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F I N E 6 W I N E & C H A M P A G N E I N D I A W I N T E R PAGE 12 FINE Region PAGE 28 FINE Estate PAGE 44 FINE History PAGE 62 FINE Region PAGE 70 FINE Vintage PAGE 78 FINE Gastronomy FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 2 0 1 3

W I N E & C H A M P A G N E I N D I A W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 FINE Contents F I N E PAGE 88 FINE Destination PAGE 100 9 Fineeditorial PAGE 110 FINE Lifestyle FINE Visit The BRIC(s) Come Tumbling Down 12 Fineregion Sauternes - Future in the Haze 26 Fineblatch 17 Years in a Row 28 Fineestate Château d’Yquem 42 Finepaulson The Art of Drinking Yquem 44 Finehistory Champagne Charlie - A Winner 50 Finemaison Charles Heidsieck - For Those in the Know 56 Finechampagne The New and Improved Charles 62 Fineregion Discovering Champagne - Côte des Blancs 70 FineVintage 1990 Vintage 78 Finegastronomy Champagne’s Favourite Food - Shellfish 86 Finelarsson Sauternes for Every Dish 88 Finedestination Istanbul - Slow Soul on the Bosphorus 100 FineVisit PAGE 120 Capannelle - Hill of Promise 110 FineliFestyle Patek Philippe - Timeless Timepieces 120 Finegallery The Spirit of Ecstasy in Flesh and Blood FINE Gallery FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 7

WRITERS Rajiv Singhal Rajiv Singhal is an entrepreneur who pioneered activities in the luxury sector in India. He studied FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4 Q4 2013 Economics at Yale, and since then has been simplifying access to the Indian market for international clients. Among other path breaking initiatives, he helped set up the market for wine in India over the last 16 years. Mr. Singhal is the Ambassador of Champagne to India, who loves to challenge himself. Editor Rajiv Singhal Pekka Nuikki Publisher Rajiv Singhal for Fine Publishing India Private Limited over twenty acclaimed international wine and art books. He is an award winning photographer, who Chief Executive Ritu Singhal Pekka Nuikki is an author and one of the leading experts on fine wines in Europe. He has published has exhibited his artwork all over the world and has worked as creative director of an advertising agency group. Mr. Nuikki is also the luckiest man in the world, having hit seven hole-in-ones. Juha Lihtonen Director of Editorial Pekka Nuikki Juha Lihtonen is the manyfold Finnish sommelier champion. He was the best sommelier in the Nordic Distribution Avneet Kaur as well as the wine buyer of a major cruise line. Besides his day jobs, Mr. Lihtonen studies for the Contributors Bill Blatch Jan-Erik Paulson Andreas Larsson Risto Karmavuo countries in 2003. Mr. Lihtonen has worked as a wine educator, a wine host on a radio programme, Master of Wine qualification. Essi Avellan MW Essi Avellan is the 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 judges at several wine competitions, Art & Creative Sandeep Kaul such as the Decanter World Wine Awards and the Wines of Argentina Awards. Photographs Akshat Arora Amanda Regan Administration Dipti Garg Editorial & Business Offices 6F Vandhna, 11 Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110001 E: contact@fine-magazines.in W: www.fine-magazines.in Amanda Regan has a Masters degree in Wine Technology, Management & Marketing and a background in art and design. With experience of making wine in Champagne, Burgundy and Victoria, she is an experience wine judge, regularly tasting in major international competitions. Ms. Regan has been awarded the honour of Scholar of the Len Evans Tutorial. Peter Liem Originally from California, Peter Liem emigrated to Champagne in 2006 in order to get an insider’s Subscriber Information T: +91 11 23359874-75 RNI no. DELENG/2010/35861 ISSN 2231-5098 view on his beloved wine region and came to be recognised as a spokesperson for the grower Edited, Printed and Published by Rajiv Singhal on behalf of Fine Publishing India Jaana Rinne Private Limited. Published from 6F Vandhna, 11 Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110001 India. Printed at Aegean Offset Printers, 220-B, Udyog Kendra Extension I, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306 India. champagnes. Mr. Liem publishes champagneguide.net, the world’s most comprehensive champagne blog. Jaana Rinne is an experienced and esteemed journalist in her native country, Finland. She is keen on meeting people, gastronomy and traveling. Ms. Rinne studied literature, aesthetics and journalism at the University of Helsinki, and produced lyrics for various Finnish artists before becoming a journalist. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. The opinions of the contributors or interviewees Petri Nevalainen has over 30 years’ experience in the media, of which he worked almost ten years for presented in this magazine do not necessarily correspond to nor reflect the BBC World Service in London, and also for radio and internet. Mr. Nevalainen is a Master of Science opinions of the publisher or the editorial team. While the editorial team do their who has published 15 different non-fiction books, and is very interested in music and gastronomy. utmost to verify information published they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy. Fine Publishing does not keep nor return illustrations or other materials that have been sent in unsolicited, and hold the right to make any modifications in texts and pictures published in FINE Wine & Champagne India magazine. We reserve the right to refuse or suspend advertisements. 8 Petri Nevalainen FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

fifth location worldwide. The methode traditionelle Brut London. It was not white, but very festive and blends the honorary Indian varietal – Chenin Blanc – minus the thousands that normally teem the pavements, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Shiraz dominates rather warm. Spoilt for choice with the scores of Macaron the Brut Rosé. 2013 also marked the poignant Michelin (very discretely displayed, not a bit like their retirement of the iconic Maruti 800 – the passenger car Indian cousins) in the neighbourhood of our new pad, that stood testimony to the emergence of India and the I enjoyed some delicious meals with very unique bubbles. transition from the Indian joint family to the And assisted by the best sommeliers from the world’s professional nuclear family. FINE Editorial C hristmas in my favourite city in the world, wine capital, I discovered the Sercial 1937. India, the world’s largest and youngest democracy, In the recent years, many countries have been falling prepares for a democratic extravaganza of unique and over themselves to host international sporting spectacles. unparalleled proportions in the Summer of 2014. 800 New the million Indians are expected to exercise their Commonwealth Games 2010 is mirrored by Rio de constitutional right to universal adult franchise, and the Janeiro’s lack of preparedness for the 2014 FIFA World 150 million first-timers will be the determinators of the Cup and the Russian Presidency had to whip Sochi into representatives elected to the Lok Sabha. Political shape despite an economy crippling budget of $51 stability is an underlining condition. And despite the billion for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games – prevailing uncertainty, my vote is sealed! Delhi’s ham-handed handling of prompting some to argue that the emerging powerhouses are losing their sheen. But if deadlines were met and opportunities not missed, these countries would not be emerging. While the well-defined procedures and systems in developed economies lend a few decimals, it is the risks associated with these “other unknown” factors in the growth equation that generate super normal returns. Vinexpo, the benchmark international wine and spirits exhibition, has commissioned The Iwsr every year since 2003 for an in-depth study that has become a professional reference on wine markets worldwide. The recently released report forecasts wine consumption in India to grow at 73.5% between 2013 and 2017. Most of this will be red, even if not as much as the Chinese, who have drunk their way to surpassing France as the largest red wine market in the world, with 155 million cases. A significant landmark dotted the timeline of sparkling wine in India in 2013. The luxury giant, Moët Hennessy chose the terroir of Indian wine country in Nashik to launch Domaine Chandon made in India, only their Rajiv Singhal Rajiv Singhal FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 9

12 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Region Text: Juha Lihtonen • Photos: Pekka Nuikki The road vanishes from our sight, and we dive into a thick fog. In a moment, the bright sunny weather has changed into a gloomy and thick haze. The car’s thermometer falls from 14 degrees to 4 degrees. It feels as if we have arrived in another dimension. Soon, we begin to distinguish a sign that tells us our destination – Sauternes. For over 200 years, Sauternes has been known as the birthplace of the world’s most respected sweet wines. The region’s noblerotted nectars have been enjoyed and praised in the courts of both Europe and Russia, and its influence in the United States started with the country’s first Presidents. After the period of the influential courts ended and consumption habits moved to lighter drinks, interest towards the sweet wines of Sauternes waned. The growing markets and purchasing power of Asia are giving birth, however, to a modern-day “court culture”. Interest towards the legendary wines of Bordeaux is insatiable, but without the exception of the legendary Château d’Yquem, there has not been much focus on the wines of Sauternes. Despite this, the best price-quality ratio Bordeaux wines are produced in the region. The question is then, how can consumers’ interest in the wines of Sauternes be awakened? We went to clarify the matter at the Sauternes noble estates, Château Filhot and Château Suduiraut. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 13

14 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Filhot, the southernmost Sauternes estate, is one of the region’s oldest and most beautiful. The estate carries the name of Romain de Filhot after he bought the 330-hectare estate in 1709. Towards the end of the century the ambassador of the United States to France, Thomas Jefferson, named Filhot the best estate after Yquem. In addition, the fact that the same price was paid for Filhot as for Yquem tells something about Filhot wine’s reputation. After France’s great revolution, the Filhot estate, together with the family-owned Château Coutet and Doisy-Daëne, ended up through marriage with the Lur-Saluces family, which owned Yquem. The head of the family, RomainBertrand de Lur-Saluces, built the region’s most beautiful manor and extravagant British-style garden areas on the Filhot estate. In 1855, the estate was named in Sauternes’ Second Growth category in Bordeaux’ famous classification. Lur-Saluces decided to change the estate’s name to the more pompous Château Sauternes. In 1901, the name Château Filhot was restored, and even though the name of the estate’s owner has changed as a result of the daughters’ marriages, it has still remained in the Lur-Saluces family. Today, the estate is owned by Count Henri de Vaucelles together with his son Gabriel. As we arrived in the courtyard of the magnificent castle, a ghostly fog hung over the building. The estate seemed deserted. Suddenly, a dog’s harrowing bark broke the silence. I followed the sound, and soon I was eye-toeye with a large, muscular Rottweiler. Luckily, the dog was chained to a wall, and I built up the courage to knock on the building’s only door that looked like it had seen inhabitation. The door was opened by an elderly, grey-haired FINE Region Château Filhot - In the shadow of Yquem man. Without introduction, he informed us that Gabriel was in the cellar and motioned us to continue our journey by car. We continued deeper into the haze until at last we reached the cellars. A young, dapper and smiling man greeted us outside the cellar. He is Gabriel de Vaucelles, Filhot wines’s winemaker. In the cellar, he introduces us to the estate’s history and family relations, which in fact one can follow from the coat of arms on the labels of the Filhot wines. On the coat of arms, the names change according to who owned the estate at each respective time. Gabriel de Vaucelles is clearly proud that the estate is still owned by his family. At the same time, one can sense his humbleness and respect, as he is now leaving his own mark in the estate’s long history, in his role as the new leader of the estate. Filhot Yquem’s second wine? Filhot wines differ from the region’s other wines. The prevailing microclimate is completely different from any of the other estates. The estate is located furthest from the Garonne River, in the lowlands at the back of Sauternes. The Ciron River flows, however, some 700 metres away in to the west, bringing moisture to the vineyards. In addition, the estate is bordered by a forest to the south, which ties up moisture and spreads it, in the form of haze, over the vineyards. An estate with widespread vineyards, it possesses an exceptional amount of different soil – gravel in the west, sand in the east and deep clay in the south. Maybe because of its historical background, the Filhot wines are sometimes mistakenly named as the second wine of Yquem. Gabriel de Vaucelles dispels the notion by saying: ”The wines have nothing to do with each other, as they differ in their terroir, grape blend, and production. The only uniting factor is the LurSaluces family ownership, which may have led to the false assumption.” FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 15

Difficulty of picking The Filhot vineyards cover 62 hectares, of which the majority is Sémillon grape, a third Sauvignon Blanc and a small part Muscadelle. The entire estate is taken care of by the Vaucelles family except during the harvesting, when 50–60 pickers are invited. The pickers go through the vineyards four to six times until all the noblerotted grapes are picked. The harvest amounts are small, just 15–18 hectolitres per hectare. “Of the varieties, Sémillon takes the least amount of effort to pick” says Gabriel. “Noble rot develops into its big grapes easily, and ripe grapes are easy to identify. On the other hand, 16 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle are more difficult to pick. It is difficult to estimate the ideal picking time of grapes that are affected with noble rot, even by tasting them. The only way is to estimate the ripeness based on the skin’s colour. This requires that the picker has training” Gabriel emphasises. After the picking, the grapes must be squeezed and made to ferment quickly, so that the generation of volatile acids is minimised. Gabriel de Vaucelles names the prevailing conditions at the vineyards and the ripeness of grapes as the biggest risks for the generation of volatile acids. Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle are more aromatic varieties, and to preserve the aromas they are fermented at a lower temperature than Sémillon, and often together. The exception was the year 2007, when they were vinified separately. “Ripening was problematically slow due to the exceptionally cold weather. The growth season started and ended late. The grapes reached the ideal ripeness at different times, and we were able to pick the last grapes in at the end of October. Everything had to be vinified separately” Gabriel explains.

Even though the Filhot cellars are old, the equipment that is used for production is the latest in cutting-edge technology. Pneumatic presses, temperature-controlled tanks and new oak barrels speak of the wine’s modern style. With the modern equipment, the Vaucelles have also been able to notably reduce the use of sulphur in wines. The exceptionally abundant use of Sauvignon Blanc with its high acidity also reduced the need for sulphur in wines. At Filhot, the largest amount of sulphur used is 250 milligrams per litre, whereas the limit values at Sauternes are approximately 400 milligrams per litre. “The style of our wines compared to other Sauternes wines is lighter and fresher. This is the result of the terroir and the rich amount of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. I feel it is an advantage, especially now when there is a preference for lighter wines on the market” says Gabriel and continues “We need especially new, younger customers to succeed in the future.” Vaucelles has the same challenges as all Sauternes producers. Despite being a sweet and rich wine, Sauternes is pricy for new, young consumers. The rising popularity of red wines, and the fact that the region is not well known by the young, means the task is not getting any easier. Gabriel de Vaucelles admits to this, but emphasises on the diversity of Sauternes as a companion to various dishes: “Our wine complements various dishes far better than any other wines. The best example is Asian cuisine. This aspect gives us opportunities to market our wine to new customers. It is a FINE Region Lightness as strength challenge, but worth trying.” Gabriel de Vaucelles’ attention goes back to the production of wines. He leads us to Filhot’s cellars, where wines age in tanks and oak barrels three years prior to bottling. A third of the oak barrels are new. The wines are blended for the first time after one year and for the last time just before bottling. After bottling, Château Filhot is stored in the Filhot cellars for years before being released. Gabriel de Vaucelles says that he aims to bottle-age the Filhot for 6–10 years in the cellars before releasing it to the market. Filhot annually produces 60 000–70 000 bottles of the grand vin and 40 000 bottles of the second wine, Pineau du Rey. The majority of the wines end up on the domestic market, with the rest going to the UK, Northern Europe, North America, Singapore, and Dubai. Filhot icewines Gabriel de Vaucelles leads us through the cellar to a door behind which a small storage room full of old vintages is revealed. “In this library we have Filhot vintages from the beginning of the 1900s. We use the wines not only on special occasions but also as a reference, when we are asked about the original label markings on older wines”, Gabriel explains. Many individual bottles are piled up in the corner of the room. Based on the bottle shapes, one can deduct that they are something else besides Sauternes. The labels reveal that the wines are from Australia, Canada, and Germany. Gabriel de Vaucelles pulls out one white wine bottle. The label boasts the name Pierro, the top Western Australian producer. “Before I began working with my father, I studied winemaking abroad. I worked at Pierro, among other places. I am, however, especially attracted to German and Canadian icewines, and because of that, many of the bottles are from those regions” Gabriel says excitedly. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 17

Specialty of the estate We move on to taste the Château Filhot vintages of 2003 and 2005. The wines are unbelievably fresh and balanced considering their high sugar content (160 g/l). Both are already very enjoyable now. As we taste the wines, we enquire about the estate’s legendary specialty, Château Filhot Crème de Tête. “It is a unique exception in our production, and it was produced only in 1990. At that time, the harvest was so concentrated that we decided to produce the only so-called reference wine in our history. We separated from the grape juice the sweetest part of the first squeezing, and we produced 5000 bottles of a very concentrated wine and called it Crème de Tête” Gabriel explains, but says that they have no intention of producing the wine again. The count’s worry As we leave the cellar, we drive back past the beautiful castle. The haze has disappeared, and the sun lights up the building. We stop to take a few pictures. The elderly, grey-haired man that we met earlier emerges from the building and comes to thanks us in fluent English. “I hope your visit was rewarding. My son can present our wines better than I can. He is a trained winemaker. I myself came from the nuclear industry to continue my mother’s work leading Filhot” the man says. Only now is it 18 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA revealed that he is Count Henri de Vaucelles himself, and that he still lives in the castle. During the next half hour, he illuminates for us the history of Sauternes and the reasons for the styles of the Sauternes wines. The man has a phenomenal memory and knowledge of history. He remembers years and names from the last 700 years without having to pause. He tells how the popularity of the Sauternes wines used to be based specifically on the high sugar content in the wines. As buildings were cold and people did extensive physical work, the body needed many calories. People ate to live, and the sweet Sauternes was not only a respected dinner drink but also a drink that caressed the body. Now the situation is different, he admits. His face conveys the worry and uncertainty about the future of Sauternes. We thank the count for the visit and continue our journey to Château Suduiraut. We climb the Yquem hill and then descend down towards Garonne.

