2009 Bordeaux vintage is set to be the best of the 21st century

The young wines will not be tasted until next year, but growers are already convinced that 2009 clarets will better the near-perfect 2005 vintage.

"Nature has been extremely generous, it is sumptuous," said Denis Dubourdieu, director of the Bordeaux Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences and a renowned winemaker.

Growers said the mix of fine days but cool, dry nights in the final days before grape picking began last month had been the finest since 1949.

The cool nights stopped the grapes from over-ripening and added sophistication. July and August were ideally hot and sunny. Then just when drought threatened to stop the grapes from ripening and developing crucial tannins to help age the wines, the rain came.

As a result, he said, the grapes have all the sugar content, colour and fruitiness found in the greatest of vintages.

Please look at our recent en primeur article for more information

http://earlewines.blogspot.com/2009/09/earle-wines-investments.html

Pierre Gimonnet Champagne

It was after 1955 that the wines of Pierre Gimonnet et Fils began to demonstrate the character that we see in them today. At this time Michel, Pierre's son, set about creating a range of Champagnes which would typify the exclusively Chardonnay Gimonnet style. Recognising the quality of the vineyards at hand, Michel raised the standard of the wines to match, and this has been continued through the next generation who continue to run the domaine today; Olivier and Didier Gimonnet, Michel's sons.

They have continued to pursue their ethos of focusing on specific vineyard sites and expressions of terroir. Their meticulous data collecting and attention to detail ensure individual Champagne of the highest quality.

Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Premier Cru 'Cuis' NV @ £22.50 ex VAT








http://men.style.com/theupgrader/living/champagne/Pierre-Gimonnet-and-Fils

CHÂTEAU COLOMBIER MONPELOU 2000

PAUILLAC
Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

In the official wine classification of 1855 Château Colombier-Monpelou, by some quirk of fate, was left out. That particular sin of omission did not deter the present owner, Bernard Jugla, from acquiring the property thirty years ago, since when he has brought his considerable knowledge and skill to constantly improving the quality of this wonderful wine.

The Château shares the Pauillac landscape with some impressive neighbours – Lafite-Rothschild & Mouton-Rothschild; who have recently aquired the 25 hectare estate, Grand Puy Ducasse and Pedesclaux - and if that is not recommendation enough, then the fact that Monsieur Jugla is President of the Paulliac producers should be. He is greatly respected by his peers and his wine-making skills ensure full-bodied, opulent wines with a rich and intense colour, ideal for laying down and keeping as they are best drunk at full maturity.

The 2000 vintage is hailed as a “grande année” for the wine producers of Bordeaux and is drinking well now.

Cru Bourgeois de Paulliac Château Colombier Monpelou 2000 @ £17.95 per btl (£20.64 inc VAT)

www.earlewines.com/wine/chateau-colombier-monpelou

Robert Parker Wine Spectator 2006, USA

Decanter Magazine 26th March 2001, United Kingdom

Earle Wines Investments

SPREAD YOUR INVESTMENT RISK
en primeur 2009

It must be said that most of Earle Wines’ customers buy wine from us to drink, if not immediately, then at least eventually. However we do keep our eye on Bordeaux en primeur (wine bought before it has been estate bottled, of which will be aged at least 2 years in oak barrels beofre being released). The 2009 Bordeaux vintage is certainly well-worth buying en primeur for the pleasure it will bring when it starts maturing but there is another reason why you might consider laying some down for the future.

Quite simply, the return for money invested in wine can and very often does out-perform the top ten performing FTSE shares. Profits from wines are free of both capital gains tax and income tax and, unlike stocks and shares, you can choose whether to sell at a future date for profit, or to keep some or all of your investment and enjoy the considerable pleasure of drinking it. Your pleasure can be stretched even further if you add the smugness factor - knowing you are drinking a wine that is worth a lot more than you paid for it!

There are risks in investing in wine just as there are investing in anything else because, for example the élevage in barrel and bottling can go wrong. However modern wine-making techniques do make these eventualities less likely nowadays and there is the added interest in the vintage being the latest harvest ever both on the Right and Left bank.

Earle Wines have been working closely with François Janoueix, one of the top wine producers & negociants in the Libournais, and we have put together a group of wines which qualities are comparable to their first growth neighbours and therefore represent good value for money. We have of course, a unique list of Cru Classé and Cru Bourgeois.

Please do not hesitate to telephone or e-mail us if you would like to discuss buying wine en primeur or Bordeaux wines in greater depth.

Domaine de Raissac

Gustave Viennet is a wine-maker of Domaine de Raissac. His Chardonnay Le Parc, wine of the country Languedoc-Roussillon has been placed among the initial brands of the Terra Wine Collection.

