T H E WO R L D ’S L E A D I N G F I N E W I N E M AG A Z I N E S n o. 1 4 €3 0 – THE WINE MAGAZINE AN ENGLISHMAN IN CHIANTI CENTURY TASTING 1900 –1999 • MEADOWOOD • BORDEAUX 2011 • 100 BEST CHAMPAGNES 2012

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I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E C O N T E N T FINE Content F PAGE 94 Fine LEVE PAGE 112 Fine DESTINATION 11 15 16 26 28 34 38 PAGE 26 Fine JANCIS 54 86 88 94 98 108 112 126 128 Fineeditorial The Significance of the SaintÉmilion Classification FineNUIKKI Who Sets the Prices of Collectible Wines? FineESTATE An Englisman in Chianti FineROBINSON 1368 Varieties FineVINTAGE The 2011 Bordeaux: A Difficult Year In More Ways Than One FineSUCKLING Vintage: 1982 Bordeaux FineCENTURY Century Tasting 1900–1999 TASTING FineNIEPOORT Less Is More FinePAULSON Why I Love Half Bottles FineCOLLECTING Proper Wine Storage – A Temperature Myth? FineLEVE St. Emilion Classification FineCHAMPAGNE 100 Best Champagnes For 2012 FineSINGHAL The Tiger Is Waking Up FineDESTINATION Perfection from Beginning to End – Meadowood FineGARGETT Fine Australasia – Aussies And Kiwis FineKAPON Duelling Haut-Brions PAGE 126 Fine GARGETT C O N T E N T 3

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CLIVE CHRISTIAN BEDROOM IVORY AND WALNUT CLIVE CHRISTIAN PANELLED ROOM IVORY AND WALNUT CC_FineWine_Magazine_Ivory_DPS_NF.indd 1 05/07/2012 12:47:07 CC_

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F I N E – T H 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 Juha Lihtonen juha.lihtonen@fine-magazines.com Publishing Editor Copy Editor Creative Director Graphic Designer Meri Kukkavaara meri@fine-magazines.com Craig Houston info@chlanguages.net Teemu Timperi teemu.timperi@fine-magazines.com Aija Sutinen aija.sutinen@fine-magazines.com Senior Editors Charles A. Banks, Rajiv Singhal Photographer Pekka Nuikki Contributors Essi Avellan MW, Stuart George, Jancis Robinson MW, Andreas Larsson, Jan-Erik Paulson, Mario Sculatti, John Kapon, Rajiv Singhal, Ken Gargett, Jeff Leve, Dirk Niepoort, James Suckling, Marie Ahm Communications Director Markku Vartiainen markku.vartiainen@fine-magazines.com Media Account Manager Martine Mäkijärvi martine.makijarvi@fine-magazines.com Translator Eva Malkki Marketing Assistant Sanna Vihervaara sanna.vihervaara@fine-magazines.com Financial Manager Noora Mähönen noora.mahonen@fine-magazines.com Price Printing House Orders & Queries Single Issue €30 including delivery Single PPDM, Password Protected Digital Magazine, €15 Edita Prima www.fine-magazines.com subs@fine-magazines.com Tel. 010 289 1000 +358-10 289 1000 Publisher Fine Publishing Helsinki Ltd Vattuniemenkuja 4 E 00210 Helsinki, Finland www.fine-magazines.com Printed in Finland by Edita Prima © Copyright: European Fine Wine Magazine Ltd FINE – The American Wine Magazine ISSN 1799-2222 Paper: Galerie Art Silk 002 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 FINE Magazines. We reserve the right to refuse or suspend advertisements. 10 FINE 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 in Europe. He has published over 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 1870–1970, a book about the Château Mouton-Rothschild – Wine and Art 1924/1945–2003 and most recently a book about The 1000 Finest 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 executive 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 FINE – The Wine Magazine and its American & Scandinavian editions 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 director of a major cruise line. He has written books on combining wine and food. Essi Avellan MW Contributor Essi Avellan is the editor of FINE Champagne magazine. She was awarded the Lily Bollinger Medal as the best taster and the Tim Derouet Memorial Award as the best overall student in the Master of Wine examination. Ms Avellan contributes to several newspapers and wine magazines internationally. She judges at several wine competitions, such as the Decanter World Wine Awards and the Wines of Argentina Awards. Ms Avellan has been awarded the title of Dame Chevalier of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. James Suckling Contributor James Suckling has been writing about and tasting wine for over 30 years. He worked for 28 years as a senior editor of the American wine magazine The Wine Spectator, and in July 2010 he left to start his own website www. jamessuckling.com and wine events company. He also is wine editor of the Asia Tatler group with luxury magazines through the region including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, and Malaysia. His specialty is Italy and Bordeaux, but he enjoys tasting and discovering wines from all over the world. His most recent great wine adventure was tasting 57 vintages of Château Petrus in the Hamptons, and he also just enjoyed sharing great Barolos from Bruno Giacosa, Roberto Vorezio, and Giacomo Conterno with wine lovers in Seoul. Jancis Robinson MW Contributor One of the world’s most influential wine communicators, Jancis Robinson writes for JancisRobinson.com, The Financial Times, and a worldwide syndicated column. She is also editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine, and co-author of Wine Grapes – A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours. An award-winning TV presenter, she is invited all over the world to conduct wine events and act as a wine judge. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises. Andreas Larsson Contributor Andreas Larsson is the 2007 Best Sommelier of the World, 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. Jeff Leve Contributor Founder, contributor and editor of “The Wine Cellar Insider”. Jeff Leve is a self-taught wine enthusiast who has been tasting and collecting wines in France and America for over fifteen years. He travels frequently to the Bordeaux wine region to barrel taste and also writes about Bordeaux wine and the wine market for Tasted magazine. Furthermore, he is the moderator for Robert Parker’s web site. In his home city of Los Angeles, he consults numerous restaurants, merchants and private collectors on cellar acquisitions. Aside from wine, his passions include travel, cooking and music. Ken Gargett Contributor Ken Gargett first worked as a lawyer, after obtaining degrees in his home town of Brisbane, Australia, and London. He specialised as a banking lawyer, practising in London, Washington DC and Sydney, and then finance, commerce and property back in Queensland. Even though from a family that did not drink, he became obsessed with wine while at university and moved to wine writing as a full time profession nearly twenty years ago. Since that time, he has been a regular contributor to the AGT Wine Magazine for many years. He has also contributed to a number of books, including the Global Encyclopaedia of Wine and his own guide, ”Don’t Buy Wine Without Me”. He won the Vin de Champagne Award back in 1993, and then in 2003 was inducted as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. In 2005, he was a recipient of the Len Evans Scholarship and has done extensive show judging in Australia. He was a co-founder of www.spitbucket.com. Outside wine, he also occasionally writes on cigars, fishing, travel and food.

I N E – T H E W I N E M A G A Z I N E FINE Editorial F The Significance of the Saint-Émilion Classification? Saint-Émilion produces excellent fine wines – and not only those that have now been awarded the top title in the classification – such as Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus and Pavie. However, their producers are winemakers rather than admen, and they need help marketing their wines. Surely that should be the primary task and purpose of the organisation that created the classification in the first place? > ­ TASTE OF FINE Bordeaux’s Saint-Émilion is, once again, in crisis. Producers in the region are again in dispute over a new classification of their wines. Last time the matter went as far as a Parisian court of law, which resulted in the attempted classification being shelved. The parties involved in the dispute should try to see the wood for the trees, however, and understand that the core of the problem is not in the classification criteria but in why and for whom the classification was made. Considering the significance of the Saint-Émilion Classification. The main reason for its existence is to help consumers form an idea of the quality of the wines from the region, and currently most consumers have no understanding of this. While it is of course important for the Saint-Émilion producers to reach consensus on the internal standards of the classification, it is also essential to contemplate the relevance of the classification to consumers and how it could help to ensure sufficient demand for wines from the region, both on the domestic market and around the world. Usually, a classification is an excellent tool for this purpose. So, would it finally be time to market the 1955 Saint-Émilion Classification to consumers? It is useless to imagine that consumers will find out about it on their own, especially if they do not sense its relevance. Changes to the classification are necessary, and the naming of the classes should be simpler and more transparent. Friends of Bordeaux wines are used to common classification terms such as first growth and second growth, and within Saint-Émilion wines they encounter peculiar designations such as Premier Grand Cru Classe A and B. Whoever would want to buy a class B wine, anyway? The best thing about the disputed new classification is that an additional two châteaux have made it to the highest class. A small number of wines in the top ranking could easily communicate to consumers that not many top wines are produced in the region. Now, four is better than two, but there would still be a possibility to extend the list by at least one or two further names. In any case, the success of the Saint-Émilion Classification depends on its significance – not only internally but especially for the rest of the world. For this kind of significance to arise, communication efforts must be made. Producers should finally begin to view the marketing of the classification as an opportunity rather than a costly burden. The region’s producers should join forces when it comes to marketing this shared concern to the wider public; after all, marketing and advertising are not just privileges that belong to the largest wineries. In fact, they are still the only way to stand out in a crowd of more than 400 000 wine brands. Juha Lihtonen Editor E D I T O R I A L 11

F I N E TastingNotes Fine How to read FINE’s tasting notes: We open and taste more fine and rare wines than any other wine media in the world. As these wines are so special, we firmly believe that they deserve to be presented in the best possible manner, and in a way that will serve our readers well. This is why our tasting notes include lot more information than just a basic description of each wine. The topics we cover in our tasting notes other than ­ colour, nose, taste and finish are: The given price is a six-month average paid in auctions run by major auction houses throughout Europe, the USA and Asia (FINE Wine Index) A condition of the bottle. A short description of the wine Mentions if the wine is worthy of its price based on its rarity and our tasting experience How many times we have tasted the wine and the most recent tasting Recommends the length of time each wine should be decanted before serving How long the wine lasts having been poured into the glass The year we believe each wine will reach its optimum drinkability The perfect dish to accompany each wine In our wine evaluations, the most significant factor is the scoring system. We score wines according the pleasure they deliver today, not according to their potential. Our purpose is to make sure you enjoy the wines when they are at their optimum, in order to ensure the wines not only deliver the greatest pleasure but also their value. However, each wine with potential is given an estimate score when they reach their optimum drinking potential. You can find these points in brackets under the wine’s initial score. As one of FINE’s fundamental values is to support excellence, we have made the decision to not publish wines that receive 79 points or below. We use a 100-point evaluation system, where the wines have been divided into the following categories: 99–100 A wine with the wow-effect. Sheer perfection to all senses by every parameter of wine quality. A true gift from nature. 95–98 An outstanding wine that offers an unforgettable tasting experience with its perfect structure, complexity and personality. Calculates the risk of encountering counterfeit bottles. This is an estimate based on the FINE editorial team’s experience 90–94 Shares specific information about the wine or vintage, which will add value to the tasting experience A good wine with balance and complexity. Suggest an option to the wine evaluated, which maybe a better investment Wraps up our opinion about the wine 14 FINE An excellent wine, that stands out by balance, intensity, complexity and character. 86–89 80–85 An average, though well-made wine. Nose and palate are somewhat one-dimensional and impersonal. 50–79 A modest and straightforward wine lacking life and harmony. This wine is excluded from appearing in FINE Tasting Notes.

I N E FINE Nu i k k i F Who sets the prices of collectible wines? P erhaps somewhat surprisingly, the world’s biggest wine auction house is eBay. Hundreds of wines change hands every day of the year via the site; as I write this, there are more than 85 000 bottles of wine on sale on eBay in Europe alone. A large part of them are vintage wines, with many of them rare and desirable objects of investment. Pricing and bidding follow the same principles as in the auction houses that concentrate solely on wine. The only exception is that the starting price is €0, meaning that the ultimate sale price is entirely determined by the bidders, whereas most auction houses set a minimum sale price for wines. Then why is the world’s biggest wine auction, where the price of wines is genuinely based on demand and cash flow, not the determiner of general wine market prices? The question is valid, as we are speaking of an industry which has for a long time let the desirability, pricing and demand of its products be entirely determined by one man: Mr Parker. Whenever I mention Mr Parker, most outsiders will immediately ask: how on earth have the producers and the wine world as a whole agreed to such despotism? That is a very relevant question, and one which I have as yet been unable to answer properly. The world is quickly changing, however, and individual wine critics are losing their power to the huge masses of the consuming public. In the future, diverse blogs and communities with hundreds of thousands of users will increasingly be the ones to tell us which wines are good or bad, and where they can be bought at good prices. eBay has already blazed a trail in wine pricing and free, communal trading, but that is just the beginning. Similar, “free” online auction sites are appearing all the time. As soon as eBay is able to link the auctioned wines to thousands of users’ reviews of the products being sold, the price will almost entirely be determined without the need to consult experts. As a very critical consumer myself, I have noticed that I value the opinions of 1000 users more highly than those of a handful of experts – and this is also true when it comes to other issues such as movies or travel destinations. So why should it not work the same way for wines? When a wine collector is trying to find out an average selling price for a specific wine, he will often find himself on the Live-Ex or Wineprice.com sites. Both are fine sources of information, but neither takes into account sales taking place on eBay. And yet, according to reports by wine auctioneers, only eight bottles of the highly desirable Cheval Blanc 1947 have been sold at established wine auctions this year, while according to my calculations, 43 bottles have been sold on eBay alone. Still, the market prices and price trends are extrapolated from the eight bottles. I have followed the development of wine prices on eBay for a few years, and have noticed a huge rift between the prices charged for the same bottle at most wine auctions and on eBay. Here are some examples from sales made in 2011–2012. Prices are given for comparison (WP refers to wineprice.com and eB to eBay). Pétrus 1961: WP: 18 bottles sold around the world, average price approx. US$6500; eB: 74 bottles sold, average price approx. US$2100. Cheval Blanc 1947: WP: 30 bottles sold around the world, average price approx. US$7300; eB: 83 bottles sold, average price approx. US$1850. Lafite 1982: WP: 540 bottles sold around the world, average price approx. US$3650; eB: 159 bottles sold, average price approx. US$2159. Lafleur 1975: WP: 2 bottles sold around the world, average price approx. US$2750; eB: 22 bottles sold, average price approx. US$950. Krug Collection 1961: WP: 2 bottles sold around the world, average price approx. US$2100; eB: 11 bottles sold, average price approx. US$1260. The list goes on. The only wine I have found that is priced as high on eBay as in other auctions around the world is DRC Romanée-Conti. Not even eBay has been able to shake its astronomical price position. Many experts explain the price differences by saying that the authenticity of wines sold on eBay cannot be verified, and that counterfeits abound. True, but they are forgetting the fact that even now some of the world’s leading wine auction houses are in court accused of selling forged wines. The prices of the top wines will continue to rise at the world’s wine auctions in spite of eBay, due mostly to huge demand and a limited supply. To those who feel that the prices of top wines have got out of hand and out of their own price ranges, I recommend taking a look at eBay. The excellent 1947 Cheval Blanc tastes the exact same whether it was bought on the well-known online auction site or elsewhere. Only your wallet will know the difference. Our own wine price index, the FINE Wine 200 Index, will in future also take into account wine sales conducted on eBay. > Pekka Nuikki Editor-in-Chief NUIKKI 15

16 FINE

FINE Estate Text: Petri Nevalainen Photography: Pekka Nuikki & Jaime Travezan H aving lost his heart to Italy, Sting had resigned himself to the fact that his family was unable to find a suitable home in the country. They had gone on one fruitless exploration after another and there seemed to be no hope. Then Trudie Styler told her husband of a new house up for sale close to the medieval town of Figline Valdarno in Tuscany. To their amazement, Trudie and Sting walked along a cypresslined avenue right up to the saffron-yellow house of their dreams. They found a home for their family and obtained a farm into the bargain. Its main produce is packed into tens of thousands of bottles each year. I L PA L AG I O 17

Film producer, actress Trudie Styler and her husband, world-renowned musician Sting, have been producing organic red wine in the Chianti wine region of Tuscany, Italy, since 2007. They are always looking to improve the quality of their wines. When FINE visited Il Palagio for this exclusive interview, the atmosphere at the estate was expectant. The closing lunch of the Divino Tuscany festival, which celebrates winemaking excellence, good music and dear friends, was to be served under marquees on Trudie and Sting’s property. With hundreds of guests about to arrive, the host couple still had time to recall the early days of their wineproducing career and the events leading up to their decision to start growing wine. The Red House is a two-story building situated near the main villa, with a centuriesold door leading to a cosy downstairs hall. A heavy table holds diverse wine-related books, music magazines and novels. There is a selection of Il Palagio Chianti wines, as well as honey and olive oil. These are all products from the estate. Not to forget Sting’s music, which in its own way is also a “product” of Il Palagio. It appears to permeate the air somehow. This is where FINE met Trudie and Sting. Learning about wine At Il Palagio, everything which is intended for sale is grown on site, and ensuring proper harvests requires a lot of hard work combined with a pinch of good luck. Neither of the hosts were originally wine people. Trudie grew up in rural Worcestershire, while Sting (originally named Gordon Sumner) is originally from the northern metropolis of Newcastle. Neither family particularly favoured wine while they were growing up. 18 FINE At Trudie’s house, traditional British drinks were enjoyed on holidays. “I think the closest my parents ever got to drinking wine was a glass of sherry at Christmas. I became interested in wines when travelling around southern Europe before the age of twenty. I can’t drink red wine because I am allergic to it, but I do enjoy whites and rosés,” Trudie says. "I became interested in wines when travelling around southern Europe before the age of twenty. I can’t drink red wine because I am allergic to it, but I do enjoy whites and rosés.” Her husband, meanwhile, acquired his drinking customs from the cradle of British male culture: the pub. Wines were not traditional favourites in his hometown. “Newcastle is an old ale region. When I started touring the world with The Police in the late 1970s, quality wines were always placed in my dressing rooms. Not knowing any­thing about wines, I used to give them to my roadies. Gradually my bass technician Danny Quatrochi grew as a wine expert and collected quite a good wine cellar from the wines I had given him. With his help I started learning about wines in my thirties,” Sting recalls. Spiritual home in Italy Trudie and Sting ended up as owners of an Italian wine estate mostly by accident. They already had strong personal links to the Mediterranean country, after their daughter Coco was born there in 1990 while Sting was creating his first album of the decade, The Soul Cages. The daughter’s arrival and the father’s

FINE Estate I L PA L AG I O 19

“We wanted to find a home for our family in this country. Trudie and I had each separately fallen in love at first sight with Italy, but it took us about ten years to find the right place." 20 FINE

“We do our best to produce our wines as naturally as possible. We are not yet officially registered as an organic producer, but we are continuously working on creating a better wine. My father has been a role model for me in farming. You have to start by cleaning the land, and continue doing that all the time. When the soil is healthy it makes everything else possible.” creative effort indelibly rooted the family in the Italian soil. “It was a happy time which is forever in our memory. A lot of the themes for The Soul Cages came from the life and death of Sting’s parents. Meanwhile, the birth of our daughter symbolised the continuation of life and made us feel we had reached our spiritual home,” Trudie says. In Britain they moved to the Lake House estate in Wiltshire in 1992. In their hearts, however, they also hoped to establish a permanent base in Italy. “We wanted to find a home for our family in this country. Trudie and I had each separately fallen in love at first sight with Italy, but it took us about ten years to find the right place. We went to see several houses, but none of them suited us for one reason or another. I was starting to lose hope and felt I’d had enough of it. Trudie mentioned one more place that had just come up for sale close to Figline Valdarno in the Florence region, though,” Sting says. He protested for a while before agreeing to go once more on the house hunt. He feared it might be pointless. Walking along the cypress-lined avenue, Sting and Trudie were suddenly faced with the yellow main building at Il Palagio. They experienced its irresistible charm and a feeling of life having been lived there. FINE Estate “We immediately knew we had found our home. We settled on the deal that same day.” According to Trudie, the house had not really been on the market before, so they had no clear preconception of what Il Palagio was actually like. “Our dream house existed in our minds, but would we be able to find it in real life? Arriving here, we met Estate Manager Paolo Rossi, who was born at Il Palagio. He took us around the estate; we saw the lakes and explored the house with its humanly sized rooms. It felt like home,” she says. The Duke and his wine The Il Palagio estate is 300 hectares in size. In addition to the villa it has outbuildings for wine production, the vineyards themselves, olive groves, a forested area with lakes and, naturally, a recording studio for Sting. The home has also been used for tour rehearsals with his solo band and The Police, who in 2007 reunited for a couple of years for a world tour. At Il Palagio Trudie can concentrate on her film production work and her duties in the Rainforest Foundation, which the couple founded together, and in UNICEF, for which Trudie has raised millions of dollars as a Goodwill Ambassador. They became farmers and wine-producers thanks to the traditions of the region and the history of the estate, where wine had been grown for a long time. “Running a farm was not at the forefront of our minds when we found Il Palagio; it came with the house. I was served wine by the Duke of San Clemente, who sold us the estate, and it was delicious. I swam in the lake, I enjoyed the olive grove and, above all, I loved the house. We recruited the people who were at Il Palagio when we arrived. Paolo and his sister stayed in the house. All this would have been impossible to achieve without them. They knew the history of the place and the necessary local people, so they have been priceless to us,” Sting says emphatically. The family moved into the house in 1997. After living there for a couple of years, Sting asked his estate manager why the wine served by the duke had been better than that which was being produced by the estate. It turned out that the duke’s wine had been French. I L PA L AG I O 21

The history Il Palagio has always been farmed. In the late 1700s the Martelli family purchased the property and as their wealth grew, so did the estate. In 1819 they sold to the Countess Carlotta Barbolani of Montauto, the widow of the Duke of San Clemente and it remained in this family’s hands for some 150 years. At the beginning of the twentieth century Duke Simone Vincenzo Velluti Zati di San Clemente commissioned several new buildings including a grain store, oil mill and wine production area. Soon afterwards, Trudie and Sting began to plan how to improve the quality of the estate’s wines. “It was all thanks to Trudie’s energy. She suggested delving more closely into wine production and investing in it. We would also need to consult winemaking experts. We thought perhaps eventually we might be able to send the duke some of our wine as thanks,” Sting laughs. And so they did. Old and new The estate did not give up all of its old wine customs, however. Sting and Trudie wanted to keep some of the old style but combine it with new ideas. Growing the wine organically was one of these ideas. Trudie explains that taking on organic farming practices forms a part of a larger process related to biodynamic agriculture. “We do our best to produce our wines as naturally as possible. We are not yet officially registered as an organic producer, but we are continuously working on creating a better wine. My father has been a role model for me in farming. You have to start by cleaning the land, and continue doing that all the time. When the soil is healthy it makes everything else possible,” Trudie says. The owners of Il Palagio say that they are constantly learning more about wine production from real professionals in the field. They admit having been on the receiving end of some doubts and criticism for only making it in the business due to their celebrity. 22 FINE “I see where they are coming from, but the truth is that we are doing this together with genuine experts. The bottom line is the taste and quality of the wine,” Trudie says. One of their advisors is the internationally renowned organic winemaker Alan York, who is especially known for his contributions to the Californian producer Benziger. Il Palagio’s oenologist is Paolo Caciorgna. “This year, crops have been affected by the weather. It rained a lot in the spring. Still, we believe that we can create better and better quality every year. The soil is in much better shape now then when we started this new production phase a few years ago,” he says. Sting feels that organic wine pro- “This year, crops have been affected by the duction is a good weather. It rained a lot in the spring. Still, choice of direction, we believe that we can create better and because Il Palagio is not able to compete better quality every year. The soil is in much with non-organical- better shape now then when we started this ly farmed products coming from the new production phase a few years ago.” world’s biggest wine districts. Their production volumes and marketing machines are too large. “We decided to make a wine that is nongeneric, and typical only of us. We wanted people to be able to enjoy characteristic Il Palagio wine. I don’t think our wines taste the same as other producers’ wines. We can only compete in the wine world by having products with their own fingerprint,” Sting explains.

FINE Estate In Sting’s view, most non-organic wines are quite homogeneous, with very similar tastes and characters. He compares wines to music. “Anyone can compose a song. For a star to be born you need originality, for your song or performance to be instantly recognisable – your voice, your sound, your rendering should be completely unique. We want to create a star in the wine world which is not mass-produced but completely unique.” “Sometimes a song may be written in a minute, but there is a lot of work that has gone into it beforehand. Speaking of creativity, I like to quote golfer Arnold Palmer, who said ‘The more I practice, the luckier I get’.” Progress through collaboration Il Palagio works together with other wineries in Tuscany in order to keep abreast of the times and trends in wine production. None of these wineries are experts on each detail of the process, so working together they can achieve better results. Comparing experiences and sharing new ideas is important for all. Some of Sting and Trudie’s Italian musician friends are also in wine. “Andrea Bocelli and Zucchero at least are in the business. Of course we compare our Three red wines Most of the grapes grown at Il Palagio are of the Sangiovese variety, but there are also Canaiolo, Colorino, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes here. All in all, Il Palagio will produce around 30,000 bottles in 2012, consisting of three different wines: Sister Moon (10,000 bottles), When We Dance (5,000 bottles) and Casino delle vie (13,00015,000 bottles). The first two are named after songs by Sting. The couple has a clear distribution of duties when it comes to winemaking. “I drink it and appreciate it,” Sting hastens to say with a smile. Before him is a glass of When We Dance. “I work on diverse production principles, methods and all the stages of operation at l Palagio. I discuss things with Paolo and the others and I want to be a part of the team. I like that,” Trudie says. At the estate, Trudie and Sting came to realise that building an irrigation system is one of the most challenging things, requiring both expertise and money. Watering plays an important role together with the other ways to look after the soil. According to Estate Manager Paolo Rossi, vines yield for around 25 years. “They have to be watered correctly from the very start. Otherwise their production as a whole may be compromised,” he says. “I work on diverse production principles, methods and all the stages of operation at Il Palagio. I discuss things with Paolo and the others and I want to be a part of the team. I like that,” Trudie says. wines, and naturally ours is the best,” Sting quips, accompanied by amused laughter from Trudie. In future, work will be done at Il Palagio to investigate growth opportunities and recognise some of the challenges in the sector. Il Palagio wines can currently be bought in the United States, China and many European countries: Italy, as well as the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland, among others. Negotiations concerning new markets are under way. “My band was recently invited for dinner in Poland. The host served all of our wines with a fine meal. Also in Las Vegas we were served Sister Moon at 250 dollars a bottle. I asked if the sommelier could bring us something cheaper,” Sting chuckles. FINE tells Sting and Trudie that the hotel close to their estate is also sold out of Il Palagio wines. Trudie seizes the opportunity with a smile, asking Paolo to call them and ask if they need more wine. As his all-time favourite wine, Sting cites Pétrus. “I have always liked it. Trudie has bought it for my birthdays and it is delicious. I have also received some wine training at a cellar at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. If I order wine at a restaurant, I usually go for Brunello.” One of Trudie’s favourite white wines played an important role on the couple’s big day. “At our wedding in 1992 we served Antinori’s Cervario, which was delightful.” Lunchtime approaches at Il Palagio. After a photography session Sting and Trudie step out with style and ease to greet their friends and guests. The estate has been producing excellent wines and wonderful music, and will continue to do so in the years to come. That’s not a bad combination. > Sting’s wine and other Palagio products are available through www.palagioproducts.com I L PA L AG I O 23

