THE "NEW WINE MANAGERS" of the WINE MASTER 2005/06

Diploma Party

2007-06-01T13:50:00.000+02:00

In exclusivity the first pictures of the Diploma Ceremony. Unfortunately, only a few of us could come but it was very nice to meet and celebrate together again after almost one year. To the ones who could not come I say "See you guys, sooner ore later, and hopefully for Vinexpo in a couple a weeks!"

What is the efficiency of a Boycott?

2007-02-27T16:46:00.000+01:00

The following extract discusses the efficiency of a boycott applied to wine, in this case the boycott of French wines by Americans after France gently declined the invitation to participate in the war against Irak... Freedom Fries, Freedom Wine ???

(Sorry for my Non-French-speaking friends, it's in French)

Analyse de Richard Robert sur l’efficacité des appels au boycott. Extrait appliqué au vin.

Dans une étude récente ("Consumer Boycotts : the impact of the Iraq war on French wines sales in the US", NBER Working Paper No. 11981) Larry Chavis et Philippe Leslie de l’université de Stanford ont décrypté les effets du boycott des vins français par les consommateurs américains début 2003, juste après le veto du Conseil de sécurité sur l’invasion de l’Irak. A bien des égards, les vins constituent une cible « optimale » : c’est un produit aisément substituable (n’en déplaise aux défenseurs de la viticulture française), l’opinion publique américaine était très motivée, et la campagne médiatique a été particulièrement intensive. Les deux auteurs ont prêté une attention particulière aux préférences politiques des consommateurs, en choisissant quatre villes dont deux sont à majorité républicaine et deux à majorité démocrate.

Quels sont les résultats de l’étude ? Ils donnent d’abord une idée de l’impact. Sur les six mois où l’on peut observer une évolution significative des ventes hebdomadaires par rapport à l’année précédente, la baisse représente 13% des ventes, avec un pic à 26% neuf semaines après la première mention médiatique du boycott. Ce sont des chiffres non négligeables, mais ils sont comparables avec les hauts et les bas d’un cycle industriel, par exemple. De surcroît, une légère accélération des ventes après le boycott (par rapport à l’année précédente) vient encore atténuer cette moyenne.

Si l’on considère les segments du marché les plus impactés, il apparaît que ce sont les vins les moins chers et les plus chers. Les premiers, expliquent les auteurs, ne manquent pas de substituts, tandis que les seconds sont plus souvent consommés en société. Le choix des consommateurs ne se joue plus sur les mêmes critères, alors. Un effet de représentation rend ces produits plus sensibles au boycott, et ce phénomène se joue notamment lorsque ces vins plus onéreux sont offerts en cadeau. Non seulement ils ne demandent pas de sacrifice personnel en termes de consommation, mais les consommateurs sont plus attentifs à l’image du produit et ont donc tendance à anticiper une éventuelle réaction négative.

Les préférences politiques ne semblent pas avoir eu une influence déterminante : San Diego (républicaine) connaît certes le taux de boycott le plus élevé, mais elle est immédiatement suivie par Los Angeles (démocrate) qui passe devant la très républicaine Houston. Boston, qui vient en dernier, présente une courbe plus contrastée avec un phénomène de buycott précédent un boycott assez mesuré. S’il existe donc une variable politique dans la participation au boycott, elle n’est pas franchement déterminante : son influence reste faible et elle peut jouer dans les deux sens. Le chiffre de Houston et San Diego pourrait ainsi s’expliquer par la présence dans ces deux villes d’importantes garnisons militaires, la plus grande sensibilité des consommateurs au thème du boycott se voyant alors renforcée par les formes particulières de contrôle social propres aux milieux militaires.

Et les médias ? On pourrait penser que leur rôle est très puissant, mais les données recueillies appellent à raison garder. L’analyse statistique détaillée conduite par Chavis et Leslie suggère en tout cas que l’impact direct a été négligeable, même dans le cas des célèbres shows télévisés de Bill O’Reilly, un ardent zélateur du boycott qui officiait sur la très populaire chaîne Fox News. Certaines semaines, c’est même le contraire que l’on observe : les vitupérations vitrioliques sur Fox News pourraient avoir fait remonter les chiffres de vente.

Quelles conclusions en tirer ? Tout d’abord que les consommateurs sont effectivement capables de se mobiliser, infligeant dans ce cas précis un dommage significatif au chiffre d’affaires total des vins français vendus sur le sol américain. Mais les vrais enseignements de cette étude sont à lire en creux : même dans un contexte marqué par un nationalisme exacerbé et un lynchage médiatique sans précédent, le dommage reste supportable. Les consommateurs américains en font la preuve, il existe une intelligence de la consommation. Mais c’est une intelligence économique.

