Fake and counterfeit wines - Investigation series: Chateau Barade

Fake and counterfeit wines 

Investigation series: Chateau Barade

As a Wine Quality Control Director, Sommelier and Wine Buyer, I feel that it is my job, my duty and my responsibility to denounce fake and counterfeit wines on the markets. As part of my job is to do the authentication of the bottles we buy for the company, I feel that it is also my job to point out fake and counterfeit wines present in the market, especially those you may not necessarily be aware of. 

So, for today's post, it all started last Sunday, when a friend of mine sent me a picture of a wine a friend of his just drank in the Canton province in China. 

Chateau Barade 2014 Bordeaux bottled at Saint-Etienne des Oullieres, Rhone-Alpes, France
©LeDomduVin 2018 (Label 1 - Fake Label)

At first glance, nothing major, it is a bottle of a generic Bordeaux AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée), 2014 vintage, Chateau Barade, "Vignésime" (an interesting marketing stunt with this French play-on-words of the 2 words "Vigne" (vine) and "Millésime" (vintage) mingled together), which (supposedly) is a "Cuvée Prestige" and apparently received a medal of some sort at a tasting somewhere (looking at it closely, the medal looks really weird, isn't it?). 

Yet, suddenly something caught my eyes, do you see it? yes? no? Well, let me give you a hint... 

The label states that this wine was bottled in Saint-Etienne des Oullieres, with 69460 for zip code.... .....still don't know what I'm trying to point at? Well, let me tell you, anyone who has no clue about France and its zip codes, may fall into the trap, but not a Bordeaux winemaker's grandson like me (in fact, most French people should notice this inaccuracy right away...I hope...)...

Still not sure what I'm trying to say? Well, let's look at a map, should we?

Bordeaux to Saint-Etienne des Oullieres Map - Courtesy of Google Map

Yes, you read this map well, "Saint-Etienne des Ouillieres" is a commune of the "Rhone-Alpes" region, located north of the city of Lyon, about 5 hours and 30 minutes driving and roughly 570 kilometers far from Bordeaux.... Where they produce?.... Do you know what they produce in this region? They produce BEAUJOLAIS..... nothing whatsoever to do with Bordeaux.

Unbelievable, isn't it?

How a Bordeaux wine can be bottled in the Beaujolais region? Impossible as per the French rules of the INAO (The "Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité", the French organization in charge of regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin - AOC, AOP, IGP, STG, etc...).

Therefore, yes, it must be a fake bottle of Bordeaux AOP  sold in the Chinese market (and probably elsewhere)... another one... (sigh)... and once again, (like if the bottling location was not already a good indication that there is something fishy with this bottle), I will go further and put my authentication skills and knowledge to the test and prove it to you... (as I usually like to do 😊)

Time to investigate once again...

Time to investigate once again.... ©LeDomduVin 2018

So, taken aback by the discovery of this plain sight fake bottle of a supposedly Bordeaux wine bottled in the Beaujolais region, I decided to pursue my investigation a little further on this so-called "Chateau Barade"..... (which actually exist in Bordeaux by the way, therefore the one above can only be an imitation...)

And what I discovered, digging up info and pictures on the internet,  triggered my interested even more.... Where to start? How about starting with "what and where is Chateau Barade?"

First, I could not find a website for "Chateau Barade", which does not mean anything as many small producers are not necessarily interested, nor do not have the time or even the money, to invest in a proper website (even if nowadays you can create a really good looking website for free on a multitude of platforms on the internet). However, I still found a few websites with some info and pictures.

For example, if we go to "Monsieur Touton Selection" website (here), a very reputable wine importer and distributor established in the New York area for the past 30 years (from which I used to buy a lot of wines during my New York years as a Wine Buyer and Wine Boutique store manager between 2002-2011 in NYC - "Hello" to Maxime Touton, if you ever read this post), we can learn the following:

The Chateau Barade vineyard was created in 1956 by Mr. Caillard. It covered then a total area of about 2 hectares, located at Bossugan, a little village of the "Entre-Deux-Mers" region, south-east of Bordeaux (about 7.5 kilometers south of Castillon-la-Bataille). Philippe Dard took over the family property and created in 1992 the farming company with Laurent Dard to produce generic Bordeaux AOP wines. (*)

Nowadays, the vineyard encompasses about 23 hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc planted on predominantly clay and gravel soils, with a density of 3300 vines per hectare. The age of the vines is about 25 years old. Harvest is mechanical. The wine undergoes a fermentation at low temperature to preserve the fruit, followed by a traditional wine-making process.  It has a preservation time of 5 years prior showing more maturity (meaning losing its freshness and reaching its peak basically). (*)

So far, no problem... but it gets interesting from that point on...

Mr. Touton Selection apparently only sells the 3L Box Wine (a.k.a. bag-in-box wine) version of Chateau Barade, boasting these 2 labels on the box

Chateau Barade 3L Box Wine (Label 2)

Chateau Barade 3L Box Wine Label (Label 2)

Now, I would like you to take a closer look at these 2 labels above (as they are supposed to be the real labels), more especially the house in the vineyard, and remember them well to then, in turn, compare them with the other labels of Chateau Barade a bit further down in this post.

