In October we visited the Languedoc -- our “base” was Agde, a town with 2,600 years worth of history where the River Hérault and the Canal du Midi meet the Mediterranean. From the 5th century BC, the Phocaeans developed this town into a trading station between Marseille and Spain, which expanded in the fullness of time.

Our first event official event was a lunch hosted by the Syndicat Minevois, were we were welcomed by the elegant Christine Molines of the CIVL and Stephane Roux of the Minevois. Christine and Stephane chose a rose and red wine from Minevois for our al fresco lunch, calling attention to its balance, elegance, and the fact it can be purchased in the UK for under eight euros. Afterwards, we walked a short distance along the canal to a room where Christine, Stephane, and Stephanie Egenolf of Sud de France gave presentations about Minevois and the Languedoc in general. Perhaps the most impressive takeaway points from the presentation was the continuing improvement of wine from the region, and its quality for price – especially in terms of competing countries.

The evening was filled with a presentation in the tasting room of the Gerard Bertrand winery, where energetic young winemaker Jean-Baptiste led a tutored tasting of the company’s many wines. Gérard Bertrand owns five estates in the best wine regions of the Languedoc. With the purchase of a fourth estate, Château l’Hospitalet in 2002, the Company took on a new dimension. becoming the Group’s head office and a place dedicated to Mediterranean lifestyle and wine-growing culture. Afterward, we had a group dinner in the elegant restaurant of the Bertrand winery.
Wednesday saw us set out early for a tasting of wines from the AOP Languedoc, where energetic Jean-Philippe Granier, head of communications, introduced us to several winemakers who each presented three styles of wine from their region. Lunch followed with the winemakers and their wines.

After lunch, we met an amazing woman, Diane Losfelt, whose family bought the Chateau de L'Engarran estate in 1923. Diane is the fifth generation and the winemaker, and was incredibly passionate about the estate, its tremendous history, and the wines. Her assistant Emily gave us a tour of the pleasure gardens before Diane took us into the winery and then the tasting room where we tried the various wines, most offered at a very reasonable price point (under ten euros) and of excellent quality. The magic followed with a visit to Bergerie du Capucin, where we were greeted by owner/winemaker Guilhem Viau and shown his dramatic vineyard, which was filled with stones. Winemaker/owner Fabien Reboul from Chateau de Valflaunes in Pic Saint Loup showed us his field as well, with the rugged terroir varied at every turn and mountains literally jutting out of the slopping earth. Dinner followed at the Maison des Vins, where we enjoyed the various wines from winemakers in ther region.

Thursay took place in Limoux, where the Syndicat de Limoux gave us a very structured presentation on the wines of the region, careful to distinguish the Blanquette de Limoux from Crémant de Limoux and also the Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale, which started here in the year 1531. Lunch followed the presentation at a restaurant where we could taste more Blanquette de Limoux, along with some whites and reds.

Afterward, we arrived at Domaine Rives-Blanques for a visit and tasting. Owner Caryn Panman and her pampered dog Bruno (also a Decanter magazine star!) met us in the field and took us on a tour of the extraordinary vineyards. Rives-Blanques lies in a nature reserve designated by the European progamme Natura 2000, because of the unique habitat for flora and fauna provided by this meeting ground of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. We toured the winery, and then tasted the many award winning sparklling and still wines.

The last visit of a very busy day was at the winery of affable Pierre Borie, owner of Chateau Les Ollieux in Montseret. Pierre is a lively, funny guy who makes fabulous wines, mostly various blends of syrah, grenache, mouvedre, and some carignan. We saw his winery, tasted wines from his tanks, and then gathered in the tasting room for a complete tasting of all the wines in his range. After the tasting, some of us went in search of the braying donkey before our departure for the restaurant Le Petite Comptoir, where Pierre shared more entertaining stories.

Friday began with a structured presentation and tasting of St Chinian and Faugeres, areas of quality red wines, and lunch in Pezenas at L’entre Pots. After a walk through Pezenas, we visited Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue. This gorgeous estate lies in the heart of Languedoc, between Beziers and Montpellier, facing the Mediterranean. The Renaissance Château Domaine is surrounded by alternating vineyards, scrubland, pine forests and olive groves and the wines were well balanced and again, of great quality for the price. Jean-Claude Zabalia took us around and led a fabulous tasting.

The final visit of the day was with the Syndicat de Pinet, where we learned all there was to know about Picpoul de Pinet and that the region was once famous for its gin factory. We tasted over a dozen impressive styles of this wine before enjoying yet more Picpoul at La Ferme Marine, a restaurant right by the sea featuring a shellfish buffet. Picpoul de Pinet is fabulous with seafood.

Overall, the trip was expertly organized and presented a rare opportunity to discover the various appelations in the region. Each and every producer we met was enthusiastic, positive, passionate, and very excited to present his or her wines. Producers were universally supportive of their colleagues in the region, and all showed genuine interest in working together to promote the region as a whole. And thankfully, the wines were representative of their specific regions, partially due to the very strict laws of each appellation. Voila!

So now after two and a half days of drinking $$$$ of very fine champagne (as a guest!) I am back in New York and looking for something slightly more affordable for Christmas.

At Le Bernadin last week, sommelier Aldo Sohm (who won best sommelier in the world competition and is always winning new ones) introduced me to two new champagnes, Phippe Gonet 3210 -- very clever title as it means 3 years of aging, 2 terroirs, 1 grape (chardonnay) and zero dossage. I LOVED this champagne ... it was a pure beam of clean fruit with a delicate mousse that dissolved like a cloud in your mouth.

Alas ... I couldn't find it for Xmas so the store recommended Laherte Brut Tradition NV (below)

The other wine was Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de montgueux, which I bought today for our Christmas feast with pastries from Thomas Keller's Bouchon.

Jacques Lassaigne is a 4.7 hectare family vineyard located in Montgueux. The vineyards boast prime southeastern exposure & consist primarily of Chardonnay vines (94%) & the rest is made up of Pinot Noir (6%). The Montgueux vineyard sites were originally held for the Montrachet of Champagne & are located near the gates of Troyes—the former capital of Champagne.

