RED WINES 93p 1962 Château Gazin (2008/2017) Medium-intense brick red colour. Developed and very complex nose delivers leathery and dark ripe cherry aromas, along with earthiness and truffle. Medium-bodied wine on palate with vivid acidity and supple tannins. Broad and intense flavours of red D2h/G2h cherries, flowers, and truffles. Lingering long finish. Wine is very enjoyable now but will develop another 5 to 7 years and keeping over 10 to 12 years. 91p 1966 Corton, Georges Pollet (2008/2015) Medium-intense tawny colour with refined sediment. Lovely evolved nose with complex aromas­earth, animal, farmyard, ripe brambles, cooked cabbage and antique aromas with hints of varnish derived from volatility. Medium-bodied palate with pronounced crisp acidity and nice supple tannins integrated well with vivid red fruitiness. Very good, juicy grip in the mouth D 1 h / G 1.5 h remaining moderately long in the mineral and earthy finish. Crisp red berry flavours in the aftertaste with good concentration and harmonious balance express that the wine is very much alive at the moment and will keep easily another 5-7 years until it starts slowly fading. At its peak! 89p 1966 Pommard Clos de la Commaraine, Domaines Jaboulet-Vercherre (2008/now) Very evolved, bright, brick red to brownish colour. Very developed nose with melted bouquet­chocolate, hints of tar, and dates. Dry, broad texture with moderate adicity, mellow tannins and nice intensity of fruitiness­dates, cherries, figs. Very pleasant and D 1 h / G 1.5 h round medium-bodied wine with moderately short aftertaste. Not a wine with complexity, but very good balance and ripeness. Drinking superbly now. 90p 1964 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (half-bottle) (2008/2018) Moderately intense brick red colour. Pronounced spicy nose with cedar, tobacco and ripe cassis. Medium-bodied, moderate level of acidity, mellow tannins and slightly watery texture. Spicies, toastiness and mocha flavours in moderately short and gently D 1 h / G 1.5 h astringent finish. Still surprisingly energetic although in half bottle. Keeping well another eight to ten years. 90p 1949 Château Pavie (2008/now) Moderately intense, tawny colour. Very evolved, farmyard, earthy, leather, stable. Medium-bodied, intense, mellow tannins, vivid acidity, black D 1.5 h / G 3 h olives, leathery, moderately short finish. Very balanced wine without great depth and elegance. 110 F I N E

RED WINES 88p 1975 Château d'Arche Lafaurie (2008/2015) Intense golden colour. Evolved nose with pronounced botrytis aromas­wax, apricot marmelade, pomerance peel, and iodine. Medium-sweet palate has good structure with moderate level of D 15 min / G 3 h acidity and moderately intense fruitiness. Not a complex wine but well-balanced with a nice long finish. Very drinkable right now. 88p 1975 Château Léoville-Poyferré (2008/2010) Moderately intense, brick red colour. Refined, complex matured nose with leather, farmyard, mocha, toasty, and hints of ripe cassis. Classic nose. Medium-bodied, vivid acidity, marked polished D 1 h / G 1.5 tannins and mineral structure with moderately long finish. The low-intense fruitiness is fading and the wine has a dry finish. Still elegant style. No further ageing. 87p 1971 Château Franc Bigaroux (2008/now) Bright, moderately intense, brown red colour. Pronounced and evolved nose with marked earthy, leathery and farmyard aromas associated to dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco, smoke D 45 min / G 1.5 h and tar. Dry, moderate level of acidity, with dried fruitiness­figs, tobacco, licorice and dark chocolate. Refined tannins dominate in moderately short and harsh finish. Drink up! 86p 1962 CVNE Imperial (2008/now) Beautiful, bright, brick red colour. Pronounced, complex, and seductive nose. Toasty, sweet cherries, milk chocolate, vanilla and mocha, hints of leather. Medium-bodied, vivid acidity, mellow D1h/G2h tannins and moderately low fruit intensity. Elegantly toasty and warm spicy finish with very fine balance and moderate length. Delicate wine to enjoy now! 86p 1975 Château Pavie (2008/now) Moderately intense, tawny colour. Lovely, complex nose with ripe plums, leather, smoke, tobacco, and milk chocolate. Mediumbodied palate, very light intensity with moderately high acidity and mellow powdery tannins. When tasted the wine after 45 D2h/G1h minutes it was lacking of fruit showing woodiness in short and watery finish. After two hours in a glass the wine has evolved positively and showing more broad flavours and better structure with some black fruits. Decant at least 1.5 hours before. No further 83p 1984 Chambolle-Musigny Roullot (2008/now) Moderately light colour intensity, brick red colour. Evolved, red cherries, rich, earthy nose, brambles. Dry, light-bodied, crisp acidity. Moderately light fruit intensity with lingonberry and D 15 min / G 30 min cranberry flavours. Hints of tar and leathery flavours in the short aftertaste. One-dimensional and simple style, reflecting much of the poor vintage. No further ageing. 111 T A S T I N G S Fi n e Ta s t i n g s

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE MOTUGAWA VINEYARD 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 60x60 cm JUDD 112 F I N E

12 113 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

13 Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE NAPA BARRELS 2008 1/5 1000 70x90 cm PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 114 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N

Campo Pancho From entertainment to wine climate lobbyist Text: Essi Avellan MW Photos: Pekka Nuikki Pancho Campo, an international tennis professional and someone who has carved a career in the music industry, has worked with many of the super famous ­ from Andre Agassi to Enrique Iglesias and Sting. For the past six years he has become well-known as a lecturer on wine and organiser of events, his main mission being to lobby the wine industry with respect to Al Gore's climate change agenda. What has the road from doctor to climate change lobbyist been like and what aims does this ambitious man have for the future? Climate lobbyisT · Pancho Campo MW · 115 Pancho Campo Fi n e P e r s o n a l i t y

116 F I N E

P A N C H O ooking well and tanned, Pancho Campo sits on the table and smiles radiantly. He is a celebrity in a number of circles and always has a glint in his eye. He is self-confident and used to posing before the camera. He is also rapidly gaining a reputation worldwide as a speaker on the impact of climate change on wine production. Pancho Campo is originally from Chile. He moved from Santiago to Barcelona with his father, a doctor, and mother, a teacher, when he was 13. ­ I took up tennis at the age of 11. I was inspired by my father in this ­ it was his hobby. For a tennis player Barcelona is a dream and I started an active career playing in competitions. I travelled the world a lot. However, Campo never really became a top class player. ­ I had an agreement with my father. He thought it was important that I should study and have a career outside tennis. Following in my dad's footsteps I studied medicine. But I thought I was too young to start working as a doctor, and anyway a doctor that age would lack credibility. Although Campo lost his competitive edge whilst studying, he nevertheless fulfilled his Olympic dream. L -I still get shivers up and down my spine when I think about it. I was captain and manager of the Chilean tennis team at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. It was just crazy to breathe in the Olympic village atmosphere and meet all those world-famous sports stars. But 20 years as a player and coach was enough for Campo, and he wanted to do something else. Sports events were soon also followed by other activities. Pancho Campo was also especially interested in music and was able to organise a concert by Enrique Iglesias through mutual friends. After that came Sting, Pink Floyd, Jamiroquai and UB40. The Wine Academy of Spain organises the British WSET wine examinations, wine fairs and wine trips in Spain. In addition, Campo set up an organisation called Spanish Wine Educators to promote familiarity with Spanish wines around the world. Hobbies and work If Campo's tennis and medical careers had been inspired by his father, the same has also been true of his latest career as a wine expert. ­ During my entire youth wine had been a hobby of mine. It was also my father's great passion. I dreamt of starting my own wine bar called `Backstage' when I retired. But the more I learnt about wine the more I wanted to know. I love studying, and I have a thirst for knowledge. So it will come as no surprise that Campo eventually studied for the prestigious Master of Wine exam. He became the first Spanish MW this autumn. Campo is known as the founder of the Spanish wine academy. Climate change on the agenda Pancho Campo's Master of Wine dissertation was on the impact of climate change on the wine trade. Two years ago he organised the first international seminar on the subject and there was another one in February this year. What is so fascinating about climate change? ­ My interest in this subject began when I started noticing the changes myself. I wanted to know more about it all and I discovered I also had a responsibility. It is not just a case of doing something good for mankind ­ I am thinking about my own children and their world in 30 years' time. In addition to the seminars he has organised, Campo has put climate Celebrities ­ I always tell sportsmen and women that you have to train the mind just as much as the body. It was a natural next move to organise sports events. I organised a symposium for coaches, for example, and I wondered who the number one name should be. I called Nick Bollettieri and he came back with a counterproposal. He was coaching a promising young player, with whom he wanted to put on a coaching session as a kind of demonstration. I obviously agreed. The fees players asked for at that time were very modest so I collected the cash in a fund. The promising star was Andre Agassi. He was supposed to play against Pat Cash. Two days before our symposium Agassi won Wimbledon and the man's reputation and the public interest in my event skyrocketed Campo recalls. 117 Pancho Campo Fi n e P e r s o n a l i t y

