Decanter October 2020

Big names join rush for Provence rosé Provence has seen a rush of vineyard deals in recent months, not to mention celebrity endorsements, which look set to further raise the profile of the region’s premium rosé wines. The Prats family, who formerly owned Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, have joined with French businessman Stéphane Courbit to buy Château d’Estoublon in Provence. It is the latest sign of Provence’s rising status in the wine world, and also of the growing interest in making higher-end rosé styles there. Built in the 17th century and spanning 300ha, with 18ha under vine, Château d’Estoublon is located in the Baux-de-Provence appellation. Jean-Quentin Prats told Decanter that the family wanted to return to its historical roots and ‘put a foot back in the Mediterranean’, but he also said an initial…

The art of wine Treasure in the attic Montigny-lès Arsures, Jura, France The monks who inhabited this Cistercian abbey in the 13th century had no idea that all these years later it would house the wine cellar of Domaine Frédéric Lornet, and that racks of Savagnin grapes would be stacked under the eaves to dry. The bunches lie undisturbed for several months until they shrivel and the grape sugar concentration increases, before they’re used to make the region’s famous vin de paille wine style. Photograph: Mick Rock/Cephas…

Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter Soon-to-be-revised US dietary guidelines should cut the daily alcohol limit for men from two drinks to one, the same as for women, said the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. In current guidance, one drink is five US fluid ounces (150ml) of wine at 12% alcohol. California’s Wine Institute said the Committee didn’t cite enough evidence to ‘reverse decades of guidance’ on drinking in moderation. Never mind oysters and caviar – pairing Champagne with a crunchy raw radish is one of life’s simple pleasures, says Didier Depond, president of the Delamotte and Salon houses, who grows them at home, having got the idea from respected oenologist and chemist, professor Jacques Puisais. Radishes’ saline,…

Cru bourgeois brain ache I’m a self-confessed Bordeaux lover, so eagerly tucked into the cru bourgeois article in your September issue. To me, the category has always been a signpost towards a good claret that mostly doesn’t enter the price bracket of the cru classé brigade. A good buy. Previous classifications left me – and I imagine most of us – ignoring the suffixes that follow the cru bourgeois status and just enjoying the wine. Thank goodness things have been cleared up with the 2020 classification! So... just to clarify: cru bourgeois can be exceptionnel, supérieur or just straightforward cru bourgeois. But won’t include the top cru bourgeois wines (Potensac, for instance) that most of us might recognise – always wise to leave your best players out to let others look…

News Month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Chris Mercer Big names join rush for Provence rosé Photographs: Château d’Estoublon; Kylie Minogue Wines Provence has seen a rush of vineyard deals in recent months, not to mention celebrity endorsements, which look set to further raise the profile of the region’s premium rosé wines. The Prats family, who formerly owned Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, have joined with French businessman Stéphane Courbit to buy Château d’Estoublon in Provence. It is the latest sign of Provence’s rising status in the wine world, and also of the growing interest in making higher-end rosé styles there. Built in the 17th century and spanning 300ha, with 18ha under vine, Château d’Estoublon is located in the Baux-de-Provence appellation. Jean-Quentin…

Corkage, another view I write in response to the recent letters on the subject of BYO and restaurant wine prices. No one seems to be putting the restaurateur’s viewpoint. I have worked in the trade all my working life, and have bought, sold and audited for all types of restaurant business. I now sell wine into the trade, and advise customers on their selling prices and therefore mark-up. The ‘outrageous’ mark-up mentioned last month by Mr G Sharp is very easily explained. Running a restaurant is a very costly business, taking into account mortgage or rent, insurance, staffing costs, the cost of goods to be sold often coming from the other side of the world, and the burden that red tape adds to the workload and costs. Taking the typical mark-up mentioned…