From Sigi Hiss, at 27. November 2012 07:22
by Jane Anson in Bordeaux – Aymeric de Gironde, international commercial director of AXA Millésimes, has been appointed general manager of Chateau Cos d’Estournel.
de Gironde (pictured) will take over from Jean-Guillaume Prats – who announced his departure last month – in February 2013.
Before working at AXA Millésimes – a role which included prestigious estates such as Chateau Pichon Baron, Chateau Suduiraut and Chateau Petit Village in Bordeaux and several other estates in Portugal, Burgundy and Hungary – de Gironde spent from 1997 to 2006 with the LVMH Group, with Hennessy and Krug in New York and Paris.
In a letter sent to clients confirming the appointment, Cos owner Michel Reybier wrote, ‘Serving the beautiful terroir of Cos d’Estournel, he will put into practice our philosophy of excellence in French and foreign markets which he knows pretty well, and will interact with you to promote further the presence of our wines. I wish him great success in his new position for which he has my full support.’
From Sigi Hiss, at 27. November 2012 07:16
Deutsche Winzer sollen größere Möglichkeiten zur Vermarktung ihrer Weine nach regionalen Besonderheiten bekommen. Die Länder können künftig auch besondere Anbaubedingungen in kleineren geografischen Gebieten als den bereits geschützten Anbaugebieten unter Schutz stellen.
Einem entsprechenden Gesetz des Bundestags stimmte der Bundesrat am Freitag zu. Auch für den Anbau auf Steillagen oder Terrassen sollen die Länder demnach Regelungen erlassen können, um die Qualität besonders hervorzuheben – etwa durch Beschränkungen auf bestimmte Rebsorten oder Höchsterträge je Hektar. Ziel sei, die regionalen Unterschiede des Weinbaus in Deutschland noch besser zu berücksichtigen. (dpa)
From Marcel Merz, at 27. November 2012 07:13
The results from Gault-Millau Wine Guide 2013:
2011 Riesling Steinterrassen 90 Points
2011 Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling “Großes Gewächs” 91 Points
2011 Niederhäuser Hermannsberg Riesling “Großes Gewächs” 91 Points
2011 Traiser Bastei Riesling “Großes Gewächs” 92 Points
2011 Niederhäuser Steinberg Riesling Spätlese 90 Points
2011 Altenbamberger Rotenberg Riesling Spätlese 91 Points
2011 Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Auslese 94 Points
2011 Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 94 Points
2011 Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Beerenauslese 95 Points
90-94: Excellent
95-99: Outstanding
Headed Straight for the Top!
Karsten Peter
Vivid impressions of the first two vintages serve to more than confirm that the characteristics of the individual sites are better understood with each successive harvest. — Joel Payne.
We are working persistently and systematically toward the goal of bringing our vineyards better into natural balance, and with this to continually refine the stylistic expression of our wines.— Karsten Peter
Gut Hermannsberg — an Estate with Great Potential.
The estate was created by the Prussian government in 1902 as a pilot program, situated on an impressive hillside in a picturesque setting above the Nahe River, designed and laid out as a pure Riesling estate. The 30 hectares of this historic property are classified entirely as Erste Lage (first growth, premier cru) by the VDP. In 2009, Jens Reidel and Dr Christine Dinse recognised the potential of the estate. They acquired the property and agreed on the name Gut Hermannsberg, taken from one of the best vineyard sites on the Nahe, which is a monopole of the estate. General Manager and Cellarmaster is Karsten Peter, who with his team is focused upon the long and illustrious Riesling-tradition of the estate. Thanks to the exposure and geologic character of the outstanding vineyards, he is able to vinify Rieslings of the finest and most expressive nature. Hagen Rüdlin is Head of Sales of the estate, in cooperation with Smart-Wines responsible for sales in Germany as well as internationally.
The Guest House
Over the past couple years the former administration building has been carefully restored and reconfigured, with a careful feel for tradition and style. Located amidst the vineyards, it offers the perfect retreat for relaxation and enjoyment. Seven inviting rooms—five of them suites—are available to guests, each with modern bath, balcony and private terrace-area. Gourmet packages emphasising wellness, fitness or golf offer something for everybody, and beckon with exciting recreational opportunities. And of course there is a wine tasting included in the room rate, along with an extensive breakfast buffet. Hotel Manager Konstanze Lange is responsible for the comfort of the guests, and is pleased to fulfill individual desires.
