 I first discovered the wines from Patrick Baudouin while drinking in Paris and knew instantly that I needed to bring them to Australia. Patrick Baudouin took a circuitous route from city life to his final destination in the Côteaux du Layon. It was only in 1990, after twelve years of factory work and a stint selling books in Paris, that he decided to take over the estate his great-grandparents founded in the 1920s. Today, Patrick is shaking things up, where he is fighting to outlaw chaptalization for sweet wines. In collaboration with some of France's greatest wineries – he is working to promote a return to the founding values of the AOC system. The goal is to establish a trustworthy seal of origin andquality, rather than a mere guarantee of geographical origin with a bar set low enough for production requirements as to let pretty much everyone in. The domaine is certified organic. In the cellar Patrick “gives birth to wines, (he does) not fabricate them.” He uses indigenous yeast fermentation, eschewing chaptalization, and adding only very small doses of sulfur. Patrick has received considerable recognition in France as one of the new stars for Côteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume. His is the only Loire Valley wine to be included in legendary French collector Michel Chasseuil’s ‘100 Vintage Treasures.’ Domaine Patrick Baudouin comprises 13 hectares of vineyards on the great terroirs of the Anjou Noir, the Black Anjou named after the dark-colored ancient rocks of the Massif Armoricain. They cover the eastern arm of France and are the remnants of the once mighty Hercynian mountain range. These eroded ancient rocks are a cocktail of granites, shale, schist, tuffs (volcanic ash, not tuffeau), hard coal, sandstone, and quartzite. The hills of the Côteaux du Layon are the result of a geological fault that is 120km long, which goes from the north of Nantes all the way to the south of Saumur. The fault was created during the rising of the Alps. The vineyards are situated north of the fault (and the Layon), on hills facing south and southwest that only reach up to 80 meters above sea level. Southwest of the Layon, the Massif Vendeen rises up to 200 meters and deflects the clouds that come up from the Atlantic. This means that despite its proximity to the Atlantic, the Côteaux du Layon receives some of the lowest rainfall in France, an average of only 600 millimeters per year, very similarly to Alsace and the Vosges mountains. But little rainfall does not mean low humidity. These little hills remain open on the west to the Atlantic, and they lie between two rivers, the Layon and the Loire. The conditions for botrytis are ideal. “Every vintage it is there”, says Patrick, “always a temptation, always a risk.” 2017 Anjou Blanc 'Effusion'
This is an assemblage of fruit from a variety of terroirs, the vines planted on volcanic rocks, sandstone and schist. There are 3 hectares of vines altogether, aged 35 years on average. The fruit was picked between September 11th and 14th, with yields approximately 27 hl/ha. The vinification was in older barrels, with spontaneous malolactic fermentation on the entire blend. The nose is filled with the scents of smoky crushed chalk, gently effusive and charming. The palate carries a soft charm, with a full and polished style, open but with tangible twists of extract and phenolic substance. This is fine and grippy, with a good acid tension. 93/100 thewinedoctor.com 2017 Anjou Blanc 'La Fresnaye'
These vineyards sit on the left bank of the Layon, south of St-Aubin-de-Luigne, with 1.3 hectares dedicated to Chenin Blanc. There are soils of schist with, unusually for this corner of the Loire Valley, a little limestone. The fruit was picked in two tries starting September 15th, and looking at the volume produced the yield was exceptionally low, less than 15 hl/ha. It was vinified in older barrels, with spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The nose here is quite charming, with a chalky mineral character draped over yellow plum and peach fruit. The palate lives up to expectations, with a medium-bodied substance, lightly chalky yellow stone fruit mirroring the aromatic profile, the fine mineral and acid veins, building in the middle of the palate. Fresh, pure, with some surging energy in the finish. 93/100 thewinedoctor.com 2015 Anjou Rouge 'La Fresnaye'