Richard Robert est membre du comité éditorial de Telos et maître de conférences à Sciences Po.

A Year in the Wine

2007-02-27T15:51:00.000+01:00

100 pictures to remember the good time we had in Bordeaux, studying and living the wine experience. Enjoy and cheers!

October 2005 - First Party at the Inseec - Halloween!

November 2005 - Party at Rob and Saurabh's

Starting point of a one-year lasting debate between B and P...

Asia ready to conquer the world of wine business

Visit of Château de Pressac, St Emilion

Group work - we can be serious people

November 2005 - Beaujolais Nouveau Party

Nice piercing!

What does this look mean?

Trip in the Médoc - Châteaux Liversan and Patache d'Aux (Domaines Lapallu)

Tragi-comic smile...

Château Pichon Longueville (Baron)

January 2006 - This new year will be ours.

Partying and talking together = The winning combination

Always the rhythm in the body!

Where are these famous Châteaux?
Ah this one maybe...
(Château Margaux)

January 2006 - Visit at Château Larose-Trintaudon

Lunch at Château Loudenne. Mmmmmm

February 2006 - Learning to recognize the different terroirs of St Emilion.

Clos Fourtet (Premier Cru Classé de St Emilion).
Beautiful cellar 10 m under the ground.

Salon des Vignerons Indépendants in Bordeaux-Lac

Cooking for the girls... ;-)

We love Cognac!

Sometimes hard to keep the rhythm

February 24, 2006 - Last day of course at the Inseec

It's too much!

Playing darts: the best way to relax, although sommetimes dangerous...

Champagne!

The Ultimate Wine Master Party about to begin...

I want some soup too!

Pure happiness

The Girl with no face

The Conspirators

Happy people!

Vietnam War?!?!?!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Find out who's who...

March 2006 - The Party must go on

May 13, 2006 - Inseec Gala

Dan on stage

Saurabh also! (on the right)... fully by chance

June 2006 - "Fête de la Musique"

Going to the beach

Saurabh discovering the pleasures of the beach

Wine on the beach! Of course!

Brittany, the most beautiful region in the world, in particular

Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef Tharon-Plage... eheheh

Septmeber 2006 - Everyone back in Bordeaux for the Thesis Oral Presentation

THE END

The new faces of the Wine Master

2007-01-21T20:43:00.000+01:00

Hi! Here are a couple of pictures showing the students of the Wine Master 2007, our Successors!

On a few pics you may recognize some students of last year who are about to open a wine&party consulting company in Bordeaux... :-)

The 1st student we met, Christine from Germany.

Apéro at Lilian & Hervé's (on the right) appartment.

The "Love Guru" has decided he won't cut his hair forever... (the source of his incredible sex appeal?...)

Here are they...

Partys remain a compulsory part of the Master (we only come as consultants :-)

US-Arg.,Canada, France and Australia

Spanish volcano surrounded by French adventurers

The Commonwealth still alive

Australia, France and France

Germany trying to corrupt France with beer! Unacceptable!

Find the error... ;-)

Nice chicks!

Cross-cultural and cross-year couple

"Bonjour America!", Do you want to learne more about the French culture?

2006-12-13T13:13:00.000+01:00

For our beloved American friends and the other, here is a link to learn more about the French culture, in English please...
http://www.bonjour-america.com/

Personal recommendation: have a look at the wine tasting lesson...

Have fun!

The Solution to French Wine Crisis?

2006-10-19T17:58:00.000+02:00

Wine consumption in France is desperately decreasing. On the other side, the consumption of cocaine is growing and growing day after day. What to do? Maybe an unpolitically correct solution could be:

Cocawine was an alcoholic beverage that combined wine and cocaine. The most popular brand was Vin Mariani developed in 1863 by Corsican entrepreneur Angelo Mariani. It was a popular drink at the time.

In Atlanta, John Pemberton, a pharmacist, developed his own cocktail based on Vin Mariani and called it Pemberton's French Wine Coca. It proved popular among American consumers. But in 1886, when Georgia introduced Prohibition, he had to replace the wine in his recipe with non-alcoholic syrup. The new recipe was the origin of Coca-Cola.

At the end of the 19th century, the fear of drug abuse made coca-based drinks less popular. This eventually led to the outlawing of cocaine in the United States, and the removal of cocaine from Coca-Cola.

Vin Mariani (French: Mariani's wine) was a tonic created circa 1863 by Angelo Mariani, a chemist who became intrigued with coca and its economic potential after reading Paolo Mantegazza’s paper on coca's effects. In 1863 Mariani started marketing a wine called Vin Mariani which was made from Bordeaux wine treated with coca leaves. The ethanol in the wine acted as a solvent and extracted the cocaine from the coca leaves, altering the drink’s effect. It originally contained 6 mg of cocaine per fluid ounce of wine, but Vin Mariani which was to be exported contained 7.2 mg per ounce in order to compete with the higher cocaine content of similar drinks in the United States.

