­ the best customer care in the business Here at FINE, we believe that not only do our customers appreciate the best service in the field, but that they also need to be looked after in a very personal way. So, instead of selling only magazine subscriptions, we want to offer you more. A lot more. To be caring and supportive in all matters concerning top wines: that is our promise to you. When you become a FINE client by choosing a service package most suited to your needs from the subscription list, we will make sure that your knowledge and know-how in fine wines will quickly increase. You will stay ahead of the pack in terms of fine wines and be well informed as to how the best wines fare on the market and in the glass, as well as where to get them and how to tell fakes from the real ones. FINE WINE SUBSCRIPTION FINE WINE Subscriptions FINE CHAMPAGNE SUBSCRIPTION This package includes everything you will ever want to know about champagne and the effervescent lifestyle that surrounds it. It keeps you abreast of the world of champagne with the world's only champagne magazine, current newsletters, books and other services that are included in the package. When you want to gain access to the world of top wines and be among the first to learn about wine happenings, the most recent tasting experiences and vintage analyses, but you don't collect or invest heavily in wines, this is made just for you. This package reveals the fascinating stories behind the world's finest wines and makes sure that you stay up to date regarding top wines through the leading FINE Wine Magazine, newsletters, books and other services that are included in the package. For more information click here For more information click here FINE RARE SUBSCRIPTION If you are wine enthusiast, FINE RARE includes everything you need and more. We will make sure that you will be the first to hear about what happens in the world of fine wines, as well as telling you every week which wines are at their best right now and how their prices are developing. In addition, we will also warn you about the fakes on the market. The package consists of the leading magazines concerning fine wine: FINE the Wine Magazine and FINE Champagne Magazine, all our wine guides, The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made book ­ which is considered to be the Michelin Guide of the wine world ­ and a unique array of other services. FINEst SUBSCRIPTION We have designed this package for wine collectors, investors and professionals. It offers the most current knowledge of the world's best wines, their drinkability today, price developments and the handling of the wines ­ all on a daily basis. The package includes everything you can imagine, including the world's only Wine Investing Magazine, FINE Champagne and Wine Magazines, books and guides, a professional tasting tool and community, the world's only FINE Wine Auction Index, and invitations to events around the world. This is a package that only the world's leading FINE Wine Media can offer you. We will ensure that you stay immersed in everything related to the top wines of the world on every single day of the week. For more information click here For more information click here 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 No. e3 0 10 H E WORLD ' S T BE 0 N 2 10 · BLAC KBER RY FARM E L DESTINA ST TRA IO V THE WINE MAGAZINE A N G E L O G A J Château Palmer 1870­2006 · Davos du Vin · Bordeaux 2003 · The pleasure of wine writing · Wreck Champagne T A

F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E C O N T E N T PAGE 88 Fine eSTATe PAGE 124 Fine LiFeSTYLe PAGE 22 Fine VinTAGe PAGE 106 Fine CHAMPAGne PAGE 118 Fine eVenT PAGE 148 Fine LiFeSTYLe 2 FINE

F I N E W I N E M A G A Z I N E C O N T E N T 11 15 16 22 30 38 56 FineeDiTORiAL The World's most revered Fine Wine location FinenUiKKi The Unbearable Lightness of Champagne Forgery FineTReASURe Heidsieck 1907 -- Wreck Champagne FineVinTAGe Bordeaux 2003 FinePeRSOnALiTY Lee Zinser -- Fabulous wine cellars FineVinTAGe Napa Valley vintage 2007 -- Enjoyable from Birth FineDeSTinATiOn The World's Best Holiday Destination 2010 -- Blackberry Farm FineLeGenD Angelo Gaja, the Precisionist of Barbaresco FineeSTATe Château Palmer 1870­2006 FineAHM Your Own Vintage FineTASTinG Grange Vertical 1963­1990 FineCHAMPAGne The Midas Touch of Cattier Fine1000 Celebration Champagnes -- Dom Perignon Rosé 1959 FineeVenT Davos du Vin -- World Wine Symposium FineLiFeSTYLe The Pleasure of Wine Writing FineART&Wine Sophie's Choice FineeVenT FINE Champagne Weekend FineLiFeSTYLe A Good Cigar Ages Like a Good Wine PAGE 56 Fine DeSTinATiOn 70 88 PAGE 70 Fine LeGenD 98 100 106 114 118 124 132 138 148 PAGE 16 Fine TReASURe C O N T E N T 3 FINE Content

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F I N E ­ T H E W I N E M A G A Z I N E 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 W r i t e r s 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 1870­1970, a book about the Château Mouton Rothschild ­ Wine and Art 1924­2003 and most recently a book about the best German white wines. Mr Nuikki is also an award-winning photographer, who has exhibited his artwork all over the world and he has worked as creative director of advertising agency group. He is also the luckiest man in the world, having hit seven hole-in-ones. Juha Lihtonen Managing Editor Juha Lihtonen is the editor of 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 buyer 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 and first Master of Wine from Finland second ever from the Nordic countries. 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. Jan-Erik Paulson Contributor Jan-Erik Paulson is one of Europe's leading authorities on mature wines, specialising in Bordeaux and Austria. Mr Paulson has been internationally renowned for his top tastings for over thirty years and for his Rare-Wine.com online shop. He is a passionate golfer and lives in Germany with his family. Andreas Larsson Contributor Andreas Larsson is the editor of FINE Exclusive and a regular FINE columnist. 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. Meri Kukkavaara Contributor Meri Kukkavaara is an interior designer by trade, who has a wide range of interests in the field of art, as well as education. Since completing her art studies in Florence, Italy she has worked extensively with art exhibitions and antiques, while occasionally contributing to art exhibitions as a free artist. She is also an art therapist, with more than ten years experience. Ms Kukkavaara is a keen student of life and in her free time enjoys taking up courses such as drumming, Indian cooking and tango. Stuart George Contributor Stuart George is an awarded English freelance wine writer, who is known for his writing for The World of Fine Wine. Mr George studied English and European Literature at The University of Warwick. He has worked as a wine merchant, travelling widely in different wine regions, before turning to wine writing. In his free time Mr George listens to music, plays guitar and follows cricket. Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Deputy Editor Publishing Editor Copy Editor Creative Director Art Director iDirector Social Media iDirector Senior Partners Photographers Contributors Pekka Nuikki pekka.nuikki@fine-magazines.com Juha Lihtonen juha.lihtonen@fine-magazines.com Anne Lepola anne.lepola@fine-magazines.com Meri Kukkavaara meri@fine-magazines.com Craig Houston craig.houston@fine-magazines.com Teemu Timperi Jouna Stern teemu.timperi@fine-magazines.com jouna.stern@fine-magazines.com Rene Dehn rene.dehn@fine-magazines.com Malene Meisner malene.meisner@fine-magazines.com Charles A. Banks, Romain Virion, Rajiv Singhal, Ralf Frentzel Pekka Nuikki, Johannes Grau Marie Ahm, Essi Avellan MW, Armin Diel, Stuart George, Andreas Larsson, Jan-Erik Paulson, Mario Sculatti, Mikko Eriksson, Susane Reininger Markku Vartiainen markku.vartiainen@fine-magazines.com Communications Director Sales Director Media Sales Executive Marketing Assistant Paulina Hoffman paulina.hoffman@fine-magazines.com Tore Holmgren tore.holmgren@fine-magazines.com Sanna Vihervaara sanna.vihervaara@fine-magazines.com Noora Mähönen noora.mahonen@fine-magazines.com Single Issue 30 including delivery Single PPDM, Password Protected Digital Magazine, 15 Cover photograph: Pekka Nuikki ­ Lafite-Rothschild Financial Manager Price Printing House Orders & Queries Libris Oy 2010 www.fine-magazines.com subs@fine-magazines.com Tel. 010 289 1000 +358-10 289 1000 Fine Publishing Helsinki Ltd Vattuniemenkuja 4 E 00210 Helsinki, Finland www.fine-magazines.com Publisher Printed in Finland by Libris Oy Ltd 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. Paper: UPM Novatech Satin © Copyright: European Fine Wine Magazine Ltd FINE ­ The Wine Magazine ISSN 1799-2222 10 FINE

F I N E ­ T H E W I N E M A G A Z I N E Finland China: the world's most revered fine wine location I 11 December 2010 am dining with my wife at Melbourne's best restaurant, Number 8 in Crown Casino. We are discussing the wine list in front of us, which has been recognised as one of the finest lists in the world by respected names such as Wine Spectator and Gourmet Traveller Wine. Due to our rather unique and exotic language, sommelier David Nichols cannot help but ask where we are from. Upon hearing that we originate from Finland, he becomes very excited, exclaiming that rarest and most expensive wine in their selection actually comes from Finland! He then introduces the 10 500 -euro champagne, Heidsieck & Co Monopole Goût Américain 1907, which was found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, in Finland. Nichols is excited to learn that the several bottles I have already tasted have been drinking perfectly well. `Finland's champagne' first reached the world's attention in the spring of 1998 when it became the most expensive champagne ever sold at Christie's in London. The price was an incredible 4068 US dollars. It still stands out as the most expensive champagne on the planet; the Ritz Hotel in Moscow has it listed for an astonishing 275 000 euros. On last July 20, a shipwreck champagne was again in the headlines, with news travelling fast of an incredible find. Near the coastline of the Åland Islands, a small group of Finnish islands, a shipwreck had been located, and within the bowels of this doomed vessel was a champagne treasure dating back almost two hundred years. The champagnes ­ currently of unknown origin ­ were then rescued from the old schooner, which rested at a depth of 47 metres. During the two-week project, a total amount of 168 bottles saw daylight. The champagnes then revealed themselves to be the nonvintage champagnes of Champagne Juglar (which was later to merge with Jacquesson) and Veuve Clicquot, with the origin determined to be from the 1820s. The bottles were deemed to belong to the government of the Åland Islands, which are an autonomous region of Finland. It then proceeded to organise a large press conference event, where over one hundred journalists were given details of the find before the luckiest ones were tasting these well-kept champagnes. The government representative then unveiled the numerous projects planned for these special champagnes. The events, designed to market Åland and promote the islands' tourism industry, include auctions, champagne events, diving excursions and branded champagnes ­ which will include a small amount of the actual champagnes ­ made especially for Åland. It is fascinating to see how it is possible to brand one destination and create a number of job opportunities using just 168 bottles of champagne. As the rugged waters of Finland have constituted an essential route throughout the centuries for ships carrying goods to Russia, many ships have met a watery and untimely end in the region. Indeed, every year between ten and twenty wrecks are found around the coast of Finland, and we wait with bated breath to see what this underwater cellar will reveal next. One can only expect more of these treasures to be found in the future, given the expected increase in shipwreck diving in the area. Although all eyes have recently been on China with regards to the world's finest wines, Finland has, at least for the time being, stolen some of the limelight. And who knows, perhaps this small Nordic country could take some of the future headlines away from China and focus the wine world's attention back to Europe. For now, the most interesting thing will be to find out the price of these newly-discovered champagne and where they will be available. It will be fascinating to see whether David Nichols can offer me yet another jewel of the Baltic upon my next visit to Number 8; it would be truly memorable to sample champagne made by Madame Veuve Clicquot herself in the 1820s. TASTE OF FINE Keep your eyes peeled! Juha Lihtonen Managing Editor E D I T O R I A L 11 FINE Editorial

"Le Dom aine Les Cr ayères" one of the most Today, more than ever before, Le Domaine Les Crayères reaffirms the desire and determination to be a living celebration of Champagne ­ the region, the beverage, and the lifestyle it embodies ­ both for Reims and for the world. What we have to offer is unique: our five-star hotel «Le Château», our gourmet restaurant «Le Parc», our new brasserie «Le Jardin», our superb setting so close to the city centre, in the very midst of Champagne and its consummate, celebrated beverage... Member of Relais & Châteaux Member of Les Grandes Tables du Monde Email: contact@lescrayeres.com www.lescrayeres.com

Philippe Mille brings out the natural best of les Crayères' at the gourmet restaurant «Le Parc» and the brasserie «Le Jardin»... At his side, the wine and champagne expertise of Head Sommelier Philippe Jamesse. b e a u t i f u l va c at i o n r e s o rt s i n t h e w o r l d . REIMS - CHA MPAGNE - FRANCE Domaine Les Crayères - 64 boulevard Henry Vasnier - 51100 REIMS - Tel : +33. (0) 3.26.24.90.00 - Fax : +33. (0)3.26.24.90.01

The Best 100 Champagnes in 2010 now on iPhone and iPad FREE to download from www.fine-magazines.com/en/news until the end ofof 2010 1 until the end 01/201 01/201 1 Welcome to the world's first iPhone and iPad application, where you can view the best champagnes to drink today chosen by the world's only champagne magazine. Flick the screen left or right to browse. Double tap selected champagne for more information. Browse, search or list to find your favourites. 14 iPad and iPhone Application FINE S E S O N G I N M U K A I S TA 81 F I N E Ta l l b e r g

F I N E I n my opinion, the pictured champagne bottle is one of the most beautiful old items I have ever bought. The front is covered by a giant, weathered label. There is always something beautiful and timeless to me about large, time-worn labels. The bottle itself is shaped out of heavy, thick glass and tightly sealed with a large cork that dates from a time when the Champagne region was ruled by the Germans. The producer is one of the classics, known to all friends of champagne: it is a Moët&Chandon from 1941 in Methuselah format, i.e. in a sixlitre bottle. Seen through the thick glass, the wine looked clear and good in colour and structure at the time of purchase. The surface level was nearly as new and the cork had not leaked over the decades. I was overjoyed by this rare find. Even as it is, the bottle is almost priceless, but it is made particularly valuable by the fact that it was a forgery ­ and an ingenious one! The bottle in the picture is in fact empty, even though the cork is still tightly in place. It seemed to empty by magic. A few weeks ago, there was a puddle on the floor of my wine cellar. I was amazed, because all of the bottles in the cellar were still tightly sealed. Closer investigation revealed that this bottle was significantly lighter than before. I picked it off the shelf and inspected it against the light. It was empty, but still intact and tightly corked. I twisted and turned the bottle and noticed that the light refracted strangely off the base ­ as if a searchlight swept through the inside of the bottle. I turned it upside down and the secret was revealed. A hole. A neatly and carefully drilled hole at the bottle's base. It was about five millimetres in diameter and smooth-edged. Eventually, underneath the wine shelf, I found the plug that had kept the wine inside until it had evidently now failed. It was made of glass paste the same colour as the bottle. Putting it back in place, it was almost impossible to distinguish it from the bottle. Worried, I decided to inspect all the large formats in my cellar. I found one other bottle with a hole, a Pol Roger 1934 Magnum. The hole was smaller in diameter, but the technique was the same. The Moët I had bought in Italy a few months before, whereas the Pol Roger I acquired in France before the end of the millennium. A champagne bottle with a hole is still a rare occurrence ­ at least I hope so. In recent years I have come across a few forged champagnes, usually older vintages or collection bottles of Krug. They have been "normal" forgeries, where either the label has been replaced or the bottle has been recorked after refilling with ordinary white wine or sparkling water. Forgeries of rare red wines are already commonplace, and when buying a special red wine it is impossible to avoid an unpleasant suspicion regarding the origins of the content. Until recently, most forgeries have been of old wines, bottles that have already reached their peak market prices. But now that even new vintages are fetching astronomical prices of thousands of euros as soon as they are launched, it is evident that the number of forgeries will grow. Presumably it is much easier to forge and replicate a 2009 Lafite than a 1900 Lafite. Champagne producers now face the same unfortunate situation. They should at least be careful in producing and releasing large-format empty sample bottles, because with the addition of one small hole and some water, they can turn into rare and expensive, though beautiful, collector's items. > Pekka Nuikki Editor-in-Chief NUIKKI 15 FINE Nu i k k i The Unbearable Lightness of Champagne Forgery

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 3,000 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 16 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. FINE

HEIDSIECK 1907 17 F I N E Tr e a s u r e

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 along with his crew already the previous day sunk two Swedish ships, it did not fully satisfy the captain. The sun had not quite risen yet, but the lookout 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 guided 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 toward the open sea. Soon they noticed, 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, Jönköping's time had come. Two crewmembers of the U-22 rowed to the schooner carrying explosives. After setting the explosives, the men in a hurry 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, in which 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 told 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 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 also get to taste this brilliant champagne." 18 FINE

HEIDSIECK 1907 19 F I N E Tr e a s u r e

20 FINE

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 again 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 right to the cargo, the part that would have belonged to his grandfather. Fryckman, however, could not prove his right to this claim. The local coast guard 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, have a 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, in which 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 bottom 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 2,500 bottles were lifted after seven successful rescue trips, and I have had the pleasure to taste three of them. The first of these bottles was bought from the same Christie's London auction house in 1998 where one of the bottles lifted from the schooner was sold for 4,068 dollars ­ the highest price that has ever been paid for an individual champagne bottle. The second bottle was acquired by Winebid.com at the beginning of 2001 for a price of 800 dollars, and the third from a German collector for the price of 1,000. The bottles were packed in wooden boxes and were covered in dried mud and fish-smelling sludge, as if straight from the bottom of the sea. The second bottle was completely oxidised and non-potable due to the poor shape of the bottle's cork, but the first and third bottles were in excellent condition and surprisingly fresh. 99p Champagne Monopole Goût Américain 1907, Heidsieck Drink now sweet, even though the Heidsieck Goût American style had a relatively high sugar dosage. Very long and so pleasing wine, which moved smoothly and easily down the throat, leaving a most memorable and historic aftertaste. Excellent level; decanted five minutes before tasting. A high dosage wine. No malolactic fermentation. The result of the analysis: alcohol 12.35°, PH of 2.93, 42.55 grams of sugar, total acidity 5.35g H2SO4/litre. Pale and light, almost youthful color. Still has some bubbles left. Sweet, fruity, and fresh nose dominated by honey and exotic fruit and raisins. One of the richest champagnes I have tasted, and has amazingly good balance and structure. Not very HEIDSIECK 1907 21 F I N E Tr e a s u r e

B OR DE AU X 2003 Text: JAN-ERIK PAULSON Photography: PEKKA NUIKKI For the last twenty years I have taken part in an annual tasting of a Bordeaux vintage reaching the first stage of its drinkability. Our group usually consists of experienced wine merchants and journalists, such as Jancis Robinson, James Suckling, Steven Spurrier and Neal Martin. We usually sample all major wines blind in flights of up to 12 wines using on the 20 point scale. This year we tasted about 100 wines from the controversial vintage 2003 from Médoc and Graves. The tasting was expertly arranged in London in October 2010 by fine wine merchants Farr Vintners. 22 FINE

The 2003 vinTage it was an exceptionally hot summer that followed a fairly normal spring. i was in Bordeaux for the vinexpo week in June 2003 and it was just as hot as in 1989, with the difference that the halls of the fair were now airconditioned. The heat continued throughout June and July, followed by the hottest august on record. This led to the vines experiencing drought stress, which basically slows down the ripening cycle of the grapes. This was a lesser problem in the northern Médoc, in particular St. estéphe, as the area had more water-retaining clay in its soil than the sandier soils of the right bank and graves. Most great Bordeaux vintages have, however, been hot and dry with just a little rain at the right time, so the major problem in 2003 was not the lack of water but rather the heat itself. it rained regularly during the winter, so the water reserves in the soil were fairly good. it also rained during the summer but when the water did fall, it was a result of violent thunderstorms. i was caught in the middle of one of the worst such storms as i was partying at Château La gaffelière during vinexpo week. it was the most dramatic, sudden thunderstorm i have ever experienced, with hail and winds so strong that the party tent flew away, along with the kitchen tent, our dinner, glasses and cutlery. Luckily the wines were saved. The scorching sun dried the grapes making the sugar content skyrocket, while the acidity nosedived at the same time. vineyards where leaves had been removed suffered most. The weather cooled down in September but it was now too late to save the Merlot, BORDEAUX 2003 23 FINE Vintage

The MarkeT which had to be picked early as the grapes now resembled raisins more than healthy grapes. This led to the Merlots having hard, green tannins that are becoming more apparent with each passing year. Traditionally, the ideal conditions at this stage include mild days and cool nights, in order to let the grapes steadily develop concentration and flavour, while at the same time softening the tannins. The Cabernets ripen later and had a better chance of developing flavours before being picked. The basic character of the vintage is low acidity combined with high alcohol, leading to wines that are maturing rapidly but in many cases with quite unripe tannins that will appear more and more obvious with time. The market was very interesting. 2003 was the vintage where the split in prices between the Premier Crus and the rest started to grow dramatically, and there was a general price increase on the unwanted and weak 2002 vintage. 24 FINE

Vintage price by case when released, and the current price The Americans had more or less stopped buying after the 2000 vintage, whereas the Chinese had not really entered the market with any force yet. The Premier Crus were mostly sought by European investment brokers and other people who were earning decent sums on the financial markets. It had now become fashionable to buy a couple of cases of FINE Vintage 25 ChâTEAu LATour: 2000 ­ £1950 2001 ­ £950 2002 ­ £680 2003 ­ £2250 2005 ­ £4500 ChâTEAu GrANd Puy LACosTE: 2000 ­ £280 2001 ­ £185 2002 ­ £185 2003 ­ £260 2005 ­ £420 2009 ­ £575 now £660 now £360 now £265 now £320 now £660 now £575 now £10 000 now £4000 now £4000 now £9450 now £9400 2009 ­ £10 200 now £13 000 a Premier Cru in order to not only show off, but to use as a safety net for less prosperous times. It is interesting to compare the opening prices from Farr Vintners ­ in British Pounds per case ­ of the two excellent Pauillac wines, Châteaux Latour and Grand Puy Lacoste, as well as their prices at the time of writing this (November 2010). It is quite apparent that the market for a good reliable wine such as Château Grand Puy Lacoste has become more and more different when compared to the market of a Premier Cru such as Château Latour. In 2000 the opening price of Latour was about seven times the price of Château Grand Puy Lacoste. In 2002 it had dropped to around four times as much, while in 2003 it was up to nine times as high, rising to around 11 times in 2005 and in 2009 the price was an incredible 18 times higher. It also shows that Château Latour has proven to be an impressive investment, with prices increasing 400 to 500 per cent over a relatively short period of time. The investment potential of a less "fashionable" wine such as Château Grand Puy Lacoste has been less impressive. ThE TAsTING The wines were tasted blind and scored after each flight. The first flight was the PessacLeognan flight, which was a disappointing and lean, tannic flight (Château haut Brion and Château La Mission haut Brion were tasted with the Premier Crus). The jury winners were Pape Clement and smith haut Lafitte, both of which happened to also secure my highest scores ­ 16.5 points. The second flight, consisting of Médoc and haut Médocs, was not much better . The favourite of the group ­ and myself ­ was La Tour Carnet, with 16.5 points. The third flight was Margaux part one ­ again a dreary lot. BORDEAUX 2003

"My favourites were Lafite, Margaux and Latour, with the latter also winning the whole tasting by an impressive margin." The jury's and my highest scorer (16.5) was dauzac. Margaux part two followed. There were fewer failures here but still no wine stood out. Malescot won narrowly, ahead of rauzan Ségla and du Tertre; the latter of which was my favourite (16.5). Château Palmer, normally a highlight, was remarkably poor and very untypical (14 points). The wines from St. Julien usually provide one of the most reliable flights and it was 26 FINE no different this time, with quite a leap in overall quality apparent. Most wines are very drinkable just now and are displaying good fruit. indeed, some may even improve for another couple of years. My highest scores were, surprisingly, given to Beychevelle and gloria (both 17.5). These were also the group favourites. The biggest disappointment was Léoville Las Cases (14.5), which i usually have at the top when it comes to the St. Juliens. We tasted the Pauillac flight without the Premier Crus, as these were tasted alongside their peers. This was good, but by no means exciting, flight. i found that many of them had a quite tannic, dry finish and i fear that this may become more apparent with age. The jury's favourite was Pichon Longueville Baron followed by its sister from across the road, Pichon Comtesse de Lalande. i also liked the Pontet Canet and am pleased to see that this property is now living up to its fabulous potential. The flight of second wines from top

châteaux proved that you should buy second wines in great vintages and avoid them in difficult vintages. unsurprisingly, Les Forts de Latour was the most impressive wine here but then again it is more than a mere second wine. i also liked the Pagodes de Cos. St. estéphe was blessed during this vintage due to its water-retaining clay, which also showed in this tasting. There was more sweet and attractive fruit here to balance any tannins. These wines also have a good future but are drinking quite well now, so why wait? My favourite, Château Cos d'estournel, was also the jury's favourite. it is an impressive, concentrated and powerful wine but with enough complexity to not be out of balance. a distinct flirtation with the style of some boutique wines from napa valley. a dangerous balancing act that seems to work for the 2003. i found that other powerhouse from St. estéphe, Château Montrose, to be overly tannic and marked it lower than many jury members. instead, i preferred the more attractive style of Château Meyney ­ a positive surprise. The Premier Crus (including Château La Mission haut Brion) were all good, with five of them being among the top seven wines of the tasting. The only disappointment was Château haut Brion - usually one of my favourite wines - which was nice and will be quite charming over the next few years, although it did lack the complexity, weight and concentration expected of a Premier Cru. My favourites were Lafite, Margaux and Latour, with the latter also winning the whole tasting by an impressive margin. > BORDEAUX 2003 27 FINE Vintage

referencetAbleforthe100-pointSyStemvS.thebritiSh20-pointSyStem 50 60 07 8 70 9 10 80 11 12 13 14 85 15 16 90 17 18 96 19 100 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 28 FINE Wine Latour Mouton rothschild Lafite Cos d'estournel Montrose La Mission haut Brion Margaux Pichon Baron gloria Meyney Pichon Lalande haut Brion Pontet Canet Lynch Bages Beychevelle haut Bages Liberal Saint Pierre ducru Beaucaillou Lafon rochet haut Marbuzet Léoville Poyferré Langoa Barton Branaire ducru Forts de Latour gruaud Larose Clerc Milon duhart Milon dame de Montrose haut Batailley Pape Clement Smith haut Lafitte Malescot de Pez du Tertre rauzan Ségla grand Puy ducasse Leoville Las Cases Lagrange grand Puy Lacoste Cos Labory ormes de Pez Calon Ségur Talbot Léoville Barton La Tour Carnet dauzac armailhac issan Carruades Lafite AverAge Score 19 18.4 18.1 17.8 17.6 17.5 17.4 17.1 17.1 16.8 16.7 16.7 16.6 16.5 16.4 16.3 16.3 16.3 16.2 16.1 16.1 16.1 16.1 16 16 15.9 15.9 15.9 15.8 15.8 15.8 15.8 15.7 15.7 15.7 15.6 15.6 15.6 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.4 15.4 15.3 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Wine kirwan Croizet Bages Clos du Marquis Pagodes de Cos Prieure Lichine Pavillon rouge Sociando Mallet Lascombes Ségla rauzan gassies valrose reserve de la Comtesse Malartic Lagraviere Poujeaux Clauzet domaine de Chevalier rouge Ferrière Brane Cantenac Petit Mouton Bahans haut Brion Carmes haut Brion Couhins Lurton goulée Lanessan Boyd Cantenac durfort vivens haut Bailly alter ego haut Bages averous Camensac angludet Siran Croix de Beaucaillou haut Bergey La Tour haut Brion haut Condissas Chapelle de la Mission Labégorce Phélan Segur de Fieuzal Bernadotte Labégorce Zédé Carbonnieux Carignan Palmer Bouscaut Cantemerle La Lagune giscours AverAge Score 15.3 15.3 15.2 15.2 15.2 15.1 15.1 15.1 15.1 15.1 15 15 15 15 14.9 14.9 14.9 14.9 14.8 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.6 14.6 14.5 14.5 14.5 14.5 14.4 14.4 14.4 14.4 14.3 14.3 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.1 14.1 14.1 13.9 13.6 13.2 corked C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

