LeDomduVin: Fake and counterfeit wines - Investigation series: Chateau L’ Angélus 1970 weird label (amongst other fishy labels)

Ledomduvin - Fabien Pizzinat picture of a rather peculiar label of Chateau l'Angélus 1970  
bottled by negociant Philippe Serrande & Co. 

Fake and counterfeit wines - Investigation series: Labels, Château L'Angélus 1970 and the "L" of Angélus and other wine labels

Have you ever seen unusual labels on old Bordeaux bottles and questioned whether they are originals, fakes, or counterfeits? 

Well, if you're a Bordeaux lover, especially the older vintages from the 1940s to the 1980s, you surely did, and for good reasons, as some are drastically different from the originals.   

Labels

As developed and further detailed in previous posts about fake and counterfeit wines, labels, and bottles (read them here and also here), it is essential to differentiate the three main types of real labels: 

1.  The property label: for all wines made at the property

2.  The Negociant labels: for all wines made by a Negociant

• Label under the producer's name (Chateaux, Domaines, etc.) with the Negociant name on the Label as agreed by both parties: generally for all finished wines produced and bought directly from the property, yet aged, bottled, labeled, stored, and sold by the Negociant in a country other than the country of origin, mentioning both the producer or property name and the Negociant name, either in a label that closely resembles the original or in a label completely redesigned by the Negociant (to differentiate it from the original and make it his own).  

• Label under the Negociant name only: generally for all wines made from grapes, grape juice, or partially fermented wine, produced, aged, bottled, labeled, stored, and sold by the Negociant without mentioning the source.  

3. The Cooperative Label generally applies to all wines from grapes, grape juice, or partially fermented wine sourced from various growers or vignerons. The cooperative then produces, ages, bottles, labels, stores, and sells these wines under multiple names and labels while mentioning the cooperative as the place of production and bottling.   

 

There are surely other labels, but these are the most common types.  

Then it is crucial to understand the difference between fake and counterfeit labels, as these labels typically apply to famous, rare, and expensive wines.  

1. Fake labels usually apply to valuable and rare wines, but not only. They are generally made intentionally to seem different from what they are, to deceive customers who are not connoisseurs or amateurs, yet may have heard of the name. They might fall for it (knowingly or unknowingly), or simply buy it under the impression that they purchased something resembling the original but at a cheaper price.     

• A label similar or nearly identical to the original but presenting obvious mistakes (misspelling, wrong color, font, image, etc)   

• A label displaying the correct name of the producer or property, yet totally different in style and concept from the original

2.  Counterfeit labels refer to close imitations or replicas of valuable and rare wines. They are deliberately created to deceive connoisseurs and amateurs, leading them to believe they are purchasing the genuine articles. These labels are often crafted with such skill that the differences from the originals may not be apparent to the untrained eye. As with everything, the devil is in the details (paper used, color, ink, texture, font, invisible marks, anti-counterfeit technologies embedded in the Label, etc). 

Now that we have established these differences between labels, let's begin.  

Today's post is about Negociant labels, Château L’Angélus, the "L' " of Angélus, and other wine labels. It was inspired by a post on Facebook by Fabien Pizzinat (*) on the Facebook page/group called "Wine Business" on Saturday, September 2nd, 2018. 

Fabien Pizzinat posted the picture of Château L'Angelus 1970 (above in the header) and wrote the following: 

"Bonjour! J'ai récupéré des bouteilles de Chateau L’Angélus 1970 mise négoce Philippe Serrande. Quelqu'un connait-il ce négociant? Merci pour votre aide. Fabien" 

Which literally can be translated by: 

"Hello! I just got some bottles of Château L'Angélus 1970 bottled by a négociant called Philippe Serrande. Does anyone know this négociant? Thanks for your help. Fabien".

As you can see in Fabien's picture, this is a rather peculiar label for Château L'Angélus 1970 (personally, it is the first time in my 27-year career in the wine business and trade that I have seen such a label of Angélus). I do not know the Negociant either. However, nothing is wrong with that; this label is different, as it is supposed to be a "Négociant label".

What is a "Négociant Label"? It is a label not designed, chosen, or labeled by or at the property, but rather by a Négociant.

What is a "Négociant"? A Négociant is a wine merchant, wholesaler, or winemaker who sources and buys grapes, grape juice, or partially fermented or finished wine (either in barrels for further ageing or already bottled) from others (vignerons, growers, producers, châteaux, domaines, cooperatives, etc) and sells the wine produced under his or her own name or Label, or under the original name but with a different label which mention his or her name (see examples in the pictures below, like the Label of Petrus from Château Petrus 1947 aged and bottled by J. Vandermeulen-Decanniere (Ostende, Belgium)).   

Is it legal? Yes, it is legal as long as it is done transparently and agreed upon by both the original producer and the Négociant. And, it has been going on for hundreds of years.  

Bordeaux - Port de la Lune - 1898 - Courtesy of https://lostontheroute.com/

Historical Aparté about Negociants, Barrels and Bottles

The British were already buying wine from the French in the 12th century. At that time, Bordeaux was one of the largest cities in France and the capital of the Kingdom of Aquitaine, which later became the region of Aquitaine. 

The Kingdom of Aquitaine passed to France in 1137 when the Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII of France, but their marriage was annulled in 1152. When Eleanor's new husband, King Henry II of England, ascended to the throne in 1154, the area became an English possession and a cornerstone of the Angevin Empire. Aquitaine remained under English control until the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453, when it was annexed by France. (**)

Links between Aquitaine and England strengthened over the three hundred years during which the Kings of England ruled the region. Large quantities of wine produced in southwestern France were exported to London, Southampton, and other English ports. In fact, so much wine and other products were shipped to London and sold that by the start of the Hundred Years' War (a series of conflicts fought between England and France over succession to the French throne, between 1337-1453), profits from Aquitaine became the principal source of the English king's annual income. (**)

The wine was transported from Bordeaux to England in 900-liter barrels, corresponding to four 225-liter "barriques bordelaise" (Bordeaux barrels), which later became the standard unit. The wine merchants of that era established the foundation of what would become the Negociants.  

