Blog posts of '2018' 'January'

The Rhône region is situated in the Rhône Valley, Southern France. The Rhône River meanders from the Alps to the Mediterranean Sea and has numerous appellations on both sides. 98% of the wines are red or rosé, but if you look closer you will find a few white wines. The northern and southern parts of the valley are two completely different worlds worth the discovery. The Origin of the Rhône Valley The Rhône Valley was created during the last Ice Age when the Rhône Glacier carved its way through the landscape. The Rhône Glacier is the source of the Rhône River and the largest one in the Urner Alps. The first vines were planted around 600 BC. Some say the Greeks brought the Syrah grape variety to France, some credit the Persians who chased away the Greeks, and others even claim the honor is left to the Romans. Whatever story may be true, when the Romans left the valley, so did the general interest in the wine region. In the 13th century, the Popes purchased vineyards in the Rhône Valley and moved to Avignon. They changed the tide for good and expanded the production of wine. The first mention of ‘Côtes de Rhône’ was put into writing in the 16th century. The Four Main Appellations of Côte du Rhône The basic appellation ‘Côte du Rhône AOC’ covers both the northern and southern subregions of Rhône and almost 80% of the wines produced in the Rhône Valley. These easy drinkable red wines have a minimum of 11% alcohol and are perfect to serve on a weekday or at a casual gathering with friends. The appellation is also used by negociants who buy grapes in bulk, which they bottle, distribute, and export on a larger scale, as production rules are less strict. Next step up is the ‘Côtes-du-Rhône Villages AOC’. These wines have a lower yield than wines from the Côte-du-Rhône AOC and a minimum of 12.5% alcohol. In comparison to the previous AOC, production rules are stricter. Red wines, for example, must contain at least 50% Grenache with 20% Syrah and/or Mourvèdre. A maximum of 20% of other authorized grape varieties is permitted. Based on their terroir, there are 95 communes that may display the AOC on their label but without mention of their village. The highest level of classification is the ‘Côte-du-Rhône Villages AOC with mention of the village’. 25 of the 95 communes of the appellation are authorized to append their respective village name on the label. Within the Côte-du-Rhône Villages AOC - with or without mention of the village - you’ll find both fresh and fruity wines as wines perfect for aging. The highest level is the Cru, which are 18 distinctive regions with an exceptional terroir. The rules are even stricter and the label doesn’t show a reference to the Rhône. Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage, and Hermitage are examples of northern Crus and Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas have their home base in the south. The Land of the Northern Rhône The north has steep hills and granite soil with stone, shingle, and clay. It’s much smaller than the southern part of the Rhône Valley and makes up less than 10%. It’s even smaller than the Chateauneuf du Pape estate. Only 5% of the wines produced in the Rhône Valley come from the north. As machines can’t work the landscape and production is done by hand, the quality of the wines is often much higher. The vines are planted close to the river and enjoy great sun exposure and shelter from the mistral winds. The Grapes of the Northern Rhône The two main grape varieties planted in the north of the Rhône Valley are Syrah and Viognier. Syrah is a red grape variety that grows in the Rhône Valley and Languedoc. The wines’ color is dark, from violet to black as soot. Young wines even have a blue sheen and smell of exotic flowers. The grape is loved for its spicy character and releases a high level of tannins, which results in powerful and complex wines. Viognier is a white grape variety. For some wines, it is mixed with Syrah to contribute to the color and bouquet of the wine. Viognier produces full-bodied wines with a soft character and reveals notes of peach, pear, violet, but also a level of minerality. Viognier is a difficult grape to cultivate. The grape should only be picked when fully ripe and its yield is often low and unpredictable. The Land of the Southern Rhône The southern Rhône Valley is much flatter than the north. It has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. The vines are not protected from the mistral winds that cool down the vines but also give the wines a higher acidity and an intense flavor. Its chalk soils with clay or sand have big stones in the upper layers. The stones make it difficult to cultivate the land with machines but they improve drainage and keep the soil warm when the grapes need to ripen. When you visit Gobelet you will see the vines are kept low on the ground by regularly trimming because of this. The Grapes of the Southern Rhône Besides Syrah, there are two other grape varieties that are common in the south of the Rhône Valley: Grenache and Mourvèdre. Grenache is one of the most widely planted red grape varieties and is known for its dark color. Its intense aromas remind of black fruit, coffee, spices, roasted nuts, black cherries, and even olives. A young wine with a high level of Grenache tastes of strawberries and raspberries, while an older wine will have a more earthy taste. The wines have a high alcohol percentage and after ten years the dark color will turn mahogany and the aromas will become more complex. Mourvèdre is a red grape with high demands: it needs a lot of warmth and prefers a clay soil. When the grape can’t enjoy the sun, it will give less alcohol and less taste. It has a very distinctive smell of spices and even animals. The wine is firm and robust with a high level of tannins. It’s the perfect grape to mix with others. The Rhône Valley Offers Something for Everybody Whether you are looking for a fine wine to celebrate the weekend or a special occasion: the Rhône Valley offers both high-quality table wines and exclusive ones. Discover our wide range of Rhône wines in our online shop. Don’t hesitate to contact us for personal assistance.