This is 100% Cabernet Franc, sourced from 0.9 hectares of vines, picked at a yield of 39 hl/ha. It was destemmed, vinified in cuve with a gentle infusion rather than active extraction, followed by malolactic fermentation and élevage in small used barrels. It is quite charming and fresh on the nose, with notes of smoky crushed cherry skins. An appealing palate, fresh and pure, smoky with cherry and blackcurrant skin, and a very complete finish. Good. 91/100 thewinedoctor.com 2015 Anjou Blanc 'Le Cornillard'
The Cornillard slopes are east-facing, on the banks of the Layon, very close to the Baudouin domaine. The terroir is naturally dominated by schist, and the vines are aged between 50 and 70 years. The area of vines is tiny though, just 0.8 hectares, so volumes of this cuvée are always restricted. The wine is vinified in oak barrels, using new wood for this wine, with spontaneous malolactic fermentation. In this vintage the nose is just beautiful, with a little blanched almond and truffle, with sweet apple slices showing lightly caramelised edges. On the palate it is polished, with a plump style, ripe and showing a delicious evolution. It has great energy though, with very fine mineral and acid veins, culminating in a nicely gripped finish. What a charming wine. 95/100 thewinedoctor.com 2016 Savennières 'Bellevue'
From a small parcel close to the waters of the Loire, just downriver of the town of Savennières. There are just 0.9 hectares of vines, which Patrick works by horse, a practice he began in the 2016 vintage. The harvest brought in 32 hl/ha, which was vinified in a mix of 400- and 228-litre barrels, using both new and older oak. There was spontaneous malolactic fermentation across the whole blend. This starts off with a polished and gently minerally nose. The palate is a model of purity and focus, with a tangible extract beneath, broad and substantial. It is filled with yellow plum fruit, smoky and minerally, with a long, charged and energetic finish. An impressive wine. 95/100 thewinedoctor.com
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“Leclapart’s wines are of extremely high quality, but they are also uncompromisingly individual.” Peter Liem, Champagne Guide The Montagne de Reims is a diverse wine growing region of Champagne and although it is often thought of as the source of some of the regions finest pinot noir, true in many cases, the area is also the source of some splendid Chardonnay. As the hill of Reims ‘the Montage de Reims’ moves from having northerly exposer around the villages of Verzenay and Verzy to the south-easterly slopes of Trépail the preference and importance of Chardonnay begins to climb. The Montagne then turns more southerly towards the famous villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy and again pinot noir gains stature. It’s on these south-easterly slopes of Trépail, the same exposure as the Côte des Blancs, that David Léclapart tends his vines. His family has been growing grapes for four generations, but it wasn’t until David managed to convince his parents that he was ready to take over control that he started his own label in 1998. From the outset David was certain that biodynamics was the only approach he would take. He farms 22 parcels across the village Trépail and since 2000 they have all been farmed with this approach. Léclapart’s wines are always from a single vintage, as he doesn’t use any reserve wine. The vintage is stated on the back label in code expressed as L.Vxx, where xx represents the last two digits of the vintage (e.g. L.V05 for the releases from 2005). This is due to him not aging his wine long enough to qualify for the vintage designation under the strict AOP regulations.  2014 L’Amateur Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs This cuvee is the introduction to David’s range of wines, 100% Chardonnay blended from 5 different parcels across the village of Trépail, this is vinified in enameled vat with zero dosage. “Undeniably delicious and expressive chardonnay fruits with ripe lemon, peach, mango and nectarine aromas and flavors. Some gentle savory edges arrive on the palate. Vibrant and expressive.” << JamesSuckling.com >> << 94 Points >>  2011 L’Artiste Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Is made from 100% Chardonnay from 3 biodynamically farmed plots, vines 30 – 50 years old, around the village of Trépail. Half of it is fermented in enameled tanks and the other half is in old barrels. “This has fragrant