EgEbjErgvEj 42 · 8751 gEdvEd, dEnmark · PhonE: +45 5365 3477 / +45 2835 3377 · info@laugEjEnsEn.dk · www.laugEjEnsEn.dk

Z Lee 30 FINE inser

Text and Photos: Pek k a Nuik k i eagerly waves his arms at the captivating sight before us: Central Park, surrounded by skyscrapers. The tourists at the next table prick up their ears, believing the man is a tour guide with something interesting to tell. And he does have interesting things to tell. He speaks of the luxury apartments in the skyscrapers around us and of the lavish wine cellars he has designed for them. One of these apartments launched Lee Zinser's successful career as one of the world's most renowned builders of entertainment wine cellars. Today his clients are sports and showbiz celebrities, fine wine collectors and five-star hotels from around the world. I am sitting in the lobby lounge on the 62th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York. A man dressed in a red t-shirt, jeans and red trainers A d v e n t u r o u s Wine Cellars Lee Zinser LEE ZINSER 31 FINE Personality

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I only met Zinser for the first time twenty minutes ago, but having spent that time walking to the Mandarin Oriental, I feel as if I have always known him. He is a funny, unreserved, open, happy, energetic and youthful man, who is easy to be with. Far from what you'd expect from a New York wine cellar engineer. But he is no engineer, and nor is he even from New York. He is a surfer from California whose journey into the wine world was not straightforward. To start with, I have to ask Lee what he wants to be when he grows up. "I've decided not to grow up. I know it is what most people do but I'm so busy, I really don't have the time. In any case, I want to be happy with my wife, kids and friends. We don't need a lot and being able to surf, spend time with friends, share wine and keep living is all I need. I often reflect on what I am doing today and what I did yesterday, and I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing later in life. I mean, why wait for tomorrow with what I can do today?" try! I enjoy learning about others and their trials and successes. I often think about particular situations. I have a motto: "you learn something from every situation; you either learn how to be or how not to be". I have learned on both sides of the equation but the learning has kept me active from when I was a teenager. To describe my childhood in one word, I would say "adventure": always something new and never letting the grass grow underfoot. My dad became a very successful businessman partly because my mum supported him every step of the way and because of his hard and dedicated work ethic ­ again a great lesson I was taught. Today, both mum and dad and extended family are exceptionally generous and lessons are always being learned." Zinser Lee A learning process T he bustling and quick-witted Lee seems deceptively natural, as if his whole being was as carefully constructed as his wine cellars. "No, I have always been like this. I was a first-generation Californian. My parents had lived back east and in different parts of the USA. I only really knew California as a place to live. I falsely assumed that everyone had enough to eat and a nice place to live. When I ventured out it intrigued me to see that it was not all the same, even in this same coun- or Lee, life itself is the best and most interesting teacher. For many of us, learning in life is the education we receive when spending time among friends, family and hobbies, rather than what we learn at work. Life learning is generally not yet accepted as a real learning environment in education or the business world, but it is well known that a large part of our learning takes place in ordinary, everyday situations that require development on our part. Recognising other people's competence is one of life's big challenges according to Lee. He was not very interested in learning at school, and it was a short distance to the border with Mexico: "I was bored in school and decided to try and graduate early. I was able Looking for life F to finish all my required classes and had learned Spanish. I also wanted to see if it was true that not all people live like they do in California. I was told that in Mexico everyone speaks English. Now, I had been to Baja earlier in life and yes, to some degree they did speak English. I started in Tijuana working on the frontera and earning at least $50­ 75 a day cleaning car windows for Americans. Next, I wanted to leave my comfortable lifestyle and see if in fact people in Mexico City spoke English. Was it true that all people lived like they do in California? Was it true that as an American I had rights that superseded the laws and culture of another land? Was it true that you could use US dollars anywhere in the world no matter what the local currency? What I learned in nearly two years of living in Mexico was worth many years at university." But how does one learn something that no one else does? There are no mistakes or successes to serve as examples. Lee managed to learn his current role by putting some thought into it. nothing differentiated his apartment from the other apartments of his high net worth neighbours on the same floor. How could we differentiate his property from the other properties around him? Secondly, most of my clients had multiple homes around the world and these homes would have wine cellars and allow the client to enjoy entertaining and drinking his own wine. But when my clients came to NYC to stay in their apartments and wanted to enjoy wine, they had to run out to the local wine merchant to buy it. How did this make sense in one of the most important cities in the world?" While in New York in the early years, I learned construction and project management. Later, my wife Amanda and I were able to form our own business doing interior design and project management. We were doing quite a few projects on the Upper East/Upper West side of Manhattan for international high net worth clients. Two things struck me: first, if I had a client that lived on the tenth floor of a Fifth-Avenue apartment building, for example, An eye-opener " So, Amanda and I decided to do three things. First, educate ourselves about wine: we both completed courses at the WSET to understand the proper storage of wine from a scientific point of view. More than just saying it must be stored at a certain temperature, we wanted to understand what and why different storage conditions had different effects on wine for good or for bad. Secondly, with this under our belts, I researched and studied different ways to create a working wine cellar anywhere in the apartment, no matter what floor the client lived on. With this information and study behind us, I could then approach various clients we were involved with and suggest the idea of a working wine cellar in their FifthAvenue apartments. My clients loved the idea and we were off and running!" But why wine? Lee hasn't yet said a word about it that contained any Dream job " LEE ZINSER 33 FINE Personality

I am divided between high-quality wines at reasonable prices and very unusual or rare wine buying. For example, I know for 30 dollars I can buy a great wine for the evening; I also know that for 50 dollars I can buy a bad wine. In other words, for myself I like the idea of buying wines that are reasonably priced but of great quality, rather than buying wines that are very expensive and of average quality but have the impressive label. The other side of me enjoys buying wines that are not really thought of ­ for example, in years past I have bought madeiras and ports from the 1800s. Often they are not very expensive but have great stories attached to them. Another example is from many of the mailing lists I am on: I much prefer getting the wines in large format. Quite often I will offer back my allocation of 750s to have an Extra Magnum or other large format. I much prefer the idea of having one or two large formats Wine preferences " Zinser Lee passion or feeling, despite his talk of cellars and impossible challenges. Is wine just an instrument for him to achieve success and riches? "Absolutely not ­ I love and breathe wine. I even have several of my own wine cellars," Lee says with a smile. "All together I would say around 3000 plus bottles. Most are large formats. I have a lot of California wines, ports, Sauternes, Australian and French wines, with a handful of Italians. My problem is keeping track of my wines, since I spend one part of the year in NYC and the other part in Australia around Byron Bay. The result is that I have wines in storage in London, NYC, Los Angeles and Sydney. as opposed to having a bunch of smaller formats." Lee loves large formats, not just because of their size but due to the stories behind them. Not content with building impressive wine cellars in impossible environments, Lee has taken the idea of the cellar much further: "Because Cellarworks has been so successful, we have been able to form another follow-up company that takes the client from the point of creating the cellar to the formation of extreme and museum-quality collections. The company, VinumXtremus, has been formed with partners from around the world who are the top in their field of wine, art, film production, media and luxury. With this group of experts we are able to invent a first-ever theme for a wine collection, create the collection, use film, photos and media to publish the collection, and then create first exhibitions of said collections. It takes the idea of a wine cellar and wine storage to a level of museum-quality art and exhibition of rare and extreme wines. Every project we do has some level of fascination, either in the cellar or in the collection or both. Some of my most unusual projects have been fascinating not because of size, but because of the complexity of accomplishing the project. Many of our projects are also international, which adds another level of fascination. A few of the projects that have been fascinating include: For one client in NYC, we invented and executed the first-ever complete Robert Parker 100 wine wall. It had every RP 100-rated wine from conception. It included about 176 bottles (the number is always changing), starting with the ever-elusive 1811 Yquem, the oldest wine to ever get the RP100. We created a museum wall as a part of the cellar and this wall houses all of these RP100s. You stand in front of the wall and your eyes can see every RP100 in one glance. Another project we have nearly completed is a rare collection of Rothschild wines from all of their winemaking endeavours around the world. The collection is a museumquality tribute to Rothschild"s winemaking and consists of all of their wines, giving prominence to the vintages that have historical significance. We recently acquired one of the six Mouton 2000 Nebuchadnezzars ever made for the collection. The entire collection has been photographed by the famous Greg Gorman and a beautiful tableau is near completion for publication. Recently we completed a fully glass-enclosed wine cellar for a client who has a house on the French side of Mont Blanc. The client was very insistent that the glass panels be single pieces of glass with no breaks. Only two or three glass manufacturers in the world have kilns large enough to make the glass in the size we required. Then it was getting the glass to the house in Mont Blanc, and negotiating the narrow winding roads from Geneva. One piece of glass was so large it was actually flown in by helicopter. What a sight!" Perfection in wine L ee is an interviewer's dream. All you need is your voice recorder and plenty of time. His passion and love for all that is new and potential emanates from his every word. 34 FINE

Although for some, excessive perfection ruins the joy of success, eventually nothing feels like anything when you are always looking for something bigger and better. This doesn't seem to worry Lee, in fact for him perfection is a virtue that we should all aim for. Creating a perfect wine cellar may be possible for this man, but what about wine. Can it be perfect? "There are a number of things that make a wine perfect. One of them is whom you share it with. I would much rather share an average bottle of wine with friends and family than an amazing bottle by myself. The thing I think makes a wine great is the story it tells and the life history of the wine. One of my all-time favourite great wines was an 1840 port that belonged to a Marquis of the ruling family and had been bottled for him. Around 1970, with the change of Portugal's government, his property was confiscated. Around 1995, someone was digging around in the basement and came across some wines that were buried in the wine cellar. Four bottles of 1840. When we were approaching the year 2000, a client asked me if I had any ideas for doing something even Bill Gates could not do. We created the event of events: in the very last auction of the 20th century at Christie's London, they were selling these four bottles. Around December 28 we purchased them and had them jetted over to NYC. I gave one to my client, another to different client, and on the day after the turning of a new millennium my friends and I researched what was happening in 1840, turned off all the lights, only used candles to see and then discussed all the things that had happened during the lifetime of that bottle. It spanned three centuries. It started its life in a vineyard in Portugal and was taken down the river to Porto by donkey and canoe. It was bottled during the formation of Marxism and the beginning of Darwinian evolution theory. Abraham Lincoln was only 30 years old and another 20 years would pass before he was president. The American Civil War had not yet started. It would see all the great wars in its lifetime. It spent all of the 1800s in Portugal, then the last few months of the 1900s in London, and then it came on a plane to spend the few remaining moments of its life in NYC in the 2000s. To me, that is a perfect wine!" > LEE ZINSER 35 FINE Personality

Michelin Guide Three Stars San Francisco Chronicle Four Stars The Restaurant at Meadowoood Worth a Special Journey The Restaurant at Meadowood Chef Christopher Kostow

Relationships are core to life in Napa Valley. or the last half century, Napa Valley the original gathering place for the Valley's has provided the panorama for a burgeoning wine community, Meadowood unique way of life--directed by the has now become an international wine industry and acted out by a host of destination and boasts membership within local players. Wine is the thread weaving the the exclusive ranks of Relais & Chateaux. art of man with the Come for a visit. bounty of nature in Walk the fairways a complex pattern on which Auction of relationships-- Napa Valley has relationships that go raised more than $90 to the core of the million since the Valley's legendary first gavel was raised. way of life and set Mingle with the the stage for a story vintners and growers like no other. as they enjoy their The community club through sport that is Napa Valley activities, recreation, contributes to local and the pursuit of enterprise through lifelong wellness. its vast experience Dine on the private and deep-seated terrace of your relationships. In adguestroom or spend dition to grape growthe evening enjoying Master Sommelier Gilles de Chambure ers and wine makers, a meal prepared it includes agriculturalists, great chefs, som- by Michelin Three-Star chef Christopher meliers, maître d's, gallery owners, innkeep- Kostow in The Restaurant at Meadowood. ers and shop proprietors. All depend upon Spend a day exploring the wineries you've each other for their unique livelihood and longed to visit with Gilles de Chambure, lifestyle. Master Sommelier, whose sole role at For the past 46 years Meadowood Meadowood is to enhance guests' knowledge has served as the heart and soul of the and enjoyment of wine. winegrowing community--as a center for A stay at Meadowood offers you entry social and family life and as a second home into an extraordinary way of life. Capture for travelers from around the world wishing the magic of Napa Valley and develop your to immerse themselves in the region, its own relationship with the people that define wines, and its people. Founded in 1964 as this unparalleled experience. F the sporting life at meadowood The forested hillsides of Meadowood's two hundred fifty-acre valley slope to the cool green of the estate's nine-hole, walking golf course. Presiding over the tranquil fairways and the golf teaching facility is Resident Golf Professional Doug Pike. Meadowood's Resident Tennis Professional, Doug King, is one of the country's leading tennis teaching innovators. The founder of Acceleration Tennis, a revolutionary teaching system, King is leading the way in reinterpreting the traditional tennis model, working with players of all skill levels from beginner to professional. Between dining and wine experiences we invite you to stretch your legs with a game of golf or tennis. 900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena, California 94574 Tel (707) 968-3153 www.meadowood.com

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from birth Last September FINE organised a large horizontal tasting of 2007 Napa Cabernet in Napa itself. Our intention was to update the Napa Valley classification of the Napa Valley wines we created a year ago. After tasting around forty Napa Cabernets blind, we were convinced and impressed. None of the wines disappointed us; in fact the quality of the wine was either excellent or at least good. Admittedly, there were only wines from the region's very top producers at the table. They all had the same silky tannins and lively acidic mouthfeel ­ these were elegant wines! The typical heavy and sturdy alcoholic nature of Napa Valley wine was left behind: was the 2007 vintage the reason for such a change in style? We also looked into how the vintage differed from the average, as well as what the top producers in the area thought of this vintage. Text: Pekka Nuikki & Juha Lihtonen Photos: Pekka Nuikki T he 2007 Napa Valley harvest season was exceptionally long, mild and dry. Thanks to the dryness and warmth, the spring growing season started a week earlier than normal. The rainfall for the year was low: only sixty per cent of normal. By withholding the rain, Mother Nature ensured that the vines did not grow too much, and she also made sure the grape's phenols had the ideal amount of ripening time. Scarce waterfall was a major factor in determining the concentration of the grapes, but the exceptionally mild weather during the summer and autumn also played a part in the slow and even growth of the grapes. So, what happened? Bond's winemaker Cory Empting mentions that one of the greatest things about the 2007 vintage was that the climate was nearly ideal for the tannin maturation and flavour development. He mentions that the harvest season had only two days when the temperature rose above 38 C (100 F). Because both of these days occurred at the beginning of the growth season they did not cause any the water evaporation problems, nor did they affect the sugar formation or the grapes' physiological ripening. Another notable point, according to Empting, was the low rainfall. The average for Oakville over the last twenty years has been around 83 centimetres. During 2007 it was only around 50 centimetres. At the beginning of the harvest the weather was mild, and at times cool, which guaranteed the picking of the ideal grapes in fabulous conditions. At Harlan's, Bond's sister estate, the harvest was finished during the first week of October and at Bond itself the process was completed a week later. Empting praises the ripe tannins of the grapes, as well as the rich aromatics that give the wines a wide and juicy N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 39 FINE Vintage

mouthfeel, fine concentration and flexible soft tannins. "As the wines finished fermentation and went into extended maturation, it became apparent that they had lots of fleshiness and concentration, combined with a large amount of very voluminous yet supple tannins. We decided to age the wine a few months longer due to the weight and structure, so they spent nearly 29 months in new oak. They continue to put on weight in the middle as they age in the bottle, but they seem to retain the freshness and acidity levels that are a result of a long temperate growing season. I think they are going to be wines that live a very long time but are enjoyable now. They should continue to evolve beautifully for the next 30 plus years," Empting sums up. Colgin's winemaker Allison Tauziet agrees with these comments and says that year was a super vintage. She has been charmed by the wine's outstanding aromatics, rich tannins and intense colours, which according to her have soaked into the wine from the grape skins with exceptional ease. At the Araujo estate in Calistoga, former winemaker Matt Tyler says that the growth season started in the middle of March. Due to the low rainfall during spring, the vineyards avoided mould and pest problems. Indeed, the long and ideal season continued all the way through to the end of September, when the last Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were picked at Araujo. Doug Shafer, from the Shafer's Vineyard in the Stag's Leap area, says that the vintage's quality has been the best for decades but it was also an exceptional harvest year due to the lack of traditional heat or rainfallrelated problems. "In spite of the early start to the season the fruit matured at a leisurely pace thanks to a long and cool summer with no surprises. There were no worries about high heat or incoming rain, and we left the fruit on the vine until the best possible moment. The lack of rain early in the year gave us smaller clusters, which by harvest time had resulted in smaller berries with outstanding concentration," Doug Shafer says. Winemaker Kristof Andersson, from the Oakville based Gargiulo Vineyards, says of the vintage: "We were able to essentially dry-farm most of our vineyards and they 40 FINE

didn't require much irrigation. The autumn weather was warm and consistent with no early rains, so picking decisions were based on perfect grape maturity being reached. The yields per acre were slightly below average due to stress factors the year before, thus the flavours and intensity were heightened. Our wines from the vintage are slightly more extracted than in general and the purity of ripe fruit flavours were achieved due to the overall balance of the vintage, especially in our Oakville terroir." At the Gargiulo's next-door neighbour, Screaming Eagle, winemaker Andy Erickson brings up the harvest's exceptional nature. "What was remarkable about 2007 was the ease of harvesting. The weather conditions were excellent between the middle of September and October. We were able to pick the grapes with precisely the level of ripeness that we wanted. The end result was that we got exactly the grape material we wanted, with balanced tannins, acids, colour pigmentation and aromatics. We succeeded just as well with all the other varieties we cultivate. This is an ideal starting point for winemaking and blending; as a winemaker I could not wish for more." At Heitz Cellars, where the vintage is still maturing in the barrels, they say that the wines have a deep colour, clear aromatics and rich extraction; they are especially happy about the perfect tannin structure and excellent acidity. According to David Heitz from Heitz Cellars, all of their Cabernet vineyards ripened evenly and fully, so harvest time was quite compact. The picking began in the third week of September and was finished by the second week of October. Heitz says: "Although the cluster count was about what we usually expect, the yield per acre was considerably lower due to the small size of the berries. That means more skin-to-juice contact, which has resulted in an exceptional wealth of concentrated flavours. Heitz Cellars' 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons are maturing slowly and beautifully in the barrel right now. They are displaying magnificent depth and purity of flavour with plenty of extraction. We are especially pleased with the overall balance of near-perfect tannin levels and brisk acidity. We will bottle the final lots selected for our 2007 vineyard-designated Cabernets next year, and they will be released in 2012. We can definitely promise these wines will be worth the wait!" N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 41 FINE Vintage

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The results of the tasting Even though the equal quality of the wines that were tasted blind attracted our attention, there were several wines that attracted our particular attention and the results were certainly surprising. The most prestigious wines from Napa ­ namely Harlan and Screaming Eagle ­ were not at the top, but were much more reserved in nature than many of the more unknown names. Several of the 1st and 2nd growth Napa Valley wines FINE has tasted did not succeed as well as expected in the tasting. Along with Harlan and Screaming Eagle, Araujo Eisele Vineyard, Bryant Family's Cabernet Sauvignon and Dalla Valle's Maya did not meet expectations. There is no denying the potential of these wines, but on the day of the tasting they were refrained and even closed in parts, which is rather typical of these top quality wines when they are young. On the other hand, the surprises were definitely Hourglass's Blueline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Tim Mondavi's Continuum, Blankiet Estate and Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting of Gargiulo 575 OVX divided opinions, but when scored highly it was amongst the region's very best. It is also worth mentioning the Bond wines, which were successful overall; of particular note was Bond's newest wine, Guella, whose style charmed us. So-called traditional names, such as Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Joseph Phelps Insignia, were left in the background when compared to these `new classics'. After the tasting we were able to draw at least a one conclusion about the 2007 vintage: the wines are extremely balanced and exeptionally enjoyable already. They are also multilayerd and have a sofisticated body. It can be estimated that they may even have an ageing potential of thirty years. > N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 43 FINE Vintage

"THE BEST NAPA CABERNET 2007" ­ HOURGLASS BLUELINE VINEYARD "THE BEST NAPA CABERNET 2007" ­ HOURGLASS BLUELINE VINEYARD HOURGLASS BLUELINE VINEYARD STOOD OUT AT THE ExTENSIVE 2007 NAPA CABERNET TASTING AS A CLEAR wINNER. IT EmPHATICALLY LEfT BEHIND THE HIGHLY RESPECTED fIRST AND SECOND GROwTHS Of NAPA VALLEY wITH ITS POLISHED, SmOOTH AND HARmONIOUS STYLE THAT IS PERfORmING SO wELL ALREADY. hourglass blueline vineyard cabernet sauvignon The quality of the wine "2007 was our second year with the Blueline vineyard. A warmer vintage for us, we moved to open up the trellis systems to provide greater shade with a looser canopy. Fortunately, the Cabernet vines that were planted in 2001 had reasonably mature root systems by that point and weathered the heat spells relatively well with the opened up canopies. With excessively drained gravel soils, little air humidity and a warmer season, watering was a necessity. Though we watered a little more than we would in a cooler vintage, we are always watching the plants to maintain that razor-thin balance of stressto-plant health, and watered only to counter the whims of Mother Nature through the heat spikes. For this wine we have harvested the Cabernet Sauvignons from two blocks planted on different clones ­ one in late 44 October and one in early November. The blocks were vinified separately and blended just before bottling. The ageing was done with 23 months in barrel, from which about 30 per cent were new French oak," Jeff Smith comments. According to Jeff, they will launch two other varietals, Merlot (350 cases) and Cabernet Franc (25 cases), from the Blueline vineyards. "We have also planted Malbec and Petit Verdot and are considering other site-appropriate varietals, so we will have some fun components to play with over time," he adds. Historical Background Jeff and Carolyn Smith had made an old family estate in St Helena, established by Jeff 's father back in 1976, a success after replanting the miniscule four-acre property with Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992. Since its first Cabernet vintage in 1997, the Hourglass has been hailed as one of the rising stars in the region. Soon after the first Hourglass Estate vintage, the Smiths started to look for another top class vineyard in the area. "We knew we could not replicate Hourglass, that wasn't the point. The idea was to find a site that would express its own unique personality, and do so at the highest level, as the Hourglass vineyard has," Carolyn Smith stresses. After years of searching, the Blueline vineyard ended up in the Smith's hands acidentally. Market price USD 125 FINE

"It was on a Sunday drive up to Silverado Trail when I spotted the "For Sale" sign on the road just south of Calistoga. The property was situated in the mouth of Dutch Henry Canyon, on the eastern side of Napa Valley. Its contiguous neighbours include the world famous Switchback Ridge vineyard and Duckhorn's legendary Three Palms and Monitor Ledge vineyards are situated across the street. A quality post code to say the least! 'We were very excited to find out that it sits next to Switchback Ridge, which was our long time winemaker's Bob Foley project. We knew his knowledge of the area would give us a head start when it came to managing the vineyard and crafting the wines," Jeff explains. Within minutes of walking on to the property, the Smiths knew it fitted their exact criteria and was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was one of the most exciting vineyards they had seen. The 41-acre property was quickly purchased in 2006. I walked through the property, all I could see were piles of rock taken out of the vineyard when it was planted. Additionally, this part of the valley is known for producing bold wines that we thought would be a powerful complement to the feline grace of Hourglass." The alluvial, mineral rich but nutrient poor gravel soils produce engagingly bold wines with intoxicating perfumed aromatics and dense concentration. Philosophy in winemaking The winemaking philosophy relies strictly on terroir. "The idea is that as Hourglass grows it will evolve from being a terroir-driven single vineyard wine, to a terroir-driven brand that encompasses several definitive estate wines. We want each property to be its own unique thing and express its own personality," Jeff Smith announces. Terroir The vineyard is at the confluence of two important watersheds that connect at the western tip of the vineyard. The two streams that form the property are known as the Blue Line Streams, a term used by the Californian Department of Fish & Game to describe sensitive watersheds, and this then became the name of the property ­ The Blueline Vineyard. As Jeff explains: "For thousands of years these streams have fishtailed back and forth creating the well-draining rock and gravel beds that are the underpinning of the soil structure on which the vineyard is planted. When Owners: Jeff & Carolyn Smith Founded: originally in 1976, but in its current form since 1992 First Vintage: 2006 (Hourglass Blueline), 1997 (Hourglass) Location: Dutch Henry Canyon, south of Calistoga Vineyard size: 41 acres Average age of vines: 6 years in 2007 Production: 600-800 cases Vineyard management: Kelly Maher (viticulturist), Josh Clark (vineyard manager) Winemaker: Bob Foley N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 45 FINE Vintage