change on the wine map by busily touring the world giving lectures. ­ Many people, including my mother, for example, mistakenly consider themselves too insignificant or old to have any influence in the way they behave. Everyone needs to do their bit, and even my mother has probably at least 15 years to do things in a more environmentally friendly way. ­ The sponsors as well as those attending are drawn by well-known names. When I was organising the events I quickly realised that the workload was the same whether it was a national or an international occasion. So I started to think and act `big'. And we are talking big when the main speaker is of the calibre of Al Gore, as was the case this time. Gore was there courtesy of satellite imagery. Pancho Campo took part in Al Gore's Climate Change programme and his lectures around the world are partly based on the same materials. do not neglect my family on account of work. I am very good at managing time. I work efficiently. My office might be a bit of a mess but everything is always in order in my head. What dreams does Campo still have which have not come true and what will the future bring for this ambitious and competitive man to add to the list of his achievements? ­ I will carry on my work to prevent climate change. The next international seminar will be held in 2010. I also dream about establishing an MBA qualification in wine marketing. With his background and position as Spain's only Master of Wine, Campo has the means to influence the wine industry to start working full speed for the environment. > Seminar In his previous careers Campo had great faith in the power of celebrity. And the same goes for wine. The list of speakers at the Climate Change and Wine seminar in Barcelona in February included big names in research and expertise in the field, such as Dr. Greg Jones, Dr. Richard Smart and Dr. Hans Schultz. On the list of winemakers were numerous celebrities, including Jacques Lurton, Michel Rolland, Bruno Prats, and Miguel Torres. What is the attraction of fame and major international events like these then? Energy let loose With all the academies, fairs, seminars and studies, Pancho Campo presumably does not have problems wondering what to do with himself in his spare time. What does his family, his wife Melissa and his children of 7 and 2, say? ­ My family are behind me entirely. I enjoy my work and being busy, but I Pancho Campo MW b. 1961 Campo studied wine at the University of California, Davis and at the Institute of Masters of Wine. He trains students for the British WSET wine exams in Spain. Campo has given talks and organised international seminars and conferences in more than 40 cities, including Bordeaux, Vancouver, San Francisco and Hong Kong. Pancho Campo is the founder of the International Wine Symposium, the Barcelona Wine Festival, MadWine and Spanish Wine Educators. He also organised the First World Meeting on Global Warming and Wine. 118 F I N E

14 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE DOM 1000 PHOTOGRAPHY by 90x60 cm LEHMANN 119 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

120 F I N E

15 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE MARGAUX 90 x60 cm 2007 1/5 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 121 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

All prices quoted are hammer prices, exclusive of premiums and taxes, unless otherwise stated. Buyers' premiums are as follows: Acker Merrall & Condit 21% Bonhams 15% Bonhams & Butterfields 19% Christie's Amsterdam 15% Christie's London 15% Christie's New York/Los Angeles 20% Christie's Paris 15% Hart Davis Hart 19.5% Koppe & Partner 10% plus $5 lot fee Langton's 15% Sotheby's London 15% Sotheby's New York 21% Steinfels 10% J Straker, Chadwick & Sons No buyer's commission (£7.05 including VAT charge per lot) Winefield's 20% Zachys 19% 122 F I N E

FINE Wine Auction highlights 4-8/2008 Wine has always been a polarized market ­ luxury good at one end, a mere commodity at the other. Despite the economic downturn, retail analysts are still able to make a distinction between "super-luxury" and mere "luxury." Those firms that target the former ­ such as Bordeaux first growths and some Champagne Houses ­ are prospering while the super-rich keep spending as if to mock the economic climate. Text: Stuart George Despite the credit-crunch, luxury is outselling commodities. The Veblen effect is named after the Norwegian-American economist Thorstein Veblen. According to his principles, luxury goods such as diamonds, cars, or indeed wine, are commodities for which demand increases according to their price, instead of decreasing according to the theory of supply and demand. Thus with Veblen goods, a high price, regardless of intrinsic value, may increase the perception of exclusivity, thereby making the good even more desirable. Decreasing the price lessens people's preference for buying them because they are no longer perceived as exclusive or high status products. Conspicuous wealth is not new to London. In the 1970s, Middle Eastern oil barons came to London to pour their money into property and their wives into Harrods, then as now the spiritual home of Veblen goods. A decade ago, Far East and US money came looking for a home. Today, the trend has been for Russian oligarchs and Indian tycoons. And the wives still go to Harrods. As the global economy slows, the best strategy might be to start selling to those least affected by a downturn - the seriously wealthy. These people are not too troubled about having to pay the mortgage. It was reported in the Sunday Times of June 1 that Lakshmi Mittal, the London-based steel tycoon, was poised to buy a Kensington home for a record £117 million. 123 C O L L E C T I N G Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

There is little doubt that the top end of the fine wine market has become detached from the rest. The top fine wine brands continue to float above the rest like the empty wooden box of Cheval Blanc floating down the Thames in William Boyd's novel Armadillo. As Boyd's protagonist Lorimer Black thinks to himself as he walks along Chelsea Embankment, "there was clearly flotsam and flotsam." Prices continue to be not just higher than anticipated, but huge, and in multiples of published estimates. Darlings such as Pétrus and DRC will never become ugly ducklings, but lesser wines might struggle. If the market continues to flatten, some egos will be smashed like the Qing dynasty vase that met such a tragic end at the Fitzwilliam Museum in February 2006. Hart Davis Hart's attempt to sell large format bottles of Colgin in February 2007 was perhaps a cautionary tale. poorer nations could suffer. Net oil exporters would be enriched at the expense of net oil importers; Middle Eastern producers could buy more German cars and French clothes ­ and wines ­ with every barrel sold. In theory, high oil prices should be offset by falls in the prices of other goods for which there is now less demand. But with fine wine, there is increasing demand. The market, not government taxes, has increased the cost of oil and other commodities. Similarly, the inflated cost of fine wine cannot be blamed on increased costs ex-château or on increased premiums at auction. Unbelievably, oil remains relatively cheap to other commodities. An oil barrel's worth (42 US gallons, or 159 liters) of Coca Cola would cost nearly $300, and one of mineral water almost $500. A barrel of Ausone 2007 would be worth (according to en primeur offers at London wine merchants in June 2008) $176,660. Oil Painting There are apocryphal stories of oil-laden tankers bobbing about the Gulf, parked in front of a refinery. The owner watches the market. If he loses his nerve, he can quickly dock the ship and sell its cargo. But a $1 per barrel rise on a tanker holding two million barrels means a profit of $2 million. Huge fortunes are being made. Five years ago, in mid-2003, oil fetched $30 a barrel. Goldman Sachs has suggested that oil could reach $200 a barrel by the end of 2008. Perhaps Lafite 1982 could reach $50,000 a case. Expensive oil has far-reaching economic effects. $200 a barrel would be shrugged off by wealthy nations, though The cruelest month April saw the release of Parker's final in-bottle scores for the 2005 vintage. The early weeks of the month saw the highest level of trade for the 2005s since the summer months of 2006 in the immediate aftermath of the en primeur campaign, reported Liv-ex, a London-based fine wine exchange with various merchant members estimated to account for 70 percent of the world's fine wine sales. This turnover dropped a little in the final few days of the month, as traders withdrew stock from the market ahead of the scores' release. The start of April was relatively quiet on the Liv-ex exchange, with many traders and merchants busy in Bordeaux tasting 124 F I N E