minerally edges and is a striking cuvée with flinty crushed rocks, lemon biscuit and spiced hazelnut aromas. The palate has a sheer and smooth texture in addition to attractive peach-pastry flavors. A dry, citrusy finish. Acidity is striking.” << JamesSuckling.com >> << 94 Points >>  2011 L’Apôtre Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Léclapart’s top cuvée, L’Apôtre, is a single-vineyard champagne from the lieu-dit of La Pierre St-Martin. The vineyard was planted by David’s Grandfather in 1946 and the wine is vinified entirely in secondhand barrique from Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy. The wine show old vine concentration, is super complex with tonnes of finesse. “Wild and full of character, with chalky lemon and biscuity savoriness. The composure is beautiful. Super dry, gently spicy and succulent. An entrancing and alluring Champagne.” << JamesSuckling.com >> << 94 Points >>  2014 L’Astre Extra Brut Blanc de Noir The fruit for this wine has previously gone into a rosé called L’Alchimiste. Léclapart decided, in 2011, to make a Blanc de Noir style instead, as the fruit was not prefect for maceration. It is likely that in the future the rosé will once again return in certain vintages, but for now he is thrilled with the result. The fruit is from old vines, planted in the 50’s and 60’s and entirely vinified in secondhand barriques. “Crushed roses and oyster shell, with gently spicy strawberries and wild cherries. The palate has a supple and fleshy texture that winds out to a powerful, dry and intense, minerally focus on the finish.” << JamesSuckling.com >> << 95 Points >>  Additional Information on the region
The reality is that the Montagne de Reims is more of a large hill than a mountain. It is 20km long and 10km wide, but this is still enough to provide wonderful slopes for growing vines, in this harsh climate. The ‘mountain’ itself is split in two by the Reims-Epernay road, but occupies 10,000 ha of national park, teeming with wild boar. One of the main attractions here, apart from the wines, are the trees: Les Faux de Verzy are ancient beeches, planted more than 1,500 years ago by the monks of the Abbey of St Bale. “His wines are contemporary in the best sense of the word, combining a vivid depth of fruit with an intense and finely detailed expression of place.” Peter Liem, Champagne Guide Frédéric was born into a family of vignerons, but his real dream was to be a professional footballer. He even signed a youth contract with Stade de Reims, playing as an attacking midfielder, but after meeting the woman who was to become his wife, he refused a potential transfer to another club, and decided to return home to work with his father, Daniel.  The family estate was founded by Daniel's father, René Savart, who purchased his first vines in 1947. Daniel himself took over the winemaking in the 1970s, although production remained extremely small until the mid-1980s, when he significantly expanded the family's vineyard holdings. Since 2005, Frédéric has been at the helm of the estate, although Daniel continues to be very much present, cheerfully greeting visitors and happy to share a glass of wine. Today, the Savarts farm four hectares of vines, three in Ecueil and one in the neighboring village of Villiers-aux-Noeuds. Nearly all of it is pinot noir, with just a half-hectare of chardonnay: "Historically, Ecueil is a pinot noir terroir," says Frédéric Savart. His philosophy in the vineyards is to prevent disease as much as possible, rather than treat it—towards this end, he prefers a holistic approach, creating an environment within which the plant is better equipped to resist malady on its own. The soils in this area can vary: many parcels in Ecueil are notably sandy, although there's more clay on the mid-slope, and a few areas that are relatively chalky. The soils of Villiers-aux-Noeuds are generally chalkier than those of Ecueil, and Savart's vineyards here are particularly prized for their sélection massale of the renowned pinot fin d'Ecueil, planted here by Daniel and René. These wines grace the lists of the world’s leading restaurants - El Cellar de Can Roca, noma, Eleven Madison Park, RyuGin etc These are stunning wines of minuscule production, and we are excited to bring a small allocation to Australia. NV L’Ouverture Brut Premier Cru Terrior - Ecueil Grape - 100% Pinot Noir Dosage - 7g/L Details - Stainless steel only