Originally from Burgundy, the term "Negociants" designated wine merchants who bought grapes or wine from small producers or winemakers and then aged, bottled, packed, and offered them under their own name.

Although some of the vineyards that would later become some of the most famous Chateaux of Bordeaux trace their origins back to the 12th century (e.g., Château Margaux, known as La Mothe de Margaux), most producers were mainly selling their wines under the name of "Bordeaux" until the 1600s. 

By the 1600s, the most recognized Bordeaux vineyards, villages, communes, areas, and châteaux began to shape the map of Bordeaux's wine regions, allowing discerning consumers to choose their preferred vineyard(s) or area(s). The foremost Chateaux that gained recognition then were Margaux, Haut-Brion, Latour, and Lafite. As taste, character, and style differed from one château to another and from one area to another, buyers gradually sought wines from specific châteaux and communes.

As the differences among vineyards, Châteaux, communes, areas, and even regions became more distinguishable and recognized, more Châteaux on both the Left and Right banks started to attract a following. 

For all this to occur, a system had to be established to allow producers to continue focusing on wine quality and production while wine merchants handled the aging, bottling, promotion, sales, and distribution. This led to the emergence of négociants (wine merchants) and courtiers (commercial agents). Together, they formed what is still called "La Place de Bordeaux." 

The courtiers were typically advisers, promoters, and close friends of the Chateaux. They advised the Chateaux on whom to sell to while taking a small percentage of the sales for their services. They bridged the gap between grape producers, vineyard owners (Chateaux), and the buyers (the wine merchants who became Negociants). Furthermore, they advised on allocations (who gets what), particularly for top wines in good vintages. They ensured not to sell everything at once by suggesting to the Chateaux to keep some for their vintage library and some in reserve for later release, usually at a much higher price than the initial release price.    

As demand surged and because some of the best parcels were fragmented (not always owned by the Chateaux then), they also negotiated and aggregated enough grapes or wines from small growers for the Chateaux to buy, then vinified the wine. The châteaux usually took care of all the steps of the vinification up until the wines were in the barrels, ready to be sold to the negociants, who in turn would age, bottle, store, and sell the wines in France and other countries.  

The first negociants emerged around 1620, notably the Dutch Negociants "Beyerman". By the early 1700s, the industry grew rapidly with the founding of several new firms, many of which are still active today. Some of these companies boast over 350 years of experience. Among them are Schroder and Schyler, Nathaniel Johnston, Thomas Barton, and the Lawtons.

For roughly the last 400 years, Négociants (French, English, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss, Irish, etc.) have engaged in a highly profitable business by buying barrels directly from the property and shipping them to their warehouses (either in France or their respective countries) to age, bottle, Label and store the wines. They then sell the wines under their own Label and name (while mentioning the original name alongside their own on the Label), rather than under the original Château label (if any). 

The main reason for this arrangement was that, from the 1600s until the late 1800s, it was easier for most vignerons, producers, châteaux, and domaines who could not afford to age, bottle, and store their wines on-site due to limitations in space, facilities, equipment, manpower, finances, knowledge, and skills, among other factors, to have their wine aged, bottled, labeled and stored by négociants and different types of wine merchants. 

Selling their wines to the Negociants also helped the producers financially by ensuring immediate payment and cash flow, giving them peace of mind and not having to think about bottling, promoting, selling, and distributing their wines.     

In addition to aging, bottling, storing, promoting, and selling the Chateaux wines, the négociant also evaluated the quality of the wine, particularly during an era when dishonest winemakers and unscrupulous innkeepers intentionally diluted or adulterated the wines they provided to customers.

The negociants often pre-sold the wines before bottling, ensuring sales and cash flow before release. This method, known as "En Primeur" (occasionally translated as "wine futures" in English), involves purchasing wines early while the wine (the current vintage) is still in the barrel. 

This offers customers the opportunity to invest before the wine is bottled. Payment is made at an early stage, a year or 18 months before the official release of a vintage. The advantage of buying wines en primeur is that the first released prices, also known as the "First Tranche", may be considerably cheaper during the en primeur period than they will be once bottled and released to the market.

During the En Primeur period, depending on the quality of the vintage, the quantity initially purchased, and the necessity to buy and/or offer more based on demand, Negociants may divide their initial stocks or acquire additional wines from the Chateaux to provide a "Second Tranche" and even a "Third Tranche" at prices respectively higher than the 1st Tranche and 2nd Tranche. 

The "En Primeur" period usually starts at the end of March or early April of the year following the vintage (e.g., the 2015 vintage is offered En Primeur by March/April of 2016) and typically lasts until the leading châteaux release their prices, which generally occurs gradually between April and the end of June, or early July at the latest. The top châteaux usually set their prices first, indexed on the price of previous vintages and based on the quality of the vintage and other factors. These prices are often considered benchmarks for other châteaux to price their wines. 

The wines are typically released after an aging period of 14 to 18 months (up to 24 months), depending on the quality of the vintage and the style, extraction, concentration, and flavor that the château aims to achieve (e.g., "Harvest occurs in September/October of 2015, as the duration of barrel-aging may vary, so the wine can be bottled as early as March/April of 2017 up until June of 2017").     

The early 1600s witnessed the establishment of the Place de Bordeaux, where the Châteaux sold their wine to the négociants through the courtiers, as well as the development of the Bordeaux wine regions and their reputation.  

Yet, with such a system in place and increasing demand, improvements in bottling, bottle shapes and sizes, and bottle storage and solutions to facilitate packing, transportation, and logistics became necessary. 

LeDomduVin: The Evolution of Wine Bottle Shapes - 1600s to 1800s (©Ledomduvin 2025)

Pictures of the bottles in the collage courtesy of http://www.bonhams.com

(Bottles from the Collection of A C Hubbard Jr)

In England, the creation of the coal furnace in the 1600s enabled the production of thicker, more durable glass, marking the beginning of glass bottles that could securely transport wine. 