It is very important as you can already clearly see the differences between these 2 labels (Label 2 is supposedly the real thing) and the label at the beginning of this post (Label 1 is clearly a very nicely counterfeited fake bottle with a huge mistake on the label), as:

• The overall drawing is different

• The house is different (very important point, as, how come two wines from the same estate can boast a different house on their label.... unless it is the same house from various angles, but I do not think so.... fishy, isn't it? )

• The vineyard is different (...unless here again, it is viewed from a different angle...)

• The label color, font and design is different 

• Basically, the overall presentation is different

But let's not jump to conclusion too hastily, and let's go to another website, like "MTVins - Bordeaux" (here) for example (a company that apparently was established in 1982, but that I had no idea it existed until today). 

MTVins is telling us that Château Barade belongs to Laurent Dard, and it has been in the family since 1956 when his grandfather bought the first vines. He started off with just 5 hectares (slightly different from Mr. Touton stating 2 hectares), but now 35 hectares of vines are planted (here again, different from the 23 hectares on Mr. Touton website, but this could just be a question of not updating the info on their website for a while) and some 250,000 bottles of wine are produced each year. Today Laurent is helped in the running of the estate by his son, Florian. (**)

MTVins is also adding that the vineyard is situated in the foothills of Bossugan (hills is a lot to say, Bossugan is a tiny village in between 2 rather small bumps...) in the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers region. The vines are on average twenty years old (20? not 25 like on Mr. Touton website? they probably uprooted some when they bought it in 1992 and replanted new ones since...) and the clay-limestone soil (I thought it was clay and gravel, maybe some limestone underneath in parts of the vineyard so then...) is great for producing a wine that typifies the red Bordeaux appellation. (**)

The additional details on MTVins website (compared to Mr. Touton) are: 

• Chateau Barade 2014 vintage is made with 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
• It has a cellaring potential of 5 years
• It received a Silver Medal in Paris

So, despite a few details, both sites are roughly saying the same things, but, surprisingly the label presented on MTVins is completely different from the 3 labels above, yet, same wine and same 2014 vintage... see for yourself... 

Chateau Barade 2014 Bordeaux - Orange Label  (Label 3)

Chateau Barade 2014 Bordeaux - Orange Label (2) (Label 3)

Once again a lot of differences when compared with the other labels, which makes me think that it could be (or maybe, and it is a far-fetched "maybe"...) the label for the US market as: 

• different label color (orange to get better visibility on the shelves amongst all the other Bordeaux classic labels and more modern style maybe also to draw millennial drinkers attention... maybe..?)

• different letter font and color (a question of style depending on the targeted type of markets and drinkers... maybe...?)

• different type of label: compared to the other ones above, this orange label appear to be embossed (for those of you who may not know, embossing is the process of pressing an image onto the label paper, to make the image (or parts of the image) rise above the rest of the label, to give the customers a more tactile experience...maybe...?)

• grape varieties on the label (more usually seen on bottles produced in or sold for the so-called "New World" markets like the US, Australia, South-America, etc...)

• the Silver Medal supposedly received in Paris is nowhere to be found on the label (strange as it is usually the pride the producer/winemaker to put it on the label (front or back does not matter)) 

• the drawing of the house and vineyards completely disappeared

• a "fancy" logo with the initials "CB" (for Chateau Barade, I guess...) surmounted by a crown has been added to the label and the capsule...   

However, let's admit that this distinctive orange label is (as the 3L Box Wine label above) also legit and let's move on to another website, like Wine-Searcher for example.

Oh, what a surprise, Wine-Searcher is showing us a different label (again?). Both labels below are roughly the same, except that one mentions "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" ("Old Vines", strange for a vineyard of only averaging 20 years of age...), which is not mentioned on the one from Wine-Searcher, representing the regular wine.

That means that there should be (at least) two Chateau Barade labels and (strangely enough) both with a proper Medal (not like this fake imitation bottled in Beaujolais above at the beginning of this post with its weird looking medal wannabe...)

1. the regular one like on Wine-Searcher

Chateau Barade bottle picture courtesy of Wine-Searcher.com

(please note that Wine-Searcher states that it is a "Bordeaux Superieur", while the label only states "Bordeaux", not "Bordeaux Superieur".... go figure...)


2. and the "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" (probably from a parcel selection amongst the oldest vines...)

Chateau Barade 2014 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Label 4)

The label above has been slightly modified for the latest vintages ("modernized" somehow...?) and is now looking like the label below. That is a lot of different labels for the same wine or same producer so far....  (unless they are different cuvées or different labels for different markets... maybe... yet, for a Bordeaux AOP sold in the market between 12-15 Euros, which is kind of expensive for a generic Bordeaux AOP wine, as they normally sell for maximum 8-10 Euros a bottle, it is a doable marketing stunt that would not even surprise me....)

Chateau Barade 2015 Vintage (label 5)

And here again, did you notice all the changes and differences compared to all the previous labels above?

• The house has completely disappeared from the drawing on the label (again...?), only the vineyard remained (view from another angle, again..?) and a tiny windmill has been added in the background... (no comments...)  

• The drawing now is encircled with Golden rings (why not...)