The terroir in Montgueux is nearly identical to the growing sites found further north in le Mesnil, as they share the same limestone vain —this is exceptional terroir for making great champagne. The non-vintage Blanc de Blanc is a blend of nine different vineyard sites & two successive vintages.

Age of Vines: 35 Years

Yields: 60 hl/ha

Pruning Method: Guyot

Soil: Heavy clay.

Varietals: Chardonnay.

The grapes are harvested by hand—from 9 different sites—at their maximum ripeness before being destemmed & gently pressed. The fruit undergoes complete malolactic fermentation & no sulfites are added to the blend. The wine is aged in new & old barrels for 12 to 24 months & held in bottle for 1 to 5 years until it is disgorged, corked & released.

Tasting Note: Pale straw in the glass with lovely mineral, dried fruit & citrus zest aromatics that reflect the purest expression of the Montgueux terroir. The palate is vibrantly alive with crisp citrus & melon flavors that are backed by deft acidity & dazzling minerality. The finish resonates with succulent citrus notes.

Laherte Brut Tradition NV

The word on cellertracker is mixed ... some call it "adolescent" (ouch! after all that mature 1980's Champagne in Champagne a few weeks ago!) with some giving it the dreaded 88 points ... the "kind" score for a wine you want to support but don't really like.

Still, I am re-assured by some people saying it has notes of honeydew, strawberry, green apple, and lemon cake (a real fruit salad) though others call it bracing, zippy, and full of "masculine charm"

And yet JW of Chambers street wines  recommended it highly, saying:

"On occasion saying that we’ve made a ‘discovery’ is really kind of silly. In this case these wines have been around for quite a while (1889, in fact – a mere newcomer by some standards) but they’re new to us – thus a discovery.

I’d been hearing about Laherte, and I ended up tasting them in Italy – at the fabulous natural wine fair called VinNatur; there were a few Champagne producers there, but none of those wines came close to the distinctiveness – and just plain excellence of Laherte. As you might now assume, this is natural wine: organic and biodynamic farming on an unusually diverse and large number of terroirs (over 75 vineyard parcels in 10 different villages).

Each wine is vinified separately and subject to a range of technique – fermentation in tank, barrique, and foudre (large wood barrels); malolactic on some wines and not on others – all depending on what each wine requires as it evolves. The dosage is very low (dosage = “The final addition to a sparkling wine… which determines the sweetness, or residual sugar, of the finished wine. In French this is called the liqueur d’expedition and usually comprises a mixture of wine and sugar syrup” – Jancis Robinson, the Oxford Companion to Wine) – the wines are very fresh and vivid, but also quite rich and ripe – evidently very good quality fruit is used.

All of the range of wines are excepetionally good: excellent NV Brut and Rose, and the fantastic Les Clos – a unique blend of all seven types of grapes that are permitted for use in Champagne – one our best wine discoveries, sparkling or still, that we’ve made this year. JW"

Also, Columbus Circle wines recommended both of the wines above

Bruno Paillard is an increasingly popular brand, and the first time I heard about it was during a week I spent as AXA's guest for winning a competition related to the Masters of Wine programme - it was the wine served in the very elegant 'drawing room' of Chateau Pichon-Longueville before dinner.

The other guests at the table, at least the ones from the UK, seemed to know it.

The second time was when Bruno Paillard himself made a big splash at a big Champagne event for the press last year.

... so you can imagine I was delighted to tour his winery and meet the man himself (for the second time) in person.

Bruno's daughter (above) greeted us and gave us an excellent tour of the winery. She is a fabulous ambassador for her father and nice to see the third generation is already on its way (though Bruno tells me  this won't be the first grandchild).

Word is he got his start by selling his Jaguar (vintage, of course) and thus raising the capital to buy grapes and rent machinery to make the wines. His family goes back to 1704 as brokers, yet if I understand the situation correctly he is the first producer.

And according to the CIVC, it is impossible today to buy wine if your family doesn't already own a winery or grow grapes. Bruno bought a small winery in Oger, a small area of the Cotes des Blancs, and now owns 26 ha.

As a winemaker, he feels strongly about fresh, clean flavors and low dossage. Also very important to him is the date of disgorgement on the bottle.

Like many top houses, he believes in only first pressings for the top wines, aging more than the CIVC requires, and is a fabulous speaker and marketer.

To see more Champagne visits please click here
 

One of the highlights of a very impressive trip to Champagne was an excellently conducted tutored  tasting of "base wines" at Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, followed by a "fantasy lunch" at l'Hotel du Marc, a very private, incredibly lavish, Proustian mansion owned by LVMH, complete with beautifully-attired servers and of course the best champagne.

M. Pierre Casenave, who is pictured above  teaching and below tasting wine at the center of the table, led the tutored tasting of the base wine. It was one of the most fabulous experiences of the already impressive trip, as it really drove home what Champagne is all about.

Champagne is an exercise in the art of blending. Even if a wine is all Chardonnay -- a Blanc de Blanc -- it is still made up of different vineyards, each prized for a specific trait such as high acidity, minerality, fruitiness ...

... and of course, the different soils and aspects shape the taste and aroma as well.

As we tasted the base wines from different vineyards, we could see how a master blender, the Chef de Cave, could put them all together. We were able to even see the vineyards we tasted on a large map.

After the "school work" was the party -- well, the pictures below explain everything. It was something one really only reads about in jet-set novels or films.

To see more visits to Champagne houses, please click here

Drive up to the home/winery of winemaker Francis Boulard -- who makes some of the finest Champagne I have ever tasted -- and you will see a modest farmhouse, colorful children’s toys in the large driveway, and … a trampoline.

The farmhouse had been purchased by Francis, his wife, and daughter/winemaker Delphine after a "break up" with his father's Raymond Boulard Champagne House , with the family's involvment in wine traceable to the French Revolution in 1792.

Francis Boulard's first contact with wines when he stood behind his grandfather's horse-driven plough at the age of 14 -- his grandfather was the last to resist the mechanization which followed the end of WW II

During his time in the family business Raymond Boulard & Fils (founded in 1980) Francis became increasingly interested in viticulture. Wanting to move towards vines that were grown as naturally as possible, he pushed the estate towards organic methods, resulting in the conversion in the 2000s of a proportion of the vineyards towards organic agriculture.