Yet, from the 1600s until the early 1800s, the hand-blown glass bottles used for wine came in various inconsistent shapes, sizes, and formats, making them more challenging to store and carry than today’s "regular" bottles. 

The "Mallet" bottle (due to its hammer or mallet shape), which was used for wine (and other alcoholic beverages such as rum or port), became common at the beginning of the 1700s (18th century). As shown in the collage above, the bottles gradually evolved from the late 1600s to the early 1800s, transforming from an onion-shaped form with a short neck to a three-part moulded cylindrical shape, characterized by straighter sides, higher shoulders, and a longer neck. 

The three-part moulded cylindrical shape eventually led to the "standard" Bordeaux bottle as we know it today, along with all the other shapes adopted by different regions, either by tradition or to appear aesthetically distinct or more suitable for the types of grapes and wines, such as in Champagne, Burgundy, Rhône, and Alsace, referred to as "Flute d'Alsace."    

Although the English began standardizing wine bottle sizes in the mid-1600s and early 1700s, the "standard" 750 ml size did not gain prominence until the early 1800s (19th century). 

During this period, the various units were historically defined by the wine gallon, which caused them to vary according to this definition until the adoption of the Queen Anne wine gallon in 1706. In the United Kingdom and its colonies, the units were redefined with the introduction of the imperial system in 1826, while the Queen Anne wine gallon was adopted as the standard US gallon in 1836. (***)

The major wine-producing and wine-importing countries at that time used barrels extensively and developed standards that differ from traditional English volumes (most still in use today). Examples include a hogshead of 300 L (66 imp gal; 79 US gal), a barrique of 220 L (48 imp gal; 58 US gal) (Bordeaux), a barrel of 225 L (49 imp gal; 59 US gal) (Australia), a barrel of 230 L (51 imp gal; 61 US gal) (Burgundy), and a puncheon of 465 L (102 imp gal; 123 US gal). (***)

Despite these differences, this barrel standardization facilitated international trade and cellar aging, contributing to the development of wine culture across Europe. Standardized bottles also allowed for easier transport, individual sale, and personal storage, revolutionizing wine consumption and appreciation.

As the unit of volume conversion was challenging to understand between countries such as the metric system in France, the Imperial Gallon in England, and the US Gallon in the US, standardizing the bottles also meant not only uniformizing their sizes and shapes but also their volume to facilitate and simplify the conversion.  

However, it proved difficult as barrel volume capacities were not uniform across the countries. Even the metric system adoption during the French Revolution (formally adopted in 1795) failed to standardize barrel sizes nationwide. 

Although coopers did not align their production with the metric system, based on their century-old expertise, they eventually successfully established two regional standards on a global scale: the Burgundian cask (228 Litre / 50.15 Imperial Gallons) and the Bordeaux barrel (225 Litre / 49.4931 Imperial Gallons), which eventually made France the international benchmark for cooperage.  

Standardizing the barrels simplified the process of standardizing the bottles and improved the understanding of the conversion, as these barrels roughly represented 50 Imperial Gallons. In the US, the standard (non-metric) wine and liquor bottle was the "fifth," meaning one-fifth of a US gallon, or 25.6 US fluid ounces (757 mL; 26.6 imp fl oz). 

Yet, the conversion was still challenging for the US, as a Burgundy barrel is 228L / 757mL = 301.18 bottles, and a Bordeaux barrel is 225L / 757mL = 297.22 bottles.   

Also, because the bottles were blown and made individually, the inconsistency of their shapes and sizes made filling, storage, and transportation challenging, until a solution was found.    

FIG. 4. The Ricketts patent three-piece mould (UK Patent 4623 - 1821) 

Image Courtesy of David Dungworth Publication: Three and a half centuries of bottle manufacture

Read the full article at http://www.researchgate.net

In 1821, a Bristol glassmaker, Henry Ricketts (****), devised an innovative three-part mold that enabled bottles to be blown to the same size and capacity every time, producing consistent, uniform, and identical bottles. This revolutionized production, energized the local industry, simplified logistics, transportation, and storage, and led to the standardization of the bottle as we know it.   

In France, it is believed that the standardization of the bottle started in Bordeaux. Their main foreign clients were the English (who also imported the wine to the US and elsewhere), and, as mentioned above, the French & English did not share the same volume measurement system, so they had to come to an agreement. 

The Imperial Gallon corresponds to 4,54609 litres, so they had to find an easier way to count. As mentioned above, a standard US bottle was a fifth or 757 ml, and the UK had already standardized bottles at around 750 ml. Therefore, the leading believed theory behind why the 750 ml bottle became the standard is that they had to find a common denominator and opted for the 750 ml bottle, which was close to a fifth of a US gallon (757 ml) and equivalent to the British standardization. 

This choice was convenient and easier to convert for the three parties, as a Bordeaux barrel holds 225 liters, equivalent to 300 bottles of 750ml (1 barrel = roughly 50 Imperial gallons = 300 bottles of 750ml). This also explains why wine was (and still is) sold in boxes of 6 or 12 bottles, since 6 x 750ml = 4.5L (roughly 1 Imperial gallon). (*****)

It is believed that's how the Bordeaux bottle became the classic standard bottle. Its cylindrical shape, with straight sides and high shoulders (between the bottle's body and the bottleneck), made it easier to store, transport, and ship worldwide. It was much more convenient, requiring less space than previously made bottles.    

LeDomduVin: Details of a Bordeaux Bottle (©Ledomduvin 2018)

Negociants' business further developed throughout the 1800s as they (the British, Dutch, and Belgians, mostly), as well as the French Negociants in Bordeaux (and Burgundy), continued to buy from the Chateaux (and domaines), further increasing the production, exportation, and promotion of Bordeaux wine.

Although selling the wine in advance of bottling and sales provided instant funding that allowed the producers to maintain the vineyards and wine-making operations, the negociants handling the aging, bottling, sales, and distribution of the wines led to growing concern among the producers about the quality of their wine. 

At that time, despite carefully choosing the négociants to whom they would sell their wine (via the courtiers) and entrusting them with their wines, the châteaux had no control over the quality of the finished product, and bottle variations were common. 