FINE Region Count de Vaucelles FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 19

Château Suduiraut – Fresh sweetness As the beautiful Château Filhot is left hidden in the far reaches of Sauternes, the large monastery-like Château Suduiraut castle stands grandly before us, in the middle of the Preignac municipality. The castle, with its magnificent gardens, was designed by Le Nôtre, the architect of France’s Sun King. The history of the castle stretches further back than Filhot´s, all the way to the 1500s. Its vineyards spread out on over the 92-hectare area in Preignac and Sauternes, which contains gravel and a mix of clay and sand. Preignac’s soil gives the wines their high acidity and mineral content and also a unique mint-like aroma. The Sauternes regions, on the other hand, contain more clay, in turn guaranteeing the wines’ rich colour and magnificent structure. In the vineyards, almost only Sémillon is cultivated, with Sauvignon Blanc forming only 10 per cent of the blend. The annual production of some 100 000 bottles is divided into three different wines: Château Suduiraut, Castelnau de Suduiraut, and a new dry white wine “S” de Suduiraut. 20 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Unlike Filhot, the estate has changed owners often. In 1992, it ended up in the ownership of AXA Millésimes, a subsidiary of the insurance giant. Along with Suduiraut, AXA Millésimes owns Pichon-Baron in Pauillac, France, Quinta do Noval in Portugal and Disznókö in Tokaji, Hungary. “AXA has offered a unique opportunity for Suduiraut to develop the quality of wines”, says the vineyard’s Technical Director, Pierre Montégut. He emphasises that along with economic investments, an important aid has been the interaction with the winemakers of the other estates that are owned by the company and the active participation of the company’s Managing Director, Christian Seely, in developing the business. “Indeed, the company is like a large family business”, Montégut adds. Pierre Montégut’s words could be easily interpreted as the propaganda of a large company, but no. After working as a winemaker of sweet and dry white wines in Vouvray, Loire, from 1992 to 1998, and the next six years in Buzet as a winemaker of red wines, he knows what he is talking about. He knows that in addition to an excellent terroir, a winemaker can develop his or her wines only by gathering more information, new devices, and knowledgeable help. He can obtain all this at Suduiraut. He confesses that he enjoys making noble-rotted white wines the most because of their challenging nature. He certainly had enough challenges when he began as the Technical Director at Suduiraut in 2004, as he replaced a recently deceased predecessor. “I admit that it was somewhat difficult to get settled. The sudden death of my successful and long-time predecessor was a shock for the personnel. In addition, the 2004 vintage was really difficult. As a result of a cool growing season, the harvest had to be greatly cut down in order for an adequate concentration of grapes to be born. Finally, the harvest was fixed by only five hectolitres per hectare. It was a baptism of fire, FINE Region A large corporate family which I survived successfully together with our team” Montégut sums up and continues going through the quality of the following years. He praises 2005 as a real dream year. “The grapes did not have to be picked, but instead one could merely cut the clusters, fully ripened by noble-rot, off the vines. The harvest amounted to a record 20 hectolitres per hectare. 2006 then balanced the situation by offering a small 10-hectolitre hectare harvest, and as well as challenges regarding the volatile acids. The flies were a nuisance, appearing at the vineyards always in the afternoons and spreading a vinegar bacterium.” “The damage that happened in the vineyards cannot be repaired afterwards. Thus, in 2006 we had to execute a rather careful picking in order to avoid poor quality grapes, and the harvest was nearly half of the normal amount” Montégut sums up. The right moment According to Montégut, the most challenging thing about making noble-rotted wines is acquiring the ability to pick the right grapes at the right time. The right picking defines the wine’s quality by up to 75 per cent. If the grapes are picked while they contain less than 20 per cent potential alcohol, the result is an excessively low concentration. On the other hand, if the picking is performed when the grapes exceed 22 per cent potential alcohol, the sugar content is often too high. “A high sugar content leads to a high alcohol content, which then requires many acids to balance it. Sémillon’s low acid structure is not enough to balance the wine, so one should increase the amount of acid Sauvignon Blanc in the blend for support. However, that is not Suduiraut’s style” explains Pierre Montégut. He also says that the prevailing winds in the area also have an effect on the wines’ picking time. If the northern or eastern wind blows, it speeds up the ripening of the grapes by three days. Montégut has compiled three teams of some fifty people for the duration of the harvest. Every team goes through the vineyards that it is responsible for every morning and afternoon. “In our winery, we have a small press with which we can squeeze the juice from a small amount of grapes and perform the needed technical analyses to strengthen the decision to start picking” he continues. From its beginning, the harvest takes place within a six to eight week period. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 21

Freshness as a goal When the grapes have been picked, they are squeezed and made to ferment with the aid of natural yeasts. The fermentation takes place at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. At this temperature, according to Montégut, the generation of volatile acids is minimised and the wine’s aroma is preserved. The fermentation is terminated in oak barrels, of which half are new. The exception is the ripe vintage 2005, when Montégut used 65 per cent new oak barrels in the production of Suduiraut. After fermenting for some 10 to 15 days, 14 per cent of the alcohol has formed and the wine is pumped into tanks where the yeasts are killed by cooling the wine between one to and six degrees Celsius. The wine is then lowered back to the oak barrels to mature. The wine is brightened in three-month intervals by moving it from one barrel to the other. Finally, the wine is filtered by separating it from the sediment and crystallised wine acids. Sulphur is added to the wine, and it is bottled. The bottles are stored for 12–24 months before their release on the market. At that time, the amount of free sulphur in the wine is only 290–310 milligrams. “Every year I strive to produce a Sauternes whose aftertaste would emphasise freshness, not sweetness” Montégut says. Two suduirauts Why does the estate produce two different Sauternes? Is Castelnau de Suduiraut the estate’s second wine? “Castelnau is stylistically a different wine than Suduiraut. We decided to produce it for the first time in 1992, when we noticed that the old vines that had grown on the most finegrained gravel soil produced a very elegant, fresh, and lighter wine. It was not in the style of the traditional Suduiraut, so we decided 22 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA to produce from it its own entire wine. Thus, Castelnau is not a second wine. The wine ages for 12 months in two-year-old oak barrels, in which its residual sugar content is 140 g/l. Suduiraut, for its part, ages for 18–24 months in oak, of which a third are new barrels. Suduiraut is also slightly heavier, wherein the residual sugar content is 165 g/l. Both wines are made, however, with converging blend ratios of grapes from the same 25-year-old vines.”

FINE Region Pierre Montégut FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 23

A solution from China Montégut admits the marketing of Sauternes is challenging. This is also probably the reason for the launching of the dry white wine “S” de Suduiraut in 2004. Pierre Montégut does not specifically mention his dry wine, but instead speaks about Sauternes and its uniqueness. He also brings up the suitability of Sauternes as a food companion and presents Suduiraut’s gastronomic marketing event from 2003. The Chinese Chef Kim Hom, who has made numerous cooking books and television programmes in the United States, designed a wonderful menu for the six Suduiraut vintages. Even though one would think that AXA’s marketing machine and networking would create opportunities to develop the marketing of Sauternes wines, that alone has not been enough. As we leave Suduiraut, I am reminded of the 24 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA expression on Filhot’s Count Henri de Vaucellès face, which conveyed the uncertainty about the future of Sauternes. The fine Sauternes wines that are complex to produce have lost their position on the market. New consumers do not recognise Sauternes as a unique brand, and past glories are not enough to return the demand for the wines. For the sake of the region’s success, the region’s producers or the association that monitors the region’s interests, Syndicat des Vins SauternesBarsac, needs to consider new solutions for the marketing of the region and its wines. For instance, rapidly growing Asian markets provide a great opportunity for Sauternes to lift up its image and appeal. Sauternes wines could well be promoted as the best gastronomic wines for Asian food, since there are no other prestigious wines that combine as well with flavorful and spicy cuisine of Asia. In case Sauternes producers do not find contemporary ways to market their brand and wines, the region’s historical and unique wines threaten to remain a pleasure for only a few. This would be a shame, as after we tasted the wines of both Filhot and Suduiraut, we were positively surprised. Even when young, they are unbelievably enjoyable compared to, for example, Bordeaux’s highly respected red wines. As they age, they are real meditation wines. When we take into account the many work phases in wine producing, it is justified to state that the wines with the best price-quality ratio in Bordeaux are produced at Sauternes. As we leave Sauternes behind us, we can clearly see that the future of Sauternes is literally in a haze. >

FINE Region Sauternes in glass Château Filhot & Château Suduiraut Generally Filhot house style is more mineral, lighter and less luscious than Suduiraut, which shows intensive sweet spiciness and richly honeyed overtones. Castelnau de Suduiraut stands out more mineral and less concetrated to its big sister Château Suduiraut. All wines shows immense ageing ageing potential. Château Filhot Château Suduiraut 2009 Château Filhot 90p 2013/2050 D 4h / G 4h 2010 Château Suduiraut 93p 2013/2050 D 6h / G 5h 2005 Château Filhot 89p 2013/2040 D 4h / G 4h 2008 Château Suduiraut 91p 2013/2035 D 5h / G 5h 2003 Château Filhot 92p 2013/2035 D 3h / G 4h 2007 Château Suduiraut 91p 2013/2035 D 5h / G 5h 2001 Château Filhot 93p 2013/2030 D 5h / G 4h 2006 Château Suduiraut 89p 2013/2030 D 4h / G 5h 1999 Château Filhot 92p 2013/2030 D 4h / G 4h 2005 Château Suduiraut 92p 2013/ 2040 D 6h / G 5h 1997 Château Filhot 89p 2013/2025 D 3h / G 4h 2004 Château Suduiraut 88p 2013/2030 D 4h / G 4h 1990 Château Filhot 91p 2013/2030 D 3h / G 3h 2003 Château Suduiraut 93p 2013/2040 D 5h / G 5h 1986 Château Filhot 93p 2013/2022 D 2h / G 3h 2002 Château Suduiraut 89p 2013/2022 D 3h / G 3h 1981 Château Filhot 89p 2013/2020 D 2h / G 3h 2001 Château Suduiraut 94p 2011/2040 D 5h / G 5h 1979 Château Filhot 88p 2013/2019 D 1h / G 2h 1999 Château Suduiraut 90p 2008/2030 D 3h / G 3h 1976 Château Filhot 85p 2013/2020 D 1h / G 3h 1997 Château Suduiraut 89p 2008/2035 D 4h / G 4h 1971 Château Filhot 93p 2013/2020 D 3h / G 3h 1996 Château Suduiraut 85p 2013/2025 D 3h / G 2h 1935 Château Filhot 89p 2011/Now D 15min / G 1h 1989 Château Suduiraut 92p 2013/2020 D 3h / G 2h 1909 Château Filhot 80p 2011/Now D 15min / G 30min 1982 Château Suduiraut 93p 2013/2020 D 3h / G 2h 1890 Château Filhot 92p 2011/Now D 10min / G 20 min 1975 Château Suduiraut 92p 2011/2015 D 3h / G 3h 1970 Château Suduiraut 89p 2012/now D 1.5h / G 2h 1928 Château Suduiraut 97p 2010/now D 30 min/ G 1h 1921 Château Suduiraut 97p 2003/2015 D 30min / G 1h 1899 Château Suduiraut 93p 2013/now D 10min / G 30min 1892 Château Suduiraut 95p 2013/now D 10min / G 20min 1828 Château Suduiraut 95p 2008/now D 10min / G 15min 2005 Castelnau de Suduiraut 91p 2013/ 2035 D 4h / G 4h 2004 Castelnau de Suduiraut 88p 2013/ 2030 D 4h / G 4h 2003 Castelnau de Suduiraut 89p 2013/ 2025 D 3h / G 3h 2001 Castelnau de Suduiraut 88p 2013/ 2035 D 5h / G 5h FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 25

COLUMN Bill Blatch 17 years in a row I was into the second year of my Bordeaux négociant business. The first year, 1982, I had got lucky with the red wines, buying as much of them as my feeble funding would allow and ended up doing well with them. So, what to do for the second year? The prospect of selling the ’83 Bordeaux reds in the wake of the ‘82s was not too bright…then someone said to me “There are some good wines in Sauternes”. Like many négociants at the time (and now), I had considered Sauternes to be the category at the end of the price-list that never really sold well but that you had to have, and I had not been paying much attention to it. So one wintry evening in early 1984, I took myself down to Sauternes to see for myself. I had made an appointment with Pierre ­Pascaud, the manager and cellar-master at Château ­Suduiraut at 5pm. We started tasting round the barrels, and it was well into the night when I got out of there. In a matter of a few hours, I had become completely hooked, under the spell of this fabulously intricate and fascinating wine. This was the beginning of my total immersion in these beguiling wines, and I have never looked back since. The ‘83s were marvellously rich and full-bodied, rather in the style of the ‘97s that were to come. But over the next few years, I then experienced the whole panoply of sweet wine styles from the light and fragrant ‘84s and ‘87s, through the fatter style of the ‘86s, and cre- 26 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA scendoing into the fabulous trilogy of the tensile ’88s, the very complete ’89s and the richer ‘90s. This was the first golden run of Sauternes vintages and it coincided with a sudden revival of Sauternes drinking as an aperitif in Paris bars and restaurants. Since 1995, there hasn’t been one single off-vintage (quality-wise) until 2012: 17 years in a row: totally unheard-of in the whole 400 years of Sauternes’ history, culminating in a spate of very rich yet oh-sofine vintages over the last decade, during which the levels of residual sugar have risen by half, not because of any wilful push towards extra sweetness by the growers, but because the fine autumns, with just enough rainfall at the right time, have been so propitious to the gradual evolution from sweet golden grapes to full botrytis and finally to total concentration of that botrytis. It has also been helped by the much

FINE Blatch greater attention to selection during the harvest. (In Sauternes, each bunch is visited up to 7 times as each fully botrytised grape is individually picked). Besides the immense complexity of the wines themselves, I have always also been attracted to the region by the people themselves, with whom I have been closely working now for 30 years. These are in some cases important landowners, with estates as large as the big Médoc properties, but more usual are the quite small holdings of 20 hectares or less. But, big or small, these are all, by necessity, humble folk, striving against all the odds and taking enormous risks to produce the best they possible can, sometimes in minuscule and totally uneconomic quantities. How must they have felt in 2000, when, just as the great Médocs were finishing a large and great vintage that would sell for record prices, it started raining hard just as they were less than a quarter through and had to leave the remaining ¾ on the vines? They just shrugged their shoulders and said “that’s the way it goes down here”. I am often asked when do I drink Sauternes myself? And the answer is quite simply “very often” and “with whatever I happen to be eating (or not)”. My great pleasure is to try it with everything, As many wine drinkers are beginning to find around the world, for versatility, Sauternes can rival any dry white or red wine. > FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 27

The Midas Touch of The Lur-saLuces faMiLy Text and Picture / Pekka Nuikki As the morning September sun rises, a cloud of fog drifts across the cold waters of the Ciron. It sweeps swiftly over the vineyards and settles on the slopes. As the rays touch the hills, its warmth cuts a swathe through the veil and the outlines of pickers become discernable between the vines. The experienced walk with a stoop and gather the most raisined, mould-covered grapes, often one at a time. The first pick of the Château d’Yquem 1896 vintage has begun. 28 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Estate T he harvest of the 1896 vintage started at the order of Amade de LurSaluces on September 21, when the sun was still warm, and continued for the next five days. The careful first pick produced a dozen barrels of very concentrated wine. After two rainy days, the second pick commenced. The good weather lasted for only a day, but the result was an excellent 15 barrels. The pickers returned to the grapes affected by noble rot for a third time one week later, when the changing weather gave warning of approaching rain. The knowledge of what was to come increased the speed of the pickers, and the harvest rose to 24 barrels a day. Unrelenting rain arrived three days later and put an end to the picking for a week, allowing the workers a well-deserved rest. The fourth pick was disturbed by scattered showers, but the result was still 200 barrels in four days, considered an excellent achievement. On the other hand, alcohol content dropped to 14 degrees. The fifth and last pick yielded another 300 barrels in seven days in extremely poor conditions; the potential alcohol content dropped under ten degrees and this batch could not be used for the main wine. All in all, 826 barrels (22hl/ha) were harvested in varying weather conditions, but only the first quarter met Yquem’s strict requirements. Protected by kings Château d’Yquem’s first harvest took place three hundred years earlier, in 1593, when Jacques de Sauvage purchased the estate from the crown. When Francoise de Sauvage and Louis-Amede de Lur-Saluces, King Louis XV’s godson, married in 1785, Yquem became part of the property of the historic and traditional Lur-Saluces family, while at the same time, the vineyard received approval and protection from the French royal family. Today, the vineyard comprises 457 acres, which is approximately the same as two hundred years ago. The man who ran the winery for more than thirty years, FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 29

Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, now retired, says that his winemaking philosophy goes back centuries: “The most important thing is to respect nature, just the way my grandfather and his predecessors did hundreds of years ago. We cannot produce great wines without the help of Mother Nature. Every harvest is, in a way, an individual adventure with its individual surprises. We wish to extend this thinking in order to respect the people who love the wine that comes from our vineyards, and the people who work on the fields. Our wines will stay the same in the future as they were a century ago. The tools have changed, but not our way of making wine.” 30 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Estate one above the rest When the Bordeaux region wines were classified in 1855, only Château d’Yquem received a classification of its own – Premier Grand Cru Classé – which was higher than anybody else. Even though the estate could use that classification on its labels, it does not. Today, the estate produces the best wine in its area, and in the opinion of some experts, the best in Bordeaux. Its location on the highest spot in Sauternes has created a unique microclimate that varies greatly from year to year. This requires an extremely careful and precise winemaking process, and during poor years, the estate does not produce anything at all: “The climatic conditions during the growth period, and the harvest period in particular, when we wait for noble rot to affect the grapes, give our wines their unique personality. This natural process is entirely dependent on weather. We can only decide when and how to harvest,” said Alexandre de Lur-Saluces. In difficult years, harvesting may take between eight and ten weeks. The grapes are still harvested by hand only when they are completely covered by noble rot, not before. Often, as many as ten picks are needed during one harvest; if the grapes are not perfectly ripe, they are left unpicked. Even after winemaking and barrel maturation the wine may be rejected if it does not develop as expected. This happened, for example, in 1978 and 1979, when FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 31

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FINE Estate more than half of the wine was rejected, and occasionally the entire vintage is eliminated: nine vintages of Yquem are completely absent from the 20th century: 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974 and 1992. “Most people think that taking care of a world-famous estate like Château d’Yquem does not require any effort. Just like other companies, changing world markets affect us too, not to speak of the weather. The year 1974 was one of the most difficult in my time. That depressing year we were not able to produce a single bottle of Yquem and managed to sell only four cases of our other vintages,” Alexandre de Lur-Saluces reminisced. the fortunate yesteryears Harvest per hectare is exceptionally small, at just nine hectolitres, which means that the grapes of one vine yield only a single glass of wine. When the time comes to harvest, the Yquem staff swells by some 140 additional people, divided into four teams. They pick over 100 hectares of grapes, selecting only ones that have reached an ideal, botrytised condition. Since the Botrytis Cinerea affects each bunch of grapes in a different way, all the fruit must be harvested in separate waves of picking. On average, the harvest will take five to six of these waves over six weeks. Despite the large cultivation area, the estate’s average annual production is only 90 000 bottles. According to Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, the winery has had a few good years recently: “Many of those wines will retain their excellent properties far into the next century. The year 2001 seems to be really fine. The wines of that vintage have the potential to develop into some of the best and I am very glad about how this young wine tastes. The year 2000 was perfect in every respect up until the beginning of the harvest. The rain started during our second pick and brought the picking to a standstill. After we had waited for two weeks for the rain to stop, the situation began to look hopeless. Finally we had to send the pickers out without their baskets just to take the grapes off the vines and throw them away. That is why we were able to produce only 30 000 bottles instead of the normal 90 000. The 1999 Yquem will also be a classic. We were happy with the conditions during harvest, and the wine is becoming very high quality. ‘The year 1998 is yet another classic. These four years were almost perfect as far as weather conditions are concerned. The differentiating factor is the variable weather during the harvest. The 1997 vintage has not FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 33

yet fully opened, just like the 1996, but it has the potential to develop into a really great wine in the next few decades. Harvesting took us two months and we did seven picks. We had seven different wines that are now slowly harmonising and blending into one.” the count’s favourites The history of Château d’Yquem is filled with great vintages, and they have appeared regularly since the 18th century. The oldest and perhaps best Yquem I have tasted was from 1811. When I asked the count what his own favourite was, he answered cryptically: “It depends so much on the situation and how sensitive my taste is. I like old Sauternes wines, especially when they defy time, such as wines that are older than fifty years. Personally, I like the 1945, 1947 and 1949 vintages. The 1967 vintage is famous, as are 1975, 1983, 1988, 1989 and 1990. The next ones are still too young and not yet mature. Many of my friends have a liking for 1967, some for 1928, 1929 and 1900, or 1893. I must confess that my greatest taste experience comes from the 1847 Yquem.” Pierre Lurton the new Midas In May 2004 LVMH luxury goods company became the main shareholder of the glorious estate. The new host of the estate, Count Alexandre de LurSaluces, likes to point out that: “Château d’Yquem must actually be smelt, tasted and appreciated to understand its magic. In doing so, one realises that this wine is and will always remain a mystery.” Pierre Lurton, member of a famous Bordeaux wine family, passionate winemaker and viticulturalist, who is also in charge of another world famous estate, Château Cheval Blanc, has already proven that he has all the necessary merits to maintain Yquem’s legendary reputation. He possesses a respect for tradition and an openness to modernity, which will allow him to cherish the mystery of the estate as beautifully as the Lur-Saluces family. “Although I come from a family of Bordeaux winegrowers and have always been closely involved in the world of wine, being in charge of Yquem is something else again. I am now responsible for perpetuating the legend of an extraordinary wine and the ultimate sensory pleasure it procures. My mission is to continue Yquem’s glorious history and maintain its values. However, Yquem’s timelessness and wonderful aromatic complexity motivate me to seek even more exuberance, passion and sensuality – as long as this great wine’s purity remains intact,” confirms Lurton. > 34 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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FINE Estate The famous Jefferson bottles The best Château d’Yquem Vintages to drink today 100p 1811 Château d´Yquem Average auction €52500 / 2014 price: Colour: Dark, golden, deep, healthy Nose: Rich, sound, striking, honeyed, sweet, crème brûlée, cream Palate: Full-bodied, thick, pure, intense, smooth, multi-layered, ripe, focused, distinctive, WOW! Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Endless, pure, round, flavourful We are wordless Impossible to buy with money 3 times, last in 1996 30 minutes 2 hours Now Food? No way Should be high Inside information: 1811 is the “year of the Comet”.Comet vintages are years during which an astronomical event, generally involving a “Great Comet”, occurs prior to harvest. Throughout the history of wine, winemakers have attributed successful vintages and ideal weather conditions to the unexplained effects caused by the comets. Some of the most heralded vintages in the last couple of centuries—such as 1811, 1826, 1839, 1845, 1852, 1858, 1861, 1985 and 1989—have coincided with a notable appearance of a comet. 100p 1819 Château d´Yquem Average auction €24000 / 2014 price: Colour: Dark, mature, golden, amber, light powdery sediment Nose: Open, sound, clean, outstanding, honey, apricot, peach, figs, caramel, nutty Palate: Full-bodied, complex, intense, charming, creamy, harmonious, very sweet still Finish: Endless, exciting, vibrant In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Enchanting Still a few bottles on sale 2 times, last in 2004 10 minutes 30 minutes Now No food – please No one knows – yet Inside information: On the very same day the harvest started at Château d´Yquem, Allan Pinkerton founded his famous detective agency. Or try this: Royal Tokaji 1690 Final verdict: Entirely superior Or try this: Space travel Final verdict: This is the mother of all “liquid gold” wines FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 37

