Bordeaux – Chateau La Clemence Pomerol

July 2013

After meeting in viticulture classes in the 1970’s, Christian Dauriac and Michel Rolland both went into the wine business in their own way. In 1996, Michel suggested La Clemence to Christian. It would take faith to turn around this plot of land that had lain uncared for for years, but Christian took the leap. Several years of work went into cleaning up La Clemence, six plots of vines divided between Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The crowning moment was in 2000, when they constructed their massive circular cellar in the middle of the vineyard. The design celebrates the Pomerol terroir, the walls decorated with the three kinds of soil present in the winery, red iron soil, blue clay, and white sand.… Read the rest

Extreme deal- Olivier Hillaire Petits Pieds d’Armand 2008

July 2013

“Olivier Hillaire has taken over vineyards that once comprised Domaine des Relagnes, and has profoundly changed the wines from very good to sensational.” (Robert Parker)

In 2006, after working at Domaine des Relanges for many years, Olivier Hillaire decided to branch out on his own when his former father-in-law, Henri Boiron, decided to retire. Olivier purchased a mere 20% of the vineyard and since then has used his experience to produce great wines, and his charisma to become a major member of the community. In 2007 Olivier also purchased a brasserie in Chateaunuef du Pape, where at lunch time you can see him serving the guests with the same engagement he shows talking about his wines. Among his plots, there grows Grenache grapevines that are over 110 years old, planted in 1899 and contained in this special bottling which he named after his grandfather Armand.… Read the rest

Vinopoldeal- Vissoux Beaujolais

June 2013

Pierre Chermette was just 22 when he took over Domaine Vissoux from his parents in 1982. Since beginning, Pierre was one of few in the region making a Cuvée Traditionnelle in pure Beaujolais tradition. Pierre, along with his wife Martine, has long held the motto “quality before quantity”, opting for lower yields and handpicking in the vineyard. In the cellar, his wines are non-chaptalised and use only indigenous yeasts. Pierre was interested in the Crus of Beaujolais and bought vines in Fleurie and Moulin à Vent in 1994 and 1996. Their Moulin a Vent bottling, Les Trois Roches, is the Chermette’s top cuvee. It is named for the three parcels it is sourced from in the famed Moulin à Vent cru.… Read the rest

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino

May 2013

Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has dreamt of living in a vineyard ever since she was little, but life hastaken her in other ways. She has worked in entertainment and in the pharmaceutical industry and known the urban stress in Rome. Until 1998, when she purchased the historic Caparzo vineyard in the Tuscan region of Brunello di Montalcino.

Though vines had long stood on the Caparzo land alongside olive trees and forestry, the vineyard itself was established in the 1960’s and spent much of that time passed around owners. In her opinion, Caparzo had strayed fromits primary purpose over time and Elisabetta planned to refocus on what she thought the estate does best: Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino. With the help of winemaker Massimo Bracalente, she has renewed technology and invested in quality, hoping to keep the traditional style of Tuscan wine while adding a modern mentality to the winemaking process.… Read the rest

Domaine Didier Dagueneau

January 2013

Didier Dagueneau died tragically in a plane crash in 2008. Before settling into life as a vigneron in 1982 he was a professional motorcycle racer. But, “settling” is a relative term; among other things he was also became internationally accomplished dog sled racer. And he was on all things a renegade, excepting family and wine quality. He uniquely at the time fused modern winemaking with ultra-traditional vineyard management yielding wines that were very soon recognized as among best whites in the world. This from Sauvignon Blanc in Pouilly-sur-Loire. His wines were intense and as cellar-worthy as any white wine from anywhere.

And thus, the wine world was breathless with our loss of the man, and potentially the wines, for the future.… Read the rest