At the beginning of the 1900s, this growing concern led the top properties (who had the financial means) to start bottling at the property to gain more control over quality, labeling, packaging, and distribution.    

Until the 1920s, the châteaux sent their wine in barrels to the négociants and other wine merchants to age, bottle, store, and sell. Consequently, switching to bottling, labeling, and storing the wine in cellars at the estate allowed the châteaux (and other producers) to oversee and control wine quality and production at every stage, from the vines to the bottling, as well as to personalize their marketing through their labels.  

"Bottled at the property" or "estate-bottled" ("mis en bouteille au château" ou "mis en bouteille à la propriété" in French) means that 100% of the wine must come from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the winery. The winery and the vineyard must be located within the boundaries of the labeled viticultural area, and the wine must be entirely vinified, aged, bottled, and labeled at the property. 

Baron Philippe de Rothschild was among the early pioneers of estate-bottled wine. In 1922, at just 20 years old, he took control of his family's property, Château Mouton-Rothschild, a regarded 2nd growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. As he aimed to transform wine production and marketing, he was regarded as an outsider and a newcomer in the traditionalist Médoc region. 

In 1924, he decided to bottle his wine at the château, a notable achievement at a time when most estates had their wines bottled by the Negociants and wine merchants they worked with. To celebrate this milestone, he commissioned a unique label designed by Jean Carlu, influenced by cubism and surrealism. 

However, this design was considered too avant-garde for the period, and he had to wait until 1945 for a shift in perception to commission another artist to design the Label for this vintage. This started a tradition of having an artist design the Label each year that lasted until today.

Labeling wine dates back to ancient times, likely as early as 1352 BC in Egypt, where jars discovered at King Tutankhamun’s burial site bore papyrus labels detailing the vintage, region, and winemaker. Although it resurfaced about a thousand years later with Greek and Phoenician producers in the Persian Empire, it's fascinating to realize that the labeling we recognize today is a relatively modern concept. 

In the 17th century, handmade labels were simply tied to bottles with strings. The actual shift in labeling began in the 1780s in Germany with the advent of the lithograph, which enabled the creation of the first paper label. Wine merchants widely adopted this practice during the 1800s.

However, it was not until after 1924, following Baron Philippe de Rothschild's example, that bottling and labeling at the estate gradually became common practice, becoming firmly established right after WWII, in 1945. 

Yet, not all châteaux had the financial means or space to do so, so some foreign négociants continued to buy barrels to age, bottle, Label, store, and sell the wines of some of the most prestigious estates until the late 1970s and early 1980s. This explains why it is common to find drastically different labels from the originals, especially in older vintages from the 1940s to the 1980s, like the one posted by Fabien.  

Ledomduvin - Fabien Pizzinat picture of a rather peculiar label of Chateau l'Angélus 1970 

bottled by negociant Philippe Serrande & Co. 

After this rather long yet really interesting historical aparté, let's go back to Fabien's post, and the original subject of this post: Fake and counterfeit wines - Investigation series: Labels, Château L'Angélus 1970 and the "L' " of Angélus and other wine labels

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, this is a rather peculiar label for Château L'Angélus 1970. Personally, it is the first time in my 27-year career in the wine business and trade that I have seen such an Angélus label. I do not know the négociant " Philippe Serrande & Co" either. Yet, nothing is wrong with that; this Label is different, as it is supposed to be a "Négociant label", and I do not know all the negociants (especially those outside of France).  

Despite some very interesting and even pertinent comments on Fabien's post on his FB page, nobody had a clear answer to whether this Label was fake, or who this négociant, "Philippe Serrande & Co," was. 

Fabien Pizzinat even said that he wrote to Château Angélus and received the following answer from Jean-Bernard Grenié, the cousin of Hubert de Boüard de Laforest (Angélus owner), who joined the company business in 1987, and knows Château Angélus as well as Hubert, saying: 

"Il s’agit d’une mise négoce. Je suis extrêmement surpris de ce millésime, car normalement à Saint Emilion la mise en bouteille au château est obligatoire depuis 1970. Je n’ai jamais entendu parlé de ce négociant. Donc prudence, nous n’avons aucune certitude sur ce qu’il y a dans la bouteille. En tous cas, ce vin n’a certainement rien à voir avec un Angélus d’aujourd’hui." - Jean-Bernard Grenié

Which can be translated by 

"This has been bottled by a négociant. I am extremely surprised by this vintage because normally, bottling at the Château has been mandatory since 1970 in Saint-Emilion. I have never heard of this merchant. So be careful, we have no certainty about what's in the bottle. In any case, this wine certainly has nothing to do with an Angélus of today." -Jean-Bernard Grenié. 

My first reaction was that if Jean-Bernard Grenié says that he is surprised (as in the 70s, Château Angélus wines were bottled at the Château) and that he never heard about this wine merchant, what else can I add? These are probably fake bottles, and the case is closed. 

Yet, (you know me by now), as a Wine Quality Control Director responsible for the company's wine inspection and authentication, I could not resist doing my little investigation. 

After all, this is part of what I do for a living, and I'm curious by nature, so why not? Moreover, when in doubt, I need to find answers.

NB: this post will complement the other posts I wrote on fake and counterfeit wines and bottles that you can read here, here and here, etc...).

Time to investigate © LeDomduVin 2018

It's time to investigate again and determine if these bottles of Château L'Angélus 1970 with a weird label are fake or counterfeit, or if there is a slight chance they might be real.

A. The Label

So, let's examine this rather strange-looking Label above and compare it to the original Label of Château L'Angélus 1970 below.

Chateau L’Angélus 1970 Original Label © LeDomduVin 2018

As you can see, there is a huge difference between the 2 labels. Yet, as it is supposed to be a Négociant label, so anything is possible. If it is, then this particular Négociant did a sloppy job on his Label.

Château L'Angelus: Negociant Label vs Château Label

1. The Negociant's label design is totally different from the original Château L’Angélus label (but why not? Negociant's labels are often far from the original Château ones....) 