46 FINE www.alphacreation.fr - labus dalcool est dangereux pour la santé, consommez avec modération

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 TASTING Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Gargiulo 1 - 30 Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Blankiet Estate 2007 Continuum 2007 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007 Bond Guella 2007 Colgin IX Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Bond St. Eden 2007 OVX Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Points 95 94 93 93 93 93 93 93 93 92 92 92 92 91 91 91 91 90 90 90 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Bond Pluribus 2007 Harlan Estate 2007 Araujo Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 The Maiden 2007 Colgin Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Dominus 2007 Pahlmeyer Proprietory Red 2007 Dalla Valle Maya 2007 N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 47 FINE Vintage NAPA VALLEY

Ranking 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Opus One 2007 Bond Melbury 2007 Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Matriarch 2007 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard 2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars FAY Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Bond Vecina 2007 Points 90 90 90 90 90 89 89 89 88 88 48 FINE

TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER 1 Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D5h/G4h 2010 / 2020 Medium intense, ruby colour. Seductive nose with cassis, cedar, vanilla and roasted coffee. Intense, mediumbodied palate shows a silky texture. Soft tannins support broad and prestine palate that shows lingering length. Warming alcohol is very well integrated and the wine is harmonious and beautifully balanced. 2 Blankiet Estate 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2024 Deep, purple colour. Seductive, elegant and Intensive spicy nose that delivers dark chocolate and cassis aromas. The palate is elegant, yet full-bodied. Intensive fruitiness, vivid acidity and supple tannins form a harmonious balance on palate. The finish is lingering long and opulent. Great wine to drink already but will definitely benefit from 10 to 15 years ageing. 94 p 95 p 3 Continuum 2007 93 p D5h/G4h 2010 / 2020 Medium-intense, purple colour. Open and seductive nose that shows toasty and sweet spicy aromas. Medium-bodied palate that shows mellow acidity and smooth tannins. Intense black fruit flavours with mint and chocolate tones. Long harmonious finish. 4 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007 D8h /G4h 2010 / 2017 Deep, ruby colour. Intense smoky nose with jammed cassis and spirity tones. Full-bodied, broad and rich mouthfeel. Plentiful of ripe black fruit. Soft tannins and mellow acidity. Harmonious palate with long toasty finish combined with sweet vanilla flavour. 93 p N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 49 FINE Vintage

TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER 5 Bond Guella 2007 D8h/G5h 2010 / 2022 Deep, dark ruby colour. A charming aromas in a bit closed nose. However it shows seductive spiciness, coconut, chocolate and fine touch of toastiness. Rich and intensive, full-bodied palate that has satin-like texture formed by smooth tannins, supple acidity, intensive fruit and high alcohol. Opulent wine with toasty and persistent character. 6 Colgin IX Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Deep, purple colour. Complex and lovely toasty nose with roasted coffee and touch of bacon. Full-bodied and elegant mouthfeel with satiny texture, well-integrated tannins and vivid acidity. Elegant and refined cassis fruit character. Long and harmonious finish that shows power as well as elegance. 93 p 93 p 7 Bond St. Eden 2007 8 Gargiulo 575 93 p D4h/G3h 2010 / 2020 Deep, dark red colour. Intense, perfumey and spicy nose with jammed black berries, violets and vanilla. Full-bodied, silky mouthfeel with mellow acidity and smooth tannic structure. Layered palate show plenty of ripe black fruit. Long and spicy finish with cassis, bramble and dark chocolate notes. OVX Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D6h/G3h 2010 / 2025 Quite deep, purple colour. Intense black fruit nose with roasted coffee, cassis, touch of bacon, and smoke. Medium-bodied and very elegant palate. Silky tannins, vivid acidity and ripe cassis fruit. A sophisticated and long finish has fresh cassis, bell pepper and coffee flavours. A seductive wine with lovely toastiness. 93 p 9 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D5h/G3h 2010 / 2018 Moderately deep, purple colour. Elegant nose that has complex aromatics ­ black fruits, spiciness and roasted coffee. Medium-bodied, vivid palate has silky texture formed by intense fruit and supple tannins. Lingering long finish with lovely toastiness. Elegant wine. 10 Bond Pluribus 2007 D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2030 Very intense, dark ruby colour. Rich and toasty nose with smokiness, licorice, dark chocolate and brambles. Explosive mouthfeel with superb concentration, rich and spicy palate. A macho wine that has power but still smooth elegance in great balance. 93 p 92 p 50 FINE

11 Harlan Estate 2007 D 10 h / G 7 h 2010 / 2030 Deep, ruby red colour. Intense and spicy nose with ripe black currants and brambles, dark chocolate, and violets. Full-bodied palate has silky structure and high alcohol strength that is well-integrated into the palate. Elegant, dense and harmonious wine that has a long and concentrated finish. 12 Araujo Eisele 92 p Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D5h/G3h 2010 / 2020 Medium-intense, purple colour. Smoky, toasty, and vanilla flavoured nose that shows elegant and ripe black fruit nose with perfumey touch. Medium-bodied palate which is highlighted with supple tannins and mellow acidity. Charmingly elegant and long finish shows some jammed cassis, tobacco and coffee flavours. 92 p 13 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D5h/G3h 2010 / 2016 Deep, ruby red colour. Pronounced toasty nose with ripe cassis and dark chocolate aromas. Fullbodied, powerful but still sophisticated style. Intense fruitiness is married well with spicy flavours and toasted oak. Long and harmonious finish. Smooth style. 14 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Medium-intense, ruby colour. A reserved nose shows ripe black currant aromas with touch of mint and spices, even some floral notes. Medium-bodied and vivid palate formed by lively acidity, velvety tannins and intense fruitiness. Long finish with licorice notes. Elegant structure and complex wine that is still closed. Further ageing is definitely recommended. 92 p 91 p 15 The Maiden 2007 D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2020 Deep, dark ruby colour. Pronounced jammy nose with elegant spicy character ­ cassis, brambles, vanilla, licorice and dark chocolate. Full-bodied palate shows broad fruity character with intense spicy and toasty flavours. Long warming finish. 16 Colgin Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2020 Intense, deep purple colour. Seductive floral nose with fresh ripe cassis aromas. Medium-bodied and elegant palate with good concentration of fruit. Firm and persistent tannic structure. Long, spicy and tight finish. 91 p 91 p N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 51 FINE Vintage TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER

TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER 17 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G3h 2010 / 2020 18 Dominus 2007 90 p D8h/G5h 2010 / 2030 Medium intense ruby red colour. Intense, toasty and roasted coffee nose. Medium-bodied, smooth, supple mouthfeel with soft tannins and elegant fruit. Long and harmonious finish that has dark chocolate flavours. 91 p Moderately intense ruby colour. Complex and very intensive nose that shows black fruits, dark chocolate, toasty and smoky aromas. Intense and full-bodied palate is rich, firm and concentrated. Spicy and warming finish with mouthdrying tannins. Firm and intense palate that needs ageing to get rounder. 19 Pahlmeyer Proprietory Red 2007 D9h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Deep, purple colour. Robust and rich nose with dark chocolate, ripe black currants and touch of roasted coffee. Full-bodied and opulent palate that has polished tannins, supple acidity and jammy fruitiness. The wine is very concentrated, expressive and harmonious. 20 Dalla Valle Maya 2007 D 12 h / G 4 h 2010 / 2030 Moderately intense purple colour. Closed, slightly dusty nose with jammed black fruits with spirity tones. Intense medium-bodied palate delivers jammed fruitiness with fresh black currant and bramble flavours. Firm tannic structure. A long, spicy, and warming finish. The wine has potential but is currently closed. 90 p 90 p 21 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Moderately intense, ruby colour. Intense, ripe cassis notes combined with spicy tobacco nuances. Fullbodied, supple acidity and bit edgy tannins. Ripe black fruit character forms a supple balance. Moderately long spicy and mineral finish with tar and smokiness. 22 Opus One 2007 90 p D7h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Deepish, purple colour. Pronounced, black currant nose with toastiness and vanilla tones. Full-bodied, spicy, oaky and tannic palate forms a tight mouthfeel. Ripe black currant fruit and high alcohol are making the palate a bit softer. The aftertaste is concentrated and oaky. The wine needs for at least ten years bottle ageing to open and become harmonious. 90 p 52 FINE

23 Bond Melbury 2007 D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2018 Deep, ruby red colour. Intense, rich and toasty nose with touch of violets. Full-bodied and intense palate with ripe black currant fruit, mellow acidity and firm tannins. A bit tight finish. 24 Joseph Phelps 90 p Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2022 Moderately deep, ruby colour. Intense and toasty nose with sweet spicies, licorice, tar and coconut. Full-bodied and very concentrated palate with toasty oak and spicy flavours. Vivid acidity and firm tannins. Long mouthdrying finish is escorted with oaky and jammed cassis tones. 90 p 25 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2022 Moderately deep, dark ruby colour. Intense spicy nose with cappuccino and hot chocolate aromas. Fullbodied, intense and jammy palate with sturdy tannins. Long smoky and spicy finish. A robust style. 26 Matriarch 2007 89 p D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2022 Deep, ruby colour. Intense, smoky and toasty nose with new oak, dark chocolate and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and smooth palate delivers vanilla, licorice and toasty oak flavours. Warming long finish with jammed and spicy flavours. 90 p 27 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer ToKalon Vineyard 2007 D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2022 Deep, ruby colour. Intense, smoky and toasty nose with new oak, dark chocolate and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and smooth palate delivers vanilla, licorice and toasty oak flavours. Warming long finish with jammed and spicy flavours. 28 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars FAY Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D 10 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2022 Moderately intense, purple colour. Jammed black fruit, spicy and roasted coffee nose. Silky and smooth palate with polished tannins and long spicy and mineral aftertaste with licorice tones. 89 p 89 p N A PA VA L L E Y V I N TAG E 2 0 0 7 53 FINE Vintage TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER

TASTING NOTES IN RANKING ORDER 29 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G4h 2010 / 2022 Deep, ruby colour. Rich and opulent nose with dark chocolate and cassis aromas. Full-bodied and powerful palate with polished dry tannins and elegant ripe black fruit. The high level of alcohol is pronounced in the long finish. The wine lacks some persistence and focus. 30 Bond Vecina 2007 D8h/G5h 2010 / 2025 Deep, dark ruby colour. Elegant nose with floral tones ­ jasmin flower, ripe raspberries, black currants and smoke. Full-bodied and intense palate. Good dose of jammed black currants, seductive toastiness and chunky tannins. Long and concentrated finish. The wine needs at least 10 to 15 years ageing to deliver its best. 88 p 88 p 31 Joseph Phelps Insignia 2007 D8h/G5h 2010 / 2022 Moderately deep, ruby red colour. Rich, intense and complex nose that has pronounced smoky and jammed black fruit aromas. Full-bodied and opulent mouthfeel. The palate shows jammy fruit with silky tannins and heavy oakiness. A warming finish that is highlighted by sweet spicy flavours. The wine lacks bit of persistency. 32 Colgin Cariad Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D 12 h / G 6 h 2010 / 2030 Deep, purple colour. Powerful nose with smoky, toasty and spicy tones ­ licorice, gravel and mineral notes. Full-bodied palate with good concentration of acidity, black fruit and minerality. Spicy and mineral finish that is dominated by dry, tight and mouth-drying tannins. 88 p 88 p 33 Darius II Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D8h/G5h 2010 / 2022 34 Gargiulo 575 OVX `G Major 7' Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 D6h/G4h 2010 / 2025 Fairly intense ruby red colour. Pronounced toasty nose with roasted coffee and black fruits. Full-bodied, yet delicate palate with moderately tight tannic and woody mouthfeel. Toastiness and ripe black fruit aromas in the mid palate are overtaken by mouthdrying tannins in a moderately long finish. Very tight and restrained still. The wine benefits from 4­6 years bottle ageing and reaches its peak in 2025. 87 p Intense, deep, ruby red colour. Opulent, rich and spirity nose with sweet spices, pronounced toastiness and jammed cassis. Full-bodied, very intense, rich and jammy palate with sweet spicy and warming alcoholic finish. The wine will deliver its best after 10 ­15 years of ageing. 86 p 54 FINE

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The World's Best Holiday Destination hat do you think of the wine?" asks Frédéric Engerer, President of Château Latour, handing me a glass of the house's fine 1961 vintage. I taste it and affirm that the wine is in good condition and excellent in quality. Frédéric goes on opening bottles; next in line is a Magnum bottle from the same year. Around us, sommeliers and waiters are setting a long dinner table for forty guests. The Magnum is also in excellent condition, and if anything even slightly more youthful than the previously decanted normal formats. "Is the 1982 as perfect as I remember?" asks Daniel Boulud, "W 2010 who has just arrived, in good spirits as always. He is in charge of the thirty or so chefs who are preparing the dinner in the kitchens above. Frédéric opens a 1982 and hands a glass to Daniel, saying in French; You tell us. Are we in Paris, London or New York?" None of the above; we are far from any metropolis, in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee. The reason we are here is not just the world's best wine or the abovementioned chef, but the place itself, the wonderful Blackberry Farm. BLACKBERRY FARM 57 FINE De stination

Y ou have reached your destination, the authoritative voice on my GPS announced a few days earlier. I parked my car in a space next to what I thought looked like a main building, stepped out and looked around me. In the meadow opposite the building a lonely, illuminated kids' swing swayed in the wind under a long branch, awaiting the morning and the happy bustling of children. On the top of a hill behind my Lexus stood a long, low stone building whose windows gave off a warm light into the pitch-black night. Behind the wooden building, many miles away, dark and rugged mountain tops were wreathed in fog, covering the horizon. It was midnight. The silence was complete. I stepped into the main building and was drawn in by an immediate welcoming feeling. I walked around looking at the objects in the room: old books, maps, wooden miniatures, framed press clippings, dried flowers, jam and marmalade pots and local newspapers. As if I'd gone back to my own childhood. I picked out a newspaper from a pile and sank into the soft embrace of a pale leather couch. Moments later a man arrived, cheerful and broadly smiling despite the late hour, apologising for making me wait. He hadn't heard the silent arrival of my hybrid car. I put aside the paper and smiled back. "Welcome to Blackberry Farm. Shall we leave the formalities until later, sir? I assume you are keen to have a rest after your long journey." He was right. I had had a long journey: that morning I was still on another continent, and the last fivehour drive from Atlanta Airport had finished me off. I just wanted to go to sleep in my own room. My noiseless journey continued a little longer in a golf cart. My host apologised for the darkness of the night but reminded me that dawn would reveal the landscape in just a few hours. As the golf cart's lights sliced through the night, we were accompanied only by the sounds of some birds and sheep in the fields and forests along the way. In just a few minutes we arrived at a little house. The rooms at Blackberry Farm are actually cabins with their own porches and golf carts. I stepped in and stood in the middle of the living room, thankful for the warm air provided by the air conditioning. A large picture window that made up almost a whole wall of the cabin showed a glimmer of lit windows through the trees and a narrow strip of night sky. I unpacked my suitcase in a separate walk-in wardrobe, took a brief but hot shower and collapsed onto the welcoming bed. On the night stand was a small children's book: The Complete Tales of Blackberry Farm by Jane Pilgrim, whose delightful farm characters and their many adventures lulled me into a deep sleep in record time. D awn broke on Blackberry Farm without any awareness on my part. The sheep, cows, chickens, llamas and horses had been fed and turned out into pasture. The cheese master had started his day in the farm's dairy, the butcher had chopped and selected the best cuts of meat and 58 FINE

Daniel Boulud the gardener had picked fresh salads and herbs for the brunch table. Some early-bird guests had waded in the slow-running river under the sun's first rays, using handmade flies to lure glistening trout. Even the spa and gym had provided wellness to the first guests before I even opened my eyes. I woke up refreshed, much later than usual. The perfect silence and wonderful bed had done their thing. I had a cold shower and dressed quickly as my stomach vociferously reminded me of itself, and stepped out in hope of finding some hot brunch. I unplugged the golf cart from its charging bay and started to follow the signs. The narrow driveway widened into a bigger road and my attention was immediately drawn to the faraway misty blue mountains up ahead. I continued to drive slowly among the winding, paved road. After snaking its way through a wood consisting of knobbly thick trees, the path climbed to a densely wooded hilltop and dropped back down to an open BLACKBERRY FARM 59 FINE De stination

space, where the morning sun was glinting off a small pond. I passed many meadows with animals, the odd guest house surrounded by large trees whose branches and roots wound around them like gigantic serpents, couples in golf carts, happily waving at passersby, and kids on tennis courts with their parents. Then the path started to rise. Further on there was a hill crested by trees, from among which smoke puffed out. I parked my cart in front of the stone building, switched off the engine and alighted. The surrounding expanse of meadow was sighing in the wind and absorbing all the noise of people enjoying their brunch. Bees buzzed in the fresh morning air and the scent of burning beech wood wafted from somewhere. I gazed at the swing, blowing gently in the breeze. I recalled what it felt like to swing as a child: the wind tickling at your toes and caressing your face while joy filled your belly and having to laugh out loud so your little heart wouldn't completely burst. I decided to try the swing as soon as I could. I n front of the main building, in the open doorway, stood a man clad in jeans and a casual shirt. Curly-haired, he looked younger than his age, fit like a swimmer, with a lively facial expression. He introduced himself as Sam Beall, proprietor of Blackberry Farm. Instead of going in for brunch, we wandered over to the swing. The surrounding scenery was just as breath taking as people had described in their online ratings. The mountains which encircle the area were still partly shrouded in mist, while the wide expanses of forest at their feet enveloped us in their cool, green embrace. There was a strong sense of privacy. " When you stand out here today, all you can see has been protected by us. In last seven years we have been lucky and have been able to purchase almost every possible piece of land around us as far as the border of the neighbouring Smoky Mountain National Park. Now we can say that everything you are looking at will never change," Sam explained, serenely. The thought of eternity, timelessness and the unchanging nature of things imbued the landscape before me with a deeper meaning. The concept of time is a given in human life. An hour has a specific number of minutes, a day has a certain number of hours and a year a number of days. Time manifests itself to us through movement. But what about when everything seems to stop around you and movement ceases? Does time stop too? Time is highly subjective, and the thoughts of halted time and permanence that came into my head as I stood on that hill didn't seem at all bad. The only reminder of time and motion was the swing that waved in time with the breeze. The bubble of timelessness was suddenly burst when Sam asked me if I had had brunch. At least my stomach thought that the best possible reason to keep moving in time. Brunch was served outside, unusually for the farm. Daniel Boulud had conjured up a ten-metrelong banquet table with delicacies made from local ingredients. It was 60 FINE

without doubt the best brunch I've ever had. Sam and I sat down at the table on the main building's terrace and continued our conversation. As I enjoyed the colourful and generous brunch, I couldn't avoid the question of how important it is that the ingredients are from the farm itself. "Entirely self-sufficient is not our goal. We have spectacular neighbours in our cove and in the region from whom we love to feature great products. What is most important to me is to clearly showcase the beauty of this place. When people travel here from around the world, we won't be confused with the Four Seasons experience that they just had in New York or Tokyo. Blackberry Farm is a luxury property focused on providing a personal and interactive experience that is unique in location, service and product, while promoting a sustainable and responsible lifestyle." T o live, man needs water, air, fire and earth. The qualities of the earth are reflected in Sam Beall BLACKBERRY FARM 61 FINE De stination

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our physical being: we are made of skin, bone and flesh. So is Sam Beall, but he is also so much more. He is a disconcerting mix of youthful energy, a twinkle in the eye, bashfulness and yet the calm confidence brought by experience. In some ways, Sam is in his element right here on this soil, and in other ways he isn't. What is Sam really made of? "My background and genuine passion and interest have always been in the kitchens, and this exploded during the two years I lived in California: going to culinary school, working at dairies, farmers' markets, wineries, and The French Laundry restaurant. Perhaps specific to the question, the reason was that the roots and physical place here were so prime for developing or evolving into something more special in the areas that my background and passion were all about. The opportunity could not have been laid out any better than in the uniqueness of these rural hills of East Tennessee." round us there are numerous buildings. The landscape architecture is beautiful and every construction stands in its place like a temple. When the ancient Mayans built their temples, they paid close attention to the orientation of each building in relation to the sun's rising and setting. The terrace we sit on is blessed by the morning sun. Enjoying coffee in the morning sun has become something of a ritual for me, which I make sure to enjoy as often as possible. Although temples are often impressive on the outside, it is usually their insides that matter most, and the same is true at Blackberry Farm. The soul of the houses is inside them. "The interior design has always been led by Kreis Beall, my mother. The philosophy, first, is to be as if you were in someone's home ­ which in fact you are, because this is why the Bealls purchased Blackberry Farm. It was their home, not a business in those early years. I was born here and still live right in the middle of the property. The only difference is that as a working resort, we just share A our home with more people! In addition, there are really two types of room and interior philosophies here: the old-world, English antique, chintz, Ralph Lauren florals and fluff, and the more contemporary, with clean polished lines and neutral tones being in juxtaposition to the rustic environment that is right outside those same cottage doors." T he brunch tables are slowly emptying. To our left there is a young couple with two teenaged daughters, who regularly remind their parents of the riding lesson that is due to start soon. Behind us is a group of four men, who are eagerly comparing their handmade fishing lures. I'd say they were bankers, and it seems they were some of this morning's early river-waders in hope of trout. In front is a woman immersed in a thick book, slowly enjoying her coffee. Who is Blackberry Farm's typical guest, or is there such a thing? "We desire a discriminating guest. It is the little things that distinguish 64 FINE

our service and we love guests who recognise, appreciate and enjoy these special parts of life. We also love to have guests who have not been to or spent much time in Tennessee. We believe that our Smoky Mountain area is one of the most unique and spectacular places on earth and we can prove it to guests when they visit. We want guests who are looking for an experience and who will allow us to guide them through a great new experience ­ whether that is wine, food, relaxation, or outdoor adventure." L iving on the receiving end of today's abundant supply, modern wealthy Americans are not satisfied with things being good, or there being just a little of it. Extensive supply has led to a buyer's market. Unprofessional or even mediocre operators disappear quickly from the market, because they have no attraction. That leaves only the professionals, which means that even high-quality operations cannot guarantee success. You have to stand out by a mile, and Blackberry Farm does that. The farm's winerelated events have been especially widely praised, both by guests and by vintners visiting from around the world. Wine is an important part of Blackberry Farm, even if the estate does not yet have its own vineyard. Naturally, wine is at its best when it is enjoyed ­ especially in good company. Whether this experience is unique and unforgettable depends on how and when it takes place. The experiences we have with wines are always personal. Each of us contributes something of our personalities and personal histories, making the end result unique every time. At Blackberry Farm, fine wines are not drunk and evaluated purely for the tasting experience; they carry with them long histories and impressions from the local culinary and service traditions. All these elements together make the experience perfect. Blackberry Farm's reputation has attracted many of the world's best Frédéric Engerer BLACKBERRY FARM 65 FINE De stination

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"When you stand out here today, all you can see has been protected by us. In last seven years we have been lucky and have been able to purchase almost every possible piece of land around us as far as the border of the neighbouring Smoky Mountain National Park. Now we can say that everything you are looking at will never change," BLACKBERRY FARM 67 FINE De stination

winemakers to Tennessee ­ like Château Latour's Engerer. "In early 2002 I paired Gary Danko, Charlie Trotter and David Kinch respectively with Paul Hobbs, Heidi and Bo Barrett and William Selyem. The interest from our guests and momentum has carried us to do 12 to 17 events per year that have included many greats such as Sine Qua Non, Domaine de Marcoux, Pingus, Screaming Eagle, Colgin, Harlan, Domaine Weinbach, Chris Ringland, Alois Kracher, Le Pin, Latour, Perrot Minot, Chave and many others," says Sam and he continues: "In the past 15 years, our annual event schedule has brought us amazing talents such as Thomas Keller and Annie Feolde, and winemakers from Latour and Screaming Eagle. As for the improvements of 2011, we are going to build on the great tradition by hosting new events with the same level of expertise that focus on cycling, music, outdoor events and other wonderful, enriching experiences. Just to highlight a few, we will be including musical greats like Emmylou Harris, renowned photographer Ron Van Dongen, outdoor expert George Hincapie, and many other amazing talents." If I had to name just one chef who combines brilliant presentation and management skills with the best culinary competence, I would pick Daniel Boulud, who also stands out thanks to his cheerful personality. Exuding positivity, the master chef joins us now with a suggestion for the evening's eight-course menu. I leave Daniel and Sam to their plans and wander off pensively towards the still-empty swing. I sit on its cool wooden board and kick off ­ in reality and in my head. Am I too grown up for fun? Could I experience the joy and contentment of youth once more, even momentarily? Many of us experience happiness as the wellbeing we feel when we enjoy life. So why should it be impossible? At Blackberry Farm it is not impossible ­ it's not even difficult. Beating like a heart enveloped by the misty mountains, the farm is a state of mind: it is like a memory from somewhere deep inside me, a memory of love, hope, faith in people and in myself. Blackberry Farm breathes and exudes this through the surrounding woods and valleys. It is a recollection of a time when life and enjoyment of it were simple and the love of the land was a given. These days we expect everything to happen here and now, but even in our ever-changing society some things remain unchanged and can therefore become legendary. Blackberry Farm is one of the few places where even a wine lover's biggest dreams can feel achievable. Those who come here are living a life that many dream of. Here, faith in life, the world and humanity emanates from the environment, the buildings and the places where you spend time. A place should live and express itself in the same way as the people who call it home. Blackberry Farm must be one of the best examples of passion and faith in one's chosen lifestyle. It is a beautiful, fragrant reminder of what I dream of for my own life.> Every year, FINE Magazines appoints . The panel comprises the Editors-in-Chief and writers of FINE's international portfolio of magazines. This year the judges were unanimous in selecting Blackberry Farm, Tennessee, USA. In their statement they described the winner as "simply the best service and atmosphere we have ever experienced". The other two finalists were Villa d'Este, Lake Como, Italy, and Aman Resort, New Delhi, India. Blackberry Farm is easy to get to and hard to leave! Situated on a pastoral 4,200-acre estate in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm has earned its reputation as one of the most highly acclaimed small luxury hotels in the USA For general inquiries and reservations, please contact us toll-free at 800) 648 4252 or directly at 865) 984.8166. For email inquiries, please contact info@blackberryfarm.com. Blackberry Farm 1471 West Millers Cove Road Walland, Tennessee 37886 68 FINE