Although the history of Château Smith Haut Lafitte dates back to the 14th century, it was long considered to be an underachieving château. In 1990, when Daniel and Florence Cathiard fell in love with the winery, everything changed for good. The History of Château Smith Haut Lafitte In the 14th century, the Verrier du Boscq family planted vines on the gravelly plateau Lafitte in Graves, France. Up until today, the three Fleurs-de-lis on the label honor the family who founded the vineyard. Four centuries later, Scottish navigator George Smith bought the estate and added his name to the property. He constructed the château and initiated the export of the wines back to Great Britain. The three branches on the label represent his three children. Lodi Martin Duffour-Dubergier, Mayor of Bordeaux and signer of ‘The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855’, bought the estate in 1842. Château Haut-Brion was the only winery not located in Médoc that made it to the famous list. But in 1953, the wines of the Graves were separately classified by the Institute National des Appellations d'Origine and the red wine of Château Smith Haut Lafitte made it to the list. When the list was adjusted in 1959, the château stood its ground and remained on the list. At the time, there was no production of white wine. If a reclassification were done today, the white wine of the château would definitely be included as well. In 1958, the Louis Eschenauer company, which had already distributed the wines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte from the early 20th century, ended up buying the estate. The company owned the château up until 1990. The Couple Behind the Estate Today In 1990, Florence and Daniel Cathiard fell in love with Château Smith Haut Lafitte. They are both ski champions, founders of the chains Go Sport and Casino, hard workers, and bon vivants. They chose the estate above others that were on the market back then because it produces both red and white wines. They restored the 16th-century tower and the manor house and built two underground cellars. The couple banned the chemical herbicides that had exhausted the vineyard and went back to traditional vine-growing methods respecting the land and the vines. They introduced modern technology to analyze the soil, map the terroir, and use satellite images to monitor the maturity of the vines. In an interview with Margaret Rand in 2008, the couple discussed whether a glass ceiling exists in Bordeaux. Florence Cathiard stated there definitely is one: “We will never be a first growth. We don’t have the weight of history.” Yet Daniel Cathiard does not believe in such a thing: “We have one of the best soils in Bordeaux. We work hard, we hire the best people, we’re not so bad at marketing. It will take time, but it will turn to success. I don’t think about being a first growth. There’s no limit to quality, and the price will follow.” At the estate, they started a Vinothérapie spa with a hotel and a Michelin-starred restaurant, which led to more spas and hotels and a line of cosmetics. The resorts and hotels are run by their daughters Mathilde and Alice. While Florence is responsible for marketing and building new contacts, Daniel takes care of the vineyard and cellars. Thanks to the family’s competitive nature, Château Smith Haut Lafitte is now wide awake and present at the top. The Vineyard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte Château Smith Haut Lafitte is part of the Pessac-Léognan appellation and covers 67 hectares. The Graves region is known for its alluvial, sandy, stony soil atop a clay and limestone subsoil. The soil of the vineyard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte is well-drained and remains warm at the surface, which results in slowly ripening grapes. The poor soil is perfect for viniculture, and the limestone gives the wines a certain freshness. The first years at the vineyard were a hard knock life with frost in 1991 and rain showers in 1992. They took away some vines and replanted the vines in another part of the vineyard. Eschenauer kept Cabernet Sauvignon on the northern part of the estate, but the grapes didn’t ripen because of the clay in the soil. The couple replaced the Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and moved the Cabernet Sauvignon to a sunnier part. These decisions laid the foundations for Château Smith Haut Lafitte as we know it today. The grapes are meticulously sorted out, and the extractions are even done with manual punching. The fermentation of the wine happens partly in vats and partly in barrels, and the wine is matured for 16 to 18 months. The red wine cellar is one of the largest underground cellars in Bordeaux and holds up to 1,000 barrels. Château Smith Haut Lafitte aims to be self-sufficient and intends to be carbon neutral. If you ask us, they are more than ready for the future. The Wines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte The red Smith Haut Lafitte contains 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The white Smith Haut Lafitte includes 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, and 5% Sémillon fermented in barrels. Both the red and white wines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte are elegant yet powerful. The intense red wines are known for their silky texture, while the polished white wines reveal fresh fine citrus notes. The 2009 red wine by Château Smith Haut Lafitte was even awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. Looking for an Exclusive Bordeaux Wine? Each bottle in our collection has been handpicked by our appraisers. Discover our selection of Bordeaux wines in our online shop. Don’t hesitate to contact us for personal assistance.