STING AND TRUDIE TIMELINE DURING THE IL PALAGIO YEARS 1997 The couple buys the Il Palagio estate in Tuscany. 1998 The film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, directed by future ‘Mr Madonna’, Guy Ritchie, is released by Trudie’s production company, Xingu Films. It meets with great success. 1999 Sting releases the album Brand New Day. 93p 2002 Trudie produces and co-directs with John-Paul Davidson the documentary The Sweatbox, featuring John Goodman, Tom Jones, Eartha Kitt and Sting. 2003 Sting completes his next album, Sacred Love. 2006 Release of Songs From The Labyrinth, combining 16th century lute music with Sting’s vocals. 2007 First vintage of Il Palagio wine. Sister Moon 2008 Region: Producer: Average market price: Tasting times: Appearance: Nose: IGT Toscana, Italy Tenuta Il Palagio €41 The il Palagio Oil 4 times The olive trees which grace Il Palagio’s landscape date back for many hundreds of years and have been sensitively restored to full productivity. This is largely thanks to the care and dedication of Estate Manager Paolo Rossi, who insists that the orchards are not irrigated, a system which is labour-intensive but which greatly improves quality. Deep, ruby red Intense, rich, ripe black fruits, plums, earthy, gently toasty, brambles, licorice Taste: Harmonious, silky texture, toasty finish with some licorice Aftertaste: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Best to drink: Decanting time: Glass time: Food pairing: Long, joyful, flirty, rich Smooth as Sister Moon Yes Paolo sites his trees right at the limit of the optimal growing area at 360 feet above sea level. This is the best situation to escape the natural pest of the olive fly. Finally, the fruits are collected by hand, as they have been for centuries, ensuring only the very finest are selected. The oil is then cold pressed, and the resulting Extra Virgin first pressed oil is as pure as you can imagine. 2020–2025 6 hours 3 hours Roasted wild boar with roasted rosemary flavoured potatos Fake factor: None Or try this: To enjoy the song alone Inside information: Named after Sting’s song “Sister Moon” this was the first IGT Toscano wine produced at Il Palagio. With an alcohol content of 14.9% it is aged for 24 months in new French barriques. Two vintages are available, 2007 and 2008. Final verdict: The Sister Moon will be my guide 90p Casino delle Vie 2009 Region: Producer: Average market price: Tasting times: Appearance: Nose: IGT Toscana, Italy Tenuta Il Palagio €21 4 times Medium intense, cherry red Pronounced, toasty, oaky, spicy, floral, ripe black fruit, dark cacao Taste: Medium-bodied, rich, gentle tannins, 91p When We Dance Chianti 2010 Region: Producer: Average market price: Tasting times: Appearance: Nose: Taste: vivid acidity, refined, bit oaky Aftertaste: Oaky, spicy, vivid In a nutshell: Pimped by oak Buy or not: Yes Best to drink: Now–2020 Decanting time: 4 hours Glass time: 2 hours Food pairing: Grilled Venison with morrel sauce Fake factor: None Or try this: Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia 2009 Inside information: This wine is named after a property on the estate and when translated it means “little house by the roads”. Colloquially, this can also mean “the muddling of the ways” suggesting philosophical musings on the paths we all take in life. Final verdict: Knocks you down if you are an old school Chianti-lover 2009 If on a Winter’s Night…, featuring a very different style of music, reaches no. 6 on the Billboard chart. 2009 Production of Il Palagio’s first wine, Sister Moon. 2010 Symphonicities is released with symphonic arrangements of Sting’s most celebrated songs. 2011 Sting celebrates his sixtieth birthday with festivities including an all-star benefit concert in New York. 24 FINE Chianti Classico, Italy Tenuta Il Palagio €15 4 times Moderately intense, ruby red Pronounced, floral, dark cherries, toasty Medium-bodied, vivid acidity, gentle tannins, toasty and dry spicy, wild strawberries Aftertaste: Full-bodied, intense, rich, velvety, fleshy, lovely toasty, energetic, round In a nutshell: Buy or not: Best to drink: Decanting time: Glass time: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Wine like jive Yes 2018–2022 3 hours 2 hours Rabbit ragoût with creamy truffle pasta None Carnasciale Rosso 2009, Podere Il Carnasciale Inside information: The most recent addition to the Il Palagio cellar is this every day chianti, again named after a Sting song When We Dance. With 95% Sangiovese blended with Canaiolo and Colorino grapes, the alcohol content is 13%. Final verdict: A modern chianti wine with edge Sept/Oct 2012 Il Palagio stages its first three day cookery classes with brilliant chef Alba di Papi showing select groups of eight how to make the most delicious traditional dishes from Tuscany’s finest harvested produce during their stay at Palagio. 2012 The free iPad app STING 25, a first-of-its-kind ‘appumentary’ exploring Sting’s enduring solo career, is awarded the prestigious Cannes Lion for Best Design/Aesthetic at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Tesoro is the flagship-wine. The Tesoro-blend was first created in 2002 and the 2003 vintage was awarded the “Decanter World Wine Trophy”. Vintage 2004 received excellent 90 points by “Falstaff Wine Guide”. EstErházy WEin 7000 Eisenstadt · Schloss Esterházy · Austria · T +43 2682 633 48 · F +43 2682 633 48 16 · www.esterhazywein.at · wein@esterhazy.at

COLUMN JANCIS ROBINSON 1368 Varieties S o far I’ve been lucky, crazy and industrious enough to be responsible for more than 20 books about wine, including The Oxford Companion to Wine and, with Hugh Johnson, The World Atlas of Wine. But none is quite as beautiful as Wine Grapes – A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, which is to be published on both sides of the Atlantic at the end of October. Wine Grapes is a 1200-page, 3.2kg monster that has particularly blighted the lives of my coauthors, Julia Harding MW and Dr José Vouillamoz, for the last four years. On 26 September 2008 I received the following email from José who, at that stage, I knew only by reputation as a Swiss-based specialist in the application of DNA profiling to grapevines: ‘I have an important proposal for you: the cowriting of a book on the history and origins of the most important classic grape cultivars of the world (Cabernets, Syrah, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot, etc). Indeed, many people have asked me over the years if I had a book with all the stories I usually present in my talks. And I always must say “no, but if you want an up-to-date reference, just buy the third edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine”. Given the numerous recent discoveries made on the most important grape cultivars by DNA profiling (by my colleagues or by myself ), I think it’s now time to write a book on this subject that is popular but with all necessary 26 FINE references. I am convinced that my expertise on the subject together with your most valuable skills in grape and wine writing and your considerable knowledge of the subject (OK, enough flattery...) would be a perfect match for a long-term reference book. I have already accumulated a lot of historical and genetic material about most of the classic grape cultivars which could be crossed with the detailed information found in your Guide to Wine Grapes.’ ‘I could plan the writing for 2009–2010.’ ‘I will be in London on Sunday 9 November from about noon until 6pm and on Monday 17 November for the whole day (8am–8pm) during stop-overs before and after a trip to South Africa. If your November schedule is not yet fully booked, I thought it would be an opportunity for us to meet in London and talk about this book project and, last but not least, meet you in person.’ Poor José. He had no idea when I invited him and my long-suffering assistant Julia Harding to lunch at Rowley Leigh’s Café Anglais that Monday to discuss his proposal, how ambitiously I would expand it – to every single grape variety making wine commercially, which, after many pluses and minuses, finally came to almost 1400 of them. As he reflected very recently: “when I was saying yes to this brilliant idea, I was anxiously and mentally trying to estimate how many additional months of work it would represent. I seriously under-estimated.....”

FINE Robinson My literary agent Caradoc King presented our ambitious project to several publishers and eventually we went with Penguin, or rather their leading non-fiction imprint, Allen Lane. When they asked me for a steer on the design, I lent them various books whose design I admired – notably Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris MW, which had been prepared for publishers Berry Bros by Carrie Segrave and her husband Chris Foulkes (who, incidentally, published my first book on grape varieties Vines, Grapes & Wines back in 1986). But I also showed them various old ampelographies in my possession. Ampelography is the science of the identification of vine varieties by studying what they, and particularly their leaves, look like. It was a particularly popular sport a century ago and so these dusty old ampelographies had a decidedly late Victorian look. The result is that our book, with its collection of classic typefaces and curlicues, looks not unlike these beautiful old volumes – not least because we have been able to faithfully reproduce 80 stunning botanical paintings from the classic ampelography of all time, that were produced by Pierre Viala and Victor Vermorel during the first decade of the last century. (This was possible only thanks to an enormous amount of effort involving complicated searches in the British Library’s archives and the kindness of two lucky owners of the first edition, Swiss winemaker Josef-Marie Chanton and British Master of Wine Neil Tully.) But all has not gone smoothly with our beautiful tome full of alphabetically-listed grape varieties. When the publishers finally started to calculate how many pages their original, space-hungry design would need, they were horrified to find that A-K alone took up 800 pages. The designs had to be compacted (they are still pretty spacious, I think) and we authors had to fight very hard to keep the book in a single volume. The funny thing is that despite its extremely classic appearance, our book illustrates the very latest facts about the plants responsible for our favourite drink – many of them published for the first time. While Julia is the only person in the world with a top MW qualification and a professional background as a copy editor of the most persistent and pernickety sort, José is both a botanist and grape geneticist. He is able to analyse the DNA of plants and see precisely how they are related. The science of analysing microsatellites (types of DNA markers) now substantively complements the eye with its study of leaves and shoot tips, and hence we are able to spell out exactly what links, for instance, Syrah and Pinot, Savagnin Blanc and Grüner Veltliner, Merlot and Malbec. Our book is therefore home to 14 unique family trees painstakingly assembled by José and, as usual, minutely checked by Julia. Like those for Brianna and Prior, the Pinot one is so big that it needs a pullout section that runs over two whole pages. Pinot’s pedigree includes all manner of unexpected relatives among the 156 charted. Wine Grapes really is full of surprises. The result of our intense, demanding and at times apparently almost impossible task has been that I have learnt an enormous amount that was not known in the 1980s when I last tackled this subject in depth. Although this new book has been described by several commentators as an update of Vines, Grapes & Wines, it is in fact a completely new work, based on José’s original research into the world of vines and DNA, Julia’s original research into who has what planted (a daunting task when applied to the whole of the wine world – the latest Italian statistics date from 2000) and my vantage point as someone who has been fascinated by the revealing world of grapevine varieties for nearly 30 years. > WE HOPE YOU WILL FIND THE RESULTS INTRIGUING AND REWARDING. MORE DETAILS AT WWW.WINEGRAPES.ORG COLUMN 27

Domaine de la Chevalier 28 FINE

FINE Vintage 2011 B The ORDEAUX: A difficult year in more ways than one Text: Jeff Leve Photography: Pekka nuikki It is a reasonable debate as to which got off to a more difficult start, the vintage or the effort to sell the wines. If you’re a winemaker, you’re probably going with the topsy-turvy 2011 growing season; if you’re a wine merchant offering Bordeaux futures, your vote is likely to be cast in favour of the almost non-existent 2011 Bordeaux futures campaign. BORDEAUX 2011 29

Château Latour 2011 Bordeaux is the child of a difficult year. With today’s modern winemaking abilities and vineyard management techniques at their disposal, the best producers were able to fashion some nice wines from an atypical year. They were able to turn lemons into lemonade, but the merchants trying to sell the wines were not so fortunate. The 2011 Bordeaux futures campaign got off to a rocky start and then went downhill. The campaign officially kicked in when Robert Parker posted a tweet that was heard around the world: “Heading Back to Bordeaux next week to taste the 2011. Absolutely no interest in this vintage, if my instincts are correct”. With fewer than 140 characters, Parker lowered expectations for the wines and the commercial viability for the vintage. Keep in mind that Parker wrote those words without tasting the wines. Once his official report was published, and considering the arduous growing season the winemakers experienced, he was reasonably positive. He likened the wines to the underrated 2001 and 2008 vintages, which is a compliment. 2001 continues to get better, especially in the Right Bank, while 2008 offered some very nice wines as well. What went wrong with the campaign? Fingers can be pointed in numerous directions, but the bottom line is that most of the wines were priced at more than the amount the mar- 30 FINE ket was willing to pay. They were too expensive. We wrote that prices needed to drop by 50 per cent in order to stimulate demand, and we were not the only ones making the call for lowered prices. Journalists and all the top merchants begged for serious price reductions. 2009 was the most expensive vintage in history and people were shocked at the prices. But the wines were stunning! Many properties produced the best wines in their entire history. Yet, 12 months later, prices shot up even higher with the 2010 vintage. That is a lot for consumers to take and it was obvious to most people that prices needed to come down fast. Sadly, not enough chateau owners listened. The press and the wine-buying public screamed for fair prices. While some producers gave serious reductions in their price, the same could not be said across the board. On average, 36 per cent of the wines saw reductions of only 10 per cent compared to 2010. That was not going to get consumers to spend their money in a tight economy. On average, the wines were discounted 15.81 per cent from 2010. Some chateaux understood the market and dropped their prices between 40 and 50 per cent, but not nearly enough paid attention to the consumers. To paint an accurate picture, it’s good to look at a few of the wineries which offered the biggest discounts: Angelus -38%, Ausone -55%, Beausejour-Duffau -71%, Brane-Cantenac -41%, Cheval Blanc -51%, Clinet -41%, La Conseillante -52%, Cos d’Estournel -45%, Ducru-Beaucaillou -50%, L’Eglise Clinet -63%, La Fleur-Petrus, -45%, Lafite-Rothschild -50%, Latour -45%, Haut Brion -46%, Léoville-Las-Cases -48%, La Mission-Haut-Brion

FINE Vintage Château Lafite “Pontet-Canet is riding a huge wave of success in the American market right now. The chateau has done a great job of building their brand in the U.S., and combined with a perfectly scheduled release date in the campaign at very good pricing, it was one of our top sellers. Vieux-Château-Certan from Pomerol was another winery that performed well this year.” -63%, Pavie -49%, Pavie-Macquin -49%, Pichon-Lalande -47%, Pontet-Canet -31%, Mouton-Rothschild -46%, Margaux -42%, PichonBaron -45%, Troplong-Mondot -40% ja Vieux-Château-Certan -45%. Above are the wineries that offered the best discounts from the previous vintage. Below, however, are a few examples of wineries that refused to listen to what the market clearly stated it was willing to pay: Beychevelle -16%, Cantemerle -6%, Cantenac-Brown -24%, Les Carmes-Haut-Brion -4%, Dassault -3%, Duhart-Milon -9%, Gruard-Larose -17%, Hosanna -25%, Magdelaine -16%, Magrez-Fombrauge -9%, Monbousquet -3%, Palmer -24%, Petit Village -11%, Providence -16% ja Soutard -18%. Of course there are numerous other examples of pricing available, but this shortlist paints an accurate picture of the prices being asked for the vintage. In the end, the market is going to decide on a fair price. Because the market has declared that it is unwilling to pay the prices asked, the majority of wines are not selling. These wines will need serious discounts to sell through and, in most cases, that is going to happen once the wines are in bottle and available for delivery. The wines that were discounted to appropriate levels sparked some demand. Château Pontet-Canet, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, VieuxChâteau-Certan, Château Lynch-Bages and Château L’Eglise Clinet are some that managed to sell. In a series of conversations about sales of 2011 Bordeaux wine, the name that popped up again and again as the most successful wine of the campaign was Pontet-Canet. Shaun Bishop of JJ Buckley was the first major American merchant to make that point: “Pontet-Canet is riding a huge wave of success in the American market right now. The chateau has done a great job of building their brand in the U.S., and combined with a perfectly scheduled release date in the campaign at very good pricing, it was one of our top sellers. Vieux-ChâteauCertan from Pomerol was another winery that performed well this year.” Browett was equally open as to his best-selling wine, Pontet-Canet, when he said: “It has the quality of a Super Second and sells for a lot less money.” Of course there are other properties which experienced limited sales, but across the board it is hard to call this effort successful. That lack of success will force prices down when the wines are in bottle. John Fox of Premier Cru was able to sell a few wines, most notably Pontet-Canet, BORDEAUX 2011 31

2011 B The ORDEAUX: A difficult year in more ways than one Vieux-Château-Certan and Ausone. When asked about the First Growths, he surmised: “The First Growths did not sell as well as we expected. Ausone sold through, due to their pricing policy. But across the board, sales of the traditionally solid First Growths were moderate at best.” David Bolomey, a merchant experienced in selling futures, also runs the website Bordoverview. He said sales were down from the previous vintage: “The wines didn’t sell because for most wines there wasn’t enough reason to buy them now en-primeur. People emptied their wallets for 2009 and 2010. 2011 Bordeaux sales, in comparison, were one-third of the volume compared to how much 2010 Bordeaux we sold.” While the First Growths did not sell with some retailers, others experienced at least slightly more demand. Stephan Browett of Farr Vintners sold all the Latour and Lafite he was able to gain allocations of. When asked what wines did not sell for him, he offered a candid reply: “Cheval Blanc was a complete failure as far as sales in this campaign. The wines being made at Cheval Blanc are great, but they are pricing the wines at levels our customers will not pay.” “We only managed to sell 20 per cent of the amount of wine we sold in 2010. The high prices created a missed opportunity for a useful vintage. As a point of reference, we sold the smallest amount of wine for an en primeur campaign in the history of the company.” The pace of the campaign was another problem. There was no rhyme or reason as to the schedule of releases. Instead of an orderly campaign, some wines were released too fast; on one day, dubbed Super Tuesday, 40 different wines were offered for sale – too many for the market to absorb. Shaun Bishop of JJ Buckley agreed about the lack of cohesion: “This year, like last year, saw the chateaux and negociants release too many wines at once, which made it difficult for many wineries to get appropriate campaign visibility. We prefer to tell the story behind the wines and offer our personal perspective – it’s hard to do that when 20–30 wines are released on one day. The wineries, negociants and retailers all suffer when releases are congested like they have been during the last two years. Many of the Super Seconds of the Médoc suffered from weak sales this vintage. At least some of this can be attributed to the bottle-necked scheduling of offers we saw this year.” Due to the perceived quality of the wines, and the lack of interest from consumers, 2011 Bordeaux should have been a quick campaign. However, far too many wines took too long to price and consumers lost interest in buying them as a future. The common refrain heard in Bordeaux is that the market sets the price, and Stephan Browett of Farr agrees. When asked what pricing was needed for 2011 Bordeaux to reach customer acceptance, he was quick with his response: “As the vintage is comparable with 2008, the wines should have been priced at the level that 2008 is selling for today.” Château La Mondotte 32 FINE

FINE Vintage Château Margaux Other merchants had similar comments on the pricing for 2011. Mark Bedini of Fine and Rare Wines remarked: “We only managed to sell 20 per cent of the amount of wine we sold in 2010. The high prices created a missed opportunity for a useful vintage. As a point of reference, we sold the smallest amount of wine for an en primeur campaign in the history of the company.” It is important to keep in mind that just because most wines are not worth buying as futures does not mean the wines are not worth taking a serious look at once they are in bottle. The 2011 Bordeaux futures campaign offered a few surprises, starting with Château Latour’s announcement that this would be the last vintage offered as a future. As of this year, Château Latour will hold back the wines until the estate declares them ready to drink. ties have numerous shareholders. However, not everyone is going to agree with that course of action. Other estates might have interests in several properties which do not have the same selling power as Latour. Furthermore, some chateaux are also negociants, and if they stopped offering their wine an adverse reaction could ensue. The situation at Château Latour is unique. What could change in time is that, as prices rise and margins shrink for negociants and merchants, wines may not be offered for sale as futures, and would instead be sold only in bottle. There are hundreds of millions of bottles of Bordeaux made every year, and the system needs money and negociants to work to sell most of the wine. When this was first announced, consumers and merchants questioned this action: could this be a harbinger of things to come? How many other chateaux will stop selling their wine as a future? Château Latour occupies a different position from most Bordeaux chateaux, as they have the unique combination of a small production coupled with a big demand for their wine. The sole owner does not need the cash flow and the estate knows where the buyers are. It could easily sell its entire production to consumers and merchants at a price and time of its choosing. Most Bordeaux estates do not have that same ability. Since the top 50 properties are flush with cash, they could easily go three-to-five years without selling a bottle; I should know, I’ve had that conversation with numerous owners. Although that move is quite possible, the situation is complicated. To follow in Latour’s big footprints, each estate would also need an owner with autonomy, whereas many of the top proper- Château Lafleur 2011 Bordeaux is on its way to being last year’s news because it will shortly be replaced by 2012, which itself got off to an auspicious start. While it is too early to tell how the vintage will turn out, it is quite possible 2012 will turn out to be a vintage that belongs to the winemakers. Those vintages are always more interesting for the winemaker than for the consumer. Unless prices meet the market’s demand for the vintage, it is going to be another difficult year in more ways than one. > BORDEAUX 2011 33

COLUMN JAMES SUCKLING Vintage: 1982 Bordeaux T he 1982 vintage in Bordeaux changed my life as well as the wine world. It was the first vintage I tasted from the barrel as a young wine writer working for the American magazine The Wine Spectator, and I was amazed at how gorgeous the quality of a young red could be from the barrel. I remember the first barrel samples I tasted during the summer of 1983 at Château Prieure-Lichine with the late wine author and vintner Alexis Lichine. The wines were so fruity with soft and rich tannins. They seemed too drinkable for a young wine, yet Lichine, who had over forty years of experience tasting young wines, told me the wines were “exceptional” and “some of the greatest young wines ever produced”. He had invited some of his winemaking friends from the Médoc to a lunch at his chateau following the tasting, and he kept telling them, who happened to include such names as Bruno Prats (then Cos d’Estournel), Anthony Barton (Léoville-Barton) and Jean-Eugene Borie (Ducru-Beaucaillou), that young writers like myself were the future of the region 34 FINE and that they had to make me understand that 1982 was a great year. He was upset that the New York Times and some other magazines had come out saying that the new vintage was not outstanding due to its seemingly early drinkability. It was also the time an American lawyer in his mid-30s began writing about wine on a full-time basis, creating a newsletter called The Wine Advocate in the process. Many say Robert Parker built his career on advocating the greatness of Bordeaux’s 1982 vintage, although he obviously did much more. More importantly, the 1982 vintage marked a big change in the way Bordeaux was produced. It underlined fruit and ripe tannins in reds as well as a slightly higher level of alcohol and less acidity. This is what gave the wines such wonderful texture, or drinkability, in their youth. It was a big change from most vintages before 1982, which had produced hard and tannic wines that needed years, even decades, to soften. The 1982 vintage became a model vintage for red Bordeaux in the future, and arguably for the wine world at large. Think of all the fruit-forward reds that are produced today in the world – for better or for worse. Alcohol

FINE Suckling levels are at least two, sometimes three or four degrees higher. Tannins are stronger yet riper, and natural acidities are lower. Chapitalization – adding sugar to the fermenting grape must to increase alcohol – seems a thing of the past. “Young wines are so drinkable now,” said Alexandre Thienpont, the winemaker at Pomerol’s Vieux-Château-Certan and Le Pin. The latter made its reputation on early drinkability. “It’s what people expect in a modern wine today”. I believe some of the changes with the 1982 were due to the “California”-like growing conditions the Bordeaulais spoke of at the time. The summer was extremely hot and sunny, while the harvest was warm and mostly clear of precipitation. Grape yields were high, with many of the best wine properties making more wine per hectare than authorised by the French authorities. In fact, the late Jean-Pierre Moueix of Château Pétrus always told me that the 1982 vintage would have been at the same level as the 1945 or 1949 vintages if yields had been lower. Yet, the experience of the growing season and harvest in 1982 made a whole new generation of winemakers in the region understand the importance of picking grapes later and riper. They understood early on when wine critics such as Parker and myself, as well as members of the U.S. wine trade, enthused so much about the 1982 reds from the barrel. This also was the beginning of the critic-driven barrel sample scores becoming more popular and therefore a determining factor among the players in the wine trade. The U.S. market was the biggest market in which to buy top-notch Bordeaux from the 1982 vintage. It began a decade of intense buying of Bordeaux in the United States, with consumers buying First Growths and second growths as well as Pomerols and St. Emilion. Americans regaled in the wine’s juiciness and beauty. They also made a great deal of money if they had held on to the wines in order to sell them later. For example, most of the First Growths sold for about $40 a bottle in 1983 as futures and some are now as much as $3500 a bottle. Prices for 1982 are down slightly now, but the price appreciation over 30 years is impressive. So, indeed, is the quality of the wines for the most part. I am lucky enough to drink top 1982 on a regular basis, and the best ones never cease to amaze me with their generous and complex fruit and polished, ripe tannins. Bottle variation can be a problem because many of the top names have been bought, sold and stored all over the world, but on the whole it is a treat to drink a great 1982. And, of course, this vintage always reminds me of my beginnings in the wine world. > COLUMN 35

some of the world’s most extraordinary chefs are now among Blackberry Farm’s most anticipated guests. Situated in the Tennessee foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm’s Relais & Châteaux property — recently named #1 for Service in the Continental U.S. and Canada by Travel + Leisure — is celebrating its 35th anniversary by bringing back some of their favorite guest chefs, vintners and artists for this year’s schedule of unforgettable events. From its 180,000-bottle Grand Award-winning wine selection and renowned cuisine to countless opportunities for wellness and adventure across 4,200 protected acres, Blackberry Farm is home to enriching, one-of-a-kind experiences all year long. To reserve your place at one of our special events, contact our Reservations Team, or visit us online for a complete calendar of upcoming events. Walland, Tennessee 00.1.865.984.8166 blackberryfarm.com joi

Sean Brock Join Chefs Mike Lata, Vivian Howard, and Tyler Brown along with Vintner Jamey Whetstone and Newest Fellow, Chef Sean Brock for the 2013 Taste of the South Jan uary 10-13, 2013 Michael Accarrino joins us along with Vintner Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Family Vineyards Jan uary 20-23, 2013 Wine in the Fly join Blackberry Farm Chef Jospeh Lenn, along with vintners Jim Barbour of Barbour Wines, Justin Stephens of DR Stephens Wines and Brian Lamborn of Lamborn Family Vineyards a pril 7-10, 2013 Hospice du Rhone join Vintners Yves Gangloff, Vieus Donjon, Alban Vineyards, Epoch Wines and Herman Story Wines M ay 2-5, 2013

D uring the 20th century the world around us both grew and shrank. Cars, aeroplanes, visual communication and the Internet broadened our view of the world, but also made it smaller by bringing everything close and within reach. Even the moon was suddenly close enough to visit. For people, the world grew concretely smaller thanks to urbanisation. The space that used to hold farmhouses and fields suddenly pulsed with high-rises and their hundreds of residents. In the cities, work and leisure became clearly separated. To balance a heavy day at work people sought entertainment among movies, sport and television. Entertainment became an industry and mass culture was born, with wine becoming an important part of the phenomenon. The wine industry was not spared notable changes. The winemaker’s senses and experience had to give way to science, which tried to fight nature’s whims and imperfections. Modern winemakers were able to achieve almost total control of every stage of winemaking – from harvesting and fermentation to bottling. Advances in technology ensured that this trend continued throughout the entire 20th century, with more countries producing more wine. And better wine. Or was it? 38 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1900–1999 Part one Text: Pekka Nuikki Photos: Pekka Nuikki W e wanted to find out about this matter and therefore organised a tasting, the kind of which had never been experienced before. Our aim was to taste and experience the whole century, all at once. We selected, searched and purchased the best wine, in our opinion, from each year of the 20th century, as well as several ‘extras’. The work carried was quite extensive, not least since the century includes some years when the wine production throughout the world was almost non-existent. To make things even more difficult for ourselves, we made the decision that each wine brand could only be represented once throughout the whole century. It took us two years to find a presumably drinkable wine from each year of the century. When everything finally was ready, we invited a group of our wine friends to experience a whole century in three days. The experience was dumbfounding and very rewarding. We were also very lucky with our wines; only four wines out of the 156 enjoyed were not in a drinkable condition. This is quite a performance considering that the average age of the wines was over fifty, and the biggest technological leaps in wine production were only experienced at the end of this fascinating century. The wines portrayed on the following pages were chosen to represent their year of birth. This issue will present the wines from 1900 to 1949, with the latter half of the century published in FINE’s next magazine. The bottles pictured with the tasting notes are not necessarily the ones tasted in Century Tasting. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 39

50 The first 97p vintages 1900 Château d’Yquem (FRANCE) 94p 90p 1901 Imperial Tokayer Ausbruch 1902 Luigi Arnolto Barolo (HUNGARY) (ITALY) 97p 93p 1907 Heidsieck & Co Monopole Goût Américain (FRANCE) 92p 89p (PORTUGAL) (FRANCE) (ITALY) (FRANCE) (FRANCE) 94p FINE (FRANCE) 1910 Leone Bianchi Marsala 1914 Château Pavie 40 80p 1904 Arbois Vin Jaune 1909 Château Filhot 1913 Mumm Cordon Rouge 1919 Ruinart Vintage Champagne (FRANCE) 1903 Madeira Boal Reserva D’Oliveiras (PORTUGAL) 95p 89p 1908 Warre Vintage Port 90p 92p 83p 1920 Château Margaux Pavillion Blanc (FRANCE) 91p 85p 1915 1916 Corton Hospices Château Brane-Cantenac de Beaune (FRANCE) Magnum (FRANCE) 97p 1921 Brédif Collection Vouvray (FRANCE) 83p 1922 Bodegas Laconda Reserva Especial (SPAIN) 1905 Louis Jadot CharmesChambertin (FRANCE) 82p 1911 Colcombet Frères Musigny (FRANCE) 90p 90p 1906 Château Montrose (FRANCE) 93p 1912 Niepoort Colheita (PORTUGAL) 92p 1917 Borges Vintage Port 1918 Château Coutet (PORTUGAL) (FRANCE) 88p 1923 Château DucruBeaucaillou (FRANCE) 93p 1924 Chateau Margaux (FRANCE)

