In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Bar a Vin a Bordeaux

The city of Bordeaux is a jewel, with vestiges from the Roman era and medieval town gates.  However, the 18th century was its golden age. Victor Hugo once said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux.”

Bordeaux is often referred to as "Little Paris". Baron Haussmann, a long-time prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux’s 18th century, big-scale rebuilding as a model when he was asked by Emperor Napoleon III to transform a then still quasimedieval Paris into a “modern” capital that would make France proud.

The city was ruled by the English for a long time, which is why Bordeaux seems to have an "English flair". After the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Bordeaux came under English rule between 1152 and 1453. It was then that the British first developed their taste for Claret, as the red Bordeaux wine is called in the UK.

The city has recently been classified by UNESCO as an “outstanding urban and architectural ensemble”.Bordeaux  has a million inhabitants, including a lively university community of over 60,000.

Bordeaux is a flat city, built on the left banks of the Garonne. The Garonne merges a dozen kilometers below the city with the Dordogne to form the Gironde, which is biggest estuary in France.

 Pictures: Bordeaux

The two main entertainment spots are: (1) Formerly inhabited by wine merchant warehouses, the docks (les quais) are now home to gardens, bike and skate paths, boutiques, museums, cafés, bars and restaurants. (2) La Victoire is the other area for entertainment: Historical monuments meet student life and bars. Most of the pubs and bars of the town are here. Virtually, all the shops in the surroundings of this area are bars.

Bordeaux City’s Vineyards

The outskirts of the city of Bordeaux are the birthplace of the phenomenal Bordeaux wine boom. It was here – in the Graves - that the region first gained its reputation, as early as the 14th century – hundreds of years before Dutch wine merchants and producers drained the marshes of the Medoc. In the Middle Ages, much of the Claret - as red Bordeaux is called in the United Kingdom - shipped to London was grown within in easy distance to the Quai de Chartrons in Bordeaux.

For centuries, Graves encompassed all the vineyards south of the border with the Medoc, in a great sweep around the city of Bordeaux with the exception of the sweet wine appellations of Sauternes, Cerons and Barsac, which are nestled within the boundaries of the Graves, but are independently recognized because of their outstanding noble-sweet white wines. But in 1987, the Pessac-Leognan appellation was carved out of the northern end of the Graves, encompassing Graves’ most respected producers.  The four key producers in Pessac-Leognan are Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion (both in American hands), Laville Haut-Brion and Pape Clement (named after Pope Clement V, who ordered its original vineyards to be planted in the 14th century).

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller at Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Pape Clement

Interestingly, these chateaux are within the city limits of Bordeaux and well within the Bordeaux beltway. This is the most urban wine area I have seen in Bordeaux and perhaps in the whole world. Indeed, the vineyards of Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and Pape Clement are surrounded by suburban development.

The Quai de Chartons and the Negoicants

Two hundred years ago, négociant offices lined the Quai de Chartrons on the Garonne to allow for easy loading and unloading of wine barrels heading to England, but also to other parts of northern Europe. Few négociants remain in the Chartrons area now, but we plan to visit their modern equivalent, Millésima, at the other end of the city, when we come back in September.

Bar á Vin - The Wine Bar in the Maison de Bordeaux 

An excellent place to enjoy Bordeaux from different regions by the glass is the Bar á Vin, the wine bar in the Maison de Bordeaux (of the Conseil Interprofessionnel Du Vin De Bordeaux (C.I.V.B.)), right across the street from the Tourist Office and just across the tramway tracks from the main Quinconces Square. However, if you interested in wines in the higher price categories, do not go there, as the Bar a Vin only serves Petites Bordeaux.

Pictures: Bar a Vin in Bordeaux

Plateau des Fruits de Mer and Arcachon

Bordeaux City is also an excellent place for fruits de mer. Remember, to the west of Bordeaux is the Atlantic Ocean and the sea-side town of Arcachon, noted for its oyster production. Near Arcachon is the biggest sand dune in Europe.

Picture: Plateau des Fruits des Mers

Hotel de 4 Sœurs, the Opera and Richard Wagner 

We stayed overnight at The Hotel des 4 Sœurs, set in an authentic XVIIIe century bordelais building right next to the Opera. This establishment is a real institution in Bordeaux – Wagner took up residency there in Mai 1850.

Pictures: Bordeaux at Night with the Opera House

In September with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim

Picture: Bistro Les Negociants

We will come back to Bordeaux City in September with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, to have lunch at the Bistro Les Negociants and to visit Millésima.

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Meeting Gregoire Pissot – the Winemaker at Cave de Lugny in the Maconnais – in Washington DC, USA/France

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Gregoire Pissot, the Winemaker at Cave de Lugny in the Maconnais

Mariam Raz Razavi - wine lover, educator, purveyor and consultant serving individual, corporate and embassy clients in the Washington, DC area - had invited me to a Happy Hour with winemaker Gregoire Pissot from the Cave de Lugny in the Maconnais. Gregoire came right from Dulles Airport. It was a long day for him. He had left his home town Lugny in the Maconnais very early in the morning to take the TGV to Paris; there, he took Air France across the Atlantic Ocean, which arrived in the afternoon at Dulles Airport, Washington DC’s International Airport. The final leg was about an hour’s drive into the city. He was a bit hungry and suffering from jet-lag, but in good spirits, looking forward to a week in the US, covering both the East and the West Coast. We spoke in both French and English. This is his third trip to the US.