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­ the Precisionist of Barbaresco Text: SuSAnne ReininGeR / PekkA nuikki Photography: JoHAnneS GRAu "Sì, tutto Gaja!" A Piedmontese lady wearing a colourful apron points at a hill topped by a tower: Barbaresco. The city's hallmark, the Torre di Barbaresco, is a good navigational landmark and it is only a stone's throw from where we are. Having said her piece, the lady slinks indoors and waits behind the curtain until we have left. We soon realise that in the northern Italian area of Langhe, a stone's throw implies a number of narrow and winding roads that spiral endlessly over hills and through dales before they reach their destination. Immediately after the sign announcing our arrival in the village of Barbaresco, the road bends sharply to the left and becomes the hilly town's main street, named Via Torino. To the right are a church, a trattoria, a post office and an unpretentious brick building with a blue-grey metal gate. A tractor approaches the gate with half a dozen crates of grapes on its trailer. The gate has a brass plaque inscribed "Gaja", so we have arrived. The tractor driver honks his horn and the gate creaks open, letting us into the realm of perhaps Italy's most renowned wine producer. He is Angelo Gaja, of the 1940 vintage. Gaja took over the reins of the family business, established by his great-grandfather Giovanni in 1859, 48 years ago. Thanks to his fine-quality wines, he has turned it into an internationally renowned company that produces top-rated wines. Gaja produces the classic Barbaresco D.O.C.G., as well as other wines made from Nebbiolo grapes grown in five separate vineyards. They are Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin and Costa Russi from the Barbaresco area, and Sperss and Conteisa from the Barolo area. Wines from these areas are some of the most renowned and most expensive in the world. The American wine critic Robert M. Parker describes the Piedmontese Gaja estate as one of Italy's most fascinating and revolutionary wine producers. The highly esteemed Wine Spectator chose Angelo Gaja as Man of the Year 2008, and no other Italian wine producer has received the top score from the Italian Gambero Rosso wine guide ­ tre bicchieri or three glasses ­ as often as he. Gaja has won the accolade 43 times. 70 FINE

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QueeN NeBBIOLO "I have just been lucky!" exclaims the winemaker when the discussion turns to his global renown. Gaja emphasises the fact that he is still, above all, a craftsman. "I happen to live and work in a unique area. In Italy we have as many as 1500 grape varieties, which is more than any other country in the world. Here in Piedmont, Nebbiolo is the queen of grapes. It is unique and its secret lies beneath its tough skin: the flesh is acidic with lots of tannins. I have been ambitious and have worked hard to tame these characteristics in order to bring out all the nuances of the wine." Gaja smiles contemplatively but soon turns serious. He continues his story and reminds us of his privileged position as the heir to a family with a long history in wine. He does not say a word about what an arduous journey he had to complete while developing the region's typical Nebbiolo grape before the variety would produce a fine wine that has brought worldwide acclaim, not only to Gaja but to Italy as a whole. But it has been written about so much that I may be excused in skipping it now. More important is the estate's anniversary: it is now 150 years since Despite the charismatic glint in the eye, the condottiere has the nature of a soft patriarch. Via Torino in Barbaresco is Angelo Gaja's kingdom, and it is where his roots lie. the Piedmontese Gaja family began making wine in contravention of all the traditional rules, turning themselves into pioneers and frontrunners. Great-grandfather Giovanni ran a small trattoria and on the side he cultivated grapes in a two-hectare vineyard. That was in order to complement the good food that he offered his guests with his own wine. He would also sell the wine for willing patrons to take home in a large wicker-covered bottle. At that time most other wine growers sold their grapes only to negozianti, or wholesalers. until the 1960s, grapes were of secondary importance, and many families cultivated wheat or beans between the vines. These commodities were valued more in farming, as they provided basic nourishment. While their neighbours were completely dependent on the pricing policies of the large-scale producers and therefore earned poorly from their wines, Giovanni's wine had more and more buyers. Soon he gave up his restaurant entirely and bought more land with his savings, in order to start his own vineyard in 1859. He was one of the first producers in Italy to stop using purely barrels and to begin bottling his wine. 72 FINE

BLACk AND WHITe GAJA The founder's son Angelo and grandson Giovanni (father of the current owner) continued his work in to the second and third generations, with Giovanni acquiring more quality vineyards. He not only cultivated grapes, he was also a qualified geometra, or surveyor, and environmental architect. Furthermore, he was the Mayor of Barbaresco for 16 years. This gave him a privileged position when it came to hearing about local places coming up for sale. Although useful, the knowledge did not guarantee Giovanni access to the best land. On the other hand, his competence and skills as a surveyor were very advantageous, and he was able to buy several very good vineyards at bargain prices. When Giovanni established an estate named Roncagliette, which today contains the top-class vineyards Sori Tildin and Costa Russi, the latter plot had no vines at all and had been completely razed. "The previous owner was an engineer who worked for Fiat in Turin and wasn't prepared to pay for the cost of running a vineyard," Angelo says. "His winemaker also complained that the infertile ground was too spent to grow anything fruitful. No one wanted to invest another lira into it." Angelo's father realised the potential of the good hillside plot, however, and knew that with tender care he could make it recover. Thanks to his far-sighted, thoughtful actions, Giovanni turned Gaja into one of the leading vineyards in Italy. His Barbaresco, which he sold for the same price as his other wines, became as renowned as its older brother Barolo, which was cultivated in the most highly regarded areas ­ Brunate, Cerequio, Rocche di La Morra and Cannubi. Gaja's 1961 vintage is considered to be the best Barbaresco vintage so far from the area. It has received praise from wine critic Michael Broadbent, among others. "One of the best Italian wines I have ever tasted," said Broadbent in 1984. Gaja's flagship never spread beyond its native locality, however. "When the family vigneto underwent the latest generation change in 1961, it was in nearly perfect dimensions: we had about 21 hectares of cultivated land, producing approximately 60 000 bottles of wine per year. However, our customers were almost without fail from northeastern Italy, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria or Rome," Angelo recalls. So his father tasked him with getting the wines sold around the world. Giovanni also designed a new label for the wine in 1937, to emphasise its uniqueness. Instead of the area of cultivation, the idea was to focus on the winery. The label had the name of the estate, GAJA, originally in-red and later in white lettering on a black background. Although the label has been updated to follow the fashions of the passing decades ­ for instance adding silver stripes in the 1970s ­ the name of the estate has always remained the same. In the 1980s, Angelo made the label completely monochromatic. The black-and-white label is still used on D.O.C.G. bottles and the producer's other fine wines. "The changes were not just a show of astute marketing; they were really revolutionary at the time," Angelo says. He is full of admiration for his father's labours: turning a Nebbiolo into a high-quality Barbaresco was not easy back then. "Neither steel vats nor controlled fermentation or small barrels were used yet in winemaking. The hygiene level in the cellars was also completely different than today, as running water and plumbing were not brought in until 1964." Those changes were also thanks to his father's position as mayor. GAJA 73 FINE Legend

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Soft half-light spreads over the vine-green hills of Piedmont. Barbaresco is the home of Angelo Gaja's characteristic wines. GAJA 75 FINE Legend

The new generation's fresh charm and the nostalgic brilliance of the well-known label on old bottles. BeANS, WHeAT AND WINe The year in which Angelo Gaja inherited the estate from his parents was the last time that the estate bought grapes from other growers. Angelo also radically changed the grape cultivation practices. "When I took over the lead of the estate, vegetables, beans and wheat were still grown in between the vines. Also, 24 or 25 branches were left on the vines," Angelo says. He halved the number of branches to improve quality. "We were the first growers in Piedmont to do that and the others thought we were crazy. They were convinced that pruning was a mistake," he says with a boyish grin. But the end result was not bad. Still, even with half of the branches being cut back, the vines came up with too many buds in the spring, so in 1991 Angelo started a systematic spring pruning of his vines. "Vineyards need innovation and enthusiasm. It is not always easy to explain to outsiders, however, and many consumers still have a rather romantic view of winemaking," explains this pioneer. "People think that traditions are everything and expect to hear that we still make wine using the same techniques as our great-grandparents." Naturally, not all modern methods have been successful, either. A wine craftsman must understand what it is that makes a good wine and what will only have a superficial effect. Angelo's winemaker Guido Rivella, who also has an excellent reputation as a producer, always thinks very carefully about how to truly improve quality. travels around California. In California he was enthralled by Robert Mondavi's readiness for experimentation. Mondavi proved that the French methods could be used to produce French-quality wines in other parts of the world. "California encouraged me to carry out my own ideas, rather than being stuck in the old traditions," Angelo admits. The time he spent in Burgundy also significantly broadened his horizons. Beaune was where Angelo "first experienced a genuine wine culture. One could feel it in the sommeliers' actions, as they decanted and served wine," Angelo says excitedly. "It all made wine even more fascinating to me." The experience left a lasting impression on Angelo and he has used it in his own sales strategy: "Restaurants are a crucial outlet for fine wines, because their patrons know how to celebrate wine. No one has to have a ten-course meal; they can simply order a valuable wine and enjoy it." GROWTH BOOST FROM CALIFORNIA Angelo's ambition to come up with new ideas and techniques has allowed him to spend a year at a renowned wine school in Montpellier, partake of tours of the famous winegrowing regions of Burgundy and on 76 FINE

Gaia Gaja And so Angelo returned home and set to work, full of ideas. He adopted the barrique ageing technique, long used in California, in order to soften the Nebbiolo's tannins. Since then, and after vinification in steel vats, he has aged his wines for a maximum of twelve months in small barrels, and then for another twelve in large barrels made of Slovenian oak. After fermentation in steel vats, the wine is allowed to ferment for the traditional two weeks under carefully controlled circumstances. Crushed grapes from individual vineyards are fermented for one week at 28C and then for two weeks at 18C. The method that finally sealed Angelo's fame as a pioneer in winemaking in his region was growing the Nebbiolo grapes individually in separate vineyards, such as Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin and Costa Russi. "From 1978 we had the three abovementioned single-vineyard Barbarescos, as well as four from blended grapes. After ten or fifteen years our customers began to favour the single-vineyard wines," Angelo says, emphatically. "They thought that our Barbaresco was suddenly an `ordinary' wine. For goodness' sake! Meanwhile, our single-vineyard, separately grown wines did better, even in blind tastings. It bothered me." So Angelo decided to make some changes: he left off the carefully protected origin denomination, "Barbaresco D.O.C.G.", from the 1996 vintage of his single-vineyard wines. "Some thought that we were moving on to cuvée wines, as many had done in Tuscany," Angelo recalls, and explains: "Here in Gaia Gaja is in charge of taking the Piedmontese wine estate into the future. Piedmont, no fine wines grow other than the Nebbiolo. The only grape we could have mixed it with was possibly the Barbera. People have only now begun to understand why we had to do what we did, but today the Barbaresco's image has been completely overhauled and it is our absolute flagship." Angelo Gaja's Barbaresco is a cuvée of grapes from four distinct Nebbiolo vineyards, all of which have been separately processed. Therefore, for example, Bricco di Neive gives the grapes a characteristic taste of plum, jam and pear, whereas Pajorè has strong tannins and Roncaglietta is very refined and perfect for cuvées. Angelo's father Giovanni had already adopted the practice of combining the Nebbiolo grapes from different plots into a multidimensional wine. Thus he was originally worried when his son, in the peak years of his experimentation phase, cleared two and a half hectares of Nebbiolo grapes from the southern slopes beneath the family home in Barbaresco to make way for Cabernet Sauvignon vines. That experiment was also to prove fruitful. Today's very popular cuvée consists of 95 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 per cent Merlot and 2 per cent Cabernet Franc. Angelo wittily named the wine darmagi, meaning "what a pity". GAJA 77 FINE Legend

300 000 HANDMADe BOTTLeS Although Angelo had previously tried combinations of French grapes, he noted on his international travels that "Nebbiolo really was unique, but it could not compete with the best-known French wines." Today his Barbaresco D.O.C.G. "can, however compete even with the top Burgundy and Bordeaux wines." The family business produces around 300 000 bottles of wine per year these days; eighty per cent of the production is sold to 56 countries around the world. The family owns some 100 hectares of vineyards, including the best areas of Barbaresco and Barolo. In 1988, Angelo bought a top vineyard covering 12 hectares in nearby Serralunga and named it Sperss, which means "nostalgia" in the Piedmontese dialect. The Gaja family was at this point became the largest private holder of vineyards in the area. "We are no longer looking to expand our business," Angelo says. "We are still craftsmen and want to sell wines that we ourselves produce." Gaja's vineyards and cellars have around 70 permanent employees, and the hillside crops are harvested by hand and brought to the cellars one parcel at a time. The soil in Barbaresco is similar to that of Barolo: the Langhe region consists of clay, limestone and sand. Angelo mixes in organic humus produced on the estate in order to ensure optimal nourishment for the grapes. properties of the Nebbiolo are at their best here. Sori San Lorenzo is the strongest and most masculine wine of the three. It usually requires a bottle ageing time of at least 10-15 years, whereas Sori Tildin is known for its more feminine, elegant quality. Costa Russi, located at a lower altitude than Sori Tildin, has a cooler microclimate. Bought at the same time as Sori Tildin, this vineyard is just a stone's throw away. All three single-vineyard Barbarescos share their grape blend: 95 per cent Nebbiolo and 5 per cent Barbera. GAIA GAJA "My grandfather and father laid the foundations for our successful family business. They shared my views regarding winegrowing and they paved the way for me," Angelo says. "But, they also gave me enough freedom. I am acutely aware of the fact that it is my duty to continue this work for the sake of our children, to allow them to test their wings, too." It is now time for another change in generation. At the end of 2007, the daily operations of the business were transferred to the fifth generation of Gaja. The company is now led by Angelo's oldest daughter, Gaia, who has clearly inherited her laugh from her father. Her name refers both to joy and to Mother earth. Gaia's sister Rossana, two years her junior, is somewhat more reserved but no less confident. The choice of the two young women to lead the family business was self-evident, as women have always played an important role in the company. Particularly celebrated is the legendary great-grandmother Clotilde Rey, who married Angelo of the second generation and decided to use her dowry to buy new wine barrels rather than for traditional home goods. Clotilde also ensured that her husband's wine cellar was kept spick-and-span. "There is no one right way to get your children to take over the family business. The desire has to come from them. I can only give my children the best possible cards to play in the future. They don't have to work for Gaja just to make me happy. However, they are more than welcome to join us here if it will make them happy!" Angelo Gaja says with a smile. HILLSIDe WINeS Harvesting of the three individual vineyards usually begins with Sori Tildin. Angelo bought the parcel in 1967 and named it after his grandmother, Clotilde Rey. The southfacing, sunny hill, sori in Italian, is always washed over by a light breeze. It is the highest of all the vineyards and, thanks to its location and inward-turned hill formation, it offers a very warm microclimate for the grapes. The eponymous wine has refined fruity notes and is the most open of the three single-vineyard wines. Sori San Lorenzo, which Angelo bought already in 1964, also faces south, and is one of the family's most beautiful vineyards. The wine from that vineyard has an ageing potential of over forty years, and the characteristic 78 FINE

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Like their predecessors, Gaia and Rossana have been to the viticulture school in the nearby town of Alba, but they have also followed their father and grandfather in acquiring another profession: Gaia is an economist and Rossana a psychologist. Therefore we felt compelled to ask Rossana how wine affects its maker. After stroking her chin pensively for a moment, she says: "I believe that the winemaker cannot be distinguished from the wine. The wine will always reflect the personality of its maker." The next question takes us a little closer to the information we are after: Which of her father's wines best reflects his character? The young psychologist hasn't a moment's doubt: "Definitely the 1999 Barbaresco! The character of that wine was a mystery for ten years. No matter how much wine was in the glass, you could not make out its aroma. It was hidden beneath an armour of tannins. Now A great wine is permitted a slight difetto, in order for its true identity to shine. the wine has turned out to be complex and subtle, a great wine." "Yes, that is typical of our father, too," Gaia agrees. "When he is working on a new idea, he works with great care, stopping to think every so often. His thoughts are difficult to decipher but once he manages to solve his problem, he is practically overflowing with enthusiasm." Angelo laughs heartily while listening to his daughters' psychoanalysis: "Here in Piedmont we just happen to be different from Tuscans. We are pretty reserved to begin with." Angelo then stops to think. "Actually, we sell dreams. When selling vintages like 2004, 2005 or 2006, we are selling `babies'. The wines are not ready to express themselves yet. But you have to trust them. Their characters reveal themselves after ten, fifteen, sometimes thirty years." Most wine guides list the 1961, 1971, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988­1990 Gaja vintages as the best so far. Of the younger vintages they mention 1996, 1998 and 2005­2007. A MAN AND A BICYCLe The public persona of the famed Angelo is often described as charismatic, and his business skills are greatly admired ­ as are his oratorical and entertainment abilities, with which he can attract anyone's attention. "You might think that a man who is as good a public performer 80 FINE

as our father would behave like a prima donna. But he is not at all like that," Gaia says. Rossana energetically agrees: "He is no party animal; he prefers to be with his family." Angelo Gaja starts every day by reading seven newspapers and he likes to quote articles he has read. He got rid of all TV sets from the family home years ago. every weekend, Angelo mounts a bicycle together with his youngest son, Giovanni, and spends a day riding in the hills of Langhe. "That is how I spend my free time, and I love it," Angelo says. "With no mobile phone, it is just me and my bike. Only then can I enjoy my surroundings and think in peace." At the end of 2007, the daily operations of the business were transferred to the fifth generation of Gaja. The company is now led by Angelo's oldest daughter, Gaia, who has clearly inherited her laugh from her father. DISTINCTLY ITALIAN There is then Angelo's interest in the brightly patterned sweaters of his fashion designer friend Ottavia Missoni, which is "purely for practical reasons, in order to hide wine stains," Gaia says with a grin. Her father chuckles and corrects her: "I just happen to like colourful and boldly patterned clothes. I like to dress in a way that marks me as an Italian. People are more likely to listen to what I have to say if I can make them enjoy my company. Courage is needed to entertain people and to always be on public display, plus I have to be recognisable." This is why Angelo refuses to dress soberly in black and white, like his wine bottle labels, and prefers to stand out with his colourful Missoni style. For festive occasions he favours Brioni. What about Armani? Not his style, and neither are ostentatious parties or long gala dinners. "They make me nervous," Angelo says. When he gets home he asks his wife Lucia to make one of his favourite dishes: "A great big salad with egg, anchovies, black olives and onion rings. That is the kind of food I love to eat." Angelo accompanies every meal with one or one and a half glasses of wine, but no more. Between meals he drinks no alcohol, and he also stays away from spirits and beer. He does like a dry Riesling, however, which is unusual for an Italian. "The strong aromas in Riesling are strange for us Italians, but I like Wegeler's Geheimrat J very much," Angelo admits. This wine is also included in the selection of his resale and import business, Gaja Distribuzione, established in 1977: "The idea came to me out of the blue," says the trader, who must have business sense running through his veins. "A friend asked me if I knew anyone who imported Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines, and I gave him a few addresses." Later he asked: "Angelo, why don't you do it?" Angelo thought about it for a while and decided to go ahead, and thus the Italian fine wine producer became known in the united States. Today his selection includes leading wines from 13 countries, including the top-quality Châteaux d'Yquem and HautBrion, as well as renowned Austrian wines such as kracher and Hirtzberger. Angelo also has exclusive resale rights to Riedel wine glasses in Italy. partners are allowed to enter. The reception displays publications showcasing the worldfamous winery's accomplishments. Angelo can be found on some of the magazine covers. ever since Gaia took over the management of the family business, she has travelled almost weekly to familiarise herself with the international market and to create new contacts. Next in line are Sweden and Finland. For her part, Rossana is off on the same day to the family's Tuscan Ca' Marcanda vineyard to produce her own first vintage. "I want my daughters to be open and willing to learn in order to uncover all the secrets of winemaking ­ whether it be in the cellar, the office, the planning desk or the sales room," Angelo says, and adds: "Of course, in a business such as ours there may come a day when they say `No, papa!', because they see something quite differently from me. That happened to my friend Robert Mondavi, for example. It may also be that my daughters will want to expand the business further." A FLAWLeSS WINe IS IMPeRSONAL What does the esteemed winegrower think of his latest vintage? 2009 will be a "quite unique year", Angelo predicts. Statistically, last summer was the second-hottest for 250 years in Piedmont. "However, we were lucky because from November to mid-April we had plenty of snow, it hardly rained until mid-June, and July and August were very hot, after which the weather cooled swiftly so that morning temperatures were only 16­17C," he says. Angelo does not believe that a great wine has to be perfect. Perfection "smacks of artificial manipulation taking place in the cellar". Instead, a fine wine is allowed a small difetto: "A slight defect will give the wine its identity and make it unique and inimitable. It will also make it recognisable to people: `Hmm, I know this slight nuance, it's a Gaja!'" There are many great wines that could be from anywhere in the world, whereas Nebbiolo can only come from here." > ON THe WAY TO FINLAND Angelo Gaja is a trained oenologist and economist, who has a good grasp of the rules and customs of the wine world. Reputation and honourable mentions, entertainment and originality are important requirements for the successful sale of a wine. However, in Angelo's Piedmontese kingdom, hidden within No.18 Via Torino, the glamour of the Angelo nazionale is invisible. The horseshoe-shaped building complex is unfussy and painted a traditional shade of-red. A concrete-paved courtyard with only a few plants dispels any final notions of the romance of the wine business. To the right of the house itself is a three-storey wine cellar, which reaches the opposite side of the road; to the left is the administrative building with offices and tasting rooms, which only business GAJA 81 FINE Legend

Tasted Gaja wines in Autumn 2010 85 p White wines Gaia & Rey Chardonnay 2005 D 2 h / G 2 h 2010/2020 92 p Red wines 2000 Gaja Darmagi D 3h / G 3h 2009 / 2016 87 p 1991 Gaja Barolo Sperss D 1 h/G 1 h 2010 / Now Intense, yellow colour. Reserved, smoky nose with toasty and buttery aromas. Dry, moderately crisp, spicy and oaky palate that is highlighted by high alcohol in the moderately long toasty finish. The wine is still closed and benefits from further ageing for at least 4­6 years. Moderately intense rubyred colour. Vivid and delicately intense nose with black fruits, spices and violets. Mediumbodied, broad palate with fresh acidity. Big tannins and fleshy ripe black fruit ­ a chunky wine whose palate is still elegant and harmonious. Long and gently tannic aftertaste. A great wine that will improve with four to six years further ageing. Medium intense, brickred colour. Rich, complex and intense earthy nose that has milk chocolate, smokiness, medicinal and mineral character, as well as tobacco. Medium-bodied palate with moderate acidity, mellow tannins and restrained fruit. Supple yet a bit rustic in the finish. Not a big wine but supple and nice that is drinking well now. 89 p Gaia & Rey Chardonnay 2003 D 2 h / G 2 h 2009 / 2016 92 p 1990 Gaja Barolo Sperss D 3 h/G 3 h 2010/2016 86 p 1994 Gaja Darmagi D 1h / G 1h 2010 / Now Bright, straw-yellow colour. An opulent nose that delivers ripe tropical, buttery and creamy tones with, elegant touch of toasty character. Dry, full-bodied palate has balancing vivid acidity. Spicy, elegantly oaky and mineral finish. Lovely wine that shows great persistency and intensity. Moderately intense, ruby colour. Tight nose shows blackcurrants, toasty and smoky aromas with a touch of leather, chocolate, and almonds. Medium-bodied, focused, firm and intense character, vivid acidity, velvety tannin, and dried fruits. One-dimensional finish. Moderately intense, rubyto-brick-red colour. Intense and complex nose with herbaceous and leathery aromas combined with minty tones. Medium-bodied, elegant palate with silky tannins, vivid acidity and a long smooth mineral finish. Superb finesse and concentration. 91 p Barbaresco 2007 Gaja Barbersco D 4 h/G 3 h 2010 / 2020 87 p Rossj-Bass 2003 D 1,5 h / G 2 h 2009 / 2013 88 p 1993 Gaja Darmagi D 1h / G 1h 2010 / Now Bright, straw-yellow colour. Tropical nose with lemony, buttery and softly oaky touch. Dry, medium-bodied wine with fresh yet oily palate. Crisp lemony bite in moderately long finish here high level of alcohol is well integrated. Medium intense, ruby colour. Evolved nose with rich chocolate and roasted coffee nuances combined with some stable tones. Dry, broad and intense palate. Lovely balance and silky texture. Vegetal, green pepper flavours. Gentle tannins and moderate length. Moderately deep, ruby-red colour. Intense and opulent nose with pronounced roasted coffee aroma combined with ripe dark fruits and vanilla. Fullbodied, vivid acidity and rich palate that has ripe almost new world fruit and seductive toastiness. Long and harmonious aftertaste shows some elements of dark chocolate. Drinking surprisingly well already but has great potential ahead. 85 p Dolcetto d'Alba 1971 Gaja Dolcetto d'Alba D 20 min / G 45 min 2010 / Now 90 p Sperss 1995 Gaja Sperss D 2h / G 2h 2010 / 2020 89 p 1995 Gaja Barbaresco D 2 h/G 2 h 2010 / 2018 Medium intense, tawny-red colour. Lovely, ripe cherry nose with leathery, earthy and woody nose with cooked veggies, milk coffee. Dry, moderate acidity, lack of fruit, dried plumy and moderately short and savoury finish. Passed its peak. Medium intense, brickred colour. Complex and perfumey nose has black berries, liquorice, lovely toastiness and led pencil aromas. Medium-bodied palate is concentrated with elegant firm tannins, vivid acidity and restrained black fruit flavours. Elegant and supple long finish. Lovely wine with a silky smooth character. Medium intense, brickred colour. Complex nose delivers seductive perfumey and lovely spicy aromas with a toasty touch. Dry, elegant and harmonious mouthfeel derives from vivid acidity, silky tannins and a very concentrated savory fruit character. Long mineral finish with cherries and red fruits. 82 FINE