This tonic was copied by John S. Pemberton in 1884, originally as a cocawine called Pemberton's French Wine Coca. In 1885, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed Prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, essentially a carbonated, non-alcoholic version of Mariani's wine with the addition of cola. The beverage was named Coca-Cola because originally, the stimulant mixed in the beverage was coca leaves from South America. In addition, the drink was flavored using kola nuts, the beverage's source of caffeine. Therefore, Angelo Mariani is sometimes thought of as the "grandfather of Coca-Cola."

When cocaine is administered on its own it yields two key active compounds, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. When combined with alcohol, as in Vin Mariani, the mixture forms a powerful psychoactive: cocaethylene(which is both more euphorigenic and has higher cardiovascular toxicity than cocaine by itself).

Pope Leo XIII purportedly carried a hipflask of Vin Mariani with him, and awarded a Vatican gold medal to Angelo Mariani.

Vin Mariani was very popular in its day, even among royalty such as Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland. Pope Leo XIII and later Pope Saint Pius X were both Vin Mariani drinkers. Pope Leo awarded a Vatican gold medal to the wine, and also appeared on a poster endorsing it.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_Mariani"

It's always nice to consider that a French Winegrower "gave birth" to Coca-Cola...

PS: I'm not on drugs :-)

Bordeaux September 2006

2006-10-01T21:32:00.000+02:00

THE WINE MANAGERS FINALLY

TOGETHER AGAIN IN BORDEAUX!!

The Wine power!!!

AND FINALLY WE BECAME PROFESSIONAL....

.......WINE DRINKERS......

Ale working for Matura Group during Vinitaly 2006

2006-06-27T10:36:00.000+02:00

Vinitaly 2006 in Verona, Ale as professional sommelier....

Prowein 2006 in Düsseldorf, Germany

2006-04-12T13:36:00.000+02:00

Benoît working for the "Vignobles Bernard Magrez"

The tasting area: quite impressive. Spitting is highly recommended...

2006-04-12T13:17:00.001+02:00

Hello everybody!
It's been a long time that the most part of us all have not seen each other. I think all of us have an internship now and have started their professional life (or will begin after a few weeks of holiday for the lucky ones like Mathilde and Virginia) .
But we have to keep in touch and we would like you to write about your experience, your life, your thoughts... or your drinking habits after the Wine Master. So we will try to create a forum where we will have the possibility to continue to exchange our opinions and of course laugh together again and again...
Hope you'll be (re)active, Salut!

Bordeaux life during the WINE MASTER

2006-03-20T12:03:00.000+01:00

The last day of the Master at Inseec Bordeaux

INSEEC BORDEAUX TERRACE

Arriving to INSEEC

Before class

Penny presentation: 2 hours.....

Visit S.Emilion 16/02/2006

2006-02-16T10:57:00.000+01:00

Visit S.Emilion 16/02/2006

2006-02-16T10:51:00.000+01:00

S. Emilion 16/02/2006

2006-02-16T10:40:00.000+01:00

Greatest Medoc Chateaux - photos by Ale

2006-01-30T12:50:00.001+01:00

Photos by Alessandro Griccioli - 29Jan2006

some of the greatest Medoc Chateaux in b&w

Chateau Mouton Rothschild
Appellation Pauillac Controlée
Location: Chateau Mouton Rothschild has a magnificently complete expanse of vineyard on the slopes leading down to the Gironde Estuary. Mouton Rothschild is to the northwest of Pauillac.
Size: 188 acres producing 20-25,000 cases.
Classification: First Growth (as of 1973)
Vineyard: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is mostly gravel on a subsoil of marl and clay. Vines are planted 8,000 to 10,000 per hectare. Average yield per hectare is 35 hectoliters. Pruning is Guyot Double Medocaine
Vinification: Strict interpretation of classic ways: wooden vats, severe selection of grape clusters. No added yeast; 3 weeks maceration; 28-30C temperature of fermentation; 100% new oak barrels for 23-24 months. Portion of first pressing sometimes included in lighter vintages. Fining - fresh egg whites.
History: Mouton has few peers in the length and luster of its history. The famous Barons de Brane owned the already well known vineyard in the 18th and early 19th centuries when it was known as Chateau Brane-Mouton. It was purchased by Nathaniel de Rothschild of London in 1853 who renamed it to Chateau Mouton Rothschild, and is now owned by Philippine de Rothschild, his great-great granddaughter. Mouton always in the forefront of the greatest wines of Bordeaux, was the first estate to begin complete chateau-bottling of the harvest -- an historic step initiated in 1924 by the late Philippe de Rothschild. It is the only chateau in the Medoc Classification of 1855 to achieve reclassification. In 1973, it was finally moved from a second growth to a first. In 1926, he commissioned architect Charles Sicils to build the famous "Grand Chai". In 1962, Philippe de Rothschild created, with his wife Pauline, the Museum of Wine and Art", in which is displayed a priceless collection of exhibits relating to wine and the vine, from the dawn of civilization up to modern times.
Style: Luscious black currant flavored Cabernet fruit makes Mouton beguilingly easy to drink. Rich complex flavors, powerful ripe tannins and an extremely long finish are all hallmarks of this wine.
Food: Serve with your finest dinners.
Boite Postale 117 Rue de Grassi, France Phone: 33-5-56-592-020 Fax: 33-5-56-732-044

