Did I say something about committment? 😉

LOS ANGELES, July 28 (UPI) — Walt Disney Co. has shelved its plan to offer U.S. wine and rodent lovers a “Ratatouille Chardonnay” in honor of the star of its latest movie.

Costco was to carry bottles of French 2004 white Burgundy with labels featuring Remy, the haute-cuisine-loving rat in “Ratatouille,” The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. The promotion was canceled amid criticism from California winemakers and opponents of underage drinking, Disney spokesman Gary Foster told the newspaper.

“It was going to be a small offering” — 500 cases — “and we thought it would be best not to proceed with it,” he said.

In a decision called unrelated, Disney announced last week its films, including long-released classics, no longer would show characters smoking.

November 9, 1875. Indian Wars: In Washington, D.C., Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins issues a report stating that hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne associated with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are hostile to the United States (the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought in Montana the next year).

That same year, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was quietly going about it’s business in the era where reports of phylloxera were finally being confirmed in the burgundian vineyards.

Here is the quote from the Christies catalogue of last week:

TWO RARE BOTTLES OF NINETEENTH CENTURY ROMANEE-CONTI
Lying at Christie’s South Kensington

Some years ago, Etablissements Nicolas sought to authenticate some old bottles of Romanee-Conti, resembling the bottles in this sale, which they had in their Paris cellars. These were itemised in their stock records, but without the bottles themselves carrying any distinctive sign; notably, the corks were not branded. It was impossible to have them authenticated.

In 1875, at the time of the oldest of the two bottles in this sale, Romanee-Conti was being tended and bottled in Santenay, in the cellars of the de Villaine family’s ancestor Duvault-Blochet. They normally did the bottling entirely at the property. It is possible that there were some barrel sales, but no records now exist to confirm this. The major part of the archives of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti disappeared during World War II.

I have spoken with the grand-son of Etienne Nicolas, who founded ETS. NICOLAS. The firm did not exist in 1875. It was started by his maternal grandfather in the early years of the 20th century. Etienne Nicolas was born around 1870. The company he founded began as a shop selling wine from the barrel (magasin de vin ‘ la tireuse).

It is possible that these wines were reconditioned by the Nicolas company during the 20th century, from bottles which had come back to them from the cellars of collectors. Alternatively, it may have purchased stock from another merchant, then labelled it with Nicolas labels (a perfectly legal practise). Today, we have no means of finding out.

These bottles are intriguing rarities, with excellent levels. For a passionate Burgundy collector, they will be unique, fascinating additions to the cellar. We look forward to hearing news of their opening, hopefully accompanied by fearless, in-depth evaluation and tasting notes !

A.H.
Romanée-Conti Grand Cru–Vintage 1875
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Corroded and damaged capsule. Label good for age, slightly bin-soiled. “Establissements Nicolas” at base of label. Level 4cms. below base of cork
1 bottle per lot

Well, that 1875 Romanee-Conti sold for £4,500 ($9,250), including the 12.5% buyer’s premium, about three times the venerable auction house’s estimate. In the same sale, the younger 1899 Romanée-Conti achieved £3,375 pounds – about the same as a decent modern vintage – why so cheap?

Anthony Hanson (AH), senior consultant to Christie’s wine department, had described the bottles before the auction as “curiosities” with “an element of risk” because their provenance was obscure. I would read that in the following way: Likely to be cooked so likely undrinkable (80%), possibly fake (19.5%) – some of you might choose to reverse those percentages, but the result remains the same – overall a 0.5% chance you could drink a decently stored 1875 Romanée-Conti. I might be an old cynic, but on the other hand, $9,000 for an objet d’art / chattel is not so bad, also if you fancy the 200 to 1 shot – that was incredibly cheap compared even to a recent (good provenance) bottle of 1990 or 1999…

Interestingly this seems such a common wine; Arvi has some, as does Everywine HERE.

Sources; Bloomberg, Christies

Disney, of all companies, are launching a wine and food range to coincide with their new film. I say “of all companies”, because wine was of-course banned from all their theme-parks! Anyway for their promotion for the new animation, the Pixar produced Ratatouille, they will market in the U.S., wine and food to match – it’s not clear if that’s a long-term commitment!

The film is the story of a kitchen rat (Remy!) in a Paris restaurant, a rat who dreams of becoming a top chef. To match they will market a ‘Ratatouille’ chardonnay – a 2004 white Burgundy from Château de Messey in the Mâconnais, available from August through Costco for ~$13.

Now seemingly referred to as Domaine Engel, rather than René Engel – here’s a note from the BIVB:

The Engel domain, under the ownership of François Pinault version, is building up speed. A project to build a vat-room is currently under study. Technical supervision of the domain has been entrusted to Michel Mallard (son of Patrick Mallard, a winegrower at Ladoix-Serrigny), under the management of Frédérique Engerer, who is also in charge of Château Latour, another of François Pinault’s winegrowing properties. Michel Mallard, 31, is an agricultural engineer with a national diploma in oenology from Bordeaux. The Engel domain covers 6.5 hectares of vines in Côtes de Nuits.

