▻ Michael Broadbent
▴ The late Michael Broadbent
Episode Summary:-
Sarah Kemp remembers Michael Broadbent, author, auctioneer and friend for 30 years who died earlier this year. In this episode she talks about his ground-breaking work and his wise advice on how to approach fine wine. Sarah remembers some of his great columns for Decanter magazine, including the one in which he declared his ambition to make love in the great vineyards of the world, which won him the Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year award. She looks back on how his career started and how he managed to write his own job description to launch the Christie's Wine Department in 1966. A tribute to a remarkable man who wrote the seminal guide to wine tasting and influenced a generation of wine lovers.
““My laudable ambition was for making love in the great vineyards””
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 4.35
Michael's approach to appraising wine
"Which is the soloist, which is the accompanist"
Michael had a very structured approach to appraising wine, and was a strong believer in taking notes. -
4.36 – 6.10
Michael's early career
"Rembering the taste of wine but forgetting the name is tiresome, make a note"
Michael trained as an architect but discovered it was not the right career for him. On his mother's suggestion he joined the wine trade and in 1966 opened Christie's wine department, after writing to them with a job description, which he fulfilled brilliantly. -
6.11 – 9.50
Wine Tasting and Vintage Wine
"He described the Sauternes as smelling of wet knickers - surprisingly accurate"
"Vintage Wine" is published with 10,000 tasting notes, ranging from the 1680 vintage to 2001. While Michael's taste was for the clasiccs, in particular Bordeaux, Port and German Riesling, he was the man who put Chateau Musar from Lebanon on the map. His other book "Wine Tasting" was hugely influential, and Jancis Robinson MW consulted it regularaly early on in her career. -
9.50 – 13.16
A lunch rescued by a good Pisco Sour
"Michael loved women, and women loved Michael"
Michael was a great dining companion, his favourite restaurants were Wiltons in St James and Formosa, a Chinese restaurant across from Chelsea football ground. Sarah remembers taking him to Lima, the Peruvian restaurant, which he loathed, and the lunch was rescued by several Pisco Sours, Michael was partial to a cocktail.
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Further reading:-
Wine Tasting – Micheal Broadbent
Gary Boom of Bordeaux Index on how he built one of the world’s largest fine wine companies, his successes and failures, and his predictions for the future of fine wine.