Discovering Medoc "Crus Bourgeois" wines!

2006-01-12T08:45:00.000+01:00

Voyage au coeur des crus bourgeois du Médoc

with Aurélie Chobert, director of "Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc"

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Wine MBA Groupe on top of the Wine World

At the heart of the Barrique...

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10:00 - 11:30 Chateau Larose Trintaudon Premier Cru Bourgeois

S.A. CHATEAU LAROSE TRINTAUDON - Route de Pauillac33112 Saint Laurent du MédocFrance
Telephone : 33 (0)5 56 59 41 72 - Fax : 33 (0)5 56 59 93 22 - E-mail : Info@trintaudon.com

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Area under vines: 175 hectares
Grape varieties: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon30% Merlot Noir5% Cabernet Franc
Yield: between 45 and 55 hectolitres/hectare
Annual production : Château Larose Trintaudon 800.000 to 1.000.000 bottles, Château Larose Perganson 90.000 to 150.000 bottles, Château La Tourette approximately 22.000 bottles, Larose Saint Laurent 150.000 to 300.000 bottles
Vinification capacity: 25.000 hectolitres
Barrel park: 2.800 barrels
Permanent staff : 48 (of which 30 vine workers)
Extra staff during harvest : 70

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12:30 - 15h Chateau Loudenne, Médoc, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

Château Loudenne 33340 Saint-Yzans de MédocVisites : +33 (0)5 56 73 17 97
www.lafragette.com
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Florence Lafragette

Superb déjeuner au Chateau Loudenne, avec Aurélie Chobert (directrice de l'Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc), Laurent Bergeruc (INSEEC Masters Director), nous meme et 1000 bottles de vin!

A wonderful cook!

Amazing dessert!

Inseec Masters Christmas Party!

2005-12-12T18:52:00.000+01:00

14th December 2005 at CONNEMARA PUB: Inseec Masters Christmas Party!

PLEASE MAKE YOUR MEAL RESERVATION WRITING TO: raniaburns@hotmail.com

Tour of Medoc - Châteaux: Patache d'Aux,Liversan,Pichon,Lynch Bages 05/12/2005

2005-12-12T17:10:00.000+01:00

Tour of Medoc - Châteaux: Patache d'Aux,Liversan,Pichon,Lynch Bages

Médoc: The Magic of the Châteaux.

Everything started at Châreau Liversan (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur), where we met Mr. Lapallu, owner of 7 Châteaux in the Medoc. After a quick visit of the estate and its equipement, we headed to Château Patache d'Aux (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur), the main château of the Domaine Lapallu. There we could in particular see old wooden vats, which were still used until the late 7O's. Really interesting. Then we had the first highlight of the day: the wine tasting in the very nice designed tasting room of the château. 6 different vintages from various châteaux of Mr. Lapallu. It was a very good tasting, particularly interesting in terms of discovering the differences among wines of the same "appellation". So a great thank you to Mr. Lapallu for his kindness and the time he spent with us.
After lunch, we took the direction of Pauillac to visit our first "Grand Cru Classé" (Classified Great Growth): Château Lynch-Bages (5ème Grand Cru Classé). There we had a first overview of the very professional handling of wine making, bottlelling and marketing. And we finished the visit tasting the 1999 vintage of Lynch-Bages and the second wine of the château: Château Les Ormes de Pez (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, AOC St Estephe). Both very good wines.
Afterwards we went on with the second visit of the afternoon: Château Pichon-Longueville (2ème Grand Cru Classé). A very interesting visit lead by one of the technical managers of the château. Even after a long and exhaustive daytrip (partly due to the many professional tastings we had to come trough, eh Saurabh?!...;-)), he managed to chatch our attention in a funny, dynamic and instructive description of the production of a great growth from the vine to the bottle. A very well-organised visit which I can recommend to everyone who intends to visit a Château in the Médoc. Highlight of the visit was the ultra-modern vinification room which makes you feel more in a James Bond movie than in a cellar where the wine is elaborated! Great! Just for info, Pichon-Longueville has been bought by AXA Millésimes in 1987 and therefore benefit from massive investment.This said, I will never stress enough the fact that we've been very friendly and professionnally (as future actors of the wine and spirits industry) welcomed. Even it was the end of the day, even if we were a group of quite turbulent students, so quick message to the robot which did the Lynch-Bages: "were're not stupid, you were fake and we understood it. Bad image for the château, this is not very professional!". Back to Pichon-Longueville, we finished our daytrip tasting two different vintages: the second wine, pretty young, Les Tourelles de Longueville and a wonderful Château Pichon-Longueville 1997. After the traditionnal group photo, we all took the direction back to Brodeaux, delighted by this fascinating daytrip in the Médoc. Congratulations to the organisator Mathilde and thank you all for your active participation!