We had a lot to talk about as I had just visited the Maconnais, en route from Bordeaux back to Frankfurt am Main in German.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Mariam Raz Razam

Bourgogne

The Maconnais is one of the sub regions of the Bourgogne. Most of the wine produced here is Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Chablis and Beaujolais are formally part of the Bourgogne, but wines from those two sub regions are usually referred to by their own names.

Some way south of Chablis is the Côte d'Or, where Burgundy's most famous wines originate. All Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy (except for Chablis Grand Cru) are here. The Côte d'Or is split into two parts: the Côte de Nuits in the north and the Côte de Beaune in the south. The wine-growing area is just 40 kilometers long, and in most places less than 2 kilometers wide; the area is made up of tiny villages. Further south is the Côte Chalonnaise, where a mix of mostly red and white wines are produced. Below the Côte Chalonnaise is the Mâconnais region, known for producing easy-drinking and more affordable white wine. Further south again is the Beaujolais region. The Bourgogne (including Chablis but excluding Beaujolais) covers a total of 28,000 hectares. Côte d'Or covers 8,000 hectares.

Picture: The Bourgogne

The Roman Catholic Church had an important influence on the history of Burgundy wine. As the power of the Roman Catholic Church decreased, many vineyards which had been in the church's hands over many centuries, were sold to the Bourgeoisie after Napoleon’s secularization drive. The Napoleonic inheritance laws resulted in a continued subdivision of vineyard holdings, so that some growers today hold only a row or two of vines. Clos Vougeot, for example, which was a single 125 acre run by the monks, today is parceled into plots owned by nearly 80 different producers. This led to the emergence of négociants who aggregate the production of smaller growers to make a single wine. Négociants play a vital role in the Bourgogne, ranging from simple labeling and distribution, to carrying out the entire wine-making process. Négociants may supply wines at all quality levels, including Grand Cru.

Bourgogne Classification

Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France. Immense attention is paid to the area of origin, as opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux. A specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine's producer. The main levels in the Burgundy classifications, in descending order of quality, are:

Grand Cru wines are produced from a small number of vineyards in the Côte d'Or and make up 2% of the production at 35 hectoliters per hectare. The origins of Burgundy's Grand Crus can be found in the work of the Cistercians who, among their vast land holdings, were able to delineate and isolate plots of land that produced wine of distinct character. There are 33 Grand Cru vineyards in the Bourgogne.

Premier Cru wines are produced from specific vineyards that are considered to be of high, but slightly lower quality; they make up 12% of production at 45 hectoliters/hectare.

Village appellation wines are produced from vineyard sites within the boundaries of one of 42 villages. Village wines make up 36% of production at 50 hectoliters/hectare.

Pictures: Gregoire Pissot

Regional appellation wines are wines which are allowed to be produced over the entire region, or over an area significantly larger than that of an individual village. These appellations can be divided into three groups:
AOC Bourgogne, the standard appellation for wines made anywhere throughout the region; these wines may be produced at 55 hectoliters/hectare.

Sub regional appellations cover a part of Burgundy larger than a village. Examples are Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and Mâcon-Villages.

Wines of specific styles or other grape varieties include white Bourgogne Aligoté (which is primarily made with the Aligoté grape), red Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains (which can contain up to two thirds Gamay) and sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne.

Maconnais

The Mâconnais takes its name from the provincial town of Mâcon. Most of the wine made in the Mâconnais is white wine. Chardonnay is the main grape grown.

Unlike the Cote d'Or to the north, where a densely planted strip of vineyards runs through the countryside, the vineyards of the Maconnais are more sparsely planted and interspersed with land dedicated to other forms of agriculture.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Miriam Raz Razam and Gregoire Pissot

Macon has historically been most famous for its red wines. During the 20th century, however, white wine production accelerated dramatically and now represents the large majority of Maconnais wines. These whites are produced exclusively from the quintessential Burgundian variety Chardonnay.

Appellations

Bourgogne AOC – Interestingly, red wine made from Pinot Noir in Macon is typically sold under the more-prestigious Bourgogne AOC appellation.

Macon  AOC - the generic appellation for red, white and rose wines from the Maconnais. The term Superieur may be added to denote a slightly higher alcohol level.

Macon Lugny AOC - Macon plus name of village AOC: a number of communes within the appellation's catchment area have been recognized as sources of higher-quality wines and may append their names to that of the appellation; for example, Macon Lugny.

Mâcon-Villages AOC - a title reserved for white wines.

Pouilly-Fuissé AOC with junior partners Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles

Sain-Veran AOC

Vire-Clesse AOC - In 1999, Vire and Clesse  were granted their own appellation, joining the ranks of the  longer-established white wine appellations of Pouilly-Vinzelles, Pouilly-Loche and Pouilly-Fuisse, and the larger Saint-Veran appellation – introduced in 1971 to cover many wines previously labeled as Beaujolais Blanc.

Cave de Lugny

Cave de Lugny is a cooperative of over 250 members and 1,500 hectares, across 21 Mâconnais villages. The Cave de Lugny produces 6 million bottles of AOC wine annually. The Cave de Lugny accounts for about half of the total wine production of the Mâconnais. There are 3 production sites - Lugny, Chardonnay (Chardonnay is also the name of a village) and Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé. Of the 1500 hectares, 1200 are Chardonnay, 124 Pinot Noir, 80 Gamay and 20 hectares Aligoté.

Gregoire Pissot

It was fun to talk with Gregoire. I like his stylish glasses. He graduated from the Universite de Bourgogne in 1997. He was the winemaker in charge of sparkling wines at Maison Boisset for 7 years until he became the winemaker at Cave de Lugny.