After Raymond’s death, Francis – feeling his family still did not understand organic wine and wanting to do something healthy for consumers and his own self, as well as the planet. - Francis decided to make as many of his vineyards biodynamic as possible so he "divorced" his family and went on his own with his wife and daughter.

One of the problems with being biodynamic in Champagne is the cold, wet, rainy weather ... it is harder to control mildew in these situations with natural remedies. And working with land that had previously had chemicals was a problem, as the chemicals destroyed the indigenous yeast and made it more difficult to start fermentation. To combat these problems, he revitalized key vineyards with organic dirt buried in a cow horn he bought from a professor of biodynamics in France.

To combat disease and make for healthier vines, he dissolves the organic dirt above, containing healthy earthworms, in water and sprays it over the land. He also uses another organic compound to fight mildew. Yet no spray can avoid the hailstorms that often strike the area, destroying as much as sixty percent of the crop.

Another key thing to know is that he stopped using a certain fining agent because it contained salmon bladder (gelatin), and the salmon had been farm raised, instead of wild, which meant it had been fed chemicals.

Francis conducts battonage along with the lunar calendar, as he feels it gives more complexity yet he has only been tracking this for two years and the results are not yet clear.

During our visit to the maturation room, we see he uses a mix of Bordeaux and Burgundy barrels because the shapes and staves are different, and thus, the oxygen exchange due to the ratio of wine to barrel is different and important for the final blend.

Finally, the tasting ... the wines are all fabulous, and there is a discussion of dossage, malolactic, and other factors as we taste through the line.

Les Murgiers Cuvee Reserve has fine beads, a shy nose, and palate with intense minerality and flavors of lemon chiffon and East Indian spices, along with ginger and quince. We try the Les Murgiers "nature" (no dossage) which has a more intense nose, a more tart profile, and sea salt on the palate.

Les Rachans is based on chardonnay grown on limestone silliceux - we taste the '06 and picked on "fruit day " and bottled on "fruit day.

Francis explains that his biodynamic teacher said that sometimes when you bottle on fruit day ihe wine is closed, so it is better to bottle on "flower day."

This wine is light gold color, with an Intense aroma of saffron and golden flowers. Palate is concentrated quince ... it needs another five years.

We try the Grand cru Mailly champagne (90% pinot noir,  10% chardonnay) 2008 extra brut - it has an aroma  of vanilla with a touch of honey and vanilla, as well as its no dossage counterpart.

This was a wonderful visit and fabulous introduction to biodynamic champagne.

See all champagne houses visited here

As is the case with every single Champagne house visited, it’s now hard for me to understand how anyone can understand Champagne – or appreciate it – without having had such an incredible tour and tasting. Yet then again, the Champagne houses are closed to most so it leaves us educators to spread the magic.

First, let me set up what turned to be a midnight (or, well near midnight tour). It was our first day in Champagne, some of us having flown in from overseas. We had just experieced a lunch and presentation from the CIVC  in Epernay and by the time we got to Ay we were all a bit exhausted … plus it was dark.

Outside Bollinger, we were met by M. Dennis, and taken on a tour of the vineyards in back of the house, planted by M. Bollinger herself. Later, I saw her portrait inside the Maison. The photograph looked early 60s from the color, a blue sky, and Madame Bollinger in what appears to be a smart Chanel suit (and I think a little chapeau) smiling and waiving. She looked very friendly and approachable, just he sort of woman who would plant an experimental in back of the Maison.

The purpose of the experimental vineyard were to raise pre-phylloxera vines. It was a tiny plot that yields 3000 bottles if my notes are correct. The vines looked gnarled and a bit dangerous, especially in the moonlight. They are visible from the house, and I could just imagine Madame Bollinger looking down on them each morning, perhaps from her bedroom or kitchen. M. Dennis mentions somethng about Madame Bollinger, who passed away in 1977, surprising everyone by being the ‘best manager.’ A few minutes later, we see some more experimental vines including Savignan, the grape from the Jura area, and Gamay.

We pause to overlook the tiny neighborhood around us of small, well-behaved houses, all as quiet as mice. From our elevation, it looks like a child’s toy village and it’s impossible to believe people actually live here. We learn that in the old days, workers lived here – now the houses are independently owned, mostly by people who in some way work for the Maison.

We walk through a very rocky garden (not fun in Manhattan-style boots!) and reach and alley, again very eerie and quiet, to one of the cellars where we learn that the Maison employs a barrel-maker to repair 15 year old barrels instead of buying new ones. Since this is Bollinger, it’s proably not a move to save money – I suspect the flavors of several vintages that have seeped into the wood add additonal flavor.

We also see the barrel-maker’s quarters. It is small and quaint with ancient looking tools, some of them looking like pitchforks.

After a walk through a few more cellars (there are MANY cellars here, all with their own lock and key) we finally get to the MAIN CELLAR where the reserve wine is held! Imagine a very spooky underground cave with cobwebs on the ceiling and very neatly arranged reserve wines dating back decades. Most wineries just keep their reserve wines in tanks, if I understand the situation correctly Bollinger is one of the few or only Maisons to bottle their reserve wine and also cork it in a real cork instead of a crown cap.

In the course of the tour we learn many other things, that Bollinger , Alfred Gratien, and Krug are three of the few (or only) Maisons that use wood, that there is only one use of the cuvee (first press), that the wines are barrel fermented, that the champagne receives extra aging before release (above appelation rules) …

… then of course there is the reception and dinner … all very fabulous, with the typical Champagne tradition of enjoying a few glasses of champagne and canapes in the living room (a uniformed servant passes them around).
Joining us for dinner was M. Mathiew Kauffmann, and we had the following wines Bollinger Special Cuvee, Bollinger Le Grande Annee Rose 2004, Bollinger Le Grand Anne 2002, and Bollinger Rose NV.

The pairing was on target .. lobster salad to start, a local fish as the main course, an incredible tiny diced fruit and vanilla ice cream plate …

bollinger dessert

It was a wonderful opportunity to understand the incredible energy and capital (human and monetary) that goes to make such a world class champagne.
 

"How theatrical!" Was the response as we entered the red velvet walls of Le Theatre in Epernay, a charming town with its petite pretty parks and Belle Epoque buildings.

18th century Paris and some modern romantic arty types of pieces (silouttes anyone?) decorated the restaurant's red walls.