2. The color of the negociant's label is white instead of the regular yellow (there again, not a first for a Negociant's Label)

3. The color of the letters is monochrome, while the letters of the words on the original Label are written with multiple colors and fonts 

4. The font of the letters is also drastically different from one another

5. The "L' " of L'Angelus is not in majuscule (not in capital letter if you prefer), like on the original Label, but in minuscule (now, in my opinion, that's a detail of particular importance... overlooked or omitted by the Négociant)

6. The weird drawing 

The drawing on the negociant's label shows a port with some boats near the pier. It looks like the "Quai des Chartrons" in Bordeaux, which is weird. A drawing of the estate would have been probably better. 

Drawing - Details of Fabien Pizzinat's picture of the rather peculiar bottles
of Château l'Angelus, he just acquired (1/2) 

  

...the dock along the Garonne river where Irish, English, and Dutch wine merchants and négociants established their offices and warehouses as early as over four centuries ago... it does look like it, doesn't it? 

Collegiate cloister of Saint-Emilion © LeDomduVin 2013

.....while on the original Label the drawing represents respectively the arches of the collegiate cloister of Saint-Emilion..... (easily recognizable by its arches and double pillars like in the picture below)

Saint-Emilion Church's Bell Tower (Le Clocher) © LeDomduVin 2013

...and the bell tower ("Le Clocher" in French) of Saint-Emilion's church further in the background.

Photo of Château L'Angélus campanile (the tower of bells) added to the Château façade in 2012

Last but not least, the "Carillon Bell" of Château L'Angélus label was first inspired by the sounds of the bells of the three churches of Saint-Emilion (the Monolithic Church of Saint-Emilion, the Saint-Émilion Collegial Catholic Church, and the Saint-Martin Catholic Church at Mazerat, near the Château) overlooking the natural amphitheater where the Château is located. When the church bells rang for the Angelus prayer in the morning, midday, and evening, their sounds reverberated within the amphitheater. They marked the working day in the vineyards and villages, calling the men and women to pause their labours for a few minutes and pray.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Maurice de Boüard de Laforest inherited the estate. Notably, he extended it by adding a 3-hectare (7½-acre) enclosure named Angélus in 1920, which inspired the name of the Château. In 1945, his sons, Jacques and Christian de Boüard de Laforest, took over from their father. The property was classified in 1954 and was gradually further extended. By 1985, it exceeded 20 hectares (50 acres). At that time, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, Jacques’ son, took over the management of the estate and was joined in 1987 by his cousin Jean-Bernard Grenié, Christian’s son-in-law. In 1996, the Chateau was promoted from "Grand Cru Classé" to "Premier Grand Cru Classé B".   

2012 was a very special year for Chateau L'Angélus. Hubert's daughter, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, joined her father and uncle to run the family business and manage the estate. The Chateau was promoted to "Premier Grand Cru Classé A" (the highest ranking in Saint-Émilion Classification). The Campanile that adorns the facade of the Chateau, composed of the Angelus Bell (at the top), the Emilion Bell (at the center) surrounded by 18 smaller bells, was blessed and inaugurated in October of that year.  

Logo - Details of Fabien Pizzinat's picture of the rather peculiar bottles
of Château l'Angelus, he just acquired (2/2) 

7. The weird logo

The negociant's logo, which represents a château above a river surmounted by a "wolf" (?) or a "lion" (?) and a crown above it, has nothing to do with Château L’Angélus (yet, once again, it could just be a design by the Negociant for its own Label).   

Old picture of Château L'Angélus dating from the 1930s, courtesy of Wikipedia

... even this old picture of Château L'Angélus dating from the 1930s (below), courtesy of Wikipedia, shows that the logo of Château L'Angélus has always been a carillon bell... not some kind of "wolf" or "lion" atop of a Château with some kind of shape in the middle that could represent a bell.... (it does look like a wolf, doesn't it?) (so, even if it is a Négociant label, why designing a label so far from the original?...)

8. The incomplete appellation & rank 

The Negociant's label only states "Saint-Emilion", which is fine, yet, the "Grand Cru Classé" classification is not mentioned on this Negociant's Label, which is really surprising knowing that Château L'Angélus was classified as "Grand Cru Classé" in the classification of the wines of Saint-Emilion in 1955 and in 1969 (*), and therefore, even if it is "supposedly" a Négociant label (which I have a really hard time to believe it is), it should mention "Grand Cru Classé", but it does not.....  (...a major detail omitted by mistake by the Negociant? again?)

(*) See the list of the 1955 Classification of the wines of Saint-Emilion here and the 1969 here

9. The missing owner's name

The owner's name, which appears on the original Chateau label (pride of the "de Boüard de Laforest" family, owner of this land and Château for the past 8 generations since 1782), does not appear on the négociant's label. Ok, I admit that the owner's name does not necessarily need to appear on Negociant's labels (as you will realize when looking at some of the Negociant's examples below). Yet, I find it weird, because even if it was bottled by a négociant, it happened, (and more specifically in this kind of case scenario, with such an illustrious and renown family name in Saint-Emilion), that, most of the time, the name of the owner appeared on the labels of the bottles bottled by Négociants (of course, it depends on the agreement between the Chateaux owner and the Négociant, but for Angélus and the "de Boüard de Laforest" family, I doubt they will have authorized a Négociant label not mentioning their name... but maybe, who knows...?)

The 2 types of Négociant's label

As previously mentioned, before 1967 (when bottling at the château became officially mandatory in Bordeaux), some négociants / wine merchants were still buying barrels from the Chateaux, aging, bottling, and labeling the wines themselves in their warehouses in Bordeaux (or even elsewhere like the UK, Belgium, Holland, etc.). 

This explains the bottle variations (in taste) and the differences in labels even for the same Chateaux when aged, bottled, and labelled by different négociants.   

As previously mentioned, we can distinguish 2 types of Négociant's Label.


1. The additional Label: 

Instead of using their own Label, some Négociants kept the original label from the Château and added their name either on the original label or an additional label (generally just below the original label). 

