Pinguet out at Huet

is this a hint as to you why you've never served me a Sec 1er Trie ?
 
I'm not really sure why Clos Baudoin is best for sec. I think it was multiple factors: the thinner soil, the lower position on the slope, the exposition, the lack of botrytis.

Curious about the leaf thinning. This is usually done to open up the canopy to provide more light and warmth to the fruit. Leaf removal, mostly in the form of hedging, is used to re-balance the vine away from vegetative growth toward fruit maturation, which are competing tendencies. So, in either case, to encourage ripening.

Over-cropping would seem to be the simpler solution, especially for sparkling wines. This is why the Champenois carry as much as triple the amount of fruit on their vines than do the Bourguignons.
 
The 2005 Clos Baudoin was definitely not Exhibit A in support of its suitability for Sec, but I'm sure subsequent vintages have been better. (Have they?)
 
Thank goodness we're operating in different markets; Richards Walford are very professional, and Kelley is very knowledgeable about the Loire.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):

Economically speaking, selling to fewer and larger buyers generally puts downward pressure on a winery's prices, not upwards. Of course, those larger distributors might just jack up their margins if they think the market will bear it, so retail prices can still increase. But when you have a famous property of limited production, renowned for quality, the commercially savvier thing to do IMHO is to spread your risk and limit your buyers' leverage by having more of them. Cult wines that are mostly or all sold by mailing list are the ultimate version of this.
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Christian,
You raise interesting points. There is no doubt that the Screaming Eagle model is really the best, but it requires a proper alignment of many planets, and is a bit like hoping your kid grows up to a great career with the Lakers and buys you a nice house. For everyone else, your words about diversification ring true, certainly. But I wonder whether how the price the typical high end French winery gives their retail customers compares to what they charge the big ones. Does Coche give Kermit a big discount compared to his longtime customers? I can't for the life of me imagine why he would. But of course many noneconomic factors enter in...
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In terms of supply vs. demand, I think Coche is in a Screagle-type situation, just substitute importers/distributors for consumers. The problem arises for wineries in less demand and higher production, when they switch from (for example) 50 distributor buyers and 5000 direct consumers to 10 distributor buyers and 1000 direct consumers, and the top 5 distributors are taking most of the wine. Then comes the day that there is a downturn in the market for the #1 distributor plus a convenient "bad" vintage, and they say "we can't sell this stuff without some price cuts on your end"...
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

Benjamin Joliveau, she noted, has been working at the estate for four years.
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Richard Kelley, again:
"Benjamin Joliveau, himself a Vouvrillon and whose father owns Domaine Mirault, a producer of sparkling Vouvray, and a friend of Noël’s. Benjamin started officially at Huet in May 2009."
 
Jim Budd has a letter from Sarah Hwang (who is now in charge at Huet) that reads in part:

"There are two members of our current team who have experience at the press Jean-Bernard Berthomé and Benjamin Joliveau. Both of these men will play prominent roles in Huet’s future, with Jean-Bernard taking over the duties of head winemaker. He will have full control of viticulture and wine-making. We are extremely fortunate to have a person in Jean-Bernard, who has shown a passion and dedication to Domaine Huet over a span of 33 years. In fact, his father worked alongside Gaston Huet in the fields and in the cellar. He has a strong and honest love for the estate and has unmatched technical expertise in both the biodynamic viticulture and the estate’s winemaking practices. There is no question that he will continue to uphold the traditions and quality expected by all."
 
originally posted by Yixin:
Thank goodness we're operating in different markets; Richards Walford are very professional, and Kelley is very knowledgeable about the Loire.
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Sold.

Does this mean that RW wines will become available at BBR retail? That could be handy.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by Yixin:
This could be really interesting. BBR are opening in Singapore.
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BBR is your competition, no? You hoping to get bought out, too?
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No one's crazy/stupid enough to buy me out.

It'll be like GS buying BBH.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
originally posted by Yixin:
This could be really interesting. BBR are opening in Singapore.
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Whoa. Ong/Kelley cage match.

Ticket prices are through the roof!
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I've never met him but his writing is quite sensible and sensitive.

The one RW agency I really covet is in Bordeaux (Claude would probably know which property), and I just can't bring myself to visit Bordeaux again.
 
Internet seems divided. Leaving aside obvious old/wrong blurbage I still find reasonable-sounding folks that say it was 2005 and others who say no earlier than 2008 (although "Executive Winemaker" might mean "in name only"...)
 
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