Tag: Liz Palmer

Champagne de Venoge receives top scores from Wine Spectator for 5 newly released Champagnes

Champagne de Venoge received top scores from Wine Spectator for five newly released Champagnes that are currently available for purchase:

• Brut Champagne Louis XV 1996 – 93 points

• Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2002 – 93 points

• Extra Brut Rosé Champagne Louis XV 2002 – 93 points

• Extra Brut Cuvee 20 ans Champagne 1983 – 92 points, and

• Extra Brut Champagne Cordon Bleu NV – 91 points

Champagne de Venoge was also selected among the “100 Best Champagnes for 2011” in Fine Champagne Magazine. Essi Avellan, Master of Wine, conducted an extensive review of Champagnes in this magazine and Champagne de Venoge got the 14th position among the Top 100 as well as the 3rd position for vintage Champagne and number 7 for rose Champagne.

Among this list, Champagne Louis XV 1996 has already received international acclaims since the release of this prestigious cuvee. After spending more than 10 years in de Venoge’s cellars in Epernay, this 1996 vintage is now on sale with a beautiful packaging and its famous «carafe» bottle.

About Champagne de Venoge
For more than 170 years, Champagne de Venoge has earned itself a privileged place in the heart of the vineyards of Champagne. Ambassador for exceptional wines of Champagne, de Venoge is first of all a family story in the constant quest for excellence. A Blue Ribbon has been the symbol of the nobility since the 16th century. In 1864, when de Venoge launched its “Cordon Bleu”, it became a mark of distinction and refinement. At the edge of the Champagne tradition in its most beautiful and noble form, de Venoge’s reputation also lies in the terroir, the rigorous selection of the best grapes in Champagne and the perpetuation of a unique style. The fine vinosity associated to the incomparable freshness brings to de Venoge’s Champagnes elegance and harmony – All this for the greatest pleasure of Champagne lovers!

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses

Moet & Chandon toasts their ‘21st Anniversary’ as the Official Champagne of the 69th Annual Golden Globe® Awards with 2002 Grand Vintage Collection

Moet & Chandon is returning as the official Champagne of the 69th Annual Golden Globe® Awards, which is produced by Dick Clark Productions and in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). In a toast to its 21st year with the iconic awards ceremony, Moet & Chandon will introduce their award-winning 2002 Grand Vintage Champagne with a celebratory toast at this year’s Golden Globe Awards nominations announcement which will be lead by HFPA president, Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly and Ludovic du Plessis, vice president of Moet & Chandon USA.

“Moet & Chandon has celebrated the magic of cinema for nearly a century, and we look forward to continuing to host and toast cinema icons in its legendary spirit of success and glamour at the Golden Globes,” said Ludovic du Plessis, Vice President of Moet & Chandon USA.

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards will mark the first time that Moet & Chandon will serve Grand Vintage champagne from customized magnums created specifically for the occasion.

“Once again we’re happy to have Moet & Chandon on board with us as the official champagne of the Golden Globes®,” remarked Takla-O’Reilly. “This year marks a special year for us as our partnership enters its 21st year.”

Over 1,000 Moet & Chandon Imperial minis and 500 Grand Vintage 2002 magnums will be served on both the red carpet and inside the ballroom totalling over 9,000 glasses of Moet & Chandon enjoyed during one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.

Tasting Notes:

A blend of 51% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir and 23% Pinot Meunier

A good white creamy mousse. Pale gold with very fine and persistent bead. The nose displays aromas of toasted brioche, yeast lees, citrus and some baked bread. Creamy in texture the palate exhibits refined flavours of toast, citrus, biscuit and yeast lees. Clean crisp finish with long aftertaste of toast, yeast lees and brioche.

Drink over the next 5-6 years (2016)

Alc 12.5%

The 2002 Grand Vintage Champagne has been awarded 93 points by Wine Spectator magazine in its recent issue.

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses

LAURENT-PERRIER announces sharp increase in results for first half of 2011-2012

A Grand Century Ewer

Laurent-Perrier is one of the few champagne houses listed on the French stock exchange dedicated exclusively to champagne and focused on the premium segment. Laurent-Perrier offers a broad range of products renowned for their quality, and sold under the brands Laurent-Perrier, Salon, Delamotte, and Champagne de Castellane.

• Results in line with strategic choices
o Above market growth for Laurent-Perrier brand
o Increase in premium champagnes and export sales ratios
o Markedly positive price/mix effect
o Significant improvement in operating margin
o Further improvement in cash-flow and debt reduction

The accounts for the first half of the 2011-2012 financial year have been reviewed by the Supervisory Board chaired by Maurice de Kervénoaël.