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 50 88p The first vintages 94p 1926 Philipponnat Royale Réserve (FRANCE) 90p 94p 1927 Taylor’s Vintage Port (PORTUGAL) 89p 1932 1933 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Viña Real Gran Reserva (SPAIN) Champagne (FRANCE) 94p 93p 1938 1939 Héritiers Cosson Massandra Castel Clos des Lambrays (FRANCE) White Muscat (Crimea) 92p 1944 Vega Sicilia Unico (SPAIN) 96p 1945 Comte de Vogüé Musigny (FRANCE) 95p 1928 Pol Roger Vintage Champagne (FRANCE) 94p 1925 Marqués de Riscal Reserva (SPAIN) 97p 92p 98p 1929 Château Pétrus 1930 Château Pichon-Lalande 1931 Niepoort Garrafeira (FRANCE) (FRANCE) (PORTUGAL) 88p 93p 89p 1934 1935 1936 Gaston Roupnel Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Massandra Livadia Chambertin (FRANCE) Grands Echézeaux (FRANCE) Port (CRIMEA) 89p 97p 1941 1940 Château La Mission Domaine de la RomanéeHaut-Brion (FRANCE) Conti Richebourg (FRANCE) 87p 98p 1946 1947 Château Gruaud-Larose Château Cheval Blanc (FRANCE) (FRANCE) 82p 1937 Château Ausone (FRANCE) 91p 1942 J-M Garnier Meursault (FRANCE) 1943 Rheingau Steinberger Auslese (GERMANY) 95p 94p 1948 Château Léoville Barton (FRANCE) 1949 Dom Pérignon (FRANCE) C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 41

1900 1900 Château d’Yquem Protected by kings Château d’Yquem’s first harvest took place three hundred years earlier, in 1593, when Jacques de Sauvage purchased the estate from the crown. When Francoise de Sauvage and Louis Amade Lur-Saluces, King Louis XV’s godson, married in 1785, Yquem became part of the property of the historic and traditional LurSaluces family. At the same time, the vineyard received approval and protection from the French royalty. Today, the vineyard comprises 457 acres, which is approximately the same as two hundred years ago. The man who ran the winery for thirty years, Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, is now retired, and he says that his winemaking philosophy goes back centuries: “The most important thing is to respect nature, just the way my grandfather and his predecessors did hundreds of years ago. We cannot produce great wines without the help of Mother Nature. Every harvest is, in a way, an individual adventure with its individual surprises. We wish to extend this thinking to respect the people who love the wine that comes from our vineyards, and the people who work in the fields. Our wines will stay the same in the future as they were a century ago. The tools have changed, but not our way of making wine.” Taster’s comment: Yquem demonstrated power and elegance, those subtle smells of fresh orange fruits together with the old wooden instruments of a honey producer – a perfect complexity of sweet and acid, and unbelievably ”yquemish” with profound spiciness through the long, long finish... Taster’s comment: A lightweight and beautifully balanced Yquem. Just what I like in a Sauternes, and much nicer than the powerful “burnt sugar” vintages such as the 1937. 42 FINE 97p 1900 1900 Château d’Yquem (France) Average auction €4752 / 2011 price: Colour: Dark, goldish, intense Nose: Dense, complex, spice, honey, butterscotch, roasted sugar, walnut Palate: Nicely balanced, complex, fresh acidity, charmer, luscious Finish: Forever In a nutshell: Another great 1900 Buy or not: Fair price Tasted: 8 times, last 5/2012 Decanting time: 1 hour Glass time: 3 hours When to drink: Now Food pairing: Dessert itself Fake factor: Huge – beware the big 3 liter bottles Inside information: This was a great vintage for Yquem, and it is easy to imagine that 100 years ago this 1900 showed the same promise as the famous 2001 today. Holding well, but we still recommend a few years’ cellaring for this beauty. Harvested over an extended period, 19 September – 29 November. Final verdict: Holding well – everything.

1901 < Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel creates the Nobel Prize Awards < Queen Victoria of Great Britain dies < The hot dog and instant coffee are invented 1902 < The Boer War ends < Edward VII is crowned King of the United Kingdom, marking the start of the Edwardian era 1903 < Penfolds was the largest winery in Adelaide with 600?000 bottle production < The first Silent Movie, The Great Train Robbery, is produced < Wilbur and Orville Wright make the first man-powered flight < The plague strikes in India 1904 < Phylloxera arrived in Alsace to destroy the vineyards of the last standing quality wine region in France < Antinori produces its first quality wine Villa Antinori Riserva < One of the most alluring of all luxury cars, the 1904 Rolls Royce 10 HP, was auctioned off in the year 2007 by Bonhams, where in the car was sold for a staggering $7.3 million < Ground is broken on the Panama Canal < The Trans-Siberian railway is completed < The New York City subway opens F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1900 < The wine production of France in 1900 was 1?721?000.000 gallons, a yield that has only been exceeded three times in the 20th century < Seppelt is the largest wine company in Australia < Women are given the right to compete in the Olympic Games < The Fauvist painting movement begins, led by Henri Matisse < Kodak introduces the Brownie camera, which costs $1 plus 15 cents for the film, and opens up photography to the masses via the family snapshot Taster’s comment: There are few wines that make yesterday and tomorrow the present and allow one’s own physical being to lose its meaning. What remains is an empty, insignificant space that is momentarily possessed by the sense of taste so completely and powerfully that the whole of the surrounding world bows to that one perfect sensation. It is almost impossible to describe that fleeting moment, maybe because it is not possible to return to it with the help of one’s thoughts or memories. Or maybe because that moment is so separated from everything else, as if it never existed at all when you try to think about it later. The only proof or memory of that moment is the feeling of serenity and entirety it leaves behind. If one could put it in just one word it would be: growth. The possibility to ”grow” as a human being by tasting wines is a thought worth exploring, and I believe that anyone who has tasted Château d’Yquem from 1900, 1921 or 1937 will understand what I mean. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 43

1901 94p 1901 1901 Imperial Tokayer Ausbruch, Brüder Gottdiener (Hungary) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €411 Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 90p Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Long, sweet, energetic A2 Bright, dark, brown Intense, raisiny, nutty, intriguing Sweet, vivid acidity, intensively raisiny, roasted coffee, cacao The true Tokaji charmer Yes, if you are lucky to find one Twice, last in April 2012 10 minutes 1 hour Now No food, just meditate with this None Malvasia Madeira 1901 The King of Wine and the wine of the kings, as Louis XIV once named the Tokaji wines, so long live the kings! Taster’s comment: The 1901 Brüder Gottdiener Ausbruch Imperial Tokaji had superb toffee flavours, ‘so good,’ I wrote. It had a thick and viscous texture. Taster’s comment: 1901 Tokaji – apart from its incredible perfume that conjures images of apricot orchards, floating honey, dried fruits, flowers and blooming vines, and its taste that summarises everything on the gloriously sweet, mature and intense palate, it takes you on an historical odyssey, being a wine from one of the last great empires. Even though the Habsburg are long since gone we can still taste their juice… Pretty cool…. 1903 1903 Madeira Boal Reserva, D’Oliveiras (Portugal) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €411 A1 Dark, brownish, deep Intense, volatile, almonds, balsamico, cola Sweet, lively acidic, intense fruit, jammed strawberries and raspberries Finish: Long, tasty, gently warming bite In a nutshell: Well-evolved but still powerful Buy or not: Yes Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 1 hour Glass time: 2 hours When to drink: Now–2020 Food pairing: Pistachio ice cream Fake factor: None Inside information: The company Pereira d’Oliveira was established in 1850, but it produced its first wines under the d’Oliveiras name only from the 1970s. Luckily they have been succesful on acquiring some old Madeira stocks from other producers and selling them under their name. Or try this: There is no other wines than Madeiras that are perfoming as well from this vintage. In Madeira 1903 proved to be actually a good if not very good vintage. Final verdict: A powerful wine that refuses fading. 44 FINE NA A2 Pale, ruby, sound Complex, evolved, smoky, ashes, earthy, root vegetables, orange peel Palate: Medium-bodied, vibrant, sweet cherries, earthy, spicy, tabasco, some gently tannins Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Medium-long, gentle, vivid Fragile and well-retired For curiosity, yes Twice, last in April 2012 10 minutes 30 minutes Now Braised Guinea Fowl with dark lingonberry sauce Fake factor: None Inside information: This wine comes from Monforte d’Alba area of Barolo, which is known for the big, bold and rich Barolos with great depth of flavor. Thanks to their concentration, the Barolos from Monforte d’Alba tend to have the greatest ageing potential of Barolos. This wine wine is a great proof of that. Or try this: Any Barolo from this vintage. Final verdict: Amazingly well-reserved Barolo. 89p 83p 1902 1902 Barolo Luigi Arnolto (Italy) 1904 1904 Arbois Vin Jaune (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €144 A1 Light, a bit hazy, yellow Pronounced, yeasty, dried hay, oceanic, oyster shells Palate: Dry, vivid acidity, chalky, nutty, yeasty, one-dimensional Finish: Long, yeasty and minerally In a nutshell: Like a good Fino Sherry without fortification Buy or not: Yes, if you are a fan of dry sherries Tasted: 4 times, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 1.5 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: As an aperitif with olives Fake factor: None Inside information: Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) is a unique wine style of Jura. It is produced from Savagnin grapes, which are harvested late and well-ripened. The wine must be aged in small oak barrels for a minimum 6 years and 3 months. During the ageing process the wine loses around 40% of its volume through evaporation and develops a thick yeast layer on its surface that both protects the wine from oxidation and releases a distincitve flavour into the wine. The wine can age after bottling well over decades,and in this case can reach a century! Or try this: Fino Sherry from Emile Lustau Final verdict: Curiosity, but you do not miss anything if you don’t have this wine.

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1905 Jadot Chambertin At the beginning of the 20th century there lived a couple in the Belgian countryside who had long collected fine wines in the cellar basement of their house. The master of the house was especially interested in the wines of Burgundy, and in particular the wines of Louis Jadot seemed to find their way to the depths of his cellar, where they awaited their maturity. When the Second World War started the couple was, for good reason, worried about the safety of the wines which they had collected using so much time and effort, and to save them from marauding soldiers they built, like so many others, a fake wall in their cellar. A large number of wines, especially the best Burgundy wines, were hidden behind the wall. After this they hid some wines in the attic and some in the garden as decoys for the Germans, hoping that these would satisfy the soldiers. The Germans invaded Belgium in June 1940, and one fateful night this couple were taken from their house by German soldiers, never to return. Decades passed and it was not until 2003, when a young couple moved from Brussels to the countryside and bought this house, that the story of the wines’ lot continues. As the new couple was renovating their house, they were surprised to find behind it a secret wine cellar which had been hidden for over 60 years. In the cellar were hundreds of old Burgundies and the best wines of Bordeaux. Most labels had faded away during the decades, but otherwise the bottles were in excellent condition and in good order. We felt remarkably lucky when we were offered, by Jan-Erik Paulson the opportunity to acquire these historical wines that had rested in such ideal conditions for so long. And, at the time of writing, they have offered extraordinarily positive and unique experiences for us and our many friends! 95p 1905 1905 Louis Jadot Chambertin (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €790 A2 Dark, sound, promising Lavish, powerful, open, sweet, earthy, fleece, burn, dry fruits, chocolaty, plummy Palate: Medium-bodied, intense, great balance, velvety texture, rich black fruit, mellow tannins, well-integrated, complex, harmonious Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 90p Beautiful, very long, silky Pleasant surprise Yes 6 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes 45 minutes With special friends No food, please None La Tâche 1904 What a treasure! 1906 1906 Château Montrose (France) Average auction €875 price: Bottle A1 condition: Colour: Bright, moderately intense, almost black, promising Taster’s comment: The 1905 Jadot was breathtaking wine, a veritable secret agent of the wine world, as its complex aromas and flavors touched many parts of the globe. Hints of Italy, Spain and the Rhone were all there; let’s hope figuratively. Its sweet nose was ripe and red, and its saucy palate was full of coffee flavors. It was ripe, rich and exciting, lush and oily with impressive acidity. Its flavors became more nutty and caramel-y in the glass, and this wine was good to the last drop. Nose: Earthy, leathery, developed strawberries, a bit wild and volatile Palate: Medium-bodied, vivid, mellow tannins, warming alcohol, silky Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Lengthy, silky appealing finish Enhanced than you anticipated Yes 2 times, last time 5/2012 15 minutes 30 minutes Now No food Fake factor: Zero Or try this: 1908 Léoville Las Cases Final verdict: So far the finest 1906 Bordeaux we have tasted! C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 45

1907 1905 < The first vintage of Salon Champagne was launched < The Russian Revolution of 1905 begins on ”Bloody Sunday” < Albert Einstein presents his theory of relativity < Freud publishes his theory of sexuality Taster’s comment: I can’t imagine better a presentation of the champagne Heidsieck 1907 than being served on the sea it was discovered under! I still see this golden liquid being poured from the decanter on that chilly May afternoon. The champagne itself was extraordinary, still with slight fizz and elegant spiciness wrapped into comp­lete fruits. Not so sweet at all with a very long finish! Taster’s comment: Amazing champagne which has everything a great wine should. My mother was born in the town of Jönköping, which was also the name of the shipwreck carrying this bottle. A strangely moving experience. 46 FINE 1906 < The big earthquake in north of San Francisco destroyed 45 million gallons of Californian wines < Finland becomes the first country to give women the right to vote < Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, locates Magnetic North 1907 < The first Austrian wine law is enforced, listing what is permitted by law for the production of wine, and prohibiting the fabrication of artificial wines. < Picasso introduces Cubism < The first electric washing machine is produced < Colour photography is invented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere 1908 < Three year-old Pu Yi becomes Emperor of China < Ford introduces the Model-T < SOS is accepted as the universal distress signal 1909 < The first German wine law launched the concept of Naturwein. Chaptalising and blending was prohibited under this name < Birth year of Ernest Gallo. With his brother Julio they started the E&J Gallo Winery in Modesto, California in 1932. In 70 years the winery grew to be the largest in the world < Plastic is invented < The North Pole is reached for the first time 1910 < Annual Champagne sales nearly reach 40 million bottle milestone < The first vintage when the entire crop is deemed unworthy of bearing the Château d’Yquem famous name; this happened nine times in the 20th century: 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, and 1992

On the morning of 3 November 1916, the German submarine U-22 stopped a small Swedish schooner, Jönköping, off the Finnish coast. In the cargo hold of this unlucky ship were 3000 bottles of champagne, 10?000 gallons of cognac, and 17 barrels of burgundy wine that had been ordered by the court of Tsar Nikolai II. The commander of the U-22 decided to sink the schooner but save the lives of its crew. The ship sank into the depths of the North Sea in less than an hour. On the morning of 15 April 1998, in an auction hall in London, the tap of a gavel ended a long-running tender competition – a world record had been born. More was paid for a champagne bottle that had lain in the cargo hold of Jönköping for 82 years than for any other champagne bottle before that. Jönköping was built at the Sjötorp shipyard in 1896. It was 20.5 metres long and 6.67 metres wide, and was equipped with an 18 horsepower oil engine. The ship was loaded in Gävle on 26 October 1916, and was ready to make its way to Rauma, Finland, for the tenth time that year. After a few hours of travel, however, poor weather interrupted the journey, and Jönköping had to anchor down and stay put for a few days. The unsuccessful attempt of the ship to return to Gävle on time created a rumour that a German submarine had sunk it – a rumour that ironically later proved to be prophetic. By 2 November, the weather improved noticeably, and the captain, along with his crew, decided to continue the journey toward Rauma. At the same time, a German submarine, U-22, was positioned 12 nautical miles southwest from Rauma. Even though the commander of the submarine, Bruno Hoppe, had already sunk two Swedish ships the previous day, it did not fully satisfy the captain. The sun had not quite risen yet, but the look-out could see and hear for 8 miles despite the slight morning fog. At 5am, he suddenly heard a weak sound. It was the sound of a motor. The commander was called to the lookout spot, and he immediately decided that they should look into the matter. The U-22 left its position and glided towards the sound that was coming from the west. The night was tranquil and calm on the Jönköping. The ship had made its way across the North Sea without any troubles. Because of the dusk and fog, however, the Finnish coast could not yet be seen. Therefore, the schooner cruised calmly in front of Rauma, waiting for dawn. Suddenly, a small island was detected from the ship, and fearing that the coast was already too close, they turned Jönköping towards the open sea. Soon they noticed, 97p 1907 1907 Heidsieck Goût Américain (France) Average auction €3980 price: Colour: Pale and light, almost youthful Nose: Sweet, fruity, and fresh nose dominated by honey and exotic fruit and raisins Palate: One of the richest champagnes we have tasted, and has amazingly good balance and structure. Finish: Not very sweet, even though the Heidsieck Goût Américain style had a relatively high sugar dosage. In a nutshell: Excellent level; decanted five minutes before tasting. A high dosage wine. No malolactic fermentation. Buy or not: Worth of an once-in-a-lifetime experience Tasted: 32 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 15 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Don´t even think about it Fake factor: None Inside information: The result of the analysis: alcohol content 12.35°, pH 2.93, 42.55 grams residual sugar, total acidity 5.35g H2SO4/litre. Final verdict: Very long and so pleasing wine, which moved smoothly and easily down the throat, leaving a most memorable and historic aftertaste. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 47 F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1907 Heidsieck Goût Américain

1907 1907 Heidsieck Goût Américain however, that the island was not an island but rather a German submarine, which quickly overtook them! Commander Hoppe ordered the captain of the schooner, E.B. Eriksson, to turn off the ship’s engine and go up to the submarine to show the ship’s papers and explain its cargo. Hoppe soon realised that the cargo contained contraband, and he announced to Eriksson that the ship was to be sunk. Eriksson did whatever he could to save his ship. He suggested that they throw the entire cargo into the sea and even offered to transport it to the nearest German harbour. Hoppe had, however, already made his decision and stuck to it; this was Jönköping’s tenth journey that year with contraband, and Hoppe’s message was: there is a limit to everything and Jönköping’s time had come. Two crew members of the U-22 rowed to the schooner carrying explosives. After setting the explosives, the men took as many bottles of champagne as they could from the ship and then left it. Except for these few bottles, the whole cargo load sank deep to the bottom of the sea along with the ship. The search for Jönköping commenced at the end of May 1997, when a Swedish search party found the wreck at a depth of 64 metres. Only in July, when the diver returned from the wreck with a bottle of Heidsieck Monopole Goût Américain from 1907 in hand, was it confirmed that it really was Jonköping. (The same product and vintage had also been stored on the Titanic when it sunk in 1912.) The first bottle that the diver brought up, however, did not have a label or anything that would have immediately conveyed what champagne the bottle in question held. The leader of the search party, Peter Lindberg, had the honour of opening the first bottle. This is how he reflected upon it: “I stood at the bow of my ship with my whole crew around me holding plastic cups, waiting for me to open the bottle. I held the cork tightly and tried to pull it up, but suddenly it was really tightly stuck. I had to use force to get it to move, and finally the cork got loose from the bottle accompanied by a little ‘plop’ sound. I was surprised that my heavy-handed handling had not broken the cork. I carefully smelled the cork. My first reaction was that it did not smell very good. There was, however, writing on it: Heidsieck & Co. Reims at the bottom and Goût Américain 1907 on the side. I handed the cork forward and placed the bottle underneath my nose and smelled. Already it smelled much better than the cork, and I knew immediately that the bottle did not contain water but instead champagne. The others around me also smelled the cork, and their reactions were somewhat similar to mine. Therefore, when I placed the bottle on my lips and tasted the first gulp, I thought I sensed crazy things. The taste was very strong, sweet, and fruity. The drink was actually very good! The others were 48 FINE observing me very closely to see my reaction. I took the bottle from my lips, and a smile lit up my face. As a result of this, many plastic cups were immediately held out in front of me. Because I had survived the first sip, my crew wanted to enthusiastically taste this brilliant champagne.” Peter Lindberg, diver and leader of the search party, established the Swedish rescue group C-Star, which had acquired the rights to the schooner’s cargo. However, in early spring 1998, before C-Star had made it back to the wreck, another ship was already there. Finnish businessman Peter Fryckman had quickly arranged for a ship and divers, and they were also trying to save the golden cargo. Fryckman demanded the rights to the cargo that would have belonged to his grandfather. Fryckman, however, could not prove his right to this claim. The local coastguard could not act and intervene in the matter at hand and asked the court for a decision on what to do. At the same time, a minor war was already escalating between the two rescue groups. There were accusations, rumours about death threats and sabotages, and small-scale violence in the air. On 3 July, a Finnish court ruled in favour of C-Star. Thus, the Finnish group should leave the area. On 5 July, all the divers from the Finnish ship suddenly moved to the Swedish ship. The Swedish group had simply offered them 25% of everything that they could lift up, and they all joined their enemy’s group. As a result of this, the “war” seemed to be over for good. Fryckman, the leader of the Finnish group, did not comment in any way. His lawyer did, however, comment on the departure of the divers: “It’s horrible; all the things people do for money.” In early 1900, Heidsieck & Co Monopole was the market leader in Europe. The rulers of Germany and Austria-Hungary, such as Tsar Nikolai II, were its faithful customers. Champagne was already known worldwide when, in 1911, the King of England granted the Heidsieck & Co Monopole champagne house the prestigious royal warrant, and the house then became “Purveyors of Champagne by appointment to his Majesty”. In Russia, for its part, where Heidsieck’s champagne was very well known and famous, Tsar Nikolai II’s personal orders, even before Jönköping’s fateful journey, exceeded a modest 400?000 bottles. The North Sea’s temperature, hovering around four degrees, the total darkness of the sea bed and the water pressure at 64 metres, had preserved the bottles in impeccable condition for 82 years. When Jönköping sank, its cargo hold contained some 50 wooden boxes of champagne, 60 bottles in each. Of these, some 2500 bottles were lifted after seven successful rescue trips, and we have had the pleasure to taste 32 of them.

Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €622 A1 Medium intense, brown, deep Prominent, complex, roasted coffee, seductive, heated, advanced, sweet 80p Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: Full-bodied, vivid, well-balanced, high produced some excellent wines shipped by 26 houses. Winter was quite normal and wet. April and May followed without too much heat and the vines progressed adequately. June and July were promisingly, neither too burning nor with much shower. Autumn was warm with just a touch of rain. The conditions were quite similar to the vintage of 1896. Or try this: 1908 Niepoort Colheita Final verdict: Should be even better when you are luckier. €580 A2 Medium-intense, dark gold to amber Perfumed, polite, apricots, crème brûlée, apricot marmelade, touch of herbs, spicey honey Palate: Medium sweet, modest, vivid, a bit acidity, mellow tannins, low fruit intensity Finish: Warm, powerful, multi-layered, long In a nutshell: A silver-tongued hotty Buy or not: Absolutely Tasted: 2 times, last time 5/2012 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 3 hours When to drink: Now to 2030 Food pairing: A good slice of Stilton Fake factor: Zero Inside information: 1908 was a plentiful vintage that 1909 1909 Château Filhot (France) unbalanced, sharp, acidic Finish: Warm, short, sour In a nutshell: At least it was drinkable Buy or not: Worth of enjoyment? Not this time. Tasted: 2 times, last time in 5/2012 Decanting time: 1.5 hour Glass time: 30 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Fried foie gras Fake factor: None Inside information: This southern most second growth classified Sauternes estate has a colourful history under ownership of one family since 1709. The founder, the advisor of Bordeaux Parliament Romain de Filhot died year after he founded this highly esteemed estate. The estate remained in the family and the family married into well-known Lur-Saluces family. The vintage 1909 was controversial. Sauternes faced less favoured weather conditions this year, but it did not dim the mood in Château Filhot. Or try this: Almost anything else you can find from 1909 Final verdict: Not the best vintage for Sauternes 82p 1911 Colcombet Frères Musigny 1911 (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €380 A1 Dark, healthy, red Distant, sweet, pleasant, gentle, mushrooms, apricots, vanilla Palate: Medium-full, good balance, a bit simple, gentle tannins, dryish, mature Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: Medium-long, silky, warming Modest but amusing Yes 2 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes 30 minutes Now Mushroom risotto None A book about 1911’s Champagne riots Nevertheless, the best Burgundy we have tasted from this average vintage. 89p 1910 1910 Marsala Vecchio Amabile Riserva, Leone Bianchi (Italy) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €245 A1 A bit hazy, brown-yellow Rich, volatile, nutty, raisiny, dried apricots, burnt sugar Palate: Sweet, low acidity, nutty, warming alcohol Finish: Medium-length, simple and biting In a nutshell: An alcoholic and raisiny wine without character Buy or not: No Tasted: 5 times, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 10 minutes Glass time: 20 minutes When to drink: Now (it has passed its peak) Food pairing: Cantuccini cookies Fake factor: None Inside information: This fourth-generation family company is a pioneer of branded Marsalas. Or try this: 1910 Massandra White Muscat Livadia Final verdict: A curiosity but not more than that. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 49 F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1908 93p 1908 Warre Vintage Port (Portugal)

1912 1912 Niepoort Colheita 93p 1912 1912 Niepoort Colheita (Portugal) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1012 A1 Deep, inky black, sound, promising Sweet, commanding, complex, offensive, chocolate, smoke, peppery, dried fruits Palate: Jam-packed, intense, complex, opulent, perfect balance and structure, Wow. Finish: Never-ending, concentrated, sincere, passionated In a nutshell: Almost perfect Buy or not: Big Yes Tasted: 6 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 1.5 hour Glass time: 3 hours When to drink: Before 2040 Food pairing: Crème Caramel Fake factor: None Inside information: Colheitas are dated tawnies aged in small casks. The minimum age requirement is 7 years, but the tradition at Niepoort is to age several more years in the before bottling. The wine takes on a Tawny hue. Wood and nutty tones are evident on the palate due to the wine’s slow ageing in old casks. The 1912 Colheita is bottled 1972. Or try this: Niepoort Colheita 1900 Final verdict: A taste of another era that makes you wonder if you want to go back? Taster’s comment: 1912 Niepoort – it feels like it would be unfair to compare this with the non-fortified wines as no one would stand a chance to compete with the incredible power, inimitable intensity, mind-blowing length or the alluring complexity of the 1912 Colheita! Once again I think it would be a waste trying to describe the individual aromas or flavours, but let’s just say that this encapsulates and amplifies everything we’ve learned to love about fine old Port. 50 FINE