Group Wine MBA in a photo group

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1st visit > Domain LAPALU> Châteaux Liversan

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Superficie du vignoble: Situé dans un ensemble plus vaste de 53 hectares de vignes, le vignoble du château Liversan couvre une superficie de 39 hectares.
Production: Liversan, 250 000 bouteilles; Les Charmes de Liversan, second vin 40 000 bouteilles
Sol: Plateau de graves fines sur socle calcaire
Encépagement: 49% cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot,% Cabernet Franc
Densité moyenne de plantation: 7 000 pieds/hectare
Age moyen des vignes: 25 ans
Vinification: En cuves inox thermo-régulées. Cuvaisons longues de l'ordre de 3 à 4 semaines
Elevage: En barriques de chêne merrain de l'Allier (25 à 30% de barriques neuves tous les ans).

Monsieur Jean-Michel Lapalu explaining the terroir

The art of "Spitting out the wine", teached by Benoit...

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2nd visit > Domain LAPALU> Châteaux Patache d'Aux

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Superficie du vignoble: 43 hectares
Production: Patache d'Aux, 260 000 bouteilles; Le Relais de Patache, second vin 40 000 bouteilles
Sol: Argilo- calcaire avec sous-sol calcaire et caillouteux
Encépagement: 60% cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Densité moyenne de plantation: 8500 pieds/hectare
Age moyen des vignes: 35 ans
Vinification: En cuves bois, ciment et inox. Toutes les cuves sont thermo-régulées. Cuvaisons longues de l'ordre de 3 à 4 semaines
Elevage: En barriques de chêne merrain du centre de la France pendant 12 mois (20% de barriques neuves tous les ans)

We devastated the wine shop!

LANCH PAUSE, KEEP ON DRINKING WINE.....

Virgy and her proverbial tRAgiCOmic smile

Maty at the first course

Maty at the dessert....

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3rd visit > Jean-Michel Cazes > Châteaux Lynch Bages

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The Lynch-Bages estate (90 hectares) is located just outside the city of Pauillac, overlooking the Gironde estuary, on one of the most beautiful gravelly outcrops in the appellation.The well-drained soil consists mainly of Garonne gravel. The sub-soil (marl, chalk, and thick clay-sand gravel, or hardpan) forms a solid, but fairly disjointed foundation, enabling the roots of old vines to grow to a depth of 6-8 metres.

In 1974, Jean-Michel Cazes set about restructuring the estate. He equipped it with up-to-date technical facilities, but kept the old vat room dating from last century intact. It is now one of the Médoc's most unusual sights.The grapes are hand-picked and the wine is made in a vatroom containing 35 stainless steel vats equipped with temperature control systems. After blending, and a rigorous selection process resulting in a second wine, château Haut-Bages Averous, the wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels for 12 to 15 months before bottling.The estate has for many years also produced a very highly regarded white wine : Blanc de Lynch-Bages.

Lynch-Bages made primarily from Cabernet-Sauvignon, is famous for its fine bouquet and rich tannin, which becomes soft and delicious with age. Lynch-Bages is powerful with a long aftertaste.It is typical of the greatest wines of Pauillac.