the latest vintage. Nonetheless, April finished as the busiest month of the year so far, up 137 percent on last year. Wine funds remained active, as did UK merchants, buying 2005s ahead of the Parker scores. In contrast, European buyers dropped away despite the strong euro, perhaps preserving funds for the 2007 campaign. The Liv-ex 100 also made further progress, increasing 1.5 percent to set a new record high. The index was 24 percent up on last April, a strong performance but still the lowest yearon-year figure seen since February 2006. This is a trend that is likely to continue as the year progresses, believes Liv-ex. As in previous months, the index's movement reflected strong demand for top names from good recent vintages. The Bordeaux market was dominated by the two excellent, but contrasting, years of 2005 (24 percent of trade) and 1996 (25 percent of trade) - the former in expectation of good scores from Parker and the latter because of attractive relative value when compared to more recent years. The 2005 first growths are extremely highly priced, trading at a 69 percent premium to the 2000s. In comparison, the 1996s, which are approaching their drinking windows and whose storage and capital costs have been funded for the last ten years, look extremely attractive at a 41 percent discount to the 2000s and 65 percent below the 2005s. It is possible to argue that the cache of the 2005 vintage is worth a significant premium. But is this premium worth 69 percent on 2000, or 186 percent on 1996? The market clearly thinks not. Prices of the 2005 first growths were either slightly down or static since March. But in the long-term, barring a general collapse in fine wine prices on the back of a global catastrophe, it appears hard to see the 2005s losing significant value, reckoned Liv-ex. As Parker's final scores for the 2005s approached, the large increases seen in February and March for wines from this vintage were repeated, although the action was centered on a smaller group of wines. Troplong-Mondot and Palmer 2005 at 20 percent and 18.5 percent respectively saw the strongest price increases, as speculators took positions ahead of the much-anticipated Parker scores. totaled $6,134,035 (including premium), making it the auction house's third highest value single-owner wine sale ever (though its premiums have increased considerably in recent years). Dinner was served to registered bidders, and everyone attending was encouraged to bring their own bottles of wine to enjoy during the auction. In a very civilized gesture, there was no corkage. The sale was billed as, "the greatest collection of rare Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines ever offered by Sotheby's." Although DRC formed only a quarter of the volume of the sale, it accounted for over half of the estimated value. The entire collection of 865 bottles, 69 magnums, two Jéroboams and one Méthuselah of DRC wines from 1947-2004 was 100 percent sold and raised $3,059,485 (including premium), which is about as much as a typical New York wine auction would total. This auction was the first since Christie's Los Angeles "Evening Sale" on November 3, 2007, to have multiple lots in excess of $100,000, and over 40 percent of the value of the sale was purchased by the top four buyers, who were all from Hong Kong. The top bid was $140,000 for six magnums of Romanée-Conti 1971 (estimate $110,000­ 170,000). Other $100,000+ bids were $130,000 for a dozen Romanée-Conti 1985 (estimate $100,000­150,000); $100,000 for four magnums of Romanée-Conti 1985 (estimate $80,000­100,000); and $100,000 for six magnums of Romanée-Conti 1966 (estimate $110,000­170,000). Additionally, there were a further five bids exceeding $50,000 for DRC wines. Red Bordeaux included over 900 bottles, consisting of 43 half-bottles, 831 bottles, 77 magnums, eight double-magnums, three Jéroboams, and one Impériale. The top claret price was $85,000 for 12 bottles of Pétrus 1961 (estimate $55,000­ 85,000). In March 2007, Sotheby's sold a case of this wine in London for £52,000/$104,000. Other 1961s included four bottles of Latour 1961 at $17,000 (estimate $6,500­10,000) and four magnums of Mouton-Rothschild 1961 at $47,500 (estimate $22,500­40,000). 1959s were also expensive: A Jéroboam of Latour made $35,000 (estimate $20,000­ 30,000) and six magnums of Mouton $50,000 (estimate A Safe Pair of Brands Aulden Cellars-Sotheby's evening sale of "Magnificent Bordeaux and Burgundy from an Important Private Cellar" on April 10 in New York was 2008's most lucrative sale yet. It $37,500­50,000). The 2000s continued their remarkable recent form. Lafite went to $17,000 (estimate $10,000­15,000) - way down on Sotheby's London four-bottle price of £4,400 - and six bottles 125 C O L L E C T I N G Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

of Pétrus made $27,500 (estimate $17,000­25,000). Cheval Blanc 1947 has not been seen much recently since Rudy Kurniawan had a cellar clear-out, but here it made $47,500 for seven bottles (estimate $35,000­50,000), which is correct for the market average over the last couple of years. Cheval 1947 and Mouton 1945 have both flattened somewhat over the last year or so. There was a brimful of Asha on the forty-fives, with two lots of one magnum each of Mouton-Rothschild 1945 making $38,000 apiece (estimate $17,000­25,000) and five magnums of La Mission Haut-Brion 1945 selling for $65,000 (estimate $35,000­50,000). was also offering single bottles of old and rare Yquem in May 2008. Apart from the eye-catching Yquem price, it was the usual suspects in the Sotheby's top ten. Pétrus 1989 made £13,500 for six (estimate £11,000-15,000), which is effectively twice as expensive as Sotheby's March 15 New York price of $16,000. Sterling might have taken a pummeling against the euro but at this time it remained strong against the dollar and there were still opportunities for canny bidders to effect arbitrage. After recent wobbles, Lafite 1982 returned to form. Only a week previously, it was sold by Sotheby's at £13,200 per dozen pro rata, but here it went to £16,000 (estimate £12,000-15,000). Excellent prices were also achieved for J J Prüm Wehlener Golden Brown On April 16, Sotheby's London sold a 70-vintage (1892-2001, with the exception of four vintages), 136-bottle vertical collection of Château d'Yquem to a "European Private Buyer" in its auction of "Finest and Rarest Wines." Uniquely, not one of the bottles in this collection had ever previously surfaced from the cellars of the château. The vendor was the Bordeauxbased Internet wine merchant Wineandco, which was also offering 65 Yquem vintages on its site under the banner, "La vente du siècle." The website prices varied from 175 for the 1997 to 25,000 for the 1892. A room bidder and two telephone bidders contested the Sotheby's lot, and when the hammer finally fell the price was £320,000 (estimate £100,000-136,500), which is unlikely to be surpassed as 2008's highest bid. This was a claimed record for a single wine lot sold by Sotheby's in London and the second highest price for a wine lot sold at Sotheby's (the record remains $880,000 for a 50-case lot of Mouton-Rothschild 1982 at Sotheby's New York on November 18, 2006), concluding a very successful seven days for Sotheby's. In two sales in London and one in New York, it sold a total of $10.5 million (including premium) and showed that there was still plenty of life at the very top of the fine wine market. With Sotheby's leading the pack, it was an auspicious week for Yquem in London. On April 18, the London broker Fine & Rare Wines sold a single bottle of Yquem 1811 for £37,900 to Cellarworks, a New York fine wine cellar designer. And since March, Bordeaux Wine Investments (BWI), another London broker, has been offering several 18-bottle sets of Yquem that include vintages from 1934-1982. The sets are priced at £13,500 each. Prior to Sotheby's, there have been two big Yquem sales over the last two years. In October 2006, Christie's made £80,000 for a 100-vintage Yquem collection. London-based The Antique Wine Company offered a 135-bottle collection in December 2006, with a bottle of every vintage produced from 1860 to 2003, which sold for £775,000. The Antique Wine Company Sonnenuhr Auslese sourced from the Prüm family itself, though the wines were offered Duty Paid in situ at Sotheby's West London warehouse rather than ex-cellars. The 1949 made up to £2,400 per six (estimate £1,100­1,500). This week's big prices continued into the weekend. On April 19, an anonymous Beijing-based billionaire paid £252,067 / $500,000 for 27 bottles of Romanée-Conti from The Antique Wine Company. The 27 bottles consisted of a dozen 1978; two each of 1961, 1966, 1996 and 2003; and single bottles of 1981, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, and 2002. "This is the first time we've seen the mainland Chinese buying serious Burgundy," Managing Director Stephen Williams said. "In the past they've tended to concentrate on red Bordeaux." Williams said most of his important clients now came from Asia: "Because of the dollar exchange rate we're finding that Americans are more sellers than buyers at the moment." Taken as Red At Steinfels' April 19 sale, Lafite 1982 went to CHF29,500 / US$28,615 (estimate CHF24,000­30,000), which is above recent US prices. Marc Fischer of Steinfels in Zurich believes that the market is becoming more challenging: "Few top wines are holding up their prices. Demand is less intensive. This is partly due to the unfavorable exchange rate of the Swiss franc to the pound as well as the dollar. The trend for wines that are not in perfect condition or from bad years to be significantly lower priced has accelerated." In Hamburg, Koppe & Partner sold a bottle of Lafite 1982 for 1,440 / £1,152 / $2,275 (estimate Ð1,190­1,700) on April 19, which is correct for the market in London and New York. On Tuesday April 22, the weeklong spending party ended, and bankers (if not wine auctioneers) woke up with a hangover. It was reported that China's main share index, the Shanghai Composite Index, was trading 50 percent below the peak level reached in October 2007. The index had previously risen almost six-fold in two years. On the same day, oil approached $120 a barrel and the euro hit a record peak against the US 126 F I N E

dollar, rising to $1.60. Against sterling, it was trading at £0.80, near the record high of £0.81 hit the previous week. Two days later, the Composite Index saw one of its biggest daily gains after the government, in a clear sign that it wanted to support share prices, cut taxes on share trading. Also on April 24, Credit Suisse reported a loss for the first three months of the year, hit by its exposure to the credit markets. The bank made a net loss of CHF2.1 billion /US$2.1 billion, which might have an effect on Christie's remarkable run of sales in taxfriendly Geneva, where a sale was scheduled for May 13. However, oil money continued to flow. On April 29, it was reported that Royal Dutch Shell and BP had seen first-quarter profits boom thanks to the rising price of oil. Shell made profits of $7.8 billion in the first three months of the year, up from $6.9 billion a year ago. And BP saw its profits rise 48 percent to $6.6 billion, from $4.4 billion. In January, Anglo-Dutch firm Shell reported annual profits of $27.56 billion for 2007, a record for a UK-listed company. The previous day, Chakib Khelil, president of Opec, the oil-producing cartel, warned that the price of crude could rise to $200 a barrel. He blamed the falling value of the US dollar, which makes other assets, including oil (and wine), more attractive for foreign investors. Champagne Fairs Zachys made only half as much as Acker Merrall & Condit's sale held on the same day, and Acker's average lot price was over $10,000. As with "THE Cellar" sale held in January 2006, many images were made available online, such was the auctioneer's confidence in their condition and provenance. With a total of $6,286,313 (including premium), the sale just edged out Sotheby's April 10 auction as 2008's biggest grossing sale yet, but this was a difficult period for Acker Merrall. Two days before the auction, William Koch filed a lawsuit against the firm, accusing it of selling him counterfeit wines in 2005 and 2006. And during the sale itself, auctioneer John Kapon announced that 22 lots of Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche and Clos St-Denis were being withdrawn "at the request of the domaine and with the consent of the consignor." Laurent Ponsot had contacted Kapon after hearing about the sale and claimed that some of the wines were from vintages that the domaine never bottled. The consignor was Rudy Kurniawan. Asked after the sale who he had acquired the wines from, he said, "We try our best to get it right, but it's Burgundy, and sometimes shit happens." The top ten lots were dominated by Burgundy, particularly Rousseau's Chambertin (ex-Kurniawan). A dozen 1962 made $80,000 (estimate $80,000­100,000); ten bottles of the same 127 C O L L E C T I N G Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