• And, out of nowhere, a new logo or "Coat of Arms" should I say (or "Blason" in French) has been added and embossed on the bottle (which is normally reserved for families with Royal or Noble roots in France, are they?...) and added to the capsule too 

• The medal is not part of the main label (at the bottom) anymore, just a golden sticker at the top right-hand side of the label (which is normal and pretty common nowadays.. nothing wrong with that)  

Here is the back label, if you want to have a look at it as well

Chateau Barade Label 4 (back label) 

Strange, but not impossible, the back label is stating that the wine was bottled in Landiras (zip code 33720), let's look at the map again, which is a commune located about 47 kilometers or 50 minutes driving away to the south-west from Bossugan 

Bossugan to Landiras courtesy of Google Map

I don't know about you, but I personally think that it is a lot of changes for a label of a small producer producing Bordeaux AOP wines... moreover, it must be terribly costly to constantly change the label  from one vintage to the next to begin with... but imagine how costly and time consuming it must be to change the entire label design, as well as the logo and emboss the label and more especially the bottle, 3 or 4 times for the same wine and more especially for the same 2014 vintage... just saying...

Because, if we recap, so far, and looking closely at the 4 different labels of Chateau Barade 2014 (above and in the photo collage below), basically for the same wine, (but maybe, and once again, it is a far-fetched "maybe"... maybe they are "maybe" different wines after all), I found all the following differences, which are way too many variations for my taste for not being fishy (somewhere, somehow....) and hard for me to believe that all these 4 labels are genuine... (at least 1 of them isn't, the "Beaujolais" one for sure is not genuine..... and if someone dares telling me that it is  not a mistake, I will probably laugh out loud for a while, then call the INAO right away.. seriously 😊) 

Chateau Barade 2014 - 4 different labels (at least one is fake) © LeDomduVin2018

Label 1. The supposedly fake Bordeaux bottled in the Beaujolais region "Vignésime" (label with vineyards upfront and a small house in the background with dependencies surrounding it, stating that it is a "Prestige Cuvée")

Label 2. The regular wine in 3L Wine Box (label with a big house that has nothing to do with the first label and vineyards viewed at a different angle)

Label 3. The regular wine in a 750 ml bottle with an embossed orange label (label with no more house or vineyards, but a new logo and stating the grape varieties)

Label 4. The regular wine in a 750ml bottle with the golden circles around the drawing (label with no house but the vineyard remained, maybe a view from a different angle again, and a coat of arms has been added, and it is totally different from the logo on the bottle with the orange label)

Label 5. The "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" which is the same as number 4 with the additional "old vines" statement

I can hear you say:  ..." but what are you talking about, maybe he just has a different labels for all of his wines/cuvées "...  and I would agree with you if it was a fact, but searching around the internet, it was impossible for me to find out on any of the various websites I visited, if this producer (Chateau Barade) either produces 5 different Labels or Cuvées under the Chateau Barade name or not...


And frankly, I could have stopped there my investigation and moved on to other projects, but I couldn't as I also found the following labels for Chateau Barade 2014... (sigh)

Chateau Barade 2014 - Another label (Label 6)

Chateau Barade 2014 - Another label (Label 6)

As you can see on this label above (Label or Cuvée number 6 now?...), once again, everything as changed

• The label colors, font, design and details are completely different 

• The house look is (once again) completely different and there are no more vineyards around it

• The logo and/or Coat of Arms is also completely different (only 1 initials instead of two compared to the logo, the lions on the side, etc...) and does not appear on the capsule this time (I mean WTF... what is going on?  no consistency whatsoever with this producer....)

• And, this time, (definitely more and more strange), it has not been bottled in Saint-Etienne des Ouillieres (69460) in the Beaujolais region (😊), or even in Landiras (33720) as stated on the other labels, it has been bottled at the "Chateau"...   ...at the Chateau? which Chateau? I'm counting 3 different ones so far on all these labels... so which one of these houses is supposed to be the so-called "Chateau"? (I wonder...) 

Label or Cuvée number 6 could have been the last one, but no.... (sigh)...
Look what I found... yes, it is another completely different label...
Aaaarrgghh.... it never ends.... (sigh)...
This producer must be constantly changing his mind on label design (or some of those labels are the fruits of a really good counterfeiter... not possible otherwise)...

Chateau Barade (Label 7) 

Chateau Barade (Label 7) 

Look at this label, once again so many variations and differences (Label number 7).....

• Smaller label (could it be the old label? ok, maybe... but why this embossment on the bottle looks so peculiar)
• Different color, font, design
• Different house (again?...pffff)
• Different vineyard view... 
• Etc.... 
• And the cherry on the cake, the bottle is embossed with a crown and the name "CRUSE" (I mean, again, WTF? What is going on here?)

Moreover, this label number 7 is really strange compared to this label below of the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2012. 

Chateau Barade 2012 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

Why will a producer in his right mind will go to the trouble of changing the design of the label and embossing the bottle for the "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" 2012 and not doing it for the regular wine 2012 vintage? (money reason? maybe... he changed his mind, maybe...) you never know, but obviously, he decided to do it starting from the 2013 vintage, as both bottles and labels (regular and Vieilles Vignes) are the same... (as far as I can see...) 