Château Lagrange started humble but is today a successful Third Growths Winehouse. The estate is 182 hectares large and located entirely within the appellation of Saint-Julien. When the property was acquired by the Japanese company Suntory, the French were skeptical, but we can’t deny: the Japanese have made Château Lagrange great again. The Appellation Saint-Julien Saint-Julien is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for red wine in Bordeaux, more specifically the Médoc subregion. The wines of this appellation are mainly produced in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, located on the left bank between Margaux and Pauillac. The primary grape of Saint-Julien is Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and traces of Carménère. The southern wines are described as smoother and more feminine, while the northern wines are more robust and powerful. Château Lagrange is located in the north of the Saint-Julien appellation. The History of Château Lagrange The story of Château Lagrange dates back to the Gallo-Roman times when the original estate was called Villa Rustica. During the Middle Ages, the Templars joined two domains and made Lagrange the largest wine producer in the Médoc. Over the centuries, the domain was owned by many different people. In the 18th century, Baron de Brane, a Bordeaux parliament member and owner of Mouton, bought the estate. Subsequently, influential merchant Jean-Valère Cabarrus invested in Lagrange and spread its wines through his sales network. The Italianate tower, depicted on the label, was constructed in 1796 by the next owner Jean Valerie Cabarrus, Napoleon’s Finance Minister in Spain. But it was his successor, Count Duchatel, who was the first to truly improve the domain’s wines: he added a drainage system to the vineyard. This is very common today but back then it was revolutionary. In 1855, the year of the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification, Château Lagrange was ranked as Third Classified Growths. It was truly a golden age for the estate, but everything changed in the 20th century due to the World Wars and Depression. In 1983, the Japanese group Suntory acquired the domain and appointed Marcel Ducasse and Kenji Suzuta to restructure the vineyard and renovate the estate. This was the beginning of the château’s rebirth. Year after year, they put in hard work and investments. Today Château Lagrange is led by Matthieu Bordes and Keiichi Shiina, who keep refining the production. The Exceptional Terroir of Château Lagrange The center of the domain is the highest point in Saint-Julien. The estate covers 182 hectares and has a gravelly soil combined with sand or iron-rich clay, depending on the plot. The soil is perfect for the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and covers 67% of the vineyard. 28% is dedicated to the Merlot grape and 5% to Petit Verdot, which gives the wines of Château Lagrange their unique complexity. Château Lagrange is one of the few properties in Saint-Julien that also produces white wine. The white wine vineyard covers 7.5 hectares, of which 60% is Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, and 20% Sémillon. This wine is sold under the name Les Arums de Lagrange. In 1985, Suntory also started the production of a second wine: Les Fiefs de Lagrange. Tradition and Perfection The vines are maintained with great care and respect for tradition. Production is also as eco-friendly as possible. During harvest, the grapes are hand-picked and sorted both manually and by an optical sorting machine. Only the best remain. Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats with respect to each plot. Each plot has its own vat, which contributes to the quality of the wines. Afterwards, the oenologist of Château Lagrange blends the wines to create a perfect harmony. The wines are aged in oak barrels for at least 20 months. The Wines of Château Lagrange The wines are described as bright and deeply colored with notes of fruits and oak. As the young wines contain many tannins, it’s better to wait at least 8 to 10 years before serving your Château Lagrange wine. An aging period of 10 to 25 years is even better. In the mood for an intense and complex wine? Discover our handpicked selection of Château Lagrange wines in our online shop.