128 F I N E

way up from $6,000 to the final hammer. "It was like nothing I have ever seen," said John Kapon afterwards. The Champagnes were 100 percent sold and also included another rarity in Krug Blanc de Blancs 1966 - just "500 or so" bottles made, according to Rémi Krug. It made $10,000 (estimate $10,000­15,000). A Blanc de Blancs was not produced again until 1979 with the first vintage of Clos du Mesnil, a complete 13-bottle vertical of which (1979-1996) went for $24,000 (estimate $15,000­ 20,000). Other highlights from the Rosania cellar included six magnums of Krug Collection 1969 (estimate $18,000­24,000), which made $26,000; six magnums of Krug 1982 at $9,000 (estimate $6,000­8,000); a magnum of Louis Roederer 1929 at $13,000 (estimate $8,000­12,000); a magnum of Salon 1964 at $9,000 (estimate $7,000­10,000); and single bottles of Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve 1914 (estimate $8,000­15,000) and Cristal 1949 (estimate $4,000­6,000), which made $16,000 and $6,500 respectively. Lafite led at £5,050 per six (estimate £4,000), followed by Margaux and Mouton both at £3,700 (estimate £3,000 and £2,500 respectively), and Haut-Brion at £2,800 (estimate £2,500). A bottle of Lafite 1982 made £1,100 (estimate £850+) "cheap in comparison with a case of 12", noted Chadwick. Cases sold at London auctions have reached £16,000, and here one made £16,500 (estimate £11,000) - "it could have made a lot more if the levels had been just a little bit better," reckoned Chadwick. Christie's recent sale of Lafite 1982 owc at $30,000 shows how sensitive the market has become to condition and provenance. The weekend of April 27 also saw the publication in the UK of the annual Sunday Times Rich List, which doubtless was read closely by London (and Abergavenny) merchants and auctioneers. J. Straker, Chadwick & Sons' 28 June wine auction was its most successful this year, with 1,088 of the 1,121 lots selling in just over six hours, grossing over £200,000. Once again, second wines were in demand. Forts de Latour 2000 went over its £850+ estimate to make £1,250, and six bottles of the Seconds best "A very, very successful sale - one of our best," said William Chadwick of his April 26 sale. "More absentee bids than ever before, a packed auction room from start to finish, the most new buyers for a very long time (including three from Hong Kong, one each from Norway, Sweden and Germany, and two from California) and a good firm trade throughout the day keeping both buyers and sellers happy." Two bottles of Margaux 1994 made £280 (estimate £160­ 240), "showing you can get first growths at realistic prices," said Chadwick. On the other hand, £1,200 for two bottles of Cheval Blanc 1982 "shows that buyers are still prepared to pay good money for the star lots." A bottle of Mouton-Rothschild 1947 was estimated at £750+ but seven telephone bidders pushed the hammer price to £1,800. J. Straker, Chadwick & Sons has had a good run recently with second wines, which Mr. Chadwick thinks, "are always good value." A case of Alter Ego de Palmer 2004 at £310 (estimate £180­200) proved his point - "When does Palmer make a poor wine?" A case of the Grand Vin 1989 sold for £1,700 (estimate £1,200+). Pichon-Baron is not a wine that attracts trophy hunters or investment funds, but here a case sold for nearly 50 percent over its estimate at £1,450: "Stunning wine - I thought it could have made a little more." All the 2000s attracted serious attention from buyers in the room, as well as phone bidders, and many more could have been sold, said Chadwick. The prices of the first growths show how the market currently perceives the value of these wines. 2004 made £360 (estimate £260­340). A single bottle of Lafite 1982 fetched £1,350 (estimate £1,000+). "Trends come and go," says Mr. Chadwick. "A few years ago, Mas de Daumas Gassac was high on everyone's shopping list, then suddenly it went out of fashion. Now, it is quite definitely getting popular again, with a case of the 1990 fetching £320. Similarly, anything from Penfolds is on the up and up." Reflecting on recent events, Mr. Chadwick said, "Despite the recent gloom doom and despondency preached by the media, our last two auctions have been particularly well attended, and whilst there were no real `high flyers,' there was a strong consistency throughout the sales." Location, location, location The first of three sales for Christie's London wine department in May saw a dozen Le Pin 2000 make £17,500 (estimate £16,000­20,000) on May 8. Lafite 1982 steadied at £15,500, missing the £16,000­20,000 estimate. Sotheby's £16,000 in April remained the price to beat. Although no records were broken at Christie's, the following day saw crude oil and corn prices surge to record highs. Oil reached $126.20 a barrel - double the level of a year ago - and was the culmination of a spectacular week in which prices jumped by $10. Corn prices rose to a record high of $6.27 a bushel, up 75 percent in the past year. The oil producers' cartel Opec blamed the price increase on speculation and remained reluctant to raise official output quotas. At the May 12 South Kensington sale, six bottles of Krug Clos du Mesnil 1989 made £2,200 (estimate £1,000­1,400). Acker 129 C O L L E C T I N G Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

Merrall's April 25 price for a similar lot was $4,800 / £2,400, so more or less identical. The sky may be falling on the economy, but the art market continued to bask in sunshine. Christie's managed a total of $348,263,600, marking the second highest total ever in auction history for the category, at its "Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale" on May 13 in New York. US buyers snapped up 70 percent of the $348,263,600 worth of art sold, while Europeans bought nearly all the rest. The following evening, Sotheby's auction of Contemporary Art totaled $362,037,000 (including premium) and was the best auction in the company's history. Alex Rotter, Head of Contemporary Art in New York, said, "This evening's extraordinary sale saw a remarkable eight lots sell for more than $10 million, 14 lots selling for more than $5 million and 55 lots selling for more than $1 million. The sale achieved an average lot value of $4,959,410." The London-based Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was the mystery buyer of Francis Bacon's Triptych, 1976, which sold at Sotheby's New York for $86.3m. The vendor of the Bacon Tryptych was the Moueix family of Pétrus fame, who apparently used the money to fund the purchase of Château Belair. Perhaps Mr. Abramovich will buy a few cases of wine, too. Despite the big losses by Credit Suisse for the first three months of the year, Christie's May 13 sale was another triumphant auction of fine and rare wines in Geneva, a city that continues to court the rich assiduously. Perhaps Christie's did not have many clients working at Credit Suisse. RomanéeConti 1999 made CHF52,000 (estimate CHF38,000­42,000) for six bottles, nearly $20,000 less than Acker Merrall's April price. Another Méthuselah of Cristal 1990 found its way into an auction room. It made CHF26,000 (estimate CHF15,000­ 20,000), easily beating $18,000 at Christie's on April 26. The price for this wine in this format has risen from just $2,000 at Acker on June 22, 2001. And UK residents complain about inflation at 3.8 percent... Sotheby's released its first quarter results on May 9. The auction house posted a $12.4 million loss compared with a profit of $24.3 million in the first quarter of 2007 after revenue fell 12 percent to $129.3 million. Given the seasonal nature of the auction market, Sotheby's usually expects to post a loss in the first and third quarters - indeed, the company has produced a loss in the first quarter for all but two of the past 18 years. Comments made by Sotheby's chief executive Bill Ruprecht about a "prudent approach to risk management during this time of greater financial market uncertainty" were the closest any senior auction executive has come to battening down the hatches. The art and wine markets continued to thrive at the top, but things lower down the scale were becoming more difficult. Bipin Lamps At Acker Merrall & Condit's "Mayflowers" sale on May 10, young wines were most in demand, with a 15-liter bottle of Cheval Blanc 2000 selling for $42,000 (estimate $24,000­35,000). The price for three bottles of Romanée-Conti 2005 was even more extraordinary - $32,000 (estimate $20,000-30,000), making this probably the world's most expensive "young" wine. Indeed, on June 25, three bottles were traded through Liv-ex for £23,085, giving Liv-ex its best ever day of trading. Pro rata, a dozen bottles would be worth nearly $128,000, which is not that far off the case rate for Cheval Blanc 1947. In June 2007, Acker Merrall achieved $125,000 each for several three-magnum lots of DRC 2003 wines. Six bottles of 1990 Le Pin made $17,000 (estimate $17,000­ 24,000), making this more expensive than all other Le Pin vintages except 1982 and 2000. Lafite-Rothschild 2000 (estimate $14,000­18,000) made $16,000 - only half as much as the 1982! The May 10 sale preceded a much smaller auction on May 21 that featured only wines from the cellar of Bipin Desai. The sale represented about 50 percent of Dr. Desai's cellar. Despite the treasures on offer - Mouton 1945, Cheval Blanc 1947 et al - the highest bids were again for relatively young wines. Six-bottle lots of Pétrus 1989 and 1990 each made $18,000 (estimates $18,000­24,000), though the 1990 has latterly been slightly more expensive than the 1989. Apocalypse Now? Three sales were held in New York on May 17. Aulden Cellars / Sotheby's sale of "Finest and Rarest Wines" featured Wines from the cellar of William S. Morris III, consisting of over 3,000 bottles, including 123 magnums, 43 double magnums, 8 Jéroboams and 16 Impériales. As at Sotheby's April 10 sale, lunch was served to registered bidders and corkage was waived. Lafite 1982 was available in bottle, magnum and doublemagnum formats, which made $30,000 (estimate $20,000­ 30,000), $35,000 (estimate $22,500­32,500) and $25,000 (estimate $22,500­32,500) respectively. At Morrell & Company, Lafite 2000 made $15,000 (estimate $12,000­17,000), with the 2003 at $9,500 (estimate $9,000­ 12,000). In a three-horse contest, somebody has to come third, and this time it was Christie's. Just 80 percent of the 1,223 lots were sold and prices even for the highest-bid lots were usually well below the estimate. A dozen Le Pin 2000 made $40,000 (estimate $30,000­50,000), above recent London prices. Pétrus 1998 began a run of high prices for the latter part of this quarter when it made $27,000 per dozen here (estimate $30,000­40,000) The 1982 was only $1,000 less for six bottles (estimate $20,000­30,000). 130 F I N E

"Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?" Andrew Caillard MW and Tamara Grischy of Langton's reported strong sales and decent clearance rates throughout January and February 2008 in Australia. Despite the stock market jitters, a high interest rate climate and inflationary pressure, wine auction prices remained solid with plenty of positive sentiment and lift. Top vintages and producers often enjoyed record prices. While Australian wine continues to do very well, the highest prices are found with Bordeaux and Burgundy. In January and February, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne enjoyed stellar results. The upswing in prices for vintages such as 2003 and 2005 reflected market indifference to the as yet unreleased 2006 and 2007 vintages. "A succession of ordinary vintages will result in further growing demand and a dwindling supply for top vintages of first growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy," believes Caillard. Penfolds Grange has performed brilliantly for some time now, but early results from 2008's first quarter show that it remains a hot ticket. The best vintages, such as 1978, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999, have generated buoyant prices. Over a three-month period, average prices increased by about 5 percent. By the end of the first quarter, the Australian fine wine market had grown roughly 10 percent on last year. But Andrew Caillard feels, "The market has not been reckless. While some wines achieved the strongest prices in Australian secondary market history, others were left in the doldrums. At the commercial level, buyers only want bargains and will not engage in any form of competitive bidding. Wines that emanated from the Heritage debacle continue to be followed with the same interest as snipers on a target range." Despite the doom and gloom that pervades the general economy, fine wine continues to appeal to a particular niche of the market, says Caillard. "The current volatility in the stock market is not translating to the secondary auction wine market," believes Caillard. "The expectations, niche size of the market, volume of stock and rules of engagement are completely different. We expect the market to remain healthy. Generally it's full steam ahead..." $1,500­2,400). This is nothing to do with the famed Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - indeed, Jaboulet-Isnard is better known these days as a producer of Côtes du Ventoux. DRC 1990 and 2005 topped the charts throughout the weekend, beginning early on Friday morning with three bottles of Romanée-Conti 2005 selling for $38,000 (estimate $24,000­ 35,000), beating Zachys' May 14 single bottle $12,000 price. Six bottles of La Tâche 2005 went for $28,000 (estimate $17,000­28,000). Last year, prices for DRC 2003s exploded, and the 2005s look set to follow a similar pattern this year. On Saturday, two magnums of Romanée Conti 1990 achieved the highest price of the auction at $48,000 (estimate $28,000­ 42,000), and a 1990 DRC Assortment Case followed suit at $40,000 (estimate $20,000­32,000). Three rare original cases of Henri Jayer from the 1980 vintage - his best, according to his UK agent Roy Richards - were offered. Echezeaux made $19,000 (estimate $12,000­18,000); Vosne-Romanée $5,500 (estimate $3,000­4,800); and VosneRomanée Cros Parantoux $28,000 (estimate $20,000­ 30,000). Blue chip Bordeaux prices were consistent with the trajectory of recent months. Nine bottles of Lafite 1982 sold for $22,000 (estimate $14,000­20,000), the going price for a full case at Zachys' "Fall Auction" just seven months ago. Full cases of Ausone 2000 and Lafite 2000 surpassed their pre-sale estimates, with the Ausone selling for $20,000 and the Lafite for $16,000, consistent with recent prices. Twelve bottles of Carruades de Lafite 1998 sold for $1,400 and $1,300 (estimates $400­600); one dozen bottles of the 1999 vintage sold for $1,200 (estimate $350­500); and two full cases of the 2002 vintage sold for $1,300 each (estimates $400­600). Riscal Management Christie's celebrated the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Marqués de Riscal winery in Rioja by offering historic wines consigned directly from the winery during the sale of "Finest & Rarest Wines" in London on June 26. The oldest vintage from Marqués de Riscal to be offered was the 1863, one of the first vintages of the winery, which made £1,600 (estimate £600­800). At a presale tasting on June 18, Where's Wally? Zachys with Wally's "Late Spring Los Angeles Auction" on June 20-21 was standing room only as bidders braved record temperatures. "The Adamson Collection, Part II" was a 150-lot follow-up to an offering at Zachys' October 2005 Los Angeles auction and included two bottles of Latour 1961 that sold for $5,000 (estimate $3,200­4,800); one bottle of Roumier Musigny 1959 for $5,500 (estimate $4,000­7,000); and six bottles of Hermitage Jaboulet-Isnard 1961 for $3,200 (estimate the 1964, 1945 and 1900 were presented. The 1964 made £480 for a magnum and up to the same amount for three bottles (estimate £300­500 per magnum and £360­450 per three bottles); the 1945 £900 per magnum (estimate £500­700) and £1,200 per three bottles (estimate £550­650); and the 1900 £1,600 for one bottle (estimate £400­600). Ten magnums of the Marqués de Riscal Frank Gehry Selection 2001 made £280 each (estimate £250­300) and the Barón de Chirel Reserva 1994 £250 per six (estimate £150­250) - excellent 131 Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