"Welcome!" said the movie star handsome Philippe Wilbrotte with his dark "Mad Men" Dan Draper styled hair and gleaming white teeth. Wilbrotte is charming and quite fluent in English ("oui, hello!") He says as he answers the occassional cell phone call.

Over our lunch of Souris d'agneau braisee a l'ail and Ecrase de patates douces paired with Jacquesson Cuvee 734 and Nougat glace compotee de fruits du moment paired with Brochet Hervieux Cuvee rose our group introduced ourselves. Three of the ten of us are Master of Wine students with one real Master of Wine amongst us which have us (me?) worrying about minding my p's and q's.

nougat

Inside the CIVC, Philippe gave a Powerpoint presentation of the four key initiatives. For the sake of brevity one of the concerns under the 'economics' platform was to build more luxury hotels and incite Parisian visitors to spend the weekend (and of course their cash) in the businesses in the community. During this time there was also discussion of the 'no new planting rule" as there is concern that without it Champagne can end up like Bordeaux with so many hectares under vine the wine sells for a Euro a bottle.

Technical information revolved around the increasing organic activity of producers and research into lighter bottle weight to reduce the carbon footprint.

Communications goals revolve around bringing more sommeliers and educators to Champagne and intensifying social media as well as mainstream press. The AWE trip falls under this umbrella.

Protection, the fourth initiative, is a key component. Still today too many people use the Champagne name in a generic way and a lot of CIVC activity is devoted to stopping imposters.

This introduction really set the tone for our visit, for we had a very good foundation of the economics of the community and the concerns of the growers, the large houses, and the community in general. As we visited the various producers, we knew to ask them questions about planting, which really to me was the key issue. The basic rule in Champagne is that one has to own a house or be a grower to purchase more land. True, some millionaires (billionaires?) can buy a house, and through this method be in a position to buy up more land to plant new land.

On the “technical” side we also knew to ask questions about what each house or producer was doing to become more organic or in the example of one producer, Francis Bouland, biodynamic. Bouland was an amazing visit, as he was constantly bringing us physical examples of the methods he was using to get to most from his soil (earthworms in freshly bought earth taken from a cow’s horn, anyone?).

The presentation ended with a tasting with Mme Violaine de Caffarelli, OEnologue Chargée de Communication and discussion of malolactic fermentation in champagne.

To read all Champagne visits, please click here

Our van

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"I like a good farmer!" says Jeanne-Marie De Champs, owner of Domaines et Saveurs Collection in Burgundy. Jeanne-Marie represents over seventy producers and exports them to various countries, including the USA and my favorite wine stores.

Jeanne-Marie is responding to my question about how she chooses the producers she represents. Each one I've met over the years has been passionate about their craft.

"Every time I like a bottle of Burgundy, I turn the label around and see your name!" I have told her. But then again, bottles I buy at home are usually Bourgogne AOC and today we are visiting some of her very best producers with bottles selling for well over $100.

You can see all the producer visits here, but today we are visiting Clos de la Perriere, Domaine Gallois, Domaine LaMarche, Domane Meo Camuzet (the picture above is a barrel of wine that Jeanne-Marie bought at the Hospieces de Beaune, which is being raised by Meo Camuzet) and Chateau de la Maltroye.

Jeanne-Marie is very strict about the producers she accepts into her fold -- they must make wine as natural as possible. And all the producers I've visited with her have been absolutely passionate about making the best wine possible. Without exaggeration, the feeling one gets when they talk about their wine and offer tastes of it is as if the wine is their children. Every day, the winemakers are in the cellar, tasting it, listening to its needs ...

On this visit I discovered some fabulous producers and it is always thrilling to find oneself in a restaurant or a wine store, recognize the label on the wine bottle, and have fond memories of the visit..

Winemaker and Chateau de la Maltroye owner Jean-Pierre Cournet has the exotic look of a jet-set film star as opens the door and greets us in his gorgeous 18th century Chateau in Chassagne-Montrachet.  It is high on a hill, with a gorgeous view of the village and darkening sky. And there's something a bit mysterious about it ...

"Hello," I say, as we shake hands. "I love your wines. I have had them at Jean-George ..." I begin, naming an expensive restaurant in New York.

"Today you will have them much cheaper," he replies, with a wry smile.

The house is incredible -- a lot of space, airy . We are lead to the spotless, yet ancient looking cellars one can't help but think it is a movie set.  This feeling is intensified by the large figure of a knight in silver armor standing guard near the barrels.

When the Cournut family purchased the estate in 1940, the 6.5 acre plot behind the house was a vegetable garden. The wine business simply wasn't profitable enough to warrant new plantings. Today, vines that run 200 meters down the hill behind the Chateau make up the priceless Maltroye 1er Cru holding, offering wines that sell for more than $70-$100/bottle. 

The domaine covers around 15 hectares; of which 40% of the vines are red Pinot Noir and the rest mostly Chardonnay. Each year there is enough for two barrels only of Batard Montrachet Grand Cru while there are 10 different Premier Crus whites; including La Dent de Chien, La Romanee, Grand Ruchottes, Maltroie Cretes, Clos de la Maltroye (red and white), Macharelle, Chevenottes and Baudine.

I try the various wines -- they are young but incredibly delicious, rich with what appears to be 100% oak. And they would indeed cost a fortune at Jean-George, yet at that restaurant I would have the luxury of really savoring them.

You won't find much on the Internet about Chateau de la Maltroye -- and Mr. Cournet does not appear to be the talkative type -- yet from what I can gather when he took over from his father in 1995 the quality of the wines improved dramatically. It could be better selection, new technology, or just his own personal approach to creating a rich, well-balanced wine yet whatever it is, the wines are fabulous.

“A French insurance company owns a Chateau?” the woman’s voice says, incredulous. Yes, one can imagine that most people think that a top wine chateau in Bordeaux is owned by a French aristocrat, yet the world has taken quite a turn since the days that this might have been the case.

Today the French insurance company AXA owns several wineries which produce the world’s most exquisite wine, such as Chateau Pichon Longueville, Chateau Suduiraut, Chateau Petit-Village, Chateau Belles Eaux, and two other properties outside France, Disznoko in Tokai and Quinta do Noval in Portugal.