Château Latour 1945 aged and bottled by Louis Eschenauer (Bordeaux) © LeDomduVin 2016

As you can see from the example above, the label on this bottle of Château Latour 1945 is the original one from the Chateau, even if it was aged and bottled by Louis Eschenauer (Bordeaux), a Negociant house established in 1821. The negociant just put his name on an additional label below the original.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1947

with the additional Label of "Sichel & Co." © LeDomduVin2018

You can also see it on this bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 1947, the label is the original one from the chateau with the additional label of "Sichel & Co." below. Maison Sichel is a family-owned Bordeaux Négociant house established in 1883 and still in activity after six generations of the Sichel family succeeding one another at the company’s helm.

2. The Négociant's own label

The second type of négociant label is one in which, instead of retaining the original label, the négociant designs its own, which may be similar, reminiscent, or drastically different from the original. The label is usually clearly marked with the négociant's name or company name; however, the name of the Château owner and/or other details from the original label may not necessarily appear on the Négociant's label, which could confuse the novice, leading them to think the Négociant's name is actually the château owner's name. 

It feels like because the negociants bought the barrels, aged, bottled, and labeled the wine, they own the wine. And, consequently, they can take advantage of the chateau's image and reputation by creating a new label without having to indicate the chateau owner's name, but their own. If agreed upon with the Chateau owner, then it's okay, but if not, I find that very confusing.  

(which, once again, could be the case for this specific label of Angélus 1970; you never know...).

Château L'Angelus 1966 aged and bottled by A. de Luze (Bordeaux)

You can see it on this label of Château L'Angélus 1966 for example. It was aged, bottled and labelled by Maison A. de Luze & Fils, a Bordeaux-based Negociant, founded by Baron Alfred de Luze in 1820, specializing in the maturing of great Bordeaux wines. And as you can notice, the owner's family name  "de Boüard de Laforest" does not appear anywhere.  

Château Pedesclaux 1967 aged, bottled and labelled by Grafé Lecocq (Namur, Belgium) © LeDomduVin 2018

Same for this label of Château Pedesclaux 1957 aged, bottled and labelled by Grafé Lecocq (Belgium), a Belgian Négociant house established in 1879 by Henri Grafé and his wife Léontine Lecocq, specialized in aging wines bought in bulk from French estates in Bordeaux (predominantly) but also from other regions. It feels like the Negociant's name "H Grafé Lecococq et Fils - Namur" could be the owner's name, yet, it was not as the owner of Chateau Pedesclaux in 1957 was Lucien Jugla. 

Château Petrus 1947 aged and bottled by J. Vandermeulen-Decanniere (Ostende, Belgium) © LeDomduVin 2018

Or you can even see it on this rare label of Château Petrus 1947, aged, bottled, and labelled by J. Vandermeulen-Decanniere (Ostende, Belgium). This Négociant house was really active for roughly about 60 years between the late 1890s to 1955, and specialized in buying barrels directly at the property, having access to the barrel cellars of some of the best Bordeaux-Châteaux and Burgundy domains, then shipping these barrels to Ostende to let the wines mature in their warehouse, sometimes for even longer than they will have been aged at the Chateaux (3-5 years), prior bottling and labeling the wines with their own labels.

In Burgundy, the negociants purchase grapes, grape juices, and/or partially fermented wine, which they produce, age, bottle, label, store, and sell without disclosing the source or the name of the producer(s). This is a standard and understandable practice. Yet, typically, when they age, bottle, and label the wine for a producer (which is very rare in Burgundy nowadays), both the négociant's name and the producer's name appear on the label.  

It rarely occurs in Burgundy because parcels within the same vineyard, typically for Premiers and Grands Crus, are often owned by multiple growers or producers, including domaines and négociants. In contrast, it is actually the opposite in Bordeaux, where parcels within an appellation area are often owned by only one grower or producer, such as a château.  

Consequently, in Bordeaux, some Negociants also produce their own wines under their own names and labels without mentioning the source or the name of the producer(s). This is a standard and understandable practice. However, ageing, bottling, and labeling a wine under the Chateau's name, while mentioning the negociant's name, yet with no mention of the actual Chateau owner's name on the label, unless agreed upon, is a practice I don't fully understand.      

Fortunately, this practice has stopped since 1967, when bottling at the château became officially mandatory in Bordeaux. Gradually, the Châteaux took control over aging, bottling, and labeling their own wines on-site, enabling them to guarantee quality, prevent bottle variations, label differences, and fraud (including fakes and counterfeits), and better control storage and distribution.    

Historically speaking, although bottling at the Château was pioneered by some highly regarded producers and Château owners as early as the 1920s, (such as Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who decided in 1924 that all the wines of Château Mouton Rothschild should be bottled and labeled at the château, and even asked Jean Carlu to design the Label for this specific vintage)...

Château Mouton Rothschild 1924 - Jean Carlu label © LeDomduVin 2018

Bottling at the Château (or at the property) in Bordeaux only became mandatory in 1967. However, it is interesting to note that, as a fact, up until the mid-1970s (and even the late 1970s and early 1980s), many Châteaux in Bordeaux did not have the financial means, the will, the facilities, or the space to carry out bottling, corking, and labeling at the Château (even nowadays, some Châteaux and small producers still don't). 

French Antique Wine Corker "La Meilleur",
Paris, early 20th century - photo courtesy of www.1stdibs.com  

Most of them were (and some still are) doing it by hand, one bottle after another, filling the bottles and corking each one with a more modern wine bottle corker machine than the one above (fortunately for them). My grandfather used one that was exactly the same as the one in the picture above.

Once bottled and corked, the bottles were usually stacked together on piles, shelves, or cages until labeling took place (often manually), which typically occurred a few weeks to a few months later, depending on orders and sales. The bottles were then placed into carton boxes and/or their original wooden cases and shipped away. 

Bottling Belt © LeDomduVin 2013

Hand bottling and labeling were both time-consuming and tedious, and not all Châteaux could afford to have a bottling belt on-site or the space to accommodate it. Therefore, when not done by hand at the property, they hired companies (they still do) that own bottling belts mounted on the trailers of trucks, passing by Château after Château to bottle, cork, and even sometimes label the bottles.