The best Château d’Yquem Vintages to drink today 98p 1847 Château d´Yquem Average auction €22000 / 2014 price: Colour: Amber-gold, healthy, clear Nose: Spacious, sound, sweet, caramel, 97p 1896 Château d´Yquem Average auction €6000 / 2014 price: Colour: Very dark, clear, healthy Nose: Open, intoxicating, caramel, overripe exotic fruit, honey honey, exotic fruits, white chocolate, vanilla, plum Palate: Creamy, full, soft, gentle, multilayered, pure, complex, nicely balanced, youthful Palate: Fat, well-balanced, concentrated, fragrant, life-preserving acidity, silky Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Endless, rich, intense, soft Pure gold Gold plated price 5 times, last in 2008 20 minutes 30 minutes Now No food Quite high – check the cork and capsule carefully Inside information This great vintage could be named as the greatest vintage in the history of Sauternes and Yquem. It gained great glory and publicity when the Russian Grand Duke Constantine, brother of Tsar Alexander II, visited Bordeaux in 1859 and placed an order for 1200 bottles of the 1847 Château d’Yquem with the highest price ever recorded at the time – 20 000 gold franc. Finish: Silky, lingering, long In a nutshell: Surprisingly fresh and gentle Buy or not: Under €3000 – oh, yes! Tasted: 8 times, last in 2010 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 1 hour When to drink: Now Food pairing: Forget food Fake factor: Quite high Inside information: The hottest vintage since 2003. Or try this: Maserati 3500GT 1966 Final verdict: Delicious and at a bargain price for 1800s Yquem. Or try this: Yquem 1967 Final verdict: Worth every penny 98p 1900 Château d´Yquem Average auction €4752 / 2014 price: Colour: Dark, goldish, intense Nose: Dense, complex, spice, honey, butterscotch, burnt sugar, walnut Palate: Nicely balanced, complex, fresh acidity, charmer, luscious Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Endless, full, beautiful One of the best Yquem ever Fair price for such a great vintage 10 times, last in 5/2012 2 hour 3 hours Now to 2020 Wine for meditation, not for food Huge – beware of the big 3-litre bottles and non-château bottlings Inside information: This was a great vintage for Yquem, and it is easy to imagine that 100 years ago this 1900 showed the same promise as the famous 2001 does today. Holding well, but we still recommend a few years’ cellaring for this beauty. Or try this: Château Rieussec 1937 Final verdict: Everything has fallen into place beautifully 100p 1921 Château d´Yquem Average auction €5600 / 2014 price: Colour: Very dark, deep, golden Nose: Fresh, open, pure, vivid, honeyed, vanilla, coffee, cream, chocolate, strawberries Palate: Creamy, thick, great balance, multilayered, lively, firm, WOW! Finish: In a nutshell: Buy or not: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Still continues Yquem at its best and most genuine Always, but only château bottlings 27 times, last in 6/2011 2 hours 4 hours Now to 2025 A dessert itself Huge – buy only château-bottlings. Almost every other bottle we have tasted has been fake or very bad fake –VDM bottles are a particularly risky business. Inside information: The harvest of 1921 took 39 days to pick and was the last vintage that the Yquem owner Comte de Lur-Saluces sold in cask. Or try this: Yoga Final verdict: With luck, the best Yquem you will ever taste. 38 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

97p 1928 Château d’Yquem Average auction €2650 / 2014 price: Colour: Medium-intense, gold to amber Nose: Fragrant, charming, apricots, crème 100p 1937 Château d´Yquem Average auction €2650 / 2014 price: Colour: Clear, bright, deep, golden Nose: Open, luscious, caramel, pineapple, coffee, spice honey, dried apricot, toasted bread brûlée, a touch of herbs Palate: Sweet, very refined, vivid, energetic, Palate: Flourishing, rich, fat, passionate, apricot marmelade Finish: Refined, silky and long-lasting In a nutshell: Glorious nectar Buy or not: Absolutely yes Tasted: 4 times, last time in 2013 Decanting time: 45 minutes Glass time: 2 hours When to drink: Now to 2020 Food pairing: Fried foie gras Fake factor: Moderately high Inside information: The Long growing season yielded complex wines. Harvest started on September 24 and finished on November 8. Or try this: Château d’Yquem 1934 Final verdict: A grand wine with a great future gentle, aristocratic, balanced, compound, fresh, creamy Finish: Spicy, long intense In a nutshell: Greatest wine from 1937 vintage Buy or not: With love Tasted: 6 times, last in 2011/3 Decanting time: 2 hours Glass time: 4 hours When to drink: Now to 2025 Food pairing: Caramelised Fake factor: Haven’t seen or heard Inside information: The 1937 was a very good vintage in Sauternes. Dry but not very hot year. Picking lasted thirty-three days without any rain, started on 21st September and ended on 6th November. ahead 100p 1945 Château d´Yquem Average auction €3500 / 2014 price: Colour: Pure gold, clear, bright Nose: Charming, mature, full, creamy, candied apricots, toffee, marzipan Palate: Lively, multi-layered, fat, rich, creamy texture, elegant, sophisticated, balanced Finish: Refined, smooth, fascinating, extended In a nutshell: As sweet as the Victory Buy or not: For victory Tasted: 12 times, last in 3/2011 Decanting time: 2 hours Glass time: 4 hours When to drink: Now to 2020 Food pairing: Gorgonzola Fake factor: None Inside information: In 1945 the Sauternes wine area was tormented by a severe cold spell that continued until late spring. In April the weather warmed up rapidly and the short spring that followed was warm and dry. The first vines bloomed at Yquem as early as May 15 (as in 1990). The particularly dry and hot summer months led to an early harvest. The dryness of the year is well exemplified by the minimal September rainfall of 13 mm (the average at Yquem being 72 mm). The harvest could now commence on September 10, and it continued uninterrupted for the next six weeks. However, Sundays would be kept as rest days due to the perfect harvest weather. When the harvest was completed, there were 440 casks of new wine in the cool cellars of Yquem. FINE Estate The best Château d’Yquem Vintages to drink today Or try this: Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1945 Final verdict: Difficult to resist – and why should we? 98p 1959 Château d´Yquem Average auction €1600 / 2014 price: Colour: Golden dark, deep, clear Nose: Open, honeyed, roasted nuts, pine, caramel budding, candied orange Palate: Well-balanced, lively, refined, luxurious, detailed, complex Ending: Finish: In a nutshell: Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: Lavish, stretched, plump Well made, perfect today Under €2000 – a bargain 16 times, last in 8/2013 2 hours 3 hours Now to 2025 Roquefort Papillon None Inside information: Château d’Yquem’s dry white wine, Ygrec (French for ‘Y’), was introduced in 1959 as an instinctive response to the declining popularity of sweet wines. Or try this: Château Sigalas-Rabaut 1921 Final verdict: Profound Or try this: Château Filhot 1890 Final verdict: Bentley with golden wheels FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 39

The best Château d’Yquem Vintages to drink today 98p 1990 Château d’Yquem Average auction €340 / 2014 price: Colour: Intense, golden yellow Nose: Elegant, concentrated, preserved apricots, honeyed, bee wax Palate: Sweet, vivid acidity, fresh fruitiness, apricot marmelade, orange peel, vanilla, toastiness Finish: Very intense, toasty and lingering In a nutshell: Rich wine with great finesse Buy or not: Yes, one of the best value for money Yquems 99p 1967 Château d´Yquem Average auction €1630 / 2014 price: Colour: Deep, bright, golden Nose: Forceful, fresh, exotic fruit, apricot, fig, toffee, melon Palate: Concentrated, solid mouthfeel, harmonious structure, fresh acidity, refined, sweetness, balanced Finish: Round, fresh, prolonged In a nutshell: Captivating wine Buy or not: The price is still pretty decent Tasted: 14 times, last in 3/2011 Decanting time: 2 hours Glass time: 3 hours When to drink: Now to 2045 Food pairing: Brie de Meaux Fake factor: None Inside information: The vintage 1967 of Château d´Yquem remains in history as the first Yquem of Comte Alexandre de Lur Saluces. He could not have wished for a better time – the year was most successful in Sauternes. A cool spring delayed the flowering, but a hot and exceptionally dry summer hastened the growth so much that not even a cold and stormy September could unmake it. The following October then provided ideal climate conditions for a superb vintage. Just before the harvest began the sun came out and the twelve passages at Yquem, between September 26 and October 26, were carried out under favorable weather. Altogether the harvest gave 409 barrels under variable weather conditions. An exceptionally large portion of this high-quality vintage’s grapes, over 90%, were selected for the production of Yquem itself. Or try this: Château Coutet 1967 Final verdict: Best 1967 on the market Tasted: 21 times, last in 1/2014 Decanting time: 2.5 hours Glass time: 3 hours When to drink: Now to 2040 Food pairing: Fresh foie gras Fake factor: Moderate Inside information: A typical year in Sauternes – excessive heat through the summer, rapid infection of noble rot on vines after the August rains, high concentration in September thanks to drying and warming winds. Sugar levels were extraordinary high. Or try this: Château d’Yquem 1988 Final verdict: One of the best 1990s Bordeaux has on offer 96p 2001 Château d´Yquem Average auction €560 / 2014 price: Colour: Bright, intense yellow Nose: Rich, complex, honeyed, spicy, vanilla, toasty Palate: Luscious, concentrated, fresh and firm, intense fruit, toasty with vanilla and clove Finish: Pronounced, concentrated and focused In a nutshell: An unleashed charmer Buy or not: Yes. If you find a wine at this level that drinks well already, will improve for next 30 to 40 years and also has potential as an investment, it can considered a find. Tasted: Decanting time: Glass time: When to drink: Food pairing: Fake factor: 13 times, last in 2014 5 hours 4 hours Now to 2050 Vanilla pannacotta Low Inside information: The best vintage since 1990 and one of the greatest vintages in a hundred years Or try this: Kracher TBA No. 6 Grande Cuvée ‘Nouvelle Vague’ 2001 (Austria) Final verdict: The wine that has all the potential to become one of the greatest Yquems ever 40 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

MESURE ET DÉMESURE TONDA 1950 Rose gold Ultra-thin automatic movement Alligator Hermès strap Made in Switzerland www.parmigiani.ch

COLUMN Jan-Erik Paulson The ArT of Drinking Yquem C hâteau d’Yquem has undeniably been producing the greatest sweet wines in the world over the last few centuries. I am not going to sing its praises here, as that has been done often enough. What I want to do instead is to write about the art of drinking this golden nectar. There are three major mistakes to avoid if you want to get the maximum enjoyment out of Yquem, or any other great sauternes, namely: too late, too young and with desserts. If you plan to drink mature Yquem, the best time is at the start of the dinner. Yquem is too often served as a ”highlight” at the end of a meal, and your ability to really enjoy a wine as complex as Yquem is not at its peak at around midnight having drunk a number of glasses of champagne, a couple of whites and a few more glasses of red wines. This leads me to the second mistake – not only is it served late but it also mostly accompanied by a sweet dessert. Yquem works very well with a number of dishes – lightly fried fois gras is a heavenly classic – but rarely with desserts. If you have to serve Yquem, or any other Sauternes for that matter, with dessert, try using one that is not too sweet. My personal 42 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA favourite is my wife’s Bread and Butter Pudding, based on a receipe by Anton Mosimann. I enjoyed a particularly beautiful Yquem expericence during a luncheon arranged by the German wine collector Hans-Peter Frericks in Restaurant Ikarus, Salzburg a year or so ago. First of all, it was a luncheon, which in my opinion is a better time to enjoy wines, rather than in the evening. All the vintages were served with food and sufficient time was given to actually drink the wines. We were also afforded the luxury of being able to contemplate and discuss their merits; so much more enjoyable than rushing through a number of flights with nothing to eat but some bread or biscuits. The dishes were tuned to the various vintages in a perfect way. The secret is for the chef to prepare dishes with enough personality, without overwhelming the wines. This is a complex act that needs knowledge of the wine, and the chef

F I N E Pa u l s o n must allow his ability to play second fiddle to the soloist – the wine. Now for the third point, which is as valid for Yquem as for all great red wines from Bordeaux – do not commit infanticide! A young Yquem will show great fruit and will no doubt be impressive, but it will not show the complexity and fine nuances that makes it stand alone at the top. If you feel that you need to drink a young sauternes, pick a lesser château – it will not be that different in taste, but it will vary greatly in price. Drinking mature Yquem is one of the greatest experiences of all. This was last proven to me at a tasting in Finland in January 2010, which was organised by Pekka Nuikki for the Vine Club. Some of my notes from the tasting: 1868 – Very fresh, apricot marmalade, good acidity. Excellent. 94p. 1882 – At first a medicinal nose that opened up to show great complexity. A very elegant and stylish wine, with a long finish. 95p. 1888 – Ginger snaps and apricots on the nose. Very young, almost too young. 88p. 1899 – At first a bit mouldy, but the nose opened up to show orange peel and apricot marmalade. The finish was a touch bitter. 89p. 1900 – Darker than it should be. A bit mouldy and smoky nose. Not a good bottle. 83p. I have had much better bottles, which I have scored in the upper 90s. 1921 – Light gold. I have been lucky enough to have tasted this twice in the last two years. A fantastic nose. A glorious, elegant wine. Still young. 96p. 1929 – Darker than the 1921. Smoky, burnt caramel. Very complex. Long. Simply wonderful! 99p. 1934 – Dark-gold. Stylish. Very, very good. Lovely! Complex and a great treat. 98+p. I prefer this to the more renowned 1937. 1942 – Quite good nose. Good fruit. A very good wine – for the vintage a sensational wine! 93p. 1945 – This bottle was not as good as it can be. 85p. 1945 is normally one of my favourite Yquem vintages. Not much power and sweetness left, but tremendously complex with notes of lime blossom and cold cigar smoke. Potentially 97–99p. Other highlights were 1962 (93p) and 1967 (95p) – the most succesful vintages of the 1960s for Yquem. A nice surprise was the delicate and charming 1969 (91p). A range of younger vintages were also consumed that day – mostly impressive, but the wines that really moved me were the older vintages. So, in order to respect the terroir, the wine and the efforts of everyone involved in making these monuments, please drink it mature, with food and do not hurry. > FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 43

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FINE History A Winner Text: Juha Lihtonen It is 1857. A severe storm batters a fleet of cargo ships on their way from France to New York. On board one ship huge waves crash over the deck with a force that shakes the whole vessel. 35-year-old CharlesCamille Heidsieck monitors the situation on deck with alarm. He has every reason to be concerned, as within the fleet’s cargo lie three hundred thousand bottles of Charles Heidsieck champagne. The loss of this, the largest ever shipment of champagne to the United States, would mean inevitable bankruptcy for CharlesCamille Heidsieck’s six-year-old family business. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 45