But the "CRUSE" embossment on the bottle of that label 7, that can't be right? Can it? Fishy, I'm telling you, there is something fishy about all these labels.....  

And to finish this lengthy investigation, yes he did it again..... look what he did to the label of the "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" 2016 (label 8), he changed it again.....

Chateau Barade Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2016 (label 8)

Unbelievable isn't it? Is there something fishy here or what?

Chateau Barade various Labels (at least 1 is fake...) © LeDomduVin 2018

So in conclusion, I will say that, unless someone can prove me that Chateau Barade is really  producing at least 3 or 4 different wines, yet all called "Chateau Barade" and all in the 2014 vintage with 3 or 4 completely different labels (refer to label 2, 3, 4 and 6); I, personally, will continue to think that part of this whole story smells and feels like a scam in my opinion.

Let's be serious, what I mean is that

• either the producer knows about it and is maybe the one who took the initiative to make 3-4 different labels for the same wine in the same vintage (which could be weird, but not unseen before in Bordeaux, as some producers may have totally different labels for the same wine depending on the targeted markets and customers - even if will make it difficult for people for brand recognition and thus to associate the same brand name and same vintage with the various labels), 

• or he does not know anything, and is simply victim of a huge parallel market on his brand..... (which seems to good to be true in my opinion...)

Whatever is the answer, the reality is that there are definitely copies of his wines on the black and/or grey market (***) in China for sure (and elsewhere maybe). And the label number 1 is a far cry statement of it.
An undeniable fact that is (unless proved wrong). 

That's all folks for today...

Cheers! Santé! and stay tuned for more post like this one coming soon.....

Dominique Noel a.k.a. LeDomduVin     

  

(*) Info partly taken and edited from Monsieur Touton Selection website (here)

(**) Info partly taken and edited from MTVins website (here)

(***) Black Market = illegal  and Grey Market = more or less legal until caught 

LeDomduVin: Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Upper Label "V" for Victory© LeDomduVin 2018

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945

Inspecting a Jeroboam of Mouton Rothschild 1945 ...

As the Wine Quality Control Director for the company I work for, an essential part of my job is to inspect and do the authentication of all the bottles we buy and sell (also checking provenance and suppliers reliability and integrity, as well as being responsible for the quantity and quality of the stock and storage's environment, conditions, and security of all the company's cellars and warehouses, and also doing Market Analysis, Stock Valuation, SOP, etc, etc...).

So, while doing regular monthly inventories in our warehouses, I also take the time to inspect some bottles and put to the test my authentication skills and knowledge.

Dominique Noël a.k.a. LeDomduVin Wine Inspection © LeDomduVin 2018

Although I cannot reveal all the details that differentiate a real bottle from a counterfeit one, as it will go against the deontological codes or ethics of my profession (and might also provide counterfeiters with intrinsic and useful details to produce better fake bottles), I still would like to share with you some of my bottle authentication knowledge and briefly establish the reason why I believe, for example, that this Jeroboam of Mouton Rothschild 1945 is genuine, and not a counterfeit. 

Starting from top to Bottom. 

1. The bottle

- The glass of the bottle is clearly old and its color is too (a bit difficult to see on these pictures as they were taken inside the warehouse, which explains the soft yellow lighting and the darkness of the bottle) 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - The Bottle
© LeDomduVin 2018

- 1940s Mouton Rothschild bottles have broader shoulder than the base, and it is clear on the pictures (above and below) that the base is narrower than the upper side of the bottle

- The glass surface presents defaults and asperities with micro-bubbles trapped inside the glass, proof that this bottle has been handblown and not machine-made. 

- On the picture below, you can see a hand blowing default of the bottle. Do you see it? Yes, it is not an impression on the picture, the glass shape of the bottle is slightly incurved [ ) ] on the left side compared to the right side which is straight. [ | ]

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - The bottom of the bottle
© LeDomduVin 2018

- The punt is deep and thick, time-worn and presents no markings, compared to more recent bottles which present markings (either engraved or embossed or even embedded within the glass).  

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - The deep and thick punt of the bottle
© LeDomduVin 2018

Back in the mid-40s at the end of World War II, glass was not always easy to find, and therefore, at the time, old and used glass bottles of different colors were melted together, then handblown to make new bottles, which were slightly different in color than the usual color normally used for Bordeaux wine bottles prior (and even after) the War.     

2. The capsule

Old, corroded, wrinkled, time-worn and short (which was normal at that time compared to nowadays Bordeaux capsules, which are longer and usually covering the full length of the cork) with the correct color and correct markings.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Top of the Capsule
© LeDomduVin 2018

3. The cork

I did not cut the capsule for this specific bottle but it is very important when doing an authentication of a bottle to verify the cork size, color, defaults, markings, brand, font, vintage, wine absorption, etc... to make sure that it is genuine and/or verify if the bottle has been reconditioned (re-corked, refilled or topped up, etc...) and also make sure that it is not a fake one. 

That said when a bottle is as old and expensive as this one (Mouton 1945 goes for 35-40,000 Euros for a magnum (1.5L) - retail price -, so I let you imagine how much a Jeroboam (4.5L) could go for...), there is always an hesitation on taking the decision to cut the capsule to verify the cork, as it will slightly decrease the value of the bottle in case of reselling later on. 