GAJA 83 FINE Legend

86 p Barbaresco 1991 Gaja Barbaresco D 1,5 h / G 1 h 2010 / Now 93 p 1967 Gaja Barbaresco D 30 min / G 1 h 2010 / Now 92 p 2000 Gaja Costa Russi D 3 h/G 3 h 2010 / 2015 Medium intense, brick-red colour. Evolved, but closed and dusty nose with hints of cherries and candle wax. Medium-bodied palate has vivid acidity and supple tannins with a light fruit character. Moderately short finish. Balanced wine that lacks intensity and liveliness. Moderately light, tawny colour. Intense and complex nose shows seductively evolved nose with earthy aromas and smoky gunflint character. Medium-bodied, vivid palate with intense-red fruit character. The tannins are smooth and the long finish intense and elegant. A charming wine. Intense, ruby-red colour. Rich nose shows cherries, almonds, earth and a touch of smoke. Medium-bodied and broad palate has mellow acidity and soft tannins. Long, elegant and harmonious aftertaste. 93 p 1999 Gaja Costa Russi D 3 h/G 3 h 2009 / 2018 Moderately intense ruby-red colour. Vivid nose with flowers, cherries, nuts and an elegant touch of spiciness. Dry, medium-bodied palate has vivid acidity and big ripe tannins. Intense fruit balances acidity and tannins. A long and elegant, harmonious finish with a pronounced oaky touch. 88 p 88 p 1989 Gaja Barbaresco D 1 h / G 1 h 2010 / 2014 1998 Gaja Costa Russi D 5 h/G 3 h 2010 / 2017 87 p 1964 Gaja Barbaresco D 30 min / G 45 min 2010 / Now Medium-intense brick-red colour. Evolved, maderized character with burnt sugar aromas ­ cappuccino, hazelnuts and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied palate with supple acidity, firm but gentle tannins, and ripe dark cherry fruit. A quite alcoholic finish with low concentration. Less refined style. Dried fruits, nuttiness, toffee, sugared coffee beans. Lightbodied style with gentle palate showing still some tannic structure. Raisiny, nutty character. Moderately long finish. Dark, ruby colour. Partly closed nose with perfumy, smoky, candle wax aromas. Full-bodied, rich and crisp palate which has firm refined tannins that dominate the mouthfeel. A long, mouthpuckering finish with dark chocolate flavours. This wine is still closed. 85 p 90 p Costa Russi 1996 Gaja Costa Russi D 5 h/G 3 h 2010 / 2018 90 p 1979 Gaja Barbaresco D 1 h / G 1,5 h 2010 / 2013 2004 Gaja Costa Russi D 6h / G 4h 2010 / 2025 Medium-intense, brick-red colour. Lovely complex nose that delivers intense ripe black fruits, earthiness, root vegetables and leathery nuances. Mediumbodied and moderately intense mouthfeel with mellow acidity, firm satiny tannin, and dried-red fruits. Medium-long finish. Moderately intense, ruby-red colour. Elegant and toasty nose with chocolate aromas. Full-bodied palate shows an intense black fruit and elegant yet tight tannins. Concentrated palate with a good fruit structure. Long, toasty and meaty finish. Very promising wine that will reach its peak in fifteen years. Dark, ruby colour. Complex and intense nose with perfumy aromas combined with chocolate and vanilla nuances. Medium-bodied palate shows vivid acidity and firm, powerful tannic structure. The fruitiness is overpowered by tannins and acidity resulting in an astringent and moderately short finish. This wine is in a closed stage and needs at least three to five years' time to open. 84 FINE

84 p 1995 Gaja Costa Russi D 5 h / G 3 h 2010 / 2018 87 p Sori Tildin 2005 Gaja Sori Tildin D 8h / G 4h 2010 / 2030 89 p 1996 Gaja Sori Tildin FINE Legend 85 D 2 h/G 2 h 2010 / 2020 Moderately deep, ruby colour with cherry-red rim. Closed nose that delivers some-red cherry and bramble aromas with hints of violets and earthy tones. Medium-bodied, tightly tannic mouthfeel with moderate acidity. The fruit is restrained and the closed finish is showing only some smoky flavours. This wine is in a dormant phase and should be opened seven years from now. Deep, ruby colour. Seductive nose with a broad range of delicious aromas ­ dark chocolate, vanilla, clove and minty nuances. Full-bodied palate that has vivid acidity, intense fruitiness and rich, refined tannic structure. The long finish shows expressive black fruit flavours. This wine has great ageing potential and is nowhere near its optimum drinking yet. 91 p 1979 Gaja Costa Russi D 45 min / G 1 h 2010 / Now 88 p 2000 Gaja Sori Tildin D 5h / G 4h 2010 / 2030 Deep, ruby-red colour. Intense herbaceous nose with cherries, blackcurrants, and a touch of tar. Full-bodied and tight mouthfeel with a concentrated palate overpowered by firm tannins. High alcohol level makes the taste rounder and rich. Spicy, woody and toasty flavours combined with the tannins overpower the wine still. The wine needs ageing and will most likely turn out to be a lovely one with much higher scores than given now. Moderately intense tawny colour. Complex and evolved nose shows earthy aromas combined with plums and cherries, hints of chocolate and sweet cappuccino tones. Medium-bodied palate delivers energetic acidity that combines well with intense cherry-like fruit. The tannins are supple and refined. A long and restrained finish has cacao tones. Medium-intense, ruby to cherry-red colour. Intense nose delivers black fruit and candle wax aromas. Medium-bodied palate is silky and smooth with lovely acidity that waters the mouth. The fruitiness is restrained and overtaken by a firm yet refined tannic structure. The wine shows elegant nuances and needs ageing to reach its optimum level. 84 p 1993 Gaja Sori Tildin D 45 min / G 1 h 2010 / Now Dark, cherry-red colour. Dusty and closed nose with black fruits and brambles but also some candle wax and earthiness. Mediumbodied palate shows vivid acidity, powdery tannin, and a dried fruit character with notes of damsons. Tight and austere finish. Passed its peak but will still keep for a few years. 83 p 1997 Gaja Sori Tildin D 4h / G 3h 2010/2025 Medium-intense, rubyred colour. Aromatic nose with red fruits and some game-like aromas. Medium-bodied palate shows intense black cherry fruit and very tightly-grained tannins. Spicy and astringent finish has some sweet fruit, but is very woody at the moment. GAJA

89 p Sori Tildin 1973 Gaja Sori Tildin D 45 min / G 1 h 2010/ Now 90 p 1971 Gaja Sori Tildin D 45 min / G 1 h 2010 / Now 87 p 1970 Gaja Sori Tildin D 30 min / G 1 h 2010 / Now Hazy, tawny colour. Restrained, red fruit nose with raspberries, smoke, tobacco and candle wax. Mediumbodied palate has intense and a lovely ripe-red fruit character with elegant acidity and low level of ripe tannins. Supple and long finish. Evolved, tawny colour. Rich and evolved nose shows complex earthy and leathery aromas with prunes and root vegetables combined with touch of orange peel. Medium-bodied palate, vivid acidity and mellow tannins. The fruit is balancing the palate with its lovely strawberry character. A long, mineral and concentrated finish with a smooth and supple structure. An elegant and energetic wine. Moderately light, tawny colour with brown tints. The nose has sweet toasty aromas with milk chocolate and nutty tones. Medium-bodied palate shows balancing acidity, low tannin structure and dried fruit character. The finish leaves a mineral and powdery mouthfeel. 86 FINE

D 6 h / G 4 h 2010 / 2025 D 2h / G 2h 2010 / 2018 D 1 h/G 1 h 2010 / Now Moderately intense, ruby colour. Evolved nose shows intense and multilayered aromas with ripe brambles and a seductive toasty character. Medium-bodied palate has a balancing acidity and intense fruitiness that is supported by firm, ripe tannins. The alcohol is quite pronounced. The finish is long and has lovely liquorice flavours. As the mouthfeel is still a bit aggressive, ageing is recommended. The wine will reach its optimum drinkability within the next fifteen years. Deep and intense brick-red colour. Lovely smoky and elegant nose with ripe black fruits and roasted coffee. Full-bodied palate is very elegant and silky ­ smooth tannins, supple acidity and wellbalancing ripe black fruitiness. A long, very refined finish shows some tobacco and minty flavours. A lovely wine that is drinking perfectly now but will still evolve well. Moderately light, hazy colour with brown tints. Complex nose shows a broad range of aromas of evolved style ­ farmyard, ripe wild strawberries, prunes and figs, Mediumbodied palate with vivid acidity and the supple yet firm tannins form an elegant structure. The wine is lacking fruit and complexity to show as a great wine. However, the wine is still energetic and delightful. Sori San Lorenzo 87 p 1996 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo D 4 h / G 3 h 2010 / 2020 92 p 1986 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo D 2h / G 1h 2010 / 2016 94 p 1967 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo D 1 h/G 2 h 2010 / Now Deep, ruby colour with a brick-red rim. Complex and evolved nose delivers a broad range of aroma including toffee, earth, root vegetables, some liquorice and touch of smokiness. The mediumbodied palate is restrained in style with high acidity, less expressive fruit and powerful spicy tannins that dominate the palate in long astringent and mouthdrying palate. Despite the tannins the wine shows elegance and a very silky texture. The wine will deliver its best in eight to ten years. Bright, tawny colour. Elegant and complex nose with smoke, coffee and cherry fruit aromas. Medium-bodied and silky palate is very delicate ­ fresh acidity, smooth tannins, refined red fruit character. An energetic wine with a concentrated and long finish. 83 p 1979 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo D 20 min / G 45 min 2010 / Now Medium intense, brownyellow colour. Rich and intense nose of damsons, meat, smoke and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied, vivid and smooth structure is formed by silky tannins, lively acidity and a savory fruit character. A long and intense finish with damsons and prunes. Lovely finesse, great vibrance and intensity for an old Barbaresco. 89 p 1993 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo D 2 h/ G 2 h 2010/ 2017 Medium intense, dark brick-red colour. Evolved nose shows earthy, smoky and nutty aromas with ripe prunes and cherries, a touch of tar and ash nuances. Medium-bodied palate, vivid acidity and restrained dry fruit character. The tannins are tightly-grained. The finish is mineral and long with tobacco and cedar flavours. An elegant and savory wine that will benefit from some bottle ageing. Moderately intense, hazybrown colour. Volatile nose has pronounced earhty, smoky, and tarry aromas. Medium-bodied palate with supple tannins but oxidised fruit. Nutty one dimensional finish. This bottle had passed its peak. GAJA 87 FINE Legend 90 p 1999 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 93 p 1990 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 88 p 1968 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo

88 FINE

an english rivalry Text: Jan-Erik Paulson Photography: PEkka nuikki n a number of vintages during the history of the wines of Bordeaux, there has often been one wine that from the beginning has stood out as the undisputed "Wine of the Vintage". These wines have mostly come from one of the Premier Crus. Examples of such wines that come to mind include Mouton 1945, Margaux 1900, Lafite 1870 and Haut Brion 1989. There have, however, been a few nonPremier Crus that have held this distinction, and one of the most famous examples is the Château Palmer 1961 ­ a wine that launched Palmer into the small group of "Super-seconds". This is of course an incorrect term, given Palmer was only declared a Troisième Grand Cru in 1855. Its fame arrived as a group of wine experts voted it number one, ahead of all Premier Crus, at the famous Dr. Taams tasting in Holland in 1978. Had the 1855 classification been made a few decades later, Château Palmer would most likely have been included amongst the Deuxième Crus. The explanation behind this is found in Palmer`s history. The property was once known as Château de Gascq and its reputation was I C H ÂT E A U PA L M E R 89 FINE Estate

Château Palmer ­ a royal favourite less than prominent before General Palmer came along. Charles Palmer came from a family who had made their fortune from beer rather than wine. His father had run the first mailcoach service between London and Bath. He also ran the Bath Theatre Royal and was the Member of Parliament for Bath ­ a position he reputably obtained by offering free theatre tickets to the electoral members and their families. Charles Palmer was born in 1777, when the family had established itself in London Society, and was educated at Eton and Oxford before joining the 10th Dragoons ­ the regiment of the Prince-Regent. He became part of the Prince`s inner circle of friends and was a popular member of London`s high society. Palmer followed his father into the Houses of Parliament, and it is most likely he also took over the theatre and its arrangement with the electoral members. He advanced rapidly through the ranks during the Napoleonic wars and was a general by the time he arrived in Bordeaux after the Battle of Toulouse in 1814. Palmer took a liking to the city and considered settling down there, at least for part of the year. The decision to do so was in no small part due to him making the aquaintance of the attractive Madame Marie Brunet de Ferrière in a stage coach travelling to Paris. She told General Palmer that her husband had just died and that she was travelling to Paris to sell their property. This land, she mentioned, was making a wine second only to that of Château Lafite, but times were so hard that she was prepared to sell it for only a quarter of its real value. The result of her story, combined with her charms, was that Charles Palmer decided to become the new owner by the time they had arrived in the French capital. Therefore, on 16 June 1814 ownership passed into the hands of Palmer for the sum of 100 000 French Francs. Since Madame de Ferrière's description of the quality of its wines had proved vastly exaggerated, Palmer spent four times that amount over the few next years improving, expanding and replanting his property from 60 to about 160 hectares. Palmer also employed a Mr Gray to manage the property, as he spent much of his time in London promoting his wine, which was now named after himself. It became very popular in the gentlemen's clubs and amongst the higher echelons of London society, partly because of its soft and elegant style and partly because of Palmer's standing within London's social circles ­ which was mainly thanks to his relationsip with the PrinceRegent. This dependance on the Prince-Regent was, however, to become Charles Palmer's downfall. The Prince favoured powerful wines strengthened by generous amounts of Rhône wine and he gave Palmer advice, in order that he should try to improve his wine more to the royal taste. Knowing that the Prince's acceptance of his wine was important for commercial success in London's upper circles, he returned to Bordeaux to try and `improve' his wines. Alas, history mostly repeats itself and there are parallels between the importance of the Prince Regent in those days with that of a certain wine critic today; winemakers opt to change their wine style in order to please, rather than being true to their traditional style of wine. Palmer now tore out his old vines and replanted his vineyards in the hope of producing wines with greater power. This, combined with Mr Gray fraudulently secreting away money for himself, led to Palmer's fortune shrinking at an alarming rate. His wife left him and he was forced to sell his house in London, his mansion in Bordeaux and parts of his vineyards to pay off his debts. Finally, he sold the remains of the property to the wife of one of his creditors in 1843 for 274 000 Francs. It was resold to the Caisse Hypothécaire Paris a year later. In 1853 it was bought by brothers Isaac and Emile Pereire for 410 000 Francs. The Pereire family were of 90 FINE

Director Bernard de Laage de Meux Château Palmer ­ Roths childs' rival Portugese-Jewish origin and had become one of the leading banking families in Paris at the time. They were involved in the building of the new Paris of Baron Haussmann and Napoleon III, the creation of the seaside resort of Arcachon and the building of railroads. They were also rivals of the Rothschilds and bought Palmer in the same year Baron Nathaniel Rothschild purchased Mouton. They set about investing money in the expansion of the property, as well as increasing the quality of the wines that had been suffering during the last years of General Palmer's ownership. They also built the present château in 1856. The famous classification of 1855 came too early for both Mouton and Palmer, as they were not yet ready to take their place among the elite. Because of their financial business abilities, the estate managed to grow and prosper throughout the difficult oidium, mildew and phylloxera periods. These three plagues, coming as they did so close together, ruined many bordelais château owners, but it was the Napoleonic inheritance laws, C H ÂT E A U PA L M E R 91 FINE Estate

combined with the depression of the 1930s, that spelt the end of the Pereire era. There were now so many family members wanting their say in the running of the property that it was next to impossible to get anything done, and too few were interested in investing further money into a venture losing money at a steady rate every year. Therefore, in 1938 they decided to sell to a consortium of four well known Bordeaux names ­ Sichel, Mähler-Besse, Miailhe and Ginestet. The Miailhes and Ginestets gradually sold their parts to the Sichels and Mähler-Besses, meaning Château Palmer is now owned by Societé Sichel, which holds about a third share, and the Mähler-Besse family. It was to take until 1953 for Palmer to make a profit. Château Palmer now has 55 hectares of vineyards planted with just under 50 per cent each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a few per cent of Petit Verdot making up the rest. The terroir is similar to that of Château Margaux, consisting of a very thick layer of gravel and lying in the part of Margaux with the best drainage. It also benefits from the proximity of the river, which cools the vines when it is hot and warms them when the weather turns colder. 92 FINE

The wines of Palmer have a unique personality and it is one of the few wines I every now and then manage to name when tasted blind. It is a wine of great charm and finesse, and has a surprisingly deep colour for a Margaux. The fame of Château Palmer began, as mentioned earlier, with its magnificent 1961. This was, however, not a one-off in any way, as it had already produced a lovely 1959 and its 1962, 1966 and 1970 were among the best wines of Bordeaux. The rapid rise of its reputation can also in part be put down to the underperformance of the region's more famous châteaux, such as Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and its famous neighbour Château Margaux, during the later part of the 1960s and 1970s. The reason Château Palmer's reputation as one of the very best wines in Bordeaux diminished somewhat during the 1980s and 1990s lies not in any drop in the quality of their own wines, but rather in the renewed growth in the quality of its peers. It is still an estate producing wines of almost Premier Cru quality on a regular basis. There have been gradual changes taking place over the years; a second wine called Réserve du Général was introduced in 1983 (its name was changed in 1998 to Alter Ego), for example. This has led to less `Grand Vin' (60 per cent in 2009) and more Alter Ego (35 per cent in 2009) being produced, with the rest being sold off as generic wine. The old wooden fermentation vats were exchanged for new stainless steel versions in 1995. An unusual feature of these is that they kept the exact shape of the wooden vats they replaced. Palmer has been sold on the open Bordeaux market since 1998, before which it was exclusively traded by the two owner's trading companies. In 2004 a new director, Thomas Duroux, took over the management reigns of the property, having previously been involved with wine in such diverse locations as Provence, Hungary and Italy, where he was winemaker at Tenuta de Ornellaia. The wines of Palmer have a unique personality and it is one of the few wines I every now and then manage to name when tasted blind. It is a wine of great charm and finesse, and has a surprisingly deep colour for a Margaux. It is soft and has an inner glow. I often detect some stable-type components in its bouquet, whether this comes from the soil, the high percentage of Merlot or from `bret', I do not know and I do not care. To me, it merely adds to its personality and Palmer is one of the most drinkable wines in Bordeaux. There is often a tendency to underestimate its ability to age due to its early approachability, but the wines age beautifully due to their perfect balance. The 1961 is a wine that I first drank in the mid 1980s ­ an amazing wine, fully mature and lovely. I was told by friends over the following years that it was starting to show its age and needed drinking up. When I arranged a tasting of 50 vintages of Château Palmer in 1995, together with the late Peter Sichel, I had decanted the 1961 only just before the tasting to prevent it from falling apart. It did indeed show quite poorly at the tasting, so Sichel suggested that we should decant the bottles planned for the dinner that same evening five hours before serving. This was what was needed, as it then showed itself in its full glory. > C H ÂT E A U PA L M E R 93 FINE Estate

The Best Vintages of Château Palmer by Pekka Nuikki 1870 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/now x 2 90p 1882 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2007/now x 1 84p 1899 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2004/now x 1 93p 1900 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2004/now x 4 91p D 15 min / G 30 min Château-bottling with very high-shoulder level. Decanted only 15 minutes. Moderately deep brick-red colour. Intense floral nose with ripe cassis, leather, cedar and spices. Medium-bodied palate with elegant tannic structure, vivid acidity and freshy minerality combined with very ripe fruitiness. Spices and floral tones are more apparent in the aftertaste, which remains surprisngly long. Very appealing wine still, no further ageing, was much better 10 years ago, so dont wait. 1924 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2010/now x 3 95p 1928 Château Palmer (Margaux) 1998/2008 x 2 94p 1929 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2008 x 3 93p 1934 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2004/now x 7 84p 1937 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/now x 3 85p 1943 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2004/now x 2 87p 1945 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2015 x 5 94p D 2 h / G 1 h Good, deep ruby red-color with a garnet rim. The nose is stylish and layered, opening up in the glass and revealing new nuances time after time. The range of aromas spans from red berry, salted liquorice, wood and leather all the way to earthy notes. The youthful, not very tannic palate is firm and harmonious. Quite powerful, but at the same time delicious and gentle. This wine is peaking now, but will have no problems hanging onto top form for another 5 to 10 years. 1918 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2003/now x 1 80p 1920 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2001/now x 2 83p 1921 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/now x 3 91p D 30 min / G 30 min 1921 was a good vintage of very ripe, broad and age-worthy wines. This Palmer had top-shoulder level and both cork and capsule were still in fair condition. Very deep, striking bright colour, even more brilliant than the 1929 Palmer. Amazing ripe, rich sweet fruit, caramel and black cherry aromas on the nose. Sound and open. On the palate it was nicely balanced, very concentrated and surprisingly fresh. Has complexity and beautiful smoothness with sweet tannins. It is a seamless, classic and elegant wine. Held in the glass approximately 30 minutes without drying up. Another enjoyable wine that has confidently survived the test of time. 1947 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2007/now x 3 89p 1949 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2015 x 2 92p 94 FINE

1950 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2002/now x 2 85p 1953 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2015 x 7 90p 1955 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2002/now x 2 82p 1958 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/now x 2 85p 1959 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/2015 x 11 96p D 2 h / G 1 h At Château Palmer, flowering took place in excellent conditions thanks to fine and mild weather in the spring. July was hot and dry with exceptionally high temperatures. The dry weather continued in August and this led to widespread vine stress. As a result, the ripening process slowed down considerably until some welcome rainfall came in mid-September. Throughout the harvest the weather remained fine and dry. A good-looking château-bottled magnum. Level was highshoulder. Decanted two hours. Full, healthy and vital colour. Voluptuous, rich and youthful on the nose. Real class and complexity. Beautifully soft and round on the palate. Wellstructured with nicely balanced tannins and impressive underpinning acidity. Loads of blackcurrant, sweet fruit and gentle spiciness. Very inviting, rich and long. This beauty will still hold up for a decade or two. C H ÂT E A U PA L M E R 95 FINE Estate

1961 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2010/2020 x 20 99p D 2 h / G 2 h Considered to be one of the greatest vintages of the post-war period, 1961 nevertheless got off to a difficult start with two harsh frosts on April 21 and 29. Most of the Merlot flowers were frozen to death. But after that short period, the weather could not have been better, although the vines suffered from the very hot, dry summer. The harvest took place under a cloudless sky and a small crop of healthy and ripe grapes were collected. Small volumes and high concentration combined to produce wines of truly exceptional quality. Because there was more technical knowledge and human care in fermentation in 1961 than in 1928 and 1945, the wines were very attractive and supple from the beginning, in spite of their excessive tannins. These wines were deep in colour, as well as creamy and consistent. Château-bottled, the level was low-neck. Decanted for one hour. Very deep, dark and promising colour. The nose was incredible wide open with an odd but seductive mix of chocolate, truffles, black currant and caramel-scented aromas. Full, rich and sweet wine with a soft and well-balanced finish. Not as deep, fat and concentrated as we were hoping but one of the best bottles of Palmer from the 1961 vintage that we have encountered. This was very enjoyable, but unfortunately not as good as its legendary reputation would let one wish. This Palmer is excellent to drink now, and will last well few more decades, but our earnest advice is ­ don't wait, don't sell, just be kind to yourself and enjoy it now. one hour. Mature, dark-red colour. Quite an old-style nose, but very stylish and sweet with aromas of sweet black fruits. This medium-bodied and concentrated wine shows excellent balance between smooth tannins, wood aromas and sweet, delicious fruit. Rich and silky, a perfect combination of beautiful flavours of autumn berries, fragrant bittersweet fruits and fresh truffles. Sweet, voluptuous and long aftertaste. One of the best old-style Palmers ever made. Only the 1961 is more intense and powerful. 1970 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2020 x 14 90p 1975 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/2015 x 6 86p 1981 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2024 x 5 91p 1982 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/2025 x 10 94p 1983 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2010/2020 x 11 94p D 3 h / G 2 h After the cold, damp weather in the first 5 months of the year, June was warm and dry and the flowering took place under excellent conditions. A heatwave in July was followed by warm, damp weather in August that unfortunately encouraged the spread of disease. Thankfully, September was dry and hot, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. After a string of hot, sunny days at the end of the month and into early October, the sugar levels were similar if not superior to those in 1982. A medium-intense, tawny-red colour. Complex and developed aromas of farmyard, mocha, tobacco, cedar and black currants. Medium-bodied palate with stalky tannins, fleshy ripe dark fruit and spicy, toasty cigar aromas with vegetal nuances of canned bamboo shoots. An opulent wine with a long, persistent, lean finish with chewy tannins. 1962 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2020 x 2 94p 1964 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/2010 x 9 88p 1966 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2010/2015 x 26 98p D 1 h / G 2 h At the beginning of June, the vines flowered quickly and evenly. After this, in June, the growth was hampered by heavy rain. August was fine but cool, which delayed the véraison and slowed down the ripening process. Fortunately, at the end of August, the weather changed for the better. Warm dry conditions during the whole of September produced ripe and healthy grapes. 1966 wines are classic and long-lived, with fresh acidity and elegant fruit. Bottle was in A1 condition. Level by the neck. Decanted for 1985 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2010/2030 x 6 94p 1989 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2009/2025 x 18 90p 96 FINE

