CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 – BONNEAU DU MARTRAY

CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 75cl 119.00 S.Fr
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2006 150cl 243.00

Amidst all the general hype, BdM has kept prices rather steady over the last year or three. About 20% more expensive than lesser know producers, but equally about 20% cheaper than the likes of Henri Boillot. At release I would say that HB does manage to get more into the bottle, but also for me the jury is out on their longevity given ‘issues‘ with my former ‘beau’, the 2001 Henri Boillot.

I think these prices are not bad at all….

Also in today, a new post from Jasper Morris to read…

The 2007’s of Henri Boillot – excellent as I expect them to be, at these prices I do not expect to buy more than a few ‘halves’ for testing…

VILLAGES BLANCS
MEURSAULT 2007 37,5cl 29.00 Swiss francs
MEURSAULT 2007 75cl 54.00
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 2007 37,5cl 30.00
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 56.00

PREMIERS CRUS BLANCS
MEURSAULT Les Charmes 2007 75cl 85.00
MEURSAULT Les Genevrières 2007 75cl 89.50
MEURSAULT Les Perrières 2007 75cl 95.00
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Perrières 2007 75cl 89.50
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Clos de La Mouchère 2007 37,5cl 47.00
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Clos de La Mouchère 2007 75cl 89.50
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Caillerets 2007 75cl 89.50
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Pucelles 2007 75cl 95.00

GRANDS CRUS BLANCS
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 2007 75cl 149.00
CRIOTS BATARD MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 215.00
BIENVENUES BATARD MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 249.00
BATARD MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 295.00
CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 368.00
MONTRACHET 2007 75cl 499.00

PREMIERS CRUS ROUGES
BEAUNE Clos du Roi 2007 75cl 59.50
VOLNAY Les Fremiets 2007 75cl 75.00
VOLNAY Les Caillerets 2007 75cl 79.00

“This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles,”

Here. Comments to follow…

Maybe my title sounds a tad negative, but given that I see this in a generally positive light, it’s not really meant that way.  Why so?  I remain convinced that ‘Nouveau’ is what has caused the slow leaching (away) of esteem from crus Beaujolais.  If this can help better differentiate Nouveau from the highest quality wines in buyer’s minds, this will be positive.  Mandatory plastic packaging for Nouveau anyone?

William Fevre – and they’ve come a long way since the 2001 vintage – the price too, it’s just over double:

PREMIERS CRUS
CHABLIS Montée de Tonnerre 2007 37,5cl 22.00 Sfr
CHABLIS Montée de Tonnerre 2007 75cl 39.50
CHABLIS Fourchaume Vignoble Vaulorent 2007 75cl 55.00
GRANDS CRUS
CHABLIS Valmur 2007 75cl 79.00
CHABLIS Bougros Côtes de Bouquerots 2007 75cl 79.00
CHABLIS Les Preuses 2007 75cl 79.00
CHABLIS Les Clos 2007 75cl 89.50

From Decanter:

Christie’s is set to announce the departure of its long-standing head of wine auctions in the US.

Christie’s vice president Richard Brierley has returned to the UK after nearly eight years running the auction house’s North American division.

Brierley, a British subject, will now oversee preparations for the yearly Hospices de Beaune auction in France, alongside Christies’ long-running Burgundy specialist, Anthony Hanson MW.

From the BIVB:

Maison Louis Latour arrives in Régnié
Owned by Maison Louis Latour since early 2008, Henri Fessy (St-Jean-d’Ardières) has bought up 15 hectares of the Château des Reyssiers vineyard in Régnié (69). Maison Fessy now owns 35 hectares of vineyard. The aim of the chairman and managing director, Louis-Fabrice Latour, is to reach around fifty hectares. “We succeeded in Burgundy by being an owner-trader, and we hope to do the same in Beaujolais”, he explains. Fessy sells around 2 million bottles.

The Devillard family in the Mâcon region
The Garenne estate in Azé (71) has joined the Devillard estates. This 4.5-hectare estate has been bought by the Beaumont family (in-laws of Amaury Devillard) in partnership with Robert Vernizeau, expert winemaker from the Perdrix estate (Nuits-Saint-Georges) and technical adviser to the Devillard family estates.
The wines of the Garenne estate will be produced to the same quality requirements in force on the Devillard family estates, and will be added to the range of estate wines distributed by the Devillard family: Château de Chamirey in Mercurey; Domaine des Perdrix in Nuits-Saint-Georges; Domaine de la Ferté in Givry, and Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, also in Givry.
www.domaines-devillard.com

Joseph Drouhin: new vines in Savigny-lès-Beaune
Maison Joseph Drouhin (Beaune) has purchased 1 hectare of AOC Savigny-lès-Beaune Village and Premier Cru Fourneaux vines. A purchase which, according to the management, is “part of our supply quality development policy”. The Joseph Drouhin estate comprises 73 ha, and features some of the great Burgundy appellations: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise.

New Seguin Moreau barrel-making facility opened at Chagny in Burgundy

On July 10, 2008 – The Oeneo group inaugurated its new Seguin Moreau barrel-making plant at Chagny in Burgundy. The new, state-of-the-art facility covering a E2,5 million investment has a capacity to produce at least 20,000 barrels per year. Production will be increase progressively in the next 18 months.

With this new barrel-making plant, Seguin Moreau is reinforcing its range of “barrels made in Burgundy”, which are particularly suited to wines made from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes and which are seeing strong growth, especially in the United States and in Australia. The investment is backed up by a new partnership agreement with the Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin in Dijon for a R&D programme on wood-wine interactions.

The Oeneo Group, the world’s leading barrel manufacturer through its Seguin Moreau, Radoux and Victoria brands, is thus equipping with new development capacity and confirms its growth ambitions in a market that remains upbeat.

Having strongly improved its economic performances over the last three years, Oeneo shows its capability to make further investments to stimulate growth and create value for the Group.

The Oeneo Group will publish its first half 2008 sales figures on 29 July after close of trading.

Sacre-bleu!!! Is nothing sacred?  😉

More grist to the mill…