T wo days later the ship arrives in port at New York where it is met by crowds eager to greet the renowned champagne hero and his unprecedented cargo. Charles-Camille Heidsieck, who five years earlier captivated the people of New York with his charm and his champagne, has finally returned, and this time with a boatload of his heavenly elixir. The newspapers sing the praises of the man and his return under the headline “Charlie is back again” and the nickname “Champagne Charlie” is born. Over the following five years he successfully lives the American Dream until fate takes a hand, dealing him a blow from which it would seems impossible to recover. The newspapers sing the praises of the man and his return under the headline “Charlie is back again” and the nickname “Champagne Charlie” is born. YOuNg busiNessmAN The story of Champagne Charlie started in 1846 when Charles-Camille Heidsieck returned home to Reims after studying commerce at the university of Lübeck. The 24-year-old enthusiastically threw himself into champagne manufacturing, learnt about the different champagne styles and soon spotted opportunities to develop and improve the quality of champagne. in 1851, with his brother-in-law ernest Henriot, Charles-Camille founded the champagne house that bears his name. As well as making champagne, he also dedicated himself to marketing his champagnes and seeking out new customers. unlike other champagne producers, he explored the potential offered by the New World. New markets were found across the pond in the united states, where little, if anything, was known about champagne at the time. To ensure his position as a forerunner in the us market, Charles-Camille travelled to boston the very next year, from there continuing his us marketing tour inland as far as Niagara Falls. His final stop was New York, where his reputation had preceded him. The popularity of his delectable beverages also attracted the attention of a local wine agent, and before returning home Charles-Camille entered into an agreement under which the 46 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE History agent would distribute his champagnes in the united states. sales got off to a flying start and Charles Heidsieck’s effervescent drinks gained growing popularity in America. WeApONs iN THe mARkeTiNg gAme While in the united states, Charlie observed the American penchant for guns and decided on his next visit to take with him not only champagne, but the latest handguns and hunting guns from paris. The ploy guaranteed press attention and saw him hailed as a great shot and a weapons expert, as well as a champagne specialist. He became a familiar face on the New York social scene and, when walking the streets of New York, was dogged by pressmen and photographers reporting his every move. Champagne Charlie soon left New York society behind and spent the next nine months travelling the us, as far afield as Ohio, Texas, missouri and mississippi, marketing his wine. in the space of ten years, Charles Heidsieck had managed to create significant markets for his champagne in the united states while other champagne producers were focused on europe and Russia. Concentrating on a single market also has its risks, however, and this was a strategy which was almost to cost him his life. DiRe sTRAiTs in spring 1861, while in France, Charles-Camille became aware of unrest breaking out in the united states. soon the country was in the midst of a bloody civil war. This was a worrying situation for the Charles Heidsieck firm as the company’s assets were tied up in thousands of champagne shipments in the us which had not yet been paid for. Charles-Camille rushed to New York to see his agent. On arrival he found that a law had been passed absolving purchasers from all their bills to the south. Citing the new law, the agent refused to pay for the champagne ordered. Champagne Charlie’s appeals to the agent’s honour were to no avail and he was in a desperate predicament. Without the payment for the champagne, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Charlie, however, knew that shipments of his champagne had been sent to New Orleans and he headed south to collect the payments directly from the purchasers. The journey through the battle lines was a perilous one. After many detours and much danger, Charlie arrived in New Orleans, where he found that no-one could afford to pay for the champagne. Dejected, he agreed to exchange his champagne for cotton. After all, cotton was highly valuable in europe. However, he ran into problems trying to get the cotton out of the united states. Due to the war, the harbours He became a familiar face on the New York social scene and, when walking the streets of New York, was dogged by pressmen and photographers reporting his every move. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 47

and sea routes were blocked. One exception was the port of mobile in mississippi, where ships were dodging the blockade. Charlie hired two vessels to carry the cotton, telling the captains to take different routes to make sure that at least one of the shipments reached its destination. His caution was justified, as only a few days after the ships set off, Charlie heard that one of the vessels had been wrecked. DeADLY pApeRs Word that troops from the North were fast approaching mobile saw Charlie sign up as a barman on a ship leaving mobile for New Orleans. He promised to take with him documents from the French embassy to the French consulate in New Orleans. Four days later the ship arrived at its destination. it was too late, as the city was now occupied by union forces. Troops led by general benjamin butler took the vessel’s occupants prisoner, with Charlie among them. The documents from the French consulate were found on his person, revealing that French textile manufacturers were supporting the Confederates in the south by providing them with weapons. Champagne Charlie was accused of espionage and, despite his protestations, was flung into the notorious Fort Jackson prison in Louisiana. The Heidsieck case created a diplomatic incident between France and the united states, in which negotiators included Napoleon iii, a great friend of Charles Heidsieck’s champagnes. He ordered Abraham Lincoln to overturn the decision to imprison Charlie. in the meantime, Charlie, incarcerated in a muddy cell in the midst of the swamps, had incurred the wrath of general butler, who was in charge of the prison. butler cancelled Charlie’s visiting permits. He hoped to hang the Frenchman and said that not even an appeal from Napoleon iii would save him. Finally, the French consul was granted permission to visit, but the message was far from encouraging. everything that could be done had been done and Charlie should prepare for the worst. The consul also told him that the other ship carrying cotton had been burned. During the hot summer, conditions in the prison only deteriorated. Yellow fever was rife in the dampness and the heat, and the prisoners were dropping like flies – Heidsieck’s cellmate included. Hungry crocodiles attempting to get in through the cell’s open windows during the mississippi floods constituted a further hazard. After three months, starving Charlie was battling for his life. Finally, after six months in prison, the skeletal Heidsieck heard that Abraham Lincoln had granted him a pardon. His return home to France had to wait, however, as his health was so poor that it was months before he had recovered sufficiently to withstand the long sea voyage. ROCk bOTTOm On returning home in spring 1863 a bleak prospect awaited him. Other than the company’s bankrupt estate, his wife had had to sell most of the family’s property to survive. Charlie was now 41 years old and facing a huge dilemma. What next? start again from scratch? And if so, with what? 48 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE History The answer appeared as if out of the blue, when one night there was a knock at the door. There stood a messenger, holding in his hand a letter addressed to Charlie. The letter was from a missionary from the united states who had arrived in Champagne and was staying with relatives in a neighbouring village. The letter said that the missionary had an important matter to discuss with Charlie and wanted to see him immediately. That very night Charlie met the man, who gave him a bunch of papers and a map and said they were Charlie’s property. The papers were from the brother of Charlie’s former us agent. The writer said he felt greatly ashamed of his brother’s behaviour in failing to pay his champagne debts. He hoped to recompense Heidsieck for his suffering in the form of land – the deeds to which he hereby granted to Charlie. examining the map and the areas of land assigned to him, Charlie saw that he owned a third of the city of Denver. With the proceeds from selling plots of land in the city, by then the largest and richest in the west of the us, the Heidsieck family were not only able to safeguard their future but also to restore the fortunes of the once successful Charles Heidsieck champagne house. CONTiNueD suCCess And so the people of New York were soon once Champagne Charlie was accused of more able to raise glasses of Charles Heidsieck’s espionage and, despite his protestations, champagne and celebrate the survival of popular Champagne Charlie. Although the us market was flung into the notorious Fort was still important to Heidsieck, Charlie also Jackson prison in Louisiana. looked elsewhere; in 1864 he travelled to Russia to convert Tsar Alexander iii to his champagnes. Charlie did not market his wines, however. With their incomparable quality, they marketed themselves. Demand spread from the Russian court to other royal houses of europe and Charles Heidsieck’s champagnes became the favourite of european royalty. On his death in 1893 at the age of 71 Champagne Charlie left the company, by now producing almost a million bottles a year, in the hands of his two sons. The company continued in family ownership under Henriot until it was bought by international giant Rémy-Cointreau in 1985. This year the company changed into the French epi’s ownership. under the new ownership the quality and marketing of Charles Heidsieck’s champagne continues in line with Champagne Charlie’s motto: “champagne speaks for itself ”. And so it does, as first prize in countless wine contests, organised by top wine professionals and the international press, go to show. > References: Champagne – Don & petie kladstrup (2005) Memories for Tomorrow – Charles Heidsieck (2007) FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 49

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FINE Maison C k c e i s d i e H –For s e l ha r Text: Essi Avellan MW Photos: Michael Boudot ”Excuse me, what was that?” is a question I frequently hear when I list my top 5 champagne houses and mention Charles Heidsieck. It never ceases to amaze me how this house of impeccable quality remains so scarcely known. Its wines gather trophies in wine competitions and are applauded by experts – Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve even won FINE Champagne Magazine’s Best Non-Vintage title last year. Instead of attracting the attention of the general wine public, it has remained as a hidden treasure of those in the know. However, I have a feeling Charles Heidsieck is finally on the verge of a real breakthrough. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 51

One must admire the long-term vision and commitment of RémyCointreau, or Rémy Martin at the time, when they acquired the champagne house of Charles Heidsieck from the Henriot family in 1985. A few years prior to the purchase, the cellar master of Henriot, Daniel Thibault, had started to gain reputation as a winemaking and blending genius. At the time of the acquisition Rémy Martin saw an opportunity knocking and poached Thibault from Henriot. The change of house was also a dream come true for Thibault, as Rémy Martin guaranteed him the resources needed to build what aimed to be the best non-vintage cuvée on the market. The capital tied to the process was massive. Thibault started collecting an enormous stock of reserve wines. When most houses’ reserve wines accounted for 20 per cent of the non-vintage cuvées, the Charles Heidsieck ideal style required 40 per cent. The wines held back for future blends were also to be much older than the usual one to two years, averaging four to five years. The oldest wines that go in the blend may be as mature as 12 years old. It is these reserve wines that allow Charles Heidsieck to graft their non-vintage cuvée into a rich, seductively toasty, honeyed wine of great depth. Its toasty nature fools many into thinking oak is involved in the production. But the wines see only stainless steel and are kept extended times in the vessels on the lees, which brings the richness of flavour and texture to them. 52 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Ahead of their time Daniel Thibault’s visionary and perfectionist nature brought about another innovation, the “Mis en Cave” concept. Against common practise, Thibault considered showing the age of the non-vintage wine on the label essential, as both time on the lees and postdisgorgement evolution are important indications of the wine’s style and maturity to the consumer. In 1997, Charles Heidsieck re-launched its non-vintage as Brut Réserve Mis en Cave, with the bottling year indicated on the label. For instance the Mis en Cave 1992 was crafted of 1991 fruit plus reserve wines and bottled in 1992. Despite the fantastic intentions, the concept was found to be confusing for both consumers and the trade. Charles Heidsieck pushed ahead with it for a number of years, but finally gave in and settled for mentioning the cellaring and disgorgement times on the back label. In retrospect, they were ahead of their time, as recently many houses such as Lanson, Philipponnat and Jacquesson have started to state the disgorgement times on the labels. Charlie steps aside Daniel Thibault certainly left his mark on the history of Charles Heidsieck. For a reason not quite clear to me, under his guidance the house seized production of the previous prestige cuvée Champagne Charlie, with the last vintage being the 1985. As replacement, Thibault crafted Blanc des Millénaires blanc de blancs, starting with the 1983 vintage. As his vision was always to create an incredible blanc de blancs, he decided to focus his energies on the Blanc des Millénaires after the brilliant 1985 vintage.

Completed puzzle Today, all the pieces in the Charles Heidsieck puzzle are finally finding their place. Rémy Cointreau acquired the house of Piper Heidsieck in 1990, and since then a merging of the two houses has taken place. In April this year the duo were sold to a French company EPI (Societé Européenne de Participations Industrielles), which is a family business interested in long-term development of the house. The company is now P&C Heidsieck, with all vinification and cellaring taking place under the same roof by the same qualified hands. And quite a winery it is. The companies left their administrative buildings in the heart of Reims and moved to more spacious surroundings on the outskirts of the town in 2008. The new ultramodern design winery has all the latest winemaking equipment. The 2000-year-old Gallo-Roman chalk cellars acquired by Charles Heidsieck in 1851 have been used for ageing all of the Charles Heidsieck wines since the foundation of the House, but now the wines of Piper-Heidsieck are aged there also. to drink. The wines for the more restrained and classic Charles are rich and evolved, very much a crafted for gastronomy. When I visited the cellar at blending time, I was given an interesting tasting exercise. I sampled a dozen still wines from all three grape varieties from a variety of villages. My task was to decide whether the base wine should go to Charles or Piper depending on the style. The aspired styles for both houses became crystal-clear to me when I was picking structured wines for extended ageing for Charles and lively fruit-forward samples for Piper. The winemaking hands at P&C Heidsieck today belong to Régis Camus, who took over in 2002, when Daniel Thibault passed away unexpectedly. Fortunately, Camus had worked together with Thibault since 1994, when Thibault had hand-picked Camus to be his successor. Consequently, the change has not brought about any drop in quality or alterations in style. Even though replacing someone as legendary as Thibault is not easy, Camus has shown his capabilities as a great blender; especially via the steadily rising quality of Piper Heidsieck and the numerous trophies earned by Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve and Brut Rosé Réserve. The secret is out. If you have not yet encountered Charles Heidsieck, now is the time to get to know Charlie! FINE Maison Despite my admiration for this creamy, toasty, velvety wine, I still think Champagne Charlie was a great wine with a great name and pedigree. One hopes it will be revived one day. However, nurturing two brands in one winery evidently creates a unique situation. At P&C Heidsieck differentiation is managed by separating the house styles and brand images. The flashy-red marketing-driven brand Piper’s champagne is fresh, vibrant and easy FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 53

91 pts 91 pts Charles Heidsieck Brut Rosé NV 2011/2016 54 Deep lemony colour. Pronounced and deliciously sweet nose of burnt match, toast, brioche, honey and minerality. Full and round, succulent palate with velvety texture and plenty of autolytic complexity. Long and intense – very enjoyable already. Pale pink colour with onion skin hues. Rich and smooth nose of toast, red berries, dried fruit and soft spiciness. The smooth and round palate is creamy and long with good concentration and length. Charming, evolved and voluptuous. Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 2000 2011/2020 92 pts Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésime 1999 2011/2017 95 pts Deep lemony golden developing colour. Wonderfully toasty, autolytic, gunflinty nose of ripe apples and pears, bread and fragrant floral notes. The nuanced, charming and appetising nose promises a lot for the palate. Full and smooth in the mouth with well-integrated fine mousse. Aromas continue as on the nose. Perfectly weighty, long and refreshing. Open and drinking wonderfully from now until 2020. Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 1995 2011/2020 93 pts 93 pts Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV 2011/2028 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie 1985 2011/2015 Beautiful salmon to onion skin colour. Toasty and complex nose of wild herbs and fragrant flowers. Wide and round on the weighty palate, which could use some more spine. Seductively creamy mousse and pronounced length. Early and easy drinking vintage. Medium-deep lemony colour. Developed, wonderfully toasty and creamy nose with stylish coffee complexity. A wide open, vinous and rich palate with similar aromas on the nose. Silky soft mousse. An extremely harmonious and round wine with the house’s sublime benchmark toastiness. We have tasted this wine a dozen times in the past year and only one bottle was worth less than 92 points. A great purchase today for enjoyment over the next ten years. This three-year-old disgorgement was not our best bottle of Charlie 1985, as on other occasions it has reached as high as 96 points. This bottle showed its age with slight oxidation and drying fruit. One could still see it was once a great wine. Very deep, golden colour with slow, small-sized bubbles. Toasted almonds, honey, dried fruits and vanilla on the complex nose. The light mushroomy notes deduct from the appeal. Rich and vinous on the palate, with the finish slightly drying out. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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The new and improved Charles Text: Amanda Regan 56 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Champagne W ith its unerring precision, Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve is the emblematic cuvée of the house. Yet, since Charles Heidsieck was founded in 1855, the identity of Charles has remained somewhat hidden – classy but distant, mysteriously looking towards exciting new adventures. Who is he? Where is he? Exactly one year to the day since the owner change of Champagne Charles Heidsieck, now under the proprietorship of the EPI group, a new expression of Charles Heidsieck is ready to be discovered. FINE was present when its new identity was revealed in Le Mans in June 2012. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 57

Charles was a timeless traveller, and his companions in the late 19th century were flaneurs making their way on the Grand Tour, from Paris to Venice, Long Island and the Far East, while drinking coupes of Champagne. He accompanied artists, writers and musicians, such as Baudelaire and Balzac, Wilde and Hemingway, Warhol and Gainsbourg, into the following century. Fresh from his voyages, Charles has returned in 2012 sporting the latest fashion. As the signal exploded to start the classic car race at Le Mans, drivers in traditional costumes of gloves, scarves and helmets ran across the tarmac to their vintage cars. The signal was echoed by corks exploding from the new, chic and eye-catching Charles Heidsieck bottles across the track. The conTemporary dandy The new Charles was presented at a stylish VIP booth at Le Mans by Thierry Roset, the newly appointed Chef de Caves of Charles Heidsieck. Roset was promoted after 23 years working with the two previous cellar masters, Daniel Thibault and Régis Camus, the latter of whom still oversees the winemaking of both Piper and Charles Heidsieck. Roset demonstrates to us how Charles is cheating time by revealing a more contemporary look than ever. He tells us that both the style and looks of Charles echo the original descriptions of the “dandy”: elegant, distinctive, unctuous, complex and generous. Charles may appear dandy but below the surface there is real class and breed. The continuity of style in this new Charles Brut is confirmed with the assemblage that remains untouched: one third Chardonnay, one third Pinot Noir and one third Pinot Meunier. The blend has been reduced from 120 villages to a still outstanding but selected assembly of 60. Sixty per cent of the blend is based on the 2007 vintage, with the rest coming from Charles Heidsieck’s reserve wines – the house’s DNA ingredient. Charles’ charisma and depth come from substantial ageing in the chalk cellars, which have been further extended from a highly respectable eight years to ten years. This precise balance creates the complexity which is “typiquement Charles”. Charles Heidsieck is one of only five champagne houses to inhabit the famous, deep Gallo-Roman underground chalk cellars in Reims. To remind us of this, the shape of the new bottle is modelled on the exceptional form of one of the caves, Crayère number nine. Furthermore, the new labels found their inspiration from original designs discovered in the archives and have been reinterpreted into contemporary proportions, with the font and the name split over two lines. Rejuvenated by the new image, Charles Heidsieck is ready to take on another Grand Tour, in order to conquer the world: Champagne Charlie is back! > 58 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA “The dandy creates his own unity by aesthetic means. But it is an aesthetic of negation. ’To live and die before a mirror’ – that, according to Baudelaire, was the dandy’s slogan. It is indeed a coherent slogan. The dandy is, by occupation, always in opposition. He can only exist by defiance… The dandy, therefore, is always compelled to astonish. Singularity is his vocation, excess his way to perfection.” Albert Camus 95p Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV Colour: Deep lemon with golden reflections Nose: Travelling from cooler reflections of lemon to tropical atmospheres and coffee notes Palate: Rich and racy but classic Ending: Beautifully coordinated The word: Suave Buy or not: The best deal ever When to drink: Ready when you are Food pairing: From breakfast through to midnight Or try this: The old Charles… Final verdict: Typiquement Charles

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Champagne FINE Wine & Champagne India is currently publishing extracts from Essi Avellan’s champagne book, Matka Champagneen (‘Discovering Champagne’). In her book, Avellan visits 50 of the most interesting producers in the wine region. Furnished with maps, the book is also an opportunity for champagne lovers to discover the epicurean’s dream location for themselves. Avellan opens doors to the region’s best restaurants, hotels and wine stores. In this issue, we feature her top tips for Côte des Blancs. 62 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Region Côte des BlanC Blan Cs The Birthplace of the Greatest Chardonnays Text: Essi Avellan MW Photos: Michael Boudot Just hearing the names of the Grand Cru champagne villages of the Côte des Blancs – Cramant, Avize, le Mesnil sur Oger – quickens the senses of any champagne connoisseur. The numerous serene and tranquil small towns are home to a host of small-scale producers specialising in blanc de blancs champagnes. There are also many wonderful places to stay and in which to dine. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 63