and full malolactic NV L'Accomplie Extra Brut Premier Cru (MAGNUMS ONLY) Terroir - Ecueil, Villers-aux-Noeuds Grape - 80% Pinot Noir & 20% Chardonnay Dosage - 5g/L Details - Combination of neutral oak and stainless steel. Partial malolactic fermentation NV Bulles de Rosé Brut Premier Cru Terroir - Ecueil Grape - 70% Pinot Noir, 22% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Noir (Red Wine) Dosage - 6g/L Details - 80% stainless steel, 20% old oak barrels and partial malolactic 2013 L’Année Extra Brut Premier Cru Terroir - Ecueil, Villers-aux-Noeuds Grape - 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay Dosage - 3g/L Details - 100% old oak barrels and no malolactic “The 2013 L'Annee is a co-fermented blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay vinified in 500-liter barrels. Creamy, ample and expressive, with a real sense of Pinot Noir red fruit inflections, the 2013 is another winner from Savart. This is an especially rich, vinous style. Above all else, the 2013 is a wine of intensity and fruit. It will drink well with minimal cellaring. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged February 2017.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 94 Points >> 2013 Le Mont Benoit Extra Brut Nature Premier Cru Terroir - Villers-aux-Noeuds, argilo-calcaire Grape - 95% Pinot Noir, 5% Chardonnay Dosage - 3g/L “The 2013 Le Mont Benoit is 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay vinified in a 600-liter oak cask. Vertical structure and a sense of gravitas are two of the signatures. Lemon peel, dried flowers and chamomile are some of the many notes that fill out the wine's broad frame. There is no shortage of power, but the Annee has a bit less finesse than the very best wines in the range. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged February 2017.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 93 Points >> 2012 Dame de Cœur Extra Brut Premier Cru Terroir - Ecueil Grape - 100% Chardonnay Dosage - 2g/L Details - The wine is aged in oak barrels on lees without undergoing malolactic fermentation “The 2012 Extra Brut La Dame de Coeur, 100% Chardonnay from Le Mont des Chrétiens, is fabulous. Time in bottle on the yeast has done wonders for the 2012, which was much less generous and interesting when I saw it last year. Freshly cut flowers mint, chalk, white pepper and citrus notes abound. Precision, tension and class. It's all there, and more, in this striking Champagne from Frederic Savart. Above all else, the 2012 is a wine of pure and total pleasure. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged December 2016.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 94 Points >> 2013 Le Monte des Chrétiens Extra Brut Premier Cru (formerly) La Dame de Cœur (MAGNUMS ONLY) Terroir - Ecueil Grape - 100% Chardonnay Dosage - 2g/L Details - The wine is aged in oak barrels on lees without undergoing malolactic fermentation “Another of the highlights in this tasting, the 2013 Extra Brut Le Mont des Chrétiens (formerly La Dame de Coeur) is a total knock-out. A stunningly beautiful, vivid Champagne, the 2013 possesses remarkable depth. The flavors are bright and crystalline throughout. This is the finest Champagne I have ever tasted from Savart. The oak needs a bit more time to integrate, but the wine's potential is evident, even at this early stage. Sadly, there are just 500 magnums to go around. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged February 2017.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 95 Points >> Cédric Bouchard – Roses de Jeanne “A passionate and dedicated perfectionist, Cédric Bouchard has only been making wine since 2000, yet his champagnes have already become some of the most sought-after in the region.” Peter Liem, Champagne Guide  Ironically, Bouchard actually doesn’t even drink very much champagne himself. “In fact, I’m not very Champenois,” he says. “The bubbles bother me a little. That’s why with Roses de Jeanne, the bubbles are very fine, as fine as possible. I don’t like it when the bubbles attack your palate too much.” Towards that end, all of his wines have a lower pressure than usual for champagne, at 4.5 atmospheres rather than six, and the second fermentation proceeds very slowly, often taking two full months to complete the prise de mousse. Peter Liem, Champagne Guide  One parcel, one variety, one vintage, this is the essence of Bouchard’s philosophy.
