Chinese Translation : 波尔多名酒行情表

09/03/10

INTERNET : In the absence of a stock exchange for great wines, some brokers are launching their own websites. The Lévêque family is one example.

“What is the current market price for Château Haut Marbuzet 2001 or Talbot 2006?” Or, “Where can I find them, and in what quantites?” An importer in Boston, a distributor in Beijing, or a Parisian wine retailer would all be hard put to find the answers to these simple questions. The reason is this : the great Bordeaux wines market (like other wine markets) is very fragmented, and there is no central ’stock exchange’ where offer and demand could meet and consequently define an accessible official quotation list. Following the example of quoted prices of wheat or oil, which, contrary to bottled wines, are both raw materials.

Bordeaux broker François Lévêque has developed an innovative website whose aim is both to clarify the fine wines market and to create its own niche in this competitive field.

“Visitors to the website will find prices for 250 of the most prestigious Bordeaux estate wines, spanning over several recent and older vintages. We carry a total of over 4,700 references,” explains Caroline Lévêque, who, as François’ daughter, represents the fifth generation of the family taking up the challenge in the wine brokerage business.

Let’s remember that a broker (and there are around one hundred of them in Bordeaux) is an intermediary between producers and merchants for wine transactions. He or she is paid on a commission basis of 2% which is paid by the merchant.

François Lévêque’s company website is the result of a year’s computing research in partnership with Mellitis, a software and web management company based in Gironde. The family brokerage business has thus joined a handful of other brokers who use similar resources (Balaresque, Tastet & Lawton…).

Access restricted to professionals only :

Based on data supplied by the wineries and a hundred merchant companies specialised in fine wines, this new website, which is restricted to professionals only via an access code, This website provides its clients with a detailed offer of any wines on the ‘Bordeaux’ market at a given moment, the current price range and the quantities available. This is essential information when comparing and purchasing. “Our clients can also compare our data with that of the Winedecider.com website as we have an agreement with them which enables us to know the price of wines once they reach the end consumer, in France and abroad.(1). This information comes mainly from commercial websites,” adds François Lévêque, who has been a broker for twenty-seven years. Fine wines represent 85% of his business.

Of course, the release prices of wines sold on the ‘futures market’ (en primeur) are catalogued vintage after vintage to make it easier to compare the future prices with deliverable wine prices several years on. “Did I get a good bargain when I bought such-and-such château ‘en primeur’ in such-and-such year?” The response is immediate with, into the
bargain, a graph showing price changes. What wine enthusiast wouldn’t dream of this type of information, which is only partially available today by way of auction sales, where buying fine wines has become a speculative business, playing the market rather than simply buying them for the pleasure of drinking them.

“In our ‘fragmented’ profession, thorough specialist knowledge of the markets is an integral part of our business,” explains François Lévêque. Beyond the futures sales season (April- July), there is an all-year-round deliverable sales market.

(1) : www.winedecider.com and www.winesearcher.com are two benchmark price comparing websites accessible to the general public.

PHOTO : (S.Lartigue) : Broker François Lévêque and his daughter Caroline.

Author:César Compadre
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

Chinese Translation : 中法跨国夫妻档投资普瑟冈产区酒庄

BY A FRENCH-CHINESE COUPLE :

LIBOURNE AREA : A top executive of the company Veolia’s Asian branch and his Chinese wife have bought Château Moulins Listrac.

A Franco-Chinese couple have just invested in the vineyard, which is located in the Libourne area. At the beginning of this year, Château Moulins Listrac, in the village of Puisseguin, was purchased by François Rudloff, a senior executive of Veolia, and his wife, Kuai Leng Cheong, who has become managing director of the company running the estate. Château Moulins Listrac was previously owned by the Lalande brothers and had been up for sale for some time. The estate’s vineyard is planted on two sites which are in fact three kilometres apart, in “Moulins” and in “Listrac”. The property includes a fine manor house and a stone cellar, which despite needing some renovation work, is operational.

Developing sales in China :

François Rudloff works for the Asian branch office of Veolia and lives in Macao, near Hong Kong, which the Chinese government reclaimed several years ago. His aim was to purchase a small-sized wine property in a quality ‘terroir’ area. Although he plans to develop sales of Moulins Listrac in China, he does not wish to abandon the estate’s traditional clientèle.