Côte des Blancs pierre gimonnet G imonnet is definitely among the top destinations in the Côte des Blancs and worth a visit due to the fact that its extensive vineyards offer a lesson in the various terroirs of the region. Didier Gimonnet, who has long managed the house, is an excellent guide to champagne production and styles. The fact that you don’t have to book a time for a visit is a bonus. If you have any time to spare in the area, come here. For a grower-producer, Pierre Gimonnet has admirably extensive vineyard holdings. Of the 28 hectares owned by the house, 12 are located in Côte des Blancs Grand Cru villages, from Cramant to Oger and Chouilly. The house also owns two hectares in the Premier Cru village of Vertus and a huge 14 hectares in its hometown of Cuis. Didier Gimonnet was also unable to resist the opportunity of buying 0.5 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in 2002, breaking the house’s tradition of growing 100 per cent Chardonnay. These latter grapes are used to produce the house’s “oddity”, Paradox, which also includes Chardonnay from Cuis. Fruit from Cuis forms the heart of the winery: although Gimonnet has more than enough Grand Cru vineyards, all of the wines produced include grapes from Cuis, which automatically changes their status to Premier Cru. Gimonnet also has superb vineyards with 80-year-old vines, but these are only ever presented in blends. Of the Côte des Blancs villages, Cuis is known as the producer of the most acidic and light wines. On its own it does not generate great wines, but Gimonnet likes its balancing and refreshing effect in blends. Based on these principles, Didier Gimonnet has developed a selection of refined, crisp and highly purist wines. Gimonnet currently produces seven champagnes, of which six are Chardonnays and six are vintage wines. Standard champagne makes up an exceptionally small proportion of the production, at 65 per cent, with the rest being made up of vintage champagnes produced according to diverse philosophies. For the reserve wines needed for the standard champagne, Gimonnet stores some of the previous year’s blends in 75 cl bottles. At the bottling stage he adds 4 g/l of sugar, which causes slight bottle fermentation. The resulting lees keep the wine particularly youthful. The method was created by accident due to a lack of space, but thanks the successful results it produced, Gimonnet adopted it permanently. The traditional vintage champagne of the Gimonnet series, Fleuron, is a blend of fruit from Cramant, Chouilly and Cuis. Gastronome is a vintage champagne intended especially for restaurant use, whose 4.5 atmospheres of pressure instead of the usual six makes it very soft and airy. Oenophile is a fabulous champagne that is aged longer and sold as extra brut. Paradox, made from 50 per cent black grapes, is the wildcard in the collection. Of its two vintages so far, I have tasted the 2003 and was not convinced by it. i 64 Champagne pierre gimonnet rm www.champagne-gimonnet.com 1, rue de la République, 51530 Cuis tel. +33 (0)3 26 59 78 70 production, bottles/year: 250 000 Cellar master: Didier Gimonnet Champagne VeuVe Fourny & Fils nm www.champagne-veuve-fourny.com 5, rue du Mesnil, 51130 Vertus tel. +33 (0)3 26 52 16 30 production, bottles/year: 150 000 Cellar master: Emmanuel Fourny gimonnet is open to visitors without appointments Monday to Friday, 8:30 am—12 pm and 2 pm—6 pm. Booking a time is recommended, though, especially if you want to meet the host, Didier Gimmonnet. The informative tasting covers several of the house cuvées. The tasting is free for individuals but subject to a small fee for groups. There are no cellar tours, but there are champagnes for sale. guests are welcome at Veuve Fourny, but making an appointment is recommended. Beyond an ordinary tasting, it is possible to arrange a more in-depth and educational visit. The cellars are open Monday to Friday 9 am—12 pm and 2 pm—6 pm, Saturday 10 am—12 pm and 3 pm—5 pm. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

I f in addition to tasting high-quality champagnes you’d like to form a deeper understanding of the region, Veuve Fourny is an excellent place to visit. Brothers Emmanuel and Charles-Henry Fourny, who operate exclusively in the Premier Cru village of Vertus, found a shared interest in emphasising the terroir when they joined the management of the family champagne business in the mid-1990s. The brothers’ first project was the Cuvée du Clos Fg Notre Dame single-vineyard champagne, which was made from the very first parcel bought by the family in the 1930s, located right by the cellar. The use of oak barrels, which they started for Les Clos du Notre Dame, has now spread to incorporate most of the house’s range. Currently, 70 per cent of their wines are vinified in steel tanks, while the rest start off in oak barrels of various ages. Emmanuel, who is enchanted with the mineral-intensifying and texture- enhancing effect of oak, tirelessly tests different manufacturers’ options for oak qualities and levels of curing. The house’s vintage champagne is completely unoaked, whereas the Cuvée R is completely oakaged, buttery and has a clear taste of new wood. Personally, I am not a fan of distinct oak notes in wine, but those who are will probably like its breadth and strength. The blended Rosé Brut is also strongly oaky, with crispy, fresh and sweet red berries and a creamy mouthfeel. As a monocru producer, Veuve Fourny cannot look for blend components outside Vertus, so Emmanuel has experimented extensively with the vinification of small grape batches in order to have as many complementary wines as possible for use in blends. The estate’s 60 parcels are roughly divided into three categories based on their orientation, soil quality and topsoil depth. Additional differences are achieved through the use of oak and lactic acid fermentation. The house owns nine hectares of vineyards and also buys grapes from a further seven hectares owned by “family and friends”, in whose cultivation methods the brothers have much of a say. The Fournys have understood the significance of the age of the vines in champagne production, and the average age of their vineyards exceeds 40 years. They mix and match biodynamic, organic and sustainable development (la lutté raisonnée) methods as necessary. This year has brought many novelties from Veuve Fourny. The vinous Rosé les Rougesmonts NV, produced through the maceration (saignée method) of grapes from a steep 0.22-hectare parcel, may be what is needed to restore the historic reputation of Vertus as a producer of high-quality Pinot Noirs. The 1800 rare bottles are available to oenophiles directly from the cellar for the shockingly low price of 18 euros. In late 2009, the brothers were able to acquire a high-quality Pinot Noir vineyard with old vines, and they are now planning their third single-vineyard champagne. In late 2010, Veuve Fourny also launched a bibliographic collection of old vintages. The wines will be recorked to order, giving consumers the opportunity to buy cellar-fresh, mature vintages. FINE Region Côte des Blancs veuve fourny & fils Emmanuel and Charles Fourny strongly believe in terroir champagnes. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 65

Sights – Côte des Blancs A walk through the vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. “I especially enjoy wandering on the small road that passes through vineyards connecting the villages of Cuis and Grauves. The views are fabulous and I often also stop to admire the church at Cuis, which is one of the prettiest in Champagne.” Didier gimonnet, Champagne pierre gimonneta “At the top of Le Mont Aimé in Bergères-les-Vertus there are some fine historic castle ruins with several kilometres of caves. The view from the hilltop over the Côte des Blancs vineyards is also lovely. The park-like grounds are perfect for picnics.” yannick Collin, Cellar master at Champagne De saint gall “The charming Romanesque church in the village of Chavot, amid champagne vineyards on the hills of Épernay, is my favourite in Champagne.” hervé Deschamps, Cellar master at Champagne There is a beautiful view of the peak of Mont Aimé from the hills of the Côte des Blancs. perrier-Jouët le musée De la Vigne et Du Vin 7, rue d’Oger, 51190 Le Mesnil-sur-Oger tel. +33 (0)3 26 57 50 15 Open daily except for some public holidays. Tours are usually offered at 10 am and 3 pm. A two-hour guided tour, including a tasting of three champagnes, costs €7.50 “I recommend visiting the best wine museum in Champagne, Le Musée de la Vigne et du Vin in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, which is maintained by Champagne Launois. They have artefacts and winemaking equipment from the seventeenth century onwards!” laurent Fresnet, Cellar master at Champagne henriot Avize is one of the many pretty villages in the Côte des Blancs. Restaurants ”The church in the village of Vertus is beautiful and in front of it is a small pond which provides the perfect setting for a charming champagne picnic.” pierre and sophie larmandier, Champagne larmandier-Bernier “The best view over the legendary walled vineyard of Clos du Mesnil in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger can be seen from a small courtyard right behind Restaurant Le Mesnil. Le Mesnil is one of the best restaurants in the Côte des Blancs, which makes it also worth a visit.” gilles marguet, oenologist and managing Director of Champagne le mesnil restaurant le mesnil 2, rue Pasteur, 51190 Le Mesnil-sur-Oger tel. +33 (0)3 26 57 95 57 www.restaurantlemesnil.com Closed Sundays and Monday and Tuesday evenings Restaurant Le Mesnil, named after its home village, has changed owners and therefore, unfortunately, also styles in recent times. Armelle and Ludovic Laurence, who have run the establishment for around a year, have identified a successful concept, however, combining high-quality yet relatively uncomplicated food with a pleasantly modern interior and friendly service. Le Mesnil is my favourite lunch stop when conducting a tour of Côte des Blancs. At Clos du Mesnil, Olivier Krug describes the history of the vineyard, dating back to 1698. 66 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Region FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 67

Hotels – Côte des Blancs B&B le Clos margot 39, avenue Général Leclerc, 51130 Vertus tel. +33 (0)3 26 52 14 74 www.closmargot.fr Open year-round The La Libertine room of Les Clos Margot is exceptional in every way. hôtel la Briqueterie 4, route de Sézanne tel. +33 (0)3 26 59 99 99 www.labriqueterie.fr Open year-round La Briqueterie, located in an old brick factory set amid vineyards right by the town of Épernay, offers a complete rural idyll. One of the most luxurious hotels in Champagne, this is an ideal place for anyone looking for a peaceful environment. Being close to the various parts of Champagne, it is a good base for wine tourists. There is also a Michelinstarred restaurant under the same roof. The bold floral décor of the hotel and restaurant is attractive and welcoming. There are 42 rooms decorated in varying colour schemes. Prices start at €180 per night. La Briqueterie also has a luxurious spa with saunas and an indoor pool. 68 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA I actually came across Le Clos Margot by accident while visiting Champagne Doyard. The recently opened Chambres d’Hôtes is rather surprising and unusual, as the great character and owner of Champagne Doyard, Yannick Doyard, follows the nineteenth-century philosophy of the Libertines, which is devoid of any moral restraint, advocated by, among others, the Marquis de Sade. Of the six rooms in the guesthouse, five are “ordinary”, rather ascetic but elegant (downright monastic, if you ask Yannick Doyard). But the final room, Libertine, is the complete opposite, with red velvet curtains, risqué murals and a bathtub in the middle of the room. For a romantic weekend, the Libertine room is the ultimate choice! Room prices range from €92 to €137. B&B Château les aulnois 61, rue du Général de Gaulle, 51530 Pierry tel. +33 (0)3 26 54 27 2 www.château-les-aulnois.fr Someone recently suggested that I visit the luxury Châmbres d’Hôtes in the village of Pierry near Épernay, which opened in 2009. Elizabeth Vollereaux, who was born in the village, has restored the 1750s castle with incredible care and good taste. The gardens are just as splendid as you’d expect from a château. You will enter a genuine ancient castle milieu. Each of the five rooms has its own character and is named after the former ladies of the castle (Claire, Jeanne Charlotte, Simonne, Louise Rose and Marguerite). Room prices range from €150 to €280. Weekend packages are offered. Breakfast is included. A skilled chef, Elizabeth Vollereaux also serves traditional home-cooked regional dinners for groups of six or more for a price of €95 per person (by advance booking). hostellerie Du mont aimé 4—6, rue de Vertus, 51130 Bergères-les-Vertus tel. +33 (0)3 26 52 21 31 www.hostellerie-mont-aime.com Closed Sunday evenings and over the end-of-year holidays The 46-room hotel connected to Restaurant Le Mont Aimé is an affordable place to stay in the Côte des Blancs. There are various options within spacious and comfortable rooms. Double rooms range from €90 to €140, while single visitors can spend the night for €70-90. A whole apartment can be rented for €150 per night. The hotel’s swimming pool is a real luxury on a hot summer’s day, as pools in Champagne are few and far between.

Winery presentations I have rated each wine estate in two ways. Firstly, the glass rating refers to the general quality of the house’s champagnes: I have awarded between one and five glasses. Second, I have given a star rating (one to five stars) to the organisation, setting and content of the visit to the estate, as well as the personnel and their language skills. These ratings are provided at the top right-hand corner of each estate’s presentation page. No rating is available for the estates that do not accept guests. At this point I want to draw attention to the fact that each visit is unique. My evaluations are based on my own limited visits to the estates, so there may be surprises – both positive and negative. I give the essential details of each house, listing reasons for visiting it and tasting its champagnes on location. I also provide some background information on the estates and their protagonists, and provide an overview of the product selection. ier to organise a visit. These details may change, however, so I recommend checking in advance with the estate, either on its website or by email. I also offer production volume figures and the name of the cellar master. FINE Region Key to symbols Favourite Champagne The second part of each presentation is reserved for my favourite champagne, i.e. the wine that shows the producer at its best or that provides the best introduction about the house. I did my best to formulate a comprehensive catalogue of champagnes of different styles and prices, ranging from 15 to more than 200 euros. I write about my chosen champagne in greater detail. For each wine, I give the producer’s recommended retail price and, if applicable, the price directly from the cellar. Contact details and information concerning visiting arrangements and opening hours are supplied to make it eas- top producer top visit excellent visit good visit average visit excellent producer quality producer average producer Below-average producer I have awarded a star rating to restaurants as follows: top-class restaurant excellent restaurant quality restaurant Basic visit The price level of each restaurant is classified as follows: expensive restaurant, menu over 50 euros mid-priced restaurant, menu 25–50 euros inexpensive restaurant, menu under 25 euros average restaurant Basic restaurant I have awarded a star rating to hotels as follows: luxury hotel high-class hotel quality hotel average hotel The price level of the hotels (overnight stay including breakfast) is classified as follows: expensive hotel, rooms over 180 euros mid-priced hotel, rooms 90–180 euros inexpensive hotel, rooms under 90 euros Basic hotel Vintage tables Vintages are also given a star rating, as follows: R recommended retail price C Cellar price top vintage excellent vintage average vintage ordinary vintage poor vintage FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 69

1990 FINE Vintage Text: Peter Liem mong the vintages of the last quarter-century, 1990 is one of the most controversial: some regard it as one of the great vintages of modern times, while others feel that it has delivered less than initially promised. As the final piece of the great trio of vintages that closed out the decade, it was highly anticipated in the marketplace, and in the Champagne region it enjoys a high reputation even today. The 1990 vintage is thought of as a warm one, yet, as with 1989 it was marked by severe frosts in the spring. In fact, the weather conditions overall were not dissimilar to those of 1989, but if anything they were more extreme, with more forceful heat during warm periods and more virulent frosts during the cold ones. Like many vintages of modern times, it began rather gently: a mild winter was followed by warm, dry weather in February and March that accelerated the growth of the vines, and buds began appearing by late March, a full 12 days earlier than in the previous year. Unfortunately, the weather soon changed dramatically, bringing a fierce cold front into the region in early April. Temperatures dropped as low as -7°C in the Marne during the evening of April 4, and 6°C in the Aube on April 18 and 19. The resulting frosts took a severe toll 70 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA on the developing buds, which had been made vulnerable by their precocious growth, and overall nearly 12 000 hectares, or 45 per cent of the production area, were affected by the frost. Ironically, warm weather was to return soon after, with temperatures soaring to over 30°C in the month of May. As before, though, this did not last, and by the time of floraison in June it had turned cool and damp, provoking both coulure and millerandage. The summer, however, was warm and dry, and 1990 is especially remembered for the hot month of August, which saw temperatures as high as 35 to 40°C. Due to this summer warmth, the health of the grapes was excellent, and they remained free of disease and rot up until the harvest in mid-to-late September. With all of the difficulties in the early part of the year, growers were anticipating a low-yielding vintage, but in fact the reverse was true. The summertime warmth promoted healthy and vigorous ripening, and in addition the light rains just before harvest served to swell the grapes, adding to their weight. In the end, 1990 produced the third-largest harvest on record up until that time, after 1983 and 1982, and throughout the region vinegrowers were ecstatic about both the quality and quantity of their grapes.

FINE Vintage Due to the high quality of the raw material, 1990 was immediately hailed as a great vintage, compared even to legendary vintages such as 1928, and touted by most as the finest of the unusually successful trilogy that included the two previous years. Both average ripeness and average acidity levels were higher than those of 1989, reinforcing the belief that the 1990s were powerful and ageworthy wines, and, when looking purely at the numbers, they seemed ideal. When these wines were being released in the mid-to-late 1990s, there was a great deal of excitement surrounding all three vintages – 1988, 1989 and 1990 – and the general feeling among both producers and consumers at the time was that 1990 was the most favoured vintage of the trio. As with the 1989s, the 1990 champagnes were immediately inviting, showing a precocious charm and delicious depth of flavour. Furthermore, they also demonstrated a fine structure, their acidity levels balancing the natural ripeness of the vintage. Indeed, all looked to be well for the long haul. About ten years after the vintage, however, tastings of 1990 champagnes began to yield unexpected results. Where the wines were once vibrant and vividly defined, many began to show unusual signs of oxidation, sometimes in conjunction with a pronounced volatile acidity. Some producers said that it was just a phase that the wines were going through, and that they needed more time. Others felt that the wines were maturing more rapidly than anticipated. Today, the question of premature oxidation continues to be the primary concern about the 1990s; why exactly this has happened is still open to debate. “The explanation is not so simple,” says Dominique Demarville, chef de cave of Veuve Clicquot. “[It’s puzzling because] in general, the wines from 1990 have a good structure and the grapes at the harvest indicated the potential for making wines for very long ageing.” He notes that often it is necessary to be very careful with these wines: “I think that the 1990s, like many other vintages (notably 1996), are very fragile at disgorgement. It is important during this operation to protect the wines well with sulphur to avoid any problems.” At Louis Roederer, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon notes that while many 1990s have a tendency towards slight oxidation, the best ones continue to show a lot of promise, and he still believes that the vintage is capable of delivering excellent wines. “When you get a bottle with very little oxidation, 1990 becomes great and unique,” he says. “My overall impression of 1990 is that it is a year of perfect balance and precision. It doesn’t have the power and vinosity of 1989, but it is clean, precise, elegant and very Champenois.” FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 71

How to read FINE’s tasting notes: We open and taste more fine and rare wines than any other wine media in the world. As these wines are so special, we firmly believe that they deserve to be presented in the best possible manner, and in a way that will serve our readers well. This is why our tasting notes include lot more information than just a basic description of each wine. The topics we cover in our tasting notes, other than colour, nose, taste and finish, are: The given price is a six-month average paid in auctions run by major auction houses throughout Europe, the USA and Asia (FINE Wine Index) A short description of the wine Mentions if the wine is worthy of its price based on its rarity and our tasting experience How many times we have tasted the wine and the most recent tasting Recommends the length of time each wine should be decanted before serving How long the wine lasts having been poured into the glass In our wine evaluations, the most signifisignificant factor is the scoring system. We score wines according the pleasure they deliver today, not according to their potential. Our purpose is to make sure you enjoy the wines when they are at their optimum, in order to ensure the wines not only deliver the greatest pleasure but also the best pospossible value. As one of FINE’s fundamental values is to support excellence, we have made the decision to not publish wines that receive 79 points or below. We use a 100-point evaluation system, where the wines have been divided into the following categories: 99–100 The year we believe each wine will reach its optioptimum drinkability A wine with the wow-effect. Sheer perfecperfection to all senses by every parameter of wine quality. A true gift from nature. 95–98 The perfect dish to accompany each wine Calculates the risk of encountering counterfeit botbottles. This is an estimate based on the FINE editorial team’s experience An outstanding wine that leaves an unforunforgettable tasting experience with its perfect structure, complexity and personality. 90–94 An excellent wine, that stands out by balbalance, intensity, complexity and character. 86–89 A good wine with balance and complexity. Shares specific information about the wine or vinvintage, which will add value to the tasting experience 80–85 Instead of this wine, another option is offered that might be more a suitable investment 50–79 Wraps up our opinion about the wine 72 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA An average, though well-made wine. Nose and palate are somewhat one-dimensional and impersonal. A modest and straightforward wine lacklacking life and harmony. This wine is excluded from appearing in FINE Tastings.