What’s not clear from this is exactly where the cuverie might be, Monsieur Pinault certainly bought the vines, but I don’t think he bought the house/cuverie – I assume this is still with the family. For now the barrels from 2006 are maturing next to those of Bichot’s Clos Frantin.

About 3 weeks ago I had the great pleasure to attend the ’10 years-on’ tasting near Beaune for the 1997 vintage – it’s copyright Clive Coates, so other than slowly typing up the notes, this is the closest I’ll get to a ‘report’ – though I note that Clive is still yet to publish his notes from the previous year’s 1996 tasting. From over 100 wines on display I only got round to making notes on around 80 because I desperately needed food two-thirds of the way round, and those more ‘professional’ than I (or perhaps who had an earlier sandwich) downed many of the ‘name’ wines before I returned – still, it was only Richebourg and La Tàche etc… :

Whites: since day 1 they have been ripe and tasty, of some depth if without real minerality, though in contrast to 2003, with quite enough (acid) balance. They remain tasty and apart from some obviously mature ‘lower’ wines there’s no rush to drink and I suggest great restaurant buys – I don’t know if any bottles suffered the ‘p.ox’ (premature oxidation), but those on display were fine.

Reds: The only (semi) surprise was that the wines taken from the producer’s cellars tended to be somewhat fresher than those that have been in the market for the last 8 or so years. About two-thirds of the wines were well-enough balanced – the other third typically had some issue with the acid balance; probably from less well judged acidification. All the more ‘serious’ wines need more time for the reasonably prominent tannins to soften and almost all have rather high-toned and diffuse aromatics (if not roast) i.e. from an aroma perspective tended to disappoint this taster. Only one wine in all the tasting had a dense, deep core of fresh fruit on the nose – that was the Ponsot/Chézeaux Griotte. Essentially, and despite falling some way short of great, they are pretty good wines that burgundy buffs will enjoy for what they are, rather than what they are not! One or two were standouts and I’ll highlight them as I write up the notes.

Some notes have already trickled through the diary in the last two weeks and more will come during the next two weeks while I’m travelling in Asia – normally there are few tasting opportunities on these trips…

Although Pierre Meurgey of Champy had previously told Allen Meadows that he had signed a contract to farm the appellations formerly exploited by Domaine Carré-Courbin, it is only just now officially announced via the BIVB that Maison Champy has taken over half of the ~10 hectare Beaune-based Carré-Courbin domain.

Carré-Courbin vines that are on the move cover ~5 hectares in the appellations of Volnay and Pommard, in particular; Volnay Taillepied, Pommard Grands Epenots plus villages Volnay and Pommard that will boost Champy’s existing production from those villages. The Champy domain now covers 17 hectares.

The BIVB also today announced the new appellation of Bourgogne Tonnerre:

This is the latest addition to the Burgundy family. On 17 July 2006, the appellation decree giving birth to the AOC Bourgogne-Tonnerre was issued. Although vines have existed in this part of the region (north east of Auxerre) since ancient times, no distinction was made between the wines produced here and those from the rest of the Burgundy appellation production area. It is worth noting that this appellation is dedicated exclusively to white chardonnay wines.

The Bourgogne Tonnerre vineyards are located in the valley of the river Armançon. Vine-growing in this area developed particularly from the 9th century onward. The monks of the abbeys of Quincy (near Tanlay) and Saint-Michel (near Tonnerre) played a major role in the intensifcation and improvement of wine-growing. Its development was of course affected by the phylloxera crisis from 1870 to 1890. From 1987, the efforts of a few strong personnalities started to bring it back to life and the best slopes of Tonnerre, Epineuil, Molosmes, Junay and other villages were replanted with carefully selected typical Burgundy varietals.

Bourgogne Tonnerre chardonnay grows best on argilo-calcareous soil (with an upper Kimmeridgian layer). The Tonnerrois is a valleyed region and comparatively sheltered. The appellation covers particularly well-exposed slopes, facing south and southeast. A little over a hundred hectares are under vine, yielding about 6,000 hectolitres of wine. This wine is made from chardonnay grapes. It is a dry, fruity wine. Bourgogne Tonnerre has a fine, clear and characteristically pronounced golden colour A very fine and aromatic wine, it opens on hints of florals, exotic and white fruits, as well as citrus notes. It is frank, tender, as well as having a certain roundness, and bursts in the mouth with slight mineral notes. This wine is ideal with grilled andouillette. Or in a totally different register it is perfect with fish, shellfish, poultry in creamy sauces and white meats. And it will do full honour to Burgundy’s gastronomic specialities such as Burgundy snails and the entire range of regional cheeses, from cooked to unripened cheeses. It can be drunk young and fruity but reaches full maturity after four or five years.

For more information on Burgundy-Tonnerre: www.vignerons-tonnerrois.com