1990 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2000/2020 x 7 93p D 2 h / G 2 h An exceptional year at Château Palmer, completing the trio of great vintages: 1988, 1989 and 1990. Throughout the year, the weather was fine and warm, resulting in high sugar levels and relatively low acidity. The wines are concentrated and characterised by ripe fruit flavours and supple tannins. A moderately deep, ruby-red with a tawny hue. Pronounced spicy nose with cedar, tobacco and soy aromas. Ripe blackcurrants together with floral mocha tones. The medium-bodied palate contains lively acidity, firm, refined tannins and intense, jammed, dark fruit aromas. An elegant wine with a long finish. 1998 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2025 x 4 91p D 4 h / G 2 h Dark, purple colour. Very complex nose revealing, cassis, capsicum, coffee and a bit of mintiness. Opulent, full-bodied wine with extraordinary concentration and typical chewy 1998-vintage texture. Ripe, already round tannins with a mouthwatering acidity and intense dark fruitiness. Very intense and long, gentle finish. Absolutely gracious wine with a long life ahead. 1996 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2030 x 6 90p D 2 h / G 2 h 2000 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2008/2040 x 2 93p 2005 Château Palmer (Margaux) 2045/2045 x 2 92p 97 C H ÂT E A U PA L M E R FINE Estate

Your own vintage E njoying a bottle of wine produced in the same year you were born is something very special, and finding these rare bottles has become almost a sport to me. The feeling of letting the juice from the grapes harvested the very same year you saw the world for the first time seduces your palate and can be a deeply emotional experience. Unfortunately, I was not born in a very good vintage. 1980 was wet and cold and is generally seen as a mediocre, if not horrible, vintage. I often wish I had been born two years earlier or, even better, two years later! What an impressive number of great wines I could drink from my own vintage - especially Bordeaux ­ had I been a child of 1982. Being from 1980 is something I have had to learn to live with and I have, to both my surprise and pleasure, already found several great bottles from this year despite the terribly bad reputation of the vintage. Also, when you finally find the few good ones available, they are usually quite affordable as no one ever believed that they would ever develop into something close to drinkable. Despite my misgivings about my birth year, this whole thing is much more complex than just about drinking a bottle from your own vintage. It is the entire process of finding, collecting and choosing the right moment to open the bottle. ThE sEArch First of all, what to look for? What could be drinkable and more importantly, have the potential to offer a great experience? Which regions and producers would be best? All the background work and research makes you feel like a great adventurer preparing for a mission. When you finally feel ready to head out into the world armed with a shopping list, your heart and body are already filled with very intent expectations. ThE hUnT ITsElF This a great part of the process. looking for interesting bottles in good condition makes you feel like a (wo-)man on a mission. It is a search for something that feels much more important than "just" a bottle of wine. It makes you feel like you are hunting for a missing part of yourself, a lost piece of the puzzle that constitutes your life. ThE gAThErIng This can take place when you finally find the bottle that speaks to you. When you feel the soul of the wine reaching out to you through the glass you know that you have found something right. The wine gives you the sensation that it wants to be released, to be tasted, to be enjoyed. ThE WAITIng having finalised the hunt and gathering, the precious bottles are now resting safely in your cellar. however, this safe and comforting feeling all too soon turns into an altogether stronger urge. It lingers a little in the back of your mind but soon grows more powerful and begins to influence your heart. The burning question then formulates: when should I open this bottle? ThE rIghT occAsIon When, where and with whom? This is something so special and really needs to be a part of a "perfect" set-up. conversely, some of the best 80s I ever tasted have been served very spontaneously, when the feeling was just right! ThE prEpArATIon Finally, the day has come. You feel like a child on christmas Eve and can barely wait for the great moment. The set-up is perfect and hours of preparation, including the right dinner, music and decoration, merely builds the anticipation yet further. ThE opEnIng now you start getting second thoughts. should you really open this bottle after all the effort you have gone to? have you managed to choose the 98 FINE

perfect moment to open that specific bottle? Did the wine really "tell" you that this is the right moment to open it? After all that effort you want to be sure that everything is just right. You think that you know what you are opening but then again, do you really? Each wine has it own soul and evolution of life, and the older the bottle, just as the older the person, the more experiences and detours in life that have caused deep layers of complexity and individuality. This bottle has become a part of you. To open and share it is like showing and sharing the deepest secrets of your soul. Behind each bottle and person there is a history, and sometimes a real odyssey. ThE EnjoYmEnT AnD ThE ThInkIng Why does drinking a wine from my own vintage touch me so much? It is like opening an album of old pictures, showcasing the different periods of your life. Drinking, thinking and bringing back into memory the past thirty years, showing what I have been through since 1980. It reminds me too of how many hands this bottle been caressed by before it finally crossed my path. > Marie Ahm C O L U M N 99 FInE Ahm

Fine Wine Auction in Copenhagen Bruun Rasmussen catalogues may be ordered online at bruun-rasmussen.dk For additional information or assistance, you may contact us as follows: Tel: +45 8818 1111 Email: catalogues@bruun.rasmussen.dk 33 Bredgade DK-1260 Copenhagen K Tel +45 8818 1111 bruun-rasmussen.dk Online auctions every day of the year at bruun-rasmussen.dk

Grange- vertical 1962­1990 FINE had an opportunity to taste a vast 29-year vertical of Penfolds Grange ­ the most legendary wine from southern hemisphere. The wines showed the great ageing potential and consistency of this iconic Shiraz-based wine. In spite of four vintages ­ 1962, 1971, 1981 and 1989 ­ the wines were in good condition. The best vintages of the tasting were 1975 and 1965. 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage ­ 90 91 93 94 91 86 87 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage 90 ­ 87 91 86 96 95 85 91 87 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage Grange Hermitage 90 ­ 89 90 85 92 89 90 90 88 Aperitif 84 p 1999 Yattarna Chardonnay D 15 min / G 1 h 2010 / now Intense yellow colour. Pronounced, buttery nose with wet wool and heavy toastiness. Dry, fat and rich toasty palate with pronounced buttery flavours. A long, warming alcoholic finish. Tasting 90 p 1963 Grange Hermitage D 20 min / G 1 h 2010 / now 91 p 1964 Grange Hermitage D 20 min / G 1 h 2010 / now Medium-intense, tawny colour. Rich, toasted nose with smoky, earthy and leathery aromas with flowers, pepper and spices. Medium-intense palate, moderate acidity and silky texture with dried fruits. Smooth and nicely firm tannic structure. A rustic style with moderately long aftertaste. Medium-intense, tawny colour. Open, vegetal nose with seductive cappuccino and roasted coffee aromas. Medium-intense palate shows smooth tannins, oxidized dried fruit and nutty character with leathery aftertaste. A bit burnt wood and smokiness in the medium-long finish. PENFOLDS GRANGE 101 F I N E Ta s t i n g

93 p 1965 Grange Hermitage D 30 min / G 1.5 h 2010 / 2015 86 p 1968 Grange Hermitage D 10 min / G 20 min 2010 / now 87 p 1969 Grange Hermitage D 20 min / G 45 min 2010 / now Evolved, tawny colour. Intense nose with roasted coffee, dark chocolate, smoke and licorice ­ some volatile aromas. Full-bodied palate is highlighted by moderately low acidity, smooth velvety tannins, and lovely restrained fruit. Long harmonious and balanced finish. Moderately intense tawny colour. Sophisticated, complex nose that serves smoky, roasted and leathery tones with earthiness. Despite the pleasant nose, the palate shows unfortunately retirement. Medium-bodied and dry palate has a pungent acidic bite, green tannins and sour red fruit aromas. Moderately short restrained and coarse finish. Moderately intense tawny colour. Mediumintense, smoky, leathery and nutty nose with ripe red fruit and some yogurt aromas. Medium-bodied palate possesses a vivid acidity and some woody tannins. Gentle red fruit flavours are combined with perfumy and floral tones. The finish is moderately long and slightly astringent. 94 p 1966 Grange Hermitage D 45 min / G 1.5 h 2010 / now Moderately light tawny colour. Peculiar nose shows oxidation, some burnt wood notes that are combined with lovely perfumy, jammed bramble and wild strawberry aromas. Full-bodied, silky smooth tannins, and restrained elegant fruitiness. A long lingering finish with charming acidity. Great balance. 91 p 1967 Grange Hermitage D 30 min / G 1 h 2010 / now Moderately intense tawny colour. Open, evolved and complex nose tht shows roasted coffee, led pencil, hazelnut and milk chocolate aromas. Hints of volatility detected. Firm palate with moderate acidity and powdery firm tannic structure. Energetic and concentrated palate delivers smoky and burnt wood flavours in the long nutty finish. 102 FINE

D 30 min / G 1 h 2010 / now D 20 min / G 45 min 2010 / now D 30 min / G 1 h 2010 / 2020 Medium intense, tawny colour. Delicately oxidized, jammed brambles and yoghurt nose. Medium-bodied palate with moderate acidity, gentle touch of woody tannins and crisp red fruit. A lingering long finish. Harmonious and discreet wine that lacks layers to be gaining more scores. Medium intense, tawny colour. Lovely nose is toasted with burnt sugar character, jammed brambles and licorice. Mediumbodied, dry palate with dried fruit flavours has crisp acidity and supple yet firm tannins that leaves a dry mouthfeel in smoky, tobacco finish. The wine has passed its peak. Moderately intense, tawny colour. Mediumintense nose is a bit closed revealing some spirity, leathery, floral and perfumy aromas. Medium-bodied, round and delicate style. Smooth tannins and moderate level of acidity gives a good structure to restrained fruit. Round wine with supple and smooth medium-long aftertaste. 86 p 1974 Grange Hermitage D 15 min / G 30 min 2010 / now Medium intense, tawny colour. Rustic, earthy nose with roasted coffee, smoke and licorice. Medium-bodied palate has vivid acidity and mouthdrying austere tannins that are overpowering the fruit, leaving a short and harsh aftertaste. 96 p 1975 Grange Hermitage D1h/G2h 2010 / 2017 Moderately intense, dark tawny colour. Seductive, minty and dark chocolate nose with black fruits and lovely dose of fresh ginger. Medium-bodied, smooth, and elegant structure with supple acidity, satiny tannins and intense fruitiness. A long ripe black fruit finish has a lovely spicy bite. A superb, charmingly youthful wine. 94 p 1976 Grange Hermitage D 1.5 h / G 2 h 2010 / 2017 Intense, brick red colour. A partly closed nose shows intense jammy, herbaceous, tarry and spicy licorice aromas. Mediumbodied palate has vivid acidity, satiny and intense tannic structure balanced by jammed bramble fruit. Harmonious, youthful and wild yet delicate finish with licorice and spicy notes. Energetic wine, yet not very refined style. PENFOLDS GRANGE 103 F I N E Ta s t i n g 90 p 1970 Grange Hermitage 87 p 1972 Grange Hermitage 91 p 1973 Grange Hermitage

85 p 1977 Grange Hermitage D 30 min / G 30 min 2010 / now 89 p 1982 Grange Hermitage D2h/G2h 2010 / 2018 89 p 1986 Grange Hermitage D2h/G2h 2010 / 2015 Dark, brown colour. Gently oxidized, dark chocolate nose with walnuts, burnt sugar and medicinal aromas. Medium-bodied palate is not overpowered by volatile acidity and is still enjoyable. Due to the oxidation the fruit is dried showing raisiny character of figs and dates. Long austere, dark chocolate and raisiny finish. Deep red colour. Intense, smoky, dark chocolate nose with burnt wood aromas. Medium-bodied, high acidic structure with intense dark fruit flavours. Ripe, firm tannins and medium-long, slightly closed and astringent finish. Powerful wine that benefits from further ageing. Deep, ruby colour. Intense, smoky and jammed bramble nose with mint, licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate and hazelnut aromas. Medium-bodied palate with intense mouthfeel that delivers delicate ripe black fruit, smoke and licorice flavours. The long finish shows some austere flavours. 91 p 1978 Grange Hermitage D 1.5 h / G 2 h 2010 / now 90 p 1983 Grange Hermitage D2h/G2h 2010 / 2020 90 p 1987 Grange Hermitage D2h/G3h 2010 / 2014 Deep, dark tawny colour. Intense nose shows complex and smoky aromas of cured ham, dark chocolate and hints of mint. Medium-bodied palate, elegant acidity, and polished tannins. Beautiful balance and long delicate finish. Silky style. Dark, intense colour. Deep, complex and spicy nose that has floral, earthy and black fruit aromas with farmyard and horse saddle tones. Medium-bodied, moderately high acidity, and firm powdery tannic structure. Ripe black fruit character with cassis and brambles. Firm, mouthdrying and gently warming finish with fine touch of tobacco and jammed cassis flavours. Deep, ruby colour. Complex, herbaceous nose with mint, dark chocolate, wild strawberry, tobacco and licorice aromas. Full-bodied palate has supple tannic structure, vivid acidity, and ripe fruitiness with silky texture. Lean and long finish. 87 p 1979 Grange Hermitage D 45 min / G 1 h 2010 / now 85 p 1984 Grange Hermitage D 1.5 h / G 2 h 2010 / 2018 90 p 1988 Grange Hermitage D3h/G3h 2010 / 2018 Deep, dark tawny colour. Refined, complex yet restrained nose shows seductive range of aromas ­ smoky, perfumy, vegetal, cedar and cassis. Very Bordeaux left bank style. Medium-bodied palate has a dry mouthfeel with low fruit intensity, moderate acidity and some austere tannins. Tobacco and smoky aromas are escorting a medium-long, rustic and austere finish. Dark, brick red colour. Pronounced, earthy and leathery nose with smoke, tar, medicinal and bramble aromas. Mediumbodied, very high acidity is overpowering the moderately intense and retrained fruit. Mouthdrying tannins and high alcohol in the finish. The wine seems not to be in balance at the moment. Medium-intense, ruby colour. Intense nose is highlighted by jammed bramble notes combined with smoky, tarry and minty aromas. Full-bodied mouthfeel with high acidity, intense fruitiness and gentle tannins. Long harmonious finish. 90 p 1980 Grange Hermitage D1h/G1h 2010 / 2014 92 p 1985 Grange Hermitage D2h/G3h 2010 / 2022 88 p 1990 Grange Hermitage D3h/G3h 2010 / 2030 Deep, dark colour. Lovely dark chocolate and mint nose with jammed brambles and cassis tones. Medium-bodied, intense and meaty palate that is supported with mellow acidity and ripe firm tannic structure. Smoky, peppery and tarry finish. Mediumlength. The aftertaste is restrained. Deep, dark colour. Rich, earthy, and smoky nose with licorice and tobacco aromas. Fullbodied palate with firm tannins and intense jammed black fruit. Refined wine with youthful character. Still restrained finish. Good potential for ageing. Intense, deep ruby colour. Youthful nose with cedar and black fruits notes ­ cassis and brambles. Full-bodied palate shows vivid acidity, mouthdrying sophisticated tannins, ripe black fruit aromas with herbaceous and spicy tones. Concentrated long and fresh finish that shows a lot of potential. 104 FINE

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Text: Pekka Nuikki Photos: Pekka Nuikki & Armand de Brignac T he greatest challenge for producers in Champagne is not the rather chilly climate, or the quality or quantity of the wines themselves, but how to market their products. The very name champagne evokes powerful images in all of us ­ of luxury, celebration and success. They are images that every one of us would like to associate ourselves with and which set champagne apart from all other drinks. But how do champagne producers exploit these images in their marketing campaigns? Not too well actually, as only around 40­50 champagne producers are known by their brand worldwide. The question worth asking is therefore: how could as many as 5000 unknown producers of champagne make us all aware of their brand and sell their products? At least one would seem to have found the answer ­ Cattier. 106 FINE

ARMANDE DE BRIGNAC 107 FINE Champagne

"The veRY NAMe ChAMPAGNe evOKeS POWeRFUL IMAGeS chaMpagne The Messenger Since the beginning of the twentieth century, it has been the world of sport and the fashion and entertainment industries that have mainly been responsible for champagne's visibility. Producers have not needed to invest a huge amount in order to have their products thrust into the limelight, either at the dining tables of the famous or as an accompaniment to various parties celebrating victory. All the same, the champagne houses have largely shied away from using personal branding in their marketing campaigns. They have simply felt no desire to attach themselves to one particular person. Indeed, many luminaries have felt that champagne brands themselves were a way to say something about their own status and success. One such was Armand de Brignac of Champagne Cattier. oscar nighT chaMpagne One of the hottest champagne stories to emerge from the entertainment industry in recent years concerned the link between Roederer's Cristal champagne and the world of celebrities with which it found favour. Cristal's dominance as the number one drink among celebrities seemed unbreakable until it was challenged by Dom Pérignon, thanks to a number of massive marketing campaigns designed by Karl Lagerfeld. And now it is the turn of Cattier, who realised the time had come to conquer the world of music and entertainment. Cattier created a luxury brand called Armand de Brignac and emblazoned the bottle with a pewter "Ace of Spades" insignia. It erupted 108 FINE onto the world stage partly by accident, appearing first of all in a video by the US rapper Jay-Z. Afterwards, the golden bottle put in an appearance at David Beckham's celebritystudded welcome party in Los Angeles. Soon after, the cream of the entertainment world left the Oscar celebrations with a chilled bottle of Armand de Brignac in 2009 Academy Awardnominee gift bags. The press proceeded to run stories the following day featuring pictures of world-famous stars, from Justin Timberlake to Will Smith, posing with the golden bottle and history began to write itself ­ without any major advertising or marketing campaigns. Cattier's PR agency could congratulate itself on a job well done. Philippe Bienvenu, Cattier's Commercial Director, is extremely pleased with the way things have progressed and says of the popularity explosion: "There was actually no decision made to launch the brand through celebrities. The first celebrity to become a lover of Armand de Brignac was Jay-Z ­ he heard about the brand and contacted our U.S. importer, who then had us send him several bottles while he was holidaying in the south of France ­ and the bottles later appeared in his music video. Most recently, we saw the New York Yankees baseball team celebrate with Armand de Brignac after winning the World Series. Famous actors such as Leonardo di Caprio, George Clooney and many athletes such as Roger Federer, Luis Figo and LeBron James have all been seen in the company of the golden Ace, as have singers such as Rihanna. It has also become a favourite at France's Michelin-starred gourmet restaurants. "The NeW YORK YANKeeS BASeBALL TeAM CeLeBRATeD WITh ARMAND De BRIGNAC AFTeR WINNING The WORLD SeRIeS."

IN ALL OF US ­ OF LUxURY, CeLeBRATION AND SUCCeSS." These include Alain Llorca's Le Moulin de Mougins and Jacques Chibois' La Bastide St Antoine on the Riviera, along with Reims' celebrated L'Assiette Champenoise." MiniskirTs and wine The added value that many champagne producers bring to their brand is woefully unimaginative. Today it is almost exclusively visible in the packaging. The same is also true of Cattier's Armand de Brignac champagne, it has to be said, but it is in the unique packaging that its commercial brilliance lies ­ it dazzles and immediately catches the attention. The idea of the metallic bottle was originally conceived by the famed French fashion designer, André Courrèges. his ultra-modern designs featured well-cut pants, trapezoidal lines and miniskirts with white mid-calf boots; white became his hallmark. "Courrèges contacted us because he wanted to create his own champagne and he had two very specific colours; white and silver. he asked us if it would be possible to make a silver bottle for our champagne and in turn we could then say that we were the first champagne house to have a metallic champagne bottle. Mr Courrèges was very happy with the result and started to produce his own champagne under the name `Champagne Andre Courrèges'. We helped him until he retired and then the project ended," says Philippe Bienvenu. "The PRODUCTION IS ALSO veRY LIMITeD. LAST YeAR, We hAD exACTLY 42 000 BOTTLeS; AROUND FIFTeeN PeR CeNT OF WhICh WAS ROSé AND SeveN PeR CeNT BLANC De BLANCS. " Jancis has her doubTs The paperless gold bottle features four handapplied pewter labels, accented with two Ace of Spades insignias symbolising the Champagne region's regal heritage. The bottle is packaged in a black lacquered wooden case, fitted with an engraved nameplate, lined in black velvet and embossed with the brand's crest. It is this vain and pricey look that allows doubt to creep into one's mind regarding the quality of the contents. That has been the reaction of many a wine critic, including Jancis Robinson MW, the UK's best known wine writer. "exposure PR, the company in charge of promoting this new brand in the UK, kindly offered me a sample to taste some time ago and I declined the offer, because I just couldn't imagine recommending a wine at that price and with so little track record," wrote Jancis on her website. She need not have worried. The bottle's external appearance and the high price of the wine are rather off-putting, it is true, but Armand de Brignac's real genius is to be found within the metal shell. "exposure PR noticed my report and offered a tasting sample a second time. This time, I graciously accepted and shared a golden bottle, which was in the most extraordinarily lavish black lacquer box, with some rather bemused friends last weekend. "Now, of course, this is not the same as tasting a wine blind, but I have to say that I was pretty impressed. Armand de Brignac Brut Gold is extremely dense with a very stimulatingly tight bead. It is tense and refreshing, with scents in the floral spectrum followed by real precision on the palate," noted Jancis at the end of a successful weekend. 109 ARMANDE DE BRIGNAC FINE Champagne

"The SeCReT BehIND The hIGh PRICe OF LUxURY PRODUCTS ­ LIMITeD PRODUCTION AND AvAILABILITY" ier e Catt xandr Ale Philippe Bien ve nu worTh More Than gold Today, Cattier remains an independent champagne producer and family business. It has some 20 hectares of grapevines, and most of the vineyards are Premier Cru. The Cattier family have owned the estate since 1793, though it is only since 1918 that they have produced and marketed champagne under their own name. Patriarch Jean-Jacques Cattier oversees the house's limited wine production alongside his son and Chief Oenologist, Alexandre Cattier. how then is Armand de Brignac different from the other Cattier products? Philippe Bienvenu believes that: "Armand de Brignac is unique for us in a number of ways. JeanJacques and Alexandre wanted to create a high-quality luxury cuvée ­ produced using the most traditional methods ­ that would give them complete control over the final product. Unlike most other champagnes in the category, which are made from a single vintage, their idea was to create a multi-vintage blend, with each bottling comprising three distinct vintages from exceptional years. They also wanted to pay tribute to the emblematic villages of Champagne, which are known for the high quality of their grapes that are all rated Premier Cru and Grand Cru and located in Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs and vallée de la Marne. We only use a very small fraction of the first pressing of these grapes compared even to our own cuvées. Three distinct vintages are used for each bottling of Armand de Brignac, in a similar way to our Clos du Moulin." Measuring 2.2 hectares, the Clos du Moulin vineyard is a unique, walled-in vineyard that was acquired by Cattier in 1951. In the past, this Clos belonged to an officer of King Louis xv, Mr Allart de Maisonneuve, who was one of the first producers of Champagne wines in Reims. This special cuvée is a blend of selected vintages and is only produced from high quality harvests. "In the case of the Clos du Moulin, which was, by the way, selected by Air France and British Airways to be served on board Concorde and in First Class, the grapes are taken from just one plot of land instead of many ­ Armand de Brignac by comparison allots more freedom to Jean-Jacques and Alexandre, allowing them to create something different to what we normally make. Jean-Jacques believes that a single vintage champagne is like a single violinist, playing by himself. A multi-vintage such as Armand de Brignac is the entire orchestra, playing together. Finally, the dosage for Armand de Brignac is further enhanced by ageing in oak barrels for nine months, in order to impart a touch of soul to the champagne. The barrels come from Burgundy, having been used once before for Chardonnay. "The production is also very limited. Last year, we had exactly 42 000 bottles; around fifteen per cent of which was rosé and seven per cent Blanc de Blancs. The production will always remain limited, although we can expand a little. According to our projections, we estimate that we could possibly increase production to around 60 000­70 000 bottles, but it will never be more than that," says Philippe. MoTher and child The `de Brignac' name was registered by the Cattier family in the early 1950s. It was chosen by Jean-Jacques Cattier's mother, who had been reading a novel featuring a character of the same name. "In 1950, Mrs Cattier had the idea to create another brand and, by that time, she had already decided to one day do something different to what we were doing at Champagne Cattier. She did not know then exactly what, but she really liked the character in the novel and used his name to create something new. Around ten years ago, we thought that it was time to re-launch this initial project of Mrs Cattier and pay tribute to her. Unfortunately, 110 FINE

she passed away before Armand de Brignac was released. The concept of Armand de Brignac was originally very simple ­ we just tried to make the best possible champagne with the best possible presentation," explains Philippe. The secreT behind The high price of luxury producTs ­ liMiTed producTion and availabiliTy Although the original idea sounds very simple, it took a decade of hard work and faith to realise. The Armand de Brignac launch went perfectly, though, and the product proved to be a commercial success. "We intentionally limit the production of Armand de Brignac in order to maintain the quality of the brand. Only 6000 cases was released in 2010, which is similar to 2009. each year thus far, we have sold our entire release ­ so it is very successful," says Philippe proudly. Cattier has been a well-known producer among champagne connoisseurs for a long time now, particularly on account of the excellent single vineyard champagne from Clos du Moulin. There is always an air of modesty and humility in the way the company goes about things, and it has managed to remain hidden away from the general public, indeed almost too well. It therefore came as a big surprise when Cattier launched Armand de Brignac, a product that represented the complete opposite of the company's previous marketing strategies. The self-assured brand has brought the company fame and at the same time inspired other small champagne houses, under pressure from their bigger competitors and their huge marketing budgets, to believe in a better future. "I think that it has proven to us what we already believed to be true ­ that our champagnes can compete with any in the world, even the most famous houses. We will continue to put the most care possible into the creation of all our champagnes and we hope that the fame of Armand de Brignac will encourage people around the world to try them all. even in small countries there are champagne lovers! We always want the public to have something new to talk about as well ­ so we just released the Demi-Sec and will have new sizes, such as the Nebuchadnezzar (15L) and Jeroboam (3L), available soon." Cattier has discovered its own Midas touch. Armand de Brignac is a splendid example of a new kind of approach, one that would unfortunately seem to be rare among champagne producers in the current climate. The current situation seems surprising considering the numerous successful examples of world class marketing stunts in the past. Over one hundred years ago eugène Mercier, with the help of the Lumière brothers, produced the world's first advertisement film about his champagne, marketed wine tastings above Paris rooftops from a hot air balloon and used the free publicity provided by the Paris World Fair to his great advantage. Back then, eugène understood that you need to offer the consumers more than just beautifully designed packaging. The visual and taste experiences are not enough: it is the images and stories that harbour the luxurious secrets of champagne, and it is these enigmas that should be the main focus throughout future marketing campaigns. > "CATTIeR hAS DISCOveReD ITS OWN MIDAS TOUCh." ARMANDE DE BRIGNAC 111 FINE Champagne

midAS Midas was one of the kings of Ancient Phrygia, where he reigned in the last decades of the eighth century BC. According to the myth, the satyr Silenus ­ in Greek mythology satyrs are male creatures that roam woods and mountains ­ had wandered away from the rest of the Sileni, having drunk a great deal of wine. Midas took the wanderer in and gave him hospitality for ten days before returning him to his companion. To show his gratitude, Dionysos said Midas could have whatever he wished. Without thinking, Midas asked that whatever he touched should be changed into gold. The wish was granted, but everything he touched did indeed turn into gold, including his food, his drink and his daughter when he tried to embrace her. In the end, the king regretted his request and relinquished his powers. the ArmAnd de BrignAc rAnge Armand de Brignac The first release of Armand de Brignac was a combination of three vintages ­ 2000, 2002 and 2003 ­ and an equal blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Dosage 10 g/l. The second and current release comprises three years ­ 2002, 2003 and 2005 ­ and is a blend of 40 per cent Pinot Noir, 40 per cent Chardonnay and 20 per cent Pinot Meunier. Dosage 10 g/l. The origins of these grapes are quite varied. They are restricted to only Grand and Premier Crus, the most important of which include Chigny-les-Roses, Rilly La Montagne, Ludes, Villers Allerand, Montbré, Taissy for Pinot Noir; Avize, Villers Marmery, Vertus, and Le Mesnil sur Oger for Chardonnay; and Pierry and Damery for Pinot Meunier. Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs The first and current release comprises three vintages ­ 2002, 2003 and 2005 ­ and is a blend of 60 per cent Côte des Blancs and 40 per cent Montagne de Reims. Dosage 10 g/l. Armand de Brignac Rosé The first and current release comprises three years ­ 2002, 2003 and 2005 ­ and is a blend of 50 per cent Pinot Noir, 40 per cent Pinot Meunier and 10 per cent Chardonnay ­ including red wine from the old vines of both Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, representing 12 per cent of the total volume. Dosage 10 g/l. Single vineyArd vintAge ArmAnd de BrignAc? Philippe sheds light on Armand de Brignac's forthcoming single vineyard novelty: "Armand de Brignac Clos du Yons ­ 100 per cent Pinot Meunier ­ will be vintage champagne. Compared to the rest of the wines in the range, which are multi-vintages, the first Clos du Yons will be from a single vintage, the 2007. With 1.1 hectares, we could have produced 10 000 ­ 11 000 bottles but, in fact, we have made so strict a selection that the production will only be around 3000 bottles. I am certain that it will be something very interesting to taste and the first bottles should be released around 2012­2013. "We will surely have something very interesting and very different from the rest. This is the philosophy of Armand, to never do the same as others." 112 FINE

