Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Bordeaux Rendezvous in Washington DC: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Picture: Christian Schiller with Pierre Lurton, Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, and Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction is an annual four-day celebration in Washington DC, USA, bringing together winemakers, celebrity chefs, gourmands, and wine enthusiasts to raise money for the American Heart Association. It is very much Bordeaux-centered, although American winemakers also participate.

Pictures:  Christian and Annette Schiller at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015. Hopefully, next year we will have a German Riesling producer participating in the event.

The events are not cheap, but high-class and tax deductible (partly). Over the past 13 years, the events have raised over $11 million for the American Heart Association, helping to support research into the number one cause of death in the United States.

Pictures: Item #508 - Seven Day WineTour to German Wine Country, Donated by Annette Schiller and ombiasyPR and WineTours

See: Seven Day Wine Tour to German Wine Country: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2015), Washington DC, USA 

This year, Heart’s Delight took place from Wednesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 25, 2015. As in previous years, there were exciting dinners with celebrity chefs and winemakers at embassies, private homes and top restaurants, tastings, receptions, after-dinner-parties as well as auctions.

A dozen or so wine top producers from Bordeaux are always at the center of Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction. This year, Pierre Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem was the star of the Heart’s Delight Vintners Dinner. But there was also a group of American wine producers, including Michael Silacci from Opus One in Oakville, California.

Program

Wednesday April 22 was the United States of Wine celebration showcasing American wine. A range of American wines were presented by owners and winemakers (see below). It included a silent and live auction featuring wine from participating winemakers and exciting trips. This was followed by a byo - style Collectors Dinner celebration. Each guest shared a bottle from his/her cellar in an attempt to impress and outdo their fellow diners. In this friendly competition, there are no losers.

Thursday April 23 offered a series of intimate wine dinners with an international flair in homes, restaurants and Embassies with a host, chef and winemaker at each.

 Pictures: Impressions from Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015 (Source: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015)

Friday April 24 featured an exclusive Vintners Dinner and highlighting the wines of Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, presented by Pierre Lurton. The dinner was followed by a live auction led by Sotheby’s Jamie Ritchie featuring wine directly from the cellars of the Bordeaux producers in grand format.

Saturday April 25 began with a virtual tour of Bordeaux including a unique Master Class tasting of the 2012 vintage and an older vintage selected by the visiting Château owners and wine directors. The adventure continued with exciting seminars and food prepared by some of the nation’s top chefs, making Heart’s Delight the place to discover the latest in epicurean trends and new talent.

During the Grand Tasting Reception guests had the opportunity to bid on exclusive travel packages, dining experiences and rare and exceptional wines during the spirited silent and live auctions.

The Wine Makers: Bordeaux

Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, Pierre Lurton

Picture: Christian Schiller and Pierre Lurton, Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy

Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, Aymeric de Gironde

Château Coutet, Barsac-Sauternes, Dominique Baly

Picture: Dominique Baly, Château Coutet, and Bernard Burtschy, Le Figaro, Paris, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Château Guiraud, Sauternes, David Ornon

Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Daina Paulin

Picture: Daina Paulin, Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan,at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Picture: With Daina Paulin at Château Haut-Bailly in 2013

See also:
Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, Lucas Leclercq

Picture: Lucas Leclercq, Château Lafon-Rochet, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Picture: With Owner Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq at Château Lafon-Rochet in 2013

See also:
A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Kinou Cazes-Hachemian

Picture: Christian Schiller and Kinou Cazes-Hachemian, Château Lynch-Bages, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Picture: Christian Schiller with Jean-Charles Cazes, Owner of Lynch-Bages, at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages in 2013

See also:
Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France

Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Bruno Laplane

Picture: Bruno Laplane, Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Château Phélan Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, Véronique Dausse

Pictures: Véronique Dausse, Château Phélan Ségur, Saint-Estèphe, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015 (and Washington Post's Dave MacIntyre with Kinou Cazes-Hachemian, Château Lynch-Bages)

