Private Visit and Tasting in Bordeaux - Spring 2008

Dear Friends and Wines Lovers,

We were pleased to host some of our customers from Asia during primeurs campaign April 2007 in Bordeaux city. They were coming from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Here's below, we had a great time with Mrs. Bérénice Thomas-Lurton owner of Château Climens (Barsac Estate) during the visit of her Château.

Cheers!
MFM

Back to Michel Couvreur Whisky secrets

Dear Whisky Lovers,

Back around mid-March in Burgundy, I had the privilege to visit and to stay at our Michel Couvreur's place.

We decided to start over by a tasting of 6 whiskies with Michel Couvreur and Jean-Arnaud Frantzen:

1- Overaged Malt Whisky, 43% alc/vol:
nose: smooth, suave and smokey.
mouth: round, floral and powerful.
remark: blending of an incredible selection of single malts aged between 12 and 27 years old. Excellent for aperitive on the rocks.









2- The Transition, 45% alc/vol (20 years old):
nose: floral and hints of vanilla (coming from its american cask)
mouth: liquorice, doloroso, aniseed and very long after taste.
remark: after dinner drink with a churchill.















3- Fleeting Single Cask, 45% alc/vol, 750 btls only (15 years old, distilled in September 27th 1993):
nose: toasty, woody and vanilla
mouth: long finish and menthol taste.
remark: great served straight or with ice cube.









4- Blossoming Auld Sherried, 45% alc/vol, single cask whisky (over 17 years old) :
nose: round, spices (peppar)
mouth: mellow, fresh, souple and concentrated.
remark: very similar as old rum or a good whiskey from Tenessee.








5- The Very Sherried, 45% alc/vol (over 26 years old):
nose: creamy and smooth
mouth: a lot of finesse and well-balanced
remark: a perfect fit with a nice torpedo Cuban cigar.











6- Dis'closure, Malt, single cask whisky, 50% alc/vol (10 years old):
nose: iodine flavor and very parfumed
mouth: Liquorice, heavy but very mild and very nice finish.
remark: after lunch drink.









Thanks again for your hospitality at Bouze-les-Beaunes!!!
MFM

Small owners of Armagnac by Gelas House

Dear Connoisseurs,

Early March, I went to see Philippe Gélas in Gers county to discuss more about his selection of different domains called Gelas Estates in Armagnac region.

We started our tasting with Dominique Marsan (Master Blender of Gélas house) by:

- Domaine du Bruch (vintage 1990, 48.8% alc/vol) 100% Ugni Blanc, unchilfiltered and bottled in 2002:
nose: splendid with some hints of cacao and caramel
mouth: some spices at the beginning, liquorice, candied fruit and long finish
remark: great for aperitive









- Domaine du Moussoulet (vintage 1989, 48.1% alc/vol) 50% Baco and 50% Ugni Blanc, small batch, natural cask strenght and bottled in 2007:
nose: smokey, creamy and thick
mouth: almond, liquorice, nice start but goes up after and reveal all its finesse.
remark: excellent with a chocolate dessert.










- Domaine de Lacaze (vintage 1982, 45,4% alc/vol) 50% Ugni Blanc and 50% Colombard and bottled in 1999:
nose: round and mellow
mouth: very well balanced and extremely on the roundness.
remark: after dinner drink with an excellent Cuban robusto or double corona.








- Domaine de La Prade (vintage 1983) 100% Ugni Blanc, Tenareze growing area and bottled in 2000:
nose: curry and prune
mouth: floral as rose flower and light rancio
remark: after lunch drink with a Dominican robusto


I would like to thank again Philippe for his warm welcome. Santé!
MFM

Château Mission Haut-Brion/Grand Cru Classé de Graves/Pessac-Leognan

Dear Readers,

Everybody will admit, we can not avoid to speak about Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion even if Chateau Haut-Brion is in fact cross the road.

On the 2nd of November 1983, Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A., already owner of Chateau Haut-Brion, bought Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion from the descendants of the Woltner family. Twenty years later, under the presidency of the Duchesse de Mouchy, daughter of the Hon. Douglas Dillon, former Ambassador to France and Secretary of the Tresury under President Kennedy, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion pursues a lengthy program of quiet renovation. A new cuvier that was built in 1987, the chateau which has been entirely modernized and a new chai worthy of La Mission, all bear witness to this desire for perfection.
Today, a new generation watches over the destiny with his mother, the Duchesse de Mouchy, oversees the management of the properties belonging to Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A..


We have a chance to visit their cellar ahd they use only new casks at 100% every year in the winemaking process.
The average time for ageing is 22 months.
Vine varieties:
Merlot noir 45%
Carbernet Franc 7%
Cabernet Sauvignon 48%
Average age of vines: 19 years old.





Tasting room at Ch. La Mission Haut-Brion below:

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2004: intense by the nose, complex with notes of smoke, tobacco and roasted coffe grains but still a pleasant fruit. A well-balanced wine and a great seducer for this vintage.

Thank you very much for this great visit. Sante,
MFM

Château Haut-Brion/1er Grand Cru Classé/Pessac-Leogan

Dear Pessac-Leognan lovers,

Here, we are in February 2008 and extremely pleased to visit one of most well-known and recognized chateau of Pessac-Leognan estate "Chateau Haut-Brion". Today, the continuity and presence of the Dillon family are ensured, for the next generation, by Prince Robert of Luxembourg who watches over the destiny of Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A. alongside his mother, the Duchess de Mouchy.