value for money. Apart from the Riscal selection, DRC prices were typically strong. One dozen Romanée-Conti 1964 made £44,000 (estimate £30,000­40,000) and a case of the 1966 £40,000 (estimate £25,000­30,000). Lafite 1982 reached a new high in London at £17,000 a case (estimate £12,000­16,000). Also on June 26, the price of oil surged to $140 a barrel. Light sweet crude for August delivery touched $140.39 on the New York Mercantile Exchange before edging down from this record level. The combination of soaring oil prices, inflation and fears about the global economy sent stock markets tumbling. But as Christie's sale proved, the top end of the fine wine market is largely immune to this. In a show of continued strength, wines from Pétrus and Lafite garnered nine of the ten top prices achieved at Hart Davis Hart's June 28 auction. Pétrus 1990 (estimate $26,000­ 38,000) and 1998 (estimate $22,000­32,000) both made $30,000. The 1995 achieved $14,000 (estimate $12,000­ 18,000). By the end of 2007, it was fetching $18,000, and it seems to have been overtaken by others this year. Lafite 1982 steadied at $30,000 (estimate $16,000­24,000). A collection of Bordeaux from the cellar of hockey legend Mario Lemieux - the second offering Lemieux has sold through Hart Davis Hart - brought in high prices. Each of four cases of bottles, three cases of magnums, and a case of double magnums of Cheval Blanc 2000 from Mr. Lemieux's collection sold at $11,000. Despite wobbles in financial markets and difficult results for other auction houses, in the first half of 2008 Hart Davis Hart sold $15,353,188 (including premium) over four auctions. Three of these auctions were 100 percent sold by lot, with the fourth sale at 99.33 percent. Only seven lots have been unsold at HDH's sales since September 2007. At its June 28 sale in Zürich, Marc Fischer of Steinfels noted that interest in Mouton slowed down and prices were up to 30 percent lower than six months ago: "For example, Mouton 1986 in perfect condition is down from CHF1,100 to CHF850 per bottle...For wines that are not in top condition, prices are up to 50 percent lower compared to a top wine in perfect condition." Six bottles of Ausone 2000 made CHF12,600 (estimate CHF12,000­15,000), above recent London and New York prices. Fischer also commented, "Lafite and Carruades are still on the rise. Absurd prices are being paid for Carruades in particular." 2, perhaps after some people had been shopping at Sotheby's evening sale of "Contemporary Art" on July 1, which realized a phenomenal £94,701,550 / $188,853,831 (including premium), making it the most successful summer sale of contemporary art ever held in Europe. Trade on the Liv-ex exchange was extremely strong in June, up 117 percent on last year. A new record was set, beating the previous record month set two years ago during the height of the 2005 Bordeaux en primeur campaign. This performance was in sharp contrast to the world's major share indices, which had a torrid month. Wine funds were active, as was the UK trade. The Europeans, however, with 2007 Bordeaux to sell, were largely absent from the secondary market. With the first growths released at low enough levels to attract interest, the 2007 campaign finally found some life, accounting for 15 percent of exchange trade. Lafite - both the grand vin and Carruades - saw particularly strong activity. This was relatively short-lived, however, and the 2007 campaign faded as June neared its end, with Liv-ex suggesting that this would perhaps signal the end of large-scale 2007 activity until the wine is in bottle. Bordeaux 2005, at 17 percent of the total, accounted for the largest share of June trade. Believers in the vintage, or those that felt Parker had underrated the top wines, benefited from increased availability of stock as non-believers reduced their positions and took profit. Aside from 2005 and 2007, trade was spread relatively evenly across a wide variety of years, with 2006, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1996 and 1990 all accounting for between 6 percent and 8 percent of trade. Burgundy also had another active month, with trade in DRC 2005s boosting its market share to a year high. Highly rated wines from back vintages began to narrow the gap on their highly priced 2005 brethren. There was a slight increase in prices for the 2004 vintage as a whole, notably with Carruades de Lafite and Margaux. The slight drop in the price of Latour 2005 suggests that the top wines from this vintage are about to enter a period of price stagnation. Christie's announced its results for the first half of 2008 on July 17. It achieved worldwide sales of £1.8 billion / $3.5 billion (including premium) for the first six months of 2008, an increase of 10 percent by value on last year's figure for the same period. In its salesrooms around the world, Christie's sold 457 works of art for more than $1 million, compared to 430 sold during the same period last year. Perhaps most significantly, there was a 63 percent year on year sales growth in Asia. June Gloom On July 1, the FTSE Index fell by 2.5 percent. The UK benchmark index lost nearly 13 percent from January to June 2008 after five years of gains in a row. The market showed a gain of 6.2 percent in January to June 2007. The Index rose again on July The serious money is in Impressionist and Modern Art, and Post War and Contemporary Art, both of which were near $1 billion sales for the first half of 2008. In the list of "key categories" and their totals, there was no mention of the wine department. 132 F I N E

Chinese and Indian auctions Buddha never praised or advocated poverty...According to Merrill Lynch and Capgemini, in 2006 the number of Chinese (US$) millionaires rose 7.8 percent to an estimated 345,000. HSBC has forecast that by 2011, 16 million people in China will hold assets of US$6.2 trillion (sic) between them. And with this increase in disposable income comes an increasing interest in leisure pursuits such as drinking fine wine. The new wealth in China has apparently changed the face of the contemporary art market. According to Artprice, of the 35 contemporary artists that achieved $1 million sales in 2007, 15 were Chinese. These artists have seen the price of their work multiplied by ten in fewer years. Of course, this could be due more to the low base from which they have sprung and less to a speculative bubble. But doubtless the Bordelais and Champenois will be watching all of this with detached interest. Auctioneers and merchants are also looking to these emerging markets to take up the slack. Auction houses in particular have the resources, infrastructure and clientele to invest in and develop these emerging markets. The global financial dominance ­ and by extension fine wine market dominance ­ of London and New York is being challenged by the emerging financial capitals of the Middle and Far East. These emerging markets have big populations and are to a large extent immune to Western economic vagaries. The Far East economies in particular seemed to have decoupled themselves from the United States, though the events of September and October 2008 disproved that. Cities such as Dubai, Mumbai, and - of course - Hong Kong, with its convenient time zone, low taxation and financial-services expertise, could still build enough critical mass to undermine the long-established markets in New York and London. The re-emergence of wine auctions in Hong Kong will further enable vendors to place wines where they are most likely to generate high bids. stories - probably created by envious tabloid editors - of Russian billionaires buying half bottles of Lafite to drink in their private jets. Fine wine has become a product for people that are rich as opposed to wealthy. Increasingly, it is not for people for whom money is no object, but people for whom money is the only object. The market is now capitalist, not feudal as it was traditionally. The new money pouring into fine wine knows only a rising market and is reassured by how expensive things are. While the rest of us have to confront the credit crunch, stock market turmoil and a looming property crash, the super-rich appear to be unconcerned with anything but the UK government looking at their tax affairs. There is more show-off money than ever before, and it is of course deeply embarrassing to have to sell that case of Screaming Eagle that was mentioned, if not drunk, during a recent dinner party. Mark Blackburn, a renowned collector of Polynesian art, said in the October 2007 issue of Apollo magazine, "(Today) there is a lot of masquerading as collectors...It's investment art, status art, showing off your money, not knowledge." He might just as easily been talking about wine. For too many bidders, it is not the wine that is important but what it represents: an expensive bottle of claret is as much a status symbol as a Rolex. Cold Showers Fine wine and contemporary art continue to be the purchases of choice for today's rich. One grudgingly admires the auction houses for their continuing success in encouraging the world's super rich to jump in and join the party. Sotheby's and Christie's results so far this year show that art has kept its value even as times are bad, with buyers likely seeing it as a better investment while real estate and stock markets suffer losses. Fine wine also appears to be retaining indeed, increasing - its value during this difficult economic period. Cold showers are supposed to do us good, and slumps mean opportunities. Nobody wants a recession, but if there is one coming, then the canny wine buyer should make the most of it. Throughout these past three or so boom years in the fine wine market, prudent buyers will have watched gleefully the vulgar rush to buy, using Show me the money! As calculated by Forbes magazine, membership of the "billionaire club" has expanded from 243 to 946 since 2002, making the last six years an unprecedented period of wealth creation. Over the same period, the Liv-ex 100 Index is up by more than 150 percent. Most of this increase has been since the middle of 2005, which corresponds with this marked increase in wealth, and perhaps suggests that drinking expensive wine makes you rich...Some 572 new billionaires were created between Forbes' 2005 and 2007 lists - more than twice the total number in existence in 2001. Over the last ten years, the number of private jet owners in the USA has doubled to more than 50,000, with Boeing now including "servants' quarters" in its 747 jumbo jet. There are apocryphal tomorrow's pay packet to finance today's purchase. Some people are already feeling the pinch: It is hard not to notice the Cristal and Le Pin coming back onto the market this year. Only when the tide goes out is it revealed who has been swimming naked... The party is not yet over, because those partying hardest in recent years are largely unaffected by the credit crunch. Wall Street and The City face a spate of redundancies, though super-rich Russians and Middle Easterners are getting wealthier by the day, and probably the hour, thanks to high oil prices. The overall demand for top-end wine, art and property will therefore not evaporate overnight. > 133 C O L L E C T I N G Fi n e C o l l e c t i n g

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE RICHMOND RANGES 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 60 x60 cm JUDD 134 F I N E

16 17 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE FELTON ROAD 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 60x60 cm JUDD 135 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

W T C 136 F I N E O

Text: Essi Avellan MW T he climate debate has been sexed up in the media. People have been speaking about it for a long time, but only when we have seen and experienced climate change ourselves has anything started to happen. Our concerns are still often expressed in words rather than deeds. But there are some doing something about it. 137 C L I M A T E Fi n e C l i m at e

The 2008 conference on climate change and wine has attracted an international audience of 350 to Barcelona. The speakers represent the cream of researchers into climate and wine and winemaker celebrities from around the world, with the star guest, Nobel prizewinner Al Gore, appearing by satellite image. Many are wondering what climate change has to do with wine. The highly regarded viticultural consultant Dr. Richard Smart does not mince his words when he starts to talk: ­ Climate change is predicted to cause much suffering and damage. That is why it is hard to think about such trifles as wine in the same breath. Wine is not the number one priority. Forecasts of the impact on wine growing areas have been carried out using various models. Seguin says: ­ In the best case scenario the change will represent a 1.8 degree rise in temperature over the next 100 years. The worst predictions are in the area of 4 degrees, ranging from 2.4 to 6.4." Richard Smart illustrates the extent of the change on a map showing the wine producing regions: ­ The success of the present wine growing regions relies on their reputations, which have been built over the last 20 to 1,000 years, during which time the climate has remained more or less stable. If the temperature rises by one to two degrees over a 50 year period, these reputations will be thrown back into the mixing bowl and we'll be drawing lots again for regional potential. A region's reputation has brought it its traditions, infrastructure, services, investment and high land costs. But today's boom region can be tomorrow's misery for the wine grower, and vice versa." Most researchers agree that the greatest changes lie just ahead. Smart continues: Many have regarded changes in climate as the result of natural fluctuations and not a permanent change to the ecosystem caused by man. But people are now starting to change their tune, and the facts speak for themselves. Bernard Seguin, climate change researcher with the INRA (Institute National de la Reserche Agronomique), says: ­ Children being born today will see bigger changes happening in their lifetimes than any other age group. ­ The earth's average temperature has risen from 14 to 14.4 degrees Celsius since 1940. It might not sound like much, but the effects are colossal. For example, the amount of land that freezes over seasonally has fallen by 7% since 1901. 138 F I N E