FINE Vintage 1990 FINE Vintage Grand tasting of the 1990 vintage in Copenhagen Taster: Essi Avellan MW Last year I had the privilege of attending a glorious 1990 Champagne Day with an amiable group of Danish champagne aficionados. Organised by Jesper Heedegard, we enjoyed more than thirty of the greatest bottles of 1990 over lunch and dinner. We dined at the classic French restaurant Pierre André, where chef Philippe Houdet displayed his outstanding skills when it comes to matching champagne and food. The controversial 1990 vintage cuvées gave us some ups and downs: Cristal and Cristal Rosé, for example, showed just magnificently. They were so monumental, refined and vibrant. The Dom Pérignons put up a real fight, though, with the regular DP showing the best and the Oenothèque not far behind. The biggest disappointment of the day was the corked bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé. Based on my previous sips of it, it is one of the finest Dom Pérignon Rosés ever produced, but now we will never know if it had the capacity to challenge Cristal Rosé. Another bottle that suffered from slight cork taint was Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Despite an obvious fault, it was still able to show some of its charms, and, based on that and my previous encounters, I can still warmly recommend it. Both Krugs showed power and vitality, as did the three Bollingers we had in the tasting – my favourite was La Grande Année but many of my fellow tasters, I noticed, voted in favour of Vielles Vignes Françaises. Both the Dom Ruinart Rosé and Cuvée William Deutz were absolutely stunning, and both names many might overlook. The biggest disappointments were Salon and Pommery Cuvée Louise, the latter of which probably due to bad storage conditions. Salon had no obvious fault, so I would need to taste it again before making my final assessment. Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal 1990 Dom Pérignon 1990 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 73

Ruinart Dom Ruinart Rosé 1990 Dom Pérignon Oenotheque 1990 74 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Deutz Cuvée William Deutz 1990 Krug Vintage 1990 Krug Clos du Mesnil 1990 Bollinger La Grande Année 1990

FINE Vintage Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Franç Françaises 1990 Charles Heidsieck Vintage 1990 Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas Francois Billecart 1990 Jacquesson Signature 1990 Jacquesson Signature Rosé 1990 Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle 1990 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1990 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 1990 Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne 1990 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1990 Gosset Célébris Jacquesson DT 1990 Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs 1990 Duval-Leroy Cuvée des Roys 1990 G.H. Mumm 1990 Bruno Paillard Nec Plus Ultra 1990 Bollinger RD 1990 Jacquesson Blanc de Blancs 1990 Larmandier-Bernier Special Club 1990 Ruinart Dom Ruinart 1990 Salon 1990 Pommery Cuvée Louise 1990 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé 1990 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 75

“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

King Crab with Fennel-Scallop Purée 78 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Gastronomy Champagne’s Favourite Foods: Shellfish With recipes straight from the top of the culinary world Te x t : R i st o K a r m av u o Phot os : Ar z a k, Ro c k po o l B a r & G r i ll, Te t su ya’ s, Da n i e l, R e e t ta Pa sa n e n Che f s : N e i l P e r r y, Te t sua Wa k u da , Jua n M a r i a n d E le na A r za k , Da n i e l B o u lu d, P e k k a Te r ä v ä Aphrodite, or Venus to the Romans, was born out of sea-foam and floated to shore on a seashell with only her wavy tresses to cover her, at least according to Botticelli’s famous painting. Veneridae, or Venus, clams, the thick-shelled and salty main ingredient of traditional clam chowder, were named after the goddess of love; they are not the subject of Botticelli, however, as a true connoisseur will correctly identify the shell in the painting as a cockle. In today’s culinary world, love and the sea are symbolically joined in the union of champagne and seafood – the foam in the glass and the mysterious shell on the plate. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 79

C hampagne is often paired with mussels, clams, oysters and many other bivalves which are nearly impossible to categorise generically in gastronomy. They are all in the phylum molluscs, which comprises of around 15 000 species – and even that is a most conservative estimate. It is this diversity which makes bivalve molluscs such a fascinating ingredient, as they are equally suitable for both everyday stews and haute cuisine. Thanks to their variety of flavours and uses, it is surprisingly easy to combine these shelled creatures with champagne; after all, there are champagnes suitable for a wide range of purposes. For this article, we requested mollusc recipes from top chefs around the world. Australian chef Neil Perry, of the Rockpool Bar & Grill, chose the traditional mussel as his ingredient; Juan Mari and Elena Arzak from Spain flavoured their shells with “ink”; while Daniel Boulud, a U.S.-based chef, favoured us with his caramelised bay scallops with clementines and cauliflower. Star Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda pampers us with his scallops cooked like oysters, and in the recipe by Pekka Terävä of Olo Restaurant, scallops are conjured into a foam with fennel to accompany king crab. Standard champagne for classics Although it is hard to associate the adjective “common” with champagne, standard champagnes do represent the basic level of the 80 wine. A standard champagne is easy to open on a weekday, so it is a perfect accompaniment for classic and simple seafood dishes. The traditional blends in particular, where every champagne grape variety is represented, mix very well with cleanly but richly flavoured bivalve courses, and are perfect for time-honoured dishes such as moules marinière, clam chowder or grilled scallops. For example, try a basic champagne such as Billecart-Salmon or Jacquesson with Neil Perry’s steamed mussels. Blanc de blancs and a breeze from the sea French seafood restaurants usually have a plateau de fruits de mer, a huge selection of shellfish, as their flagship dish. They often include mussels and oysters served raw and flavoured with just a dash of lemon juice. The taste conveys the freshness of a sea breeze. The refined flavour should be complemented by an elegant and mineral wine, so the obvious choice is Chardonnay. The Grand Cru villages of the Côte de Blancs – Avize, Cramant, Mesnil and Oger – produce just the right kind of sharply acidic and minerally blanc de blancs champagnes. Indeed, these champagnes are practically born and raised for a union with seafood, as Chardonnay typically grows in a limestone-rich soil with fossil sediments that originate from seashells. This kind of mineral blanc de blancs champagne is a suitable companion for Terävä’s fennel and scallop mousse, while a good body is needed to stand up to the meaty king crab. Scallops like oyster FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Prestige champagnes and haute cuisine A somewhat aged but still able-bodied vintage champagne has a complex and subtle palate that perfectly supports a mild but skilfully made bivalve dish, while still leaving room for its aromas. The characteristic apricot, honey and brioche bouquet of a mature champagne also nicely counterbalances a light spiciness in the dish. Arzak’s recipe, with its tomatoes, olives and garlic, definitely demands a multidimensional champagne. Excellent choices within vintage champagnes can be found, for example, in Pol Roger or Veuve Clicquot – the latter having particularly emphasised this category in recent years. As we approach the cusp of haute cuisine, the standard of the accompanying drink must rise accordingly. This is the time to fetch out the cellar’s prestige blends. Beware of choosing too young a bottle, however, as many prestige champagnes are fairly nondescript at a young age. If the choice is limited, I recommend a bottle from Taittinger or Laurent-Perrier, whose prestige champagnes are enjoyable even when young. A rich and creamy mousse makes a multidimensional prestige champagne a suitable match for Boulud’s subtle but rich scallop course, with its challenging sweetness, as well as Tetsuya’s fresh and flavourful scallop dish. A prestige champagne should never be served too cold, to ensure it opens up fully. It is, in fact, a gastronomer’s virtue to prepare calmly and patiently for the delicacies on the plate. Haste is no good for either food or love – surely Venus would agree with that. PEKKA TERÄVÄ’S RECIPE FOR FINE FINE Gastronomy Vintage champagnes can stand up to spices King crab with fennel-scallop purée A recipe from Head Chef Pekka Terävä of Restaurant Olo, adapted for home kitchens. Pekka would pair this dish with a blanc de blancs champagne. Pulse the dill and oil in a blender and then sieve the mixture. Break the egg yolk into a bowl, add the seasoning and mustard, and whisk in the dill oil in a thin stream. Check flavour. Fennel-scallop purée Jerusalem artichoke 100 g fennel 50 g (approx. 2) scallops 1 shallot 1 garlic clove salt, pepper, sugar white wine Peel some organic Jerusalem artichoke, slice thinly and place in iced water to crisp it up. Before serving, pour off the water and dress with lemon vinaigrette. Dice the peeled shallot, garlic and fennel, and braise in a pan. Add a dash of water and enough white wine to just about cover the vegetables and simmer until soft. Pan-fry the scallops and place in a blender with the other ingredients. Blend until smooth, strain through a fine sieve and check the seasoning. Radish Follow the instructions for the Jerusalem artichoke. Toasted fresh hazelnuts Toast the nuts in a pan in oil or butter. King crab Shell the crabs and remove the intestines and gills. Roll the crabmeat tightly in cling film. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours. Season with salt and pepper just before frying the meat quickly in a hot pan. Dill mayonnaise 1 egg yolk 1 bunch of dill 100 ml grapeseed oil salt, pepper mustard Compose the dish on a low-edged plate as in the first picture, with the fennel-scallop purée at the bottom and drops of dill mayonnaise around. Pekka Terävä Olo – Helsinki, Finland Pekka Terävä is a well-respected Finnish chef, who runs a highly decorated Michelin star restaurant in downtown Helsinki by the name of Olo. He is considered an ambassador of modern Nordic cuisine. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 81

We asked a number of top chefs from around the world to create an ideal shellfish dish for champagne. Steamed mussels with spicy broth Neil Perry’s RECIPE FOR FINE Steamed mussels with spicy broth I love the simplicity of this dish. The butter at the end enriches the sauce, but if you don’t like it by all means just leave it out – it will still be delicious. To give the dish more substance, add some cooked pasta just before serving. I also love to serve a dollop of freshly-made aioli on this dish, as the more garlic the merrier when it comes to mussels. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded extra virgin olive oil 1 red onion, sliced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 2 tablespoons salted baby capers, rinsed 1/2 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, about 75 g (21/2 oz), roughly chopped 150 ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine 3 tablespoons unsalted butter freshly ground pepper juice of 1 lemon Heat a little oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion, garlic and chilli flakes and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, capers, parsley and wine, then cover and cook until the mussels open, discarding any that don’t. Add the butter and stir to combine with the pepper and lemon juice. Check the seasoning and serve with toasted bread. ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL SYDNEY 66 Hunter St Sydney NSW 2000 Australia www.rockpool.com/sydney/bar-and-grill/ 82 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Neil Perry The Rockpool – Sydney, Australia Neil Perry is one of Australia’s leading and most influential chefs. Neil’s restaurant Rockpool in Sydney is considered, together with Tetsuya’s, to be one of the best on the continent. He also manages several restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth alongside his Rockpool Consulting business. Furthermore, Perry heads a team of five consultants which was set up to work closely with Qantas Airways. Elena & Juan-Mari Arzak Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain Elena and her father Juan-Mari are the third and fourth generations of their family to run Arzak, which is known as an institution of modern Basque cuisine. Their persistence and constant need to strive for perfection has kept the restaurant among the world’s best for many years.

Scallops like oyster FINE Gastronomy TeTsuya Wakuda’s RECIPE FOR FINE Serves 4 Ingredients: 8 raw scallops without roe 60 g foie gras 1 finger lime 30 g fresh Ao nori micro shiso or red garnet chive & leek batons sea salt Tetsuya Wakuda Tetsuya – Sydney, Australia This charming Japanese chef is a highly esteemed superstar in Australia and belongs, without doubt, to the elite of the world’s best chefs. Tetsuya has featured in Restaurant Magazine’s (London) World’s 50 Best Restaurants since the list’s inception in 2002, and since 2010 he has expanded his culinary venture to Singapore, where his restaurant Waku Ghin is located. The cellar master of Dom Pérignon, Richard Geoffroy, believes Tetsuya is the world’s best chef when it comes to pairing food with champagne. Vinaigrette 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon castor (superfine) sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 6 tablespoons grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice To make the vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl or in a jar. Method: Wrap a plate with cling film to put the scallops on. Remove the muscle from the scallops. Dab with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Slice scallops as thinly as possible depending on the sizeusually 4–5 slices per scallop. Slice the foie gras with hot knife into small rectangles no more than 2mm x 3–5 mm. Place 1g of ao nori on foie gras and wrap in scallop slices. Daniel Boulud Daniel – New York, United States Daniel Boulud is one of the hottest names on the restaurant scene today. With his three Michelin Star establishment, “Daniel”, rated as one of the best restaurants in New York and, indeed, the whole world. Boulud has created an impressive restaurant empire around the world, and has eateries in cities such as Miami, Vancouver, Singapore, Beijing and London. Arrange on plate, garnish with micro shiso or red garnet, finger lime, chive & leek batons and sea salt, dress with vinaigrette. Best served with: 1996 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé TETSUYA’S RESTAURANT 529 Kent Street Sydney Australia www.tetsuyas.com FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 83

By JuaN Mari aNd eleNa arzak / ARzAK RESTAURANT’S RECIPE FOR FINE Clams in ink Ingredients needed to serve four: Black sauce (filling of the clams) 25g onion, fried in oil 20g green pepper, fried in oil 10g toasted bread 1 clove of garlic, fried 20g of sauce of ink of squid 100g water 15g black sesame salt and pepper Clams 12 bulky clams Confit potatoes 1 big potato 1dl slightly smoked olive oil salt and pepper Crispy crumbs 150g breadcrumbs 200g tomato juice 20g sweet red pepper 1.5dl olive oil salt, pepper and sugar Cereal powder 10g buckwheat 10g barley 10g millet 10g rye In addition olive oil Clams in Ink 84 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Preparation Black sauce Mix and mince all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Clams Cook the clams gently in a microwave oven and open with a small pointy knife while keeping them together in one piece. Confit potatoes Peel the potato and cut it to cubes of 1.5 x 3 cm. Cover the cubes with smoked oil and cook them. Season with salt and pepper. Crispy crumbs Chop the breadcrumbs very fine and fry them in olive oil. Drain the oil out well, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and store. Cereal powder Fry the two types of rice so that they become crispy. Cook buckwheat, barley, millet and rye separately in salt water. Once they are cooked, let them dry a little. Heat the oil and fry the cereals separately untill they puff. Mix all together and season with salt and pepper. Result and presentation: Cook the clams lightly so that they stay fleshy and keep the structure. These clams are served with a dark and thick sauce. Place the clams up-right on the confit potatoes and garnish with crumbs and cereal powder, so that you’ll have different crispy elements on the plate tasting of peppers and different cereals. ARzAK Avenida Alcalde José Elosegui 273, 20015 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain www.arzak.es

FINE Gastronomy daNiel Boulud’s RECIPE FOR FINE Caramelised bay scallops with clementines and cauliflower Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut into 1-inch florets, stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices salt and freshly ground pepper 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 dozen bay scallops (about 2 pounds) freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon 4 clementines, peeled and segmented julienned zest of 4 kumquats 3 tablespoons Sicilian capers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes, rinsed and drained 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves Caramelized bay scallops 1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well. 2. Put the cauliflower into a food processor and purée until smooth, taking care not to overwork the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 4 tablespoons butter. Transfer the purée to the top of a double boiler, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the purée and set aside. 3. Warm the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over a high heat. Pat the scallops dry, season with salt and pepper, and slip them into the pan. Cook, turning the scallops as necessary, until they are golden on all sides and just cooked through, which should take around 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice. Add the clementines, kumquats, zest, capers and parsley to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, while stirring, until heated through, which should take about 1 minute. To serve: Divide the cauliflower purée among four warm soup plates. Arrange the bay scallops on top and spoon the clementineskumquat mixture over. Serve immediately. DANIEL 60 East 65th Street NYC 10021 danielnyc.com FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 85

COLUMN ANDREAS LARSSON SauterneS for every diSh D id you ever think that Sauternes was a pudding wine? Well think again! Sure it might often be paired with certain desserts but that is a one-dimensional view of one of the most multidimensional and complex wines out there. Let´s face it – Sauternes is not a fashionable wine. Nor is Port or Sherry, and the same goes for a lot of classical sweet or fortified wines. As red wine and champagne is incredibly in and utterly hip, Sauternes is kind of out and somewhat old fashioned. Now I am not saying that it should not deserve to be fashionable – it definitely should! It is the fault of us wine writers and critics who are making a living out of preaching and praising the great fun of food and wine for not having educated and convinced consumers about the great virtues of this formidable nectar. Let´s begin with the term dessert wine – what is a dessert wine? I absolutely detest the term and I have taken it out of my own wine list so that nowadays the sweet wines are placed under country, region and appellation just like the dry wines. I do not want my lovely wine confined to being unjustifiably quenched down at the end of a meal with a senseless creation such 86 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA as dark chocolate and chili soufflé with mango/ lime sorbet and tropical fruit salsa. Give me duck liver, give me truffle, give me scallops but please, keep the fruits, sorbets and overly creative chefs away from the Sauternes cabinet… Of course there are a few sweet treats that combine well. On a recent lunch, a well-made and discreetly sweet Tarte Tatin was exuberant with Suduiraut 97 where a mild and tender vanilla cream interacted effortlessly between the crunchy pie and the sweet drops, a childishly good and heavenly marriage just like milk with honey! Nor can I, however egoistic it might be, deny a certain affection for my own homemade Roquefort cheesecake with walnuts glazed in truffle honey, made with great wine in mind. It has been a while since I did this but when Aline Baly, proprietor of Château Coutet, recently gave me a bottle of the beautiful and complex 1995 Château Coutet Cuvée Madame, it was time to indulge in this rather sophisticated cheesecake venture again! It is commonly known that Roquefort and Sauternes is a classic. Add to this then the extra dimensions of truffle and nuttiness with the maturity of the wine and the sheer hedonism of cheesecake and voilà – sinful and decadent all the way…

FINE Larsson But that is it for desserts. Sauternes should be enjoyed for its structure, balance, complexity and pleasure factor and can rightfully be done so from the beginning of a meal, to the very end. For starters, I think that it adds a dimension of “luxuriousness” to a meal and who can deny not feeling like an old emperor while quenching down Oysters Rockefeller with a fine vintage of Sauternes? On the other hand, it does not need to be that pompous – a young and lighter vintage such as 2002 or 2004, well chilled, works very well with certain seafood starters. Rich and plump fish such as tuna or scallops have an inherent sweetness and bold texture that work extremely well with Sauternes, or then tartar of tuna with avocado and caviar or lightly seared scallops with mild vinaigrette seasoned with citrus will work a treat. I once had the pleasure of dining at Château d´Yquem where a starter of Norwegian lobster in citrus hollandaise was paired with 2002 d´Yquem – mon dieu what a treat! Duck liver, pâtés and terrines goes without saying, but who eats pâtés these days anyway? It seems like the brown kitchen is also losing devoted enthusiasts… Continuing with duck or chicken, successful combinations may include anything from a classical canard à l´orange with a dash of Sauternes in the sauce, to Peking duck, which is a downright delicious pairing. The latter also shows how well Sauternes can be paired with various dishes from the Cantonese and Szechuan cuisines. Chicken of high quality braised in Sauternes with morels and cream sauce is a classic; at Latour-Blanche I was offered this with a highly complex and smooth 1999 Latour-Blanche that, when drunk at a certain level of maturity, did not give an impression of sweetness, but rather just fruit, structure, freshness and minerality. Allow me to introduce the icing on the cake. As the wine matures and take on new characteristics and levels of complexity, it can be close to magic to pair a mature bottle with truffle and mushrooms. I recall a 1985 Laufaurie-Peyraguey served with a plain risotto with cep mushrooms and generous shavings of mature parmesan. This was a wonderful pairing, just as complex as any red wine would make. Another personal favourite is tartar of veal with freshly shaved truffle –smooth, complex, delicate and very flattering for any great wine, and not least of all Sauternes. As for dessert, I have already given a few hedonistic treats, however, it is important to pay attention to not drown the wine in too much sugar, acidity or overpowering flavours. If it is planned well and includes almonds, nuts, eggs or desserts based on cheese it can work, but do not be afraid to think wider and play around with it all along the meal… In my opinion Sauternes has never been better! If we consider the amount of work it takes in the vineyard, the small yields, and the capriciousness of Mother Nature, a bottle of Sauternes is not expensive, especially when compared to other fine wines. My recent tastings of 2005 and 2006 vintages once again confirmed that there is a vast range of complex, personal and structured wines available with a great longevity to buy, drink, enjoy and cellar. No matter what is in or out, a great wine always deserve its place on the table, and with the versatility and unique structure of Sauternes, it would be a shame not to embrace its great qualities. > FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 87

