Monday, March 19, 2007

Back from New York

As the Texan cowboy saying goes: Better create dust than eating it behind.

Back from New York where I attended the event of the Cercle des Grands Vins de la Rive droite organized in the famous restaurant Chanterelle, organized with the efficient help of SOPEXA. I say very efficient, me who in the past 20 years, have not given the proper recognition to this sort of organization helping us!

Well attended with quality guests, all quite favorably surprised by the quality of the 2006 vintage. On our table: Commanderie de Mazeyres, Jean de Gué and Messile Aubert. The pleasure to see customers, friends, like Serge Doré who distributed 120 bottles of Valandraud 1992 when no one knew of our existence.
And still Fronsac, with Collin Ferenbach of Château Vieille Cure who made me laugh with his poster where you could read “One must know that it is in Fronsac that you find the best value for money in Bordeaux”. The journalists attending the event, including the Wine Spectator, show the importance of such trip, which are expensive and tiring (especially this time if the amount of snow expected falls when it is time to take our plane).

We flew with an airline that only flies Orly-New York in business class. The service was correct, at a decent price, however I don’t understand why the seats only incline 140°?

We ate in trendy restaurants like BLT Steak House with 2 friends distributors from New York and Dominique Decoster from Château Fleur Cardinale, and visited wine shops.

Saturday and Sunday, we worked on the blending of Château de Carles with Doctor Alain Raynaud, who is the new consultant with me. All in this place has been implemented to make the best of the best on the 20 hectare (49 acres) of the property, one of the most beautiful in Bordeaux. I also tasted, with Guillaume Quéron, the batches not yet assembled from the properties he is responsible for.

Monday, final tasting of the batches of 2006 for this year’s futures campaign, this afternoon, I have an appointment in Bordeaux with ChateauOnLine to tape my comments on Château La Dominique and Valandraud. Finally, mail order companies are waking up…

Tomorrow Tuesday, 1st UGC tasting organized for the Bordeaux wholesalers to introduce the 2006 vintage.

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