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4th visit > Châteaux Pichon-Baron

Contact details: Address: Chateau Pichon Baron, 33250 Pauillac - Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 73 17 17 -Fax +33 (0) 5 56 73 17 28 - Internet: www.pichonlongueville.com

Chateau Pichon Baron is one of just two Pauillac second growths as determined by the 1855 classification, the other being Chateau Pichon Lalande. The two properties were once, as their names might suggest, part of one estate. Chateau Pichon Baron does not seem to receive the same level of adulation as Chateau Pichon Lalande, but that is not to say the wines are in any way lacking. The chateau is part of the AXA Millésimes portfolio, along with the likes of Chateau Suduiraut, and with Jean-Michel Cazes, who also owns Chateau Lynch Bages and Chateau Les Ormes de Pez, making the wine quality should indeed be high.
The seeds of the creation of the Pichon domaine, which was split to form Chateau Pichon Baron (the full title of which is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville) and Chateau Pichon Lalande, may be found in the late 17th Century, when Jacques de Pichon-Longueville married Thérèse de Rauzan, daughter of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Rauzan had purchased a number of plots of vineyard in 1689 which, when they entered the Pichon family, became the foundation of the Pichon estate. In later years these were augmented by the exchange of plots of vines with neighbouring Chateau Latour. The estate quickly developed an excellent reputation, passing through three generations of the Pichon family before arriving at Joseph. Born in 1760 and surviving through to 1850, Joseph steered the estate through difficult times, including the French Revolution, which saw him incarcerated for a short period of time. Upon his death, however, the estate was divided between his five children. The three daughters took what was to become Pichon-Lalande. The two sons - one of whom died shortly after accepting his inheritance - took what is now Chateau Pichon Baron. Raoul de Pichon-Longueville, the surviving son, had the old manor house demolished and a fine chateau (above) built in its place. Upon his death in 1860 the estate passed to his cousin, but by 1933 there were no more heirs and the estate was sold to the Bouteiller family. Unfortunately, due to poor management quality fell, and by the 1970s it was clear that the wines made at Chateau Pichon Baron lacked the quality that is expected of a second growth. It was at this point that Jean-Michel Cazes and AXA Millésimes became involved.
AXA Millésimes has huge capability for investment and it is no surprise that there were many changes at Chateau Pichon Baron. The chai wasn't renovated, it was completely rebuilt, using a design by architects Patrick Dillon and Jean de Gastines. This came to be after the pair won a competition for the best design. The new buildings face each other across the fish pool in front of the chateau, and yet they are hardly noticeable as they are sunk into the ground. The cellars themselves extend beneath the pool in front of the chateau, the cool waters above helping to moderate the temperatures below. The chateau itself was renovated, although sadly it remains unoccupied. The result of this investment has been a heady rise in quality, and Pichon Baron now challenges Pichon Lalande where previously there was simply no competition.

Mr. Sam, famous enologue of Pichon-Baron

Lan at Chateau Pichon
The Wine: The vineyards at Pichon-Baron are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grand vin is Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville, with a typical production of 24000 cases. For this wine the grapes are fully destemmed before temperature controlled fermentation, malolactic mostly in vat (a little in oak) and 12-15 months ageing in barrel, of which 70% are new each year. The second wine is Les Tourelles de Longuville, of which 12000 cases are typically produced.

This amazing cellar is all under this artificial lake!!!!

Finally the last wine testing...a palat pleasure!

What can I say about this Ch. Pichon-Baron 2000 ?

A beautiful nose: plump, ripe and plummy. Very complex with a Margaux-like floral elegance. Firm tannins. Very compact with pencil-lead and sweet ripe notes. Superior to Pichon Lalande with a smooth powerhouse fininsh.Oozes class. The palate is very concentrated, a perfect expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, loaded with blackcurrant and cassis. Tannic but balanced but layers of black fruit. The finish is very long. Maybe the best wine ever from this estate. Great poise and elegance. A fabulous wine that will rank alongside the greats. Drink from 2015...... :)

Apéro chez Guillome 19/11/2005

2005-11-19T22:30:00.000+01:00

CHEZ GUILLOME - THE BEAUJOLAIS PARTY

Before reading the following post please remember:

ALCOOL IS DANGEROUS FOR THE HEALTH - USE IT WITH MODERATION

For example you don't need to drink during a serious wine testing (as it's showed in the picture....)

It's quite evident that we are making MODERATION our philosophy of life....

...but! How it could have happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Visit at Château de Pressac - S.Emilion 19/11/2005

2005-11-19T09:30:00.000+01:00

Group Wine MBA ready for the visit and the tasting

We all met on Saturday 19th November at 9:30 at Daniel's appartment, some of us a little late (because of breakfast at Virginia's, because of not enough bakeries in Bordeaux, because of the coldness of the weather or whatever..., I won't tell the names it's always the same people). Anyway we were all more or less fit for the excursion to St Emilion. After a while and a tough debate about the best way to choose between Dan and Ale, we finally left around 10:30. The 1-hour way to St Emilion was pretty cahotic as the leading car was driven by our "Fast and Furious Italian" but we finally got there safe and sound.