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FINE De stination Text: Jaana Rinne Photos: Ralf Örn Capturing the soul of Istanbul is not easy. You have to stop, take your time, taste, watch and listen. Approaching slowly, you may find the chaotic city surrendering and revealing its soul – a soul that is sweet, salty, ancient and modern. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 89

ISTANBUL Before my trip I asked some Istanbul fans what they thought was best about the city. The Parisianstyle parks, the narrow Roman alleys or the counterculture that is more reminiscent of Barcelona? T he first impression of Istanbul is chaotic. Parked in the middle of a huge square are dozens of yellow taxis. Amid the hubbub rises the Marmara Pera Hotel. It is 11 pm in Beyoglu, and shadows slither against the black walls. Inside it is warm and the waiter smiles in a friendly manner. Yes, the kitchens are open; what would you like? Half an hour later this midnight cowboy serves me an unforgettable kebab from a decorative silver platter. The dish is as tempting as the street view is off-putting. The lamb kebab, nestled among pitta bread pieces beneath a thick tomato sauce and white yoghurt, welcomes me to this city of contradictions. Come morning, reality once again rears its ugly head. The weather report forecasts rain and, just to make sure, a wind is howling outside which sounds violent enough to uproot small trees. The temperature is 12 degrees Celsius and certain Estonians in wool overcoats make no attempt to hide their smugness. I am wearing an Italian trench coat and other, much lighter clothes. Before my trip I asked some Istanbul fans what they thought was best about the city. The Parisianstyle parks, the narrow Roman alleys or the counterculture that is more reminiscent of Barcelona? Rolling their eyes in wonderment, my friends shook their heads. They spoke of genial people, delicious food, the charm of the ancient time 90 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Soulful of sultans, and the art galleries and clubs of the modern city. That all sounds very nice, but it is all surface glitz. I want to get in deeper – into the soul of Istanbul. The one that reels like a whirling dervish on the streets of the metropolis, hidden beneath all the western influences. On my first morning the soul theme sounds somewhat ridiculous, when the conversation centres around politics. One shouldn’t really mix politics into lyrical travel reporting, but the current demon- strations are impossible to ignore. I am told that the legacy of the founder of the Republic of Turkey in 1931, the statesman Kemal Atatürk who supported a strict division between religion and state, may be at risk. The conservative party in power is growing in popularity, and the citizens fear that political leaders will soon be demanding hijab for girls. Many say that the use of headscarves has already increased and that the models for female coverings are taken from neighbouring Arab countries. At ten in the morning I already spot some headscarves in the district of Beyoglu. A mother and daughter veiled in black hurry along the pedestrian avenue Istiklal Caddesi. Elsewhere, a pair of sisters hold hands. Judging by their eyes, they are smiling. A few more can be seen outside the Grand Bazaar and spice market. Womanhood may be veiled here, but the architecture is naked. Often the first floors of a building are fine, but the roof is on the point of collapse – or vice versa. The various layers of life are laid bare, and for now at least one is still permitted to express opinions freely. The spice bazaar is an excellent venue for that. At 10 a.m. the market sellers are still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. An older man is toying with prayer beads, while younger ones discuss the previous evening’s events. The time for vociferous selling will come later; for now, most clients are still sleeping in their homes and hotels.

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FINE De stination waterside, in tearooms, cafés and Besiktas mosques. It breathes the sea air, returns from distant harbours rich with new experiences, and lies down on beaches to do nothing. Doing nothing is a favourite pastime in Istanbul. Known as keyif, it is best practised on the Bosphorus. SweeT It is in the spice bazaar that I first become aware of Istanbul’s essential colours and shapes. Spices from saffron yellow to chilli red, from jet-black pepper to jeera. Surprisingly, the spices have no smell at all. They have stood here, sleepy and chilled, over the winter, just like their sellers. What was once Constantinople has always been home to trading and given birth to culture, entertainment and enjoyment. Commerce runs through the veins of this port city. The main artery that traverses Istanbul is the Strait of Bosphorus, along which goods have travelled between continents over several centuries. I immediately get a sense of the soul of Istanbul on the strait, which stretches from the bottom of the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and divides Istanbul into its European and Asian halves. The restless soul settles down by the The resplendent history of three empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman – is evident on the shore of the Bosphorus in the form of sultans’ palaces, treasures in art museums and beautiful minarets. At the Grand Bazaar, history has been woven into thick wool rugs and extra fine silk carpets. Here it is hidden – it evades you and finally melds into the grey, tumultuous cityscape. In the marble yard of the Four Seasons on Bosphorus Hotel it is possible to shelter in a small five- star bubble that allows you to be simultaneously as near to and as far from Istanbul as possible. Viewed from this luxury dwelling, Istanbul is a horn of plenty whose delights can be sampled sensually and slowly like a baklava. The smell of sweets, one of the main smells of the city, wafts on the shores of the Bosphorus. Turkish delight is an essential part of local life. Eating sweets has been fashionable ever since the time of the sultans. “Eat sweet, talk sweet”, people say in Istanbul and retreat of an afternoon to their tearooms and cafés to enjoy baklava, lokum and other delicacies replete with honey and nuts. The products of the city’s most celebrated baklava shop, Güllüoglu, carry in them all the longing of the protagonists of a love story. The thin layers of phyllo pastry of baklava contain so much fat and pistachio nut that they will saturate the senses of the most unrequited of lovers. The owner, Cevdet Güllü, is a local celebrity interviewed by people from all around the world. Güllü’s showbiz gestures relax to something more businesslike when he enters the small sweet factory. Flour billows in the air at the heart of the baklava factory and clings to the workers’ eyelashes. Next, I must have something savoury. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 93

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Savoury To find my savoury meal I have to travel by car. People here spend at least two hours per day in traffic. From a car there is plenty of time to watch the metropolis with its 13.6 million people and its division into countless districts, villages and shores. They are full of stories. One such story is that of the Galata Tower. The tower, shaped like a witch’s hat, was built in 1349. Known as the Tower of Christ by the Genoese, it used to belong to the walls that surrounded the autonomous Genoese colony of Galata. For centuries this was the highest tower in the whole city, and it still dominates the skyline north of the Golden Horn. It has been the scene of forbidden kisses, but it is also a watchtower from which fire wardens have helplessly followed the progress of flames devastating some of the city’s wooden houses. According to legend, in 1638 one Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi built himself a primitive pair FINE De stination ISTANBUL table, intends to familiarise guests with surprising and timehonoured dishes. Kiva considers it its cultural duty to collect traditional recipes. This passion keeps the owner on the road for one half of each month. Taste excursions to the Turkish countryside have generated exotic flavour combinations and, among other things, a green juice whose recipe Executive Chef René Redzepi of the world’s top restaurant, Noma, brought with him from Kiva to Copenhagen. Modern The pedestrian avenue of Istiklal Caddesi reaches from the shore to Taksim Square. Close to that square is the Kayra Wine Center, established in 2005. It calls itself “the modern incarnation of the former Turkish tobacco and spirits monopoly and the next generation in wine”. With a mission to nurture Turkish wine culture, the centre has many activities beyond producing wine. of wings and flew from the tower to Üsküdar, across the Bosphorus. The tower still arouses strong emotions in the city’s inhabitants. Children love its gloomy nature. The top landing is perfect for mock sabre fights and imagining oneself as the master of Istanbul. Muslims do not look favourably upon the dancers who entertain guests at the tower in the evenings, bellies gyrating before the 360-degree view of the city. At the foot of the tower, Restaurant Kiva, which specialises in traditional Ottoman cuisine, delights friends of good food with tasty fare. The owner, sitting at the head of a long At the foot of the tower, Restaurant Kiva, which specialises in traditional Ottoman cuisine, delights friends of good food with tasty fare. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 97

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FINE De stination Kayra Wine Center calls itself “the modern incarnation of the former Turkish tobacco and spirits monopoly and the next generation in wine”. It lets guests learn about wine and meet fellow oenophiles. There is a wine library, tastings and events, as well as a restaurant, Mimolett, where one can sample French-Turkish delicacies and the best Turkish wines. Wine-growing is not the easiest thing in a Muslim community, but according to the Encyclopaedia of Wine, it was done in Eastern Anatolia as long as 8 000 years ago. Ben Johnson writes that if the vineyards laid down by Noah on the slopes of Mount Ararat were truly the first in the world to be planted, then Turkey can genuinely claim to be the birthplace of winemaking. Archaeological documents indicate that the top echelons of Anatolian society enjoyed wine as early as 3800 BC. Herodotus (484–425 BC), who was from Bodrum on the Aegean Sea, described extensive wine trading between Eastern Anatolia and Mesopotamia on the Tigris River. At the start of the twentieth century, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, hired two French experts to revitalise Turkey’s 6 000-year-old wine trade. A winemaker at Kayra, the Irish-American Daniel O’Donnell, has resurrected the old buzba? wine, which is made from a blend of local Öküzgözü and Bo?azkere grapes. Tasting it, one is transported back to sunrise by the Bosphorus and a little bit closer again to the complex soul of Istanbul. > FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 99

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FINE Visit Text: Juha Lihtonen O Photos: Pekka Nuikki n a high hill in the heart of Chianti Classico is a vineyard that few people know about. In its solitude, Capannelle is one of our best finds in Italy. It offers something that no other vineyard in the world offers – not only five-star accommodation and a private butler, but also a luxurious vault for the wines. By the edge of the Gaiole village rises a steep hill (capannelle). the most interesting wines in the area, and is in a class of its On top of the hill is the Capannelle estate that dates back own in terms of exclusivity. to the 17th century, with its swimming pool, patios, lovely Capannelle’s export manager Manuele Verdelli says that garden and five-star accommodation. The elegant setting exclusivity is a sum of many factors and, as a whole, is based masks the facilities of the winery, which produces some of on a way of thinking and doing things. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 101

“C apannelle is an estate that does not have to bear the burden of an aristocratic history. During our 30 years we have had the chance to be innovative and creative. By experimenting, we have learned to find the potential of our vineyard. Secondly, we have created a club for our most important clients. They have the first wine vault in Italy in their use, and special tasting events. The third part is wine collectors, who buy a third of the small production of our wines. The rest will end up in the best wine stores, finest restaurants and luxury hotels,” Verdelli lists. special wine called Solare for him in 1990. The wine was not produced again until 1996, after which it was commercialised and became the flagship of Capannelle. Rossetti and his team were constantly experimenting with new projects. The most peculiar one occurred at a dinner table with Rossetti and his close friends, the Falvo brothers, the owners of legendary winery, Avignonesi. During the dinner the men decided to blend their wines together with a half and half ratio and the result was surprisingly good. When vintage 1988 turned out as one of the best vintages in Chianti ever, Rossetti proposed an idea to the Falvos to produce a new superwine together, similar to their dinner experience. In 1992 the first vintage, 1988, of a wine named 50&50 was introduced. Capannelle used his best Sangiovese wines for the blend, and Avignonesi the best Merlot, which they normally reserved for their highly esteemed Desiderio wine. The wines were blended in even proportions. After this, the wines were aged in alternate years in the cellars of both wineries and sold for the markets as ‘en primeur’. The wine has been produced in a similar manner ever since. 21 Club in New York. Sherwood made Capannelle into a brand, which through his numerous business affairs got an efficient distribution channel and an excellent opportunity to gain a prestige profile worldwide. No dust in the cellar Sherwood invested millions of euros in Capannelle. The old farmhouse with its property was turned into a five-star hotel. Wine production facilities were extended and luxurious storage rooms were built underground. Two different worlds meet in the farmhouse in a puzzling way. Manuele Verdelli Wines for friends Capannelle’s story begins in 1974, when Raffaele Rossetti, a Roman who had succeeded in the plastics industry, realised his long-lasting dream. Together with his winemakers, 40-year-old Rossetti planted over ten hectares of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malvasia Nera, Colorino, and Chardonnay. He never adhered to the DOCG denomination the Chianti Classico area had received in 1984, or the grape requirements set in it. Capannelle was one of the first vineyards to give up the denomination, and named their wines just with ‘vino da tavola’ status. For an unknown producer, the Chianti Classico name would surely have been helpful in the marketing, but the wines were not produced for trade purposes, only for Rossetti himself and his friends. One of these was Giorgio Pinchiorri, the owner of one of the most esteemed wine restaurants in Italy, Enoteca Pinchiorri. Approximately 3,000 bottles of 100 per cent Sangiovese wine, Capannelle Vino da Tavola, was delivered in a year exclusively for Pinchiorri. As Pinchiorri received his third Michelin star, Rossetti produced a 102 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA At the end of the 1990s Rossetti reached the age of 70 years. He had no heir and he decided to retire and give up his winery. The new owner was found from the United States. James B. Sherwood, who had succeeded in the transport and hospitality businesses, bought Capannelle in 1997. Sherwood had been looking for a small winery in Italy, where he could create a brand to complement his other businesses. Capannelle was not only a perfect investment but also a pleasant leisure-time residence at a beautiful location. Soon its wines were offered in Sherwood’s hotels and restaurants such as the Orient Express hotels and train, Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Hotel Villa San Michele in Florence, and the Ilaria Chianucci Manuele Verdelli and Ilaria Chianucci, responsible of Capannelle marketing and sales leads us from the great dining room to the cellar. The idyllic, rustic Tuscan atmosphere changes dramatically as we descend to the white, tile-covered cellar. Deeper in the dusky and labyrinthine cellar, a small laboratory, shiny steel pipes and tanks attract attention. There are also new small oak barrels and a few classic wooden Bordeaux tanks. The over 30-year-old facilities are in faultless condition. “Raffaele Rossetti adhered to strict hygiene. It is visible everywhere. There is hardly any dust in the cellars, and the production equipment are, for the most part, stainless steel. He also required strict hygiene from his staff. For a cellar worker, it meant wearing rubber gloves and boots and a white coat. We still hold on to these things,” Verdelli assures.

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We continue on to the new cellars. The magnificent cellar for 120,000 bottles, with its armour glass, spotlights and beautiful stone floor, looks like it is straight from an interior design magazine. We move through the bottle cellar to a bigger room, where a wet natural rock wall creates an impressive part of the interior of the space. Manuele Verdelli says that the rock called Galestro is a central part of the soil in Chianti Classico, as a result of which the Capannelle wines are characterised by rich mineral character. Here, in the dozens of new French barriques, matures the superwine, 50&50. “The wine is blended, aged and bottled every other year here and every other year at Avignonesi. It is part of the 50&50 concept, even though it is a laborious one,” Verdelli explains. Next to the small bottling line there are wooden boxes stamped out for customers. “We have a lot of customers who we offer a little added value by stamping out their brand to the boxes.” Verdelli says and shows the stamp of Jaguar. Jewel of the crown Capannelle’s cellars are unique. The extensive bottle cellar, tidy facilities and the level of hygiene is impressive. But before we leave the cellars, Manuele Verdelli wants to show us their greatest pride. At the back end of the bottle cellar shines a great metal wall with a letter C symbolising Capannelle. Verdelli turns a key, and the metal wall opens revealing a breathtaking vault. A stainless steel vault with hundreds of bottles of Capannelle wine glows from the cobalt blue light, reflecting all over the space. We step in, and a closer look reveals whom the wines belong to. 104 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Shelves are labelled with steel plates displaying well-known names such as Hotel Splendido Venice, La Pergola Restaurant Rome and Althof Hotels Austria. “All 35 of our members have their Capannelle wines in this vault. These members form an exclusive club. The members have been carefully chosen one from each country, and in Italy one from each major city. We organise a wine dinner at the winery every year, where members have a chance to get to know each other. We store here the wines allocated for them. They age here until they are ready to be released. The vaults are supervised by computers that record data of the storage conditions 24 hours a day,” Verdelli says. A matter of quality After the impressive cellar tour we meet winemaker Simone Monciatti. The 45-year-old winemaker has been working at Capannelle since 1983. How much do the renewed cellar facilities improve the quality of Capannelle wines? “The only thing that is improving the quality is the raw material of the wines – the grapes. Thus the quality of wines is created at the vineyards. Our young, 10-year-old vines get older and produce more and more concentrated grapes. Denser plantings have also influenced the concentration and quality of the grapes, as the vines have to compete for the nutrients of the poor soil. We now plant 5,000 vines to a hectare, whereas in the 1970s, when Rossetti started planting vines, there were only 350 vines in a hectare at its lowest. Better clonal selection of vines on vineyards has also taken place. These actions have led to constantly higher quality grapes. Thus cellars do not have much significance in

Future project Located in the heart of Chianti Classico, Capannelle is an interesting winery in many ways. The brand is known to only a few people and those want to keep it as a secret, because the wines are some of the finest in Italy. As Monciatti says, Capannelle is like a project. From the beginning, wine has been produced for the use of its owner only, without aiming for the markets. It was only after Sherwood that they made the first commercial wine baring the name of the region that the world knows, Chianti Classico. With characteristic, classy bottles, high prices and infinitesimal distribution, Capannelle still remains a guarded secret. But thanks to Sherwood’s numerous business activities, active export manager Manuele Verdelli and his predecessor Francesco Russo, Capannelle is on its way to having greater awareness amongst an increasing number of wine lovers. Whether the wines find their way to dining tables or not, it is worth joining the 1,800 people who visit Capannelle at Gaiole in Chianti every year. The winery and its wines are definitely worth experiencing. FINE Visit improving the quality of wines. In the cellars we only try to keep the qualities the grapes have preserved from the soil and climate, not to influence the taste of the wines,” Monciatti says. As an exception, he mentions the 50&50 wine, which is more technical than Capannelle wines and has a tempting international style. “Of course I hope that our Solare wine would get a higher appreciation than 50&50, because Solare represents Capannelle wines at their best.” Capannelle’s pride – Solare “Solare is produced mainly from Sangiovese, which is one of the most difficult varieties to grow when aiming for top quality. If you have a good vineyard at a good location and good Sangiovese clones, you might have a chance to produce a high quality wine, but only if the weather conditions are right. Despite the weather conditions, we have excellent chances of success,” Monciatti says and continues: “The Vertine parcel (5 hectares) has a very rocky and calcerous soil on hills facing east. That produces wines with a firm acid structure, which is essential for a good wine to last long. The Trebbio parcel (7 hectares) is located on the southern exposure, and thus gets more sunshine, yielding riper grapes. The soil is deep, heavy in clay and gravel. The sugar level of the grapes is high and they are rich in polyphenols. The wine produced from this parcel is rich and fruity. The Sangiovese wines from blending these two parcels produce excellent wines with great balance, complex structure and long ageing potential, provided that the weather conditions are good.” In addition to Sangiovese, Monciatti is excited about the Chardonnay he planted in 1988. It took 15 years for him to learn to produce Chardonnay that manifests perfectly the potential of the area. “There are few people who believe that Chianti can produce elegant Chardonnay. Five years ago I reduced the use of oak and started to use a gentler oak quality. This way we have at last managed to produce an elegant Chardonnay. As the quality has improved and the demand increased, we have planted two more hectares of Chardonnay. In the near future we can increase our Chardonnay production from 7,000 bottles to 10,000 bottles.” When I ask about the future plans of Capannelle, Monciatti says that experimentations with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which are already grown in a few patches, are possible. He adds that he hopes that the Capannelle project has a successful end. Capannelle’s wines Capannelle produces four different wines – Chardonnay, Chianti Classico Riserva, Solare and 50&50. Their style is very classic. The wines are characterised by minerality and subdued fruitiness. They have a pronounced local character. The prime aromas of the used varieties stay at the background, as does the oak aroma. The wines are very elegant, if a bit dry. The Chardonnay possesses a fresh, mineral character with a pleasant broadness and nuances. The Chardonnay has never been heavy, even though the use of oak has been reduced in the past few years. Its style is fresh, broad, and oily. The red wines have silky structure in addition to an elegant tannin structure. They are rich in nuances but soft. The wines are surprisingly pleasant and balanced even when young. Style wise, an exceptional wine is the 50&50, which when compared to other Capannelle wines is a blockbuster, but still a wine that, with its rich, civilised nature, is still a sophisticated wine. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 105

