French Wine Archives

France Adds A New Appellation – Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun

The village of Laudun in the Côtes du Rhône is set to become its own AOP likely by its 2023 vintage, following decades of lobbying.

News emerged last week after officials from France’s national appellations body, the INAO, presented their findings on the move back in December and following a vote by local winemakers.

The next step will be a public inquiry by the INAO in the three communes that make up the Laudun production area in order to establish the official area of production (which will cover over 1000 hectares (2500 acres). The appellation is expected to be formally inaugurated in June this year although the title will likely not be seen on labels until 2023.

“It will be the conclusion of a great undertaking,” Luc Pélaquié, head of the Laudun winegrowers’ union, told regional newspaper Midi Libre. “I salute the hard work and spirit of the winegrowers who have labored for the future of local viticulture.”

The Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun title encompasses the communes of Laudun, Saint-Victor-la-Coste et Tresques in the Gard department on the right bank (west) of the Rhône, north of Lirac and Tavel, and over the river from (and to northwest of) Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Vineyards in Laudun currently cover around 560 hectares (1400 acres).

The region is known for being one of the largest producers of white wines of the Villages. Laudun whites, predominantly from Grenache Blanc and Clairette (although Viognier, Bourboulenc, Marsanne and Roussanne may also figure) make up around a quarter of all production in the area.

Reds are predominantly blended from Grenache and Syrah, with the former being just proportionally larger in terms of overall vineyard plantings. Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault can also figure in minor proportions.

In total, the region produces just under two million liters of wine a year through 18 wine estates, six cooperative wineries and 18 négoce operations. Over half of all Laudun production is sold in retail outlets in France while a quarter of production is exported to UK, China/Hong Kong, US, Belgium and Sweden.

#winelover #instawine #wine #frenchwine #madeinfrance #cotesdurhone #villageslundun #laudunwineregion #vin #winenews #vinslaudun @vinslaudun #winetime #redwine #whitewine

The Château d’Yquem 2019 Vintage

Château d’Yquem has unveiled the 2019 vintage of its iconic Sauternes wine. The announcement of the new vintage follows the postponement of its release last fall, which the brand followed with a new Lighthouse initiative.

When aged, Château d’Yquem’s famed wines are best drunk after 10 years, with seemingly no upper limit on the liquid’s ability to develop intensity and complexity. However, the estate is now also putting added emphasis on drinking the wine young, with its Lighthouse initiative encouraging consumers to try the wines when they’re newly released to market.

Lighthouse Program
The Lighthouse program focuses on larger formats, such as jeroboams, to enable consumers to taste the new 2019 vintage by the glass, with key partnerships globally including Annabel’s, Portland Restaurant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (London), and various boutique wine bars in Paris.

Tasting Notes
The Château d’Yquem 2019 vintage is a fragrant and vibrant release with a surprisingly high (45%) proportion of Sauvignon Blanc. “Sauvignon Blanc brings more acidity and freshness, so is helpful for balancing the opulence of the Sémillon,” says Yquem cellar master Sandrine Garbay.

2019 Growing Season
This was a challenging year, warm conditions alongside plenty of rain led to serious mildew pressure. There was good weather from flowering through most of the summer, before heavy rain in late September created the perfect conditions for a “massive infection” of noble rot. The harvest window was brief, with 120 pickers working intensively between October 7 and 14.

The 2019 vintage will be released March 22nd, 2022.

#wine #tasting #winetasting #somm #sommlife #tasting #sweetwine #sauternes #Yquem #chateaudYquem #chateauYquem #lightsofYquem #bucketlist #onceinalifetime #wine #finewine #winelover #instawine #vintagewine #frenchwine #madeinfrance

@Yquem_Official

Burgundy’s Rising Prices Drive Liv-ex 1000 Index In January

The Liv-ex 1000 continued its bull run into the new year, rising 3.5%.
The Burgundy 150 was its best-performing sub-index, up 6.4%.
Champagne 50 and Rest of the World 60 followed, both rising 5.6%.

The broadest measure of the market, the Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000 index, rose 3.5% in January to close the month at 439.3.

The index is up 22.3% over one year versus 25.2% for the industry benchmark, the Liv-ex 100. All of the Liv-ex 1000 sub-indices increased last month.

Burgundy outperforms the broader market

The Burgundy 150 index was the best performer, up 6.4%. Prices for the region’s wines continue to soar, driven by looming shortages. Meanwhile, the 2020 En Primeur campaign stimulated demand for back vintages and the region took 24.6% of the market by value last month.

