Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s Post

As the famous pink gemstone ‘Tourmaline’, this unique flask cradles the jewel from Côtes de Provence. Region: Provence, in the southeast of France, in a countryside valley called « les Maures ». Grape variety: 50 % Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Syrah. Soil: Clay and limestone, schist. Climate: Mediterranean, very windy with high temperatures and exceptional sun. Vinification: The steadfast commitment to high-quality wine gives a special care dedicated to the grapes after the picking to avoid oxidation and to preserve a light pink color. Winemaking process: Destalked grapes – maceration period for a few hours – pressing – alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature (16-18°C / 60-65°F). Ageing: Ageing on fine lies for 2 months before bottling. Pale shiny pink color. Seductive and delicate with ripe red berries and white flowers on the first and second nose. An explosion of fruit. Expressive on the palate with a nice freshness throughout the finish. Best served between 10°C and 12°C / 50°F and 54°F.

2006 Chateau Lynch Bages didn't disappoint. Its brooding, almost opaque color hinted at the depth within, complemented by youthful aromatics of cassis, blueberries, and black cherries, alongside notes of cigar smoke, shoe polish, Asian spice mix, and crushed oyster shells.⁠ ⁠ The flavor profile mirrors the aroma, with a ripe and dense palate showcasing a harmonious interplay between sweet and savory black fruit, accented by graphite and crushed oyster shells. Savory acidity provides a refreshing lift, characteristic of Bordeaux wines known for their density and richness, yet bright and energetic.⁠ ⁠ As classic as they come, the wine leaves behind a great mineral residue with a sappy and lively aftertaste that invites you to savor each sip. This well-proportioned wine from a classical vintage will benefit from at least 10, if not 20 years of aging to achieve optimal maturity, making it well worth the wait. 93 ⁠ ⁠ While 2009 and 2010 may be superior vintages, requiring 30 years of aging, the 2006 vintage offers fantastic value, especially considering its current price of £500/6 compared to £630/6 for 2009 & 2010. This raises questions about the rationale behind buying En Primeur.⁠ ⁠ #LynchBages2008⁠ #BordeauxWine⁠ #WineLovers⁠ #ChateauLynchBages⁠ #BordeauxVintage⁠ #FineWine⁠

Archive wine talk From our treasure box: WEINSTOFF, Bosco Luganese, a single vineyard, vintage 2013. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels of (new and third passage). Total production of 850 bottles, 15 Magnum, 5 Double Magnum. The Bosco Luganese vineyard is at 562 meters above Sealevel in Malcantone/Ticino. A fairly high vineyard to get Merlot ripe. Harvest took place in the first week of October. Low yields and careful, selective hand picked grapes. No refinement, low interventation in the winemaking process. This Merlot wine at 13% alc. presents various spices, precise woody notes, hints of plumbs, dark berries and hints of earthy notes. On the palate very distinct, with a fantastic acidic fundament, refined tannis, solid and compact body, spices, hints of cedar, leather and tobacco. Beautiful complexity, stunningly balanced with a lingering finish. A modest, small masterpiece.

New Vintage Report: Burgfest 2020 Whites by Matthew Hemming MW 
“Over five days we blind-tasted our way through 250ish of the vintage’s top wines, all at 1er- and Grand- Cru level.  By the end of day two it was clear that 2020 is a very special year for white Burgundy, both in terms of absolute quality and – crucially – consistency.  The week saw some very high ratings and one, notoriously conservative (grumpy?), scorer gave his highest ever mark at Burgfest! * In general terms, the white Burgundies of 2020 present white fruit characters, as opposed to fleshier and more tropical yellow or stone fruit notes. * They tick the boxes for minerality, tension and structure. * 2020s tend to be linear, rather than broad, in profile. * Alcohol levels are generally lower than in the last two vintages.” Click on the link below to read the full report! • #burgfest #burgundywines #masterofwine #vinumfinewines https://lnkd.in/d3wkFz7e