If the capsule is slightly loose and you can uncap it from the bottle without damaging it, then it is usually better than cutting it. Yet, if the capsule is tight and you absolutely need to verify the cork, then you will have no other choice but to cut it.   

However, if you are sure to keep the bottle for your own consumption and/or have any doubt about the bottle, cutting the capsule to check the cork is definitely one of the best ways to check 

- the cork authenticity (real or not? old or new? correct or wrong markings like the vintage and/or the brand?) 

- as well as the state of the cork (wet or dry? wine absorption only at the bottom or completely soaked? still in one piece or crumbling? tartaric crystals or not? etc...)  

...and thus, in the meantime, while checking the cork, you can roughly assess the quality of the wine:

- if the cork is dry and slightly loose, for example, air may have affected the wine, which may be oxidized, gone, bad or even turned to vinegar in some case...

- if the cork is completely soaked, soft and crumbling, leakage may have occurred, and the wine may present the same problems as above... 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Side of the Capsule
© LeDomduVin 2018

4. The Label(s)

"In 1945, to commemorate the Allied victory, Baron Philippe de Rothschild had the idea of embellishing the Mouton Rothschild label with art-work: in this instance, a symbolic design intended to celebrate the return of peace. He commissioned this from a young unknown artist, Philippe Jullian (1921-1977). Having displayed early promise as a designer, he was to go on to become a successful dramatist. He submitted several drafts for the label: this one is based on the famous “V for Victory” that Churchill used throughout the war to rally the forces of freedom."

(Text courtesy of www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com)

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Upper Label "V" for Victory© LeDomduVin 2018

Mouton Rothschild 1945 label is divided into 2 distinctively different labels that are slightly apart from each other.

-  The upper one, on which the "V" represents "Victory" ("Victoire" in French), the ending of World War II, is obviously smaller in height but more particularly smaller in width by a few millimeters on both sides, as you can see on the picture below.

If you encounter a bottle of Mouton 1945 with the 2 labels attached and/or even detached but with the same width, then it is a fake bottle, a counterfeit that you should report, immediately if you can, to the Château, which will in turn investigate...

....but be ready to answer a few questions like: when and where did you buy it? from whom? a collector? at a wine auction? a retailer? a wholesaler? a distributor? Do you still have the contact details? How much did you pay for it? Do you still have the invoice? etc, etc...

All these details are important to trace the history and provenance of the bottle, in order to push the investigation further to retrieve its origin and, at some point, dig up the counterfeiter and put him/her where he/she belongs... behind bars.

It is said that 20-25% of the top 50 most expensive and top wines of the world on the market (mostly French wines from Bordeaux and more especially Burgundy) are actually fakes, extraordinary well-crafted counterfeits that usually challenge even the eyes of the best experts on the market.

It is a stereotype, but it is also said that there are more bottles in the black and grey market in China than the top Bordeaux and Burgundy wineries ever produced...

I've heard a story that a guy counterfeited 6,000 bottles of a very expensive and rare wine, and as per the same source, only about 2,000 bottles have been retrieved so far, meaning that the remaining 4,000 bottles could be anywhere in the world, even in your own personal collection.... scary.....
(not to create any paranoia on your part, but I'm sure that, from now on, you will look at your stash of expensive and rare bottles with a different eye...) 😊

I lately wrote a comment on a Facebook post about probably one of the most expensive wine dinners in history, organized by Fine Wine Experience in Hong Kong, at 108,000 HKD per person (read the article here), that it is quite funny to see all of these bottles of 1800s and early 1900s suddenly reappearing and coming back on the market from nowhere... (supposedly from unnamed private collectors who have been collecting them for decades....)... well, well.... it really makes me wonder as, frankly, I haven't seen that many as over the past 5-6 years... offered by both retailers and auction houses... while already back in the 90s and 2000s they were barely any on the markets and the few remaining ones were super hard to find.... nowadays, it seems that you can find some bottles of 1800s and early 1900s vintages everywhere and even in older vintages than the ones that were already difficult to find 20-25 years ago... surprising, no?... just saying... but it seems that there is something fishy about this... (and that is the Wine Quality Control Director talking here..)... 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Upper and Lower Labels© LeDomduVin 2018

- The lower label or main Label of this particular bottle is rough and shows signs of time, yet the paper, the size, the color(s), the font and the details are correct. And for those of you who may not know, R.C. meaning "Reserve du Château" is also correct. Therefore, no problem here either. 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 - Lower or main Label© LeDomduVin 2018

5. Conclusion

So, in conclusion, and to recap, I will say that this Jeroboam of Mouton Rothschild 1945 is a genuine bottle, and not a counterfeit, as all of its details are correct:

- The capsule (size, height, color, font, markings)

- The color and roughness of the glass, as well as the shape of the bottle (shoulder slightly broader than the bottom) and defaults of the bottle, as well as the lack of markings, are normal and expected for a 1945 vintage bottle

- The labels are detached and in 2 pieces (the upper one smaller in width) 

- The bottle writings, number, font, color, and size also match  

One day if I open the bottle I will let you know how was the cork and if in fact, it confirmed the authenticity of this bottle...