Domaine de Raissac has very old wine-making traditions. Six generations of the family work in the Domaine since 1828, growing vines and making wine.

Three types of soil can be found in the vineyards of Raissac. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grow well on the hill tops with loamy lime soil. Chardonnay and Viognier prefer alluvial soil covered with siliceous tertiary sediments. Gravel terraces are optimal for Grenache and Syrah.

Amongst this fabulous array of terroir, situated on top of the ruins of a Roman villa, lies Château de Raissac

The Viognier - 'Les Cres' is featured on the Enjoying Vigonier website www.enjoyingviognier.com and can be found at http://viognier.co.uk/wines/wine110.html

Jean Viennet from an old family of wine growers and artists has carried foward two passions : wine and painting. In 1975 Jean ended his first period of painting to concentrate solely on the Domaine. He invested in new vinification methods with the use of temperature controlled fermentation vats and hygrometry in the cellars. He also set up the 'Club des Grands Vins de Châteaux du Languedoc'. Later Gustave and Marie Vinnet took a lead role in the Domaine operations and Jean took up painting again, much to Elyette Peyre 's assiduous advice.

In 1996 he exhibited at the Galerie Mercure in Béziers, 1998 Galerie Elyette Peyre, Rue Visconti in Paris, 2001 the Exhibition of draws in Geneva, and later exhibitions in Paris and Bruxelles.

In 2003 & 2004 he completed 'Domaine des Arts' in the Languedoc and in 2005 'Birth of Mermaids', Château de Raissac. Much of his work can be seen on the Domaine website and found in the Béziers art gallaries and of course around the Château.

France's best-kept secret - Vins d'Alsace - Domaine Paul Kubler in touch with nature

ALSACE – DOMAINE PAUL KUBLER

Established in Alsace since 1620, the domaine has seen three generations of passionate winegrowers and is made up of 9ha of vineyards, located around Soultzmattand.

Paul Kubler oversees the estate with his son Philippe, who obtained a Master in Oenology at Bordeaux University and has been an assistant winemaker in Burgundy, Bordeaux and New Zealand.

The wines are produced virtually orgainically, using little or no pesticides in the vineyard.

Alsace Riesling "K" - Domaine Kubler 2007
The wine has rich citrus, white blossom, spice and gun flint aromas. It is very silky in texture with a long finish leaned on a long vibrant mineral persistency. The wine is very clean and fresh and accompanies seafood, Asian cuisine, and smoked or grilled fish very well.

Alsace Pinot Gris "K" 2007 - Domaine Kubler 2007
Bright gold in colour, the wine is powerful and warm with spicy aromas on the nose and warm fruit compotes of lychee and peach. The mouth is full and richly textured with layers of toasted bread and exotic fruit, lingered on a long velvety finish.

Alsace Gewürztraminer "K" 2007 - Domaine Kubler 2007
Intense rose aromas with exotics fruits and redcurrent hints. The wine is very rich on the palate but maintains a long and delicate finish.






All three wines are priced at £12.95 ex VAT

Make that: Pinot for all!

Wine has long been valued for its medicinal benefits - it figures in almost all the remedies recorded by Hippocrates, from a general antiseptic to cooling fevers. The grape has been part of the triumvirate of good throughout the middle ages, and the triumvirate are those benevolent institutions: the church, hospitals, and vineyards.

Wine’s medicinal and financial properties were the reason secular hospitals maintained extensive wine cellars. Again, this was true later in the century when the house of “Zähringer” founded the “Hospital of the poor," in the Zurich region.

In 1443 the chancellor of Burgundy Nicolas Rolin founded the Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, a hospital for the poor and needy. A stunning 50metre long courtyard and buldings surrounded by the villages of Pommard, Volnay & Meursault!

The French paradox is the observation that the French suffer a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats.

Compounds, known as polyphenols, are found in larger amounts in red wine (red wine is fermented with the skins, whereas white wine is fermented after the skins has been removed). There is some evidence that these polyphenols are beneficial, particularly resveratrol.

Dr. Sinclair of Harvard University and others claim that resveratrol is the active molecule responsible for the significant difference in lowering cancer risks and heart disease in other species and that the required amounts are only found in red wine.

Découvertes 2009 Vallée du Rhône

It was the 5 edition of Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône, an amazing event sponsored by InterRhône, which can be thought of as the governing body that oversees all of the Rhône Valley appellations, from north to south.

It was a great exclusive event to network, meet the producers and learn more about the Rhône Valley! We tried many wines, with some showing much promise, delicacy and all the typical Rhône varitetal aromas one would expect... earth, licorice, cherry...

We tried old favourites and unearthed some hidden gems and returned from the trip confident of the producers, their wines and the safe-guard of our long-standing relationships with them.

www.earlewines.com