by Panos Kakaviatos -Police in Champagne have arrested 15 individuals under suspicion of stealing thousands of official ‘CRD’ capsule stickers.
The capsules came from two companies specialising in their manufacture: Sparflex, located in the industrial area of Dizy, and AMCOR Flexibles in Mareuil-sur-Ay, Champagne police representative Nicolas Weimer told Decanter.com
‘The CRD capsule is like a revenue stamp,’ he said. ‘Champagne producers declare the number of bottles they intend to sell in France and then must pay for the appropriate number of CRD capsules for their declared volume.’
by Jane Anson in Bordeaux, and Adam Lechmere – Over 40 chateaux have released their prices today – including Haut Brion, Angelus, Calon Segur and Kirwan – causing negociants and merchant to protest many were getting lost. Haut Brion is on a par with fellow first growths Lafite and Margaux at €360 ex-negociant, down 45% on last year. Its sister wine La Mission Haut Brion has dropped 64% on the 2010 price, at €216.
Chateau Calon Segur is €39.60 (down 40%), Clinet at €50 (down 41.8%), Angelus at €138 (down 38.7%), Ferriere at €19.60 (down 14.04%), Langoa Barton at €31.20 (down 29.90%), and Chateau Kirwan at €28.50.
‘This was a drop on our 2010, 2009 and 2005 price,’ Kirwan owner Yann Schyler told Decanter.com, ‘and lower than the closest price available on the Bordeaux marketplace, the 2008.’ Kirwan, however, highlighted the effect of the flood of prices. ‘Did it come out?’ asked one negociant. ‘It got lost among everything else.’
by Adam Lechmere, and Jane Anson in Bordeaux – The Bordeaux campaign has stuttered to life again with price releases from Chateau Margaux, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Lynch Bages and some two dozen smaller properties. The most important release yesterday was Chateau Margaux, at €360 ex-negociant, down 40%, followed by 3rd growth Chateau Palmer, at €160, down 25.6%.
Palmer, though critically acclaimed – Steven Spurrier for Decanter called the 2011 ‘first growth quality’ – has dismayed merchants by its price.
Farr Vintners’ Stephen Browett repeated his assertion that ‘there are plenty of ready-to-drink vintages of Palmer that consumers can buy cheaper than this. Although its one of the better wines of the vintage there is no demand for it at that price.’
Mit einem Hubschrauber hat die Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau (LWG) am Montag neue Frostschutz-Methoden in den Weinbergen getestet. «Wir haben die Hoffnung, dass er die Luftmassen so verwirbelt, dass die wärmere Luft nach unten gedrückt wird und dort die Temperatur steigt», sagte Peter Schwappach, LWG-Experte für Rebschutz, am Montag in Sommerach (Landkreis Kitzingen). Für diese Nächte hatte der Deutsche Wetterdienst zum Teil Bodenfrost vorausgesagt.
Die LWG testete darum verschiedene Methoden, die Weinstöcke vor dem Erfrieren schützen könnten. Neben dem Hubschrauber kamen auch Heizöfen, Heizdraht, Beregnungs- sowie Vernebelungsanlagen zum Einsatz. Das Forschungsprojekt der LWG wird vom Land für die kommenden drei Jahre mit knapp 300.000 Euro gefördert. In Franken bauen Winzer auf rund 6.000 Hektar Wein an. Im vergangenen Jahr hatte eine Frostnacht im Mai den Ertrag stark geschmälert. (dpa/lby)