The clay-limestone soils of Moulins Listrac, which is planted primarily with merlot, provide him with a good potential. In order to make the most of the vineyard’s possibilities, François Rudloff has entrusted Jean de Laître with the operational management of the estate. The latter already provides a similar service for several wineries in the Gironde region. Vinification will be monitored by Stéphane Toutoundji, a successful wine-maker based in Libourne, whose expertise already benefits around fifty châteaux in the area.

Moulins Listrac is not the only estate in Puisseguin to have been bought by investors from outside the Libourne area. In 2003, Benjamin de Rothschild, who is both a banker and owner of several wine estates, including Château Clarke in the Médoc, acquired Château de Laurets, whose 86 hectares of vineyard spread over both Montagne and Puisseguin.

Gérard Opérie, who is president of the Puisseguin wine growers syndicate, thinks this kind of transaction is rather a good thing for the local vineyard and the appellation. The reason being that not only do these investors have the financial means to make the best use of the ‘terroir’, but they also possess a network of contacts which will help contribute to the vineyard’s notoriety.

PHOTO : (Stéphane Klein) : Moulins Listrac plans to export to China.

Bernard Broustet S.O. 03/03/10

Author:Bernard.Broustet
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

Chinese Translation : 一周生活初体验之

02/03/10

PATRICK FOURREAU : Wine grower on his family property of 40 hectares of Appellation Contrôlée in Néac (Gironde).

“This is a family affair, involving myself, my wife and my parents. We farm a 40 hectare vineyard, spread over four AOC’s : Haut-Surget (Lalande-de-Pomerol), Fleur Saint-Esprit (Bordeaux), Grand Moulinet (Pomerol), and our latest château, Le Grand Cardinal (3 hectares in Saint-Emilion), which we acquired in June. We produce on average 240,000 bottles a year, a third of which are exported. We have now finished pruning the vines and are currently replacing damaged trellis posts.

In the cellar, the priority is making the 2009 vintage blends of our Lalande-de-Pomerol and Pomerol wines which will be presented as futures at the end of March. We are also preparing our 2008 wines for bottling, which is planned to begin on the 12th March, using our own bottling chain. We work with the Bordeaux-based laboratory, Oenoconcept (Christophe Marret).

We are also following the case of the “Bannis de Pomerol” (Pomerol exiles) with interest : this obligation to build a cellar is causing us prejudice. Finally, we are busy preparing our open-doors weekend at Lalande, the 24th and 25th of April, by way of a customer mailing. Concerning our export market : orders are arriving from the ‘dollar zone’ (US.,Mexico and Peru) due to the fall of the euro.”

Author:César Compadre
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

Chinese Translation : 曼哈顿的酿酒屋

02/03/10

Wine tourism : David Lecomte, who hails from the Rhone region of France, makes wine in central New York, in a complex which also includes a restaurant and musical entertainment : a breath-taking feat indeed.

In a building located just a stone’s throw from Wall Street, on the South side of Manhattan, at the heart of New York City, David Lecomte is busy in his barrel cellar. In the building next door stand fifteen stainless steel vats. These are not scenes from a new Hollywood film, but a real sign of the unrestrained universal nature of wine production.

“City Winery opened in April 2008. millions of dollars were invested to convert this former printing works, where eight layers of paint covered the woodwork,” jokes wine-maker David Lecomte, whose tired look is one of a man who never stops all day (1).

This unique venue in Manhattan is the brainchild of Michael Dorf, a born-and-bred New Yorker who made his fortune in the music industry. In order to bring this concept of wine tourism in the midst of skyscrapers to fruition, Mr.Dorf called upon Rhone-born David Lecomte, who has been a wine-maker in the US for the last eight years, first in California, and now at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.

“City Winery combines four elements : a cellar where clients can make their own wines, a concert hall with a raised stage for performers, a wine bar and restaurant, and finally a team who organise private parties or events like weddings,” explains David. The place itself is on two levels (ground floor and basement), and is both spacious and elegant, like a large loft with a high ceiling, warm natural (pale wood) colours which offset the metal structure on the ceiling and provides seating for 350 people!

“If we divide up the area with partitions, we can house up to five separate events at the same time,” adds the oenology graduate from the Montpellier wine school, who hasn’t forgotten the initial teething problems caused by the economic crisis breakout at the end of 2008.

