▻ Omnibus XXIX
Brought to you by our Founder Sponsor SANTA RITA ESTATES.
Episode Summary:-
This month our US Editor Elin McCoy is reporting from France, our Bordeaux Editor Jane Anson from Macau, Founder Sarah Kemp has been in Bordeaux, and our Contributing Editor John Stimpfig has been riding around the lanes of Oxfordshire preparing for a charity bike ride in Burgundy when not hunting down the major wine stories of the month. There are no lengths the team will go to bring you the important wine news of the month!
Every year in late April there is one topic which dominates the wine world’s airwaves – En Primeur, the question of the latest Bordeaux vintage’s quality and price. Sarah has just returned from Bordeaux, where she logged a lot of mileage tasting with Jane and talking to the producers. She has found a lot to love (caveat – not all), and prefers 2023 over 2022 stylistically. John discusses the views of the merchants who believe that unless prices come down, the En Primeur system will break. as there is considerable wine unsold from previous vintages. We have heard that the châteaux will be releasing their wines early, so it won’t be long until we find out.
There’s also good news from Australia – the draconian Chinese tariffs which were imposed on wine back in 2020 have finally been lifted, and wine is moving to China again. John discusses how the Chinese wine landscape has changed since then, with wine imports falling dramatically in the last five years, so while it is good news, it will be a very different market for the Australian wineries to re-enter.
The Old Vine Hero Awards, launched by the Old Vine Conference, the non-profit company dedicated to nuture and value great old vines, and their wines, have just been announced, and John reveals the six winners. There were 105 nominees from 17 countries, and more than 3,000 votes were cast; both John and Sarah are impressed. The winners were Professor Calo Petrussi of Friuli-Venezia Giulia for viticulture, Viviana Malafraina of Basilico in Italy for winemaking, Feudi di San Gregorio for research, Randy Caparoso for Communication, Joel Peterson for commercial impact, and a special award to Derek Mossmann Knapp of Garage Wine Co in Chile.
Climate change is a constant topic on The Wine Conversation, and John discusses a report by the Nature Reviews Earth and Environment Journal which predicts that by the end of the century, 29% of existing wine regions will experience too extreme weather to produce premium wine, and 41% will only have the ability to survive if they adapt to climate-change methods in the vineyards. The areas most at risk are coastal and lowland Spain, Italy, Greece and Southern California.
John is also supplementing his work as Contributing Editor, heroically back on his bike for a 200km bike ride across Burgundy for the Bike to Care charity event, (which was founded by Pierre-Henri Gagey of Louis Jadot), with the Hatch Mansfield team to raise money for the charity Hospitality Action. He is unashamedly putting out his begging bowl, with a link to his JustGiving page below. On May 30th John and the Hatch Mansfield team are also staging a stellar Charity Gala Wine Dinner at Nobu in West London. Four celebrated chefs will be creating the menu, including Tom Hamblet, professional MasterChef winner last year; wines will include Louis Jadot, Taittinger, and Errazuriz, and on the evening there will be the opportunity to bid for some spectacular auction prizes, including visits to some of the great vineyards of the world. See further information for details.
Jane reports on the inaugural Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards which were held at Wynn Macau, where she was judging. Jane discusses the competition, which featured 800 different wines from around 200 to 220 producers. The top wine is a Marselan, from the Helan Mountains in Ninxia, Fei Tswei Marselan Reserve 2021. Jane believes that Marselan may be China’s most successful grape and reveals that the owner of the winning winery was influenced by the 2011 Decanter Wine World Award winner Jai Bei Lan, which won the Bordeaux Varietal Trophy.
Before setting off for France, Elin meets up in New York with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the CEO of Mouton-Rothschild, to discuss the new range of Mouton Cadet which has been produced specifically with Gen Z in mind. Two of his children, Nathan and Mathilde, and his nephew Pierre, have been involved in the creation of the wines. The wines are Mouton Cadet White 2023 by Nathan Sereys de Rothschild, Mouton Cadet 2023 Red by Pierre Ogren de Rothschild and Mouton Cadet Rosé by Mathilde Sereys de Rothschild. Elin describes the wines, which are organic and come in innovative packaging, and notes, “I think that when you have a brand like Mouton Cadet that started in 1930, I was astounded by that.”
Next, she’s off to Paris for the launch of the new Bollinger Grand Année 2015, which she describes as “lovely with a lot of fruit and a plum note. It’s very gastronomic, very, very luscious and round.” However, the wine Elin raves about is the La Grand Année Rosé 2015, of which she says, “Buy, buy, buy.” After Paris, a trip to Champagne, where she learns that Bollinger are working on a creating a hotel, a restaurant and a new tasting room for visitors in their garden.
Elin finishes her report by revealing an exciting destination for wine and art lovers, Château Le Coste, in Provence. The château holds incredible art exhibitions, and currently there is an exhibition by Damien Hirst, with 85 works, many of which have not been seen in public before. It closes on 23rd June. For gourmets there are four restaurants to choose from, including those of famous chefs Francis Mallmann and Helen Darroze. So far, so gastronomically upmarket, but what surprised Elin was the announcement that they are also launching their first no-alcohol wine. The name of the wines is NOOH (the first two letters for the word NO, and OH the symbol for the alcohol molecule). The wine in the range which impressed her most was the pink sparkler: “it was the best non-alcoholic wine I have ever tasted,” she declares, and urges people to try it “You will be surprised!” she says.
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 32.20
“29% of existing wine regions will experience too-extreme climate conditions to produce premium-priced wine by the end of this century.” – Nature Reviews Earth and Environment Journal
– The Bordeaux 2023 campaign--merchants’ concerns.
– Chinese wine tariffs lifted on Australian wine.
– The Old Vine Hero Awards.
– Climate Change report’s prediction on survival of wine regions.
– Charity Gala Wine Dinner and Auction for Hospitality Action.
– History and story of our Founder Sponsor Viña Santa Rita. -
32.21 – 48.22
“The grape which won, Marselan, is the one I feel China can find great success with.” – Jane Anson
– The results of the inaugural Wynn Macau Chinese Wine Awards.
– Elin McCoy talks to Philippe Sereys de Rothschild about the new range of Mouton Cadet for Gen Z. -
36.00 – 58.05
“We tasted the La Grand Année Rosé from 2015, which yes, buy, buy, buy, get it.” – Elin McCoy
– Elin McCoy flies to Paris to taste Bollinger’s Grand Année’s new vintages.
– Château La Coste – a destination for art and wine lovers.
– Château La Coste’s new range of no-alcohol wines.
RELATED POSTS
Keep up with our adventures in wine
News and views aplenty in this month’s Omnibus, good, bad and damn frightening. Great wine and art in Provence, Bollinger’s new launches, exciting award-winning Chinese wines, Old Vine Hero Awards, Mouton Cadet for Gen Z, and the annual conversation about En Primeur prices plus climate change predictions (spoiler very frightening). Brought to you by our Founder Sponsor Santa Rita Estates