Imagine – just for a minute – if by some sweep of a magic wand, you were able to be sprinkled with fairy dust , escorted atop a magic carpet, and spend the week at these properties as AXA’s special guest?

This is the exciting thing that happened to me and four other students in the Master of Wine educational program who won a scholarship based on essays we submitted. It was the absolute trip of a lifetime for everyone, especially students like ourselves who need these examples for our exams.

Sunday: Dinner in a Chateau

Julian, one of the friendly AXA staff people, picked myself and another student up from our station in a shimmering black car, and as if to highlight the drama of our destination, swirled the car into the impressive lengthy driveway of Chateau Pichon Longueville, where we would stay during our visit and dine tonight.

Words can’t describe the glamour of this enormous fairy castle of a chateau illuminated at night under the darkening sky. It was a thrilling moment, one few people in the world ever really have the opportunity not only to see, but to experience first-hand.

Patricia, another friendly AXA employee who expertly manages the Chateau, shows me to my room and if you look at the Chateau below, you can see that the bedroom I am given is in that second floor turret! The space is actually an extension of the bedroom, as it is a round room with a card table inside it.

During dinner, the five of us are ushered into the drawing room where we are served champagne and canapés by the charming hostess, and then make our way to the dining room. It is incredibly glamorous and the cuisine (mushroom soup and steak) is paired with Chateau Pichon Longueville 2000 (delicious with its black currant and tobacco flavors), Les Tourelles de Longueville (their second wine), 1990 Chateau Pibron – another AXA acquisition. I absolutely loved this wine with its notes of Prince Edward cherry tobacco and truffle. You can read more about its history by one of my favorite Internet scribes, The Wine Doctor, here

Dinner concluded with Chateau Pichon Longueville 2001, very black and intense, with delicious notes of tobacco, vanilla bean, black current, and black licorice. Dessert was served with the delicious 5 Puttanyos 2001 Tokaji from Disznoko, AXA’s property in Hungary.

Monday: Tour of the Chateau Pichon Longueville Vineyards and Winery

After a very formal coffee and croissant breakfast, we were met by the energetic blonde Corinne Michot, who along with Marie-Louise Schÿler, Director of Communications, spent several weeks planning the extensive details of our very extensive trip to various AXA properties in France and Hungary.

Corrine had a very glamorous life before AXA, working as a top sommelier and wine director for several prestigious restaurants in London and the world. Today she drives us the short distance to the Pichon-Longueville vineyards where we meet Jean-Rene Matiger, the technical manager who has been at Chateau Pichon Longueville since 1985.

Jean-Rene is an extremely likeable, energetic man who seems genuinely delighted to see us, and with his quick step and enormous strides, leads us proudly through the Chateau Longueville vineyards, which at the moment have a buzz of activity.

It is the harvest, you see, and the workers are here to pick. We learn they are the chateau’s regular workers who come from Spain each year, and when the wine harvest is finished, they continue to pick other types of produce throughout France. Treating workers well is very important to every chateau, as grape selection (ensuring only the most perfect grapes make it into the wine) is a primary element of a good wine.

Workers are housed at a hotel about a half hour from the property, and arrive by a large bus. At the end of harvest, which is scheduled for that Friday, there is a very big party and its correct execution (read, really great food, wine, and fun) is of key importance to Jean-Rene. The party sounds so exciting I wish I would have still been in town for it!

Luckily, though, we are able to get a feel for what it might be like when we have lunch at “la table des vendanges” with Christian Seely, the Managing Director of AXA Millesimes. I have met Mr. Seely many times before – a very elegant gentleman who is as kind as he is business savvy. The crowd of us enter the light, airy, modern room and take a seat at long rows of table. Some of the workers are still finishing their lunch, which today is a delicious tomato and mozzarella salad, roast pork, various vegetables, and of course, cheese and dessert. As this is France, wine is served as well – C’est le vie!

Before lunch, though, Jean-Rene gave our group a very extensive, insider’s view of the high tech winery with all its bells and whistles.

Perfect Berries

First, though, let’s mentally revisit the vineyard. The grapes looked super ripe and perfect, yet for a second growth like Chateau Pichon Longueville, they have to be absolutely flawless. Hand picking the grapes (which is much more expensive than mechanical harvesting) is only the first line of defense.

We tour the grape reception area, where boxes of grapes are deposited between men and women working the first sorting table. Standing on either side, they examine the grapes as they pass down the table, pulling out any obvious rotten grapes. Then, around the bend, is another sorting table, where yet another team takes another look a the grapes to insure perfection. Yet these days at top Chateaux in Bordeaux, a sorting table isn’t enough – now they have purchased the expensive optical sorting machine, which ensures absolutely perfect, uniform sized berries.

Seeing all the perfect berries roll down the belt after the optical sorting machine was amazing, each berry was the same size thanks to a computer program that ensures uniformity. And the berries looked delicious – I could not wait to see how they would taste!

In the winery, Jean-Rene spent a lot of concentrated time explaining the Chateaux’s new gravitational system. It is a very clever system, and very expensive – the beautiful berries I just described gently pass through a hose before the stainless steel fermentation tank, and then gently are deposited in whole berry form atop something that looks like a stainless steel escalator, though instead of a “flat” step the step is more of a spoon so that the grapes are secure.

When they arrive at the top of the vat, a worker gently guides them to a miniature crusher located on top of the fermentation tank, so that the juice that falls into the stainless steel vat is as fresh as it could possibly be, with zero chance of oxygenation.

We were able to climb the stairs to see this miracle in action, absolutely invaluable for a student as the day may come (will come) when we would have to actively describe this process.

The Control Room

Jean-Rene took a great deal in pride in showing us the control room in his winery, which looked like a high-tech spaceship from its circular nature. The control room was packed with computer-like machines that gave various readings. From here, Jean-Rene could monitor the chemical activity of every wine in winery.

One key thing to realize is that a technical director means wearing many hats, and Jean-Rene seems as comfortable talking to workers in the vineyard as he does operating the NASA-like computers in the control room.
The Cellar

Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar” and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights” that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table.

