Michelle Lawlor🍷 Wine Expert’s Post

Chateau Lynch Bages Vertical (2017, 2018, 2019) €600.00 Only 4 sets available https://lnkd.in/e5_Br663 Paulliac, located at the heart of Bordeaux, is the holy grail for the best wines produced in the region. So much so, that 3 of the 5 chateaux classified as the best, Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, are located here. Lynch Bages is particularly popular here in Ireland and is one of the most reliable and in demand Châteaux of Bordeaux. Prices are modest compared to those of the aforementioned 1er Cru Classe, and it represents good value for money. Owned by the Cazes family since 1939, this much loved wine consistently makes one of our most highly demanded and biggest selling wines of Bordeaux. The dashing Jean-Charles Cazes is at the helm for the last number of years, and his wines are as charming as he is. The recent vintages have been amongst the best ever. This vertical contains one each of the following vintages: 2017, 2018, 2019 The 2019 100 points Jeb Dunnuck The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it’s going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo. @chateaulynchbages #lynchbages #chateaulynchbages #wine #winetasting #winelover #finewine #rarewine #winecollector #winecollection #bordeaux

Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Tasting: A Seismic Vintage? (Part II) The Inglenook Rubicon 2014, from Francis Ford Coppola’s historic property on the west side of Rutherford, was robust and structured in firm tannins yet subtle and complex. Such a grand, complete wine, and barely beginning to show the fascinating tertiary aromas and flavors that will come with a few more years’ time. The people behind Barrett & Barrett are the married winemaking couple Heidi and Bo, she of LA SIRENA and Amuse Bouche Winery, etc., and he of Chateau Montelena Winery. Their Calistoga 2014 was one of the most linear, fresh and balanced wines in the tasting, with tight but polished tannins. It will perhaps be at its best in five or 10 more years. While far from comprehensive, the tasting was broad enough to get a good sense of the vintage quality today compared with other years from the 2010s. James wrote in 2017 that 2012, 2013 and 2014 form an exceptional trilogy. “I love this vintage and will always wonder if it is actually better than the highly revered 2013 vintage,” he said. “Time will tell.” Time has not made the ultimate call, but his advice on 2014 is still solid: “The wines show a harmony in fruit and structure that will allow early drinking as well as aging. It’s much better to … leave the powerful 2013s to mellow with bottle age.” The harmony and supple structure come from a moderate growing season, when the temperature at the University of California’s Oakville station in mid-Napa Valley showed only one heat spike that hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius). In this current season and in 2022 the number of extreme heat days was much higher. While the 2014s had rich tannins and full bodies, virtually none were overly drying or stiff in mouth-feel, as cabernet sauvignon – young or old – can be. They give plenty of pleasure now but have not reached the magical point where they begin to show more of the subtle, ethereal, earth, iron, floral and even cola notes that come in time. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gJQ6yHAf #wine #napa #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon #classicwine #2014vintage #agedwine

Cheers - May 6th is International Sauvignon Blanc Day! Coming later this month to a dining table near you - Turks Head Wines 2023 Exposition East Sauvignon Blanc and 2023 Big Valley District Sauvignon Blanc. Here are 5 fun facts about this beloved white varietal - 1. Sauvignon Blanc is a grape varietal that originated in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley regions of France 500 years ago 2. New Zealand is now the world's largest producer of Sauvignon Blanc, but they only started growing it in the 1970s 3. Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Sémillon to create Bordeaux Blanc or White Bordeaux blends 4. Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé are both wines produced in the Loire Valley, France with the Sauvignon Blanc grape yet they are labeled with the name of the appellation as opposed to the grape itself 5. Studies have proven that Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon

THE WAR OF THE ROSÉS You can hear the gallic distain in the phrase ‘swimming pool rosé’ from here. Bordeaux has always been nimble to adapt. Drain that soggy swamp. Flip from majority white grapes to majority black grapes (and potentially, back again). It has weathered crises in the past, I will do so again. At present, Bordeaux has some very good, very expensive wines, and lots of indifferent wines. The price of indifferent wines are lower than the cost of production, and cannot compete with arguably better wines from elsewhere. In general, French wine-drinking has decreased, particularly red wines. Bordeaux sales have slumped by 36%. Even the prestigious en primeur system is facing difficulties. What will this year’s campaign do? Discounts of 25% anyone? Perhaps 30% if you wait for the next tranche. So what’s a challenged Bordelais vigneron to do? Some are ripping out their vines. Some are diversifying. Some are making a white wine our of black grapes (a still Blanc de Noirs), and some are making rosés – not as a bi-product of red wine making, but as a conscious choice. You will remember Bordeaux gave us pale red wines, ‘Clairet’ (which anglicized into ‘claret’). A pale red wine can be a dark rosé, and that is the rosé Bordeaux now produces. This has outraged Provence producers. They favour their celebrated - and celebritized - pale pink rosé, which the Bordelais deride as ‘swimming pool rosé’ The pale pink is favoured by Bradgelina in happy times. Consumers like it. The Bordelais call it insipid. In turn, Bordeaux dark rosé is denigrated as ‘simple’. It all reminds me of the rose garden in Alice in Wonderland: what’s the point in painting white roses red? Let the consumer choose their preferred shade of pink – and where they would like to drink it for that matter. In-fighting is off-putting. Let’s play nice and sip the rainbow.

"Quality first and quality always" is the mantra for so many brands and companies, the test to this is, would you write off an estimated retail value $295 million worth of stock to preseve product quality? Well it is reported that this is what has happened with the 2023 crop of Dom Pérignon Champagne 🍾 In France 🇫🇷. In Champagne, the mainstay is non-vintage bubbles, produced by blending wine from a variety of years. All 370 houses that make sparkling wine in the region offer bottles without years on them—except for one. Dom Pérignon only releases vintage Champagne produced from a single harvest. While other maisons can take the opportunity of a less-than-stellar season to increase their stock of base wines, if the quality of the vintage is not up to snuff there will be no Dom Pérignon. This is exactly what happened in 2023, when after months of grape maturation in the vineyard, a full harvest, and primary fermentation in tank, cellar master Vincent Chaperon didn’t feel the wine met Dom Pérignon’s standards. Realizing the entire 2023 vintage was just not good enough, Chaperon rejected the entire cellar of base wine....the estimated retail cost $295 million. The article below has the full story. #beverages #Champagne #domperignon #wine #grapes #quality #france Wayne Donovan Sophie TUDOT Lars Jensen Paul Villis Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly Michel Aubanel Stephen Rannekleiv Bourcard Nesin Francois Sonneville Will Keating John Craven Bryan Roth Mark Gallo Barbara Lezzer Jim Watson Marc LEJEUNE Tiphaine BEAU Elodie Carriere Gilles Halotel Jean Noel Ortal Andrew Wardlaw Michelle Osagie Mark Allen Tobias Gorn IDS Jean-Philippe Delforge

Seen some terms used to discuss champagne but aren’t really sure what they mean? Here’s a quick guide! 🖊 Terroir: Identical grapes grown in different places, even if vinified the same way, make different wines—this is because of differing terroirs. It is the influence of soil, climate, elevation, terrain, vineyard management and the surrounding flora, fauna and micro-organisms, among other factors. Terroir can be understood as the identity of a place (and time). 🖊 Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC): Formalised in 1936, the Champagne AOC is the legally defined area from which champagne can be produced. The appellation system strictly regulates almost every part of winemaking: from the planting and management of vines to the bottling and labelling of wines. In doing so, both the terroir expressions and traditions unique to the appellation can be preserved and ensured. The AOC label (a legal certification) guarantees authenticity, and you’ll find AOCs for other products like cheese, meats and spirits. 🖊 Cru: The Échelle des Crus system historically designated the percentage of a set price to be paid for grapes from particular villages. In modern times, this is only a rough guide, since improvements in viticultural knowledge have improved quality across the board. The last change to the designations was in 1985, when several villages were promoted to Grand Cru, and the classification system was finally abolished in 2010. The terms ‘Grand Cru’ and ‘Premier Cru’ can still appear on champagne labels; however, they are no longer considered an indicator of price or quality—rather, they remain as a nod to Champagne’s history. 🖊 Lieu-dit (plural: lieux-dits): Roughly translating to ‘named place’, a lieu-dit is named according to historical or topographical specificities. Houses occasionally make lieu-dit (aka mono-parcellaire or single-vineyard) wines to highlight the terroir of a single vineyard or parcel of vines. Are there any words you want to learn more about? Follow me for more! Santé! 🥂 🔗 SallyHillman.com.au #champagne #wine #wineeducation #winelover #lifestyleandleisure