Pictures: Gregoire Pissot

Portfolio

“We make a lot of Cremant de Bourgogne, but do not export it” said Gregoir. Here is what Cave de Lugny makes, when it comes to sparklers: Cremant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs, Crémant de Bourgogne Millésimé, Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé

Cave de Lugny produces white wines under the following labels: Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Chardonnay (here, Chardonnay is the name of a village), Mâcon-Péronne, Mâcon-Cruzille, Viré-Clessé, Bourgogne Chardonnay, Bourgogne Aligoté.

The red wine AOC’s are: Mâcon, Mâcon-Cruzille, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains.

Gregoire Presented 3 Wines

2010 La Cote Blanche Macon-Villages Chardonnay

This Mâcon-Villages is produced from Cave de Lugny vineyards, all around  Lugny. The soil is predominantly made of limestone, with South-South East facing slopes. The average vine age is around 30 years.

The grapes were harvested at the end of September/early October, then pressed in a pneumatic press. The alcoholic fermentation was carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel vats (constant temperature of 16 to 18°C). The malolactic fermentation was completed at 100%. The wine was aged on the lees in stainless steel vats for a minimum 6 months and then bottled.

Picture: The Wines

Gregoire Pissot’s notes: Clear and shiny yellow, with golden tints. The nose is fresh and intense notes of fruit and flowers (citrus, white flowers and honey). The palate is flattering, fresh and gourmand. This wine, which is a blend from different terroirs, is a model of Mâcon-Villages, combining minerality, delicacy and fruit expression

Appellation: Mâcon-Villages
Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.0%
Calvert and Woodley Wine Store Discounted Price: $9.99

2010 Les Charmes  Mâcon-Lugny Chardonnay

Les Charmes is 100% Chardonnay and the flagship of Cave de Lugny. All the grapes are sourced from a single vineyard, a 105 ha plateau named “Les Charmes”, in the commune of Lugny. This single vineyard’s soil is characterized by a chalky soil/limestone. The South/South-East orientation provides the best sun exposure for – the on average 40 year old vines.

The grapes were harvested in late August Early September, then pressed in a pneumatic press to obtain the must and then clarified for 12-24 hours. The alcoholic fermentation was carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at a constant temperature of 16 to 18 C. Special Yeasts were added to help the natural yeasts to start the alcoholic fermentation. The wine was then racked on the lees for 12 months and saw no oak.

Gregoire’s notes: Fresh & crisp in the mouth, it has floral and fruity aromas with lemony nuances (imparted by the musk chardonnay clone). Rich, fullbodied, almost unctuous dry white wine features a greenish-gold robe. The structure and slightly spicy flavor of Les Charmes makes it unique among Mâconnais wines. A very good balance, between acidity and sweetness. The wine is still very aromatic and very fresh after the ageing.

Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.0%
Calvert and Woodley Wine Store Discounted Price: $12.99

La Carte Macon-Lugny Chardonay 2010

This wine is produced from the single vineyard “La Carte”, in the village of Lugny. Set on a 80 ha plateau made of chalky soil, with West oriented slopes, this vineyard benefits from late sunshine exposure. The average vine age is over 40 years. This appellation is a monopoly of the Cave.

The grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press. The alcoholic fermentation was carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel vats (constant temperature of 16 to 18°C). The malolactic fermentation was completed at 100%. The wine was matured on the lees in stainless steel vats.

Pictures: Miriam Raz Razam and La Carte Macon-Lugny Chardonay 2010

Gregoire’s notes:  Clear and shiny goldish yellow, with green hints when young. The fresh and subtle citrus aromas with notes of exotic fruits and honey. The palate is intense and elegant, this wine is balanced with vibrant minerality and packed with fruits and almond flavors. This medium body wine will develop its aromatic potential with ageing.

Appellation: Mâcon-Lugny
Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Finished Alcohol: 13.0%




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Champagne – An Introduction, France

Champagne – An Introduction, France

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with a Glass of Champagne Rose in Reims

Champagne

Champagne is the name of the world’s most famous sparkling wine. It is also the wine region in France from which Champagne comes and an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée according to French Law.

The Champagne region lies at the northern edge of the world’s vineyard-growing areas. So, Champagne’s grapes bear the hallmark acidity of a cool climate region. In 1927, the viticultural boundaries of Champagne were legally defined and split into five wine producing districts - The Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne. The Champagne area covers 33,500 hectares of vineyards around 319 villages that are home to 100 Champagne Houses that buy grapes and make their own Champagne, 5,000 growers who grow grapes and  make their own wine and 14,000 growers who only sell grapes. The region is set to expand to include 359 villages in the near future.

Pictures: Ambonnay in the Montagne de Reims region. Grapes from Ambonnay are the source of Krug's Clos d'Ambonnay Champagne. This single vineyard Champagne is the rarest (and most expensive) in the world. Produced from 1 1/2 acres of Pinot Noir, only 3000 bottles are made from 11 tiny 200 liter Krug casks. The Clos has been around since the year 1700, and the Krug family has been getting the grapes from here for three generations. In 1994 they bought the vineyard and changed the pruning methods and made their first single vineyard wine from the Clos the following year- the 1995, which currently sells for $ 2500.

Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are the primary grape varieties used to make Champagne.  Champagne may be either Blanc de Noirs (made from red grapes), Blanc de Blancs (made from white grapes, most often Chardonnay - A famous example is Ruinart) or Rose, either by adding red wine to a white blend or sometimes by fermenting the juice in contact with the skins.