1911 < The Incan city of Machu Picchu is discovered < Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole < British physicist Ernest Rutherford discovers the structure of an atom 1912 < The Titanic sinks < The Republic of China is established, which ends the Chinese Empire < The parachute is invented < Gabrielle ”Coco” Chanel opens a fashion design boutique < Harry Houdini introduces his famous act, which involves escaping from a locked water cabinet 1913 < The Madeira Wine Association is formed by three export companies < John Rockefeller is worth $212 billion, 1/44th of the USA economy < Ford installs the first assembly line 1914 < World War I begins < The Panama Canal is officially opened after 10 years of construction < In his second big-screen appearance, Charlie Chaplin plays the Little Tramp, his most famous character 1915 < Spain’s greatest wine of all times, Vega-Sicilia Unico is launched < The racist ”Ku Klux Klan” is formed F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1910 < Owners of the major Bordeaux estates listed on the 1855 classification came together to fight fraud by forming the Syndicate of Defense. The Syndicate became quite successful at tracking down and prosecuting those found to be selling wine that was fraudulent in one manner or another < Imperial Japan annexes Korea < Halley’s Comet is observed photographically for the first time < The Tango catches on 1913 Cuvée Cordon Rouge, 92p 1913 Mumm G.H. Mumm (France) Taster’s comment: Being a bit champagne geek, I was so amazed with both champagnes, Ruinart 1919 and Mumm 1913, from the second decade of the 20th century. Such a youthful, bubbly, powerful and amazing. 1913 Mumm showed itself so well that you could easily have mistaken it with one from seventhies! Of course, those truffle notes betrays a bit, but every sip was a mindblowing experience!! Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1090 A2 Medium-rich, golden, no bubbles Clean, evolved, lean, one-dimensional, peachy Palate: Off-dry, crisp, vivid, ripe yellow fruits, grapefruits, citrus, fresh Finish: Medium-length, a bit austere, earthy In a nutshell: Surprisingly fresh for a century-old Champagne Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Always a risk, but worth going for Twice, last in April 2012 None 15 minutes Now Pan-fried scallops with hazelnuts and a butter glaze Fake factor: None Inside information: When this champagne was produced, G.H.Mumm had become the world’s biggest champagne producer thanks to its 3 million-bottle production. Or try this: Pol Roger 1911 Final verdict: For a difficult vintage, G.H. Mumm have been able to make a pretty good champagne! 90p 1914 1914 Château Pavie (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €640 A1 Dark, healthy, deep, mature Severe, open, blackberries, down-to-earth, mint, tobacco, forest Palate: Balanced, some acidity, soft tannins, medium-bodied, firm but modest structure, simple Finish: Dusty, medium-long, dryish In a nutshell: Should it be even better? Buy or not: Yes Tasted: 2 times, last time in 2012 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 30 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Lamb casserole Fake factor: No way Inside information: In the spring of 1914 the automobile chauffeurs of Paris were kept warm by the exceptionally hot spring weather, promising a beautiful summer which then proved to be the hottest in living memory. In Bordeaux the summer continued with a very dry and warm August. The harvest took place under blue skies and the crop was quite moderate. This very promising vintage has nevertheless proven to be a disappointment, which is partly due to the First World War in which France was caught up in 1914. During the war there was a continuous lack of supplies and skillful labour, and in many vineyards the bottling did not take place until late 1916. We have tasted only a few wines from this vintage during the past five years, and all except one have been drinkable, but relatively light, dry and short wines. Or try this: Château Pavie 1900 Final verdict: No wonder that Pavie was just elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé A. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 51

1915 1915 Corton Hospices de Beaune Hospices de Beaune is a group of hospitals. The oldest of them, Hôtel-Dieu, was built in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of the duchy of Burgundy, and his wife Guigone de Salins. They bequeathed to their foundation, Hospices de Beaune, all the vineyards which they owned, and some other benign growers have done the same in the past five centuries. Since 1851, on every third Sunday in November a charity auction has taken place in Beaune, and the wines from the vineyards, which now belong to the Hospices de Beaune, are sold – not under the name of any given vineyard but under the name of the donor of the vineyard. Although these special cuvées are auctioned at prices usually higher than their current commercial values, the result still serves as a certain indication of wine prices for the new vintage. The Hospices de Beaune wines of a great vintage are usually of rather high quality, and sometimes they are even as great as a Musigny, Chambertin or Clos-de-Vougeot. 91p 1915 1915 Corton Hospices de Beaune (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €620 A2 Bright, moderately intense, deep red Earthy, tough, developed strawberries, wild, explosive, dark chocolate, vanilla Palate: Medium-bodied, balanced, elegant, silky, pronounced, seductive Finish: Prolonged, silky, silver-tongued finish In a nutshell: A dried rose, the kind your girlfriend would keep by here bedside. Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: Buy! 2 times, last time 5/2012 45 minutes 30 minutes Now Roasted Pigeon with lentils Very low Go to actual annual auction Very rare wartime wine with noble cause. Taster’s comment: 1915 Corton Hospice du Beaune. What is this magical drink? I have never smelled anything like this, yet it’s fragile aroma gives me the same sensation as a dried rose, like the kind your girlfriend would keep by her bedside. Clearly this wine is old because the colour here in the light through the glass looks like rose-petal brick dust water. It is so counterintuitive that a wine that looks this old can offer such a vibrant, lively song. Wow! On the palate it is a love chant to my mind! This can only be Burgundy from long, long ago. If it is Burgundy, then I would bet it is the oldest I have ever tasted. 52 FINE

1916 Château Brane-Cantenac Magnum (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €2188 A2 1916 Intense, brick red, deep Reserved, a little volatile, very mature, antique, cassis, soy, a touch of cedar Palate: Medium-bodied, round, gentle tannins, a bit tarry, rich dark fruit, brambles Finish: Medium-length, loose, tarry In a nutshell: A rustic and modest Claret Buy or not: Too risky Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 20 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Entrecôte grillée Fake factor: None Inside information: The Bordeaux wines from 1916 are generally robust and lacking of elegance – no exception here. Or try this: A ride in a Mercedes 35 hp – the first modern automobile. F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 85p The secret behind the good name of Brane-Cantenac is to a great extent attributable to Lucien Lurton. He took over the management of the château in 1956. It was the worst possible time to start, because a huge amount of Bordeaux vines were cleaned out by a horrendous spring frost. Not a single bottle of wine could be made at Brane-Cantenac that year. Despite this early setback Lucien led his château into celebrity and success. One of Lucien’s key criteria in making excellent wine was the strict selection of grapes. Only the very best of the grapes from good vintages produced wine that was worthy to be labelled Brane-Cantenac. The rest, like the uneven vintages; 1960, 1963, and 1968 were totally rejected and sold under Brane’s second label, Château Notton. Taster’s comment: Time had taken its toll on this rustic-style Claret – a little volatile and slightly tarry flavours overpower the moderately rich cassis and cedar characters. Retired but not fully passed yet. Final verdict: Retired, but still alive. 1917 90p 1917 Borges Vintage Port (Portugal) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: Taster’s comment: Excellent looking, perfect bottle. Decanted three hours before the flight. Medium-red color. Almost 100 years old and still very vigorous and lively. Very generous nose full of raisins, currants and wild floral aromas. Perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste, but very stylish and complex wine. Round and supple, hot aftertaste. As good as one can expect. €200 A2 Bright, moderately light, brown red Seductive, floral, spicy, vanilla Sweet, expressive, rich, complex, silky, sweet spices and milk chocolate Finish: Long, warming, delicate In a nutshell: The epitome of a well-matured, good Vintage Port Buy or not: Yes, but from where? Tasted: Four times, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 30 minutes Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: A dessert in itself Fake factor: None Inside information: The vintage was good, but not great. The year of Finland’s independence. Or try this: To experience equally positive tasting experiences from the wines of this vintage, go for Spain – Vega Sicilia or the well-known brands of Rioja. Final verdict: A wine that is easy to fall in love with. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 53

COLUMN DIRK NIEPOORT Less is more T here are basically two aproaches: “terroir” makes a great wine and a winemaker makes a great wine (let’s assume that a great winemaker makes great wine) I believe totally in the first and old fashioned theory: the name “winemaker” says it all – the one who makes the wine. In the past, the “wine­ makers” were not known by that name but as cellar master, or something similar. I believe the duty of a “winemaker”, or maybe “wine educator” is a better term, involves having the technical knowledge while trying to understand the grapes, the soil and the area, as well as the terroir, and then adapting those winemaking skills in order to create a wine that expresses its full potential, rather than making the wine just the way they want. In modern times, we have so many technical choices, machines, equipment and vinological products that even though the possibilities seem to be greater, the wines seem to increasingly taste more artificial and similar. There can be no doubt that the average quality has increased and less faulty wines are sold, but the wines are becoming more and more undrinkable – to the point where they are heavy, sweet,

F I N E Ni e p o o r t fat, dark, over-extracted and over-oaked – and in reality one just does not want to drink them. I think the time has come to back up a little and try to do less instead of too much. We have to forget some things that we learned at university, such as the fact that we have to crush the grapes after de-stemming – and whether we actually have to de-stem at all – just to extract more colour. ­ In fact, I find it extraordinary that in reality 90% of our winemaking decisions are taken in order to extract colour (from the red wines). For most wine educators, it is almost impossible to take decisions without thinking about the extraction of colour; indeed, if one made red wine while eliminating all the decisions based on colour, one would most probably have a much better and more interesting fine wine. We have to make wines that are digest, which is a very French word that says it all. We should make wines that make you feel good and which make your stomach happy. I believe in wines that have character, identity and balance, as well as some edginess and freshness in their youth, and which dispel a lot of unnecessary fruitiness (modern wines are too fruity, while freshness is what it is all about). My vision is to learn from the old, as older people know the traditions and habits of certain areas, and combine that empiric wisdom with modern knowledge. >

1918 1918 Château Coutet The war which finally ended on November 11th 1918 cost France dearly. France lost over 1 300 000 men and more than three million were wounded. This naturally led to a labour shortage which was covered by foreign employees, whose mere presence aroused ill-feeling among the French workers. The Germans had destroyed numerous cities, mines and railroads and damaged the agriculture. The population in Reims decreased from 117 000 to 17 000. The cost of products and services had risen 400% since the beginning of the war. On the other hand inflation raised prices of wines higher than their expenses, and the wine growers were doing better than before 1914. Most of the villages in Sauternes had survived with minor material damage, but they still suffered heavy losses in manpower and expertise. Regardless of the poor circumstances after the war and the average vintage of 1918, the winemakers still succeeded in producing some very good wines, mostly better than this one. 92p 1918 1918 Château Coutet (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €412 A2 Light, gold, bright Open, sound, chewy, waxy, dried apricots, truffles Palate: Medium-sweet, round, complex, vivid, polished Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 56 FINE Short, dry and oaky Not a cosmic or noteworthy wine No regrets, but not again. 4 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes 2 hours Now Aged Camembert None Château d´Yquem 1918 Too much water under the bridge 1915 < The first long-distance telephone call is made when Alexander Graham Bell in New York calls Thomas Watson in San Francisco < Such a poor vintage in Bordeaux that Latour and Yquem did not release any wines for sale 1916 < The last Emperor of China, Yuan Shikai, abdicates the throne and the Republic of China is restored < The first self-service grocery store opens (in the U.S.) 1917 < The October Revolution in Russia occurs and brings about the onset of the Russian Civil War < Finland declares independence from Russia < The first Pulitzer prizes are awarded < Dutch dancer Mata Hari is convicted and executed as a German spy 1918 < The formation of the Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van ZuidAfrika Bpkt (KWV) takes place. Initially started as a co-operative, the KWV soon grew in power and prominence until it was able to set policies and prices for the entire South African wine industry < The end of World War I < Russian revolutionaries execute the former Tsar Nicholas II and his family < Daylight saving time comes into effect < The Spanish flu pandemic strikes: by 1920 nearly 20 million are dead 1919 < A law sets the new standards in Burgundy for local authorities to determine the boundaries for the wines carrying the name of their origin on the labels < Treaty of Versailles. Germany is forbidden to continue using the name Champagne for its sparkling wines < The Treaty of Versailles redefines European borders and establishes the Weimar Republic in Germany

Average auction €534 price: Bottle A3 condition: Colour: Bright, medium dark yellow Nose: Open, sound, maple syrup, chocolaty, caramel and truffle 97p price: Bottle A1 condition: Colour: Bright, amber, golden Nose: Intense, dried apricots, citrus, lime, honey, botrytis Palate: Sweet, crisp, moderately light-bodied, beautiful Medium-long, sweet, complex, mature Tender bubbly Absolutely 2 times, last in 5/2012 15 minutes 45 minutes Now Gratinated mussels You wish Veuve Clicquot 1923 Entertaining yet nothing overly electrifying. (France) Average auction €380 Palate: Dry, lucious, full, well-balanced, intense, Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 1921 1921 Brédif Collection Vouvray concentrated, intense fruit, crème brûlée Finish: Long, silky, refined In a nutshell: A Vouvray with purity and great finesse Buy or not: Yes Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 20 minutes Glass time: 1.5 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: Raspberry mille-feuille Fake factor: None Inside information: This bottle came directly from the producer’s cellar, where it had rested ever since it was bottled Or try this: Château d’Yquem 1921 Final verdict: An absolutely beautiful wine that seems immortal, as almost no signs of ageing can be detected. Taster’s comment: A combination of coffe and smoky maple syrup. A lovely champagne. 83p 1922 Bodegas Laconda Reserva Especial (Spain) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: 1922 Under €200 A1 Medium intense, tile red, healthy Definite, complex, roasted coffee, toasted, oaky, evolved Palate: Medium-bodied, vivid, quite acidic, mellow tannins, low fruit intensity, average Finish: Medium-long, soft, sweet In a nutshell: Still very drinkable, almost memorable Buy or not: At this low price, then yes, if you just can find one Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 8 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes 1 hour Now Grilled lamb chops No way Viña Real 1922 Cost-effective Taster’s comment: A most beautiful wine. A nose reminding me of “hjortron” – a golden berry found in Lapland. Absolutely delicious. 88p 1923 1923 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €655 A2 Moderately light, bright, tuile-red Ripe, milky, chocolaty, toasty, sweet berries Palate: Medium-bodied, gentle tannins, sweet and ripe red fruit Finish: Long, milky, toasty In a nutshell: Discreetly aged but now retired Buy or not: No, there are better options Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 5 minutes Glass time: 20 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Grilled duck breast Fake factor: None Inside information: A difficult year due to the unstable, rainy and cool seasons. To reach the grape ripeness, the harvest was postponed until the beginning of October. As a result, the quality of the wines was average rather than moderately poor. Or try this: Château Gruaud-Larose 1923 Final verdict: Nothing to long for. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 57 F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1919 Vintage Champagne 92p 1919 Ruinart(France)

1920 1920 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc The production of Pavillon Blanc is an age-old tradition at Château Margaux. It was sold in the 19th century as ’vin blanc de sauvignon’ and has existed under the brand name Pavillon Blanc since 1920. Its label, apart from a few compulsory legal details, has not changed since that date. The twelve-hectare vineyard is made up exclusively of Sauvig­ non white grapes. It is located on a very old plot belonging to the estate, which did not qualify as part of the Margaux appellation when the boundaries were officially set in 1955, because of the high risk of spring frosts. It is a great consolation today to be able to harvest a white wine which is not just original, but of excellent quality, too. Production conditions have changed considerably since the end of the 1970s. The age of the vines and shorter pruning have enabled us to bring down the yield to under 30 hectolitres per hectare, without provoking an increase in vine vigour. Even though Sauvignon grapes are very prone to rot (Botrytis Cinerea), they can reach a level of ripeness which rids them of their vegetal characters and brings out floral and fruity notes. ­ The vinification process simply aims to express as closely as possible the qualities obtained in the grapes. 94p 1920 1920 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €1080 A2 Full, yellow, deep, promising Accessible, rigorous, toasty, fresh, fruity Sweet, crisp, vivid, tropical fruit, elegant, well-balanced, intense Finish: Harmonious and long In a nutshell: Can 90-years old white wine get any enhanced? Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Go for it if you are able to find it 2 times, last in 5/2012 25 minutes 1 hour Now Blackened Tiger Prawns None Pavillon Blanc 1928 or 1929 vintages Final verdict: The sweetest memory to share Taster’s comment: A memory of a lifetime – the 1920 Château Margaux Pavillon Blanc – one of the finest wines in the world. A wonderful bouquet and one of the very special wines, that was tasted and then tasted again until there was only a memory left in the glass. 58 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 93p 1924 1924 Château Margaux (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1211 A1 Full, deep, mature red Progressive, intense, fresh,toasty, floral, roasted, creamy Palate: Medium-bodied, a bit dry, elegant, quite vivid acidity, good structure, satiny texture, ripe Finish: Harmonius, light, smooth In a nutshell: Faided grace Buy or not: Very sensitive wine – buy only perfect bottles Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: 11 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes Taster’s comment: Perfect château-bottling with a good level. Cork and capsule in reasonable condition. Dark but bright colour, not much sediment. Healthy and surprisingly fresh on the nose. Elegant and open, a typical Margaux bouquet which tended to grow in amplitude and articulacy. An elegant, full-bodied and vigorous wine, but very sensitive. Not many tannins, and slightly high acidity, but very pleasant and charming. Certainly a good wine, but not a great one. 45 minutes Now Plate of charcuterie Moderate Château Pétrus 1924 One of the great, old value for money Margaux – a lot less expensive than any good current vintage Taster’s comment: 1924 Margaux – I do associate most younger vintages of Ch. Margaux as fairly light and must admit that I’ve been underwhelmed on numerous occasions. However, my great experiences with the really old vintages have been astonishing and this wine offered a beautiful texture; it was still rich and fruity with a plethora of wild berries and a smooth almost creamy sensation, still very clean without oxidation and a truly long, powerful finish. 88p (Spain) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: Taster’s comment: Long and wide were suitable words to describe this rare Riscal, which I bought from Madrid. A dark garnet, youthful and healthy color with a sound, full-intense bouquet of ripe fruit, vanilla oak and mineral scents. On the palate, it is still sweet, ripe, rich and soft, but faded quite quickly in the glass. A marvelously lush, round and well-balanced wine with a likeable personality. 1925 1925 Marqués de Riscal Reserva €671 A1 Moderately deep, tuile red Rich, earthy, roasted coffee Medium-bodied, silky, refined powdery tannins Finish: Long, intense, concentrated, firm tannins In a nutshell: An old Rioja but still hanging in there Buy or not: Yes Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 10 minutes Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: Grilled vension Fake factor: None Inside information: The 1925 vintage was very good, both in quality as well as quantity. Or try this: Vega Sicilia Unico 1923 Final verdict: Another good example of Marqués de Riscal’s long ageing potential. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 59

1926 1926 Philipponnat Royale Réserve The summer of 1926 was wonderful. The grapes were beautifully ripe when picked, but the prolonged drought of that hot summer had robbed them of just the perfect balance which made the wines of 1923 and 1929 both delicious and lasting. The crop was also only about one-third of normal. A shortage of grapes was caused by a severe hail-storm in July. Taster’s comment: The first, official flight was still Champagne, beginning with a 1926 Philipponnat Royale Réserve Demi-Sec. This was the sweetest Champagne that I’ve ever had. It was caramel city with its smooth, browned flavours. It was balanced and mature to the brink but without being oxidized; it was an age thing. ‘So sweet’ and ‘mushroomy’ summed it up. 1926 Royale Réserve 94p 1926 Philipponnat (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Over €250 A1 Bright, goldish, promising Very fresh, fully open, toasty, sweet, creamy aromas, mushrooms Palate: Medium-dry, some bubbles, toasty, crisp, broad, nicely balanced, creamy Finish: Long, lovely, firm In a nutshell: Delightful surprise Buy or not: Don´t even try – impossible to find, even Philipponnat don´t have any left Tasted: 2 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 30 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Fried scallops Fake factor: None Inside information: The winemaker was the famous Louis Bolland, who at the time was both Philipponnat’s Chef de Cave and Mareuil sur Ay’s biologist, and the pioneer of yeast selection and more scientifically controlled bottling and “prise de mousse” in Champagne. Or try this: Krug 1926 Final verdict: Serene, virale yet an old, mature Champagne 60 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1927 Taylor’s Vintage Port 1927 is one of the most enjoyable vintages of older ports just now. It is also one of the best vintages between 1912 and 1936. Because of the high appreciation for this vintage, its prices are very high and availability is next to nil. The year 1927 began in the Douro valley with rain, and the rains continued for the entire spring until the end of June. The summer was scorchingly hot and dry, and the groundwater reserves that had filled during the spring came in handy. The harvest was made almost entirely in dry weather. Because of the late-summer drought the harvest was very small, but had extremely high quality. Thirty port houses celebrated the year with a vintage wine. The best of them are now velvety, fruity and perfectly balanced entities which no port enthusiast can resist – and we were no different with this almost perfect Taylor. 1927 94p 1927 Taylor’s Vintage Port (Portugal) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €1145 Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: Very long, warming, silky, flavourful A1 Dark, intense, brown Advanced, nuts, raisiny, dried fruts, waxy Fleshy, fruity, smooth, well-balanced, round, complex and intense Exiting Yes, this is one of the classic 14 times, last 5/2012 45 minutes 2 hours Now to 2040 No need for it None Cockburn 1927 A classic Port with beautiful texture and a lovely extended flavour and finish. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 61

1928 1928 Pol Roger 95p 1928 1928 Pol Roger (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1754 A3 Pale-gold, appealing Fresh, lively, rich, sweet, butter, vanilla, nutty, honeyed Palate: Intense, sweet, ripe, well-integrated and balanced, complex, sparkling, elegant Finish: Long, dryish, crisp, sweet In a nutshell: A beauty without beast Buy or not: One of the real classic – so, yes Tasted: 9 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Still almost perfect Food pairing: Foie gras Fake factor: Small but existing Inside information: This vintage was a particular favourite of Winston Churchill to whom it was shipped until 1953. Or try this: Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 1928 Final verdict: Winston Churchill was rarely wrong. Taster’s comment: So, how would one start a weekend of this magnitude, with a magnum of 1928 Pol Roger, of course. This original magnum (no recent disgorgement) had lightly sautéed butter and perfectly burnt white sugar in its nose. It was quite sweet, ‘normal for the period’ per SuperSomm, who has won The Best Sommelier of the world somewhere somehow official. Suffice it to say, he has one of great palates I have encountered, even though he is Swedish. Back to the wine, wheat, light grass and yellow fever all graced the palate, which also had just the right amount of petillance. Its sweetness was noticeable to the last sip. Taster’s comment: The wine that was a start pistol of the Century Marathon! A great shot – energetic, lively and surprisingly vivid with long and lingering aftertaste. The epitome of the great event. 62 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1929 Château Pétrus Christian Mouiex has a problem that many of the world’s winemakers would love to be burdened with. The demand for his wines is so huge that collectors are prepared to pay almost anything to get even one bottle. The high price leads to high quality expectations. This often means disappointment, because just like the other top wines of the world, Pétrus is often drunk much too young, when its taste is still raw and undeveloped. Pétrus requires at least 20 years to mature. Pétrus’ fame is to a large extent attributable to Madame Edmond Loubat. She bought the estate piecemeal between 1925 and 1945. Madame Loubat had strong faith in the quality of her wines and asked for higher prices than any other producer in Pomerol. Jean-Pierre Mouiex was the perfect partner for her, as he was a négociant from Libourne and owned some properties himself. Mouiex was successful in marketing Pétrus and catapulted it into global fame. When Madame Loubat died in 1961, Mouiex became a part-owner of Pétrus. Today, the Mouiex family owns most of it. The son of Jean-Pierre Mouiex, Christian, has been responsible for winemaking at Pétrus since 1970, with his technical director Jean-Claude Berrouet and now with son Oliver Berrouet. The myth surrounding the Pétrus vineyard is firstly due to its unique terroir (a bump located at 40 metres on the famous terrace of Pomerol, made of deep clay lying on iron pan) on which the Merlot grape variety expresses itself exceptionally and naturally resists the climatic variation. The grapes are only picked in the afternoon, when the morning dew has evaporated, so as not to risk even the slightest dilution of quality. Drinking Pétrus may be an unforgettable experience. We have been lucky to have the opportunity to taste most of its great vintages, and that is why wine enthusiasts often come to us for advice. First, we advise you to choose a good vintage, an excellent one if your wallet allows. If you taste a poor vintage, you will notice how it rises above most other wines of the same vintage, but you will miss the actual point of Pétrus. Second, purchase wine that is at least 10 to 20 years old, because a young Pétrus is difficult to approach – besides which oak and tannins predominate in its taste. Young Pétrus may be impressive, but it ages fantastically and requires more time than any other Pomerol wine to reach its culmination. Finally, we would advise you to decant the wine with care and well in advance, and also to give it time to develop in the glass. Then you will have the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable experience. 1929 was an extraordinary year in the vineyards of Bordeaux as well as on Wall Street. When the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929, it also produced several unwanted effects abroad, especially in Europe where many countries had not fully recovered from the aftermath of World War I. In Germany, the economic disaster and the resulting social dislocation contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler. In the United States, there were 16 million unemployed – about a third of the available labour force. In Bordeaux, the 1929 is one of the “legendary” vintages of the century. Its reputation was made even greater as the 30s really were a catastrophic decade, and it was not until 1945 that anything of equal quality was made. In Bordeaux, those sixteen years were one of longest “dark periods” in the 20th century. 1929 was the driest since the beginning of the century. It only rained for a short period during the harvest, but then the fine and hot weather came back again. The grapes became very concentrated, high in tannins and produced wine to last. 98p 1929 1929 Château Pétrus (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €7340 A1 Almost black, deep, concentrated Very intense, sexy, vital, fleshy, woody, sweet, plump Palate: Concentrated, dense, firm structure, balanced, opulent, powerful, fat, Wau! Finish: Endless, luscious, vibrant In a nutshell: Complete Buy or not: Extremely costly even for Pétrus, but we only live once Tasted: 7 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 1 hour Glass time: 2 hours When to drink: Now to 2025 Food pairing: No need Fake factor: Huge Inside information: Perhaps the best vintage since 1900. A hot dry year, the driest since the start of the century, especially August and September were unusually dry months. The juices were very concentrated and the wines characterized by an enormous richness of tannin. The crop was average size. Or try this: Château Latour 1929 Final verdict: Full of magic and star quality Taster’s comment: My two absolut winners are Château Pétrus 1929 (also for me it is the wine of the weekend) and Château Cheval Blanc 1947. They were so different and both great! Pétrus for me was still like youth, dropping down tannins and wanting to show his power to the outsider world!!! So dark in color for a wine of 83 years old. Unbelievably complex, a fruit bomb from one side and totaly integrated all parts from another. Endless finish. Difficult to believe that there could be any better wine in my life! C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 63

1929 1919 < The League of Nations is founded in Paris < Mahatma Gandhi begins his non-violent resistance movement against British rule in India 1929 Château Pétrus Taster’s comment: 1929 Pétrus – wow, there was something spectacular about this one – something that just grabbed you and said “Hey, I’m a grand vin”, normally when I’ve had the occasions to taste old and legendary vintages of the ephemeral and elusive Petrus, I’ve been highly impressed by its discreet elegance, the way the wine offers such a wealth of aromas and how nothing is misplaced, obtrusive or out of balance. The palate was remarkably dense, vibrant and structured, it just kept expanding and lingering, to me it appeared far younger even though everything had kind of melted together, a quality I find in great old wines when you can’t really talk about different components but everything as a unity. 64 FINE 1920 < Giacomo Conterno introduced the first single vineyard Barolo < There was more prunes cultivated in Napa Valley than vines < Prohibition begins in the U.S. < The world’s first radio station opens in Britain < European countries control almost 90% of the earth’s surface 1921 < The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was made in 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936. The first buyers of Dom Pérignon 1921 were 150 customers of Simon Bros & Co, the company that imported Moët in the United Kingdom, which ordered the first 300 bottles < The first year that Trockenbeerenauslese wines were produced in Mosel, Germany < The Irish free state is proclaimed < Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of the Nazi Party < The lie detector is invented 1922 < The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) is formed < The tomb of Tutankhamun is discovered and opened < Mussolini marches on Rome and forms a Fascist government < Kemal Atatürk founds modern Turkey 1923 < Baron Le Roy creates the standards for wines made in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is considered to be the foundation of the French Appellation d’Origine Controlée system < Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey, while Kemal Aratürk becomes the first president of the newly established Republic of Turkey