Both the Champagne 50 and the Rest of the World 60 sub-indices rose 5.6%.

Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 – the most traded wine by value in January – was also the top price performer in the Champagne 50, up 19.2%.

The biggest mover within the Rest of the World 60 was Dominus 2015, up 17.7%.

The Bordeaux 500 index has continued to lag behind the other sub-indices, rising just 1.0% in January. The performance of its sub-regions has been mixed, with some of the best-performers coming from Pomerol and rising between 14% to 18%.

Source Liv-Ex

#finewine #wineinvestment #wineinvestors #champagne #winenews #bordeaux #burgundy #frenchwine #livex #alternativeinvestment #investment #alternativeinvestments

@livexwine

Cult Wines Americas – The Future of Fine Wine Investment [Part 1]

The “Silver Linings” are real when it comes to fine wine. Despite 2021 being an unprecedented year due to COVID lockdowns, volatile markets, and Brexit challenges, it has been a record-breaking year for fine wine investment.

Both Champagne and Burgundy have an excellent final quarter, with Champagne gaining 22.98%, according to the Liv-ex Champagne 50 index, and the Burgundy 150 posted a 11.19% quarterly gain in advance of the upcoming 2020 vintage en primeur releases. The fine wine market certainly shows encouraging signs that a brighter future is ahead.

According to the Liv-ex Bordeaux 500 Index, over the last 18 months, there has been a resurgence of interest not only from those who have been building their wine portfolios over the longer term but also from new investors.

There are some big investors looking into this alternative-asset class including Warren Buffett himself, so I thought it would be a good idea to investigate further. Cult Wines Investment came on top of my searches.

About Cult Wines Investment
Founders Tom and Phil Gearing launched the Cult Wines platform in London during 2007 with the idea to revolutionize the way fine wine investment works and make the asset class more accessible. Not only is Cult Wine Investment the global leader in fine wine collection and investment management, but they are also on a mission to make investing in wine as enjoyable and rewarding as the wine itself.  The leadership team have a deep-rooted passion for fine vintages, and close relationships with prestigious and respected growers, as well as market-leading investment expertise.

Enters “Cult Wines” Americas
Cult Wines enters the North American market in 2021 with headquarters in New York and Toronto, as one of the first wine investment platforms with a special focus on US and Canadian investors.

“The US is a big player in the auction and collectors’ market but historically has been underserved in the wine investment market,” describes Tom Gearing, the CEO and co-founder of Cult Wines.

“Historically, the wine investment category has been perceived as only for the wealthy, or those with considerable wine knowledge. We know that is not the case and are enabling more people to invest effectively while maintaining the client service, impeccable standards, and returns for which we are known,” said Atul Tiwari, CEO Cult Wines Americas.

Cult Wine Investments website: www.wineinvestment.com

Here is a list of the Americas leadership team and either wines they have really enjoyed or regions they love.

Tom Gearing, Global CEO

Tom Gearing oversees the company’s overall strategy, global operations, and technology innovation. Tom has grown this start-up to an award-winning global company with $390 million assets under management (AUM) and 80+ employees in six offices including: United Kingdom, North America, and Asia Pacific.

Tom has been regularly quoted in the New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. As well as being the recipient of numerous awards, he has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade and the Spear’s 500. He also holds a WSET Level 3.

Tom’s Favorite Wines:

Tom enjoys chardonnay and pinot noir, and at the same time, he likes to try as many different styles and grape varieties as possible. His most memorable vinous experiences to date are Petrus ’61 en Magnum, Liger Belair La Romanee ’09 and Domaine Leroy, Richebourg ’03.

Atul Tiwari, CEO, Americas

Atul Tiwari leads the team and is responsible for the overall strategy and development of Cult Wines Americas. Hailed by Investment Executive as ‘having a knack for knowing what’s next.’

As former CEO of Vanguard Canada, Atul and his team helped pioneer ETF investing in Canada and grew the company to $30 billion in assets over 7.5 years. Prior to Vanguard, he was the founding President of BMO Exchange Traded Funds. In 2018 he received the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce award for Corporate Executive of the Year and has twice been named to Wealth Professional’s annual list of People to Watch in the industry. Atul is a member of the Independent Review Committee for Mackenzie Funds, a Director of the D.D. Foundation, Atul is also a member of the Advisory Council for the CFA Society of Toronto and an Honorary Trustee of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Atul has previously managed a 4,000-bottle cellar of Bourgogne for Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Toronto). It’s interesting to note that he also has a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and has practiced in both London (UK) and Toronto before transitioning to finance.