Champagne comes with varying degrees of sweetness, due to the addition of a dosage just before the wine is finally bottled. The most common is brut, although throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century Champagne was generally much sweeter than it is today.The sweetest level is doux and then, in increasing dryness, demi-sec, sec (dry), extra sec, brut (less than 12 grams of sugar per litre), extra brut ((less than 6 grams of sugar per litre), brut nature/brut zero/ultra brut (less than 3 grams of sugar per litre).

Typically, Champagne is made of still wine from several vintages (non-vintage, NV). Champagne's AOC regulations further require that NV Champagne cannot legally be sold until it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 15 months and  vintage Champagne be aged for three years. Most top producers exceed the requirement for vintage Champagne, holding bottles on the lees for 6 to 8 years.

EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term "Champagne" exclusively for wines that come from the Champagne region.

Champagne also makes still wines: Rose des Riceys and Coteaux Champenois, typically high in natural acidity.

Méthode Champenoise

Méthode Champenoise is the (traditional) method by which Champagne is produced: After primary fermentation and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second fermentation is induced by the addition of yeast and sugars. It is this that generates the carbon dioxide bubbles responsible for the pop and sparkle that are the symbols of Champagne.

After aging, the bottle is manipulated, either manually or mechanically, in a process called remuage, so that the lees settle in the neck of the bottle. After chilling the bottles, the neck is frozen, and the cap removed. The pressure in the bottle forces out the ice containing the lees, and the bottle is quickly corked to maintain the carbon dioxide in solution. Some syrup (le dosage) is added to achieve the desired level of sweetness in the Champagne.

Remuage

The remuage technique was invented by Veuve Clicquot and her German cellar master Anton Mueller.They revolutionized sparkling wine drinking. Until the beginning of the 1800s, the appearance of Champagne was marred by the lees, the sediment of dead yeast cells that remained suspended in the wine following the secondary fermentation in the bottle. In consuming a bottle of Champagne it was thus necessary to either decant the sparkling wine before serving it or to leave it in the glass for some time so the sediment could settle before drinking the Champagne. The remuage technique put an end to that. See: "German Wine Makers in the World: Anton Mueller Invented the Remuage Technique Revolutionizing Sparkling Wine Drinking, 1800s, France"

Types of Champagne

The type of Champagne producer can be identified from the abbreviations followed by the official number on the bottle:

NM: Négociant manipulant. These companies (including the majority of the larger brands, such as: Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchêne, Deutz, Heidsieck & Co., Henriot, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Moët et Chandon, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Joseph Perrier, Piper Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot) buy grapes (hence négociant) and make Champagne themselves (hence manipulant).

Pictures: Taittinger, in the Middle of Reims

CM: Coopérative de manipulation. Cooperatives that make Champagne from the growers who are members, with all the grapes pooled together.

RM: Récoltant manipulant. (Also known as Grower Champagne) A grower that makes Champagne from its own grapes.

RC: Récoltant coopérateur. A co-operative member selling Champagne produced by the co-operative under his or her own name and label.

SR: Société de récoltants. An association of growers making a shared Champagne but who are not a co-operative.

ND: Négociant-Distributeur. . A wine merchant selling Champagne under his own name, but not producing it.

MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d'acheteur. Increasingly common, such wines are essentially own-brand Champagnes, bottled for specific retailers under a specific label (usually owned by the retailer), usually produced by a co-operative.

Cuvée de Prestige

The Cuvée de Prestige is the top of a producer's range. Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle, Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, Duval-Leroy's Cuvée Femme and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. The first prestige cuvée was Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage. Then came Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne (first vintage 1952), and Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle 'La Cuvée' in 1960, a blend of three vintages (1952, 1953, and 1955) and Perrier Jouet's 'La Belle Epoque'.

History

Champagne first gained world renown because of its association with the French Court. Royalty from throughout Europe spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power in the 17th, 18th and 19th century.

The Ruinart Champagne House was the first Champagne House founded in 1729, soon followed by Taittinger (1734), Moët et Chandon (1743), Veuve Clicquot (1772) and others.

Sparkling wine houses sprung up all over Europe in the 1800s. In Germany, Kessler, was the first Sekt house, founded in 1826 by Georg Kessler, who had worked for Veuve Clicqot. Fürst von Metternich started to produce Sekt in a beautiful castle overlooking the Rhein river in the Rheingau. Von Metternich received the castle from the Austrian Emperor Franz I in 1816 as a gift for his skillful negotiations as his Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Vienna congress (1814 -15). In Austria, the German Robert Schlumberger moved from the Champagne region with his future wife to Vienna and established in 1842 a Sekt House there. Schlumberger was born in Germany, worked in Reims in a Champagne house and married an Austrian, who brought him to the capital of Austria. There, he rose quickly and became the “father” of the Austrian Sekt industry. For over 150 years Schlumberger has been producing their Sekts in the méthode champenoise. See: "German Wine Makers in the World: Robert Alwin Schlumberger--the Father of Austrian Sekt (Austria)"

German Roots

Many famous Champagne Houses have German roots.

Ruinart-Mueller

Veuve Clicquot's cellar master, the German Anton Mueller, who invented the remuage technique, married into the Ruinart family. With the Ruinart daughter, Anton Mueller created his own Champagne House, Ruinart-Mueller, which does not exist anymore. While at the helm of Ruinart-Mueller, his compatriot Bollinger was one of his employees, before leaving Ruinart-Mueller and setting up his own Champagne House.