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1930 Château Pichon-Lalande Château Pichon-Longueville de Lalande is ideally situated between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The variety of parcels of land, due to the elements of the earth and their encepagement, explains the complexity of the personality of the wines of Pichon. Since the end of the 1970s, the reputation of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has acquired the status of a ”super second” and a ”nearly first”, in light of the consistency of its quality. Baron Joseph de Pichon-Longueville’s children, Raoul and Virginie, inherited the property. After a period of several years during which the property was administered by Baron Raoul de Pichon-Longueville, the rupture was effective. From then on the lands of Pichon-Longueville would have two very different futures. Anticipating this division, Virginie married Count Henri de Lalande and took over the control of the domain, the Count giving her independence and the title of Comtesse de Lalande. Her passion for vines and the quality of her management made her a strong personality in the Médoc during the last century, and she more than left her mark on the domain that has kept her name. In 1855, the Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired the status of Second Cru Classé. In 1920 the vineyards were auctioned. Edouard and Louis Miailhe, descendants of an old Bordeaux family of Vineyard owners and wine dealers, bought Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in 1925. In 1978 the family drew lots from a cake tinin order to find out the names of their châteaux. Mme. de Lencquesaing drew Pichon-Lalande and cried for three days, as this was the one property she did not want to inherit. The general financial situation in Bordeaux was miserable at the time and Pichon was badly in need of change and investment. She soon got down to business, and began by going back to school. She and her husband, a retired general, visited oenology classes and started making plans for the future. With an iron will and determination they set about making the necessary changes, and within a very short time Pichon-Lalande was to become one of the most-loved wines of all time. Taster’s comment: A 1930 PichonLalande began the next flight seductively, and coffee was the first impression. Olive and a red and brown fruit mélange followed. There were flavours of wafer, tobacco and red citrus. The wine was in territory but fell a point every sip as the air attacked. Good thing I drank it in three sips. This was a solid effort given the fact that 1930 was about as difficult a vintage as you’ll find in the history of wine. 92p 1930 1930 Château Pichon-Lalande (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €421 A2 Medium-intense, tuile-red Delicate, vivid, minty, cassis Moderately light-bodied, smooth, low acidity, gently austere tannins Finish: Fairly long, lingering, short of concentration In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fragile and delicate Yes Twice, last in April 2012 15 minutes 30 minutes Now Sauteed monkfish fillet with creamed chanterelles Fake factor: None Inside information: As a vintage, 1930 is considered one of the terrible trees of the thirties, as it was practically impossible to harvest ripe grapes. Or try this: Read a book called A Century of Wine Final verdict: Given the poor and unripe vintage, this wine is surprisingly good and still drinking so well! C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 65

1931 1931 97p 1931 Niepoort Garrafeira (Portugal) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1320 A1 Bright, brown, profound Open, opaque, burnt wood, caramel, spices, cigar Palate: Sweet, mouthfilling, smooth, wellbalanced, intense, fresh Finish: Melodious, smooth-edged, endless In a nutshell: Real refinement Buy or not: Yes Tasted: 6 times, last 5/2012 Decanting time: 30 minutes Glass time: 2 hours When to drink: Now to 2030 Food pairing: No need for it Fake factor: Low Inside information: The second generation of the Niepoort Taster’s comment: The 1931 Niepoort was also thrilling. It spent six years in wood before being bottled in 1938 in demi-john bottles, before being decanted into normal bottles in 1979. It was one of the best ports I have ever had, full of caramel and pepper, delicious yet most importantly smooth. The secret of the Garrafeira style is one that needs to be shared with the majority of the wine world! family, in the late 19th century, had the fortunate idea of buying from a German glass factory in Oldenburg about 4000 demi-johns of dark-green glass with varying capacities from 8 to 11 litres. Eduard Karel Jacob van der Niepoort died early and it was his son, Eduard Marius van der Niepoort, Dirk’s grandfather, who gave purpose to the demi-johns by bottling the best wines of the 1931 harvest, thus creating the type “Garrafeira Niepoort”. Since the distant year of 1931 to this day the maturation in the demi-johns, sealed with a cork, has been closely watched, it is almost a “sacred” ritual for both the Niepoort and the Nogueira families. Or try this: Quinta do Noval 1931 Final verdict: Secret that taste like freedom 90p Between the period of the two World Wars the champagne market fluctuated back and forth. Consumption of champagne lowered from 39 millions bottles in 1909 to merely 4.5 million bottles in 1932; the export of champagne worldwide fell by 55% between 1920–1923. The vinegrowers were badly hit by the slump in the price of grapes, which fell from 10 francs a kilo in 1926 to 1.50 francs in 1932, when the stocks in the cellars in Reims and Eperney contained the equivalent of 33 whole years of consumption. In 1937, the struggle was over and 38 million bottles were sold. 1932 1932 Veuve Clicquot (France) Average auction €511 price: Bottle A2 condition: Colour: Medium-intense, amber, no bubbles Nose: Evolved, volatile, maderised, walnutty Palate: Dry, crisp, vivid, stingy, walnuts, lemony Finish: Medium-length, edgy, nutty In a nutshell: A retiring lady Buy or not: No Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: – Glass time: 15 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Pata Negra Fake factor: None Inside information: One of the generally poor vintages of the century in Europe, and Champagne was no exception. Or try this: If you want a save choice from the 1930s, go for the top vintages of 1934 or 1937 Final verdict: A beautifully aged widow 66 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1933 Viña Real Gran Reserva In 1879, two brothers decided to set up a business in the newly flourishing trade of wine. C.V.N.E., Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) or la Cuné, as it is commonly known in Haro, was created. The wines of this new bodega began winning gold medals and diplomas at the biggest international exhibitions at the end of the 19th century, and soon Cuné was present on all of Spain’s highest regarded wine lists. It was one of the first wineries in Rioja to bottle its own wines. In 1900, the winery had an extraordinary ageing capacity of 80?000 bottles, which was most unusual at the time as most wineries were selling their wines as soon as possible. Viña Real is one of the first brands to produce age worthy wines in the Rioja Alavesa province. This brand was developed by Cuné in the 1920s. These wines are produced mostly with the same variety, Tempranillo; this variety is perfectly adapted to the ’terroir’ of Rioja Alavesa, where the growing conditions are ideal. Furthermore, the Tempranillo grape is a variety with a unique capacity to produce wines which benefit from long barrel and bottle ageing. 1933 89p 1933 Viña Real Gran Reserva (Spain) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €240 A1 Opaque, brownish, healthy Sweet, dense, nutty, white chocolate, raisin Palate: Medium-bodied, well-balanced, silky, smooth, ripe Finish: Warming, substantial, fragrant In a nutshell: Better than office lunch Buy or not: At this price level – yes Tasted: 8 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 30 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Oven baked rack of lamb Fake factor: Small but existing Inside information: In 1920s, the first Viña Real wines were placed on the market. They were wines made with grapes from the Elciego area, in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, where the vineyards located near the old Camino Real were located, inspiring the name Viña Real. Or try this: Vega Sicilia Unico 1936 Final verdict: Viña Real is one of those “phenomenon” wines that will never let you down. Taster’s comment: A lovely wine with sweet fruit. So few people know how well Rioja can age. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 67

1934 1934 Gaston Roupnel Chambertin Chambertin gained a reputation from the patronage of Napoleon I, who is rumoured not to have drunk anything else and watered down his Chambertin with plenty of water. He favoured it at five-tosix-years-old and never drank more than half a bottle with a meal. When the ex-Emperor was exiled on St. Helena, he was forced to drink claret, as that was easier to ship to the isolated island. The 1930s were a gloomy period in Burgundy. The market was frozen and with the minor exceptions of 1934 and 1937, the rest of the vintages were reputed to be poor. There are many vivid stories of proprietors of vineyards who were forced to empty their kegs of wine into the gutter to make space for the new vintage. 1930 was a very poor vintage, 1931 was even worse and 1932 was still bad, but not quite as complete a failure as the other two. Then came 1933 and 1934, two good years when pleasing, soft, early-maturing wines were made in comparatively large quantities. They were also the last two vintages to be shipped before the war. 1934 was the best and largest vintage of that troubled decade. Wines became rich, almost overripe due to the hot summer. 1934 94p 1934 Gaston Roupnel Chambertin (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Over €250 A2 Moderately light, brick red to tawny Complex, toasty, roasted coffee, root vegetables, earthy Palate: Medium-bodied, vivid, some red fruits, perfumey, supple, earthy Finish: Long, silky, savory In a nutshell: A classy mature burdungy Buy or not: Yes Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Melting camembert Fake factor: None Inside information: Together with 1937, this was the vintage of the decade in Burgundy. Or try this: Armand Rousseau Chambertin 1934 Final verdict: Napoleon was quite right, who needs another red wine besides Chambertin. Taster’s comment: ‘Nail polish remover’ was in the nose of this next wine, per SuperSomm. There was huge acidity and lots of power in this monster of a Burgundy. I couldn’t believe this was from 1934, and even more that it was bottled in 1937 (and not reconditioned). This bottle of 1934 Gaston Roupnel Chambertin showed the power and acid of 1934, one of the alltime great vintages, but this bottle came up short on its fruit and flavours. 68 FINE 1923 < Time magazine is first published < The Charleston dance becomes popular < German shepherd Rin Tin Tin becomes film’s first canine star 1924 < Jacques Carlu designed the first artist label for Mouton-Rothschild < The first Winter Olympic Games are held < Vladimir Lenin dies and Joseph Stalin seizes power in the Soviet Union < The FBI is founded under J. Edgar Hoover 1925 < Professor Perold crosses successfully crosses Pinot Noir and Cinsaut varieties in terms of launching the indigenous South African red variety Pinotage < Hitler publishes Mein Kampf < Benito Mussolini gains dictatorial powers in Italy < The first televisual image is created 1926 < The first regional authority and regulator of the Spanish wine regions, Consejo Regulador, is established in Rioja < Hirohito becomes Emperor of Japan < Coups in Greece, Poland and Portugal install new dictatorships < A.A. Milne publishes Winnie-the-Pooh 1927 < The brand name Dom Pérignon, owned by Mercier, is gifted to Moët & Chandon < In 1927, France forbids the use of hybrid vines and begins regulating the types of grapes that are required for a wine to be included within a specic appellation < Charles Lindbergh makes the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight < The first talking movie, The Jazz Singer, astonishes audiences in the theatres < The BBC is founded 1928 < Penicillin is discovered < The first television is sold for $75

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1935 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 88p 1935 Grands Echézeaux (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €620 A2 Bright, clean, deep red Unsophisticated, robust, strawberries, remote, white chocolate, tobacco, vanilla Palate: Medium-bodied, balanced, exotic, fruity, pronounced, mature Finish: Lengthy, vigorous, reckless In a nutshell: Oddly seductive Buy or not: Rarely seen but worth looking out for Tasted: 4 times, last time 5/2012 Decanting time: 30 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Pot-au-feu Fake factor: Low Inside information: Underrated Burgundy vintage. Or try this: Any Clos Vougeot from 1935 Final verdict: Unjustly but understandably ignored. Taster’s comment: The first red wine that we had was a 1935 DRC Grands Echézeaux. Its nose was mature and tangy, ‘Burgish’ I wrote. There were lots of vitamins and rosy fruit, and while there was a touch of maderization to the nose, it was more mesquite than maderized. The mid-palate was thin, and flavours of wood, tobacco and game were noticeable first, but the wine kept improving in the glass. It got very exotic with lime, citrus and orange rind joining the party. SuperSomm added, ‘mushroom and earth’. 1936 Massandra Livadia Port The Massandra Collection is a treasure trove of ancient wines. It is the largest wine collection in the world – 250?000 decilitres of wine in wooden casks as well as 1?000?000 bottles. The Massandra Collection was originally built by Prince Lev Sergeivich Golitzyn. A winery at Massandra has existed since the mid 19th century near Yalta on the Black Sea, but it was not until 1890 when Lev Golitzyn was appointed chief winemaker of the royal vineyards, that it became world-famous. At that time, Lev Golitsyn was president of a winemaking jury in Paris, where his colleagues called him the “King of Experts”, and he enchanted everyone with his refined winemaking expertise. On Golitzyn’s request, Massandra´s main wine cellar for fortified wines was built in three years, between 1894–97. Seven tunnels were dug, each 5 metres wide and 150 meters long, providing ideal conditions for the ageing of 3.5 million litres of wine. Also, a two-storey gallery was dug under the cellar that could accommodate a million bottles of wine. This was Russia’s first subterranean wine-ageing factory, which turned out to be an unforeseen advantage. It has survived the ravages of time, including earthquakes and wars, and when the revolution arrived in 1917 the stock of one million bottles of wine was protected by simply walling up the galleries. In 1922, Stalin ordered the wines from all the Tsar’s palaces to be put under lock and key at Massandra, where wine production was continued over several generations under the Yegorov family. Just before the Nazi assault on Crimea in 1941, the one million bottles were removed and placed in secret hiding places, and brought back after the German Army had departed. The result is an unparalleled collection of wines dating back to some of the 19th century vintages. 89p 1936 1936 Massandra Livadia Port (Crimea) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €650 A2 Bright, clear, maroon red Intense, sweet, burnt sugar, nutty, chocolate, cocoa, dried fruit, open Palate: Sweet, medium intense and bodied, nicely balanced, charming, complex Finish: Warming, rich, long In a nutshell: Easy to fall in love with Buy or not: Massandra wines have great value for money factor Tasted: 6 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 2 hours When to drink: Now to 2025 Food pairing: No food Fake factor: None so far Inside information: Only 1600 bottles produced. Or try this: Massandra White Muscat 1936 Final verdict: Massandra Collection wines can challenge the world’s best fortified wines with their extremely appealing intensity and stability. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 69

1936 1936 Massandra Livadia Port Taster’s comment: A charmer! Such a generous, opulent and rich wine. Even if the wine is short of finesse, it has pretty much everything else what it takes to be a great wine. 1928 < Mickey Mouse makes his debut < The first Oxford English Dictionary is published 1929 < A 1929 law allowed chaptalization in all of the vineyards of France except for those of the deep south and southwest. (Chaptalization is the addition of sugar to must in order to attain a higher alcohol content.) < Stock markets crash around the world, marking the beginning of the ”Great Depression” < The independent Vatican City is established < Stalin orders the persecution of ”kulaks”, causing the death of 6.5 million peasants < Hergé’s comic strip ”Tintin” debuts < The first Academy Awards are presented < 78% of the world’s cars are in the USA 1930 < Pinot Noir is defined as the noble variety of Burgundy < Gandhi’s Salt March < Astronomers discover Pluto, the ninth planet < Stalin begins collectivising agriculture in the U.S.S.R. 1931 < The most legendary Port wine Quinta do Noval Nacional is launched < Aldo Conterno is born in 1931. Aldo Conterno has been described as Piemonte’s most talented winemaker. Among Barolo aficionados, the wines of Aldo Conterno, have earned a reputation for being ”modernist” but with a blend of traditional Barolo winemaking practices < The Empire State building is completed, and it becomes the tallest building in the world < Auguste Piccard reaches the stratosphere < The Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali paints ”The Persistence of Memory” (the melting watches) at the age of 27 70 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1937 Château Ausone The effects of the New York Stock Exchange crash reflected on France’s economy for the whole of the 1930s. The number of unemployed had already eached 1?300?000. By 1935, gross production had fallen by 20%, stocks by 33% and dividends by 60%. Furthermore, agricultural production had diminished by a third. In 1937 France’s exports had fallen by over 50%, placing the winegrowers in even more difficulty, especially after they had already suffered from bad vintages since the beginning of the decade. The lingering faith in the future among the winegrowers of the Bordeaux area brought about this magnificent vintage. The year was warm and dry. In the Bordeaux area, the harvest gave a splendid crop, and this lovely Ausone is one of the very best examples of it. From the early 19th century up to the First World War, Château Ausone produced full-bodied wines with a long life expectancy. It took a surprisingly long time to recover from the war, more than 50 years, because the Ausone wines only returned to their classification quality in 1976. That is when the young, ambitious and talented winemaker Pascal Delbeck took responsibility for the estate’s wines, with dramatic results. My opinion is that the 1947 vintage was the very last great ones at Château Ausone before the 1982 vintage. Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from the Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Ausone takes its name from Decimus Magnus Ausonius (310-395 CE), a statesman and poet from Bordeaux who owned about 100 acres of vineyard, and it is believed by some that Château Ausone stands upon the foundations of his villa. Placed on the western edge of an 11th century village, SaintÉmilion, with elevated vineyards facing south on steep terraces in an ideal situation, Ausone was one of a few wineries who escaped the terrible frost of 1956, unlike neighbours such as Cheval Blanc, who lost several years’ vintages and in some cases suffered vine destruction. The property had been owned for generations by a partnership of the Dubois-Challon family and the Vauthier family. In the mid 1990s, the Vauthier family gained sole ownership of Château Ausone. Alain Vauthier controls all aspects of the winemaking; he began using Michel Rolland as the consulting winemaker during the 1995 vintage. Taster’s comment: None of the hard tannins so common in 1937s. Lovely. 93p 1937 1937 Château Ausone (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €745 A1 (re-corked at the château 1996) Dark, black, energetic, healthy Exposed, full, concentrated, mature, spice, tobacco, plummy, coffee, fragrant, cedar Palate: Perfumed, opulent, opulent, focused, profound, silky texture, nicely balanced, soft tannin, low acidity, multi-layered Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Silky, lingering, lengthy As youthful as 1982 Ausone Yes 4 times, last time 5/2012 45 minutes 1.5 hour Now, not later on. Grilled Entrecôte with haricot verts Only 1921 and 1947 Ausone are risky business Inside information: Ausone takes its name from Decimus Magnus Ausonius (310-395 CE), a statesman and poet from Bordeaux who owned about 100 acres of vineyard, and it is believed by some that Château Ausone stands upon the foundations of his villa. Or try this: Château Pétrus 1937 Final verdict: Fine, thoughtful, understated C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 71

1938 1938 Héritiers Cosson Clos des Lambrays 94p 1938 1938 Héritiers Cosson Clos des Lambrays (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1280 A1 Dark, clean, promising Excessive, mighty, open, sweet, blackberry, smoke, roasted herbs, fragant, plummy, mocha, spicy Palate: Full-bodied, intense, good balance, deep sweetness, suave tannins, bright acidity, classic Finish: Generous, mineral, long In a nutshell: Great backbone and weight Buy or not: Yes Tasted: 2 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: No food – please Fake factor: None Inside information: As early as 1365, we find the vineyard referred to under the name of Cloux des Lambrey in the deeds of Citeaux Abbey. In 1789, at the time of the French Revolution, the property was sold and divided between 74 owners and reunited in 1868. Louis Joly made improvements to this handsome residence built in 1630 and restored the unity of the property DOMAINE DES LAMBRAYS. In 1866 these works are finished by the new owner Albert-Sebastien Rodier (Maison Henri de Bahèzre from Nuits-Saint-Georges) with his grandsons Camille and Albert. Camille has founded the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and Albert managed the family estate in Burgundy. The Rodier family ensured an efficient promotion of their Clos des Lambrays. In 1938 Albert sold the estate to his friend Renée Cosson. Since this moment the estate is “falling in a sleep” like “sleeping beauty” according to Jean-François Bazin. Or try this: DRC Romanée-Conti 1938 Final verdict: Outstanding wine, which combines unique terroir, long history and compelling charisma. 72 FINE

1933 < The legendary Inglenook winery is taken over by its founder’s, grand-nephew, John Daniel Jr, who recovered the great estate back to the glory it enjoyed under Gustave Niebaum < Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi party, is appointed chancellor of Germany < The first Nazi concentration camp is established < Prohibition ends in the U.S. < The Loch Ness Monster is first spotted < Wiley Post flies around the world in 8 1/2 days 1934 < Mao Zedong begins the Long March north with 100 000 soldiers < The cheeseburger is created < Bonnie and Clyde are killed by police 1935 < American banker Clarence Dillon acquires Château Haut-Brion for 2 300 000 Francs < The introduction of the appellation d’origine controlée (AOC) in France. It is the first system of classification of origins on a national scale < In 1935, the U.S. Wine Institute is created to oversee, stabilise, and monitor the regrowth of the industry < In 1935, 81% of California’s wine production is sweet wines < Germany issues its AntiJewish Nuremberg laws < Persia becomes Iran < Alcoholics Anonymous is founded 1936 < The Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, known as the most expensive vintage car, is also the first super car ever built 93p F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1932 < Scientists split the atom < Air conditioning is invented < The first ”Tarzan the Ape Man” movie, starring Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, is released 1939 1939 Massandra Castel White Muscat (Crimea) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €655 A2 Bright, rose brown, promising Very intense, sweet, honey, ripe plums, floral, peachy fruitiness, mint, dried fruit, candied minerals Palate: Full-bodied, good balance, rich, complex, viscous texture, fresh acidity Finish: Long, sweet, lingering, finesse In a nutshell: What a charmer Buy or not: Yes – Massandra wines have great story and value for money feature Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: 5 times, last in 5/2012 30 minutes 3 hours Now to 2035 Smoked white fish with cremed chantarelles Fake factor: No food Inside information: The Rose Muscat grape is a subvariety of the famous White Muscat, which appeared in Southwest Europe some centuries ago and has been produced at Massandra since 1895. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels Alcohol: 16%. Residual sugar: 16%. Or try this: Massandra Red Stone White Muscat 1939 Final verdict: Another great Massandra! 89p 1940 1940 Château La Mission Haut-Brion (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €450 A2 A bit hazy, ruby Pronounced, meaty, rubbery and smoky Medium-bodied, firm, austere, jammed dark fruit, a bit coarse Finish: Long, milk chocolate, edgy In a nutshell: Burnt tyres Buy or not: No Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Sauteed lamb chops Fake factor: Low Inside information: An average vintage with relatively high rainfall. Or try this: 1940 Château Margaux Final verdict: Unfortunately a worn bottle. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 73

1940 1940 Château La Mission Haut-Brion The La Mission Haut-Brion property was donated in 1664 to a religious congregation founded by Saint Vincent de Paul – the Lazaristes or the Prêcheurs de la Mission. It was confiscated by the state during the French Revolution and then sold in 1792. The ownership changed several times until the Woltner family bought it in 1919. It was the Woltners, and particularly Henri Woltner, who built up its reputation to where it stands today. It remained in their family until 1983, when it was bought by the owners of its illustrious neighbour, Château Haut-Brion. La Mission Haut-Brion had been the only real competition to Haut-Brion as the best wine of Graves for decades, and many wine lovers around the world had feared that the distinct difference in character of the two neighbours would disappear as it was now being made by one and the same winemaker, the brilliant Jean-Bernard Delmas. These fears have fortunately proved to be unfounded with both wines continuing being among the very greatest in the world, while still remaining very distinct and different in style. Around 1920, Frédéric Woltner and his family became owners of La Mission. The Woltners were impassioned vintners imbued with a desire to continually improve their product. They remained owners for most of the twentieth century and are largely responsible for the eminent position held by La Mission in the eyes of the world today. La Mission pioneered winemaking in the 1920s by introducing glass-lined metal fermentation tanks. These were more hygienic and easier to clean than the traditional wooden vats, but the biggest advantage was the ability to cool the vats during the fermentation by running cold water down their outside. Fermentation temperatures that were too high could have kill off the yeast before fermentation was finished, and there was then an increased risk of bacteria converting the residual sugar into vinegar, leading to volatile acidity. The practised method of lowering the fermentation temperatures at this time was to add sacks full of ice to the must, thereby cooling but also diluting the wine. By fermenting at lower temperatures, important aroma products were retained in the wine and the wine could be kept on the lees for a longer time, giving it a deeper colour and more extract. On the 2nd of November 1983, Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A., already owner of Château Haut-Brion, bought Château La Mission Haut-Brion from the descendants of the Woltner family. La Mission Haut-Brion is now one of the jewels of the estates: the Dillon family totally renovated the château and added state-of-the-art winemaking facilities. Today, a new generation watches over the destiny of the estate. Prince Robert of Luxembourg, together with his mother, the Duchesse de Mouchy, oversees the management of the properties, which belong to Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A. 74 FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1941 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is without question the most famous estate in Burgundy, and arguably the greatest, as it produces some of the best wines in the world. Furthermore, 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. 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 despite competition from a famous collector of jewellery, Madame de Pompadour – the king’s minister versus the king’s mistress. He withdrew it from the market and reserved it for his own dazzling social events, and it was he who created the myth surrounding Romanée-Conti. 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. In June 1940, the journey of 16-year-old André Noblet, from estate’s cellar caretaker to chief winemaker, began The timing was not exactly favourable for the young man, as in July France was occupied by Germany. This single-minded and intelligent young man wanted to learn all there was to know about the making of the estate’s wines as quickly as possible, and Louis Clin did not spare his efforts, time or knowledge when it came to this eager and gifted youth. As early as 1946, André vinified his first wines under Mr. Clin’s supervision. André Noblet finally took over complete responsibility for the estates wines after the death of his mentor. “We are the keepers of a certain philosophy of wine and, mainly, we are concerned by perfection in detail,” assures Aubert de Villaine. Aubert de Villaine became co-director of the domaine in 1974. His goal is to bottle a wine that has had almost no manipulation, but instead is the result of perfectly balanced, healthy fruit. At the domaine everything is directed towards producing great wines which are ideal for keeping. Biodynamics, used over the last ten years, have led to a change in direction under the new leadership of Henry Frédéric-Roch, one of the domaine’s co-managers, together with Mr de Villaine. Taster’s comment: A moving experience. A lovely, delicate wine. Like fine lace. No power – just sweet and stylish. de la Romanée-Conti 97p 1941 Domaine Richebourg (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1790 A2 1941 Almost black, intense, healthy Sound, rich, flavorful, exotic, cherry, cedary, complex, sweet Palate: Medium bodied, fresh acidity, round tannins, complex, youthful, powerful Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Or try this: Final verdict: Very long, seductive, rich, wide A throughly rich and pleasant mouthful Almost impossible to find 2 times, last in 5/2012 45 minutes 1.5 hour Now Sauteed wild boar None DRC La Tâche 1941 Even the vintage was quite poor, DRC did it again – great wine from great terroir. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 75

1941 1941 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Taster’s comment: There was a tie for the best wine of the day between the 1941 DRC Richebourg and 1931 Niepoort Garrafeira Port, both of which earned 97 points. The Richebourg set the bar high early, as it was a wild and wet Burgundy with a ‘crazy good’ nose. There was superherolike fruit here with rose and cherry leading, but also a tropical and foresty mix that exuded incredible complexity. There was a vimful spice of cedar meeting cabinet, and orange edges rounded out its abyss of a nose. The palate possessed incredible power and acidity; this bottle was in perfect condition, still so fresh and youthful. I was convinced it was from 1952, but it was not, of course. ‘Fantastic’ and ‘wow’ appeared in my notes multiple times, and mint, tomato and wild red fruits danced on the palate. This was an extraordinary wine. 76 1936 < The Spanish Civil War begins < The Nazi Olympics are held in Berlin < King Edward VIII is forced to decide between remaining the king of Great Britain or marrying the woman he loves, Mrs. Wallis Simpson < The BBC debuts the world’s first television service with three hours of programming a day < The electric guitar makes its first appearance < The first successful helicopter flight is made 1937 < Japan invades China < The Hindenburg airship explodes after a three-day trip across the Atlantic < Walt Disney’s first fulllength animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, hits theatres and becomes an instant classic 1938 < Hitler annexes Austria < The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) takes place < Volkswagen introduces the Beetle 1939 < Arguably the finest year of Hollywood movie making < 1939 produced an astounding number of quality films that have stood the test of time, like Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz < The first commercial flight over the Atlantic < World War II begins < Robert Kane introduces the Batman cartoon 1940 < Winston Churchill becomes Britain’s Prime Minister < The Winter War, between the Soviet Union and Finland, takes place < Stone Age cave paintings are found in France < Nylon hits the market 1941 < The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, which leads to the USA joining World War II < The first Jeep is invented < Orson Welles makes Citizen Kane FINE

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 82p 1942 1942 J-M Garnier Meursault (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Under €200 A2 Light, medium-intense, brownish Evolved, complex, mocha, nutty, roasted almonds Palate: Dry, crisp, medium-bodied, vivid, one-dimensional Finish: Long, lingering, generous In a nutshell: A nice and vivid wine Buy or not: No, you can find better Meursaults than this Taster’s comment: Very good light and fresh colour. Vigorous, crisp, creamy wine with gentle oaky nose. Quite full and masculine, finish wasn´t exactly short but somehow too soft, almost hidden and bland. Very good but didn’t have quite the grace for great. Tasted: Twice, last in April 2012 Decanting time: 10 minutes Glass time: 15 minutes When to drink: Now Food pairing: Grilled monkfish Fake factor: Low Inside information: The hailstorms during the harvest season lowered the quantity of the crop, but the quality was considered good. Or try this: If you really want some good quality Burgundy from this vintage, you should stick with DRC’s wines. Final verdict: Not a wine to embrace but definitely a well-kept Meursault from this difficult, war-time vintage. 1943 Steinberger Auslese 91p 1943 Rheingau (Germany) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €200 A2 Light, yellow, healthy Wide open, chewy, waxy, dried apricots, honeyed, minerals Palate: Medium-sweet, round, oily, energic, nicely balanced, complex, attactive Finish: Surprisingly youthful and long In a nutshell: Elegant wine, produced by women Buy or not: Yes Tasted: 4 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 30 minutes Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: Smoked cod Fake factor: None Inside information: The vintage year 1943 is regarded as the best war vintage of prominent quality in Germany. This wine is a naturwein – not chaptalized oe blended. Or try this: Victory Champagne Bollinger 1945 Final verdict: Warchild Taster’s comment: White Bordeaux was my first guess when it came to the third white in this flight, as there were mature glue aromas, along with honeycomb and a bit of bikini wax. Its palate had lanolin, minerals and dry white fruit flavours, and more honeycomb. It was long, balanced and pretty, and I was impressed by this 1943 Staaterweinguter Steinberger Riesling Auslese. I wrote that it was amazing how Riesling and white Bordeaux flirt with each other after a lot of bottle age. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 77

1944 Taster’s comment: My biggest misfire of the weekend was when I convinced myself the next wine was a 1982 Bordeaux, when, in fact, it was a 1944 Vega Sicilia Unico. The wine was elegant and creamy, sensual with its nut, cassis, plum, cedar, smoke, pencil...‘all the classics,’ I wrote. The stewed rhubarb, along with the ‘green oats,’ should have sent me elsewhere. This super fresh bottle was very dry and very flamboyant. 78 FINE Taster’s comment: 1944 Vega Unico – just this first smell and everyone around the table is intrigued, big time! The caramel marmalade, coffee and dried cedar all tell us we are in Spain – especially Jan-Erik, because his radar is tuned to shoot down Spanish bogies. The nose is similar to the 1925 Marqués de Riscal we had in an earlier flight, but this gorgeous Spanish (we think) wine is in a whole different echelon of quality. The colour is blackcurrant juice-like, with lightly browning edges. Then to the tongue... this is the 40s or 50s because of the softness of the tannins, but that is serious density. This wine was a monster in its youth and you can tell it was more rustic during its past, like an older gentleman who was really muscular and buccaneering when he was young. This is classy panache all the way... then the wine is revealed to be none other than 1944 Vega Sicilia Unico, the bottle is wartime green glass, and to think that this was crafted while Franco ruled Spain. This is drinking history!