Obviously, and if you did not know prior to reading this little post, you will know now how to identify whether the bottle of Mouton 1945 you stashed away (either for investment and/or for your old days or a really special occasion) is a fake/counterfeit bottle or not...

It is easy, if all the above do not match, then it is a fake. For example, if  

- The capsule is wrong in color or markings, 

- The shape of the bottle is wrong, straight rather than broad shoulders, or too new for the vintage

- The label is in one rather than two pieces, and/or the width is the same for both labels. 

- It lacks a bottle number or states a wrong bottle number, or has been printed with the wrong color or font

- It presents glass markings which would not have been applied in 1945.

- And if you are able to see that the cork presents wrong markings or signs for the vintage. 

6. Authentication

Authentication is a hard job which is not as easy as people may think. Basically, while inspecting the bottles, you always have to think, refer to your memory and knowledge, check with previous inspection results and pictures if needed, and ask yourself some questions, more especially if you have any doubts and/or if any of the usual bottle, capsule and label characteristics for this specific producer and vintage do not seem to match with bottles previously inspected.

And answers to these questions only come with knowledge and experience and time. You could always ask the winery directly by sending them via email some pictures for their review and comments. Yet, even if it seems that the best place to find the answer is to go to the source, it is not  always the best choice and the right answer is not always guaranteed, as even the winery may not have the answer to your question(s) as they (even them) may not know or may not have records going back that far....

It is not easy I'm telling you... and if you decide to pursue a career into Wine Quality Control and Wine authentication (like me), you better start to build your own database of references with pictures and even label samples, either detached from old bottles or pictured closely enough to check the small details, as you will need it. Taking notes is also very important. (*)

In any case, even if you use your own knowledge, experience, memory, and any other references you may have to inspect and authentify a bottle, you will always have to ask yourself some questions as  for old vintage (pre-1960s) the capsule, cork, and label of a wine from same producer and vintage may slightly differ depending on

- the bottling time for example: is this bottle an original? or has it been reconditioned? re-corked? re-capsuled? relabeled?

- the negociant who bottled it at the time:  remember that until the mid 60s (1967 to be exact - when it became mandatory for the Chateaux to bottle their own wine(s) - even if some Chateaux started as early as the 1920s), most Chateau owners only tended their vineyards, crafted their wines to then put them in barrels and sell them to the negociants; but it was the negociants who, in turn, handled the rest of the process from wine aging, bottling, labelling, promotion, sales and distribution (and that from as far back as the early 17th century). Therefore, for very old vintage, it is not surprising to see a bottle with a negociant label differing from the one from the Chateau or even another negociant ... (to be continued soon) 

Et voila,

That's all folks! for today..... 

Stay tuned for more post like this one with pictures and details..... 

I wrote this little article on inspecting a Jeroboam of Mouton Rothschild 1945 in honor to celebrate, (a few days ahead), August 14th, 1945, the day when it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II.

A day most commonly accepted as the end of World War II when the Japanese accepted the terms and surrendered, even if the real ending was when General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces, signed the Japanese surrender document aboard the battleship, U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan, on September 2, 1945

Cheers! Santé! 

Dominique Noël a.k.a. LeDomduVin

(*) maybe one day, I'll write another post to explain more in details what are the requirements for the job...

©LeDomduVin 2018

LeDomduVin: Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934 Collection du Docteur Barolet

Henri de Villamont Logo courtesy of www.schenk-wine.com

Nestled in the heart of Savigny-Lès-Beaune, a scenic village of the Côte de Beaune region (Côte-d'Or), a few kilometers north from the region's capital Beaune, Domaine de Vallemont (a.k.a. Henri de Villamont SAS) produces beautifully crafted red and white Burgundy wines from various appellations, aged in one of the most unique and most iconic cellars in the region. 

Henri de Villamont Location - courtesy of Google Map

The Manor house of Henri de Villamont is probably the most picturesque building in the village, easily recognizable by its traditional colorful Burgundian facade and style...

Henri de Villamont - Manor House - courtesy of www.schenk-wine.com

...but more especially by its "Tour des Guettes" (In the Middle Ages, a "Guette" tower - a.k.a. watchtower - was one of the main towers of a castle, usually the one where the Sentinel was in charge of monitoring the countryside).

Henri de Villamont - Tour des Guettes - courtesy of www.schenk-wine.com

The humongous cellar (by Burgundy standards), extends over 4,000 square meters with a capacity of about the same amount of oak barrels (Burgundy 228L). It dates back from 1880, when the owner at the time, Léonce Bocquet, former owner of Clos de Vougeot, decided to embark on the construction of such a colossal cellar, it took about 8 years to be completed.  (*)

Henri de Villamont - Tour des Guettes - courtesy of www.schenk-wine.com

"Schenk Wine", a family owned Swiss Wine group with holdings and properties all over Europe,  bought the estate back in 1964 and renamed it "Henri de Villamont" after a crusader knight who inhabited the village of Savigny-Lès-Beaune during his old days. Schenk wines apparently added to their portfolio the wines from Doctor Barolet back in 1969.  Doctor Barolet was a wine collector who bought Burgundies in cask and bottled them under his own label. As the bottle below is a 1934 vintage, I'm assuming that it has been obviously labeled after 1969, as it states both names "Collection du Docteur Barolet" and "Henri de Villamont".