Bollinger

Bollinger joined Mueller-Ruinart in 1822 to sell their Champagne in the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Hanover, Wuerttemberg and the Netherlands. In 1829, with his Mueller-Ruinart colleague Paul Renaudin de Villermont and with Athanase Hennequin de Villermont, Joseph-Jacob Bollinger (he took the name of Jacques Bollinger when he was naturalised French in 1854) formed the Renaudin-Bollinger Champagne House which would become the famous Bollinger Champagne House.

Mumm

The Champagne House Mumm was founded in Reims in 1827 by the 3 German brothers Gottlieb, Jacobus and Philipp Mumm; they named it Champagne House P.A. Mumm, after their father, the German banker and wine merchant P. A. Mumm. After the death of Gottlieb Mumm, the Champagne House P.A. Mumm was broken up into two: G. H. Mumm + Co. (named after Gottlieb Mumm’s son Georg Hermann) and Jules Mumm + Co. (named after Jacobus Mumm’s son Julius Engelbert).

Jules Mumm created the famous Mumm Cordon Rouge in France. In 1910, after the dissolution of Jules Mumm + Co., G. H. Mumm + Co bought back the rights of the brand Jules Mumm. So, all the Mumm brands were again in one hand at that point.

Following the end of World War I, the French Government confiscated all of the Mumm's property, although the Mumms had lived in Champagne for almost a century, because they had never bothered to become French citizens. The Mumm family returned to Germany and settled in Frankfurt am Main.

In 1922, the Sekt House Mumm + Co. was founded in Germany by Godefroy H. von Mumm. In 1970, the Canadian Seagram Group bought both the French Champagne House G.H. Mumm and the German Sekt House Mumm + Co.

In 2002, the Canadian Seagam Group decided to divest from both the French and the German Mumm branches. Pernod Ricard bought the Champage House G.H. Mumm and Rotkaeppchen bought the German Sekt House Mumm + Co, including Jules Mumm.

See: Visiting Rotkaeppchen-Mumm - the Second Largest Producer of Sparkling Wine in the World - in Freyburg (Saale-Unstrut), Germany

Krug

Krug was established in 1843 by Johann-Joseph Krug, a German from Mainz. Johann-Joseph learned his trade at the Champagne House Jacquesson before setting up Krug in Reims. His son, Paul continued the family business, who was succeeded by his son, Joseph Krug II in 1910. Today, Krug is part of the global luxury brands conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH).

Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin

The Champagne House Veuve Clicquot was for many years owned by Eduard Werle from Germany. It operated under the name Werlé & Cie., Successeurs de Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin for 100 years.

Originally, the Clicquot company, established in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, was dealing not only in champagne, but principally in textiles and finance. In 1801, Philippe handed control of the company to his son, François. At that time, François was already married to Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin, the future Veuve Clicquot. Veuve Clicquot played an important role in establishing Champagne as a favored drink of haute bourgeoisie and nobility throughout Europe, including Russia.

When a financial crisis hit the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne house, Eduard Werle was already a wealthy senior manager and ready to assume responsability. The decline of the finances could have meant the end of the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne house, were it not for the fact that Eduard Werle succeeded in putting together a rescue package and paying off the firm's debts with his own money. In return, he was made a business partner by Madame Clicquot in 1828. Over the coming years, she increasingly relied on Eduard Werle as he put the company back on a sound footing.

During the French Revolution of 1830, the July Revolution, which saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, the Duc d’Orleans, Eduard Werle temporarily had to relocate and abandoned the company to go back to Germany. But after the revolution, he returned to Reims to continue to run the finances of the company. He became Deputy Director in 1831. In 1836, he married M. Boisseau.

Eduard Werle assumed full control of the Veuve Clicquot estate in 1841 upon Nicole-Barbe's retirement, 20 years after he had joined the company as a cellar man. 25 years later, when Madame Clicquot died in 1866, in her will, she did not give the company to her daughter or her son-in-law. She was so grateful to Eduard Werle that she made him the sole owner of the Veuve Clicquot estate.

The Champagne House was renamed Werlé & Cie., Successeurs de Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, when Eduard became the sole owner. The Champagne house continued to operate under this name until 1964, when it became Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin again. Since 1987 the Veuve Clicquot company has been part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy group.

See: German Wine Makers in the World: Eduard Werle --- Owner of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne house (France)

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Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Chateau Haut Brion. In 1935 the chateau was purchased by the American investment banker Clarence Dillon, the U.S. ambassador in Paris at the time. This is the only First Growth of 1855 in American hands. In 1983, Dillon bought La Mission Haut Brion, just across the road in Pessac-Leognan. The four key producers in Pessac-Leognan are Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and Pape Clement. The 2 Dillon chateaux are both among the 5 First Growths of the the Liv-ex 2011 Classification, although Mission Haut Brion barely.

The Bordeaux region is the second largest winegrowing area in the world. Close to 300,000 acres are under vine. The Gironde estuary dominates the region along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers. These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of Bordeaux:

The Left Bank is situated on the left bank of the Gironde and the Garonne, subdivided into: Graves, the area upstream of the city Bordeaux and Médoc, the area downstream of the city Bordeaux.

The Right Bank is situated on the right bank of the Gironde and the Dordogne, with St. Emilion and Pomerol the star wine regions.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Bordeaux

Entre Deux Mers is the inland region sculpted into the wedge by the two rivers that give it its name, the Pyrenees-sourced Garonne to the west and the Massif-Centrale-sourced Dordogne to the east.