Let's move on to the Negociant...

Based on the various examples of Negociant's label cited above, there is still a possibility that Fabien's strange Angélus 1970 negociant's label might be genuine. And yet, I remain skeptical as there are too many details when comparing the Chateau label with this Negociant label that seem wrong (the drawing, the font, the logo, the appellation, etc... as described earlier in this post).

And if it is genuine, this Negociant made a really poor job designing this label.  

However, now that we have closely looked at the details and stated the differences between the original Chateau label and the "negociant" label, two questions remain: 

• Is "Philippe Serrande & Cie" a real négociant? 
• And, are these bottles of Angélus 1970 real or not?  

Let's see what we can find about this so-called Négociant "Philippe Serrande & Cie". 

When searching on Google: 

• "Philippe Serrande": nothing particularly interesting or informative comes up, except for a Fine Jeweller in Canada. 

• "Philippe Serrande Wine": Vivino shows 2 results here, 

• "Philippe Serrande & Cie", or even "Philippe Serrande & Cie wine": the pictures are more interesting, showing various examples of well-known Bordeaux wines in old vintages ranging from the 50s to the 80s. 

Diverse Philippe Serrande & Cie Labels found on Google  - Collage by LeDomduVin 2016

So, it seems that "Philippe Serrande & Cie." might have really existed and was a Bordeaux-based négociant after all. Yet, (as far as I could search and after asking the question to a few people), no historical data or any other information can be found on this négociant house. 

And strangely enough, the first few websites offering these wines by Philippe Serrande & Cie are Chinese online auctions (like "ARTFOX" here and "en.51BidLive" here). There is literally nothing in France. Additionally, there is an auction house called "DognyAuction" (apparently located in Switzerland; I had never heard of it before) (here).

And despite some pictures of old labels on old vintages of Bordeaux bottles labelled under "Philippe Serrande" and "Serrande" from sites like "DognyAuction" and "Vivino" , there is nothing else to be found. 

Consequently, I do not want to come to a conclusion too hastily, but don't you find it strange that:

• No data or information about this specific Négociant can be found (especially, if it was a Bordeaux négociant that has labelled wines from the 50s to 80s, there should be traces of its existence somewhere)

• No availability whatsoever of these bottles on the French, UK, or even HK Markets (which are nowadays the wine hubs of older vintages) 

• Only availability through a "fairly unknown" online auction house (DognyAuction, Lausanne, Switzerland) from a sale dated back to December 2017

• And no records kept by the Château (as Jean-Bernard Grenié is not even aware of this particular Negociant's name) 

It really does not comfort me to think that these bottles could be real... Not to mention the awkward details on the labels. 

Moreover, I'm cautious and suspicious by nature when it comes to wine... but that's normal for a Wine Quality Control Director like me..... so I looked a bit closer at some other strange looking ("supposedly") Négotiant's labels found on the internet, more especially this following one.... look at it closely.... (found on and courtesy of the Dogny Auction website)

Château l'Angélus 1964 - photo courtesy of www.dognyauction.ch

Now that's very interesting because, this wine is not "Château L'Angélus" from Saint-Emilion, but it is "Château l'Angélus" from Pomerol (S. Ratouin, propriétaire à Pomerol). And, as a Bordeaux native and Sommelier / Wine Buyer for nearly 3 decades, I have never heard of "Château l'Angélus" at Pomerol. 

However, some old bottles of old vintages can be found on various websites, including Wine-Searcher. 

Could it be the Pomerol counterpart of the one in Saint-Emilion? Not sure (if someone has an answer, I'm ready to hear it).  

Despite the label design, the main difference in the name is the "L" in front of Angelus. The one from Pomerol is in minuscule ("l"), while the one from Pomerol is in majuscule ("L").... 

The other strange thing, apart from the "existence" of a Château l'Angelus in Pomerol, is the fact that it comes in many labels, even for the same vintage.  

For example, the label in the picture above is significantly different from the original label of Château l'Angélus Pomerol below (photo courtesy of www.cellartracker.com), despite both being from the 1964 vintage. 

And strangely enough, the one below mentions the owner (S. Ratouin, propriétaire à Pomerol), while the one above states, "Cuvee Reservee E. Urdly SA - Lausanne", (a company based in Switzerland), and "Mise en bouteille par le propriétaire" (bottled by the owner), yet without mentioning the owner's name.  

Château l'Angélus 1964 - photo courtesy of www.cellartracker.com 

I mean, look at both labels closely; they have nothing to do with one another. "Maybe, because it is a Negociant's label," I hear you say... well, maybe, but I don't think so, as the label mentions "mise en bouteille par le propriétaire," which seems inconsistent from one label to the next (and fishy, if you ask me).  Yet, let's not dig too much into Château l'Angelus at Pomerol, as it is also a strange story... but this could be the subject of another post in the near future, maybe....

Chateau l'Angelus Pomerol 1962 - courtesy of www.dognyauction.ch

Regarding "Philippe Serrande & Cie" and Château l'Angélus Pomerol, another notable aspect is that some auction houses state "Expédié en cercles par..." Philippe Serrande & Cie. (meaning "labeled and shipped in bulk by) (see details here) (another weird label from this negociant... again). 

"Expédié en cercles" is an old French expression that literally means "sent/shipped in bulk/in barrels" (still used by some people in the wine trade, such as in Switzerland).

"En cercles" literally means "within circles," referring to the metallic rings (the staves) of the barrels.

Does this mean that "Philippe Serrande & Cie" shipped barrels in bulk to Switzerland, where the wines were then bottled and labelled? It seems a strange practice for a Bordeaux Negociant. And yet, most of his wines can only be found in Switzerland via DognyAuction. 

Isn't it strange? Or is it just me....

However, my point is that it seems that all the labels of the wines bottled, labeled, and/or wine shipped in bulk ("Expédié en cercles") by Philippe Serrande & Cie are totally different from the original labels (which is not surprising for a Negociant's Label.... but still). 