Knight Crusaders and Templars - pictures found on www.pinterest.com

Henri de Villamont produces a very large and wide range of wines, from Savigny-Lès-Beaune and the various surrounding appellations in Côte de Beaune, as well as from several other appellations in Burgundy, such as (just to cite a few among many others, thus the following list is non-exhaustive):


AOC Regional

• Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains "Les Hobereaux" 
• Prestige Bourgogne Chardonnay
• Prestige Bourgogne Pinot Noir
• Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs
• Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé
• Bourgogne Gamay

Chablis 

• Chablis
• Chablis Grand Cru "Vaudesir" 
• Chablis 1er Cru "Montmains"

Côte de Beaune

• Savigny-Lès-Beaune
• Savigny-Lès-Beaune "Le Village" 
• Savigny-Lès-Beaune 1er Cru "Clos des Guettes" 
• Pommard
• Pommard 1er Cru "Les Rugiens" 
• Pommard 1er Cru "Clos de Verger"
• Volnay 1er Cru "Santenots"
• Corton Renardes Grand Cru
• Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru
• Meursault
• Meursault "Les Clous" 
• Meursault 1er Cru "Les Caillerets"
• Meursault 1er Cru "Blagny"
• Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Sous le Puits" 
• Chassagne-Montrachet
• Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeot"
• Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Embrazées"
• Saint-Aubin 1er Cru "Les Champlots" 
• Auxey-Duresses "Les Hautes" 
• Auxey-Duresses " La Canée"
• Santenay "Les Champs Claude" 
• Volnay 1er Cru "Le Ronceret" 

Côte de Nuits

• Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Baudes"
• Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Chatelots"
• Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Feusselottes"
• Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Groseilles" 
• Nuits-Saint-Georges
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Aux Murgers" 
• Fixin 1er Cru "Le Clos du Chapitre" 
• Gevrey-Chambertin
• Gevrey-Chambertin "Les Evocelles" 
• Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru
• Grand Echezeaux Grand Cru
• Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

Côte Chalonnaise

• Montagny 1er Cru
• Rully

Mâconnais

• Pouilly Fuissé "Grumes d'Or" 
• Mâcon-Mancey
• Mâcon-Villages

Basically, they make so many wines, it will be difficult to list them all.


So now that we have learned a bit more about the winery, let's go back to the bottle of wine that inspired this post.

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Front Label
©LeDomduVin 2018

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934 Collection du Docteur Barolet Burgundy France

Estimated Retail Price: 545 Euros / 670 USD / 5,260 HKD

It is surely one of the rare few remaining bottles of its kind. To be honest, it was the first time I saw such an old bottle from Henri de Villamont. A real piece of history of a bottle (like I love them) and in front of which I always feel very humble and privileged.

It was presented to me while I was doing an inspection of other wines recently purchased. It was not part of the lots I was inspecting. Yet, the director of the auction house where I was inspecting the wines asked me: "What do you think? Do you think the wine is still good? I will have it tonight with a friend, but I would like your opinion on it."

It apparently belonged to a few owners previously then was stored in a warehouse in New York for a while before being moved to Hong Kong a few years ago.

As a Wine Quality Control Director, I'm suspicious by nature when inspecting an old and rare bottle, due to so many counterfeits and fakes on the markets and Hong Kong's proximity with China. So,  I took the bottle in my hand and closely looked at it. Checking the capsule, which was slightly corroded and showed a slightly depressed cork (meaning that the cork has slid a little into the neck), which sometimes could either be the result of the corking process and may have been released as such by the winery or a sign of bad cellar conditions due to temperature level variations (e.g. heat may cause  the cork to slide down the neck). I'm thinking about the later in that specific case. Moreover, and despite no sign on the capsule or the bottle, the low level obviously indicated that the slightly depressed cork may have caused some seepage to occur at some point in the bottle's history.

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Capsule
©LeDomduVin 2018

However, nothing surprising for such an old bottle, as this type of old and rare bottles sold in auctions have usually been the pride of several owners, and for some may have been around the world a few times via boats and/or planes. Temperature and humidity levels vary and oscillate a lot during transit and cellar conditions differ from one owner to the next. Furthermore, it is not rare that whoever bought the bottle from one auction house resells it via the same auction house or another auction house fairly shortly after. For example, a bottle sold by Acker Merrall & Condit might end up being sold at Christie's or Sotheby's or Zachy's a few years later (and vice versa).

All of these movements and handlings from one cellar to the next, one warehouse to the next, one truck to a boat or a plane, (etc...), made under various weather conditions, are really hazardous to preserve the quality of the wine, more especially for such an old one like this one.

Efforts have been made over the last ten to fifteen years to increase the security and quality of the wine's environment and conditions in freight forwarder's warehouses and more especially during transit with more adequate materials and technologies to preserve the wines at constant and consistent temperature (and humidity) levels. Although wine warehouses and most freight forwarder's wine containers are now well equipped with integrated temperature (and even humidity) control technologies (reefer container + T/H data recorder, etc...), temperature variations and oscillations may still occur depending on many (sometimes unavoidable or uncontrollable) factors at departure, during transit and/or at destination.