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1944 Vega Sicilia Unico Bodegas Vega Sicilia Unico is still “a prophet in its own land”, and only a small part of the production leaves the country to be sold abroad; the production of Unico varies from 30 000 to 100 000 bottles depending on the year. The commercial success of Unico is nevertheless decided beforehand regardless of the amount produced, as each vintage is already sold out before the bottling. Yet, 700 people are currently on Unico’s customer list, with each one hoping that some of the long-standing customers will give up their place or forget to order anything for two years, which automatically drops them from the list. The privileged subscriber list never exceeds 4 000, and they naturally remain anonymous. Pablo Alvarez, manager of Vega Sicilia, is conscientious when it comes to impartiality towards long-standing loyal customers, even though the balance between the company’s firm commercial policy and influential quarters from outside the customer list who want wines is not always easy to maintain. For example, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Spain a few years ago, the British Embassy wanted Vega Sicilia to represent Spain’s wine tradition at the dinner which had been arranged to honour the Queen. Although the order had been duly placed with a decent amount of notice, the estate was able to deliver only four cases for the dinner – albeit with all manner of apologies for not having been able to meet the order in full. Respecting loyal customers has been a matter of tremendous importance for Bodegas Vega Sicilia throughout its history. When Jesús Anadón was the estate steward, the United States’ importer paid a visit and told him that in his faraway homeland the demand was more than 200 000 bottles. As he determinedly insisted that his order be multiplied, the inimitable Jesús stated without blinking an eye that the limit was 500 bottles and no more, and that this was his last word on the matter. Unico is a unique wine, and one of the great Spanish classics. It is the signature wine of Vega Sicilia and is taken from some of the oldest vines available. The wine is mostly Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. “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, as then the -81, -74, -75, -66, -65 and -62 are Unicos in aromatical complexity reaching baroque extremes and the -70, -89, -62, -42 and -22 are based on the tannic power reaching to be perpetual wine,” said Mr. Alvarez to us when we asked for his personal opinion regarding Unico’s best vintages. 92p 1944 1944 Vega Sicilia Unico (Spain) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: Palate: €2680 A2 Garnet, brownish, sound Open, candylike, spicy, earthy, porty Ample, balanced, medium-full, finegrained tannin, a bit narrow, ripe Finish: Spicy, medium-long, warming In a nutshell: Not as great as we hoped Buy or not: No, you should rather buy 1941 or 1942 at half of the price Tasted: 4 times, last in 2010 Decanting time: 1 hour Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: Vitello Tonnato Fake factor: None Inside information: The Ribera del Duero has a continental climate with an Atlantic influence. Rainfall is low, with annual averages below 500 mm, concentrated especially in spring and autumn. Sunshine, which is high extensive and abundant, reaches annual averages of 2200 hours, and the River Duero favours the morning mists and fogs that provide an additional source of humidity. Or try this Biondi-Santi Riserva 1945 Final verdict: Getting too pricey. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 79

1945 1945 Comte de Vogüé Musigny France was in ruins after the war, and the damage was much greater than in 1918. The cost of the German invasion had been high on every level: 55 000 factories were destroyed, 140 000 farms devastated and 2 000 000 homes destroyed. Also 75 000 bridges had been destroyed and most of the railway network demolished. Inflation was high and industrial production was now only half of the already weak level of 1938. A slow recovery had begun, however, and the winegrowers got a good start in the form of a spectacular vintage. The 1945 vintage was superb in all the French wine areas. In Burgundy, the crop was small but of extremely good quality. Musigny Grand Cru produces one of the best grapes in the entire region. Its terroir is much more complex than Clos de Vougeot, whichlies just below it. Musigny is known for its super elegant and feminine characteristics, but this hot vintage gave this fine “lady” some extra muscle that has given it an extra dimension and structure. Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé has remained, through inheritance, in the same family since 1450. Twenty generations enlarged and enriched this family estate, whose stewardship continues with Claire de Causans and Marie de Ladoucette. They themselves are the grand-daughters of the legendary Comte Georges de Vogüé, who inherited the estate in 1925 and ran it for over 50 years. His daughter Elisabeth, Baronne Bertrand de Ladoucette, managed the estate from the early 1980s until 2002, and it was under her tenure that the new executive team of Eric Bourgogne, François Millet and Jean-Luc Pépin was established. The Domaine’s holdings are located entirely in ChambolleMusigny, which is an unspoiled village surrounded by limestone escarpments. Musigny is one of the two Grands Crus of Chambolle-Musigny. It is located on a hillside, south of Chambolle-Musigny, with a southeastern exposure. It lies in the middle of the slope, where the soil produces an optimal balance of structure and elegance. The limestone soil gives a high initial acidity, bringing a supreme elegance and an aromatic purity and finesse to the Musigny. The soil really speaks through the vine and the wine and emphasises in the wine’s delicacy, finesse, elegance and fragrance, at the expense of weight, muscle, size and overwhelming tannins, but combines the above with power, intensity, grip, depth and complexity. Musigny is the pinnacle and probably the most sought-after. It hides a great underlying power and strength, and is the proverbial ”iron fist in a velvet glove”. Taster’s comment: 1945 Musigny Vogue. Oh my goodness, this wine is the most incredible creature I have ever encountered. Nothing has ever made me as emotional like this before in the wine world, or the actual world except for the feeling of love. I can literally feel the oxytocin pumping out from my brain as I forge a love bond with this vulnerable and elegant woman of a wine. The colour is so light and watery, but that IS the magic of this wine, and why it must be a very pure-blooded red Burgundy as I get the first wiff... The breeding here is the top of the species; there is an energy at rest here in this glass that I have never smelled before. The aroma is only similar in excitement to pure gardenia flower or night jasmine, even though this is more of gently stewed rhubarb and strawberry compote it still arouses me like fine female perfume. And now the mouth... I could never have imagined what someone meant by a wine making you want to make love to an imaginary woman until this moment. This is a sexual, sensual experience because the mouthfeel is a dancing and hovering volume that has a ... ”calming heaviness and fully palate coating sateen sheet of smoothness”... at the same time, how is this possible. Having a wine like this almost brings a tear to my eyes... because it represents all that is true and pure and fragile and beautiful about life. Wow! When Pekka shows that this is infact the ’45 Vogue Musigny in Drouhin bottling, we are all overwhelmed by the privilege of being able to taste this allegorical and mythical goddess of wine! 96p 1945 1945 Comte de Vogüé Musigny (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €2428 A1 Light, intense, ruby Fine nose with cassis, dark chocolate, a bit minty, fragrant, ripe Pinot Palate: Elegant yet powerful, well-balanced, multi-layered, great dept and structure, fresh Finish: Silky, sensual, prolonged In a nutshell: As one of our guests said: ”This is a sexual and sensual experience” Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Yes 13 times, last in 5/2012 45 minutes 1 hour Now to 2025 Braised fillet of venison Big – be aware big lots and surprisingly low prices Inside information: The Vogüé domaine is one of the very Taster’s comment: Delicate, long, charming. Am I starting to like Burgundy? 80 FINE few estates in the whole of France, which have survived in the same hands since the middle ages. The 12.5 hectare domaine includes 7.12 hectare of Le Musigny. Or try this DRC La Tâche 1945 Final verdict: A curiously overhelming wine.

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1946 Château Gruaud-Larose In 1775, Chevalier de Gruaud bought a number of small vineyards to form one large vineyard. As an employer, monsieur Gruaud was strict – to keep an eye on his labourers and to make sure that they were hard at work, he kept watch over the property from the château tower. Woe betide those whom he found lazing in the vineyard or raising a bottle to their mouth! After each harvest he indicated by means of flags what type of wine had been made: the German flag meant a supple wine, the British flag a forward wine and the Dutch flag something in between. This was a clever idea at a time when national tastes were more differentiated than in our time. In 1946 the flag should have been Dutch. 1946 had generally poor weather throughout the entire growing period. There were cold, wet periods and dry spells, then more rain and finally adequate weather towards September and during the harvest. Quality was nevertheless badly affected by the vagaries of the climate. 87p 1946 1946 Château Gruaud-Larose (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €422 A2 Bright, cherry-red, healthy Medium-intense, lean, blackcurrants, coffee, thyme, sound Palate: Medium-bodied, refined structure, gentle tannins, light fruit, cappuccino Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Long, tannin-dominated, spicy Over the hill, but still alive and kicking No Twice, last in April 2012 20 minutes 20 minutes Now Smoked monkfish with creamed chantarelles Fake factor: Low Inside information: A mediocre vintage. A few hot days during the summer were not sufficient to make a good vintage, especially when the autumn rains diluted the crop. Or try this: Inglenook Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 1946 Final verdict: One of the best claret of this year. 1945 Comte de Vogüé Musigny C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 81

1947 1947 Château Cheval Blanc Whether by design or by pure chance, there are exceptional places in the world – and Cheval Blanc, without doubt, is one of them. Combining unique soil with a symbiotic mix of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Cheval Blanc produces a wine which has the rare quality of being good at any age. It is certainly one of the most consistent wines in the world. In the 18th century, a large area of the current estate of Cheval Blanc was covered in vines. It is said that on the place where the Blanc-painted building now stands, there used to be a modest post house where horses could be changed. It appears that the legendary King Henry IV once stopped there on his way from Paris to Pau, his birthplace, because he wanted to change his tired horses, traditionally always Blanc, to new ones. His habit of riding with only Blanc horses was well known, and this blessed, tiny post house was the only place in St. Emilion that had such noble creatures. After that the inn, which saved the King, was naturally called Cheval Blanc, or white horse. A century later the estate was bought by the FourcaudLaussac family, and so began a slow renovation that included the acquisition, in 1871, of adjacent plots that would give the vineyard its definitive layout, as well as drainage improvements and the planting of the Cabernet Franc. After these changes, the wine of Cheval Blanc achieved a level of success, which was recognised with the top prizes in London (1862), Paris (1878) and Antwerp (1885). This fine reputation grew steadily throughout the 20th century under the ownership of the Fourcaud-Laussac family. In 1998, the estate was sold to Mr Bernard Arnault and Baron Albert Frère. Cheval Blanc’s unique identity is due to its varied soils, earlyripening microclimate, the percentage of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard and the close proximity of the finest wines of Pomerol. Vintage: 1947’s climate can be summarised quite simply: absolutely magnificent weather from the beginning of April to the end of October – i.e. throughout the whole vegetation cycle. At Château Cheval Blanc, the highly concentrated grapes, picked almost two weeks ahead of the usual dates on the 15th of September, were healthy, sugary and rich. In the scorching heat, the grapes were very warm as they arrived at the winery. Fermentation was to prove difficult, meaning the wine was not perfectly dry and therefore immediately showed signs of highly volatile acidity. In this case, these two factors actually served to amplify the flavours and enhance the structure, thus, as the natural richness of the wine shows, they do not appear to be defects. In fact, one can say it is something of a happy accident of nature. 82 FINE Taster’s comment: Cheval Blanc showed itself like a King, already sitting at the top of Mount Blanc and in no hurry whatsoever. So complete and aristocratic with great concentration, extraordinary overall balance and ”royal” elegance! Seducing wine for contemplation! Taster’s comment: Quite rightly a legend. Less power than 10 years ago, though the class is still there. 1947 98p 1947 Château Cheval Blanc (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €4800 A1 Deep, very dark, mature, promising Sound, open, Chocolaty, leathery, portlike, sweet, rich, mocha, spices, pepper Palate: Rich, exciting, full-bodied, perfect balance, feminine, smooth tannins Finish: Super long, silky, flavorful, lingering, thrilling In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Can´t live without it or with it Sure bet 64 times, last time 5/2012 1.5 hour 2 hours Now to 2025 Less food the better wine is Very high – especially among Van der Meulen and other negociant –bottlings. Also quite a few fake magnums and bigger size fakes are around. Be very careful. Inside information: The Cheval Blanc 1947 has been tasted by us on more than 60 occasions, but it has scored a faultless 100 points only 31 times. Its track-record falls below the Latour 1961s and Mouton 1945s mostly because there are so many variable négociant bottlings available. And regrettably there are also quite a few frauds around. The Cheval Blanc 1947 was made from exceptionally ripe grapes with remarkably high sugar content. The blend is about two-thirds Cabernet Franc and one-third Merlot. The harvest was delayed until the last moment raising the alcohol content to 2% above normal. Final verdict: A perfect out-of-this-world experience

1943 < Italy joins the Allies < The Warsaw ghetto uprising occurs < The Battle of Stalingrad ends with the retreat of the German Army F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1942 < Nazi leaders coordinate the Holocaust < Anne Frank goes into hiding < The t-shirt is introduced Taster’s comment: Combining unique soil with a symbiotic mix of Cabernet Franc and Merlot grape varieties, Cheval Blanc produces a wine that has the rare quality of being good at any age. It is, without doubt, one of the most consistent wines in the world. 1944 < The Allies invade Normandy on D-Day, June 6th < The Baltic states are annexed by the Soviet Union < The world’s monetary system is anchored to the dollar and the dollar to gold 1945 < The growth in California’s wine production is matched by an increase in brand and generic advertising.In 1945, almost $10 million is spent on brand advertising, up from barely $500 000 in 1938 < The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki < Hitler commits suicide, Benito Mussolini and Franklin Roosevelt die < End of World War II < The Potsdam Conference divides Europe into Western and Soviet blocs < The Holocaust ends after more than 12 million deaths, including 6 million Jews < The United Nations is founded < The first computer is built (ENIAC) 1946 < Winston Churchill gives his ”Iron Curtain” speech warning of Soviet expansion < Juan Perón becomes president of Argentina < The Cannes Film Festival debuts in France < Bikinis are introduced C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 83

1948 1948 Château Léoville-Barton 94p 1948 1948 Château Léoville-Barton (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €745 A2 Garnet red, profound, gifted Fleshly, open, captivating, dark chocolate, red fruit dried herbs, cedary, cinnamon, earthy Palate: Medium-bodied, good balance, powerful, rich, ripe, alcoholic, tannic, multi-layered, tough Finish: Long, macho, multi-layered, prominent In a nutshell: A rough diamond Buy or not: Absolutely – a great character Tasted: 16 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now to 2020 Food pairing: Sirloin steak Fake factor: Very low Inside information: In 1948 they made perhaps the best Léoville-Barton ever. It was also the year when Anthony Barton made his first trip to Bordeaux. Or try this: Château Léoville-Barton 1945 Final verdict: A true classic. Taster’s comment: Very ripe, concentrated and earthy nose. Full and firm and still quite tannic on the palate. Some soft oak. Very good grip, remarkable depth and flavors that open and open endlessly. This is and will be a very voluptuous wine. Perhaps one of the best Leoville-Barton ever!” 84 FINE 1947 < Pétrus is served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip < The Romanée-Conti vineyard is replanted in 1947. The first Romanée-Conti vintage produced after the replantation was 1952 < Following decades of Non violent resistance and periodic civil unrest from 1919, India gains independence from the British Empire. Pakistan splits from India. Jawaharlal Nehru takes office as the first Prime Minister of India. < Robert M. Parker, the most widely-known wine critic in the world, is born in Baltimore, Maryland < India and Pakistan gain independence from Britain < The Jews are granted their own country in Palestine, Israel < The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered at Qunran < The mobile phone, polaroid camera and microwave oven are invented 1948 < The first vintage of Sassicaia is produced for the Incisa della Rocchetta family consumption. It took another 20 years for the first commercial vintage of Sassicaia to be made Gandhi is assassinated < The policy of apartheid begins < The state of Israel is founded < Columbia Records introduces the LP record 1949 < Wine production in China is 0.085 tonnes in 1949. In 1999, it is 2.358.200 tonnes < NATO is established < George Orwell Publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four < The Communist People’s Republic of China is proclaimed by Chairman Mao Zedong

F I N E C e n t u r y Ta s t i n g 1949 Dom Pérignon Pierre Pérignon is said to have been a learned man, intelligent, broad-minded, warmhearted and punctual, both in his religious and other duties. He was modest in character and way of life – an honourable man, small in size but with a big heart of gold. Such respect did he engender that when new bells were installed in the church of Hautvillers in 1706, his name was engraved on the largest. It was customary at the time to dedicate new church bells to the incumbent bishop and two other persons of note. As a winemaker, monk Pérignon was a legend and as a man he seems to have been no less celebrated. At the beginning of the 18th century the name of Dom Périg­ non was so well-known that even many Frenchmen thought it a village or a monastery and searched for it on the map. Today, his name remains just as famous and is a symbol for genuine and sophisticated champagne all over the whole world. 95p 1949 1949 Dom Pérignon (France) Average auction price: Bottle condition: Colour: Nose: €1032 A2 Opaque, clear Perfumed, adjusted, sweet, chocolate, coffee, ripe peach, honey Palate: Direct, well-balanced, medium intense, silk, complicated, medium-full Finish: Lengthy, clean, appetising In a nutshell: Should be better Buy or not: If you find a perfect bottle – yes. Tasted: 11 times, last in 5/2012 Decanting time: 15 minutes Glass time: 45 minutes When to drink: Asap Food pairing: Deserves to be enjoyed on its own Fake factor: None Inside information: All the vintages before the 1943 vintage, Dom Pérignon was produced from regular Moët & Chandon vintage champagne that was transferred to the special 18th Century-style bottles after extended cellaring. From the 1947 vintage, Dom Pérignon has been produced independently from the start. Or try this: Bollinger Vintage 1949 Final verdict: From perfect bottle, this should easily be over 95 points wine – with champagnes at this glorious age you need luck – a lot of it. Taster’s comment: 1949 Dom Pérignon – my favorite Champagne and the year I was born – also the year Jan-Erik Paulson was born – wine that could only improve with the company it was enjoyed with. C E N T U R Y TA S T I N G 85

COLUMN JAN-ERIK PAULSON Why I love half bottles M y wife doesn’t drink wine. Or, to be more precise, she doesn’t drink wine other than her favourite Kracher wines, a glass of champagne every now and then and, of course, a little vintage port at Christmas. The above is the main reason I buy half bottles for my private cellar whenever possible. My daily (weekday) routine includes a glass of champagne after work, as this is a great recipe for instant relaxation and builds my appetite for the forthcoming highlight of the day: dinner. For this occasion, I pick a suitable half bottle from my cellar. This amount of wine is perfect for a good night’s sleep and a fresh start the next morning. However, when I open a regular size bottle, and the wine is good, I have a tendency to drink a glass or two more 86 FINE than I should. This has often led to regrets the morning after. Another reason for my love of the smaller bottle variety is that I have poured wine worth a small fortune down the drain over the years. It is true that many wines still taste good next day, but maybe my wife had cooked something that didn’t match with that particular wine, we went to a restaurant for dinner, or I just felt like drinking something different. That old saying that a wine tastes better the larger the format does not hold true in my experience, and I think this partly goes back to the time when wine was bottled by the cask. It is likely that the best casks were reserved for the larger formats. It is true that the wine tends to mature slightly faster, all other factors being equal, and this is, for me, is an advantage when it comes to red Bordeaux, which can be closed and unapproachable for a decade or more. This is especially so for restaurants, as they can rarely afford to lay down their wines for decades.

F I N E Pa u l s o n Furthermore, it is of course nice to be able to order a number of wines with a meal, otherwise you are left with one wine which needs to go with every course. It is surprisingly difficult to find half bottles of these wines and I believe that more wines would be sold and drunk if available in smaller sizes. If stored under good conditions, half bottles can age very well. I remember a private dinner with Anne and Olivier Bernard at Domaine de Chevalier where we drank 1959 Château Margaux, 1949 Domaine de Chevalier and 1929 Château Cheval Blanc, all in half bottles, and each wine was in excellent condition. The one wine where half bottles don’t make sense is champagne. An opened bottle keeps beautifully in the fridge for several days, as the pressure of the carbon dioxide will prevent oxygen from entering the bottle. Also, most champagne houses do not age the champagne in their half bottles but instead fill them from larger size bottles. This can lead to a loss of quality and it certainly leads to prices that are quite a bit higher than half of the regular size bottle. Bottling smaller size formats is particularly sensible when it comes to sweet wines. A regular size bottle of Sauternes or port is very rarely consumed by, for example, four people over the course of dinner. Many restaurants offer sweet wines by the glass, which in theory is a good thing, but the problem is that you don’t know for how long the bottle has been open. It is, however, said that Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite size of champagne was the imperial pint, as he considered this to be the ideal amount for one person at breakfast, and he did win both a war and a Nobel prize. > COLUMN 87

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FINE Collecting proper wine storage a myth? Text: Lee Zinser Photos: Pekka Nuikki, Greg Gorman and Cellarworks T E M P E R AT U R E 89

proper wine storage – a temperature myth? You see the wine steward in the distance. He is pulling a bottle of wine from the cellar that just moments ago you selected from the wine list. The wine comes from a great vineyard and the vintage is one of the best. The wine arrives, and while being shown the bottle you reach out and touch it. Your hand confirms it has been stored correctly ...Or has it? Let’s ask Victoria Quite often the question ”What is the best temperature to store wines?” is asked. I hear numbers like 55 degrees (13°C), 57 degrees (14°C) and 58 degrees (14.5°C). I hear of passive cellars that fluctuate between 53 and 61 degrees (12–16°C) in the course of a year with summer hitting the higher temperatures and winter the lower temperatures. Auction catalogues often say “properly stored by gentleman in the Midwest”, but what is “properly stored” and where is the Midwest? It is universally agreed that the middle to high 50s (12–15°C) is the proper storage temperature. Why this particular temperature range, and, more importantly, does it really matter? This approved temperature range started hundreds of years ago, before HVAC and mechanical equipment. It just so happens that anytime you go below the frost line anywhere in the world, that the median temperature is around 56 degrees (13°C). So when you have an underground cellar in Bordeaux, Burgundy, or another wine producing area, the passive temperature where the wines are stored and will mature is around 56 degrees. Is this coincidental? Is it just by chance that convenient, free to operate and natural storage conditions just happen to be the magic number for the wine to mature and be stored? Is this temperature range always the “right” range? Well, it all depends on who you are at war with. During the Victorian Era, England, who enjoyed French wines that were properly stored, was cut off when a war once again ensued against 90 FINE

FINE Collecting the French. In an effort to maintain the life they were accustomed to, the English looked to other sources and decided again on Madeira. ­ Earlier, lessons had been learned when these wines were shipped around the Cape of Good Hope. They were transported in the hulls of ships over the equator, and would frequently reach cooking temperatures. To preserve the wine in these harsh conditions they added clear alcohol in order to fortify it. When this cooked, oxidized and ruined wine hit the shores of England it became a hit; indeed, it was a most celebrated drink, akin to Champagne today. You can still find very enjoyable bottles of Madeira from the 1700s for a pretty penny. In the production of Madeira today they imitate the real conditions that existed during the trading years. “Properly stored conditions” in this case means being cooked, oxidized and harshly treated, which makes it highly sought-after. Carafe of red Quite often I am asked the question about storing white wines at a lower temperature than red wines, and I always go back to two very important points. The first is that the temperature for storing wine which is usually cooler is not the same as for drinking wine which is usually closer to room temperature. Secondly, when you go to the Champagne region, Bordeaux or Burgundy, all the wines, whether red or white, are stored in natural cellars under the frost line and therefore within 55 to 59 degrees (13–15°C). The reason many ask about storing white wines at a lower temperature is firstly due to advertising and marketing, which tries to sell more expensive wine fridges with dual temperatures, and second of all because we have been trained to drink white wines colder, as the imperfection of the lower cost white wines can be masked at lower temperatures. It is a different story with lower value red wines: just imagine sitting around a wooden table with a large group of friends on a chilly night eating pasta, talking and laughing while drinking homemade Italian red wine. It may not be the best wine you have ever had but nobody notices due the good time being had by all. Inexpensive white wines do not have that same chance. The imperfections of lower valued white wines need to be masked and are often served from ice buckets – even in 3-star Michelin restaurants. The big day So now you are at the auction bidding on some 1961 first growths. You have been told the wines have been kept in “properly stored conditions”, and have even inspected the wines. You win the lot and upon getting it home decide to celebrate. You open one bottle with friends and it is everything you expected. A short while later at a future event you decide to open another bottle, but this one is a complete embarrassment. What happened? T E M P E R AT U R E 91