Therefore, it is really difficult for me to determine whether these rather peculiar labels are genuine or not, without more information on this negociant, such as when he was in business and during what period he existed. 

And an answer will prove challenging to find, as there is nothing informative on the internet, and the owner of Chateau L'Angelus in Saint-Emilion has never heard of this negociant and never saw Fabien's Angelus 1970 label before. 

However, it still seems suspicious to me, as all these wines are primarily sold through unknown auction houses, and the only vintages available are from the 1950s to the 1980s. This means that they would be very easy to fake and counterfeit, given the uncertainty surrounding this rather unknown Négociant. 

Moreover, it makes these labels even more suspicious and therefore particularly prone to falsification, as it is easy to create a fake label and call it a Negociant's Label when no information or data can be retrieved or found on the Negociant who supposedly labeled it, especially for vintages older than the 1960s.     

C. Conclusion

I will stop my investigation here due to a lack of information and historical facts about this Négociant and the type of business he conducted, as well as when. 

All I can say is that back in 1970, Château L'Angélus at Saint-Emilion produced, bottled, and labeled all of its wines with the renowned and easily recognizable yellow label that everybody knows. 

Whether some wines of Château L'Angelus were sold in bulk or barrels to this specific Négociant back in the 1970s and whether he created his own particular Négociant label is not necessarily verifiable, either, as  Jean-Bernard Grenié, the cousin of Hubert de Boüard de Laforest (Angélus owner), who joined the company's business in 1987 and knows Château Angélus as well as Hubert, stated that he never heard of this Négociant. 

And although Jean-Bernard Grenié is in a good position to know these types of details, it does not mean that it did not happen or that this Négociant did not exist. However, it seems weird to me that Jean-Bernard does not know "Philippe Serrande & Cie", at least, by name, as Philippe Serrande & Cie was supposedly a Bordeaux Négociant. This makes me wonder if this Négociant ever existed.  

Even more surprising is the fact that if some 1970 Angélus wine was sold in bulk or in barrels to this particular Négociant, the Château would have kept records of it in a book and consequently would have been aware of these bottles existing on the market... (but they do not seem to be aware of this).     

Hence, my instincts are telling me that there is something really suspicious about these labels for all the reasons cited above... 

So, either Philippe Serrande & Cie. is the creation of a vile crook who manufactured fake bottles to be sold in small batches and/or large quantities on unknown online Auction Houses in Switzerland and China (let's say, Asia), or he really existed but did a sloppy job with the labels he created for all the illustrious wines he resold with no regard for the reputation of the Châteaux and their respective owners. 

However, unless someone proves me wrong, I'm nearly convinced "Philippe Serrande & Cie" did not exist, as no data can be found or retrieved, and (as per Chateau Angelus), no record exists regarding the sales transaction from Château L'Angélus to this specific Négociant back then, either.


Verdict: Fake... until someone proves me wrong and provides me with proof and facts that will eventually change my mind. 
         

The market is still flooded with fake and counterfeit bottles of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, and it is up to individuals like me, who deal daily with wine inspection and authentication, to expose and denounce them. We try to investigate to uncover the culprits, if possible, and if not, at least point out the imitations and free the markets from these abominations. 

The fight against fake and counterfeit wines continues.....

FYI: for those of you who might still wonder what is the difference between a fake and a counterfeit bottle of wine:

• Fake wine bottle/label = a wine and/or a label that is not genuine; a forgery or sham, created to look alike or have similarities with other known wines from the same regions to deceive people into a scam (like the example above, which is potentially a fake wine, and more especially these 2 examples below which are totally fake - seen in China)

Fake DRC Romanee Conti White 

DRC label imitation Château Lacaunette  Le Prince du Roi - Fake wine © LeDomduVin 2016

Pacurs instead of Petrus - Fake Wine

• Counterfeit wine bottle/label = made as an exact imitation of a valuable bottle of wine with the intention to deceive or defraud someone (like the bottles and labels of Rudy Kurniawan below for example)

Rudy Kurniawan fake labels

Ah, and before I forget... Just one last detail. For those who may not know, the "L" of Château L'Angélus has always been in capital letters on the actual label (and not in lowercase, as on this 1970 label from Philippe Serrande). 

The "L'" was removed in 1990, as per Hubert de Boüard de Laforest (Angélus owner), to appear first in the alphabetical order listing of wines (wine reviews, wine critics, magazines, wine guides, wine tasting lists, etc.). This purely marketing-driven decision has been highly effective in driving up sales and increasing the brand's recognition.    

Once again, if anyone has any info or data on this Négociant, please send them to me. Until then, I will remain convinced that there is something suspicious about these bottles... and seeing them mostly available and/or sold on rather unknown online auctions does not make me feel that they are genuine either. However, you never know... prove me wrong if you can.

That's all for today, folks! 

Hope you enjoyed this post... and if yes, stay tuned for more wine posts like this one (about real wine too sometimes :-)

If you are interested in reading more about fake and counterfeit bottles, you can read previous posts I wrote on that subject here and here and here, etc...).

Cheers! Santé!

Dominique Noel a.k.a LeDomduVin 

©LeDomduVin 2018

 

#angelus #chateauangelus #bordeaux #china #counterfeitwines #counterfeit #fakewines #fake #france #fraudulentwines # fraudulent #grandcruclasse #imitations #saintemilion  #theloflangelus #vin #wine #vino #wein #ledomduvin #lesphotosadom @chateauangelus @ledomduvin
 

(*) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquitaine

(**) Fabien Pizzinat seems to work in close relation with a wine boutique store located in Switzerland, called "Yourwine Grands Vins et Vieux Millésimes"

(***) Sourced and edited for the purpose of this post from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_wine_cask_units

(****) Source https://www.artwarefineart.com/gallery/portrait-henry-ricketts-circa-1783%E2%80%931859-bristol-glass-maker-young-child

(*****) Source: Jean Marc Bahans ; Jean-Robert Pitte : La bouteille de vin, histoire d’une revolution, Tallandier 2013

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2018, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).