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Friday, October 27, 2023

LeDomduVin: Haut-Brion 2016





Haut-Brion 2016, what else? 



If you have been following me for a while, you've surely realized that I'm a bit biased when it comes to Haut-Brion. 

What can I say? It is my favourite wine, after all. 

And I'm always the first to say that Haut-Brion should be open for a while. Especially so young. As it is a wine that opens up and gains in complexity with time. 

Rewarding the most patients of us with an array of enticing earthy aromas and flavours, structure and texture, elegance, balance and sophistication, heavenly delivered with grace and power and expanding to the seamless finish. 

And yet, I was not patient enough to wait for this gem to reach its optimum taste and age. 

The 2016 Haut-Brion is a masterpiece with gorgeous fruits, refreshing acidity, great balance, excellent structure, a long finish and a good grip of integrated tannins that will mellow down with time. 

Decanted about 1 hour before serving, it showed wonderfully. Yet, it will have benefited from a few more hours to really display its full potential. 

In my 32-year career as a Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I have never been disappointed by Haut-Brion, and this 2016 is no exception to the rule. 

It is delightful now, yet it obviously has the potential to age a decade or two in the cellar. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein @chateauhautbrion_ #chateau hautbrion #hautbrion #grandcru #graves #pessacleognan #bordeaux #redwine #tasting notes #lesphotosadom #sommelier #sommlife #sommelierlife #ilovemyjob



Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, 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).

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

LeDomduVin: Wine Discrimination and the colors of wine

 



Wine Discrimination and the colours of wine



by ©Ledomduvin 2023

Wines nowadays come in many colours: the classic white, rosé and red (all the different shades it includes), "jaune" (yellow), gold (Sauternes and other sweet wines), tawny and deep purple (other sweet wines and ports), etc... So, it was only a question of time for other colours to appear on the wine colour spectrum, nothing surprising. Yet, the recent addition of Orange, Green and Blue has been subject to controversy, polemics and even discrimination.

The world is changing and evolving. And people, trends, tastes, cultures, habits and traditions are changing with it. So why not wine, after all?


Technically, how are they made?  



  • Orange wine: This new trend has overtaken the world in recent years. Compared to regular white wine made only with fermented grape juice, it is made of white grapes fermented with skins and seeds for a prolonged period, giving the wine a rich orange colour. Until recently, Orange wines were mostly produced in countries like Georgia, Slovenia, and Italy. However, numerous winemakers rapidly tested new methods to create such wines, which can now be found everywhere from the main wine regions of France, Spain, the US, and beyond.





  • Green wine: Herbs-infused wines are nothing new, as they can be traced to ancient Greece and Rome. These aromatized wines, containing herbs, spices, and even flowers, were favoured by the upper class of the Classical Antiquity Society. Nowadays, with winemakers always adapting to new trends and tastes and ways to sell their products, herbs-infused wines are making a comeback, with cannabis or hemp also being used to infuse wine. They are usually the results of different strains of cannabis cold-extracted into the wine during the vinification or infused with cannabis oil. However, they cannot be labelled as “wine” due to legal restrictions. They are called “wine tinctures” as they contain small percentages of ABV and THC. These products may include traditional alcoholic wines infused with CBD, alcohol-free wines infused with THC and CBD, or tinctures labelled for medicinal use. Despite what their name may suggest, these wines infused with cannabis are not all “green” in colour, as some maintain the appearance of regular red and white wines. 





  • Blue wine: Blue wines are primarily made from grapes (sometimes from red and white grapes blended together) and/or other berries (or fruits), to which natural ingredients have been added to contribute to their striking blue colour. These ingredients usually include indigotin, a dark blue organic compound, the main constituent of the dye indigo, used for colouring foods and drugs, and anthocyanins, the natural pigment found in red grape skins. Natural sweeteners and dark berry extracts (e.g. blueberry) might also be added to sweeten the taste and reinforce the blue colour.  

I have yet to taste a Green or Blue wine. However, I will try them at the first opportunity.

How about you? Have you ever tasted an Orange, Green and/or Blue wine yet?

Like with everything else, whatever is new and goes against the establishment and/or the established cultures, traditions, rules, habits and whatever else people are used to and take for granted usually sparks controversy, polemics and even discrimination.

Yet, like with people, it would be unfair to discriminate against these wines before trying them. You never know. Some might correspond to your taste, and you might enjoy them! 😁👍🍷

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #winediscrimination #lesillustrationsadom #lesdessinsadom #lescreationsadom #orangewine #greenwine #bluewine #thecolorsofwine



Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, 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).

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

LeDomduVin: Find happiness in simple things




Find happiness in simple things 


Sometimes, happiness can be resumed with a perfectly seasoned pork chop with some potatoes, an inexpensive Bordeaux, some dijonnaise sauce and a good movie on TV. 

So satisfying and satisfied right now. 

Bon appétit!

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wine @chateaumoulindesmoines #moulindesmoines #crubourgeois #hautmedoc #simple #simplethingsarethebest #happiness #satifiying


Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, 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).

Monday, October 16, 2023

LeDomduVin: Generation Gap

 



Generation Gap


by ©Ledomduvin 2023

The difficulties of selling wine in recent years are mainly due to a generation change (IMO).

Millennials and Gen Z are not drinking or being interested in wine as much as the previous generations, Boomers and Gen X.

It is also partly due to a lack of finance (e.g. inflation, cost of life, etc.) and thus a minimized budget to spend on wine compared to 15 - 20 years ago.

But it is also due to physical and mental health concerns and the constant bombarding of anti-alcohol campaigns in recent years.