Early on he produced wines under a label called Inflorescence, this no longer exists. The vines that bore the first for these wines, came from Cédric’s father, who had a very different approach. He now owns these vineyards and farms them in the same way as all the other Roses de Jeanne wines. The estate is named with homage to his Polish grandmother, Janika. Roses de Jeanne parcels are trained in Cordon du Royat for pinot noir and Chablis for chardonnay, and are always harvested exceptionally low, at 4,000 kg/ha (26 hl/ha). This helps deliver the extreme concentration, minerality and precision found in Cédric’s wines. _______________________________________ Roses de Jeanne Val Vilaine - 100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5 hectare lieu-dit of Val Vilaine. This vineyard was formally owned by Cedric’s father until 2012 when he took full control. Before 2012 this wine was under the Inflorescence label, but now it is part of his Roses de Jeanne range. This is a south-facing parcel in the village of Polisy, planted in 1974. 300-500 cases produced annually. “The NV (2015) Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine is a bright and tightly wound wine, which is quite surprising for the year. My sense is that more of the radiance of 2015 will emerge in another year or two, as the wine was disgorged only six months ago. Orchard fruit and floral notes add lift. This is an especially bright style of Pinot. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 91 Points >> Roses de Jeanne Cote de Bachelin [La Parcelle] - 100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5 hectare lieu-dit of Côte de Bachelin. Spends a full three years on the lees, and thus, is always bottled as a vintage cuvée. La Parcelle comes from a 0.73-hectare, southwest-facing parcel in the village of Celles-sur-Ource that Bouchard purchased in 2007, from an old friend of the family. This too was once part of the Inflorescence range, but is now Roses de Jeanne. 150 cases produced annually. “The 2010 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Béchalin is terrific. Finely cut and lifted, the 2010 is full of character. Mirabelle, kirsch, hard candy and sweet floral notes give the wine its exotic personality. As is often the case, the Côte de Béchalin is a wine of crystalline purity and tension. The 2010 is a bit quirky, but it is also delicious. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 93 Points >> Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules - 100% Pinot Noir from the .9 hectare lieu-dit of Les Ursules. It’s a relatively flat vineyard just down the road from Bouchard’s cellar, vines are planted in 1974. Some magnums are produced and imported of this wine, but in minute quantities. 250-300 cases produced annually. “The 2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules is one of the most accessible of these wines today. Creamy, open-knit and gracious, the Ursules is graced with tremendous purity in its fruit and soft contours that make the wine easy to drink and enjoy, even at this early stage. The Ursules doesn't quite have the pedigree of the top wines in this range, but it is hugely enjoyable right now. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 93 Points >> Roses de Jeanne La Haute-Lemblée - 100% Chardonnay (five different clones) from the .12 hectare lieu-dit of La Haute Lemblée. Extremely limited. “The 2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblé is superb. Smoke, slate, crushed rocks and citrus overtones abound. A wine of total finesse and detail, the Haute-Lemblé bristles with personality. At this stage, the Haute-Lemblé is a wine of texture more than anything else. If possible, and I know it is asking a lot, readers should plan on cellaring the 2013 for at least a year or two. In this range, the Haute-Lemblé is a bit cerebral and fleeting. Its beauty, on the other hand, is obvious. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 96 Points >> Roses de Jeanne Bolorée - Very old and rare Pinot Blanc from a 0.217 hectare lieu-dit known as La Boloree. Bouchard was initially uninterested in the parcel, but it landed in his lap after he drew the short straw in a dual between growers. Today, it is perhaps his most cherished site. The parcel is on pure chalk with Pinot Blanc planted in the 1960’s. Extremely limited. “As it often is, the 2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs La Bolorée is the highlight in a range of magnificent, moving Champagnes. The Bolorée, 100% Pinot Blanc, combines the energy that is present in all of these wines with a kick of textural richness and body that elevates into the stratosphere. Tension, vibrancy and pure power are the signatures. The Bolorée is one of the very finest Champagnes I tasted this year. I rarely miss a chance to drink Cédric Bouchard's La Bolorée, and neither should you. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 98 Points >> Roses de Jeanne Presle - The newest release from Roses de Jeanne is Presle, an unusual blanc de noirs from a west-facing parcel of the same name in the village of Celles-sur-Ource. Bouchard owns just 15 rows here, and in 2007, he planted this parcel with ten different rootstocks, each selected for low yields and high concentration: “I wanted as much diversity as possible,” he says. “The complexity of the genetic material encourages the complexity of the wine.” Extremely limited. “One of the more complete wines in this range, the 2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Presle emerges from a parcel planted with ten different clones of Pinot. The flavors are wonderfully nuanced and layered in the glass. Bright, saline notes give energy to the finely cut Pinot fruit. Understated and classy, the Presle has much to say, but like all of the 2013s here, it needs to unwind. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 95 Points >> Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d’Enfer Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir from the .07 hectare lieu-dit of Le Creux d'Enfer. There are just a few rows, which were planted in 1994 Made by the “saignée” method of crushing the Pinot Noir and running off the juice after several hours of skin contact to produce the classic rosé colour (rather than adding a bit of still red wine). Although this wine is “saignée” it is a wine of elegance rather than power “I want something fine, delicate, crystalline.” says Bouchard. Extremely limited. “The 2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Creux d'Enfer Rosé is another stunning Champagne. Exotic aromatics and bright, delineated flavors grace this exquisite wine. The Creux d'Enfer is 100% Pinot fermented with whole clusters. In this vintage, the stem character seems a little less pronounced than it often does. Hints of cranberry, orange peel, cinnamon, rose petal and red stone fruits add myriad shades of expression. Creux d'Enfer is more than a wine, it is more of a magical elixir. Sadly, production is around 500 bottles a year. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.” << Antonio Galloni >> << 97 Points >> The 2016 harvest in Australia came on a whole lot quicker than most people expected - a warm summer, with only intermittent rain, pushed ripeness levels forwards quickly in many regions. Multiple grape varieties and sites seemed to ready to pick all at once! Space within the winery became an issue, as fruit suddenly came flooding in. Cobaw Ridge in Macedon were one such producer affected by this - having Chardonnay and Shiraz and Pinot Noir nearly simultaneously caused some logistical issues, but fruit quality was uniformly very good. Below we share some photos from their harvest - thanks to Alan and Nelly Cooper for sharing some of their story with us, as well as their wines.  Chardonnay being harvested  Whole bunches of Pinot (MV6 and 115 clones) - small berries full of flavour this vintage! Always was going to be tricky when the two batches of grapes shown above were perfectly ripe within 10 days of each other!  New Qvevri, delivered just in time for the harvest, made in Canada by a Georgian craftsman Before there were amphora, there were Georgian-made qvevri....clay vessels for fermentation and storage of wine. The Cooper's took delivery of theirs in time for #v16  Alan Cooper, plunging and doing punch downs, in his 26th vintage at Cobaw Ridge! Alan and Nelly Cooper live on the land where the grapes for Cobaw Ridge grow, and tend the vines by hand. The wines are then made and stored on-site.  The return of an old favourite in #v16....il pinko rides again! In November of 2015 I had the utmost honour to represent Australia at the Asia/Oceania finals of the ASI Sommelier competition, held in Hong Kong. These competitions are held every three years, and act as preliminary competitions for the Best Sommelier of the World Competition. In the 2012 competition, one of my mentors Franck Moreau MS had come first, taking glory for Australia. Competitors from 7 countries gather to sit exams, take part in blind tastings and be put through difficult tests in real-life situations, all in front of a large crowd. All competitors must compete in a second language other than their mother tongue, and this must be either English, Spanish or French! I hadn't spoken French in years, but i'm far more proficient in it than I am in Spanish, so French it was. No pressure then.....  Banjo (far right) looking happy to be a part of the tough competition. The first day was (relatively) gentle, with a written exam, followed by a blind tasting that included food matching - quite challenging given the food component was sweet and sour pork! To finish, the service of one bottle of champagne. All 18 competitors sat this, with some to be knocked out for the subsequent days. I felt really comfortable with the written exam, having successfully sat the theory component of the Master Sommelier exam in London one week earlier. There was no denying the toughness of the questions though, with many obscure appellation questions and plenty of sake, beer and tea questions. The other two sections went ok, and luckily enough I made it through to the next days semi-finals. Here, we completed another blind tasting, followed by a decanting exercise. Dirty glassware, wrong vintage bottles and awkward decanters were all thrown into the mix in an effort to confuse. Somehow, my feeble French held up and I was granted a place in the finals!  