We started by their cellar on your left. At Chateau Haut-Brion, all the first wine is put into new casks for a period of twenty months. This use of new barrels goes back to the beginning of the 18th century, to a time when the old, poorly maintained casks used to contaminate the new wine and irreparably spoil it.







Ch.Haut-Brion 2001 tasting: a very good year (weather conditions were fairly similar to those 2000), dense and youthful color and for a young wine, the aromas jump out of the glass.

Thanks again for your warm welcome. Cheers!
MFM

Château Latour/1er Grand Cru Classé/Pauillac

Dear Bordeaux Connoisseurs,

Early February, I had the privilege with Cuvelier house to visit some of greatest vineyards started with"Château Latour", 1st classified growth of Pauillac, Bordeaux . The history of château Latour began in 1378. In 1670, Ségur family bought its great domain and kept it until 1963. From 1963 to 1993, the domain was owned by the British. And, in 1993 the Château went back to the French as it was bought over by Mr.Francois Pinault.



We saw the different steps for making process of this prestigious wine.


Above all, the paradise cellar will astonish you by the reserve of very old vintages.













Then, we ended-up by the tasting room surrounded by the vineyards (below) where we tasted their 3 wines (Pauillac de Latour 2006, Les Forts de Latour 2003 and Grand Vin de Château Latour 2001) conducted by Ms.Sonia Favreau.







*Pauillac de Latour 06:
49% Cabernet Sauvignon,
45% Merlot,
6% Petit Verdot.

Average ageing (vineyards): 10 years old

Floral and fruity.









*Les Forts de Latour 03:
78% Cabernet Sauvignon,
22% Merlot.

Average ageing (vineyards): 35 years old

Fresh, dense and complex.









*Grand Vin de Château Latour 01:
79% Cabernet Sauvignon,
18% Merlot,
1% Cabernet Franc,
2% Petit Verdot.

Average ageing (vineyards): 50 years old


Very pure and very elegant, not its usual strengh but an interesting suppleness.



We would like to thank you for your warm welcome.

Cheers!
MFM

Château Lafite-Rothschild/1er Grand Cru Classé/Pauillac

Dear Friends and Pauillac connoisseur,

The first known reference to Lafite dates to 1234 with a certain Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, Lafite’s mention as a medieval fief dates to the 14th century.

The name Lafite comes from the Gascon language term “la hite”, which means “hillock”. There were probably already vineyards on the property at the time when the Ségur family organised the vineyard in the 17th century, and Lafite began to earn its reputation as a great winemaking estate. Jacques de Ségur is credited with the planting of the Lafite vineyard in the 1670’s and in the early 1680’s. In 1695, Jacques de Ségur’s heir, Alexandre, married the heiress of Château Latour, and they gave birth to Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur. The fiefs of Lafite and Latour were thus unified at the beginning of their estate legacy

On 8 August 1868, Baron James de Rothschild purchased Château Lafite, which had been placed under public sale through the inheritance of Ignace-Joseph Vanlerberghe.

The Barons de Rothschild recovered possession of Château Lafite Rothschild at the end of 1945, and Baron Elie was responsible for recovering the estate’s business. In 1975, Baron Eric de Rotschild, nephew of Baron Élie, took his place. Today, Charles Chevallier is the technical director of the Domaines.

We started our tour by the room of this big oak vat and followed by first cellar. Don't forget, The barrels are all made at the Domaine’s cooperage.

The ageing phase of the wine begins in the chai, which takes between 18 and 20 months. Here, it is below. We are inside the famous cellar which could be used for an Opera.




We ended-up by an extraodinary tasting with a comparaison of two vintages 1994 and 2006.

*Château Lafite-Rothschild 1994
99% Cabernet sauvignon
1% Petit Verdot
Average ageing (vineyards): 30 years old
Pure and fresh.

*Château Lafite-Rothschild 2006
82% Cabernet sauvignon
16% Merlot
2% Cabernet Franc
Fine and elegant.





We would like to thank you for this great visit and tasting.

MFM

Château Margaux/1er Grand Cru Classé/Margaux

Dear Margaux lovers,

Here we are, in presence of 1st classified growth of Margaux: Château Margaux. We can not start a visit without a little history about this wine of excellence.
At the end of the 17 century, Château Margaux became part of the nascent elite "First Growths" long before established officially by the classification of 1855. Today, it is linked most closely to the work of Mr.André Mentzelopoulos who became the owner in 1977. After he passed away, his daughter Corinne Mentzelopoulos took over and she and her team still devote the same deep for this magnificient place.





First, we went through their enormous oak vats where a fermentation process will take 3 weeks. Then, the cellar of ageing the wines (beside) for a period of 18 to 24 months in a new oak barrels.




Above, the other cellar below which was trully an experience due to its size and architecture.


Finally, we finished our visit by a tasting conducted by a young lady Ms. Marie Meunier.

Château Margaux 2004:
Cabernet sauvignon 75%
Merlot 20%
Petit verdot and Cabernet franc 5%

Average ageing (vineyards): 35 years old.

Floral, dense and a classic margaux





Once again, we would like to thank for your welcome.

MFM