Vintage release in an historic year! For only the fifth time since the turn of the Twentieth Century, climatic conditions have proved providential enough for Pol Roger to release a vintage from the eighth year of a decade. Whether coincidence or not, these vintages have all followed disappointing harvests the previous year, and have all been characterised individually as “muscular, generous, firm, rich, powerful and demonstrative”. Whilst 2008 is still considered as one of finest in Pol Roger’s 175 year history, it is surely the 1928 vintage that will draw the greatest comparison, in this 150th year since Sir Winston Churchill’s birth. It is widely known that the robust Pol Roger 1928 vintage was a firm favourite of Sir Winston Churchill, who continued to enjoy this wine, until supplies ran out in 1953. Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2018 benefitted from wonderful summer conditions of long, warm sunshine-filled days, leading to an early harvest on 20th August. The harvest yielded a plentiful crop (much like in 1928) in immaculate condition, with just over 10% potential alcohol and abundant aromatic levels. Whilst acidity levels are lower than those in 2008, Pol Roger’s careful treatment of the must (with one cool settling in the press house and a further settling at 4c in the Pol Roger cellars), coupled with entirely temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation, mean the wine gives a wonderful impression of tautness and freshness to underpin the undoubted power of the vintage. The dosage has been reduced further to 7g/L in order to show off the expressive aromatics and to further balance the weight on the palate. Sir Winston Churchill loved the robust and mature wines of Pol Roger, and whilst the cépage has changed with the times (to include a higher proportion of Chardonnay), the structure, power and longevity of Pol Roger vintages remain. The House remains dedicated to vintage wines that will stand the test of time, and we are quite sure the Brut Vintage 2018 is a wine that could be enjoyed at Pol Roger’s 200th Anniversary in 2049.

PRESALE OFFER JANUARY 2024 2019 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli The nose is so pure and subtle with a sophistication and ethereal notion to it. It just makes you sit back and ponder the world. Like sitting in a pasture of mountains. Medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that are endless and glorious in every sense. It’s like being connected to a unique piece of the earth when you taste this. Just-ripe berries with dried flowers, shell fish shell, and subtle mushroom and bark. Lasts so long on the palate. Endless. - 100 Points, James Suckling Possibly immortal, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli evolves slowly in the glass, at first dark and dusty with dried violets, cedar and clove. Patience rewards the taster as complex hints of spiced oranges emerge, followed by suggestions of lavender, chalk dust and wild strawberries. This floods the palate with textures of pure silk, weighty yet energetic, with a dense wave of tart wild berry fruits underscored by salty mineral tones and licorice. A core of brisk acidity maintains harmony throughout as a bitter tinge of boysenberry and cocoa settles in, framed by youthfully gripping tannins. The 2019 Vigna Montosoli is an unbridled beast in need of taming. This is an epic wine in the making. - 97 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous Media. #valdicava #brunellodimontalcino #montosoli #italianwines #guichelotti #presale #jamessuckling #vinousmedia #viniferaimports #nothernvirginia #virginia #wine #100pointwine #100points

Georgians take immense pride in their historic #winemaking culture. Amid a revival of traditional methods, the qvevri—an earthenware vessel employed for wine storage and aging for millennia—has evolved into the unofficial emblem of the nation. From tea towels to t-shirts, the qvevri's symbolism thrives, capturing the essence of heritage. While a mere three percent of Georgia's wines are qvevri-made, their allure remains a romantic ode to the nation's past. With rapid global wine exports, especially in the US, Georgia stands as a modest yet significant producer. Yet, the true essence of this art is best savored within its restaurants and vineyards. Georgia's historical significance as the 'cradle of wine' traces back to 6,000BC, where ancient South Caucasus inhabitants pioneered winemaking. They ingeniously transformed grape juice into wine by winter-burying it, some qvevris remaining underground for half a century. The tradition extended to art, with grape motifs adorning sculptures and remnants of wine culture decorating ruins and burial sites. The Soviet era brought both boon and setback to Georgian wine. The wines stood out, yet Gorbachev's anti-alcohol movement impacted older wineries. The 1980s saw a rise in vine acreage, but Russian embargoes post-independence disrupted production. Decades later, the industry's resilience emerged, symbolizing the enduring spirit of Georgian winemaking.

I spent the second week of March exploring forests whence France's famous oak barrels are sourced. Of course, there were also long repasts that were opportunities to taste many wines rarely or never seen in the States. It's these occasions that also remind you what a huge gulf there is between France and, say, the entire West Coast. Whereas the French still focus their artistry on nuances reflecting terroir, Americans are still obsessed with things like varietal character and branding. This was made ever so clear in tastings of whites and reds of Burgundy and the Rhône. Brooding, musclebound Cornas graphically contrasted with sultry, fragrant Côte-Rôtie, minerality of Chassagne entrancingly compared to plumpness of Puligny, etc. In Sancerre, for instance, we tasted whites and reds that had absolutely nothing to do with characteristics of "Sauvignon blanc" or "Pinot noir." It was, like, who cares? Instead, you taste clear-cut delineations of "terres blanches" (clay-limestone white soils), "caillottes" (stony limestone), and "argiles à silex" (flint and clay). You might even ask, why even grow Pinot noir in Sancerre when they're never nearly as perfumed or spicy as, say, anything in Burgundy or the Russian River. The answer, clearly, is because red Sancerres are unique unto themselves, reflecting their origin, not characteristics of fruitiness, and that in itself is all the reason for their existence!

Whether you want Grigio or Gris, sweet or dry, fresh or aged, this versatile grape variety does it all. https://lnkd.in/dzvnMd3s