Barrels are filled with gravity, and then protected from oxygen with carbon after malolactic fermentation is complete. The barrels are made of French oak from seven different makers at a medium toast. The barrels are racked every three months, and fined in the barrels (not mixed together in tanks). The general mix is 90% new oak, 20% 1 year oak. The lees are kept in the barrel and is used to form a wine meant for internal consumption.

Gravity: The Taste Test

So earlier, I described the gentle way the whole berries are coddled to the top of the fermentation tank. Do you think there is a difference between grapes that are gravity fed to the tank, or pumped in?

Christian Seely led a very interesting test, in which we tasted two groups of base wine: Group 1 was 2008 Merlot, and Group 2 was Cabernet Franc. In both cases, the wine I identified as smoother and better balanced was gravity pressed, so proof that this really is the answer for Chateaux able to afford it.

VerticalTasting Chateau Longueville 2000 - 2009

One of the highlights of the itinerary the AXA team put together is a vertical tasting of Chateau Longueville from 2000 to 2009.

The wines were all delicious, but my favorites were the

- 2001 with its silky cherry notes, sweet vanilla, and delicious balance along with flavors of mocha and casis;

- 2003 with its notes of Prince Edward Cherry Tobacco, vanilla, and ripe fruit;

- 2005 with the flavors described above along with more ripe red integrated and concentrated fruits, much more extracted too …

- 2006 very extracted with smoke, plums, tobacco, and seductive ripe fruit;

- 2007, very smooth with notes of spice and vanilla – incredible integration and balance;

2009 showed very well, very powerful and extracted with a substantial mouth feel and good tannic structure.

Blending Session: Chateau Petite Village 

In the afternoon, one of the highlights of the week was the opportunity to create a blend of Chateau Petite Village (another AXA property) for the 2009 vintage with Ch Petite Village technical director Serge Ley and Daniel LLose (Technical Director AXA Millésimes). When I’ve blended wine in other classes, it was usually a more elementary activity that involved nothing more than personal taste. On a desk, one was presented with the five allowed varietals of Bordeaux, a syringe, and beaker with measurements. One simply used personal taste as a guide.

In this activity, we were given criteria such as:

- The total volume (imaginary) for the 2009 harvest is 340 Hectolitres of wine, being a potential of 43,000 bottles.
- At this stage of aging, the harvest is made up of 8 different lots of volumes from 20 to 80 ha
Taking into account:
- The quality required for a premium wine
- The economical / qualitative conditions
- The potential quality of the 2009 vintage

Blending Objective: At least 60% of the total volumn available should make up the premium Wine, being a minimum of 26,000 bottles

We were divided into three groups, with each group making a blend of premium wine. During the final blind tasting, the 3 wines would be tasted with a 4th reference wine for 2009, which the chateau already blended, as well as the 2009 blend realized by the MW team from the previous year.

What transpired in those hours is a bit complex to describe here, yet it was an excellent lesson about what a Chateau has to think about, as in addition to the above the chateau must take into account the allotment for the “second wine.”

Leading this exercise was the very affable and clever Daniel Llose, a key figure at AXA and who I came to know quite well at the end of my trip in the Languedoc, and whom I shall describe more fully there.

Dinner at Chateau Kirwan

That evening, we were privileged to have a tour, wine tasting, and dinner at Chateau Kirwan in Margaux with the charming and dedicated Nathalie Schyler, who is Director of Tourism.

Chateau Kirwan is a gorgeous place, and we arrived just at dusk with the Chateau illuminated against the night sky. Nathalie showed us the winery and cellar, and we enjoyed a tasting of several vintages before dinner in her private apartment. Ms. Schyler is also a pioneer in developing the idea of inviting groups (usually business groups) to arrive at the Chateau for lunch or dinner paired with the Chateau’s wines. This is good business branding as it helps sell the current release and at the same time, sends Chateau Kirwan ambassadors to various countries in the world.

Visiting Chateau Suduirant

Today we visited the AXA Chataeu Suduiraut property in Sauternes, escorted by the lively Corinne . We were met by the very affable Pierre Montegut, the technical director, and from that moment it was clear the day would be very enjoyable.

The Vineyard of Chateau Suduiraut
“Here are shears – now we cut!” said Pierre after showing us around the winery and leading us into the vineyard. It was a gorgeous Fall day and the air was crisp with promise. As during the Chateau Petite Village event, we were divided into teams and instructed on how to cut the botrytized grapes while leaving the others intact … a much harder task than you would imagine!

Magic of Botrytis

The magic of Sauternes occurs every Autumn, in the area where the cool spring-fed Ciron river meets the warmer Garonne river south of Bordeaux. As a result of the different temperatures of the rivers, a fog develops, enveloping the vineyards and encouraging the development of the fungus Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) on the already ripe grapes. Over several days the moist early morning fog encourages the grapes to continue to shrivel and rot, while the afternoon sunshine completes the desiccation process which concentrates the sugars.

Workers make several trips through the vineyards to pick grapes at the optimum moment, with “optimum” being the key word. For centuries, jittery owners have struggled with the dilemma of holding out for more botrytized grapes and risking destruction from hail or rain, or of staying safe with an early harvest that may have less concentrated sugars.

Collecting the Grapes

If I understand Pierre correctly, there is still time to “wait” in the hope of more botrytis. And indeed, it is interesting to see that on the vines, some of the grapes in the very same bunch are a vibrant green, while others are tiny raisins.

Pierre instructs us to cut only the raisins from the bunch, yet I find it easier to pull the raisins out one by one, as they do in Tokaji. The grape picking experience is quite in contrast to that of Chateau Pichon Longueville in that the raisins could be handled more roughly than 2nd growth Bordeaux grapes.

The other teams have more luck cutting huge bunches of botrytized grapes, so Pierre playfully guides us to an area with more abundant ripe fruit. My partner cuts, I resume my individual berry picking, and soon time is called and we bring our pails to Pierre to be processed into must.

The berries are put into a miniature outdoor press – the kind that has to be operated by hand! And after the first pressing, Pierre lifts the weight of the press and rearranges the grapes so as to get another pressing. This hard manual labor is great to experience, and really makes one recognize that before the glitzy, high-tech, computerized wineries of today winemakers must be capable of serious manual labor.

The must from each of the three teams is measured for sugar content – obviously the higher the sugar content the more valuable the must.