• Baettig is the exciting project from leading winemaker Francisco Baettig (of Errázuriz fame). Crafting vibrant, site-expressive wines from Chile’s south, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Malleco and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maule – this is one of the hottest names in South America. They planted just over 15 hectares of various Burgundy clones of Chardonnay (6.4 hectares) and Pinot Noir (nine hectares) in 2013, with one experimental plot even on its own roots. They made their first tiny vintage in 2016, but their first commercial vintage was 2018, released in 2020. From the 2021 vintage, they introduced Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maule. Here they are able to work with old vines – some over 120 years in age – that have been grafted over from País to Cabernet Sauvignon, producing tiny yields of concentrated fruit. Baettig chose the Maule because of its wealth of old vines and granite soils, but also the distinct style of the fruit grown in areas near the coastal range, with bright acidity, good colour, aromatics and tannins that are, in his view, almost Saint-Estèphe in style. #wine #chardonnay #pinotnoir #redwine #Chile #chilewine #maulechile

The Burgundy wine region in France is renowned for producing some of the world's finest and most sought-after wines. Located in eastern France, Burgundy is divided into five main wine-producing areas: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais. 1. Chablis: Known for its crisp, mineral-driven Chardonnay wines, Chablis is the northernmost sub-region of Burgundy. Its cool climate and limestone-rich soil contribute to the distinctiveness of its wines. 2. Côte de Nuits: Famous for its red wines made primarily from Pinot Noir grapes, Côte de Nuits is home to renowned appellations such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. These wines are celebrated for their complexity, elegance, and aging potential. 3. Côte de Beaune: South of Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune produces both red and white wines, with Chardonnay dominating the whites. Notable appellations include Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet, renowned for their rich, expressive whites and elegant reds. 4. Côte Chalonnaise: Located further south, Côte Chalonnaise produces both red and white wines at more accessible price points compared to the Côte d'Or. Notable appellations include Mercurey and Rully. 5. Mâconnais: The southernmost sub-region, Mâconnais is known for its high-quality Chardonnay wines, including those from the appellations of Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran. These wines are often more approachable and affordable than those from the Côte d'Or. Burgundy's terroir, which encompasses factors such as soil, climate, and winemaking traditions, plays a significant role in shaping the character of its wines. The region's classification system, based on the concept of "climats" or specific vineyard sites, further emphasizes the importance of terroir in Burgundy winemaking. Overall, Burgundy wines are prized for their complexity, elegance, and ability to reflect the unique characteristics of their terroir. They are highly sought after by wine enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. #sommelier #wine #burgundy #chardonnay #Pinotnoir #wset #cms #frenchwines

Why not Italian? 🍷🇮🇹 Ying and yang. Black and White. Romeo and Juliet. However you want to look at it, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are opposite but equal powerhouse grapes in the world of Italian wine, and right now, we have some exceptional vintages from two cult producers on offer. 🍇 𝘐𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰, 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 🔝. Its three cru bottlings garner accolades from major critics. Take “Piaggione,” for example. At just 1.2 hectares, this cru produces wines with power and structure. But there’s a softer side - one of florals and Sangiovese’s signature red cherry, that makes this wine complex, balanced, and truly singular in style. Salicutti is not just leaving its mark with its flavor profile; the collector-level estate was the first in the region to be certified organic and is now converting to biodynamics. 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘚𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰’𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, elegant Nebbiolo comes to life in his vineyard-designate wines. Barbaresco has always had a reputation for elegance and refinement compared to Barolo's brawny, brooding style, and Sottimano’s Barbarescos don’t disappoint. Rino and his three children farm sustainably and do as little in the cellar as they can get away with — all to let the crus shine through. When you hear “Fausoni”— think “florals,” the tell-tale markings of this prime site, along with vibrant acidity. Wines from Sottimano regularly receive 95+ points! According to the Liv-Ex Italy 100, Italian fine wines are on the rise. Not only are they a great value, the country is seeing standout vintages that speak to longevity in the cellar. Now’s a great time to invest in Italy 📈, and we have exceptional vintages and cru bottlings from both, Salicutti and Sottimano for you. Choose your favorite to grow in value in your 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳: https://lnkd.in/daDBGNiX #vinesia #finewine #digitalcellar #winetech #italianwine #winecollector #fintech #wineinvestment