The visit of the Château de Pressac began immediately, lead by the owner of the place Mr Quenin. After a bit of history, Mr Quenin explained us the specificites of the soil of his wineyard and the different types of grape he is using to produce his St Emilion wine. The cold weather forced us to shorten the outside visit and so we discovered the wine cellar with all the vats where the wine is being made and the oak barrels where it is aging. Finally the time came for the "highlight" of this visit: the wine tasting. We tasted in fact 2 wines, one Lalande de Pomerol from the Château Pavillon Bel Air and one Château de Pressac (both 2001 vintage). The visit finished in a good atmosphere, everyone seemed to have appreciate and enjoyed the time at the Château de Pressac. Group photo, salutations and we were already heading to the village of St Emilion to have lunch.

What can be said about this restaurant...? Hem, it was a restaurant aimed at tourists. If you have already been a tourist in France you will easily understand the fantastic (for you Ale ;-)) reception we got and the great food we were given to savour, with plenty of french fries and a greenish stain that happened to be spinach. I know I am unfair with this restaurant but I hate spinach and they almost forced me to eat some!!!... instead of giving me extra french fries. One, two or three pieces would have been ok but no... Terrible "dellusion". Anyway, enough about my tastes and this restaurant. Just a last thing, some of us tasted a Fronsac 2000 which proved to be really good. The rest of the day was spent on the visit of the village, mainly the wine shops.
PS: Alessandro, don't forget, Iwant the Château d'Yquem 1893 for Christmas.

So that's all for St Emilion, I hope everyone enjoyed it and once again thank you Daniel!

Château de Pressac

Dominique & Jean-François Quenin - Saint Etienne de Lisse - 33330 Saint Emilion

Tél : +33 (0)5.57.40.18.02Fax : +33 (0)5.57.40.10.07

Mail :mailto:chateaudepressac@libertysurf.fr

Historique Magnifiquement situé sur les coteaux de Saint -Emilion, le Château de Pressac date pour partie, du XIII é siècle. Remanié à différentes époques, sa partie la plus ancienne, constituée par la porte d'entrée, le mur d'enceinte et deux vieilles tours est restée intacte.C'est au château de Pressac, à l'issue de la bataille de Castillon, qu'à été signé en 1453, le traité mettant fin à la guerre de cent ans.

Propriétaires Rien ne prédestinait Dominique et Jean-François Quenin à vouloir redonner les lettres de noblesses au château de Pressac. Elle, ancienne juriste, lui ancien cadre supérieur, ont trouvé un nouveau challenge professionnel et familial dans lequel ils se sont engagés depuis 1996. Dans un premier temps, propriétaires du château Pavillon-Bel-Air, à Lalande de Pomerol, ils sont devenus viticulteurs à plein temps et habitent le Château de Pressac depuis 1997.

Daniel, our brilliant tour organizator

Les vins du château de Pressac

" Des vins de longue garde, charpentés, fins et élégants "
Château de Pressac / Château Tour de Pressac / Château Pavillon Bel Air
Vignoble Le vignoble couvre une superficie de 30 hectares sur les 40, d'un seul tenant, que compte la propriété. A terme, il sera complanté de la manière suivante : Merlot 70 %, Cabernet Franc 20 %, Cabernet Sauvignon 7 %, Carmenère 2 %, Pressac 1 %.*Carmenere : cépage dont l'origine remonte au XVIe s

Vendanges Les vendanges sont faites à la main par une troupe d'une cinquantaine de personnes, composée ces dernières années par le personnel de la propriété, une famille de gitans et des étudiants danois.
Les grappes, au chai, sont triées trois fois (deux fois manuellement et une fois sur une table vibrante mécanique) pour ne garder que les grains sains et mûrs. Vinification Le même soin est apporté à la vinification qui est effectuée en cuves béton selon les méthodes traditionnelles sans se priver d'outils les plus modernes tels que la maîtrise électronique des températures, ou un robot pigeur* sur rails, ...

Elevage L'élevage des vins du château de Pressac est effectué durant une année environ en fûts de chêne neufs d'origine française, renouvelés chaque année.

Finally, the wine tasting!

Very serious evaluation...

.....ahahahah we were kidding of course!....

We arrived to S.Emilion with my italian Ferrari!

A new husband!