SWA FINE 12.20.10

Celebration 114 FINE

- Orson Welles Champagnes Text & Photography: Pekka Nuikki Dom Pérignon Rosé 1959 The atmosphere was charged, and all the necessary barbed wire fences had been erected around the enormous gala venue. Special troops consisting of professional soldiers guarded the area, keeping the curious at bay. A number of private planes carrying diverse heads of state had already landed at the nearby Shiraz airport, and many more were on their way. A 200-million-dollar party was just beginning. Surrounded by steel spikes and in the depths of a huge cluster of marquees, 306 bottles of the first-ever vintage of Dom Pérignon Rosé champagne impatiently awaited the royal gourmands. The 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire was one of the most flamboyant society events of the twentieth century. Planning of the event had begun in the late 1950s, and it climaxed in a gala dinner held on 14 October 1971. The light-coloured leather seats of 250 red Mercedes-Benz limousines carried 600 guests, including royals and heads of state, to a vast serpentine table, where they would enjoy the world's most lavish dinner. The dinner was made and served by the world-renowned Parisian establishment Maxim's, which was forced to close its restaurant in Paris for several weeks due to the festivities. For almost six months the Imperial Iranian Air Force made frequent sorties between Shiraz and Paris, flying supplies which were then trucked cautiously in army lorries to Persepolis. Each month, goods were driven down the desert highway to deliver building materials for fifty Jansen AG-designed air-conditioned tents, Italian drapes and curtains, Limoges dinnerware, Baccarat crystal, Porthault linens, an exclusive Robert Havilland cup-andsaucer service and over 5000 bottles of wine ­ including the 1959 Dom Pérignon Rosés. The event was officially opened with a toast of Dom Pérignon Rosé 1959 champagne. The dinner began with quails' eggs filled with caviar from the Caspian Sea. The host, the Shah of Iran, was actually allergic to caviar and had to settle for an artichoke dish. Next came a mousse of crayfish tails, which was beautifully complemented by a Château Haut-Brion Blanc from 1964. The celebrated 1945 Château Lafite Rothschild vintage added some elegance and a dash of soft tannins to the third course of roast saddle of lamb with truffles. Before the main course, the guests' taste buds were refreshed by a champagne sorbet and a taste of the Moët & Chandon vintage champagne from 1911, created during the Champagne Riots. The main course was Iran's ancient national symbol, peacock, stuffed with foie gras. The fifty roast birds decorated with peacock tail feathers were a stunning sight on the dinner table. The Comte de Vogué Musigny from 1945, a soft Pinot Noir, was chosen to contribute a suitable depth and structure to the meal. The Dom Pérignon Rosé champagne from 1959 was also chosen to accompany the dessert of glazed Oporto ring of fresh figs with cream and a raspberry champagne sherbet. The six hundred guests dined for over five and a half hours, making this the longest and most lavish official banquet in modern history, as recorded in successive editions of the Guinness Book of World Records. In the words of Orson Welles: "This was no party of the year, it was the celebration of 25 centuries!" 1959 was the first vintage of Dom Pérignon Rosé. The first bottles, considered the `jewel of Dom Pérignon', were first set on lees in the Dom Pérignon cellars in 1960, with only 306 bottles C E L E B R AT I O N C H A M PAG N E S 115 FINE 1000 "This was no party of the year, it was the celebration of 25 centuries!"

released. The vintage was only presented at the celebration of the Persian Empire; it was never commercially released. As Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon's cellarmaster, says, it was a turning point: "Dom Pérignon Rosé vintage 1959 is a rare, superlative, mythical vintage. Powerful and solar, its light will inspire the creation of Dom Pérignon Rosé forever." Geoffroy also told us that there are only a few bottles left in the Dom Pérignon cellars. "Looking back, I think of the creator of the Dom Pérignon Rosé 1959, René Philipponnat. I contemplate what has become of Dom Pérignon's legacy: his ambition to pioneer rosé wines at a new level, which led to the start of the Dom Pérignon Rosé adventure that generated the other expression of Dom Pérignon. Looking forward, it is my duty to live up to this heritage and keep pushing and taking risks to make an ever more provocative rosé." The Dom Pérignon Rosé 1959 vintage reached a record price of US$84 700 at an historic rare champagne auction in New York, overseen by Acker Merrall & Condit. In this, Dom Pérignon 1959 Rosé's first ever public sale, the "rarer than rare" bottles were estimated at US$5000­7000, but were acquired for the astronomical price by a wine investor. > 1959 Dom Pérignon Rosé 92p 2010/now D 30 min / G 30 min (DisGorGeD march 1969) Excellent-looking bottle. Purchased from the private cellar of an Italian champagne collector, whose father was an importer of Dom Pérignon in the 1970's. This rare and unique bottle was opened at a Premier Wine Club event in 2010. In our minds, we had no trouble imagining that this bottle ­ Celebration bottle ­ we had just opened was one of the "leftovers" from the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. Sometimes, if you have an abundant amount of wild imagination, even a poor wine can taste heavenly. Luckily, in order to get this Celebration wine to taste like pure silk, time was the only thing we needed, and after 30 minutes aeration it opened and became as good as it gets. Deep, intense, hazy-amber colour. Rich and layered nose that evolves beautifully in the glass, delivering white truffles, jammed arctic brambles, figs, hints of smoke and liquorice. Dry, intense and voluptuous palate with vivid acidity. Focused and muscular structure with a smooth, velvety texture. A mature champagne that is still alive but no longer improving. 116 FINE

Villa d'Este Davos du Vin Text: Juha Lihtonen Photography: Pekka Nuikki ­ World Wine Symposium The world's number one wine pro event 118 FINE

Kelly Walker, Pekka Nuikki, Dirk Niepoort, Gil Lempert-Schwartz, Charles Banks am sipping a double espresso on the terrace of the hotel Villa d'Este and enjoying an eye-capturing view over Lake Como in northern Italy. In this peaceful and beautiful setting the elite of the wine world gathers for the annual top event, World Wine Symposium, which is about to start in few hours. The World Wine Symposium's annual goal is to act as an international and interactive forum, where these important wine professionals, from winemakers, winery owners and experts to politicians and reporters, meet to discuss the challenges concerning the wine world and create visions for a better future. The man behind the event is François Mauss, the president and one of the founders of leading European wine panel Le Grand Jury Européen, who organised the event for the first time in 2009. FINE DAVOS DU VIN 119 FINE Event

Lake Como Hotel Villa d'Este, awarded which was the best hotel of the world title in 2009 will, for the next three days, be the stage for seminars covering fascinating topics, workshops and wine tastings, as well magnificent lunches and dinners with delicious wine and interesting people. Day 1 The 2010 event began with two top tastings, the first of which was a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti horizontal tasting, where all the vineyard's renowned 1990 Grand Cru red wines were tasted in the company of cellarmaster Bernard Noblet. After this, the 1990 Bordeaux vintage took centre stage. Château Auson's director Alain Vauthier led the superb tasting, which saw Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Pétrus, MoutonRothschild, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour and Margaux side by side. The event had got off to the most glamorous of beginnings, with the world's finest wines on show. Over the next three days we would be introduced to new wines from all over the world. During the opening night the focus was on the wines of Austria, and the welcome dinner was built around them. Cocktails were served Bernard Noblet 120 FINE

in the lobby of Villa d'Este before dinner, where François Mauss and Villa d'Este's CEO Jean-Marc Droulers welcomed the audience. Feeling relaxed and comfortable, the guests moved to the beautiful Veranda Room where the resident chef, Luciano Parolari, had created a resplendent dinner. The Veranda room opens out on to the hotel's beautiful park, with magnificent views out over the lake. The official welcome speech was given by Paolo de Castro, the European Parliament's President for the Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development, after which the Austrian Wine Marketing Board's director Willi Klinger lifted the mood by enthusiastically talking about Austrian wine. He then went on to introduce the country's new generation of wine producers, of which there are many. At the hall's twenty round tables, opinions and business cards changed hands in a festively relaxed and open atmosphere. The evening culminated in a musical performance by soprano Nathalie Barbary and pianist Patrick Legand. Juha Lihtonen, Sebastien Abric, Gil Lempert-Schwarz Ally and Charles Banks FINE DAVOS DU VIN 121 FINE Event

Day 2 G John Kapon Péeoffrey & Dom rignon Richard Moritz Rogosky The first of the day's four seminars started with France's most prestigious wine critic Michel Bettan talking about producing top European wine in a highly regulated environment. The stage then belonged to Don St Pierre, the owner and director of China's largest fine wine importer, ASC Fine Wines. St Pierre, who initiated fine wine importing to China in 1996, shed light on the formation of the Chinese wine culture during the past fifteen years and envisioned its future. Lunch was served between the morning and afternoon seminars, with rising South African wines introduced. Andre Shearer from Cape Classic is a representative of around twenty different fine wine producers, and he enlightened the group as to the winds of change occurring on the South African fine wine front. The afternoon seminar bit into the cork with an informative presentation from DIAM's CEO Dominique Tourneix, whose company is known for its flaw-free corks. The presentation went through various problems and introduced different alternatives to aid cork flaw prevention. Before the final conference Curt Ellison, a Boston University professor, introduced the latest research findings concerning wine's health benefits, and he was assisted by Alberto Bertelli and David Khayat. The second day then finished with scientists Etienne Klein and Alfred Cidal-Madjar hosting a conference regarding science and religions in new perspectives. Day 3 The world's most renowned barrel producing company, Taransaud's, kicked off the final day with an interesting workshop-seminar. Taransaud's Henri de Pracomtal and JeanPierre Giraud gave a practical introduction of how the origins and roasting level of the barrels influence the flavour of the wines. In the end, the most interesting factor affecting the taste of wine turned out to be the maturation of the oak boards used to make the barrels. Jean-Pierre Giraud's idea, formed during the past twenty years, is to mature the oak longer than normal, which has led to the development of the T5-barrel. Taransaud's flagship barrels are produced In the background, Fr ançois Mauss Kelly Walker, Eleo 122 nora Scholes FINE

using the best oak materials, by the best French barrel makers, with a maturation time of five years. T5-barrels are twice as expensive as normal Taransaud's barrels but the wine produced within them is considerably softer and more enjoyable than wine produced in normal barrels, where the toastiness and oak nuances are of a harsher nature. The next seminar took the audience away from the oaky woods and back to the youth of today. The former director and professor of Sorbonne-Paris University, JeanRobert Pitte, discussed how to achieve a more positive level of current youth alcohol consumption with the help of wine and the culture surrounding it. The first of the afternoon seminars concentrated on the wine world's current hot topic: the intense fine wine auctions in China. John Kapon, director of the world's leading auction house Acker Merrall & Condit, clarified the shift of the secondary market's move to China and the influential factors which determine the demand. After Kapon's lecture, renowned Bordeaux winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt concentrated his seminar on the topic of `how to harmonise the local specificites and respect for the contributions of the European wine culture'. The aim of the last seminar was to evoke the producers into understanding the importance of marketing and brand building in the ever-intensifying field. The speaker was Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, a highly esteemed producer of Bordeaux and owner of Château l'Angelus, who talked about different marketing opportunities and his experiences in, for example, Asia. Later in the evening, the organisers hosted a gala dinner with magnificent wines and excellent food, accompanied by a spectacular water fountain and fire show. The dinner culminated in a piano concert by Maurizio Baglini. During the final hours, Villa d'Este's atmospheric nightclub was awash with champagne floats and the smell of burning cigars. The new acquaintances exchanged their last opinions about the event and agreed to meet there once again next year. In this moment, one can see the very best of what this event has to offer. It joins the wine industry's most important people, who all want to be a part of creating a better future for the industry. A toast! To François Mauss, partners and to Villa d'Este! > The next World Wine Symposium will be held at Villa d'Este on November 10-13.11.2011. FINE DAVOS DU VIN 123 FINE Event

Wine Wine appraisal that very barrel. 124 FINE Pleasure of The Writing Writing ...C omplex, full, silky... Refined words form in rich ink on the pages of my tasting journal... and a seductive bouquet. From time to time I set down Text: Pekka Nuikki Photos: Omas Elegant and harmonious... I continue in the smoothly flowing ink: The Château Lafite 1797 remains a very enjoyable and lively wine, with... I taste the wine again, close my eyes and picture how it once matured in an . ..a fine, well-balanced aftertaste, eternal... has been made from my fountain pen to rest on the weathered desk top and sip the red wine in my glass. oak barrel in Château Lafite's dark, damp cellars in order to be just as enjoyable now, more than two hundred years later. The fountain pen that is writing my wine

OMAS 125 FINE L i f e s t y l e

The Pleasure of Wine Writing Although these days I type most of my critiques on an iPad, it is hard to think of a more suitable writing tool to describe a Château Lafite than a beautiful OMAS Château Lafite Rothschild limited edition fountain pen, which was made from the wood of historic wine barrels from the estate itself. It even smells of Lafite. Despite the iPad, my OMAS Lafite fountain pen has two important tasks. Firstly, I use it at elegant dinners, where it would be in bad taste, if not impolite, to bring an iPad, and where the pen functions as a part of my outfit, just as a fine watch or a pair of diamond cuff links would; secondly, it is what I prefer to use to sign my name. The individual and unique autograph is still considered a legally valid form of identification, although no one signature is the same as another. Anyone with any self-respect can identify himself with a signature. Our signatures are an important part of our identities. Throughout the ages, signatures have been used to start and end wars and marriages, and to validate countless agreements ­ from small purchases to treaties on national boundaries. Not even the United States Declaration of Independence came into effect until John Hancock, President of the Congress, had signed it with his flourish. Every American President since George Washington has used a pen to sign official documents. Dwight D. Eisenhower took the idea even further and created the idea of celebrating historical events with special writing instruments. He formally ended World War II with a new kind of ballpoint pen: the Esterbrook pen, which months later was on sale for the 126 FINE astonishingly low amount of 12 dollars in department stores all around the country. Eisenhower can thus be considered the father of limited edition and anniversary pens. Montblanc is perhaps the most renowned producer of limited-edition pens. One of the best-known is its Writers Edition, with pens named after famous authors. The designs of these pens incorporate a characteristic of their namesakes, as well as the author's signature. The clip of the Agatha Christie is shaped like a serpent, whereas the Edgar Allan Poe has a raven on the nib. These pens are highly valued by collectors; for example, the Ernest Hemingway pen is worth about 3000 dollars on the American market! The Second Life of Krug The Italian company OMAS is also known for its fine pens, which are produced in limited, numbered quantities. Naturally, the OMAS Château Lafite Rothschild pen is the dream instrument of any wine writer. Even before the Lafite pen, however, OMAS had already made a special fountain pen for the Krug Champagne House. In 2004, OMAS launched its new "Essential Woods Collection" made of very precious and rare wood types. The restyling of the volumes of this wood collection enhanced the innovation and modernity of the products, being very elegant and contemporary. Silver finishing underlined the

Helmut Newton used his Montblanc 149 fountain pen to express his love of words. A classic example of this is the timeless phrase "I love you", which is written on the shoulders and breasts of the models in his own hand. The heart of the Fountain Pen is the nib. OMAS is well known worldwide for the performance in writing of its fountain pens. OMAS has studied its nib shape to grant the perfect mix of smoothness and performance. Made of either 18-carat gold, 14-carat gold or titanium, OMAS nibs are available with 11 different types of tip, so that the writer can adapt the technique to his or her personality. beauty and uniqueness of these writing instruments. OMAS decided to complete the wood pens with a limited edition realised in a very particular wood: the mature oak from Krug casks used for the first fermentation of all their champagnes from 1969 to 2002. This special wood represents the "memory of time": the memory of the Krug family, handed down from father to son for six generations, and of winemakers who capture the personality of each wine and recreate, vintage after vintage, the essence of Krug. The pens are a reminder of this magnificent oak, shaped year after year by stupendous Krug vintages that are sensual to the touch, and which liberate the flavours of the various grapes and wines. The wood undoubtedly deserved a new lease of life, which took the form of the limited edition "Krug by OMAS". Harmony of the senses, harmony created by wood and silver, and harmony developed by two passionate houses that celebrate the art of blending and the art of writing. Writing with Wine Barrels The Krug pen was a success and sold out in no time; a very limited amount ­ 843 fountain pens and 843 rollerballs ­ had been made. OMAS's wooden pens are well known for their extraordinary balance, polished shine and surprisingly pleasant feel. They guarantee these characteristics by using rare natural materials such as cotton resin, celluloid, wood, titanium, gold and silver, which can be difficult to work. (work with or make work as a pen?) Extremely sensual, precious and selected from the rarest and most valuable elements, wood requires particularly long and accurate handcrafting to guarantee the desired result. During its history, OMAS has chosen many special, rare and precious kinds of wood for shaping the body of its pens, including snakewood, which is one of the rarest and most precious woods in the world; African ebony, a precious black, oriental and very hard wood; and Indian palm, which has a typical grain (what is a typical grain?) of streaks chasing one other. Perhaps the most exceptional wooden pen, however, was made from the very old wood of Château Lafite's wine barrels. OMAS 127 FINE L i f e s t y l e

Following the great success of the "Krug by OMAS" Series, OMAS decided in 2007 to launch another limited edition in cooperation with one of the most celebrated French estates, Château Lafite Rothschild. "Both trademarks are joined by a common philosophy that favours excellence, harmony and a passion for manufacturing exclusive and unique goods," says Marta Cruciani, Marketing Manager for OMAS. One Lafite Cask Holds 1,797 Pens 1797 is the vintage of the oldest bottles preserved in the Château Lafite Rothschild cellars. The same magical figure is repeated in the writing instruments produced thanks to the joint venture between the two influential companies. The body of the pen was taken from the oak used for the casks where the precious wine had rested for so long. The unique rounded shape of the pen in this very special limited edition was inspired by the form of the barrels. The red enamel on the end of the pens is reminiscent of the intense colour of the Château Lafite Rothschild, while the silver finish gives a balanced contrast to the two other materials. The moment you put this fine designer writing device to paper, you will experience the ultimate writing feel. The overall look of the OMAS pen is as distinct a combination of style and character as Château Lafite's wines. Naturally, only 1797 pens were made: 1000 fountain pens and 797 rollerballs. Solaia Pen: an Homage to Antinori's 600-Year History As an Italian company, OMAS felt it was only a question of time as to when it would make a special edition pen for one of the leading lights of the Italian wine world. A natural partner was found in Piero Antinori, whose family has been making wines since their forefather Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Guild of Winemakers, the Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri, in 1385. Throughout its history, spanning 26 generations, the family has personally managed the business, making innovative and sometimes courageous choices but always maintaining an unwavering respect for the tradition and the land. Marchese Piero Antinori, the 25th generation president of the company, has brought in novel, dynamic and visionary views that have led to Italy's recognition as a producer of worldclass wines. In 2010, OMAS corroborated its own passion for the wine world with a new limited edition dedicated to the prestigious Italian wine tradition. It pays homage to Antinori's six-hundredyear history. OMAS and Marchesi Antinori, both symbols of the refined exclusivity of Italian products, went down an exciting path to create a prestigious limited edition that reflects the handcrafted tradition and the attention to testing and innovation of the two Italian companies. "It is a privilege for us to firmly link one of our writing instruments to a prestigious product like Solaia. We like to think that the collaboration between OMAS and Antinori gives life to an object that can celebrate a completely Italian excellence," said Bryan Lee, Executive Director of OMAS. Solaia was first produced almost accidentally in 1978, thanks to Marchese Piero's intuition. Solaia, meaning "the sunny one" in Italian, is a 10-hectare southwest-facing vineyard planted 351-396 metres above sea level. It belongs to the Tignanello Estate, which is located at the heart of Chianti Classico, 30 kilometres south of Florence. In 2000, it was the first Italian wine to be selected as Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator and it continues to grow and take on worldwide markets. Wine Wine 128 FINE Writing Writing

The oak of the Marchesi Antinori barriques, where the precious wine once aged for years, has now been revived in the Solaia Limited Edition. Elegant engravings recall the world of this famous wine: the family coat of arms and the vine plant (is this the right term?) dominate the cap surface, while the rhombus which is found in the Marchesi Antinori shield decorates the knob. The first historical Solaia wine year is represented by the 1978 numbered and limited edition in silver items produced: 1200 piston filling fountain pens and 778 rollerballs. The box, inspired by the Solaia wine packaging, reflects the wine's fine taste and exalts the beauty and splendour of the precious writing instrument. OMAS also made a very limited Solaia High Luxury Limited Edition, adorned with precious materials. It is dedicated to the Solaia vintages, with each of the 25 unique pieces linked to a particular wine year. At the White House, Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy had at least nine secretaries who could imitate their signatures and deal with fan mail. For official signatures, Kennedy favoured the Parker 45 fountain pen, as did Presidents Ford, Nixon and Carter. developed. First and foremost, a pen is a creative tool and an attractive and fascinating means of expression. Imagining and creating these instruments requires a deep understanding of emotions and a passion for beautiful things." "OMAS pens have always been characterised by their timeless, elegant and essential design and strong personality, which highlight the characteristics typical of Italian style and stand as examples of Italian creative excellence in the fountain pen sector. These valuable writing jewels combine to perfection aesthetic high quality, performance and a sophisticated image with the pleasure of writing." "It is thanks to this tradition and uncompromising savoir faire that the design of OMAS pens is capable of harnessing and interpreting the spirit of the age, ensuring an ever more modern creative impulse and inspiration." To conclude, I cannot resist asking Cruciani about the future of fountain pens in our increasingly technology-oriented world. "People use this kind of writing instrument, especially fountain pens, just for the pleasure of writing. OMAS's fine jewels of writing are a perfect blend of aesthetic excellence and extreme ease of use, combining a sophisticated image with the pleasure of writing. Moreover, these precious writing instruments are considered luxury accessories, just like watches or fine wines." > Art of Blending OMAS Marketing Manager Marta Cruciani explains that their artisanal philosophy has many similarities with fine wine production: "The skilful blend of design and handcrafting, the use of precious materials and the innovation all constitute the values around which each OMAS pen is OMAS 129 FINE L i f e s t y l e