Jet-setting grapes :

It is hardly surprising that the City Winery makes its own wine, as it aims to take advantage of the fact that Americans are more and more attracted to this beverage, which already accounts for two thirds of the total number of drinks consumed by the establishment’s clientèle today. 200 customers have taken it a step further by buying a 225 litre barrel with a view to producing their own bottled brew. The technical work from start to finish (the label) costs between 27 and 37 dollars per bottle (2). The bestselling batches are those of pinot noir and cabernet-sauvignon. But where do the grapes come from? In September 2008 and 2009, bunches of grapes harvested in lightweight crates in Oregon and California crossed the country in one week in refrigerated trucks. Last March, grapes from Argentina arrived after three weeks onboard a ship.

This coming Spring, Chilian grapes will be arriving by plane, and perhaps even bunches from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley will follow suit this Autumn.

In Manhattan, this kind of unprecedented activity does not appear to pose any problems whatsoever : ventilators expel the carbon dioxide gas produced during vinification ; stems and pressed skins finish up as compost, following the same route as kitchen waste ; lees (sediments) are even used in some dishes.

Projects already abound : cookery classes upstairs, seminars on blending techniques, making hand-drawn wine available to customers, and even another City Winery in Chicago.

(1) www.citywinery.com

(2) Crushpad developed a similar concept in California and aims to establish itself in Bordeaux.

PHOTO : (C.C) : David Lecomte, wine-maker at the City Winery : “I believe in selling hand-drawn wine at the bar.”

César Compadre in New York, 02/03/2010

Author:César Compadre
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

INTERVIEW : How to blend the different grape varietals before the futures campaign? The answer to this question can be found at Château Olivier, in the Pessac-Léognan appellation :

The ceremonial remains unchanged. A religious silence reigns over Laurent Lebrun and Damien Bielle, as they note down their impressions. they are tasting 30 samples taken that day from different barrels in the ageing cellar. They blind taste one after the other, comparing them in groups of three. At this time of year, tasting sessions like this one will be repeated almost every day, and for several weeks running, in order to choose the best batches of the two varietals, merlot and cabernet-sauvignon, which will eventually make up the premium wine of Château Olivier. This magnificent château is a great classified growth (for both red and white wines) of Graves, nestled as it is, in the midst of woodland, in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

This is what blending is all about. This work is crucial as it will determine the wine’s profile, once its ageing process in barrels is finished. In Bordeaux, the blend must be determined before the futures campaign begins, in mid-March. “It’s a little too early,” admits Damien Bielle, who is cellar master at the château, “Even if this year’s vintage lends itself better to early blending.”

Sanctioning the work :

“It’s a time of year we look forward to,” explains Laurent Lebrun, who has been Château Olivier’s general manager since 2002. “Although, there will be few surprises, because we have known since the harvest (and thanks to successive samples since then) how this vintage will turn out, we are still keen to taste the fruits of our labour.” Before his arrival, Château Olivier was living a peaceful life in its green country setting, its 50 hectare AOC vineyard surrounded by 220 hectares of protected AOC forest. The wines were pleasant but not ambitious. Owner Jean-Jacques de Bethmann has put an end to this tranquil existence since 2000, when he started revolutioning the vineyard and put Laurent Lebrun in charge of operations. “We drilled 200 holes all over the vineyard. The identity of a great classifed cru lies in the diversity of the ‘terroirs’ (soil types). This is what gives the complexity that lacks in other, less fortunate vineyards.”

Discovering a treasure trove :

“We thought the property would reveal some interesting plots,” he continues. “There, in the woods, we identified 8 hectares of compact gravely soil, on the South Western side of the estate. We had found treasure. This is top quality soil for vines. We immediately cleared the land and planted cabernet. Meanwhile, the existing vats were replaced by smaller ones, which enabled us to vinify plot by plot - with more accuracy. This year, this plot, called Bel Air, will be intergrated into the premium wine for the first time. We are tasting it at the moment.” “It’s so rich! And smoothly sweet!” exclaims Damien, breaking the silence. “Our challenge in blending will be to arbitrate between power and elegance : to find the right balance.” “What is extraordinary, for technicians like us, ” continues Laurent Lebrun, “is that there is nothing scientific about blending. Everything depends on feeling and emotion. That is the majestic quality of wine.”

PHOTO : (Claude Petit) : Laurent Lebrun and Damien Bielle : “We need to arbitrate between power and elegance.”

Author:Claude.Petit
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• by : Maxine.Colas

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

Dominique BESSINEAU, owner of Château Côte Montpezat in Belvès-de-Castillon (appellation Castillon Côtes-de-Bordeaux) :

“This week, four events have kept us busy, both at the property and outside it. Pruning, which we started in November, is still in full swing, and Jean-françois Lalle (our vineyard manager) and I feel like we’ll never see the end of it!

Since last year, we have decided to practice the double Guyot pruning method on the vines.

This cultivation method takes longer, but has become a necessity if we are to improve the quality of our wines. We have also been round all the plots on the estate with our contractor, to note any Winter damage caused to the vineyard access tracks.

Then, there was a short visit to Brussels with our consultant, Stéphane Derenoncourt, for a meeting with our Belgian clients, who are big fans of our wines. Lastly, we had several tasting sessions of the sumptuous 2009 vintage, in order to prepare our final blend.”

Photo : (Claude Petit SO) : Dominique Bessineau.

PHOTO : (DR SO).

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

INTERNET : The wine merchant company, Millésima, invites its customers to visit wine estates, by way of video documentaries online, on their commercial website.

Since 1983, Millésima (1) has established itself as the European leader in online sales of great classified châteaux wines and top end non classfied property wines. The company has also been present on the US market for the past four years, via its mail order sales activity. From the start, Millésima was interested in the Internet’s potential. Now this Bordeaux-based company has taken it a step further, and has consequently managed to differentiate itself from its competitors by using the “rich media” technique - a user friendly software application incorporating sound, image and video.

4 minute videos :

The company enlisted the services of a Web TV specialist, Frédéric Lot, to bring the project to fruition. He has been roaming the great châteaux of Gironde since last Summer, armed with a digital video camera, making four minute videos. Part of his mini-films are already accessible on the Millésima website.

Margaux, Palmer, Lafite-Rothschild, Cheval Blanc, Angélus, d’Yquem are among the châteaux available for virtual visits online. Estate managers give explanations about the property in question, wine production, the current vintage in the making, etc. “In providing this service, we are looking to connect more with the consumers,” explains Fabrice Bernard, who is in charge of marketing at Millésima. “We wanted to enrich the content on our commercial website by creating this parallel service, as 60% of our website visitors look for information first, before following through with a purchase.”

Referencing on wine blogs :

In launching this platform, another of Millésima’s aims was to be listed on the major social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vinivino, Vindicateur as well as on the leading blogs dedicated to wine, such as Wine Library TV in the US, Wine on the Rock in Germany, Vinomaniac TV or the “Bu sur le Web” blog by a passionate lady wine lover from Quebec.

Because information about wine is rife on the Web, millésima chose to distinguish itself by offering a wider readability. “Wine sales on the Internet represent just 3% of global sales. It’s early days yet,” underlines gérard Spatafora, who is in charge of web marketing at Millésima. However, the people who talk about wine are already widely referenced. For example, 840,000 people follow the Wine Library TV news on Twitter, and there are 37,000 fans on Facebook. We wanted to bring content to fuel these blogs and networks.”

Millésima hopes that this initiative will multiply the links leading to its sales website. Eventually, this Bordeaux company aims to provide videos of its entire range, which, besides the great Bordeaux châteaux wines, also includes the flagship estates of Burgundy, Champagne, Rhone Valley and Alsace.

In this context of economic instability which is effcting the wine business, Millésima is banking on the rich media to increase its market share and consequently continue to move its stock of 2,5 million bottles ageing peacefully in the cellars.

(1) :www.millésima.fr

PHOTO : (Claude Petit) : Gérard Spatafora and Fabrice Bernard believe in the future expansion of wine sales online.

Jean-Pierre Tamisier, S.O. 23/02/2010

Author:Jean Pierre.Tamisier
Photo:DR SO

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• by : Maxine.Colas

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.

EDOUARD MIAILHE : on managing of Château Siran (Margaux) and living in the Philippines :

"This week, we had a debriefing with the Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels (highest quality Cru Bourgeois estates in the Médoc). We have decided to speed up the development of our common marketing project. There will probably be seven of us involved. I also met with wine merchants to prepare presentation of the new 2009 vintage.

I was also pleased to welcome Judy Leissner, a Chinese friend who owns Grace Vineyard, a high quality vineyard West of Peking, which produces 1,5 million bottles per year! Finally, I am working on the Bordeaux wines’ public image in Asia, where I live. In fact, I’m preparing my return home to Manilla, planned at the end of this week, where my family is awaiting me. This weekend, we will take the children to the island of Donson, where we plan to swim with the whales."

PHOTO : (DR SO).

• www.sudouest.com

• S.O.

• Translated by : Maxine.Colas TripAdvisor

• Contact

Copyrigth 2009 - © -Bordeaux Wine News-All Rights Reserved.