There are a number of classifications in the Bordeaux region. Some apply to the whole area, others to just parts of it. This posting provides an introduction to the wine classifications of Bordeaux.

The French Law

French law divides any French wine into four categories. The percentage in the brackets indicates the share of this category in the total.

Vin de Table (11.7%) – Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it is from France.

Vin de Pays (33.9%) – Carries with it a specific region within France (for example Vin de Pays d'Oc from Languedoc-Roussillon).

Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS, 0.9%) – Less strict than AOC.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC, 53.4%) – Wine from a particular area with many restrictions, inculding the areas of production, the grapes permitted, the growing and production methods allowed, the maximum yields per hectare and the minimum alcohol level.

The wine classification system of France is being reformed as part of an Europe-wide effort. A new system is to be fully introduced by 2012. The new system consists of three categories rather than four. The new categories are:

Vin de France - A table wine category basically replacing Vin de Table, but allowing grape variety and vintage to be indicated on the label.

Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) - An intermediate category basically replacing Vin de Pays.

Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) - The highest category basically replacing AOC wines. For the former AOC wines, the move to AOP will only mean minor changes to the terminology of the label, while the actual names of the appellations themselves will remain unchanged.

Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC)

Almost all Bordeaux fine wine aligns with the highest quality designation, or AOC. I yet have to have a non-AOC Bordeaux wine. There are 54 AOCs in Bordeaux, at 3 different levels:  

Regional AOCs: Wines from regional AOCs source their grapes from anywhere in the Bordeaux region. There are five regional level AOCs, including Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superieur and Cremant de Bordeaux (a sparkling wine). These wines have the fewest regulations and are considered the lowest quality AOC wines in Bordeaux. Bordeaux Superieur AC wine comes from the Bordeaux AC, but must have a bit more alcohol and has tighter yield restrictions. All producers in the different Bordeaux areas are entitled to produce under these generic appellations.

Sub Regional AOCs: These AOCs source their grapes from a much smaller area than the regional AOCs. These AOCs have more strict regulations which produce higher quality wines. Examples: Medoc and Graves. 

Communal AOCs: These wines are the highest quality wines in the region. Grapes are sourced from a smaller area than either of the two types listed above. Regulations here are more strict. The Haut-Medoc is home to four of the most famous appellations – all ACs at the commune level - in France: Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux.

Saint-Estephe

North of Pauillac, its most famous chateaux are the two second growths, Chateau Cos d'Estournel and Chateau Montrose.

Pauillac

Two of the top five of the 1855 Classification of the Medoc were in Pauillac: Chateaux Latour and Lafite-Rothschild. They were joined by Chateau Mouton-Rothschild in 1973, in an almost unprecedented addition to the ranking system.

Picture: Pauillac Pauillac's two second-growth producers were once a single entity: Chateau Pichon-Longueville. At some point before 1855, this property was divided by the intricacies of France's Napoleonic inheritance laws, giving rise to the Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.

Saint-Julien

Saint-Julien is sandwiched between the more famous appellations of Pauillac and Margaux, less famous because it does not have a first-growth chateau. Pauillac has three of the five Medoc first growths and Margaux has one. Saint-Julien makes up for its lack of first-growth chateaux by being home to five second growths estates: Chateaux Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Leoville Barton, Gruaud-Larose and Ducru-Beaucaillou.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Chateau Leoville Poyferre  

Margaux

In Saint-Julien, Saint-Estephe and Pauillac, the vineyards belonging to each chateau are clearly divided and consolidated in a single zone. In Margaux, this is not the case. Here, even vineyards belonging to the wealthier chateaux are dispersed and mixed in with those of their rivals.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Henri Lurton, owner of Chateau Brane-Cantenac in Washington DC. Château Brane-Cantenac is a Deuxiemes Crus Classe en 1855 in Margaux. See: Henri Lurton and his Chateau Brane Cantenac Wines

The 1855 Médoc Classification

The Medoc classification of 1855 covers (with one exception) red wines of Médoc. The 1855 classification was made at the request of Emperor Napoleon III for the Exposition Universelle de Paris. It ranked the wines into five categories, mainly according to price.

The famous 5 first growths are:

• Château Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac
• Château Margaux in Margaux
• Château Latour in Pauillac
• Château Haut-Brion in Péssac-Leognan
• Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, promoted from second to first growth in 1973.

And there are:

14 Deuxièmes (2nd) Crus
14 Troisièmes (3rd) Crus
10 Quatrièmes (4rd) Crus
18 Cinquièmes (5th) Crus.

Picture: Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, promoted from second to first growth in 1973. See: (German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire and see: The Emerging Wine Giant China - Mouton Cadet Bar Opening 

The 1855 Sauternes and Barsac Classification 

At the same time, 27 sweet white wines of Barsac and Sauternes were classified into:

1 Premier Cru Supérieur (Château d'Yquem),
11 Prémier Crus,
15 Deuxièmes Crus.

The St Emilion Classification 

The St. Émilion Classification was introduced in 1955, with 3 levels. It is revised about every 10 years. The most recent revision is the one of 2006.

There are now:

15 Premier Grand Cru Classé, devided into the 2 classes 'A' and 'B' (with Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone the two A’s) and

46 Grand Cru Classé.

Unusually, the St. Emilion 1955 Classification is integrated with the AOC system of St. Emilion, comprising 3 appellations: (1) Appellation St. Emilion Controlee, (2) Appellation St. Emilion Grand Cru Controlee, and (3) Appellation St.Emilion Grand Cru Classee Controlee.