Main audited financial data

September 30 H1
2010-2011 H1
2011-2012 Change on Y-1
Turnover 81.2 92.0 + 13.3%
Operating profit 9.9 19.9 x 2
Operating margin (%) 12.2% 21.6% + 9.4 pts
Group net income 2.96 9.49 x 3
Earnings per share (euros) 0.50 1.61 + 1.11
Net cash flow* – 17.2 – 14.2 + 3.0M

* Cash flow from operations minus net investment, minus dividends
Commercial performance higher than market average

The 13.3% increase in turnover reflects a better than market average commercial performance: Group sales volumes rose by 5.8%, whereas global shipments by champagne houses rose by only 2.2% between April and September 2011.

Thanks to a speeding up growth, the Laurent-Perrier brand has galvanized Group performance. Its value indicators continued the recovery begun in 2009-2010, with the export ratio gaining 3.8 points to 73.8% and the premium champagne ratio rising 3.3 points to 38.4%. Activity was especially dynamic on markets outside Europe, where the proportion of sales grew by 3 percentage points relative to the first half of last year. Especially noteworthy were the United States and Japan, where sales were up sharply over the half-year, confirming the brand’s growing international presence.

Taking advantage of a steady, coherent brand development investment policy, Laurent-Perrier has benefited from the warm welcome given to the new boxing and labelling of the brut champagne lines in January, from the launch of the 2002 vintage champagne and from communication campaigns featuring Cuvée Rosé.

The Group’s price/mix effect became markedly positive once more, at 7.8% compared with a negative 15.7% in the first half of the last financial year on the strength of the increased contribution of the Laurent-Perrier brand to turnover, the successful launch of Salon’s 1999 Vintage, and the price increase implemented during the first quarter.

Significant improvement in operating margin

Operating profit rose for the third consecutive semester, increasing by close to 10 million euros compared with the first half of the last financial year, and driving the operating margin above the 20% threshold to 21.6%. This significant improvement highlights the following advances:

• Gross margin picked up at 51.1%, a gain of 3.2 points in the first half thanks to a positive price/mix effect combined with an improvement in the grape harvest margin due to higher yields.

• At 27.5 million euros, commercial and administrative costs fell by 1.2 million euros over the period. The decrease reflects the Group’s continued strict financial management. Brand development investment amounted to 7.3% of turnover, in line with the long-term average.
The financial result was stable compared with the first half of FY 2010-2011, at 5.3 million euros. The tax rate was down slightly at 34.5%.

Group net income came to 9.49 million euros, treble the amount for the first half of the previous financial year.

Further improvement in net cash-flow and net debt reduction

Compared with the previous year, net cash-flow continued to pick up. Even if it remained in negative territory due to the seasonal nature of Group activity, it improved by 3 million euros during the six month period thanks to the trebling of net income and the stabilization of inventory levels.

The Group has, therefore, passed a new milestone in its debt reduction programme, which fell by 30 million euros in the space of twelve months, cutting the ratio of net debt to equity by 29 points in a year, to 120%.

Inventory levels remained far higher than net debt, standing at 1.65 times net debt, compared with 1.51 times a year earlier.

Outlook for 2011-2012

Commercial and financial performance in the first half cannot be extrapolated to the rest of the current year, as the global economic environment will be more uncertain in the second half and the comparison basis less favorable.

The Group can nevertheless reassert its strategic choices.

Its priority remains to speed up the pace of international development for the Laurent-Perrier brand. This will be driven by sustained investment in the brand image, notably with the celebration of the House’s bicentenary in 2012.

The Group will continue to strengthen its balance sheet in line with the wishes of family shareholders, who intend to defend the independence of the House and pursue its development over the long term.

Code ISIN: FR 0006864484
Bloomberg: LAUR FP
Reuters: LPER.PA

Laurent Perrier belongs to compartment B of Euronext Paris
It is part of the CAC Mid & Small, CAC Mid 60 and CAC All-Tradable indices

Champagne Laurent-Perrier – Champagne Salon – Champagne Delamotte – Champagne de Castellane

www.finance-groupelp.com:
www.finance.laurent-perrier.fr

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Fizzes in H1

Laurent-Perrier has continued on an upward curve during the first six months of its new fiscal year, driven by strong demand for its namesake Champagne in the US and Japan.

Laurent-Perrier net sales rose by 13.3% for the six months to the end of September, to EUR92m (US$123.7m), outperforming France’s Champagne sector over the same period, it said yesterday (30 November). By comparison, the group’s volume sales rose by 5.8% over the half-year, which will provide some relief to industry concerns that pricing has struggled to recover from the global economic crash in 2008.

The strong sales carried through Laurent-Perrier accounts. Operating profits doubled on the same period of last year, to EUR19.89m, with net profits tripling, up by 221% to EUR9.5m. The results confirmed good momentum at Laurent-Perrier, cycling a 75% jump in net profits and a 23% rise in sales in the first half of the group’s previous year.

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses

A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO CHAMPAGNE – some basics

[“This snippet is from a book I’m currently working on, and thought I would share it with you … I welcome your comments and suggestions.”]