Raising up kids Scientifically, temperature plays a big role in the development of wine. There are a number of aspects to consider, and to start with we understand that heat translates into energy. Wine evolves over time and if the temperature it is stored at or exposed to is high, then the molecular structure and development is faster than its years. When it is too low development is stunted. We can illustrate it this way: by adding excessive heat or high temperatures during storage, we are forcing a young child to behave and act like a grown up. We lose the maturity that comes with time. On the other hand, if the wines are stored in very low temperatures, it will reach a good age but may be stunted in terms of maturity. In both cases, we are forcing the wine to develop at a rate inappropriate to its age. Many studies suggest that the 56–59 range (13–15°C) is appropriate for a balanced development, which allows the wine to mature without losing finesse. There are a few reasons to deviate from the status quo and two points come to mind in practical application. The first deals with fragile wines. These are wines that are older and have already reached their full maturity. By lowering the temperature to the low 50s (11–12°C) we slow down molecular activity, which will extend and preserve the life of the wine. The other example of deviation is represented in our opening illustration at the restaurant. In this situation, we recognise the two variables in play: the first is that the wine being sold has a fairly regular turnover and is not in danger of being ruined over the few months it spends in the restaurant at a higher storage temperature (around 60 degrees, or 15–16°C). The other consideration is that when we have made our wine selection we do not want to In the early 1960s when the wine was bottled, there may have been some imperfections in the cork, the capsule or during bottling. In stable and appropriate conditions these imperfections may not have compromised the wine. During the early years before temperature controlled shipping and regular overnight deliveries, the wine could have been exposed to very harsh conditions. Huge fluctuations in temperature will test the imperfections of both cork and capsule, as well as stress the wine itself. In many cases, we only know the most recent storage conditions of the wines we are buying, and while the current conditions of even the past ten years may be good, it will not make up for the harsh conditions of the previous 30 years. There is just no repairing the six weeks it sat on a dock in Honduras during mid-summer before being shipped to the U.S. in the 1970s. So while we currently see our potential wine purchase in pristine condition, the life course of our wine may not always have been so kind. Heat, cold, vibration and light, as well as imperfections in the wine, bottle and closure, all contribute to the wine’s detriment. Unlike a smoker who has stopped smoking for many years and now benefits from renewed health, the damage a wine sustains is irreversible no matter how good the storage conditions are later in life. Heat, cold, vibration and light, as well as imperfections in the wine, bottle and closure, all contribute to the wine’s detriment. 92 FINE wait twenty minutes or more while it comes up to drinking temperature. This situation of high turnover in wines quite often extends beyond restaurants and is seen in wine stores as well. Very often I see very expensive wines in liquor stores being stored at room temperature. Of course, after changing hands many times these same wines may end up in a cellar and then later sold as “properly stored” at auction, with the end user none the wiser. Proper storage and appropriate temperatures will certainly enhance the enjoyment of most wines. These various scenarios are just a few I discuss with clients in preliminary consultation with them during their wine cellar design. Understanding the effects of various temperatures, the objective of the collector and the various kinds of wines to be collected helps us arrive at an appropriate solution. Yet, we always arrive at the perfect temperature and the “proper storage conditions”. >

Join Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages for a daily taste of wine online As a Fine reader, you can now secure 12 months’ unlimited access to the award-winning Purple Pages of JancisRobinson.com, source of so much valuable inside information on wine, for just £59 (approx €75) instead of the usual £69 (approx €88). What Purple Pages, updated daily, offer: • More than 70,000 wine reviews, from Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 2012 back to bottles dating from the 18th century • More than 9,000 articles good enough to win JancisRobinson.com the inaugural Louis Roederer International Wine Website of the Year award • The world’s only online Oxford Companion to Wine (RRP £40/€51) • Exclusive online access to all the maps in the World Atlas of Wine (RRP £35/€45) • ‘The most courteous wine forum on the planet’ (according to La Revue du Vin de France) To secure your special Fine discount, go to www.JancisRobinson.com, click on the Join now button and insert promotional code FINESAVE in the box top right. Offer expires 31 Dec 2012

COLUMN JEFF LEVE St. Emilion Classification T he 2012 St. Emilion Classification is official. It’s completed. It’s controversial. It’s going to make some people happy. Other people, not so much. Numerous chateaux have been elevated. For the first time since the St. Emilion Classification was created in 1955, two chateaux were added to the list of Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Joining Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc at the top of the pyramid are Château Angelus and Château Pavie in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification! Both wines are great! Bravo! They both worked hard to earn their new status. It’s also nice to see because Robert Parker spent so much time sharing his enthusiasm on both wines, especially Pavie. It looks like he has been vindicated on that call. However, this news is already generating a lot of talk among wine lovers. The news of the changes to the 2012 St. Emilion Classification was released a little at a time. For many people, this was confusing. If the information was available, why not release it in full? What happened is each St. Emilion received their official notification of the 2012 St. Emilion Classification before any major announcement was made. At that point, it was up to the individual chateau if they wanted to share and promote their news or not. The complete list of all the changes to the 2012 St. Emilion classification became available on September 6. Does it matter? To the majority of American consumers, not a lot. In fact, it will not change what most consumers think of the wines. People are going to continue paying what they think the wines are worth. Keep in mind, Valandraud and La Mondotte were not classified until today. Yet, they were already two of the most expensive wines in St. Emilion. At the other end of the spectrum, Trottevieille and Magdelaine were considered First 94 FINE Growths, and both wines sold for less money than many lesser classified growths. That does not mean the 2012 St. Emilion Classification is not important. It is. And it’s an honour for all the chateau that produced wine at the level required for an upgrade in their status. For consumers worried that prices will increase for their favourite wines, that probably will not happen. The 2012 St. Emilion Classification is much more than the Premier Grand Cru Classé A wines. Although that is big news! Equally important is discovering which chateaux were elevated to the Premier Grand Cru Classé B category. When the St. Emilion Classification was first created, a total of 12 chateau earned the right to label their wines as Premier Grand Cru Classé. Today that number has grown, and rightfully so. The level of quality being produced in St. Emilion has never been higher! While it’s easy to quibble over which chateau deserve to be labelled as Premier Grand Cru Classé B, and who should be demoted, overall, the wines being made in this category are at their best, sublime expressions of St. Emilion. The producers elevated to this category worked hard to get there. They are all stunning wines, from great estates passionate about wine. It’s nice to see Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud get the recognition they deserve for Valandraud. Stephan Neipperg, with his approach to vineyard management, has been making great wine at La Mondotte and Canon La Gaffelière. The dynamic duo of Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont took

FINE Leve Larcis-Ducasse from an under-performing terroir and turned it into a strong and affordable, quality St. Emilion. They all deserve their new status. The following producers were elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé B status in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification, making a total of 14 chateaux with the designation of Premier Grand Cru Classé B status: Château Canon La Gaffelière Château Larcis-Ducasse La Mondotte Valandraud Château Magdelaine is no longer part of the classification of St. Emilion. The vines are now merged into Château Belair-Monange, which, ironically, allows the vines to retain their First Growth status. Life can be funny like that sometimes. Numerous changes in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification have also taken place in the Grand Cru Classé category. Today, 63 estates share the honour of Grand Cru Classe status. The whopping 17 newest editions to Grand Cru Classe are: Château Côte de Baleau Château Barde-Haut Château Le Chatelet Château Clos de Sarpe Château Clos La Madeleine Château La Commanderie Château Faugères Château de Ferrand Château Fombrauge Château La Fleur Morange Château Jean Faure Château La Marzelle Château Peby Faugères Château de Pressac Château Quinault l’Enclos Château Rochebelle Château Sansonnet Eight chateaux that were demoted from the 2006 St. Emilion Classification were once again awarded Grand Cru Classe status in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification: Château Bellevue Château Cadet-Bon Château Faurie de Souchard Château Guadet (previously known as Château Guadet Saint-Julien) Château Petit Faurie Soutard Château Quintus (previously known as Château Tertre Daugay) Château Villemaurine ChâteauYon-Figeac The most interesting statistic from this entire reclassification is perhaps the following: a total of four chateaux were demoted in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification. Magdelaine from the position of First Growth and three from Grand Cru Classe status. I love Bordeaux wine. I want everyone to succeed. I spend a lot of my time in Bordeaux. The only thing I spend more on for Bordeaux is my money. I’ve tasted most of the wines on this page multiple times and several vintages. Many of the wines that earned Grand Cru Classé status in the 2012 St. Emilion Classification are stunning. But every wine on this list is not close to equal quality. I find it shocking that only 3 chateau were demoted from Grand Cru Classé status and one from Premier Grand Cru Classé A. But, that is the conclusion the impartial committee arrived at. The following three estates lost their Grand Cru Classé status: Château Bergat Château Cadet-Piola Château Corbin Michotte For history buffs, this does not set a record for the number of Classified growths in St. Emilion at one time. The 2012 St. Emilion Classification has 81 members, while the Classification of 1969 had 84 chateaux included. While it was previously agreed on that properties would not contest the latest round of classifications, I would not be surprised to see some properties file suit, claiming the results were unfair. The more things change, the more they stay the same. > COLUMN 95

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100 Best Champagnes FINE Text: Essi Avellan MW Photography: Pekka Nuikki The endless selection and wide price range of champagnes secure that there is something for everyone. But on the other hand, how is a consumer to pick out from the packed shelves of the wine merchant a champagne that is truly high in quality, worth its price and at its best on that particular day? This is where FINE Champagne’s shortlist of 100 best champagnes comes to play. Any champagne making it to the Top 100 in our rigorous tasting can be warmly recommended. Still, there can only be one winner. In 2010 it was Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV that shone the brightest. In 2011 PiperHeidsieck Rare 2002 stole our hearts and palates. Who will it be this year? 1 0 0 B e s t C h a m pag ne s 99

C ontrary to common belief, the scope in style and quality is at least as wide for champagne as any other fine wine of the world. Perhaps even wider due to champagnes blended nature and the large role played by the cellar master in crafting the final product. Even if many markets are saturated by just few famous names, the reality of champagne is incredibly diverse. This divine drink is made under thousands of different labels, by large houses, cooperatives and small growers alike. It comes in variable types from prestige cuvées to vintages and non-vintages. Its styles range from blanc de blancs to blanc de noirs, rosés, mono-terroir champagnes and alternating sweetness levels. In the following we will guide you to make the best picks for each of the types and styles. The world’s best champagne – today Our aim with this annual ranking is to taste the entire offering on the international markets in order to select the champagnes that are showing best this very moment. The most important criteria is the quality of the wine and its accessibility today. In fact, we believe these to be the only characteristics that really matter to the consumer. We assess the wines on the 100-point scale. We do not give points for future expectations, which is the reason most top champagne’s points are likely to rise as it approaches maturity. We may mention the wines cellaring potential in the verbal evaluation, and will also give our with estimate of when the wine should be at its best. As many age-worthy prestige cuvées are released young, they may not be able to show their true character at this early stage. These are the wines the consumer should forget in the cellar for a number of years. For this reason for example Louis Roederer Cristal 2004 and Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2000 did not make it to the TOP 100 list. 100 FINE Contrary to many other wine rankings, this list of the 100 best champagnes is not based on a single tasting; instead, we wish to take into account all of the tastings that we had been privy to during the year. At best we have tasted individual champagnes more than ten times, and even at worst, at least twice. This gives us a comprehensive view of the quality and enjoyability of the wines and allows us to eliminate the odd “bad” bottle from our ratings. Before our final decision, we conducted three more large-scale tastings this winter. For the shortlist we had chosen the two hundred and fifty champagnes that we had rated highest during the year, and carried out a blind tasting. Not included in the evaluation were extensively long aged champagnes such as the Dom Pérignon Oenothèque or Bollinger RD, which are difficult to come by and which are much more expensive than the ones included here. Results Average score of the wines chosen for the list was 89 points, which is a great achievement for young wines that have only recently become available. We did not quite reach last year’s top points 95, but instead we had a larger pool of 93-point wines. As one would expect, prestige cuvées occupied the majority of the top spots, and make up around 40 per cent of the whole list. Quite satisfactorily the non-vintage wines take up a further 45 per cent, with the first of them – Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve – achieving an excellent ninth position. The vintage category is fairly poorly represented in this list, partly due to the fact that there were fewer entries. There are four outstanding vintage champagnes in the top 15: Taittinger 2004 (2), Charles Heidsieck 2000 (12), Henriot 2003 (13) and PiperHeidsieck 2004 (14).

100 Best Champagnes FINE Top vintage champagnes All in all, the oldest champagne vintages stood out as attractive wines with their generous, developed character. 1995 Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millénaires is still showing wonderfully but is starting to loose its freshest form. It came down from last years 3rd place to the 10th position. Contrary to last year’s list no 1996 made it on the list. Salon was the only entry from the rarely declared 1997 vintage. It finished almost identically to last year’s results in the 23rd position, still going strong. However, Salon has since our tasting started shipping the 1999 vintage. Three gorgeous rosés saved the reputation of the variable 1998 vintage: Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé (17), Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé (15) and Ruinart’s recently released Dom Ruinart Rosé (16). The soft and mellow 1999s are starting to show their peak forms. At least Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill revealed a much more open character and ended up number 24 instead of last year’s 54. Another fine 1999 was Thiénot’s stylish Cuvée Alain Thiénot (43). The bold, ripe and fruity 2000 vintage is still well represented. Our number one champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne shows just how wonderfully voluptuous yet refined this vintage can be. Dom Pérignon Rosé was not left far behind, having changed its last year’s 2nd position to 4th. Charles Heidsieck 2000 is still very much in form and one of the greatest champagne bargains available. The rich style of the 2000 vintage suits Krug style perfectly, hence the Vintage took 21th position already quickly after its release. The offering in the superb 2002 vintage was sumptuous. The top 10 alone hosted four of them: Louis Roederer’s stunningly elegant Cristal Rosé (3), one of the recent times’ finest Dom Pérignons (5), Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé (6) as well as our last year’s winner champagne PiperHeidsieck Rare (8). The hot 2003 season produced rather unusual wines, and many houses skipped the vintage altogether. There is only one 2003 on our list, but it is one that is able to return one’s belief in the possibilities of the vintage. Henriot did a wonderful job with this toasty and rich yet refreshing champagne that fully deserved its 13th position. Champagnes from the elegant and lively vintage 2004 are still being released. Taittinger Vintage (2) showcased full prestige cuvée quality, which makes us look very much forward to the future release of Comtes de Champagne 2004. Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2004 was also showing sublimely (14). 2005 did not receive many top spots despite a significant number of entries. The top wine of this warm vintage was Janisson Baradon’s exiting single-vineyard champagne Toulette (42). The lively 2006 offered several fine wines, such as Pannier Blanc de Noirs Brut Vintage (49) and Louis Roederer Rosé Vintage (55). The Bouzy-based small grower Pierre Paillard was almost the sole submitter of 2007 but its cuvées did very well; Blanc de Blancs Bouzy Grand Cru ended up on 39th position and Blanc de Noirs Bouzy Grand Cru on 81st position. Pleasant surprises in non-vintages The top performers in the non-vintage category did not come as a surpise. Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve (9), Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve (18) and Piper-Heidsieck Brut (28) yet again add merit to the house’s rewarded cellar master Regis Camus. Other fine examples included Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut (25), Louis Roederer Brut Premier (27), Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus (29) and Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut (40). The annual list of the 100 best champagnes available on the markets is based on tastings and ratings by FINE Champagne Magazine’s three wine professionals, Editor Essi Avellan MW, Editor-in-Chief Pekka Nuikki and Editorial Adviser Juha Lihtonen. The final point score of each wine consists of the average of the blind tastings. > 1 0 0 B e s t C h a m pag ne s 101

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100 Best Champagnes FINE Comtes de Champagne claims the Crown Text: Essi Avellan MW Consistently great but from time to time simply divine, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne has consecutively been an apt contender for the title of the best champagne on the market. All recent vintages have been successful; the intense 1996 being one of the finest of the vintage, the 1998 possessing classic Comtes elegance and the 1999 demonstrating a more softer side of Comtes. But in 2000 Taittinger and its reputed cellar master Loïc Dupont hit jackpot. This warm, overt vintage produced many heavy and overly ripe champagnes, but in Comtes the richness given by the year is bound to a velvet-smooth texture and a fine, fresh acidity that creates an exiting tension one wishes to marvel time and again. Comtes de Champagne possesses a flawless track record all the way down to its inaugural vintage, 1952. It is reputed to be the first prestige cuvée blanc de blancs, if one does not count the then small mono-cru blanc de blancs Salon. Today it rivals for the title of the best blanc de blancs quite level-headedly with Dom Ruinart, Salon and Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires. Why blanc de blancs then? It was already Pierre Taittinger who believed in Chardonnay. Following his instinct, he created the light and elegant Chardonnay-dominant floral and perfumed style as Taittinger’s trademark. Consistent with this vision, the house’s prestige cuvée was to be a 100 percent Chardonnay whose emphasis is on Avize and Mesnil fruit. The wine is produced in a reductionist style in stainless steel vats but since the 1989 vintage a fraction of the wine has been aged in fairly new oak barrels for four months. This gives a boost to the wine’s creamy texture and enhances its hallmark toasty qualities. After bottling the wines are transported to the ancient GalloRoman chalk cellars of Saint-Niçaise to ferment and mature. The St-Niçaise abbey was destroyed in the French Revolution and much later the Taittingers bought the ruins and built their cellars into these monumental historical surroundings. Today, the underground cellar network at St-Niçaise is used entirely for maturing Comtes de Champagne. The rest of production takes place at the modern winery facilities at Rue de la Justice. Great champagnes are traditionally named after people. Taittinger makes no exception having chosen to honour the region by naming their prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne – Counts of Champagne. The origins of the Counts of Champagne lie in the 7th century feudal society. Originally, before the 11th century, the Counts of Troyes had had the ruling but during the time of Thibault II the power shifted to the Champagne County whose Count had his residence in Reims. Thibault II was a mighty man ranking only second to the king. However, it was especially during the times of Thibault IV Champagne flourished. He arranged famous 49-day festivities that brought prosperity to the region. The story of the Champagne Counts came to an end finally when the crown and the Champagne County were unites as Louis X rose to power. Taittinger, still owning the historical Comtes de Champagne residence today, named their prestige cuvée to honour this history. Complex story but complex is the wine, too. The champagne’s smooth, layered character develops over 10 years’ ageing period in the cellars. This, the wine’s attractive 10 g/l dosage and sufficient post-disgorgement rest make Comtes de Champagne such an attractive champagne already upon release. We toast to congratulate Taittinger. This house that has recently returned back to family hands, has quickly built a strong spirit with Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger at the helm supported by both of his children Clovis and Vitalie. Perhaps it was the family spirit that made Comtes de Champagne 2000 and Vintage 2004, which took a fabulous second ranking, go the extra mile. 1 0 0 B e s t C h a m pag ne s 103

100 Best for Champagnes 2012 Ranking Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2000 94,00 2 Taittinger Vintage 2004 93,33 3 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2002 93,00 3 Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon Rosé 2000 93,00 5 Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon 2002 92,76 6 Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé 2002 92,74 7 Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé 1998 92,50 8 Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002 92,36 9 Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV 92,33 10 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 1995 92,30 11 Armand de Brignac Rosé NV 92 12 Charles Heidsieck Millésime 2000 92 13 Henriot Vintage 2003 92 14 Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2004 92 15 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 1998 92 16 Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé 1998 91 17 Krug Grande Cuvée NV 91 18 Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve NV 91 19 Chartogne-Taillet Fiacre NV 91 20 Krug Rosé NV 91 21 Krug Vintage 2000 91 22 Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV 91 23 Salon Blanc de Blancs 1997 91 24 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999 91 25 FINE Points 1 104 1 - 25 Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut NV 90

Points 26 Henriot Rosé 2002 90 27 Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV 90 28 Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV 90 29 Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus NV 90 30 Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 1998 90 31 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2004 90 32 Pannier Egérie de Pannier Rosé de Saignée NV 90 33 Ruinart Dom Ruinart 2002 90 34 Paul Goerg Cuvée Lady 2000 90 35 Robert Delph La Grande Année NV 90 36 Bollinger La Grande Année 2002 90 37 Louis Roederer Vintage 2004 90 38 Veuve J. Lanaud Cuvée Marie-Joséphine NV 90 39 Pierre Paillard Blanc de Blancs Bouzy Grand Cru 2007 89 40 Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut NV 89 41 Canard-Duchêne Charles VII Grande Cuvée de Beauté Blanc des Noirs 89 42 Janisson Baradon Toulette Brut 2005 89 43 Thiénot Cuvée Alain Thiénot 1999 89 44 J. de Telmont Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime 2005 89 45 Billecart-Salmon Vintage 2004 89 46 A. Robert Cuvée Le Sablon NV 89 47 Bourdaire-Gallois Brut NV 89 48 Pol Roger Vintage 2000 89 49 Pannier Blanc de Noirs Brut Vintage 2006 89 50 Lanson Extra Age NV 100 Best Champagnes 26 - 50 89 1 0 0 B e s t C h a m pag ne s FINE Ranking 105

100 Best for Champagnes 2012 Ranking 51 - 75 Points 51 Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle NV 89 53 Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV 89 54 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2004 89 55 Louis Roederer Rosé Vintage 2006 88 56 Colin Cuvée Alliance Brut NV 88 57 Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie NV 88 58 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2002 88 59 Henriot Rosé NV 88 60 Boizel Brut Millésime 2002 88 61 Janisson Baradon Extra Brut NV 88 62 Rémy Massin et Fils Brut Prestige NV 88 63 Drappier Blanc de Blancs Brut NV 88 64 Pol Roger Pure Extra Cuvée de Reserve NV 88 65 Laurent-Perrier Demi-Sec NV 88 66 Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P NV 88 67 Canard-Duchêne Charles VII Grande Cuvée Le Victorieux Brut NV 88 68 G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut NV 88 69 Henriot Blanc de Blancs NV 88 70 Ruinart Brut Rosé NV 88 71 R. Pouillon Cuvée de Réserve NV 88 72 Penet-Chardonnet Millésime Extra Brut 2006 88 73 Ruinart Millésime 2006 88 74 Château de Bligny Grande Réserve NV 88 75 FINE 89 52 106 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1998 G.H. Mumm Mumm de Cramant NV 88

76 - 100 100 Best Champagnes Ranking Points Rémy Massin et Fils Réserve Brut NV 88 77 Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé Brut NV 88 78 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2000 88 79 Veuve Fourny Rosé Les Rougemonts Extra Brut NV 88 80 Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial NV 88 81 Pierre Paillard Blanc de Noirs Bouzy Grand Cru 2007 88 82 Pierre Paillard Brut Rosé Grand Cru NV 88 83 Boizel Ultime Extra Brut NV 88 84 Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV 88 85 René Geoffroy Empreinte 2006 88 86 Lamiable Grand Cru Brut NV 87 87 G.H. Mumm Brut Rosé NV 87 88 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV 87 89 Drappier Charles de Gaulle 2006 87 90 Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs 1999 87 91 Taittinger Nocturne Sec NV 87 92 Ruinart Millésime 2005 87 93 Canard-Duchêne Charles VII Rosé NV 87 94 Janisson Baradon Grande Réserve Brut NV 87 95 Paul Clouet Grand Cru Grande Réserve Brut NV 87 96 Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs Brut NV 87 97 Eric Rodez Cuvée des Grands Vintages NV 87 98 Bonnaire Variance Brut NV 87 99 Billecart-Salmon Extra Brut NV 87 100 Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage NV 87 1 0 0 B e s t C h a m pag ne s FINE 76 107

COLUMN RAJIV SINGHAL THE Tiger Waking I ncredible India is a superpower in the making in the 21st century. The Tiger is playing to the international galleries and impressing them with its fast-paced yet steady march that shows no signs of overheating, even if the occasional spark does get the cynics’ tongues wagging. The pundits believe this irrevocable progress to be deeply linked to the emerging youth in India. Well travelled and well educated, the well heeled Indian seeks only the best. Brand conscious and well informed about international trends and fashion, the latter is something they are keen to purchase and consume, even if sometimes the products arrive through unofficial routes. And with out-of-bounds Swiss safe havens under pressure from the Indian government, the holders of these numbered deposits are vying to consume their tax-free wealth without trace before the taxman finds it. In this journey towards establishing India as a superpower, and the Indian as a role model, India could not make its advantage count when it came to wine. Ancient scriptures from as early as the 5th Century BC glorified wine as the drink of the gods and historical evidence – temple carvings, cave paintings and royal chronicles – speak about 108 FINE is Up wine in the land of the golden bird (i.e. India before it was colonised by the British Empire). The Crown’s legacy coerced Indians to make whisky their favourite tipple. In line with the principles of the Mahatma and the vision of the founders of the Indian Republic, who directed the state to embrace prohibition, wine is interpreted as alcohol by babudom and is shackled in every conceivable regulation and control. The 35 politically defined territories integrated into a federal structure were empowered to formulate and follow their own liquor policy, with almost no common denominator. Alcoholic beverages, including wine, found a place of pride on independent India’s negative list of imports, and quotas were given to only a select few as political favours. So, until late in the 20th century, India was essentially insulated from the global wine penetration.

FINE Singhal Since the turn of the millennium, wine in India has shown some steady progress. The Indian wine industry has grown in temperate climes and some players are predicting mind boggling valuations in the future. As a signatory to the WTO, India lifted its Quantitative Restrictions on wine in 2001, albeit reluctantly. The “free” import regime was immediately subjected to an excruciatingly high tax that remains under constant pressure from international dispute panels – and still pegs the price of a bottle of brut sans année in Delhi to $180 at a typical luxury hotel. A special category of foreign exchange earners are, however, permitted to import duty free, although this privilege is most often negated by local taxes. A handful of companies dared to venture into the challenging space of wine imports and have patiently built the market up from scratch. They successfully protected their turf by mastering the extremely costly compliance rules within the complex and complicated regulatory framework. The friendly neighbourhood bootlegger, who channels leakages from the system to craving consumers at a small premium, retains an important role in creating availability. India has just about managed to get its toes wet with wine, and the country as a wine destination remains a curiosity. However, it is extremely chic to not only drink wine but also to be knowledgeable about it, meaning prestigious labels are sought-after and the market share of fine wines is staggering when compared to other wine markets during their infancy. The number of wine connoisseurs, staggeringly, is in double digits. Indian oenophiles participate at global auctions, keep an eye on cellaring avenues, enjoy star chef meals with Grand Cru classé wines and expect their chosen hotel to stock their chosen wines. The Indian market is not for the weak hearted. I expect that true connoisseurs will power the realisation of the sheer market potential for wine in India in the coming years. And, as an economist, I will take the liberty of assuming that this will be fuelled by a level-headed regulatory and fiscal framework in India. > COLUMN 109

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Beginning to End • Meadowood • Text: Pekka Nuikki Photography: Pekka Nuikki A s with any other wine region in the world, the complete experience of Napa Valley is a sum of visits to the vineyards, the sounds and smells of the valley in the air, the tastes of its great and individual wines lingering in your mouth, encounters with the people behind these wines, and the joy of sitting down to a delicious meal where the food and wines of the area are united with skill and love. During our numerous annual visits to Napa Valley, we have found a place, hidden in the middle of the vineyards, where the unique location, the perfect weather, discreet privacy, natural beauty, long heritage and local culture meld seamlessly. MEADOWOOD 113 FINE De stination Perfection from

“We wanted a restaurant for our members and visitors that had the highest standard of service, food and wines.” F or decades, the Meadowood Resort has attracted people from around the world with its privacy, tranquil surroundings and varied activities. The place has become a melting pot of the valley’s greatest offerings, especially when it comes to food and wine. In the last five years, the resort has gained more media attention than any other retreat in the valley. A lion’s share of the glory belongs to the young, successful chef Christopher Kostow and his team at The Restaurant at Meadowood. Under Kostow’s command, the restaurant became only the second restaurant outside of New York to gain a third Michelin star in 2010. The wooden grey-and-white, modern American country house stands in the shade of foliage on a slope overlooking Meadowood Golf Course. Nothing except a small discreet sign indicates that I am on the doorstep of one of the best restaurants in the United States. As I enter the casual lobby, the friendly personnel welcome and guide me into the dining room, where large windows allow the spacious room to be bathed in bright daylight. The interior is comforting, harmonious and neutral but stylish. It is a normal weekday but the 44-seat restaurant is full. A quick glance across the dining room reveals casually dressed middle-aged and older couples and groups. I am given a seat, and the joyride that is the experience of The Restaurant at Meadowood kicks off impressively as the sommelier pours me a 114 FINE glass of the crispy Krug Grande Cuvée. For the next three hours I will enjoy several courses of beautifully presented, pure and intensely flavoured dishes such as Hibiscus-Cured Foie Gras with Radish and Puffed Seeds, and Goat Poached in Whey, Curd Gnudi and Tiny Vegetables. Upon my request, the sommelier lays a fascinating palette of Napa Valley’s finest wines by the glass next to the dishes, and the dinner experience is complete. So complete, in fact, that it is impossible to point to any single highlight of the experience. I look forward to going behind the scenes to find out more about the philosophy behind the great restaurant. The next day I have a chat with Patrick Davila, Director of Wine and Cuisine and Hotel Manager, who is in charge of all food and wine operations here. This sharp and determined man is the behind-the-scenes mastermind for the Meadowood Resort when it comes to developing wine and food services. He is in charge of the three kitchens that provide these services to Meadowood’s members and customers at The Restaurant at Meadowood (fine dining), The Grill (casual dining) and the catering for room service, poolside service and off premises. Before arriving at Meadowood, Davila gained substantial experience of working at and opening top restaurants in the US and collaborating with great chefs like Daniel Boulud in New York, Wolfgang Puck in San Francisco and Joachim Splichal’s Patina Group in Los Angeles. The Meadowood Resort, however, presented a challenge the likes of which he had never encountered before. “When I arrived here in 2005, The Grill was the only restaurant operating on the property. It served the club members meals from breakfast to dinner and was a traditional hotel restaurant. The Meadowood owners’ focus was on creating a top-notch dining experience on the premises and my task was to make it happen. We had no intention of challenging the legendary restaurant The French Laundry; we wanted a restaurant for our members and visitors that had the highest standard of service, food and wines. I hired the staff and renovated the premises in order to execute the plan. We brought in Nathaniel Dorn as Restaurant Manager to oversee all front of house operations; and then we hired the highly esteemed chef Joseph Humphrey.