This creates a lot of confusion for the non-expert wine drinker. First, the material difference between the first and the second group, the "Controlee" and "Grand Cru Controlee" wines, is minor; over two hundred Saint-Émilion wines carry the description "Grand Cru Controlee", although they are no way at the "Grand Cru", i.e. at the top level. Second, the difference on the label between second and the third group, the "Grand Cru Controlee" and "Grand Cru Classee Controlee", is minor, just the word "Classee", although only the latter are the top wines of the 1955 Classification.

The 1959 Graves Classification 

The wines of Graves were classified in 1953 by a jury appointed by Institute Nacional des Appellations d'Origine, and approved by the Minister of Agriculture in August of that year. The selection was revised with a few additions in February 1959. The classification concerns both red and white wines, and all chateaux belong to the Apellation Pessac-Léognan, which was carved out of Graves in 1987. There is no ranking. All wines listed are called Cru Classé.

The Cru Bourgeois Classification of Medoc 

Crus Bourgeois wineries can be found across the Médoc, but there is a particularly high concentration in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. These are all high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Classification.

The history of the Cru Bourgeois classification has been eventful. The initial classification (of 1932) designated 444 estates as Cru Bourgeois, but by the 1960s over 300 had been absorbed into other estates or had converted their land away from viticulture.

A new classification was introduced in 2003 by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois. They split the wines into three tiers: Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel (9 wines), Cru Bourgeois Supérieur (87 wines) and Cru Bourgeois (151 wines).

Picture: Chateau Citran, Cru Bourgeois en 1932

In 2007, a Bordeaux magistrate decreed the whole 2003 Crus Bourgeois classification null and void. In response, the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois proposed a significantly modified version of the Cru Bourgeois, consisting only of a single tier, and applied to the 2008 vintage. Furthermore, Cru Bourgeois is no longer a permanent classification, but an annual label, awarded each year by a panel tasting, open to all Medoc wines.

No Classification in Pomerol

Pomerol has never been classified, probably due to its relative anonymity before the 1960s.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Chateau Petrus

Robert Parker Points Classification 

With their points system, wine critics like Robert Parker have established their own rankings, which are closely watched by many wine consumers in the world. These ratings  have arguably replaced the age-old classification systems. This certainly explains why châteaux like Cru Bourgeois Sociando-Mallet and St Emilion's Chateau Le Tertre Rôteboeuf have decided to opt out of the system. It also must make the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild turn in his grave, who campaigned tirelessly for 50 years to upgrade Ch. Mouton Rothschild from a 2nd to a 1st Growth; this was the only alteration that has ever been made to the 1855 classification.

Picture: At Chateau Tertre Roteboeuf with owner/winemaker Francois Mitjavile. The small chateau entered the international wine scene in the mid-80s. The 2010 en primeur is at Euro 150 and the excellent 2005 currently at Euro 240 per bottle.

Recently, for example, Robert Parker issued a list of 2009 Bordeaux wines, which he gave 100 points. Here’s the list of Parker’s perfect 100-point Bordeaux 2009:

Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse
Bellevue Mondotte
Clinet
Clos Fourtet
Cos D’Estournel
Ducru Beaucaillou
L’Evangile
Haut Brion
Latour
Leoville Poyferre
La Mission Haut Brion
Mondotte
Montrose
Pavie
Petrus
Le Pin
Pontet Canet
Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge
Also: Pape Clément blanc

Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification

The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification is a classification of Left Bank red Bordeaux wine compiled by the British internet and phone-based wine exchange, London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex), with a view of updating the 1855 classification. The first one was established in 2009; it was updated in 2011.

The Liv-ex classification is based entirely on the level of prices and includes only wines from the Left Bank (including Pessac-Leognan), produced in quantities of more than 2,000 cases. The Liv-ex classification lists 60 estates, one fewer than that of 1855.

In 2009, the tiers are sectioned by the First Growths in the range of £2,000 a case and above, the Second Growths from £500 to £2,000, the Third Growths from £300 to £500, the Fourth Growths from £250 to £300 and the Fifth Growths from £200 to £250. In 2011, the price bands were adjusted upward. For the first growths this was £3,300 and above, for the seconds £700 to £3,229, thirds £400 to £699 and so on.

The Liv-ex Classification of 2011

Lafite, with an average price of £11,043 per case, consolidated its position at the top of the first growths, followed by Latour, Margaux, Mouton, Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. At £3,400 per case, La Mission Haut Brion, just made it to first growth.

Third growth 1855 Palmer (£1655 per case) was promoted to the top of the second growths in 2009, where it remained in 2011, with fifth growth 1855 Lynch Bages (£931) close behind. Beychevelle (£715), Duhart Milon (£1147) and Pontet Canet (£801) also became second growths, while Leoville Barton (£547) was relegated to third growth.

Among the chief differences from the 1885 classification is the placement of Château La Mission Haut-Brion among the First Growths, Château Lynch-Bages elevated from the fifth tier to the second, Clerc Milon from fifth to third and Château Palmer promoted a tier to become the top Second Growth.

Second wines are not included in the Liv-ex Classification: if they had been, Carruades de Lafite would be a first growth and Forts de Latour would be the top second growth. Margaux’s Pavillon Rouge, Petit Mouton and Clarence Haut Brion would also make second growth.