With each generation, time and people change, habits, customs and culture too.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #lesillustrationsadom #lesdessinsadom #lescreationsadom #generationgap #wine #vin #vino #wein #gena #genz #millenials #geny #genx #boomers


Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, 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).


Thursday, October 12, 2023

LeDomduVin: Who needs a European wine?




Who needs a European wine? 



When and where will they stop? And what will they invent next? 

I had to take a picture of this wine as I had never seen such a label before and couldn’t even believe what I saw. 

I mean, what is this? 

For many reasons, properties, vignerons, and winemakers in many regions of France and other European countries already have difficulties selling their wines. And yet, some people still found a way to invent a genetic appellation, “Vin de l’Union Européenne", to sell and flood the market with more crapy wines. 

What is it even supposed to mean? Is it a wine made from various grapes from different countries? And it is a “non-vintage” on top of that. So, is it made from various vintages, too?  

By definition, a wine categorised as "Vin de l'Union Européenne" (or "Wine from the European Union") is a wine without a specific geographical indication. Meaning that the wine has been crafted with grapes originating from at least one or various countries of the European Union. The label may mention one or more countries or bear the words "Wine from the European Community or Union" or "Blend of Wines from different countries of the European Community”.  

Wines that do not have a geographical indication still face some controversy today. Typically made with high-yielding grape varieties (such as Carignan or Aramon), the resulting wines usually have lower sugar content, weaker flavour and lack the typicity and complexity defined by the terroir's characteristics of a specified geographical indication. These so-called "table" wines are often nicknamed "big reds" or "generic", and for good reason.  





Even the back label is a mess, displaying mentions in different languages (e.g. "Red Wine" in English, "Vino Tinto" in Spanish) with no indication whatsoever of where the wine is coming from or the grapes it is made with. And it has no vintage, either. Leaving the consumer in a state of wondering without giving much clues about where it was made and with what.   

And there is no consistency either with wines without a geographical indication as they may come with or without mention of grape variety(ies) or vintage(s). 

The only clues (on this particular bottle) are the brand's name (Barton & Guestier) and that it was bottled in Blanquefort (an outlying commune of the Bordeaux metropolitan area). So, can we assume that it was partly made with grapes from Bordeaux? Not at all, unfortunately, as it was just "bottled" in Bordeaux, but that does not mean anything.  For all we know, the grapes could be some Carignan from the Languedoc and some Tempranillo from Spain (for example).   

The worst part is that these wines are usually made with or from surplus production or unwanted wines from one or more particular estates, producers, cave cooperatives, regions or even countries. Therefore, some may present some "reminiscent characteristics" of a particular terroir, although no precise geographical origin is mentioned. 

Yet, the taste or the gustative sensations of these so-called "reminiscent characteristics" might only be the fruit of your imagination influenced or suggested by some of the details on the label to deceive the consumer. 

For example, this bottle stating "Barton & Guestier" and "Bottled in Blanquefort" might give the consumer the impression he or she is drinking a bottle of wine from Bordeaux, while the wine (and the taste) may have nothing to do with it.    

Therefore, I'm asking the question: Why make a European wine? Who needs a European wine? 

Moreover, it is made by "Barton & Guestier", one of the oldest wine houses in Bordeaux and one of the most famous French wine Négociants… What were they thinking, really? Which type of market are they trying to target or reach? And what kind of image is that giving them? Do they even care?  

What is the purpose of inundating the market with such wines? Is it to help the ocean of wines (from Bordeaux and elsewhere) that have faced more and more difficulties in selling in recent years? 

In my opinion, these difficulties are mainly due to a generation change. Millennials and Gen Z are not drinking or being interested in wine as much as the previous generations (Boomers and Gen X). It is also partly due to a lack of finance (e.g. inflation, etc.) and thus a budget to spend on wine compared to 15 - 20 years ago. 

But it is also due to physical and mental health concerns and the constant bombarding of anti-alcohol campaigns in recent years. With each generation, time and people change, habits, customs and culture too.      

As making wine became the new "El Dorado" in the late 90s and early 2000s, the difficulties might also be due to the market being now flooded with mediocre, inexpensive wines from everywhere in the world, making it even more difficult for consumers to decide what to buy and from where, unless guided by their local "caviste", expert or Sommelier.  

So, imagine if they now face wines without any geographical indication, no grape variety or vintage either?  

This particular bottle sells for about 10 Euros… which is unbelievable and deceiving as there are much better quality wines out there at this price or lower from specific appellations and terroirs offering much better value for money than this wine.    

This label also fools the consumers even more by stating "Cuvée Spécial est une sélection réalisée par les Œnologues de Barton & Guestier dont l'expertise garantit les meilleures qualités", which translates by “Cuvée Spécial is a selection made by the Oenologists of Barton & Guestier whose expertise guarantees the best qualities”... which is just a marketing gimmick.  

How can they guarantee the quality of this wine without providing its origin, the grapes it was made with and the vintage?.... 

Disappointing and disappointed... 


I did not make this post to get some "likes". I made this post to point the finger at a problem. Why make a European wine? Who needs a European wine? And frankly, how low will they go? 

Whether or not this helps vignerons and winemakers to liquidate their surplus or unwanted wines is indeed a question that arises.  However, even though these wines without geographical indication have existed for several decades, they are no longer welcome in a market that has difficulty selling its wines. Especially if their price is higher than some better quality wines from renowned appellations and regions.   

Dom


@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #lesphotosadom #wine #vin #vino #wein #whoneedsaeuropeanwine #europeanwine #bartonguestier


Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, 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).