The Tasting

We taste several vintages of Chateau Suduiraut, all different yet similar in that they have amazing freshness and acidity with good minerality on the finish. I very much liked the 2002, and found a curious note of a caraway seed along with saffron and East Indian spices. The 1999 was a beautiful gold color, with that curious candied rye seed once again, along with apricot, cling peaches, and tight minerals.

Chinese Food with Sauternes

Yet another highlight of the day was the opportunity to explore pairing Chinese food with Sauternes. As many of us (at least myself) wrote in our essays, it’s important for Sauternes producers to explore ways of serving this wine with meals, instead of waiting until the end of the meal when the diner may be too sated to have more wine.

Our lunch was catered from the well-respected and very popular Au Bonheur du Palais restaurant in Bordeaux. Pierre tells an interesting story about how he discovered their restaurant and was surprised to find the owner recommending an inexpensive Alsace wine. Pierre was impressed by the delicious food, excellent wine recommendation, and became a regular.

The Sauternes pairing with spicy Chinese food is a huge success. There were many courses, beginning with some sort of fried calamari and continuing on to shrimp with chili, meat, and salmon with a somewhat sweet barbeque type of sauce. Both the unctuous texture of the Sauternes, its acidity, and sugar matches the weight and texture of the dishes served. You can set up this pairing in your own home and see how it works for you.

Michelin Star Dinner: La Table de Montesquieu

If this wasn’t enough excitement for the night, Pierre and Corrine and AXA treated us to dinner at a fabulous 1 star Michelin restaurant called La Table de Montesquieu. It was small and very modern with white walls and clean lines. We enjoyed many delicious wines from the various AXA properties with our dinner, and had a lot of fun as well. Both Pierre and Corinne have a very infectious sense of humor and have been friends for quite a while, so it was a very lively evening.

Jetting to Hungary

Because of a threat of a strike, we took an earlier plane to Hungary to visit the Disznoko property in Tokaji. Joining us were some journalists friends based in Bordeaux, as well as Marie-Louise Schyler who with Corinne and others planned our trip.

We arrived at the hotel just in time for dinner, where we had the pleasure of meeting Lazlo Meszaros, Managing Director of the property. Lazlo is a very intelligent, kind, man who is passionate about wine and very excited to show us Disznoko. He took us to a fabulous and very elegant restaurant where we enjoyed Tokaj wine with specialties such as cantaloupe soup, and actually experienced violin players who came to play at each table.

This night at dinner I also met two key women who were to be our guides, Geraldine Giroux, marketing manager who works very closely with Marie-Louise Schyler and travels to all the properties, and Andrea Hanyecz, whose title of sales manager for Disznoko doesn’t seem to match her many and varied responsibilities. During our stay in Tokaji, Andrea would be our fearless leader, making sure we got to all the wineries on time and were excellent fed and cared for.

Disznoko Estate

The next morning, we took a bus to Disznoko arriving at the property on a crisp gorgeous morning with sun bouncing off the nearby hills. We are greeted with coffee, pastries, and walnuts from a nearby tree. Lazlo has taken the step of preparing a special itinerary for us, personally inscribed with our names. Very impressive!

In past centuries, the estate had been an icon of Tokaji wines. It had fallen into disrepair after the socialist era, and since AXA acquired it in 1992, it received the investment necessary to bring it back to its former glory. The modern (new) winery was designed by Hungarian architect Dezso Ekler in a way that resembles a village. The old winery had been turned into a restaurant, Yellow House, where we will have dinner.

Presentation from Lazlo Meszaros

Lazlo leads us into the winery where he tells us more about the region and the grapes. The climate is continental, with the fluctuation between cold winters and hot summers rendering it ideal for the production of botrytized wine. The soil is firm clay settled on volcanic rock, rich in minerals. It has a very good structure and ideal water retaining ability. Also very important, the soil warms easily to radiate heat towards the vines.

The proportion of native grape varieties mirrors that of the wine region as a whole:

60% Furmint: this noble variety gives firmness and strength to the wine. It ripens late, has a lively acidity.
30% Harslevelu: this local variety has loose clusters and a pleasant aroma.

9% Zeta: a cross of Furmint with Bouvier.

1% Yellow Muscat: an aromatic variety.

The Harvest

At the time of full ripening, before botrytis, Furmint, Harslevelu, and Muscat grapes are harvested to make dry wines.

Now, in mid-October, it is the time to harvest the Aszu grapes and in the vineyards the pickers are out in full force. Lazlo leads us into the field where we watch pickers, and then are given shears ourselves.
Unlike Chateau Suduiraut, we are encouraged to pull berries instead of clusters. Lazlo is very specific about the exact type of berry to be plucked … it must be very dark and small. Pickers clearly must go through the field several times a day to get even a half bucket of appropriate grapes.

The grapes are taken to a large container, where a man steps inside and stomps on them to reduce volume and begin the release of free run juice. This juice is pumped out to become Essencia, leaving the residual pulp for masceration with a base wine. Base wine is created from berries remaining after the picking, and fermented about 14 degrees for three weeks. Then the Aszu berry pulp and the base wine are mascerated for 48 hours in ratios of 1 kg to 1 litre in stainless steel tanks that can hold quantities in multiples of 140 litres. For example, 140 kg of Aszu (7 puttonyos or 20kg each) when mascerated with 140 litres of base wine becomes 4-0 litres of 7 puttonyos wine.

The Aszu is run off to casks, and a slow second fermentation takes place for at least two years in underground cellars. During this time the Aszu wines come down to the 5 or 6 puttonyos level. The skill of creating the best Aszu wines is in the blending, which is where Lazlo shines.

Lunch in the Fields

Disznoko is a gorgeous property with an incredible view, and it was such a fabulous idea by all who planned the trip to have a picnic lunch.

Of course, I was expecting just sitting on the grass and having a sandwich, but AXA went all out with a catered affair, complete with a barbeque grill and selections of Dry Furmint and some offdry wines as well.

At my table I had the good fortune to be seated with Marie-Louise Schlyer, looking very elegant in her Kenzo scarf and gold earrings, and one of the Bordeaux-based journalists.

Secrets of the Cellar

Lazlu takes us on a magical tour of the cellar, where the bottles of wine glow orange in the darkness like some luscious gold elixir. He carries with him a very elaborate glass object, seemingly very old and traditional, which he uses to take the wine from cask and into our glasses.