CAPANNELLE EXPERIENCES PLACE: Capannelle winery, Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany – Italy TASTED BY: Juha Lihtonen & Pekka Nuikki CHARDONNAY 2006 Chardonnay 88p 2013/now D 10 min / G 1 h Bright, lemon yellow colour. Intense, ripe tropical nose with buttery tones, melon and pineapple. Moderate acidity and lovely minerality form a crisp, broad, oily texture with elegant butter notes. Lingering, long and elegant finish with tropical fruit flavours. No further ageing recommended. ROSATO 2012 Rosato 87p 2013/now D 10 min / G 20 min Intense rose colour. Fresh, vibrant and ripe strawberry nose. Dry, broad and rich palate for rose wine. The aftertaste shows moderately high alcohol level. Good debut rose from the house. Waiting anxciously coming vintages. 2013/2023 D 8 h / G 2 h 2001 Solare 92p 2013/2030 D 10 h / G 3 h Intense, deep ruby red colour. The nose is rich and intense with violet and spicy tones. The full-bodied palate is smooth, silky and intense. Long sophisticated and elegant taste with great intensity. This wine has great potential. 2000 Solare 91p 2013/2020 D 8 h / G 2 h 1999 Solare 91p 2013/2020 D 10 h / G 2 h CHIANTI CLASSICO Dark, medium-intense ruby colour. Intense nose shows ripe plums, cherries, almonds, and tobacco. Powerful taste with medium-bodied and elegant palate. Vivid acidity, pronounced minerality, fresh plums and cherries are well surrounded by firm silky tannins. Very long, smooth finish with marked minerality and concentration. Great potential! Keep at least three to five years before opening, optimally 10 to 12 years. 2004 Chianti Classico 89p 1998 Solare 89p 2013/2017 D 1.5 h / G 2 h Medium intense, ruby red colour. Restrained and elegant nose with cherries, black olives and tobacco. Silky, elegant mouthfeel, with vivid acidity, smooth tannins and lovely restrained fruitiness of plums and cherries. Very refined wine with good balance and lingering finish. Benefits from further bottle ageing of two to three years. SOLARE 2006 Solare 91p 2013/2030 D 10 h / G 3 h 2005 Solare 93p 2013/2025 D 10 h / G 3 h 2004 Solare 94p 2013/2030 D 12 h / G 3 h Medium-intense, ruby red colour. Intense and complex nose is rich in aromas – ripe cherries and smokiness. Full-bodied palate is lingering, smooth, intensely fruity and silky in texture. The tannins are very refined. A great wine with great ageing potential. 106 2003 Solare 88p FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 2013/2018 D 6 h / G 2 h 1997 Solare 92p 2013/2020 D 8 h / G 2 h Medium-intense, cherry red colour. Lovely intense and deep nose shows plums and tobacco, flowers and orange peel delivers. Very elegant taste with super smooth tannins, charming vividity with moderately high level of acidity and intense but restrained fruitiness. Long mineral aftertaste shines out with balance and promise of great potential for this mediumbodied and silky wine. Keep another six to eight years. 1996 Solare 87p 2013/2016 D 3 h / G 1 h 1990 Solare 92p 2009/now D 2 h / G 1 h Medium-intense, brick red colour with orange hue. Lovely evolving and complex nose with earthiness, sweet dark fruits, cherries, leather, flowers, and chocolate. Broad, medium-bodied, elegant taste with refreshing acidity. Silky tannins and smooth structure with sweet fruit tones of figs and cherries. Leathery tones in long finish. The wine has gained a fraction more of complexity and richness in the last few years, but has presumably reached it ultimate peak now since there is a hint of austerity at the very end of the aftertaste.

FINE Visit 50&50 2006 50&50 94p 2013/2040 D 12 h / G 4 h Medium-intense, ruby red colour. Open nose shows rich and complex aromas. Smoky and toasty. Full-bodied, intense and rich palate with immense concentration. The finish is lingering and vivid. Big and flirty wine, which will be peaking after ten years from now and continues to develop another twenty-five years. 1999 50&50 89p 2013/2020 D 8 h / G 3 h Deep, ruby colour. Seductive, intense dark chocolate nose with fruit cake aromas, vanilla, ripe plums, and lovely perfume. Medium-bodied, smooth texture with elegance. Vivid acidity, very refined firm tannins, ripe dark fruits with no jamminess. Long lingering finish with vanilla and toasty wood flavours. Well-integrated alcohol. A sophisticated wine although a big one. Refinement par excellence. Drinking already but will definitely need an extra 10 to 12 years to show its true qualities. 1995 50&50 88p 2013/2018 D 6 h / G 2 h Medium intense brick red colour. Pronounced spicy nose with roasted coffee, perfumes, bitter almonds, chocolate, and cigar box. Medium-bodied, cool herbaceous taste with large grain tannins, toasty, chocolate flavours. Ripe dark fruits at the back. Moderately long mouthdrying finish. Firm wine that will settle partly with bottle ageing in the next six to eight years, but will never become smooth due to the coarse tannins. 1993 50&50 83p 2013/2015 D 2 h / G 2 h Medium-intense, brick red colour. Closed, vegetal nose with, spiciness and roasted coffee. Medium-bodied, vivid acidity, firm bit astringent tannins, very prounoced perfume aromas with herbaceousness. Medium length with austere, partly green tannic structure. Very dry, bitter and restrained finish. The wine will not lose its coarse style and thus will not show great potential. It is better drunk sooner than later. 1990 50&50 90p 2013/Now D 1.5 h / G 1 h Developed, complex but restrained nose with pronounced aromas of dark chocolate, cacao, tobacco, damsons, and cherries. Medium-bodied, intense structure with vivid acidity, ripe powdery tannins that are still firm, and intense dark fruitiness, figs and cherries with dark chocolate flavours. The medium length finish shows rich and concentrated mouthfeel with hints of astringency. Well-integrated alcohol. Evolved, but still a bit reserved wine but indicating promises for future. The wine will benefit from further ageing of five to seven years. 1988 50&50 91p 2013/Now D 1.5 h / G 2 h Medium-intense, beautiful, brick red colour with orange hue. Restrained and evolved style with refined smoked wood aromas, nutmeg, plums, tobacco, and touch of perfumes. Medium-bodied palate with silky tannins; high level of elegance thanks to vivid acidity. Very well integrated flavours showing plums, nutmeg, almonds, and flowers. The alcohol is slightly overpowering the finish but overall it is round and elegant wine with an appealing smooth touch. The wine benefits still from some ageing for at least three to five years, but is drinking well already. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 107

CLIVE CHRISTIAN BEDROOM HONEY OAK CLIVE CHRISTIAN BATHROOM HONEY OAK

CLIVE CHRISTIAN KITCHEN HONEY OAK WITH BURR OAK INLAYS W W W. C L I V E . C O M

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FINE Lifestyle Text: Petri Nevalainen Photos: Patek Philippe P atek Philippe is perhaps the finest example of Swiss watchmaking. The wrist and pocket watches produced by the renowned company are timeless timepieces, whose most outstanding examples fetch millions of dollars at the world’s leading auction houses. This was the case in December 2012 at Christie’s in Geneva, where the platinumcased Patek Philippe 2499/100 watch from 1987, once owned by the world-famous guitarist Eric Clapton was up for bidding. The hammer price was 3.6 million US dollars. A Patek Philippe is an admired and desired classic in the world of watches. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 111

The Supercomplication was long considered the cusp of Patek Philippe’s achievements, thanks to its functions and mechanical complication. Its impressive repertory was finally surpassed in 1989 – naturally by Patek Philippe itself. The new record-breaking watch was named Calibre 89 and included a prodigious 33 functions. Among wristwatches, the label’s most renowned flagship has been the Sky Moon Tourbillon. The “Ref. 5002” tourbillon was auctioned by Sotheby’s Hong Kong for USD 1.5 million five years ago. This price was surpassed by a gilt chronograph sold at auction in Geneva in 2010 for USD 5.5 million. Patriarch of horology T he Clapton case is especially interesting because his two greatest hits albums from the 1980s were named Time Pieces, referring to pieces of music written at different times, as well as to watches. On the cover of the first instalment, the guitarist is pictured holding a pocket watch – but is it a Patek Philippe? Clapton’s watch still only reached one-third of the highest-ever figure paid for a Patek Philippe, however. In 1999, the gold pocket watch “The Supercomplication”, dating from the early 1930s and belonging to the collection of the banker Henry Graves, was auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York. The final bid was an astonishing USD 11 million. The 24 special functions of the watch include a perpetual calendar, a moon phase display and a star chart. Many knowledgeable experts consider Patek Philippe’s pocket watches and wristwatches to be the world’s best and most estimable timepieces. 112 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Many knowledgeable experts consider Patek Philippe’s pocket watches and wristwatches to be the world’s best and most estimable timepieces. Some politicians and celebrities are known to remove their watches before greeting their supporters and fans at close quarters – presumably to prevent the valuable items from being pilfered by lightfingered hand-shakers. The watches are investments and collectors’ items, but also items that are used. Just like supercars and luxury yachts, Patek Philippe watches are made to be seen. This despite the fact that due to their small size they are rather more difficult to spot than, say, a red Ferrari screeching up to the Monte Carlo Casino. The luxury watchmaker’s roots reach deep into the European soil. In 1839, the businessman Antoni Patek (a.k.a. Antoine Norbert de Patek) and the clockmaker Franciszek (François) Czapek, both Polish migrants, decided to start manufacturing watches in Geneva, Switzerland. The geographical location was optimal, as the Swiss had been world-renowned for their watchmaking for several centuries. Naturally, competition was fierce, but there was still room for more highquality watches.

FINE Lifestyle The world’s first watchmakers’ association, the Watchmakers’ Guild of Geneva, was established in 1601. Among wristwatches, the label’s most renowned flagship has been the Sky Moon Tourbillon. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 113

Some Patek Philippe 2013 models 114 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

FINE Lifestyle Philippe’s first great innovation, presented in 1842, was a mechanism, located beneath a crown-shaped knob at the top of the watch, which allowed the watch to be wound by hand. The history of exceptional Swiss horology had begun in the mid1500s, during the Calvinist Reformation. The new theology forced goldsmiths and jewellers to focus on clock-making, because the former demonstrations of their skill – jewels – were no longer permitted in public. The world’s first watchmakers’ association, the Watchmakers’ Guild of Geneva, was established in 1601. Patek-PhiliPPe collaboration Initially the watches made in Geneva were one-off items, but by 1790 the production volume was 60 000 per year. Swissborn and immigrant clockmakers worked ceaselessly to develop new functionality for their watches. The company now known as Patek Philippe was properly established in 1851, when Patek partnered up with a multitalented and inventive French clockmaker named Jean-Adrien Philippe, whom he had met a few years earlier. Czapek had previously left the partnership to work by himself. Philippe’s first great innovation, presented in 1842, was a mechanism, located beneath a crown-shaped knob at the top of the watch, which allowed the watch to be wound by hand. Previously clocks and watches had to be wound with a separate key. Philippe’s invention won a Gold Medal at the French Industrial Exposition of 1844. The inventor did not stop there, however. A competitor to the traditional pocket watch entered the market in 1868 in the form of a “women’s wristlet” developed by Philippe. This lightweight model with a wrist strap did not achieve proper fame until the mass production of wristwatches began in the twentieth century, but its origins are indelibly linked to the history of Patek Philippe. Antoni Patek died in 1871. After that, Jean-Adrien Philippe continued at the helm of the factory until 1891, when his son Joseph Emile and his partner took over. In 1932 Patek Philippe was sold to the Stern family, who had until then manufactured top-quality dial plates for other Swiss watchmakers. The first members of the Stern dynasty to be in charge of Patek Philippe were the brothers Charles and Jean. When Thierry Stern took over as Chairman in 2009, he represented the fourth generation of the family to lead the tradition-rich enterprise. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 115

famous users Patek Philippe’s best-known fans include some of the world’s most famous politicians, cultural figures, royals and corporate executives. Often mentioned are baseball star Joe DiMaggio, jazz great Duke Ellington, the father of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney, President John F. Kennedy and pioneer scientist Marie Curie. Many publicity-shy collectors have significant collections of Patek Philippe watches. Patek Philippe is still the oldest independent family business in the international watchmaking capital of Geneva. This status allows the company to make autonomous decisions to help it on its mission of continuously manufacturing the world’s best, most reliable, highest-quality, most durable and best-reputed watches. Many other manufacturers nowadays order parts from Switzerland but assemble their watches elsewhere. Patek Philippe’s strict commitment to independent production is evident in the quality of the products, which is never compromised under any circumstances. Every last detail is designed and approved by a small circle of some of the most competent professionals in the world of watches, working at the company’s headquarters. Patek Philippe employs a couple of hundred top artisans, who in addition to general competence have highly specific areas of specialisation. Patek Philippe’s office in Geneva, Switzerland 116 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Patek Philippe pocket watch Men Grand Complications, split-seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar

FINE Lifestyle T1111111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 The Watchmakers’ Guild of Geneva is established Antoni Patek and François Czapek start manufacturing watches in Geneva Patek meats Jean-Adrien Philippe, a highly skilled watchmaking innovator, in Paris Czapek leaves the joint venture started with Patek Philippe joins forces with Patek Charles and Jean Stern buy Patek Philippe Henry Graves, banker, buys the famous “Supercomplication”, which will be auctioned for USD 11 million in 1999 Thierry Stern, representing the fourth generation of Sterns at the helm of the company, takes over as CEO FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA 117

The label produces both mechanical and quartz watches, at a total annual volume of around thirty to forty thousand. Patek Philippe’s designs of men’s and women’s watches are guided by strong ties to history coupled with an unprejudiced vision of the present. This is why every watch bearing the Patek Philippe name is a unique combination of new and old: an exceptional measure of watchmaking tradition paired with the latest technology. ever greater accuracy The latest innovations in Patek Philippe watches are silicon parts developed over several years at the manufacturer’s research centre. The first watches using silicon technology were made in 2005. With the use of this material, the company has wanted to create parts with even more reliability and precision for watches already known for their superb accuracy. The label produces both mechanical and quartz watches, at a total annual volume of around thirty to forty thousand. The quantities vary somewhat depending on the complexity of the items produced. The manufacturer lists a number of values that every Patek Philippe watch represents, including independence, tradition, innovation, quality and fine workmanship, rarity, aesthetics and emotion. Owners of the company’s watches become part of the exclusive Patek Philippe family, whose members have in common their attachment to a luxury timekeeper. Even though it only really attracts attention among proper watch connoisseurs, its owners relish the feeling caused by the Swiss artefact. Should a Patek Philippe ever surprise you by appearing to tell the wrong time, cross-check with several sources. Usually the superb Swiss chronograph will be proven right. > 118 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Patek Philippe’s strict commitment to independent production is evident in the quality of the products, which is never compromised under any circumstances.

Josef Hoffmann, Fauteuil Fledermaus TasTe Culture „Tradition is the passing on of the fire, not the worship of the ashes.“ Gustav Mahler www.austrianwine.com Wine&Champagne Rot Jugendstil.indd 1 20.02.14 10:56

The 100-year-old Sprit of Ecstasy has been recreated by one of the today’s most provocative photographer. Rolls-Royce offered Rankin a full artistic license to create a modern and very personal interpretation of The Flying Lady. – An unprecedented approach for a brand like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. During the year-long Rolls-Royce commission, Rankin captured 100 images inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy – the figurine famed for its noticeable and defining position on the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce. “This is one of the biggest projects I have ever taken on,” commented Rankin. “The images will be a statement about the modern day Rolls-Royce; they will feel fresh, directional and original, while also being beautiful and inspirational. The portraits will comprise a variety of perspectives, including full length as well as close-up shots incorporating facial features – an eye, a mouth – to reflect a unique interpretation of the figurine’s connotations, while quietly symbolizing its classic underpinnings.” THE Spirit of Ecstasy and in flesh blood Text: Pekka Nuikki Photos: Rankin 120 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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Inspired by ageless beauty Like Charles Robinson Sykes, the man who crafted the legendary Spirit of Ecstasy flying lady one hundred years ago, Rankin takes inspiration from the beauty and sensuality of the feminine form. Just as Eleanor Velasco Thornton is rumored to have been Sykes’ muse for the Spirit of Ecstasy, so Rankin has turned to his inspirational wife and model Tuuli Shipster for the first of his 100 portraits Rankin was motivated by themes such as ageless beauty, power, grace and effortless speed. He was also inspired by the sculptural forms, materials and textures of the Spirit of Ecstasy and by the mystique and intrigue that surround her. The photographic portraits complement each other as a full set, but also work well individually. The work features a selection of women of different ages and cultures, symbolizing the femininity of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, added: “Rankin’s powerful portraits are part of contemporary iconography. His talent for capturing the strength and character of his subjects makes him the ideal photographer to take the Spirit of Ecstasy into the 21st century.” As Rankin’s photography shows undeniably, even 100 years later this very sensual and evocative pose continues to excite and inspire. Spirit of 122 Ecstasy Featuring Tuuli in silhouette, draped in flowing fabric, the image strikes an undeniable resonance with the flying lady, echoing the qualities which inspired Sykes 100 years ago. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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Rankin: Synonymous with dynamic and intimate portraiture, Rankin has shot everyone from royalty to refugees. His powerful images are part of contemporary iconography, and mix a cross section of his own personal interests with commercial campaigns, from Nike to Women’s Aid. His work is regularly exhibited in galleries around the world, from Sao Paolo to Moscow and London to LA. Rankin first came to prominence when he co-founded Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack. One of the most important magazines of the 90s, it established its stylists in the fashion elite, broke some of today’s top designers and nurtured the budding careers of a generation of creative photographers. Earning a reputation for creative portraiture and a talent for capturing the character and spirit of his subjects, Rankin quickly became a formidable force in photography, shooting Brit-pop bands including Pulp and Blur and darlings of pop such as Kylie and Madonna. Rankin’s career continued to blossom and covers for German Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Arena and GQ quickly followed. His body of work includes some of the most influential politicians, popular musicians, revered artists and celebrated models. However, Rankin also continued to take on projects that featured ordinary people, often questioning established notions of beauty, causing controversy and igniting debate along the way. Spirit of 124 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Ecstasy

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Having worked with some of the biggest names in the world, from Queen to Kylie and Marilyn Manson to Kate Moss, what is your most memorable professional experience? There are so many fun and memorable things that have happened to me. I get to jump between very bizarre worlds all the time, from Buckingham Palace one day to hanging out with rock stars another. I get an insight into people’s lives that other people don’t – and maybe wouldn’t want to! One of the most surprising shoots was The Rolling Stones because they were so young at heart and so enthusiastic about everything. You get a lot of bands that are photographed a lot and they are really serious and quite mellow and a bit grumpy. I think that the Stones, even at their age now, were excited that they were still doing it and excited about life, which for me was a surprise. Spirit of 126 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Ecstasy

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