History of Writing Pleasure The of Wine Writing W 130 FINE

SOPHIE'S CHOICE Text: Stuart George Although Virginie, Comtesse de lAlAnde, is the to be AssoCiAted with ChâteAu PiChon-lAlAnde, PiChon-longueVille is the most enigmAtiC. fine most fAmous of the women her elder sister soPhie de looks At the life And work of this tAlented but mysterious womAn. The long story of Château Pichon-Lalande often has a strong feminine presence. Directly or by marriage, the same family governed it from 1685 to 1925. For most of the eighteenth century, women oversaw the Pichon-Longueville estate, a tradition that culminated in the distinguished May-Eliane de Lencquesaing working at Pichon-Lalande for 30 years until January 2007. Two sisters founded what eventually became Pichon-Lalande: the beautiful Virginie de PichonLongueville (1798­1882), who became Comtesse de Lalande after marrying Henri, comte Raymond de Lalande in 1818; and the enigmatic Sophie (17851858), a painter, poet and nun. The sisters are commemorated today in the grand vin's full name of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and in the estate's limitrophe vineyards, which ­ uniquely among the Médoc's crus classés ­ sprawl across two appellations. The Pauillac vineyards include the "Sophie" parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon that lies to the southwest of PichonLalande's château, cheek by jowl with Latour's vines. f iVe into two Pichon-Lalande traces its origins back to Pierre Rauzan (c.1620­1692), one-time owner of Châteaux Margaux and Latour. Land surrounding Latour was turned into an estate that became known as L'Enclos Rauzan and which formed the basis of PichonLongueville. As if in a Balzac novel ­ albeit one with a relatively happy ending ­ the Baron Joseph de Pichon-Longueville (1760­1849), great-grandson of Pierre Rauzan, decided to share the domain between his five children. It took Baron Joseph 70 years, during which he saw France undergo three revolutions, five kings, two republics and one empire, to create PichonLongueville. To divide the estate into two separate entities took only six years. Raoul gained the part destined for the two sons (the younger son Louis had died in 1835), which became Pichon-Baron; the rest went to the three daughters Virginie, Gabrielle and Sophie. 132 F I N E

t error And t erroir Only 14 surviving paintings have been attributed to Sophie and hardly anything is known of her life. But two things are thought to have influenced both her art and her life: the Revolution of 1798 and a love affair that apparently ended with sadness. Sophie was only seven when her family was forced to leave Bordeaux for the Médoc in spring 1792. Eighteen months later, la terreur began. Baron Joseph and his wife Marguerite de Narbonne Pelet d'Anglade were arrested and imprisoned. They were not released until June 1794. When the Bourbon family, in the form of Louis XVIII, was restored to power in 1814 after the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte, Sophie became a passionate Bourboniste. Talleyrand, the "Prince of Diplomats" and a former owner of Château Haut-Brion, supported the new king. Doubtless the de Pichon-Longueville family knew Talleyrand as a fellow winemaker and Bourboniste. After the death of Marguerite in 1822, Sophie privately published 16 of her poems in a volume called Poésies Fugitives, printed on vellum and dedicated "to my mother, who always asked me for a collection of my verses." The copy at Pichon-Lalande, which contains handwritten notes by Sophie herself, was found serendipitously by Madame de Lencquesaing's son in Paris several years ago. Several poems refer to the events of 1814 and to the birth in September 1820 of Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord, in 1820. Louis XVIII did not have children so the throne passed to his younger brother Charles X, whose son, the duc d'Angoulême, had also so far failed to produce an heir. Charles' younger son, the duc de Berry, was assassinated in February 1820, putting the Bourbon dynasty in serious jeopardy. But Berry's widow Princess Caroline of Naples and Sicily gave birth to the "Dieudonné" ("God-given") duc de Bordeaux in September 1820, enabling the Bourbon line to continue. Baron Joseph was charged with representing Bordeaux to the king at the christening of the duc. Some of the other poems in Poésies Fugitives are more frivolous. "Voyages" is about the vulgarity of the nouveaux riches at a ball held in Lesparre-Médoc, a small town 20 kilometres northwest of Pauillac, and has whimsical observations on a one-eyed, one-legged coach driver. les femmes sAVAntes The most famous female artist of the late eighteenth century was Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun, the favourite painter of Marie-Antoinette and a member of the Academies of Rome, Parma, Bologna, Saint Petersburg and Berlin. Her husband was Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun, a painter and art dealer, whose great uncle was Charles Le Brun, the first Director of the Académie S O P H I E ' S C H O I S E 133 FINE Art & WINE

Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. In 1663, Le Brun introduced the first female to the Académie, Catherine Duchemin, wife of the sculptor François Girardon. Although Vigée-Le Brun was highly successful, there were few female painters in the early nineteenth century. Academic art training placed much emphasis on nude studies, which was considered inappropriate for women. An unknown master in Bordeaux taught Sophie to paint. She went to Paris in about 1812 to study in the studio of François Gérard, the most fashionable portraitist of the Empire and the Restoration. Gérard had studied under Jacques-Louis David, the preeminent Neo-Classical painter of the era. Reproductions of Gérard's portraits were in great demand ­ he was a noted society figure, known as "the king of painters and painter of kings". As part of his students' training they would make copies of his works. Sophie's partial copy of Gérard's 1802 work Ossian évoque les fantômes au son de la harpe, signed and dated 1814, shows her leaning more towards the exuberant colours of Romanticism than the sombre chiaroscuro of Neo-Classicism. Though Gérard paid Sophie for the copies she made of his paintings, there is no record of her selling any of her own canvases. s AVoie fAire Despite the upheaval caused by the fall of Napoleon's French Empire in 1814, Sophie continued to lead a privileged life. Probably she was able to attend some of Gérard's high society salons. She refers in her poetry to a visit to Vichy in 1814 and is known to have met the duchesse d'Angoulême around this time. In about 1815, she travelled to the Alps, the landscapes of which appear in several of her paintings. She was probably in Paris between 1816 and 1819 before returning to Bordeaux in 1820 or 1821, when she painted a portrait of her brother-inlaw Comte Henri Raymond de Lalande, husband of Virginie. There is a portrait by Sophie at Pichon-Lalande of a good-looking, bespectacled young man known as "Sophie's fiancé". A similar figure appears in two of Sophie's mountain scenes, Lucerne (1820) and Le Pont du Diable au Mont Saint Gothard (1821). Nothing at all is known about this man. David Haziot, author of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande: A Passion for Wine, suggests that he was Savoyard or Italian, though PichonLalande's Communications Director Fabienne Durou believes that he might be Pierre Lacour fils, son of the painter of the same name who founded the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. It is possible that Lacour père was the unknown Bordeaux master who tutored Sophie. In the Musée there are three portraits of Lacour fils by Lacour père, one of which is a copy by his 134 F I N E

daughter Madeleine Aimée Lacour. Certainly there is a remarkable resemblance between "Sophie's fiancé" and the portraits of Lacour fils. P ortrAit of the Artist As A young womAn ? s till wAters The figure in Sophie's portrait wears a Tricolour flag in his buttonhole. Perhaps the Bourboniste Sophie was in love with a Republican, though there is no suggestion in her writings of any betrayal by a lover, so it is possible that Sophie was forced by the political zeitgeist to break off their relationship. A poem in Poésies Fugitives suggests that Sophie had been unable to marry because of her mother's illness. Lucerne shows a woman sketching beside a bespectacled man, who looks up at her adoringly. His red military jacket lies on the ground next to them. She wears white and the river flows by calmly. The emotions of Le Pont du Diable au Mont Saint Gothard are the antithesis of those of Lucerne. The landscape has been identified as the Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge) in the Schöllenen Gorge in Switzerland. A black-clad female sits with her back turned to a bespectacled man, who now wears his red jacket and prepares to mount his horse. The water rushes past with much more urgency than in Lucerne, its haste conveyed by the busy, forceful brushstrokes. There are two later and undated Swiss landscapes, Vu d'un lac de montage en Suisse and Le Songe d'Ossian, in which the water is again calm. Madame de Lencquesaing acquired an undated portrait, that once hung at Pichon-Baron and was sold after the château was acquired by AXA, which is thought to be a self-portrait by Sophie. The melancholy female figure wears no makeup. The pink ribbon adds a touch of brightness to an otherwise sombre and unflattering painting, in which the unsmiling lady wears a black velvet dress that was typical of the habit worn by the spinster residents of the Order of Saint Anne. In 1823, Sophie retired to a convent. The Order of Saint Anne in Würzburg was attached to a sister convent in Munich, where Sophie became a lady of honour. She used her full title "Comtesse Sophie de Pichon Longueville, Ordre des Demoiselles de Sainte Anne à Munich" to sign her 1838 painting au bord du lac, the largest of the Sophie canvases at PichonLalande. After entering the convent Sophie wrote no more poems but continued to paint, though the portraits and Alpine scenes were now replaced by religious themes. In the church of Saint-Martin de Pauillac hangs the life-size painting of Christ en croix, its dark colours and orange hues recognisably the work of Sophie. Saint-Martin was designed by the architect Armand Corcelles, who also built the château at Labégorce-Zédé. S O P H I E ' S C H O I S E 135 FINE Art & WINE

m ystiC wills In her "testament mystique" ­ her will, dated 25 August 1858 ­ Sophie requested that 400 prayers be said for her soul. Some of her estate went to her brother Raoul and other sister Gabrielle but most of it, including her share of Pichon, was left to Virginie, "ma chère soeur". Virginie inherited Sophie's half-share of the Hôtel Montméjean, the de Pichon-Longueville's Bordeaux home. She sold the hotel share to her surviving sister Gabrielle and used the funds to buy equipment and to build a winery and cellar. In the year of Sophie's death, Virginie had her portrait painted by Perrignon. The image of her in a black shawl, still mourning for her sister, now adorns the label of Pichon-Lalande's second wine Réserve de la Comtesse. Virginie and Sophie first jointly made wine separate to Raoul's in 1856 ­ their 20-hectare holding was the beginning of what became Pichon-Lalande. Gabrielle, who had retained a ten-hectare share of Pichon-Longueville, continued to use Raoul's facilities until her death in 1875. Like Sophie, she left her estate to Virginie, making that estate the larger of the two Pichons. Despite the 1855 classification, which saw PichonLalande created as a Deuxième Cru, the 1850s was a challenging decade for Bordeaux, a period in which in its vineyards were devastated by powdery mildew. But thanks in part to Sophie de Pichon-Longueville, Pichon-Lalande's immediate future was assured. > 136 F I N E

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nen a Lihto uikki Text: Juh ekka N graphy: P Photo weekend trip in Champagne, arranged at harvest time by FINE Champagne Magazine, brought together champagne lovers from all around the world ­ from India to the United States, from France to Finland. The weekend passed quickly ­ too quickly, for some ­ amid interesting visits, gourmet dinners and splendid champagnes. It is midday on Friday. A group of guests sits in the champagne bar of the most renowned hotel in Reims, the Château Les Crayères, in a joyful and expectant mood. Essi Avellan MW, editor of FINE Champagne Magazine, raises her glass to mark the start of the weekend and to welcome the group to the FINE Champagne Weekend. F I N E C H A M PAG N E W E E K E N D 139 FINE Event

At the first stage of the weekend we head to one of the most highly esteemed champagne producers, Krug. The guests are treated to a private tour of the cellars and a tasting led by winemaker Julie Cavil. The tour is very instructive. Winemaking is a meticulous process requiring close attention to detail. Small batches of wine, skilful blending of said batches and long ageing of the blends are some of the factors that give the Krug wines their characteristic, recognisable style. After the cellar tour it is time for a tasting, for which Cavil has selected three different types of champagne in order to illustrate the great contrasts you can achieve through blending. The first to be served is currently the world's most expensive newly released champagne, the Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1996; a small-production champagne that involves no blending at all. It is produced from a single grape variety ­ Pinot Noir ­ grown in a single vineyard in a single year. The Clos d'Ambonnay is followed by the Krug Vintage 1996, which is a vintage champagne blended from three varieties grown in different parts of Champagne. The wines differ significantly from each other, the Clos d'Ambonnay being more temperamental and characterful, although somewhat more one-dimensional than the Krug Vintage. Into the last glass, Cavil pours the Grande Cuvée, Krug's masterpiece of blending. The Grande Cuvée is a blend of several vintages of three grapes grown around Champagne. Out of the three champagnes, the Grande Cuvée is the most balanced at the moment. It is lacking in the vintage champagnes' intensity and concentration, but it offers a nuanced aromaticness and mouthfeel. Julie Cavil is a sociable and gregarious winemaker who makes a tasting enjoyable and rewarding. After spending a couple of hours here, it is time to move on to the address where they make a champagne that was chosen as the best in the world last year: Armand de Brignac. Julie Cavil 140 FINE

In the goldmine We arrive in the sleepy town of Chigny Les Roses, which is home to the headquarters of the Cattier family business, the producers of Armand de Brignac. We are welcomed by the estate's hosts, Philippe Bienvenu and Jean-Jacques Cattier. In the lobby there is an eye-catching and brilliant white lounge with a champagne bar, which features sparkling gold, silver and pink bottles of Armand de Brignac. The story behind the meteoric rise of the Armand de Brignac Brut Gold "Ace of Spades" champagne, stored in ostentatious golden bottles, is short and happy. Bienvenu tells us that the springboard for the champagne, launched in 2006, was a music video by the American rap artist Jay-Z. Naturally the bottle was chosen for the video thanks to its luxurious looks, but Jay-Z also had a liking for the champagne's taste. Having tasted Armand de Brignac champagnes, it is easy to understand their allure. Their style stands out from the mainstream with a temptingly fruity, roundly mellow and refreshing character; our group typifies them as perfect champagnes for clubs and parties. Our conversation then turns to food and champagne. We are agree that, with the exception of the Demi-Sec, the Armand de Brignac champagnes are most suitable Château de la Marquetterie Taittinger crystals for light and fresh dishes, such as seafood and sushi. The Demi-Sec is complementary to spicy Asian flavours on the one hand, and classic duck liver dishes on the other. It is also excellent for refreshing desserts. As our appetites begin to awaken and time marches on, it is time to move on to a dinner party in the Château de la Marquetterie, the Taittinger manor on the outskirts of Épernay. Owned by Taittinger, the picturesque manor dating from 1734 provides a fabulous setting for our dinner in Pierry. Taittinger's Marketing Director, Dominique Garreta, has created a champagne menu in collaboration with the Les Grains d'Argent restaurant in Dizy. We begin with a fresh and toasty Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999, together with appetizers. The next course, a delicious creamy porcini risotto, proves to be the perfect accompaniment to the fruity, well-balanced Taittinger Brut Millèsime 2004. The Limousine veal served as the main dish is complemented by the non-vintage single vineyard wine Les Folies de la Marquetterie, produced from grapes F I N E C H A M PAG N E W E E K E N D 141 FINE Event

Richard Geoffr ey Dom Périgno & n grown in the vineyard around the manor. It is surprising how well the champagne sets off the rich meat. One of the most wonderful champagne encounters of the evening, and the trip as a whole, comes later with the cheeses: the Comtes de Champagne Rosé 1979, dug out from the depths of the cellar, charms us with its subtlety and character. The Comtes de Champagne Rosé 1982, served with the mango pie that wraps up the dinner, may not be quite as celebrated by the diners as the 1979, but proves all the same to be a brilliant wine that complements the very lightly sweetened pie surprisingly well. The evening is unforgettable ­ not just due to the wines, the food and the beautiful setting, but also thanks to the happy and relaxed atmosphere. On the way back to Reims, our palates are still reminded of the memorable taste of the Comtes de Champagne Rosés. Orangery of Moët & Chandon In Napoleon's footsteps 2002, the complex and toasty Oenothèque 1996 and the alluring Dom Pérignon Rosé 2000. Our host is the world-renowned and charismatic cellar master Richard Geoffroy, whose views and passionate approach towards gastronomy generate an interesting discussion concerning champagnes, their use and their production among the lunch guests. After a three-hour visit at Moët & Chandon, we set our sights on one of the most famous landmarks of Champagne, the steep vineyard of Clos des Goisses. On Saturday morning it is time to visit Moët & Chandon, where we are expected for a tour of some of the 28-kilometre-long tunnels that make up the estate's cellars. At the end of the tour we move on to the Moët reception premises and gardens, which were originally built by Jean-Remy Moët for Napoleon in the style of the Palace of Versailles. The lunch, served in the Orangery located at the back of the gardens is accompanied by a cavalcade of Dom Pérignons, including the fresh and crisp 142 FINE

A Champagne speciality After just twenty minutes or so, we stand at the top of the steepest hill of Champagne in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Our jovial host, Charles Philipponnat, has decided to answer the question of what makes his prestige champagne, Clos des Goisses, so unique. To do this, he has brought us to the vineyard Charle s Philip ponna t opening, being exceptionally robust, rich and aromatic for a wine from such a modest vintage. 1982 is very well developed, whereas the 1952 Clos des Goisses confounds us with its youthfulness and freshness. In addition to the Clos des Goisses vintages, we taste Philipponnat's 1976 Blanc de Blancs, which he uncorks flamboyantly à la volée. Before we leave we still have time for the rare Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé from 1999, of which less than 2000 bottles were made. The wine is in surprisingly enjoyable condition taking into account its young age. The whole group is enchanted by the visit to Philipponnat. The easy-going and unaffected Charles keeps surprising us by offering isses pponnat at Clos des Go champagnes that are each more intriguing Charles Phili than the next, all filled with character and that climbs up this steep hill to a point from charisma ­ just like the man himself. We which there is a fabulous view over Épernay, leave Philipponnat and our vineyard visits all the way to the Côte des Blancs. The to prepare for the weekend's highly awaited vineyard's warm microclimate and generous gala dinner at the Domaine Les Crayères. sunshine cause the grapes to ripen more than usual, which makes Clos des Goisses champagnes more robust than their rivals. Moments later, we are treated in Philipponnat's tasting rooms to a blind tasting of numerous vintages of Clos des Goisses. The youngest vintages, 2000 and 1998, still feel fairly closed. 1992 is only just F I N E C H A M PAG N E W E E K E N D 143 FINE Event

Gala dinner at Les Crayères In the hotel's restaurant, Le Parc, awaits a four-hour champagne dinner put together by the hotel's head sommelier Philippe Jamesse and head chef Philippe Mille. The seven-course champagne menu is formulated to complement diverse Veuve Clicquot champagnes. The combinations are fascinating and apt. Mille's cooking style, based on high-quality raw materials and clean, honest flavours, provides a lot of room for combinations with champagne. Jamesse still faces a challenge in choosing the right champagne out of Veuve Clicquot's wellbalanced, Pinot Noir-based wines for Mille's dishes, however. The result is a success. The finest experiences come with the main course and the cheeses, with which we are treated to Veuve Clicquot's late disgorged Cave Privées from 1988 and 1980. To conclude the dinner we settle down to enjoy a magnum of PerrierJouët Belle Epoque Rosé from 1982. The perfect end to a delight-filled day, before the final and most gruelling stage of the weekend. Crayères at Château Les ead sommelier H Philippe Jamesse 144 FINE

World's Best Champagne 2011 It is a sunny Sunday morning. The cabinet at Château Les Crayères is splendidly set using champagne glasses designed by Philippe Jamesse. At 11 a.m. thirty foil-wrapped, numbered champagne bottles are carried in on ice. For FINE's champagne experts, this will be the most challenging part of the weekend. It is the grand final tasting for the World's Best Champagnes 2011 ranking. The top thirty champagnes out of more than one thousand tasted by FINE Champagne Magazine's experts over the year are included. Essi Avellan MW at Les Crayères All of these champagnes, which will be tasted blind, are superb in quality and the differences between them are very subtle. Although the participants of the weekend trip are invited to take part in the tasting, only the ratings given by the FINE experts will be used in the ranking. After two hours, the winner has been decided. Although the results will not be published until later, the guests will have plenty to tell their folks at home. > The next FINE Champagne Weekend will be organised next autumn, around harvest time. F I N E C H A M PAG N E W E E K E N D 145 FINE Event

n sso Erik ck.com ko to s Mik sti: hutter Tek t: S a Kuv Text: Mikko Eriksson Photographs: Shutterstock.com Cuba ­ All the Right Ingredients The now-renowned puro form of the cigar was developed in Spain. The cigar industry itself could be said to have its origins in seventeenth-century Seville. Before that, tobacco leaves were enjoyed in South America in diverse bundles, wrapped for instance in a palm or banana leaf. Cigar production spread from Spain and its colonies to other countries in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Cuban cigar production generally took off in the 1820s, with the establishment of the first cigar factory, fábrica de cigarros, on the island. 1827 saw the birth of the famous Partagás brand, and during that century the first cigars were also rolled under the labels Punch, H. Upmann, Ramón Allones and Hoyo de Monterrey. By the early 1900s there were hundreds of Cuban cigar producers and brands, and all of Europe was enjoying the luxury product. During the Cuban Revolution, the number of cigar brands declined considerably. Today some of the most renowned brands are ones that started in the nineteenth century. As a consequence of the revolution, the quality of Cuban cigars slumped when the local master craftsmen and torceadores fled to the Dominican Republic and the United States. It was a temporary dip, however, and by the late 1960s Cuban cigars were again as highly esteemed as ever. The latest cigar boom was experienced in the 1990s, when demand temporarily exceeded supply. Generally speaking, the world's best cigars are still produced in Cuba. This is guaranteed by long traditions and ideal circumstances. Prominent, notable cigar brands can also be found in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, among other places. However, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States have also produced rising stars and "black horses". The families that fled the Cuban Rev- 148 FINE

n whe e an beg had th rld Wo ba who undles d e Ol in Cu odd b cco in th s into native es from of tobassador r a , e cigbus met ing fum uccess h amba France th um f c l s ey o r Col of inha re, the he Fren ueen of lared rn jou tophe stom t befo hen t the Q he dec he end The hris w t o o cu .S C range es. If n sealed some t , in 1561 ties. By rs were a st f leav e was gave dicis li qua ury, cig in the . é p icot o l M o Eur an N ine de edicina cent many rope u Je ather ave m enth d by of E e e C to h sixt r es it f the y favou c circl d ti o lrea stocra a ari CIGARS 149 FINE Cigars

olution started new plantations and factories in other countries, growing tobacco from Cuban tobacco seeds they had taken with them. These are the origins of the highly rated Dominican cigar manufacturing tradition; the Dominican Republic even produces some of the same brands as the Communist Republic of Cuba. The larger companies, who kept an eye on the United States' market, established some of these duplicate brands slightly later. Thus, tobacco is grown from Cuban seeds in many countries outside Cuba, but nowhere have growers managed to copy the optimal Cuban combination of climate conditions and unique soil. Vuelta Abajo in Cuba is the most famous tobacco-farming area. Its uniqueness arises from an ideal blend of sun, humidity, sea wind and, naturally, the right soil. Those exact conditions cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The main tobacco varieties grown in the area are Criollo, Corojo, Habana 92 and Habana 2000. The Cigar: an Artwork, a Pleasure The cigar's journey from seed to ash is long and complex, and its true value cannot be fathomed without knowing at least a little about the manufacturing process. Every producer has his own tricks for growing and overseeing the different stages of production. They all share a precision of methodology that ensures an even quality of the resulting cigars. Before any tobacco leaves even make it onto the roller's desk, they must undergo the phases of growth, harvest, curing and fermentation. Curing is done naturally, allowing one to three months for the leaves to dry in sheds or barns. After this, the cured leaves are bundled up and stored for three to eight weeks under carefully determined and controlled conditions, including the correct humidity and temperature for the tobacco to undergo the critical first fermentation process. Next, the tobacco is selected by the factory buyers and taken to the factory premises, where it ferments for a few days more for a second or even third time. Fermentation is usually done in barrels at a high temperature, under close regulation and control. It is at this point that the tobacco achieves the characteristic flavour profile that it will impart to the cigar and transfer to the smoker's taste buds. Rolling a cigar is an art form that the rollers or torceadores practise intensively and that really separates the wheat from the chaff. Usually, the most experienced and skilled rollers have the privilege of rolling a specific size or type of cigar and they earn more from their labours. With their uncompromising professional expertise, they build the tobacco blend created by their master to form the flavour profile of the cigar. The cigar-roller's job has a significant impact on the quality of the cigar, as it is the rolling that determines its structure, appearance and performance (draw and burn). The choice of the correct binder (the leaf between the filler and wrapper) and wrapper leaf is a critical part of the process. The life of a cigar does not end upon its exit from the factory; it is to be hoped that it will continue its journey into the humidor of a cigar aficionado and then stored under the right conditions before it is finally enjoyed, i.e. smoked. The chemical alterations that take place during the ageing of a cigar are not fully known. The years, and even the decades, are known to break down some of the unfavourable chemi- 150 FINE

Cigars for Winter cals, causing some of the ammonia to evaporate thus reducing the tannins in the cigar. Ageing softens a cigar and emphasises its refined characteristics. The strong flavour of young tobacco gives way, as the cigar ages, to tastes of fruit, cocoa beans, dark coffee and chocolate, depending on the variety. The right humidity, temperature and tools used in storage are decisive in order to maximise enjoyment. A cigar can easily be "killed" with improper storage. Excessively dry conditions ruin the oils and flavours in the cigar, while excessive moisture causes mildew. Too much heat speeds up fermentation, while not enough heat will stop the ageing process. The correct circumstances can safeguard the quality of a cigar for decades. The best cigars age well, just like good wines. Time shapes the nature of a cigar and optimally brings out its full complexity. Like the best wines, good cigars need to be allowed a period in optimal conditions in order to blossom fully. On the other hand, a poor-quality cigar cannot be made good by ageing. When choosing a cigar that suits the flavours of chilly winter, there are two fairly equal options, depending on the foods to be enjoyed. Strong flavours and heavy foods demand a fullbodied cigar. On the other hand, rich warming drinks such as ports, full-bodied red wines or luscious sweet white wines, as well as various cakes and sweets, are well complemented by a creamy, mild smoke. Spicy port wines could be accompanied by a small Cohiba Secretos or a Partagás Serie D5 Edición Limitada 2008. A rich dinner would be perfectly finished off with a massive Partagás Lusitanias cigar. A good companion for coffee is a stout Montecristo 2 or a Cohiba Pirmides Edición Limitada 2001/2006. The Ashton VSG Torpedo and the always-legendary Cohiba Siglo are suitable for any occasion. The Ashton VSG Torpedo is from the Dominican Republic, while all the other suggested cigars are Cuban. > n s age i ully. r ga to i mf d c ars sso oo ye blo s, g few to ine a r w ed de est ow in or e b all ns h e t be itio Lik to nd ed l co ne a tim op CIGARS 151 FINE Cigars

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FINE content 11 Fineeditorial The World's most revered Fine Wine location FinenUiKKi The Unbearable Lightness of Champagne Forgery FinetreaSUre Heidsieck 1907 -- Wreck Champagne FineVintaGe Bordeaux 2003 FinePerSonalitY Lee Zinser -- Fabulous wine cellars FineVintaGe Napa Valley vintage 2007 -- Enjoyable from Birth FinedeStination The World's Best Holiday Destination 2010 -- Blackberry Farm FineleGend Angelo Gaja, the Precisionist of Barbaresco FineeState Château Palmer 1870­2006 FineaHM Your Own Vintage FinetaStinG Grange Vertical 1963­1990 FineCHaMPaGne The Midas Touch of Cattier Fine1000 Celebration Champagnes -- Dom Perignon Rosé 1959 FineeVent Davos du Vin -- World Wine Symposium FineliFeStYle The Pleasure of Wine Writing Fineart&Wine Sophie's Choice FineeVent FINE Champagne Weekend FineliFeStYle A Good Cigar Ages Like a Good Wine 15 16 22 30 38 56 70 88 98 100 106 114 118 124 132 138 148 <<< Return to the coverpage