One example that comes to mind, once, one of our reefer containers full of expensive wines arrived at Guangzhou port customs (China), was put on the truck to depart from the customs zone but was stopped as some documents required more specific details as well as additional signatures in order for the container to be released from customs. The air was thick, polluted and hot that day. We thought (or were hoping should I say) that it will be a matter of 10-15 minutes maximum. Unfortunately, other trucks in front of ours were queueing too for similar reasons and thus blocking the exit gate, stuck under the sun. It took more than 45 minutes for the exit to clear and our truck to be able to leave the customs zone. During that time, the engine of the truck could not be left idling, and therefore the reefer container had no source of power and temperature started to rise inside as it was a particularly hot day. 10 minutes later the truck was at the unloading bay of our warehouse, was plugged immediately to cool it down during unloading and at door's opening, I checked the inside temperature with a Non-Contact IR Laser Temperature Infrared Digital Thermometer Sight Handheld Gun, which indicated a temperature inside of 19-21°C. We immediately unloaded the wines to receive and store them at ideal conditions in our temperature and humidity controlled warehouse.     

45 minutes is not much to be unplugged from a reefer container which can sustain and maintain the temperature inside quite low for a while on cool and regular days, but that day, it was hot for some reasons, and it only took 45 minutes for the temperature inside to rise from the level set at departure of 13°C to 19-21°C. Imagine if the truck had been stuck for like 2 or 3 hours, the temperature will have risen even more and it will have definitely been harmful to the wines, which usually start to get damaged if left cooking under the sun with temperatures around 25°C and above for too long.       

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Color
©LeDomduVin 2018

I continued scrutinizing the bottle, checking the cork which seemed genuine and in ok conditions despite being soaking wet. Then I checked the color which was really light. The picture above doesn't do it justice, as it looks cloudy/hazy, while actually, the wine was really clear.

Despite being really pale, the color looked ok (rather youthful somehow...) for the vintage and for a wine of such appellation. That said, the color is not so surprising as it is said that back in those days, some private collectors, merchants and negociants who bought wine in casks and bottled the wine themselves used to top up the bottles with wines from other grape varieties and other regions (like some Syrah or Grenache from the Rhone) or even add a touch of spirits or brandy, like Cognac, to make them stronger and fruitier (especially in lower quality and/or quantity vintages).

It is as true for Burgundy as it is for Bordeaux also where wines from the south of France, Spain and even Marocco were used to top up the bottles (in such vintages). Of course, it is off the record, as you won't find any official writings stating these kinds of practices occurred. But it was well-known locally at the time that some used to do it (I bet some might still do it nowadays despite the strict regulations of the AOC).       

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Thick Glass and Sediments
©LeDomduVin 2018

Then I looked at the sediments which were obviously visible and perfectly normal for a wine of that age...

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Oblique bottom of the bottle and sediments
©LeDomduVin 2018

The punt was deep and the glass was thick and showed a certain inclination, which I found very interesting, as it demonstrated the imperfections usually found on hand blown bottles compared to manufactured bottles. To the feel of my fingers on the glass, the harshness of the bottle was a testimony of the past, an ancient time when quality craftsmanship was still a skill learned by experiences and the wisdom of the elders.   

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Deep bottle punt and thick glass
©LeDomduVin 2018

My eyes looking into the punt, I had the impression to enter a large cave with golden walls leading to another world and age... 😉

Henri de Villamont Pommard "Epenots" 1934
Collection du Docteur Barolet - Full Bottle
©LeDomduVin 2018

Then I put the bottle down to look at its overall condition, which was ok, but not great... ponder a few seconds and replied:

"As per its aspect, color, sediments and the genuine character of the bottle, it looks like that it is not a counterfeit or a fake wine. So, it should be ok. Now, due to the slightly depressed cork, the very pale color and the low level and thus the amount of air in the bottle, and despite the fact that the color is not showing any trace of it, it is probably the case that the wine might be oxidized and had "aged prematurely" (...I thought probably totally gone, but I kept it for myself...). I have never tried a Pommard that old, so I'm not so sure. But despite the fact that wines with low pH like Pinot Noir have a greater potential to age, this wine surely passed its peak long ago and may not show well in my opinion. Now, I do not want to be too pessimistic about it, and there is maybe a chance the wine is still "potable". You'll tell me after you'll taste it tonight with your friend."   

It is only days later that I popped the question and it ended up that those who drank it had mixed opinions, some found it fantastic apparently, probably the nostalgia of it and the fact of being able to taste such an old vintage became a smoke-screen to their better judgement, as in fact, others found it rather dead. Who knows? I was not there to taste it so I cannot judge and wine tasting is so subjective... Yet, in my honest opinion, dead or alive, this is a wine that I would have loved to taste just for the interest it repsents and to assess its conditions with my own taste buds.     

   

That's it for today folks!

Stay tuned for more posts with more wine stories and pictures.

Santé, Cheers,

LeDomduVin a.k.a Dominique Noël



By writing this post, I realized that I have been posting a lot of pictures of wines on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ledomduvin/)  and  Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/LeDomduVin/) but I did not post them on my Blog. 

So, from now on, I will also share all my pictures of wines on my blog to share them with all of you. 

(*) Infor partly taken from www.schenk-wine.com  and www.callartours.com

©LeDomduVin 2018