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A Winemaker Dinner with Chris Howell from Cain Vineyard and Winery at a Place where the Rich and Powerful Used to Dine – 2100 Prime, Washington DC, USA

Picture:  Christian G.E. Schiller with Chris Howell from Cain Winery and Vineyards in California at a Winemaker Dinner in Washington DC

I met winemaker Chris Howell from Cain Winery and Vineyards in California at a winemaker dinner in Washington DC, as part of the Third Annual Capital Wine Festival.

Third Annual Capital Wine Festival at 2100 Prime Restaurant

The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel in Washington DC is currently hosting the Third Annual Capital Wine Festival in its restaurant - the 2100 Prime - with 10 weekly winemaker dinners showcasing wines from California and Oregon. Each dinner is priced in the $125-145/person range and includes gratuity or tax.

Picture: The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel in Washington DC

2100 Prime was formerly the Jockey Club, the legendary restaurant that served the likes of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Eva Gabor and Joe Dimaggio. In particular during the Reagan Presidency, this was the place where the rich, famous and powerful would mingle.

Cain Vineyard and Winery

Cain Vineyard and Winery is a producer in the Spring Mountain AVA above the central Nappa Valley town of St Helena that makes 25.000 cases per year. In 1980, Jerry and Joyce Cain purchased 550 acres, part of the historic McCormick Ranch, with the vie of setting up a winery. As the project was coming into focus, the Cains were joined by Jim and Nancy Meadlock. The Meadlocks became partners at the beginning of 1986, and, since the retirement of the Cains in 1991, have carried on as sole owners.

The Wines: Cain Five, Cain Concept and Cain Cuvee

Cain Vineyards and Winery makes three wines: Cain Five, Cain Concept and Cain Cuvee.

Cain Five

The “five” in the name Cain Five refers to the five grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malice. Chris Howell strives to use only grapes from Cain vineyards for Cain Five: “If the Cain Five is utterly unique, distinctive in both aroma and taste, this can only reflect the Cain Vineyard, which gives birth to this wine and is both spectacular and idiosyncratic. Composed of the five classic varieties—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot—Cain Five epitomizes the benefits of blending to achieve a complex wine. It is supple and rich of texture, combining a full, firm structure with a long and subtle finish.”

Cain Concept

Chris Howell: “Cain Concept is vinified and aged exactly like the Cain Five, but the core of our Cain Concept—The Benchland is Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the classical “benchlands” that have defined the greatness of the Napa Valley for more than 100 years. Naturally, in the “Cain Way,” we blend in the sister varieties to build complexity, to add nuance, to articulate the structure, and to draw the wine to a satisfying close.”

Cain Cuvee

“The Cain Cuvée is our most creative endeavor. It’s about the style of Cain and our vision of what classical red wine can be. Drawing from specific vineyards, both mountain and valley, as well as two vintages, we strive to compose a wine of aromatic complexity that is truly silky and sits lightly and refreshingly on the palate. If we have succeeded, the wine will dance on your tongue!” said Chris Howell.

Cain Cuvee is softer, with a majority of Merlot and an addition of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, also mostly from the valley floor. It is not only a blend of four grapes, but it is also a blend of two years. The amounts shift, Howell noted, "depending on what nature gives us. And I'm picking the fruit riper now. The wines used to be about 13.5 percent alcohol, and now they're 14 to 14.5. I'm doing shorter maceration times - just 10 to 14 days. The wines undergo full malolactic in the barrel. And because this is mountain fruit, I have to carefully manage the tannins."

Winemaker Chris Howell

Soft-spoken Chris Howell is the longtime winemaker and general manager at Cain Vineyard & Winery. He grew up in Washington State. He studied in France at the Ecole Nationale Superiure Agronomique in Montpellier and interned at Mouton Rothschild for a year. At the same time, he studied winetasting at the Institut d’Oenologie in Bordeaux.

Pictures: Chris Howell

Chris Howell is also a leader in terms of “green” practices. Cain is a member of the Napa Green Land Program and the Fish Friendly Farming Program, and leads the way in sustainable agriculture practices. Chris Howell has been on the cusp in investigating how climate change will affect grape growing and vineyard management. He often heads seminars on climate change.

Spring Mountain District Wine

The Spring Mountain District AVA is located at a low point in the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of the Napa Valley in California, which divide Napa from Sonoma Valley. It was awarded AVA status in 1993.

The Dinner

The evening began with a reception in The Fairfax Lounge with a Piper Heidsieck Non Vintage Brut.

Chris gave us a brief introduction. The event then moved to 2100 Prime where guests were seated in tables of 2, 4 or 6, depending on the size of their party.

Pictures: Reception

This is very much a classic place  with a private dining club feel. Nice wood-paneled interior with windows onto Massachusetts Avenue. The atmosphere is dark wood, deep red velvet, brass fixtures, and paintings of fox hunts.

Pictures: The Cain Wines

First Course

Toasted Fennel Pappardelle
Lamb, Crushed Basil and Tomato Bolognese

NV8 Cain Cuvee

Second Course

Pan Roasted Veal Tenderloin
Wild Mushroom Medley and Garlic Cream

2001 Cain Five

Third Course

Prosciutto Wrapped Venison
Black Lentils and Salsify

2007 Cain Five
2007 Cain Concept

Fourth Course

Strawberry Buttermilk Panna Cotta
Toasted Almond Biscotti

Chef George Fassiadis and his Team 

Pictures: Chef George Fassiadis and his Team and Chris Howell


Reinhold Schulz

The service was excellent, under the leadership of Reinhold Schulz, Director of Food and Beverage.

Pictures: Reinhold Schulz and Chris Howell

It was a very memorable evening.



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