­ Children being born today will see bigger changes happening in their lifetimes than any other age group. Al Gore observes: ­ Our grandchildren will be asking us either `why didn't you do anything?' or `where did you find the courage to solve the problems?'. The future is not static. It can be changed and we must teach our children to understand why the changes are being made. IMPACT ON WINE PRODUCTION Climate change is mainly due to the volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a consequence of increased human activity. Seguin points out that greenhouse gases are not just a bad thing, though: ­ If it were not for greenhouse gases the earth's climate would be about 30 degrees cooler, as radiation would escape back into space. The earth's average temperature would be around -18 degrees. So the question really is how much our activity will increase volumes of these gases in the future." But the changes will not be taking place evenly around the world. Seguin explains: ­ The effects will be more dramatic in the northern hemisphere, where there is a greater proportion of land to sea. Smart adds: ­ There will be more and more heat waves in northern areas and fewer late frosts in the spring. Winters will be warmer and summers hotter. So vine's blooming, ripening and harvesting will be earlier and the harvest will take place in much hotter conditions. ­ Climate is the main determining factor in what variety will grow where. There is a narrow range of climates for each variety in which its grapes are at their best. With global warming these optimal conditions will change. Château Cos d'Estournel's former owner, Bruno Prats, believes, for example, that Merlot will be used less in Bordeaux and be replaced with more Cabernet Sauvignon and varieties that thrive in warmer climates, such as Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. The `flying winemaker' Jacques Lurton adds: ­ So in Europe we will probably have to pick the grapes at night, when they are at their coolest. There will be a growing need for water, and agriculture will have to compete for it, for example, with the cities and industry. In any case, Europe's stringent regional regulation will cause problems because it will not allow artificial irrigation or different species or varieties in all areas. Dr. Hans Schultz from Geisenheim University and Dr. Greg Jones from Southern Oregon University have studied the suitability of varieties to different climates. Schultz says: CLIMATE CHANGE C L I M A T E ­ Our grandchildren will be asking us why didn't you do anything? 139 Fi n e C l i m at e

­ Chile benefits greatly from cold sea currents and its high mountains to the east. If the climate heats up there will be suitable land for planting in the south, east and west! WINE STYLES OF THE FUTURE If grape varieties and methods of cultivating them do not change, then wine styles are bound to. As a consequence there will be higher alcohol content, a trend which is already conspicuous. The natural acidity of wines will fall and the pH rise. Red wine production will increase at the expense of white. White wines may lose their characteristics and the taste of red wines will become more jammy. Pascal Chatonnet from Excell Laboratories remarks: ­ One should be more adept at making predictions when choosing varieties and areas for cultivation. We should be planting varieties now in places which will be at their best in 25 to 30 years' time. It is then that the vines will be best in terms of their age. We should be looking for cooler regions for cultivation, such as coastal or alpine areas. The Torres family. Hans Schultz comments: Richard Smart is encouraging the international development of entirely new varieties. The well-known Mosel producer, Ernst Loosen, does not wish to exchange Riesling for another variety because of global warming. That is why he is looking into various cultivation methods that will enable him to produce elegant Riesling in the future too. ­ In the 1970´s we had one good vintage, but in the 1990´s all of them were good. This decade we have had to learn what to do when the excessively hot years come along. I want to maintain our current level of quality and so we are carrying out a lot of tests in growing and production. In the short term, many classic regions will be winners. Champagne will see more successful harvest one after another, and the number of vintage years could actually grow. On the other hand, in Australia, for example, there will be less suitable land for wine growing. Smart reckons the fortunate regions are going to be Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and northern Europe ­ Britain and Denmark, for example. He explains: ­ History reminds us that climate is never static ­ it is constantly changing. The fact that we have slowly adapted to them has only hidden the changes. There is a lot to be developed in the area of wine cultivation. For example, huge changes can be made by altering the direction of the vine rows or by controlling the vine sprays so that the sun's heat gets to the grapes. The main thing is to think in the long term. We certainly have the capacity to adapt. THE WINE TRADE ­ A POLLUTER? The wine business does not in fact contribute to global warming in any significant way as it is responsible for around 0.1% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Because vines actually consume carbon dioxide, most of the emissions are due to transport. The long journeys and massive amounts of heavy packaging involved are now under the magnifying glass. As what is fascinating about wines are their regional characteristics and differences, local wine is not a real alternative. But much can be done about the packaging. Namely, for the British journalist Oz Clarke, who also took part in the seminar, wine bottles that are excessively heavy are a sore point. 140 F I N E

The most economical approach to packaging wine from the point of view of CO2 emissions is the bag-in-box, whose numbers are sure to increase. We may also be seeing light PET bottles for wine. We are also likely to witness an increase in the transportation of wine in tanks to the destination country, with the wine being bottled when it arrives. Al Gore has noticed that the wine industry does care about climate change: ­ We have the ability to make the necessary changes. It is nice to see that the wine industry is at the forefront in this. If other industries were as responsible, the problems would soon be resolved. The answer to halting climate change is political in the main, but wine producers and consumers need to have their say. Wine reporters in particular can have a very real influence. Even if they failed to halt climate change, there would definitely be some benefits. Richard Smart has a glint in his eye: ­ The winners will be the wine journalists in any case. They'll not run out of things to write about even if we have to start over again every ten years or so.... programme aimed at sustainable development, minimising CO2 emissions and preserving biodiversity. Torres goes though an impressive list of practical measures on the various Torres estates: ­ Energy is expensive today, and we have to start to exploit alternative, renewable forms of energy. We exploit solar energy, for instance. Our 12,000 solar panels produce 11% of the energy we need for our cellars, and our aim is to be 50% self-sufficient in a few years' time. Energy efficiency, taking the form of insulation, for example, must improve on the estates. Words have now led to deeds. Two weeks before the climate seminar Torres opened a new single vineyard wine cellar. At the inauguration Miguel Torres junior said: ­ This estate was largely built underground so that we could save energy by controlling the temperature." The estates also consume large volumes of water. Torres is even ahead of legislation on this point. Torres senior says: ­ For example, in Chile we collect the irrigation water for artificial lakes in the mountains. We would also like to use collected and recycled rainwater, but the latter is not legal at present in Europe. TORRES IS A PIONEER ­ For example, it is much more effective from the point of view of emissions to spray pesticide from a helicopter rather than a tractor. MIGUEL TORRES THE PIONEER One of the prestigious speakers at the climate change seminar was Miguel Torres. The example set by Bodegas Torres made his speech particularly impressive. At Torres climate change is not just about fine words ­ they are making massive investments and introducing practical measures. Miguel Torres described some projects where Torres is actually preventing global warming: ­ We want to make Torres completely carbon neutral. We plough back 10 million euros of the annual profit into the company for research and development to counter climate change. I think that every country should spend at least 1% of its GNP on this. Torres is not just thinking about the wine trade, but the whole of society. ­ Although so far the earth has adapted well to changes, the truth is we have to cut CO2 emissions by 50% over the next 50 years. For that we need to build a genuinely new society. We have an obligation to think of the generations that follow us. At Torres they have launched a wide-ranging environmental Torres also maintains 2,000 hectares of forest and supports the conservation of natural wildlife. The number of organic vineyards they have is continually increasing. Torres is also in favour of planting grass between the rows of vines, as this both increases the consumption of carbon dioxide and preserves the soil's natural organic material. THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX As we need to prepare for what is inevitable climate change, Torres has begun to acquire new vineyard land in higher regions towards the Pyrenees. Everything they do is questioned in terms of CO2 emissions and looking for more efficient methods. Miguel Torres says: ­ For instance, it is much more effective from the point of view of emissions to spray pesticides from a helicopter rather than a tractor. The company's 115 vehicles are gradually being exchanged for emission-free alternatives, and obviously Miguel Torres drives a hydrogen car himself. Pancho Campo, meanwhile, is happy that Torres fully complies with the old American saying: `put your money where your mouth is.' > 141 C L I M A T E Fi n e C l i m at e

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE MOUTON 60x90 cm 2002 1/5 1600 PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 142 F I N E

18 19 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE TALBOT 60x90 cm 2006 1/5 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by NUIKKI 143 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

144 F I N E

Château Les Crayères Heaven in Champagne Text: Juha Lihtonen Photos: Pekka Nuikki There is a heaven in the heart of Champagne. In the middle of the busy Reims, right next door to the monumental champagne castle of Pommery, lies Château Les Crayères. The picturesque luxury hotel with its reputed Michelin star restaurant has been an aspired destination for gourmets for decades. But now, Les Crayères is becoming famous for creating perfect champagne experiences. 145 F I N E E X P E R I E N C E Fi n e E x p e r i e n c e