Gut Hermannsberg, A Vineyard Goes Down in History
Dr. Christine Dinse, along with Jens Reidel co-owner of Gut Hermannsberg since 2009, was fascinated by the historical artifacts that she found in the cabinets at the estate. Starting with this, she researched archives and offices all over Germany, interviewing eyewitnesses and collecting documents. As a result, she composed the book Gut Hermannsberg, A Vineyard Goes Down in History, which goes far beyond the borders of the wine estate itself, describing in an exciting fashion world affairs, German viticulture, and a wide variety of authentic life stories from the eleven decades of the estate’s history.
General Information:
Gut Hermannsberg, 55585 Niederhausen an der Nahe, +49 67 58-92 50-0
info@gut-hermannsberg.de, www.gut-hermannsberg.de
From Sigi Hiss, at 27. November 2012 07:09
The highlights of a cycle
.
The 2012 vintage is characterized by a singular contrast between spring, summer and the beginning of fall. The month of April, particularly cool and damp, led to a late and heterogeneous bud bloom. This was followed by late flowering, in less-than favorable conditions, resulting in a high percentage of coulure on our oldest plots of Merlot.
On July 15th, the weather conditions confirmed an especially late situation, resembling that of the 2008 vintage.
The trend of the vintage reversed itself in the heart of summer with a hot and dry month of August. Ready to receive the benefits of the sun, the vine completed veraison and developed a good phenolic concentration in the grape skins.
The weather changed again during the last week of September. Harvest began on the 1st of October in rather damp conditions. The pressure of the possibility of botrytis developing was constant. The low yields, close to 28hL/ha, contributed nonetheless to maintaining healthy conditions around the grape bunches.
Contrasted varieties influenced by the vintage and complimentary
.
The grapes were harvested healthy and ripe. The Merlots were exuberant with a degree of alcohol reaching 14 %. In tasting, our memories transport us to a style close to some beautiful vintages at the end of the 2000s, such as 2009. The Cabernets are linear and precise with a degree of alcohol at 12.5 %.
Malolactic fermentation is about to begin. This will allow the technical team to compete its aromatic perception of the vintage.
Impatient and curious to discover this latest member of the family of Château Palmer vintages, we now await mid-December before beginning work on the blend, the next key step in the elaboration of the 2012 vintage.
From Peter Niederhauser, at 21. November 2012 07:24
Our team was extremely proud to hear that our Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay was selected as one of the “Year’s Most Exciting Wines” for the 2012 Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines worldwide.
At position number 32 our Chardonnay is the second highest placed Chardonnay out of only five on the Top 100 and has achieved the highest place to date for a South African Wine. This beats the previous most highly placed South African wine, our 2007 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir.
The Top 100 is not based solely on a wine’s score. A panel of editors debates a wine’s position and worthiness for inclusion, based on quality, value and excitement. Our 2010 scored 93/100. The Top 100 Wines are the front-runners in a line-up of more than 17,000 wines tasted over the year.
Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay was also recognised locally, winning the Classic Wine Trophy Award (only French Judges) for Best South African White Wine and the South African Chardonnay Trophy at the International Wine Challenge.
Overall, Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay is White Wine of the Year in South Africa, based on the South African Wine Index, which looks at 44 different national and international reviews and competitions over a 3 year period to come up with a composite score.
Our current vintage of Chardonnay, the 2011 – our 30th – is very much a worthy successor to the 2010, scoring 5 stars in Platter’s South African Wine Guide and 93/100 from wine review online, who had this to say about the wine: This Chardonnay proves compelling year after year, with the current 2011 vintage perhaps the best to date. The wine is rich and lush, with buttery undertones, and more than a hint of spice from barrel aging. But it’s also beautifully balanced, with crisp, underlying acidity keeping everything in check. There is nothing remotely blowsy or heavy-handed about it. Instead, the wine is an example of New World Chardonnay at a very high level.”
Anthony Hamilton Russell
Proprietor
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
P.O. Box 158
Hermanus WC7200
South Africa
Tel: +27 (28) 312-3595
Fax: +27 (28) 312-1797
anthonyhrv@hermanus.co.za
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