Banjo looking incredibly surprised at making it through to the finals!  The final day was certainly the most intimidating - a large crowd had gathered to observe the finals, with a large contingent of journalists taking photos! I was in the finals with Hiroshi Ishida of Japan and Wallace Lo of China. Hiroshi was certainly the favourite here, having finished 3rd in the world competition back in 2000 - an experienced campaigner! One by one we competed on the raised stage. 2 wines and 6 spirits, all tasted blind. Food and wine matching to an entire menu of dim sum. Correction of a wine list. Service of a bottle of riesling to 4 guests. Decant and serve a bottle of Cabernet to 3 guests, who were upset it hadn't been decanted earlier! All done in a limited time frame. I raced through, stumbling over my schoolboy French, thankful to finish within the time limit and no obvious mistakes. Thinking I was done, I sat in the crowd and removed my tie, only to be called back up 15 or so minutes later! The three of us on stage this time, looking at photos of famous faces and vineyards, attempting to identify them. Finally, the finale - service of a magnum of champagne to 18 glasses, equally. The trick? There were 19 glasses on the table! I was the only one to pick this up, and finished on a high.  Everyone had put in a mammoth effort, and we waited for the judges decision eagerly.... In the end, experience paid off, and Hiroshi Ishida was announced as the winner of the 2015 competition! This guaranteed him a spot in the world competition to be held this year in Mendoza, Argentina.  Winners are grinners... I was so happy to have been able to compete - such a steep learning curve, but thoroughly worth it.
I'll be catching up with Hiroshi in Mendoza later this year - hopefully I can improve on my result! Banjo Harris Plane
  These wines had a purity, a clarity, an undeniable energy to them that absolutely blew me away.
Sure, these could just have been exceptional wines that happened to be Biodynamic - but I was prepared to believe they were exceptional because they were Biodynamic.’ Max Allen, the leading commentator in Australia and a growing voice globally on organic and biodynamic farming. ‘Organic’ and ‘Biodynamic’ widely used terms, but what does it all mean? Perhaps more importantly, how does it affect the grapes that make the wine we love to drink? Organic farming can be defined as farming without the use of any artificial chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides). Biodynamic farming takes this notion slightly further, Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines puts it well: ‘...biodynamic viticulture is a philosophy combining the maintenance of sustainable soil fertility and the recognition of the link between plant growth and the rhythms of the cosmos. It treats the vineyard as a living system, which interacts with the environment to build a healthy living soil that helps to nourish the vines and general environment.’ Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (part-time yodeler) is the man credited with outlining the basic principals of what is now known today as ‘biodynamic farming’. In 1924 Mr Steiner gave a series of lectures to local farmers, after there had been great concern with the state of their farms. They had noted that due to chemical use, the soil was losing life and the health and quality of crops and livestock was deteriorating. This led Steiner to begin work on what would become known as Biodynamic Preparation 500. Essentially cow manure, this is the most widely used preparation in biodynamic farming. It is made by filling a cow horn with cow manure and burying it below ground, and leaving it to slowly decompose over winter. The following spring the horn is recovered and the decomposed cow manure is mixed with rainwater, before being sprayed on the vineyard. Improves soil structure and microbiological activity. Preparation 500 is the cornerstone mixture of biodynamics (there are eight others). Take from biodynamics what you want.... Whether going all out and worshipping the electromagnetic forces of the earth or simply taking some of Steiner’s biodynamic techniques and ideas created all those years ago, to help you farm smarter and better, it’s up to you... But what we do know is that pumping chemicals into the earth, from which we harvest our food and, importantly, our grapes, isn’t sustainable - especially if we’d like to avoid all ending up like Ozzy Osbourne. Sebastian Crowther MS |
AuthorThe Stories of Real Wines by Sebastian Crowther MS Archives
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