W hen turning into a narrow gateway into the courtyard of this charming château, it feels like stepping into another time. With a blink of an eye, a hectic life is isolated outside of Les Crayères walls, in which inside only serenity and tranquility take place. These walls have encompassed numerous festive events since 1904 when the château was built by Champagne Pommery owners De Polignacs. Since 1983, this former residence of the Pommery family has become known as an iconic hotel with its Michelin stars restaurant in Champagne. Besides being voted as the best hotel in France twice in a row, Les Crayères was nominated as one of the best hotels in the world in 2006. Man from Monaco Fabrice Mercier has been the Managing Director at Château Les Crayères since 2004. It was after his arrival that the hotel gained many of its international awards. ­ Well, the place has a respectful history. In addition to caring for its legacy, we have also focused on making our service more perceptive, in which the offering in the rooms is much more detailed. We would like to create a sensation that starts already from your entering through the gates and arriving at this great hotel as if it was your own home. Our 85 staff members are exceedingly committed to making our guests' stay as relaxing as possible. The 20 exclusive rooms have their own individual atmosphere at the always high quality standards. We are also fortunate to have a beautiful seven hectare park with rare plantings inside the city of Reims. ­ We would like to create a sensation that starts already from your entering through the gates and arriving at this great hotel as if it was your own home. · Fabrice Mercier · 146 F I N E

Mercier was appointed the managing director after managing the Relais & Châteaux hotels in Provence and Monaco. With over 17 years of hotel experience in Relais & Châteaux, he had no second thoughts when the position at Château Les Crayères opened up. ­ I was ready to swap the nice Mediterranean climate for this continental and cold climate for several reasons. First of all, the hotel had a great reputation. But even more important was the commitment and input of its owners, the Gardinier family. I was convinced that I would have their full support in making this hotel even more successful. Mercier does not, however, deny the fact that the highly esteemed restaurant with Michelin stars allured him and supported his decision. 147 F I N E E X P E R I E N C E Fi n e E x p e r i e n c e

148 F I N E

- Château Les Crayères has been a destination for many gourmands for decades - Glorious past Indeed for many guests it was the reputation of the restaurant that has made Château Les Crayères such a desirable destination. Before Mercier, the hotel was well-known because of Boyer. Gérard Boyer was highly appreciated for his chef skills, which were awarded three Michelin stars. His traditional French cuisine appealed to many gourmands who traveled from far and wide to experience his classic dishes. He was a central figure at Les Crayères since its beginning of 1984 and, therefore, the establishment was named Les Crayères ­ Gérard Boyer. It became an icon during his time and after his retirement in 2003, there was a lot of discussion about the future of the hotel and its highly esteemed restaurant. chapter. Xavier Gardinier asked a respected interior designer PierreYves Rochon to update the interior that he had once designed for the hotel in the very beginning. Rochon brought new life into the hotel with new technologies and services that customers would expect from this class of hotel, while maintaining the original spirit of the place. According to Rochon, it is all about allowing the past and future to live together, in style and harmony. While the interiors were refurbished, the shoes of Gérard Boyer were still difficult to fill. According to a normal Michelin rating procedure, Les Crayères lost one star after the longterm chef left the restaurant. One star was not the only thing Les Crayères was about to give up. After two decades of serving traditional French cuisine, it was the right time to augment the cuisine. Thus, the new chapter of the hotel was also followed by its restaurant. He is an artist creating designer food. His dishes have a very distinctive style with an attitude and edge, both visually and taste-wise, with rectangular shapes and high tension flavors. Modern future The Gardinier family decided to end the Boyer era, allowing Château Les Crayères to move on to its next great Didier Elena 149 F I N E E X P E R I E N C E Fi n e E x p e r i e n c e

­ Our target is to bring champagne to tables as an equal choice versus any fine still wine that complements dishes. Didier Elena The chef The chef appointed for this task was Didier Elena, who joined the team in January 2005. For such a young age, 29, he had a respectful career as a chef under the wings of the great chef Alain Ducasse. He had worked for Ducasse in several restaurants in Paris, Monaco, and Tokyo where he set up the Restaurant Beige as his final project for Ducasse before moving to Reims. A switch of mind set of cooking in Japan to cooking in Champagne was not an issue for Elena. He seems to have a very clear vision of his mission at Les Crayères. ­ I consider that wherever I work, I need to adjust my cuisine to that culture. The dishes have to always express the sense of the place. Thus, my cuisine is always dependent on the surroundings ­ the building and 150 F I N E region. These principles form a guideline for what my team and I are creating on a plate. There is no room for modern molecular cuisine in a place like Les Crayères. That kind of cuisine is experimental. Now the experiments can only be conducted once, since the second time it is no longer an experiment. There are many people who say that their dinner was a great experience. For me this means that they have discovered something new. When it comes to Les Crayères I am not sure if this is what our customers are looking for. You want to relax, enjoy luxurious surroundings, and discover the wonders of champagne, while the food will follow, Didier Elena emphasizes and continues: ­ At Les Crayères we must aim for the harmony that is seen between the champagnes and dishes. I never see myself as creating dishes but rather creating flavors that match the food. Here we try to create flavors that match exactly with the respective champagne, which is a very fascinating world. In the last 20 years, champagne has been considered as a party drink in night clubs and an aperitif in finest restaurants. Our target is to bring champagne to tables as an equal choice versus any fine still wine that complements dishes. Although Didier Elena speaks about his work very humbly and in a modest way, in the kitchen he is an artist creating designer food. His dishes have a very distinctive style with an attitude and edge, both visually and taste-wise, with rectangular shapes and high tension flavors.

The wines on spot Elena's decorative dishes are designed and tuned for the champagnes of different champagne houses. Every second week there is a new seven course menu where the dishes are designed for a set of various cuvées of champagne houses one at a time. ­ This concept is an essential part of our restaurant service, since Les Crayères is the heart and soul of the Champagne region. We present the various producers of our region and seek to put them into the limelight in a proper setting. This is why we have no house champagne, for instance. The champagnes have a special place on our wine list. They have been listed in three categories: maisons, cooperatives, and growers, explains the head sommelier Philippe Jamesse. The wine list is impressive. There are 19 prestige rosés listed, not to mention a broad selection of mature champagnes such as four vintages of Dom Pérignon Oenotheques from 1976 to 1993 and eleven vintages of Clos des Goisses from 1982 to 1996 including some magnums. It is most rewarding to notice the rather attractive restaurant prices, which are in many cases lower than the average market prices. To list a few of these examples are 1997 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé 235 Euro, the rare 1999 Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé 315 Euro, and 1986 Clos de Goisses Magnum 420 Euro. The wine list is not only full of champagne. There is a broad selection of Burgundies, Rhônes, and Bordeaux wines, including verticals of the Gardinier family's Château PhélanSégur from St-Estephe. Philippe Jamesse and his five sommeliers take care of the two wine cellars with 60,000 bottles of wine. The most expensive wine available is the 1990 DRC La Tâche, 4,000 Euro. These two night stays in park view rooms include a VIP welcome, visits to the champagne houses, their cellars and vineyards, and an exclusive tasting menu created for Dom Pérignon or La Grande Dame. In case you make just a short day visit to Champagne you can choose a package of lunch at Crayères and visit of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (465 Euro for two). The icon's future Within the last 25 years, Château Les Crayères has become not only the icon of the Champagne region but also a pride of the people in Champagne, and a joy for its visitors. At the same time it has become the respectful surrounding for champagne producers to showcase their champagnes. With the new leadership in the hotel and its restaurant, Fabrice Mercier and Didier Elena together with their teams, have been able to take the icon of Champagne to another level. They have created new hospitality standards in their region. With unforeseen services, it is no longer the place where one comes to enjoy just the beautiful surroundings with tasty food and luxurious products; it is also the place where one goes to fully experience the spirit of Champagne. > All-inclusive visits While Didier Elena and Philippe Jamesse focus on charming their customers in the restaurant, Fabrice Mercier coordinates the new concepts of activities together with the champagne houses. ­ We have created unique packages for couples where they can pick between a golf, gourmet, prestige, or honeymoon stay. These one night stays are like all-inclusive packages with specially tuned features. The prices vary from 845 to 1,100 Euro for two persons. For champagne lovers, we have two special packages "Discover Dom Pérignon" (2,090 Euro for two) and "Discover Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin" (2,370 Euro for two). Wine bar & lounge. 151 F I N E E X P E R I E N C E Fi n e E x p e r i e n c e

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE PINOT 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 60 x60 cm JUDD 152 F I N E

20 153 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

154 F I N E

21 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE MAURY 1200 PHOTOGRAPHY by 90x60 cm LEHMANN 155 F I N E E X H I B I T I O N Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE MARGAUX 1600 PHOTOGRAPHY by 90x60 cm NUIKKI 156 F I N E

2 22 Fi n e E x h i b i t i o n

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CLIMATE FINE PHOTOGRAPHY by JUDD LEHMANN NUIKKI Exhibition 15.11.2008 ­ 28.2.2009 European, American and Scandinavian FINE Wine magazines