Atul’s Favorite Wines:

Atul has a passion and is very knowledgeable on Bourgogne, in addition he enjoys Bordeaux and Italian wines.

Carrie Tuck, CMO, Americas

Carrie has spent nearly two decades working in public relations and marketing for multimillion-dollar brands and start-ups within the financial services industry.

Prior to joining Cult Wines Americas as Chief Marketing Officer, Carrie was the Head of Marketing for Vanguard, Canada and was instrumental in building the brand in the region. Throughout her career, Carrie has held various senior positions at asset management and fund companies, where she ran marketing, product and client service. Carrie also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Concordia University.

Favorite Wines:

Carrie likes to experiment with wine, so she seizes opportunities to try new wines whenever she can.

Jonathan Stevenson, EVP, Americas

Jonathan brings over ten years and extensive experience in the alternative investment sector of fine wine to his role of Executive Vice President at Cult Wines. In 2021, he was appointed to oversee Cult Wines’ global expansion into the Americas and is responsible for growing the client base.

Previously, Jonathan was the Sales Manager for the UK sales team. He began his career at Cult Wines as a Portfolio Manager after graduating from Newcastle University (UK) with a degree in Marketing and Management.

Favorite Wine:
Vega Sicilia Unico

– Up Next –

Cult Wines Americas – The Future of Fine Wine Investment [Part 2]

I will explore and do a deeper dive into this growing alternative-asset class, and explore Cult Wine’s new investment platform how it makes investing in fine wine more accessible!

#wine #finewine #wineinvestment #alternativeinvestment #winenews #winelovers #winecollectors #champagne #bordeaux #burgundy #finewinelovers #wineindustry #winebusiness #winetrade #winetrends #vin #frenchwine #winemarket #winenews #wineeconomics #vintagewine #wineinvestors #cultwines #cultwinesamericas #cultwinesUSA #cultwinescanada #cultcru #bourgogne #mycultcollection #winewednesday

Disclaimer

Past performance is not indicative of future success; the performance was calculated in GBP and will vary in other currencies. Any investment involves risk of partial or full loss of capital. The Cult Wines Index is a hypothetical tool. The results depicted here are not based on actual trading and do not account for the annual management fees that may be charged to a Cult Wines customer which ranges from 2.95% to 2.25% depending on the size of the portfolio, and there is no guarantee of similar performance with an investor’s particular portfolio.

Wine Review: Drappier Carte d’Or Brut NV (37.5cl)

Champagne Drappier is one of my favourite Aube producers in many ways. I’m happy to say that I have personally met Andre, Michel, and Charline on numerous occasions, along with my son, daughter and daughter-in-law. This wonderful family all left warm and memorable impressions.

This dynamic independent house is currently run by the charmingly and hospitable 7th and 8th generations: father Michel, daughter Charline and sons Hugo and Antoine.

Drappier is based in Urville in the Côte des Bar comes has a wide range of rich lush full-flavoured cuvees and also make still wines.
Fact: Champagne Drappier was Charles de Gaulle’s favourite Champagne and Madame de Gaulle was a great friend of the Drappier family.

The house of Drappier is unusual in many ways: they are neither a Grands Marques house, nor a grower; they own 60 hectares, so they are technically both a domaine and negociant house. Drappier is also one of the most experimental in Aube. They often use no dosage, they are pioneering ‘sans soufre’ no sulphur fizz (sulphur sensitivity runs in the family) and focus on organic viticulture.

The cuvée Carte d’Or expresses the identity of the house directed by the family since 1808.

Tasting Notes:
The Drappier Carte d’Or expresses all the aromas of Pinot Noir; this constitutes at least 80% of the blend, along with Chardonnay 15 %, and Pinot Meunier 5 %.

This champagne has a great aromatic richness of melon, apple and red fruits. The palate is intense, with notes of apple, peaches and quince wrapped in a red-fruit veil. It’s full-bodied and long with a lovely texture, and complex mouthfeel.

91 Points

#champagne #champagnelover #winelover #cheers #toast #winetasting #champagnelover #winelovers #ChampagneMoment #SavoirFaire #champagnelovers #drappier #nodryjanuaryhere #cuvee #cartedor #madeinfrance