Saint Emilion - History
Saint-Emilion was named for the Benedictine monk, Emilian who arrived in the 8th century to live a reclusive life as a hermit. After 17 years, he had become the leader of a group of other Benedictines who had also come to the area. He had such a strong impact on the town that it eventually took his name. The town of Saint-Emilion was a center of religious life in those days. The monks carved an entire church from a single huge piece of limestone over the course of 300 years beginning in the 9th century. It remains today as the greatest monolith church in Europe.
As time passed the town prospered and grew. To protect the residents and commerce, the town became fortified and surrounded with strong walls which are still there today. During the 12th century, the town became even more fortified with the addition of a moat, gates, the City Keep , the King's Tower and inner ramparts built to strengthen the fortifications.
From the 13th century to the 16th century, the region was marked by wars between the French and English. The region (and the town of Saint Emilion) changed ownership on several occasions. The town was looted more than once by each side. By the end of the 16th century, Saint Emilion was no longer the prosperous center that it had once been. Many of the buildings and monuments were damaged and the population was diminished. Saint Emilion held on until the start of the French revolution in 1789. During the period of the revolution, nearly all the residents of the town moved out. That left the town as an easy target for rovolutionaries (and vandals) who further defaced and damaged the town. Saint Emilion remained almost completely unoccupied for the next 100 years.
In the mid 1800s, the growth of the wine trade and commerce related to it brought a new prosperity to the region. As the reputation for the wines of Saint Emilion grew, so did travel to the region by traders and tourists. The residents of the area started restoring the town to accomodate the wine trade and to take advantage of the traffic it created.
Today, the town of Saint Emilion is a "must see" for travellers to Bordeaux. It is a living history lesson and retains much of the atmosphere and charm of past centuries.

Mati drinks only water....???!!!

So, why she's laughing so much?

Now we understand!!!!

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S.Emilion wines:

Premier grands crus classes A / First Great Growths category A

Chateau Ausone

Chateau Cheval Blanc

Premier grands crus classes B / First Great Growths category B

Chateau Angelus
Chateau Beausejour-Becot
Chateau Beausejour-Duffau-Lagarrosse
Chateau Belair
Chateau Canon
Clos Fourtet
Chateau Figeac
Chateau La Gaffeliere
Chateau Magdelaine
Chateau Pavie
Chateau Trottevieille

Grands crus classes / Great Growths

Chateau Balestard la Tonnelle
Chateau Bellevue
Chateau Bergat
Chateau Berliquet
Chateau Cadet-Bon
Chateau Cadet-Piolat
Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere
Chateau Cap de Mourlin
Chateau Chauvin
Clos des Jacobins
Clos de l'Oratoire
Clos Saint-Martin
Chateau Corbin
Chateau Corbin-Michotte
Chateau Couvent de Jacobins
Chateau Cure Bon La Madeleine
Chateau Dassault
Chateau Faurie de Souchard
Chateau Fonplegade
Chateau Fonroque
Chateau Franc-Mayne
Chateau Grand Mayne
Chateau Grand Pontet
Chateau Grandes Murailles
Chateau Guadet Saint-Julien
Chateau Haut Corbin
Chateau Haut Sarpe
Chateau La Clotte
Chateau La Clusiere
Chateau Couspaude
Chateau La Dominique
Chateau La Marzelle
Chateau Laniote
Chateau Larcis-Ducasse
Chateau Larmande
Chateau Laroque
Chateau Laroze
Chateau l'Arrosee
Chateau La Serre
Chateau La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Giraud-Belivier)
Chateau La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix)
Chateau La Tour Figeac
Chateau Le Prieure
Chateau Matras
Chateau Moulin du Cadet
Chateau Pavie-Decesse
Chateau Pavie-Macquin
Chateau Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard
Chateau Ripeau
Chateau Saint-Georges Côte Pavie
Chateau Soutard
Chateau Tertre Daugay
Chateau Troplong-Mondot
Chateau Villemaurine
Chateau Yon-Figeac

Other Excellent Saint Emilion:
Chateau Simard

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Chateaux d'Yquem, 1893; Euro 4.290,00 founded in a S.Emilion wine shop

Bye Bye everyone, see you to the next event!!!!!

Apéro chez Rob et Saurabh 13/11/2005

2005-11-13T20:00:00.000+01:00

S.Emilion avec Mathias, Agnes, Sara, Ale, Heater, Xavier, Fiorenzo

2005-11-13T10:48:00.000+01:00

Sunday 13 Nov. 2005 some of us went to S.Emilion (the 19th all group is going) with some wine professionals. Here we present some photos of our first visit:

INSEEC WELCOME PARTY - Rue Raze 20/10/2005

2005-10-20T20:32:00.000+02:00

This is how we started the unlimited series of aperò and parties at the Inseec Wine MBA...as alwais there is a begenning!

D.D.A. and his legendary tie!

INSEEC WINE MASTER

2005-10-17T18:45:00.000+02:00

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPOUSE TO STUDY....

Welcome to our new blog!

2005-10-16T08:05:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the INSEEC MBA in Wine Marketing and Management 2005-2006 group new revolutionary BLOG; we would like to specifie that I is not for Inseec, but for "Ivresse", becouse this is what we are actually studing! But thank's to this blog we will learn also the art of the wine marketing one of these days, just waching our photos and wise posts.
Enjoy our Blog and let's have a glass together!