BASIC ESSENTIALS

“A Girl’s Guide To Champagne” was developed for women to assist them in feeling confident in having some basic knowledge on champagne in a social setting, or identifying and choosing from diverse selections of champagne from a wine list or wine store. These can be daunting tasks for even the most fearless of women. Not now! This handbag-sized guide will arm you – yes, you – including the headstrong, adventure-loving, cocktail-imbibing, fashion-conscious women, with some basic knowledge on Champagne.

THE PRACTICAL PART

Not every wine that sparkles can be called champagne. True champagne comes from a special region in France located 90 miles northeast of Paris. Champagne has a legendary history, and has for many hundreds of years been part of many cultural events and historical traditions. This region has a combination of chalky sub-soils and cool climate, which produces the only grapes in the world that can yield the Champagne of legends!

Grape Varieties and Styles

The three primary grape varieties that that are used to make champagne are pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. The dark-skinned pinot noir and pinot meunier give champagne its length and backbone, while chardonnay gives it acidity notes and biscuit flavour. There are several other grape varieties that are permitted for historical reasons, and are used occasionally.

Non-vintage

A non-vintage champagne includes a blend of grapes from several vintages. They also have a consistent style, and are made for immediate consumption. Most champagne is non-vintage. Only a few non-vintage champagnes will benefit from further aging.

Vintage

Champagne vintages are declared only for outstanding harvest years and are made from a single harvest year. The producers reserve their finest fruit for this style of champagne, adding to its desirability. Not every year is declared a vintage year.

Presitge Cuvées

This is a proprietary blend, the top of the producer’s range, and is most suitable for cellaring. The trend is that these champagnes come delivered in very expressive, distinctively-shaped, and labeled bottles. These champagnes are usually made with grapes from Grand Cru vineyards.

Blanc de Blancs

Blanc de blanc is a French term that means “white of whites”, and is used to designate champagnes made exclusively from chardonnay grapes. The blanc de blancs style is popular as an apértif due to their light, dry taste.

Blanc de Noirs

Blanc de Noirs is another French term that means “white of black”. This sounds like a contradiction, but it is not. What it tells you is that the champagne has been made only using black grapes. Champagne made from black grapes are typically full bodied with intense richness.

Rosé

Rosé champagnes are produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a short time or, the common method, by adding a small amount of still pinot noir red wine to the sparkling wine.

Sweetness (Brut to Doux)

In addition to classifying champagne styles, classifications are also used to refer to sweetness. The amount of sugar added after the second fermentation and aging varies and will dictate the sweetness level of the champagne.

• Brut Nature or Zero: 0 sugar
• Brut: dry, less than 1.5% sugar (most common)
• Extra Sec: extra dry, 1.2 to 2% sugar
• Sec: medium sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
• Demi-Sec: sweet, 3.3 to 5% sugar (dessert champagne)
• Doux: very sweet, over 5% sugar (dessert champagne)

THE FUN PART – TASTING

What can you see? What can you smell? What can you Taste? Champagne deserves your undivided attention. You need time to appreciate its colour, effervescence, savour its aromas and define its dominant impressions.

Before you pop the cork, there are a few basic tips:

• Flutes should be clean and free of any traces of detergent or rinsing agent [could cause champagne to flatten]

• Avoid all forms of perfume, i.e., personal or room fragrance [these will interfere with the appreciation of the aromas]

• Ideal drinking temperature is [8° – 10° C] – chill the bottle for 20 minutes in an ice bucket filled with ice

• When pouring, fill the glass only two-thirds [this allows the aromas to circulate]

• Once the champagne is poured, allow some time for it to open up

Colour and Appearance

Once the champagne is poured, place a sheet of white paper behind the glass try to identify the shade.

Colours can range from: pale gold; green gold; grey gold; straw yellow; yellow gold to antique gold. For rosé champagnes colours range from coral pink, salmon pink to deep pink.

How does the champagne look to you? Is it limpid, sparkling or silky?

And what about the bubbles, are they: light; fine; lively; plentiful or slow?

Nose

Once the initial effervescence has subsided, bring the flute to your nose and inhale slowly, at length and then inhale again. How do you describe the aromas? Are they floral, fruity, vegetal, or does the aroma remind you of dried fruits or some other indulgent delicacy?

Floral aromas can range from rose, lime blossom, orange blossom or violet.

Fruity smells will range from grapefruit, apple, pear, quince, peach, apricot, nectarine, mango, banana, lychee, coconut, cherry or currant.

Vegetal bouquets range from almond, grass, fern, to truffle.

Dried Fruit odours range from hazelnut, raisin to dried fig.

Other indulgent delicacy aromas include butter, brioche, toast, honey, candied fruit, vanilla and various spices.

Mouth

Champagne reveals its complex personality best on the palate. Try rolling the champagne around your mouth – there is bound to be a dominant impression.

How does the champagne feel?
Does it feel powerful, solid, comforting, smooth, light, mature, or opulent?
Now how would you describe the impression?
Is it creamy, delicate or complex?

Go ahead and enjoy what is hiding inside your flute!

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses