2018 Champagne Harvest – A Vintage Year

The Champagne Harvest begins on August 21. The region has had a year

The Champagne Harvest begins on August 21. The region has had a year of extreme weather. Growers and houses saw record winter rainfall, with 345mm from November 2017 to January 2018. This beats the previous high of 338mm which was set in 1965, according to the Comité. A prolonged, cold winter has given way to good weather with flowering early June along with above average temperatures and sunshine hours.

Optimism around the 2018 vintage is high, said the Comité, which has set yields as 10,800kg per hectare.

Yields are set with one eye on the market. There is an assumption that global Champagne sales in 2018 will not grow significantly versus 2017 in volume terms, albeit exports were expected to lead any increase.

In the last 15 years, 2018 will be the fifth vintage. Global warming is also a local reality that Champagne growers and houses have taken into account.

Expecting stable sales in 2018 and a slight growth over the next few years (especially in the export markets, which now account for more than 50% of the total shipments), Champagne growers and houses agreed today to set the available yield at 10,800 kg/ha, the same level as in 2017. This volume fills the needs of the Champagne producers and maintains a balanced overall stock level.

This harvest is expected to be generous in volume and of good quality. It should also make it possible to reconstitute the Champagne reserve, widely used in the last two years.

The Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa Opens

“Follow the road of the golden bubbles”
MAITRE DE MAISON – NICOLAS BÉLIARD –

 Champagne’s first contemporary luxury hotel, The Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa officially opened this week.

Embracing the lush bounty of the champagne houses and the surrounding UNESCO World Heritage sites, guests will have exclusive access to private Champagne houses, harvesting sessions with local wine producers and tastings personally curated by the in-house concierge team.

The Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa boasts an enviable location right in the middle of the vineyards that stripe the hills of Epernay, the capital of Champagne, and the historic villages of Champillon and Hautvillers of Dom Perignon fame. Reimagining a wine-country retreat for all seasons, local Reims-based architect Giovanni Pace has designed the property in the style of a contemporary amphitheatre, incorporating the original 19th Century Post House where it is said that King Charles X of France stopped over before heading to Reims for his coronation.

‘Champagne’ rooms start at £489.92 per night feature a king-size bed and private terrace.

The top tier ‘Josephine’ suite meanwhile, will set you back £1,068.71 a night and boasts a sitting room and balcony overlooking vineyards.

Each of the 49 rooms in the 16,000 square foot space features Hermès bath products.

The original property has been closed since 2014 after it was acquired by Boston-based Champagne Hospitality collection, a group of boutique luxury hotels and spas that includes the award-winning Le Barthelemy Hotel & Spa in St. Barths. The hotel is led by Nicolas Béliard, formerly General Manager of the Peninsula Paris.

Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa is home to the region’s first world-class destination spa spanning 16,000 ft. In partnership with acclaimed French brand Biologique Recherche, the wellness centre comprises nine treatment rooms; state of the art fitness facilities; a wood-lined yoga studio; eucalyptus-infused sauna; manicure and pedicure stations, and a mosaic-tiled Hammam. Completing the experience are two temperature-controlled, chaise longue-lined swimming pools – one indoor, one outdoor – along with dedicated staff who deliver invigorating juice blends and guide guests to multiple relaxation lounges. Biologique Recherche offers a highly personalised approach, with signature treatments including the ‘Soin seconde peau / Second skin treatment’, a regenerating and lifting facial treatment. All products are formulated using pure natural or biotechnological compounds and are fragrance free. Spa packages and retreats will also be available throughout the year.

Two-star Michelin chef Jean-Denis Rieubland is the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa’s Executive Chef, where he leads the two gastronomic dining experiences – a gourmet dining room, Le Royal, and a more casual, all-day restaurant, Bellevue. Formerly Executive Chef of Le Chantecler at the Negresco Hotel in Nice, Chef Rieubland brings the highest level of gastronomy to Royal Champagne, where he will preserve French ‘know-how’ while injecting a contemporary touch. Rieubland’s cuisine is influenced by the local surroundings, working closely with farm producers of the region. He will also be developing a Chef’s garden on a large terrace overlooking the hills of Épernay.

www.royalchampagne.com

Liv-ex top 50 most-searched wines in 2018

Each year around the summer season, Liv-ex examines the top 50

Each year around the summer season, Liv-ex examines the top 50 most-viewed wines, based on visits to their website from January to July.  The search-data acts as a barometer for the interests of fine wine merchants, showing where there have been changes in the trade’s interests each year.

Firsts still first

The Bordeaux First Growths continue to occupy the top five spots in the table, with Lafite Rothschild holding its position as the most viewed wine by Liv-ex members. The only difference from last year is Margaux has leapfrogged Haut Brion into third place, helped along by this year’s most searched wine, Margaux 2015.

Risers

Brands on the move such as new entrant Carmes Haut Brion (+34) have been the winners so far this year. However, trade is yet to catch up with interest, as the wine ranks a lowly 141st in terms of trade by value. Canon has had another strong year. It has climbed 23 places into the 20th spot, after climbing 24 places in 2017.

Opus One is the largest non-Bordeaux riser, jumping 24 places. Louis Roederer, Cristal has also done well, jumping 18 places. Trade has also seen a corresponding increase in 2018, placing the champagne as the 9th most traded brand on Liv-ex.

Fallers

For some to rise, others must fall. Traders appear to be losing interest in Super seconds as, amongst others, Ducru Beaucaillou (-8), Leoville Barton (-6), Leoville Poyferre (-5), Montrose (-4) and Pichon Baron (-2) have all subsided in the ranking.

Vieux Chateau Certan was the biggest faller, down 15 places.

This year’s top 50 are shown in the table in full.

Sources: 

Fine Wine Market

 

SOTHEBY’S INTRODUCES ‘INSTANT’ FINE WINE CELLARS


SOTHEBY’S INTRODUCES ‘INSTANT’ FINE WINE CELLARS

Sotheby’s Retail has introduced an ‘Instant Cellars’ concept, giving customers in the US and Hong Kong the chance to buy wine collections for drinking, cellaring and investment.

In the US, these cellar ‘starter packs’ range from a simple introductory cellar costing US$5,000 to a collection costing US$25,000, with two further options in-between; while only two options are, currently, available in Hong Kong.

The number of wines, choice and average bottle price changes from cellar to cellar and includes a consultation with a specialist in order to arrive at a final selection that suits the tastes of the individual.

The selection of wines available also differs slightly between the US and Hong Kong but covers all the basics of French, Italian, Australian and US fine wine

All of the cellars, once chosen, can be delivered to select US cities or within the Hong Kong SAR in 24 hours.

The options available in the US include:

  • Cellar 1 – ‘Introductory’: 50 bottles of wine with an average price of $115; the customer chooses 25 wines, two bottles of each. $5,000
  • Cellar 2 – ‘Intermediate’: 72 bottles of wine with an average price of $150; choose 36 wines, two bottles of each. $10,000
  • Cellar 3 – ‘Enjoyment’: 165 bottles of wine with an average price of $165; choose 55 wines, three bottles of each. $25,000
  • Cellar 4 – ‘Investment’: 90 bottles of wine with an average price of $300; choose 15 wines, six bottles of each. $25,000

The full list of wines for each cellar include:

  • Cellar 1 – 2004 Dom Ruinart; Bernard-Bonin 2015 Meursault Vieilles Vignes; 2009 Branaire-Ducru; 1996 Calon-Ségur; 2005 Langoa Barton; 2009 Montrose; 2014 Denis Bachelet Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes; 2013 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia; 2013 Ulysses.
  • Cellar 2 adds – 2008 Louis Roederer; 2010 Climens; 2013 Pavillon Blanc; 2014 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne; 2011 Comtes Lafon, Volnay; 2006 Forts de Latour; 2013 Ornellaia; 2013 Claude Dugat, Gevrey Chambertin.
  • Cellar 3 adds – 2009 Dom Peerignon (Tokujin Yoshioka edition); 2002 Pol Roger Winston Churchill; 2013 Aile d’Argent; 2015 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru; 2009 Hosanna; 2001 Léoville Las Cases; 2005 Vieux Château Certan; 2005 Montrose; 2007 Prieuré-Roch, Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Corvees; 2011 Solaia and 2013 Araujo.
  • Cellar 4 – 2012 Angélus; 2009 Pontet Canet; 2014 Geroges Roumier, Chambolle Musigny; 2009 Pavillon Rouge; 2008 La Mission Haut-Brion; 2015 Robert Groffier, Chambolle Musigny Les Hauts-Doix 1er cru.

Here is the breakdown – The US$5,000 entry-level instant cellar includes some of the best French Burgundy and Bordeaux, as well as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Italian Barolo. At the high-end of the spectrum, Sotheby’s offers two US$25,000 cellars, which give potential buyers a chance to purchase either a range of top-flight wines for “enjoyment” or a more select group of top red Burgundy and Bordeaux for investment.

The “enjoyment” cellar, as Sotheby’s has dubbed it, includes 55 different wines, for a total of 165 bottles. The range of wines chosen is designed to give future collectors a chance to explore and discover what kinds of grapes, regions, and styles they prefer. Fans of white Burgundy, for example, have eleven selections to try, offering the chance to compare styles of winemakers and different vintages.

The cellar includes two white Burgundies produced by Domaine Leflaive in 2015, a Bourgogne Blanc, which is the most generic appellation for white wine in Burgundy, and a selection of premier cru, a designation in Burgundy a notch below the top-tier Grand Cru that’s only given to single vineyard wines.

Buyers can decide whether they prefer one over the other, or compare Leflaive’s Burgundies to two examples of 2015 white Burgundies produced by Jean-Noel Garnard.

The “investment” cellar, by contrast, includes only 15 selections of red wine, with six bottles of each, meaning the average price of each bottle is US$300. The 90 bottles are more or less evenly split between Burgundy and Bordeaux, and are from top producers and vintages expected to grow in value. Examples range from a 2005 Vieux Château Certan from Pomerol, Bordeaux to a Domaine Anne Francoise Gros Echezeaux Grand Cru from Côte de Nuits in Burgundy.

Sotheby’s is also offering two versions of the instant cellars in Hong Kong: an introductory cellar of 46 bottles for HK$33,000 and an intermediate cellar of 62 bottles for HK$70,000.

For the collection management and advisory business, Sotheby’s is targeting clients who are eager to build a cellar but aren’t confident in their tastes, or what they should buy. For an annual fee Sotheby’s will work with these clients to ascertain their preferences (“we have a fun questionnaire,” Gilbert says), but it’s up to the client how much they want to be involved and “how much they want us to take the reins,” she says. Sotheby’s will even buy wines from “trusted sources” outside the company, as well as from Sotheby’s, and will help install and manage the inventory.

For long-time collectors, Sotheby’s can help track inventory, as well as guide clients on what wines to drink, sell, or continue to age.

Sotheby’s will charge an undisclosed annual fee for its wine advisory services, while the fees for collection management will be tailored to the individual needs of each client.

Sources:  Drinks Business and Sotheby’s

La Cité du Vin et The Ultimate Guide To Champagne

It’s official “The Ultimate Guide to Champagne” is now available at La Cité du Vin’s “Reading Room” reference library.  The librarian has added it to La Cité du Vin’s collection under the category of “Champagne Books”.

La Cité du Vin’s “Reading Room” is an area open to everyone, offering a wide selection of literary, historical, artistic and anthropological works relating to the world of wine. Here you will discover more than 1,200 key works in 16 different languages for reference use.

La Cité du Vin is a unique cultural venue in Bordeaux, France, devoted to wine as a cultural, universal and living heritage. It offers amazing experiences around the world, throughout the ages, and across countless cultures and civilizations. You can book tickets on their website www.laciteduvin.com and onsite.

About “The Ultimate Guide to Champagne
The Ultimate Guide to Champagne takes you through, chapter by chapter, to find out everything you need to know about the wonderful world of Champagne. With original photography, illustrations, charts, maps and a Champagne Tasting Cheat Sheet — this is an essential book for Champagne lovers.

The book consists of 22 chapters covering everything from the region’s history and viticulture, to tourism information, gastronomy and even health benefits.

The book is recommended for everyone, from beginners to experts. It’s a remarkable point of reference into which any wine-lover or professional can dip in and browse.

The book is available on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Champagne-Liz-Palmer/dp/0991894634 and private events.