This is a dream for sweet wine lovers and wine students, since we are able to taste so many varietals and so many vintages at so many stages in their evolution.

Then he takes us to the hallowed area where the Essencia is aging. It is richness beyond belief!

Vertical Tasting

Lazlu put a lot of energy and effort into arranging a vertical tasting, and it was extremely interesting to see how different the vintages presented themselves. Even more impressive was Lazlu’s incredible knowledge of all the vintages and weather patterns. This quality is shared by all the AXA producers I’ve met.
Overall, we tried the 1993 (dried fruit spices, slight coffee), 1995 (creamy), 1997, 1999 (surprising blue cheese and candied lemon!). 2000 (white peach) and 2002.

Farewell Dinner

Lazlo arranged a dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, Ős Kaján in Tolcsva, and it was charming! He is a very elegant host on AXA’s behalf. This restaurant is very eclectic and popular with VIP type people – a top politician from Spain was at the next table. The hosts knew him well and it was a great place to spend the last night as a group.

Touring Budapest and Other Tokaji Wineries with Andrea Hanyecz

Andrea is a young and very energetic individual who we first met at our first dinner in Budapest and acted as our guide through the entire trip. When Lazlo was not dazzling us with his brilliance and showing us the secrets of Disznoko, it was Andrea who was taking us to fun local restaurants in Tokaji (Goulash, anyone?) and leading us to presentations at other Tokaji properties such as Royal Tokaj, Oremus, and Hétszőlő.

The Tokaji portion of the trip was incredible and extremely valuable as a wine student – AXA went all out to really give us a picture of the region in all ways: Disznoko, of course, yet also the other major producers. And from the simple goulash lunch one had the opportunity to see the ‘locals’ and get a real feel for the spirit of the people.

Visiting Mas Belles Eaux

Though Tokaji was the official end to the AXA most generous trip, we had the option of going on to other AXA properties around the world.

I love the Languedoc and was very eager to visit the AXA property Mas Belles Eaux.

So Monday morning, myself and another MW student were picked up at the hotel AXA so generously secured for us by the very handsome and charming technical manager, Cedric Loiseau.

The Languedoc, located in the south of France, borders the Mediterranean between the Pyrenees and the Rhone Valley. It has mild winters and hot, dry summers, and has been a wine growing region ever since Greek and Roman times.

The vineyard of Mas Belles Eaux stretches over 90 hectares of sun-blessed hillsides. Soil consists of the complex terroir of Villafranchian gravel over red clay and alluvial soils.

The Winery

The Mas and its vaulted cellar built in the 17th century are the oldest buildings of the estate, and is very romantic looking. A new winery has been constructed and we will see it later that afternoon. The estate was called Belles Eaux because of the numerous springs around the property which run down into the Peyne River and have a unique effect on the terroir.

In the parking lot of the Mas, we are surprised and pleased to see Daniel Llose, who lead the blending competition of Chateau Petite Village. He is here to help explain the magic of this gorgeous terroir.

We gather together in a single car to tour the vineyards. Daniel and Cedric show us a map, indicating how the decision was made to re-organize the vineyard in terms of the different soils an in-depth survey has brought to light. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan.

The Vineyards

We drive through the vineyard, getting out several times to see the trellis system, examine the soil, and taste the grapes. Harvest is finished yet some (delicious!) bunches remain.

What’s most interesting is that Cedric has an Apple application for his iphone that alerts him to soil conditions – the AXA technical directors must be among the most tech-savvy on the planet!

The premiere wine of Mas Belles Eaux is Sainte Hélène, which features carefully sorted and selected grapes that come from plots situated up on the plateau, the highest point of the estate. This wine, a blend of several grape varieties, is vinified according to a method specific to Mas Belles Eaux and then aged for 15 months in French oak barrels.

Visiting the New Winery

We visit the new winery and I, for one, am very impressed. It is very new and clean and shiny with extremely modern stainless steel fermentation tanks and numerous bells and whistles.

The Tasting

We taste the 2009 vintage and other vintages in the sleek, very modern tasting room on adjoining the Mas. It is run by Yann Aguilhon, a very energetic gentleman. The space is gorgeous and during summer, Yann has turned it into a venue for a weekly tasting party.

As a whole, the wines are very well-balanced with delicious flavors and moderate alcohol despite the hot climate. Cedric has taken obvious care to create such balance and elegance. The discussion turned to the challenge of informing the public that the Languedoc is a region where one must know the producer.

Mas Belles Eaux, for example, is a high quality wine available at a competitive price. Yet a consumer can find a badly made wine with high alcohol and from high yields from the same region, and make the assumption that all Languedoc wines taste a certain way. Public education is crucial, and that’s why the tasting room and its parties is such a good way to market the winery and establish the brand as one that stands for quality.

The Lunch

Cedric, Yann, and Daniel take us to a fantastic lunch at an incredible restaurant in the mountains. It is run by a young Italian couple and the food is incredible. What a fabulous experience!

The Afternoon Visits

Cedric was kind enough to arrange visits to two other properties where we could see examples of how other producers run their cellars. They are not named here because they really pale in comparison to the cleanliness, organization, and high-tech facility of Mas Belles Eaux.

Yet the comparison is important because it really allows us to see how state of the art Mas Belles Eaux really is, and how AXA has rescued yet another excellent property from a similar fate.

The Dinner

If Cedric is charming, his wife Carin is equally so. My fellow MW student and I were honored to be invited to dinner with them at a very quaint restaurant in Sete, a region by the sea that is very popular in summer.

Saying Goodbye

Daniel could not join us for dinner, as he had to rush back to Bordeaux to taste at Chateau Pichon-Longueville the next day.

I was so honored that he drove all the way down to the Languedoc to be with myself and my fellow MW student, and have that incredible mountain lunch with his. His commentary during our visits to the Mas Belles Eaux properties and also the other wineries were quite valuable. He is an extremely modest man and its possible he does not recognize his value to the wine community and as a mentor – both young AXA winemakers as well as students such as myself!

Thank you AXA

Many many thanks to AXA and the Institute of the Masters of Wine for making this scholarship possible.