FINE De stination Meadowood “With our wine selection, we want to showcase the finest wines of Napa Valley as well as our vintner friends’ wines from around the world.” The team gained two Michelin stars for The Restaurant at Meadowood already in its first operating year, 2007. After he left, we found the young and hungry two-Michelin-star chef, Christopher Kostow. We knew it would be a great challenge to keep our two Michelin stars after a change in chefs, but with Kostow we managed it. Unexpectedly, while we were relieved and proud to have kept the two stars, the third star came as a surprise already in the second year after Kostow’s arrival.” While Kostow built up the kitchen team and the food, Dorn built up the service and front of house. Davila and Dorn worked with the wine team to create an exclusive selection and an extensive range of the finest wines by the glass and wine list. “With our wine selection, we want to showcase the finest wines of Napa Valley as well as our vintner friends’ wines from around the world. We carry 1400 choices on our wine list, with the major part being Napa Valley and other Californian wines plus Burgundies, which pair particularly well with Kostow’s dishes.” Most recently, Dorn has been working on an exclusive offering, where they serve a vast number of half-bottles and wines that are available nowhere else in the world, such as a Sauvignon Blanc from Screaming Eagle and half-bottles of Bond and Harlan. On top of the extensive range of wines served by the glass – around 50 wines in total – the sommeliers at The Restaurant will not hesitate to open even the finest wines to be served by the glass. Now that The Restaurant is recognised and operated on the targeted level under Kostow and Dorn, Davila’s current project is The Grill. “It’s time to refurbish its setting to a level that suits ­ the standard of The Restaurant at Meadowood and complements it with a more casual offering.” Davila is confident about the quality of the food served at The Grill, as its great chef Victoria Acosta is well versed in Kostow’s cuisine and her ingredients derive from the same origin as those of The Restaurant – their own gardens. “We are lucky to have our own gardens as an asset that guarantees the quality of the ingredients that we use in our cooking across the board: The Restaurant, The Grill and the catering operations. While Kostow takes care of his restaurant, we have his former sous chef, the talented Victoria Acosta in charge of The Grill, and catering chef Alejandro Ayala who has been at the Meadowood Resort for 25 years. With highquality ingredients nurtured by our skilful team and the extreme competence of the chefs, we can provide a level of dining that matches the standard raised by Kostow and his team.” With Davila talking about Kostow with such great respect, it is time to find out the principles and philosophy behind the man and his cooking. MEADOWOOD 115

Food with a sense of place It is a nice sunny autumn afternoon when I meet Kostow on his restaurant’s terrace. I am curious to find out what lies at the heart his cooking and behind his team’s success. The tall, slim top chef has the looks of a contemporary rock star rather than a chef, with styled hair, beard and designer glasses. He certainly does not look like a chef you’d find in a countryside resort, but rather someone from the big city scene. However, first impression of the urban, easy-going artist quickly fades and the man turns out to be more serious and philosophical than expected in our chat about his cuisine. Kostow considers moving to Napa Valley and working at the Meadowood to have brought about big changes in his style. “I believe that living in these unique surroundings in Napa Valley and Meadowood has had a great influence on me and my entire team. This is not another restaurant in the big city where we work for some time before moving to the one next door; no, we have all changed our lives and brought our families to live here. For me, that creates the sense of an investment, which in turn generates appreciation for our work and for the area on which we expend so much effort. It is very enjoyable for me as a chef to lay down roots. Inevitably my team and I were going to create better food than before, as we are cooking from somewhere and for somewhere now. We show off the place to our guests. We are saying something and there is more to say now than before. As long as we do a good job in saying it, we are going to be very successful.” Wine The Meadowood Wine Programmes Meadowood’s multiple wine programmes cater for everyone, from amateurs to wine professionals. The different programme options vary from half an hour’s tastings to full-day winery visits, on which Meadowood customers can visit wineries that normally receive no visitors and get to taste the wines with the winemakers. Other programme options include private wine tastings, private wine picnics, and private guided wine tours. 116 FINE “We are lucky to have our own gardens as an asset that guarantees the quality of the ingredients that we use in our cooking.”

“I believe that living in these unique surroundings in Napa Valley and Meadowood has had a great influence on me and my entire team.” By having direct access to the provenance of our raw materials we are also able to improve their quality by influencing farming methods.” obligation to impress your concern on them, because that might be your only chance. You have three hours and ten dishes, so that is your little window to show your concern.” A taste of care What is good food? For Kostow, good food means honest food. “It is food that is prepared with care and concern. It is not necessarily the most technically precise food, but it is food created from the spirit of the person who prepared it. In my opinion you can tell from the dish if a chef cares about what he is serving. When a chef cares about the food he prepares, he cares about you as a customer. Too often there are meals where you can tell that the chef didn’t care about what he was doing. At that point I feel that the guy didn’t care about me. I take this very personally as a customer. When you pay somebody but walk away with the sense that the person didn’t care enough, that bothers me. As a chef you know what it takes to make it right. It is about concern for the customer. I always remind my team that we are an expensive restaurant and the guests might only come in once in their lives. You have a duty and an In Kostow’s view, in modern cooking chefs focus too much on different cooking styles and techniques. They are important, but more important is the emotion that should be transmitted from the chef into the cooking. It is a taste of care, which the client can sense from the plate in any restaurant – from a fancy molecular gastronomy place to an easy-going diner. Kostow’s mantra, the taste of care, is formed of three factors: the taste of the food, the cooking technique and the quality of the ingredients. These factors seem to be well tuned at The Restaurant at Meadowood by Kostow and his team, as the food they serve is tasty and pure. The high-quality ingredients are prepared with techniques that respect and do justice to their pure flavours. When all this is done by a team who have not only a devotion and passion for food but a relationship with the origin of the ingredients, the result is somewhat magical – an emotional cuisine that radiates MEADOWOOD 117 FINE De stination Kostow stresses that the value of the work derives from understanding the history of the valley, working in the gardens and living in the countryside. These factors set The Restaurant at Meadowood apart from many city restaurants in the US. An ability to visit the gardens on a daily basis, to sense the origin of each ingredient and to produce ingredients on the premises helps the team to improve the quality of the products and creates greater regard among the chefs for the products they use in cooking. Kostow believes that this is one of the key factors in the success of his kitchen. For him, a lack of connection with the origins of the products is a great challenge for any urban chef. “It is very hard to make really honest and consistent food when you get out from your apartment and drive to the city to work in your restaurant – compared to the situation we have, where we get out of bed and go first to our gardens or orchard to pick our daily ingredients before entering the kitchen. We are able to sense the origins of our ingredients and I truly consider that it has inevitably affected the food that we serve.

Christopher Kostow Age: 36 Origin: Chicago, Illinois Cuisine: Modern Napa Valley Philosophy of life: • Put yourself in a position where you can be as happy as possible. • Do the things that you know will provide you satisfaction in the end. • Give yourself the space to fill creatively and emotionally. • Take up on the challenges that are going to create a life that is stimulating and satisfying. 2008 Chef, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St Helena – Napa Valley (3 Michelin stars) 2006 Chef, Chez TJ, San Francisco (2 Michelin stars) Prior experience Sous Chef, Campton Place Restaurant by Daniel Humm, San Francisco Prior experience Cook, Le Jardin des Sens, Montpellier, France (1 Michelin star) 1999 Cook, George’s at the Cove by Trey Foshee, San Diego Merits: Nominee for The Best Chef – Pacific in 2011 and 2012, The James Beard Society Four Star Restaurant 2010, The San Francisco Chronicle Three Stars 2011, 2012 The Michelin Guide The Best New Chefs 2009, Food & Wine Magazine Two Stars 2008, 2009, 2010 The Michelin Guide Room for improvement positivity towards its creators, the service personnel and the customers. Combined with the high standards of service and the wine list, this makes it clear to see that The Restaurant at Meadowood has earned its three Michelin stars. Kostow is pleased by the recognition but says: “It is stressful to live with the idea of keeping the stars, but we do not cook with fear. We do not get up every day with the idea of working for those stars. I know and I am very confident that if we do what we aim to do, the rest of the things will follow – whether they are Michelin stars or The World’s Best Restaurant title; all of those things will take care of themselves. A true three-star restaurant is one that is specific to its region. It is not just being the best chef or the most technical, or having fifteen kinds of chocolate and twenty kinds of bread, which is so in nowadays. We know that if we are clear in our message and we deliver it well, we will succeed. I am too young to cook with the intention of keeping my three Michelin stars and it does not interest me at all. It’s not that I don’t value it – I value it very much indeed and consider it an incredible honour – but I believe I will do the whole thing a disservice if I stop and just try to protect what I’ve got. It just does not make a lot of sense to me.” 118 FINE Last winter The Restaurant at Meadowood was closed for the remodelling of both the interior and the service concept. The dining room and lobby were gently updated, but the major changes took place in the kitchen, which was refurbished and completed with a new chef’s counter experience. This allows guests not only to feel the action in the kitchen but also to enjoy dinner inside the kitchen, where Kostow and his team prepare a special Counter Menu of 15 to 20 courses. During the dinner, Kostow interacts with the guests and guests may also walk around the kitchen. The 500-dollar Counter Menu with its fixed prices (tips and taxes included), may feel pricey for a menu, but getting to witness the three-star kitchen in action exclusively and being part of it is a unique dinner show well worth experiencing. The Chef’s Counter was not the only change that occurred. Another major refurbishment focused on the menu. “We decided to get rid of the menu,” Kostow says and continues: “Instead of serving the same food to customers as fixed menus, we decided to go for personalised menus, where we create an exclusive experience for each table. It challenges us, but this is something I have always wanted to do. Everyone in the kitchen has an understanding that our goal is not only to be the best restaurant, but a very specific restaurant where we create unique dining experiences that you can only have here and that will be different every time.” Peace on earth Meadowood’s guests get to enjoy not only some of the top gourmet experiences in the country, but also the exceptional peacefulness of the location, luxurious services and the fruits of the resort’s seamless collaboration with local winemakers. Bill Harlan, an esteemed wine producer and the founding partner of Meadowood, says: “Meadowood began as a private club for the local winegrowing community in 1964. In 1979 the property became available for sale. Two friends and I acquired the small secluded 260-acre valley, as I was considering planting a vineyard where the golf course is today. It turned out that the land was not appropriate for a high-quality vineyard. It seemed the valley needed a common ground for the vintners and growers. From this need, together with the historic use of the land as a gathering place for recreation and social activities, we felt that creating a

MEADOWOOD 119 FINE De stination

The Meadowood Spa building is also light in colour, representing a classic and sophisticated American style of wooden architecture like the other buildings in the area. Its pure grey and white tones provide a refreshing contrast amid the greenery. 120 FINE

MEADOWOOD 121 FINE De stination

small country resort showcasing Napa Valley wines would be the most appropriate use of the land here in the heart of the Napa Valley. “Today, the three original goals of Meadowood still stand and I feel we have made great progress. First, the Napa Valley Vintners Association has been holding many of its meetings as well as the Auction Napa Valley at Meadowood for over thirty years. Second, the original club has grown and thrived with the families of our local community and is certainly part of the culture of the valley. Third, Meadowood has been a member of Relais & Châteaux for 25 years, and has a Michelin Guide threestar restaurant and a wine list with the finest wines of the Napa Valley.” life, and our spa services are tailored to meet that need.” The spa’s treatments are all designed to pamper, and one is even called “Bliss”. Speaking of food and pampering, I ask about the collaboration between the restaurants and the spa. “We do not have an explicit spa menu at our Meadowood restaurants, but our staff are more than happy to take into account individual wishes regarding lighter meals. If necessary they will bring forth a light yet nutritious off-menu meal out of fresh ingredients from local producers. We take a holistic approach toward our customers’ wellbeing, meaning that we seek to produce wellness from both the inside and the outside,” Kerry says. Some of the spa’s beauty and wellness treatments are directly connected to the surrounding wine-growing region, which adds interest and stays with people as one of the things to experience in the Napa Valley. The treatments use grapes in many forms; for example, a body scrub is made from ground-up grape seed, which is rich in antioxidants. The oil from the seeds is a true gift of nature to beauty care, as its polyphenol content provides a targeted antidote to skin aging. The oil is used for both facials and body treatments, and the spa’s Grape Seed Rejuvenation package is specifically designed to pamper body, mind and spirit. In addition to unprocessed natural ingredients, the spa uses the Australian biodynamic Jurlique range of cosmetics, which is like a super food for the skin. This reflects the same approach of the Meadowood restaurants towards purity and authenticity: the cleaner and more organic the ingredients, the better a basis they create for a wholesome and truly nourishing result. Customers do not need to hesitate to put themselves in the spa personnel’s capable hands. The treatments are peaceful and luxurious and add a delightful bonus to any visit to Meadowood. Wine spa The architecture at Meadowood was designed to blend seamlessly into the beautiful, natural setting. California enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which means indoor and outdoor living for much of the year. Thus the guest rooms include abundant outdoor space in addition to the interior areas. The interior design is guided by the beauty of the surroundings and the philosophy behind the décor is to reflect indoors what the guests have the joy of seeing outside. Soft tones found in nature are a common theme at Meadowood. The Meadowood Spa building is also light in colour, representing a classic and sophisticated American style of wooden architecture like the other buildings in the area. Its pure grey and white tones provide a refreshing contrast amid the greenery. It is located in a meadowy clearing in the middle of the forested Meadowood valley, and its pool and terrace bask in the sun from morning until early evening. Next on our agenda is a meeting with the spa’s director Kerry Brackett, who is kind enough to explain some of the philosophy behind the place. “Meadowood is primarily a place that people visit to enjoy the brilliant restaurant, as well as the wines, being located as we are in the United States’ most celebrated wine district. The guests who come here are seldom on a diet. They come to experience a small break from everyday 122 FINE Tennis Meadowood’s tennis pro Doug King sheds some light on this fine sport and its part in the whole sports scene: “Tennis is a very vital part of Meadowood. We consider sport and recreation as an important ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. Our mission at Meadowood is to help people experience a sense of rejuvenation and find proper balance in their lives. Sport and recreation is a means of finding that in our physical beings through movement with other objects. We learn how to move with balance and grace. In the experience of sport we also learn how to move with our teammates and opponents to develop the skill of sportsmanship. So tennis and sport become another means by which we develop health balance and grace within our physical bodies as well as our social relationships. “We believe that sport is especially valuable to teach these skills to young people. It helps them to develop concentration, coordination and character through a dedicated commitment to sport. “My biggest personal challenge is to get people to appreciate the value of sport, strengthen their commitment to it, and at the same time keep it in a healthy perspective. Sport is an opportunity to learn new things about ourselves and to develop a greater awareness of our bodies. But more important is the spirit that we bring to the court, and this is independent of one’s playing skill or level. It is important to me that people keep this perspective. “We offer a full array of tennis programmes covering lessons, playing experiences and competitive events.”

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FINE has hit balls on the Meadowood Golf Course’s fairways on many occasions, and now Doug Pike, Meadowood’s resident golf professional, describes the golf course to us. “We have a gorgeous executive nine holes that when played with our hickory golf clubs and golf ball from over 100 years ago feels like a step back in time. We value the beautiful setting that we are so naturally blessed with at Meadowood, and do all that we can to preserve the ever-growing wildlife as it brings a very powerful charm to what people might think is only a ‘smaller course’.” When asked about his biggest everyday challenge at Meadowood, Pike answers: “Personally... it’s going home. I love what I do and where I do it. Having been around golf for 25 years now, I find that the people that I come into contact with are always so happy, relaxed and refreshed that even a bad round of golf can’t change their mood.” “My biggest working challenge is now behind me. I spent years teaching in a cage without ball flight to go off of. Then spent a few more years teaching solely on the course with ball flight but with it came the interruptions of other golfers passing by. Now I guess the answer would truly be tempering my enthusiasm and confidence in my ability to help everyone. Since our new Studio has been open we have had stunning results.” Meadowood offers both TrackMan Pro and the new TrackMan Range technology. Available to hotel guests and Meadowood members, the studio offers an opportunity for both beginners to learn the basics and more seasoned players to perfect their technique, all while enjoying stunning, dramatic views of the property in a comfortable, quiet environment. The new technology used by the Meadowood Golf Performance Studio “transforms the way players learn and how the game is taught,” Pike sums up. Golf 124 FINE

Mike McDonnell Meadowood croquet pro In addition to treatments, the Meadowood Spa offers diverse opportunities for maintaining the body’s wellbeing, ranging from a well-equipped gym and lessons to mountain biking and swimming. Brackett says that the schedule includes 28 different fitness classes each week, including pilates, yoga and dance-like lessons, as well as aqua aerobics in a pool that, at these latitudes, is very tempting. Personal training services are also available, and that may just be the ticket after a delicious and perhaps rather lengthy dinner the night before. The Meadowood Spa has more than one thousand members, some of them from the FINE has visited Meadowood on several occasions, always relishing in its peacefulness and the high-quality yet straightforward service. On this visit, we asked Meadowood’s director Patrick Davila what kinds of visitors and guests would enjoy Meadowood the most. “Discerning travellers who have a passion for wine and food and who value gracious hospitality. There are many beautiful guest rooms throughout the Napa Valley, but at Meadowood, however, we have a longstanding tradition of exceptional dining and wine experiences, including the only threestar Michelin Guide restaurant in a hotel in the United States, and we are utterly committed to service. “What challenges our daily lives here the most is the vast acreage of the property. The guest rooms at Meadowood span the length of our expansive, private estate. This affords our guests great privacy as well as room to walk, hike and enjoy nature. With lodges tucked into the wooded hillsides over many acres, however, comes a great deal of work to maintain the property, from balconies and roofs to the forested pathways. At Garden Garden and husbandry projects Kostow is proud to talk about the garden and husbandry projects at Meadowood. “We are lucky, not just in what grows around us but what we ourselves grow, which is really important. The two garden projects that we have define us, they determine how we cook. You almost cook better when you have some limitations; it forces you to become better. By the end of this year we will probably produce 70 to 80 per cent of what we need. Currently our focus is on producing herbs, vegetables and fruits. There is a little garden next door at the Napa Valley Reserve and a bigger garden close to the St. Helena Montessori School, which we nurture together with the school kids. This garden is important for us, not only for access to great ingredients, but because it is an essential part of the Napa Valley community. We do not want to be an isolated, lone restaurant on the hill. We want to be involved with the people in the valley. To be a part of this garden project with the Montessori School, it generates good for the community, good for our clientele and good for our staff. Encountering the joy of the school kids when they run into our kitchen is a very positive thing for me and my team. I tell my sous chefs that generating positive feelings in people is more important than the world-known 50 Best Restaurants ranking.” Meadowood, wild turkeys, woodpeckers and other wildlife and natural elements impact the everyday care and keeping of a fine resort and club. The owners of Meadowood set out to make the estate a common ground for the Napa Valley vintners and growers, and a gathering place for our members, their families and friends. The owners also had a vision that Meadowood should be among the finest wine country resorts in the world. In more recent years, the property has become the home away from home for members of the Napa Valley Reserve.” Meadowood is also a common ground for the local winegrowing community, and it has maintained its commitment to this since the 1970s. Meadowood is the annual setting for Auction Napa Valley, the world’s leading charity wine auction; meanwhile, the Napa Valley Vintners trade association has a long tradition of holding key meetings and gatherings at Meadowood. Similarly, Meadowood is the home for the annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, and many of the Napa Valley’s most prominent vintners and growers have membership at Meadowood. Davila would like to remind us, however, that “despite Meadowood’s location in the heart of America’s most celebrated winegrowing region, Meadowood is not only a gathering place for the burgeoning local winegrowing community but also a luxury destination for discerning travellers from around the world seeking an authentic Napa Valley experience.” Of all the wine regions in the world, Napa Valley feels the most balanced. The natural environment here is almost perfect both for local wine production and for receiving visitors. The area’s super-positive and laidback atmosphere and the first-rate services are beyond compare. The region’s numerous fine wines and visitor-friendly estates are the icing on the cake, creating a whole that makes us, like hundreds of thousands of others, return here again and again. The word perfection will easily come to mind when speaking of a trip to Napa Valley. But as Meadowood founder Bill Harlan likes to point out, the journey is only just beginning. “The future outlook of both the Napa Valley and Meadowood is greater than it’s ever been. The vintners, growers and community as a whole have a clear vision and commitment to our economic, social, and environmental responsibility. Great progress has been made over the past 50 years; it’s only the beginning.” > MEADOWOOD 125 FINE De stination area, which demonstrates the locals’ regard for the resort and its facilities. The members also bring a different sort of liveliness to the spa’s activities; the usually very quiet fitness classes directed only at hotel guests receive a different form and energy here, when the yoga mat next to yours may belong to the winemaker from next door.

COLUMN KEN GARGETT Fine Australasia – Aussies and Kiwis I n the cellars of the Church Road Winery in Hawke’s Bay, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most historic wineries, and now part of the Pernod-Ricard Empire, there is a small, aged advertisement framed and hanging on the wall. It urges locals to drink Kiwi wines, asking them why they would bother ‘with those adulterated Australian wines’. No one is quite sure but it probably dates back to before World War I – it may have been poor form to suggest such a thing while Aussie and Kiwi troops were fighting and dying together in places such as the beaches at Gallipoli. Aussies and Kiwis have always had a strong, and usually healthy, ‘friendly rivalry’, always quick to ‘take the piss’ out of each other but also understanding that we are forever inextricably linked in so many ways – location, history, culture, sports, economy and language (though their accent becomes ever more difficult to interpret). So many Kiwis have moved across the ditch to take up residence in Australia that the old joke about the last one out remembering to turn off the lights was often heard. Kiwis countered by suggesting that their influx into Australia raised the IQ of both countries. Then an Aussie put New Zealand up for sale on eBay and actually got a high bid of AUS$3000, provided it was ‘vacant possession’. And so it goes. We gave them possums and they now have 70 million of them roaming their forests; they gave us Russell Crowe – we only have one of him but there are times we’d swap him back for the possums. 126 FINE There is also a little grudging respect both ways. They are near unbeatable at rugby, despite often failing at World Cups, while we consider it a near insult that they are allowed on the same cricket field as us. Kiwis who love the surf, sun and great beaches flock to Australia; likewise anyone serious about flyfishing for brown trout will acknowledge that the beautiful streams in their South Island are perhaps the best in the world. And this mutual respect is perhaps never higher than when it comes to wine. However, it wasn’t always so. Back in the days of the aforementioned advertisement, both industries concentrated very much on making fortifieds. Australia subsequently moved to its famous table wines, leaving New Zealand struggling. It was not that long ago that the Kiwi wine industry seemed stuck in the groove of green, thin, weedy reds and oceans of muller-thurgau. Then along came a couple of Aussies (Cloudy Bay in their Marlborough region was kicked off by David Hohnen and Kevin Judd, both Australians, and we do feel it necessary to remind them of this on occasion), who dragged them to centre of the world’s wine stage with their extraordinary sauvignon blanc. Even then, a lot of Aussie winemakers thought that giving New Zealand savvy was simply God’s sense of humour. They were not laughing so much when it became clear that they could also make some

FINE Gargett truly stunning pinots, and it was decidedly unfunny when a tiny patch of dirt, the Gimblett Gravels, started producing shiraz that was as good, though different, as the best from back home. On the other hand, New Zealand has always been a key market for Australian wines. We had a head start but they are doing their best to catch up. It is almost impossible to fathom that a region like Central Otago, considered by many as one of the finest places on earth to grow pinot noir outside Burgundy itself, is about to celebrate just its 25th anniversary. Has any other region ever achieved so much so quickly? Perhaps Margaret River, although that is just one more thing for Kiwis and Aussies to argue over. One thing that both countries share is a devotion to wine tourism. The great Australian wine regions, like the Barossa, Margaret River, Clare Valley, the Hunter, the Yarra, Tasmania and more, are well known around the world and attract many thousands each year. The New Zealand regions might be less well known and possibly less well understood, but this will change and they too will attract wine lovers from around the globe in ever-increasing numbers. Some are truly spectacular, and Central Otago may just be the most scenic wine region on the planet. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ wasn’t filmed in New Zealand just because its biggest city is referred to as ‘Orcland’. In time at FINE Australasia – the new FINE wine magazine for Aussies and Kiwis – we’ll be introducing readers to all these wonderful regions and reminding others, who may have forgotten, just what gems they are, as well as revealing some of the great wines to be found there. You won’t even have to pick a favourite – we’ll cover the lot. Both countries have so much to offer. Now, if only we can get a rugby team to match theirs. > “Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand, as well as being a relatively common self-reference” COLUMN 127

COLUMN JOHN KAPON DuelLing HautBrions T wo wines from 1989 stand above all the others on the Left Bank: the duelling Haut-Brions, as I often like to call them. Even though these two legendary wines have the same owners, the wines could not be any more different. There is one important fact, though, that is the same for both these beauties: they are essentials for the cellar of any serious claret collector, as they are monuments to their category. The greatest quality these two wines possess is their consistency. While many Bordeaux shut down and go into a shell, they have both been rock stars from the very beginning, always drinking phenomenally. My most recent bottle of 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion was a perfect example of this wine. Its nose was black and chocolaty, with midnight fruit and some slightly salted mixed nuts for added complexity. There was classic cassis and cigar, with caramel and some charcoal. Its fruit was beyond rich, to the point where it appeared wealthy. Pencil really came out on the palate along with dense forest flavours and a slatey, dry finish. There was outstanding acidity to this dense 128 FINE wine, while secondary flavours of coffee and blueberry soon joined the party. My host commented that he has always liked the ’89 La Miss more ‘right now’ rather than the wine to which it is often compared, the 1989 Haut-Brion (97). The 1989 Haut-Brion was served next, right on cue. I have long and repeatedly extolled the virtues of this wine, but it never gets old. This wine is one of the greatest ever made –

FINE Kapon so much so that I would put it in my top ten of all-time, and for a wine this young that is saying something. There is no other young wine, with the exception of 1989 Pétrus, that has consistently shown this well every time I have tasted it, and I have had the pleasure of consuming this wine nearly twenty times. Its aromas were ‘insane’ and open yet reticent, and so seductive it could have been standing behind a lace curtain. There was an abundance of nuts and minerals along with endless length and poise. Finally, carob and spice emerged in this incredible wine (99). I have the good fortune of having 1989 Haut Brion almost quarterly, so I could fill the next two pages with other notes on the wine. The La Mission is indeed more forward and exuberant, spilling out of its shirt so to speak, but the Haut-Brion will never even let you see a wrinkle. They are both magnificent wines that should age effortlessly well beyond 2040. > COLUMN 129

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F I N E C o n t en t s 11 15 16 26 28 34 38 54 86 88 94 98 108 112 126 128 Fineeditorial The Significance of the SaintÉmilion Classification FineNUIKKI Who Sets the Prices of Collectible Wines? FineESTATE An Englisman in Chianti FineROBINSON 1368 Varieties FineVINTAGE The 2011 Bordeaux: A Difficult Year In More Ways Than One FineSUCKLING Vintage: 1982 Bordeaux FineCENTURY Century Tasting 1900–1999 TASTING FineNIEPOORT Less Is More FinePAULSON Why I Love Half Bottles FineCOLLECTING Proper Wine Storage – A Temperature Myth? FineLEVE St. Emilion Classification FineCHAMPAGNE 100 Best Champagnes For 2012 FineSINGHAL The Tiger Is Waking Up FineDESTINATION Perfection from Beginning to End – Meadowood FineGARGETT Fine Australasia – Aussies And Kiwis FineKAPON Duelling Haut-Brions <<< Return to the coverpage