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Alfred Tesseron

Picture: Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Pictures: Tasting and Chatting with Alfred Tesseron at Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, in 2013

See also:
Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Château Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion, Myriam Ruer

The Wine Makers: US

Addax Wines, Napa, California, Brian Kearnes

Banshee Wines, Sonoma County, California, Noah Dorrance

Domain Drouhin Oregon, Willamette Valley, Oregon, David Millan

Early Mountain Vineyards, Madison, Virginia, Steve Monson

Fisher Vineyards, Napa and Sonoma, California, Rob Fisher

George Wine Company, Russian River Valley, California, George Levkoff

Hourglass Wine Company, Napa Valley, California, Samantha Shaw

Opus One, Oakville, California, Michael Silacci

Pictures: Michael Silacci, Opus One, Oakville, California, with Rudger de Vink, RdV Vineyards, Virginia, and Christian Schiller at Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction 2015

Parry Cellars, Saint Helena, California, Stephen Parry

Peay Vineyards, West Sonoma Coast, California, Andy Peay

Plumplack Estate Winery, Napa, California, John Conover

Quintessa, Rutherford, California, Larry Stone

Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino and Healdsburg, California, Eric Baugher

Picture: Christian Schiller and Eric Baugher in 2015

See:
Vincent’s Wine Club: Winemaker Dinner with Eric Baugher and his Stunning Ridge Vineyards Wines, USA

Soliste, Sonoma Coast, California, Claude Koeberle

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Claude Koeberle at Bazin's on Church in Vienna, Virginia, in 2013

See also:
The Premium Soliste Wines of Former Famous Chef and Now Famous Winemaker Claude Koeberle and the Great Food of Chef Patrick Bazin at Bazin’s on Church in Northern Virginia, USA

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, California, Jason Haas

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Tablas Creek's Jason Haas in 2011

See also:
Tablas Creek Wines from Paso Robles and Belgian Food at Brasserie Beck with Tablas Greek GM Jason Haas and Chef Robert Wiedmaier in Washington DC, USA

Thibaut-Janisson Winery, Monticello, Virginia, Claude Thibaut


Pictures Christian Schiller with Claude Thibaut in 2011

See also:
As Close as You Can Get to (French) Champagne at the US East Coast – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar

Young Inglewood Vineyards, Saint Helena, California, Scott Young

See you next Year


schiller-wine: Related Postings

Seven Day Wine Tour to German Wine Country: Heart’s Delight Wine Tasting and Auction (2015), Washington DC, USA

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

An Afternoon at Château Pape-Clément (in 2013), Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé, France

Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur with Winemaker/Owner Dany Rolland, Pomerol, France

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France 

Lunch, Tour and Tasting with Owner Catherine Thibault d'Halluin (nee Boyer) and Winemaker Julien Noel - Château du Cros, Château Mayne du Cros, Château Courbon and Clos Bourbon, Bordeaux, France

Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca , France

Tour and Tasting at Château Pontet-Canet, with Owner Alfred Tesseron, Bordeaux

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Léoville-Poyferré, with Didier Cuvelier and Anne Cuvelier, France  

A Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, with Winemaker and Owner Basile Tesseron (2013), France

A Tour and Tasting at Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc, with Co-owner Frédéric Vicaire, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France

Tour at Tonnellerie Berger and Fils: How is a Barrique Made? Bordeaux, France

Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Cru Classé de Graves, France

As Close as You Can Get to (French) Champagne at the US East Coast – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar 

Tablas Creek Wines from Paso Robles and Belgian Food at Brasserie Beck with Tablas Greek GM Jason Haas and Chef Robert Wiedmaier in Washington DC, USA

Vincent’s Wine Club: Winemaker Dinner with Eric Baugher and his Stunning Ridge Vineyards Wines, USA

The Premium Soliste Wines of Former Famous Chef and Now Famous Winemaker Claude Koeberle and the Great Food of Chef Patrick Bazin at Bazin’s on Church in Northern Virginia, USA

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