Representing a single block of vines on the plateau, Ch. Gazin is one of Pomerol’s largest estates, owned by the Bailliencourt dit Courcol family since the early 20th century.

Ch. Gazin

Discover the wines of Ch. Gazin, Pomerol estate owned by Bailliencourt did Courcol family since the early 20th century 

Explore Ch. Gazin wines, Pomerol

Transitioning from the world of fine cashmere to viticulture might not seem an obvious move – and yet, for Brunello Cucinelli, wine is another arena to which he can bring new “dignity”.  Cucinelli is a man of humble origins, born in a small Umbrian village in 1953. His family were share-croppers but moved to the city in search of better employment, with his father taking a job at a cement factory. Cucinelli saw his father struggle to make a living, and do so with little respect from those around him – a battle which has defined his work and philosophy.  Despite training as a building surveyor, then studying engineering, Cucinelli ended up working as a showroom model for Ellesse in his early 20s while his girlfriend (and future wife) ran a small boutique. Inspired by this window into the fashion world and the brightly coloured clothes of Benetton, he decided to make a line of similarly vivid cashmere jumpers, launching in 1978, aged 25. Since then, the business has evolved – with muted, neutral tones replacing the lively colours that gave him his break. His clothes are defined by their understatement, the epitome of “quiet luxury”.  Today, the Brunello Cucinelli business is worth €6.3 billion. There is more to Brunello Cucinelli than fine fashion, however, with 20% of the personal profits channelled back into Cucinelli’s charitable foundation. He operates under a philosophy he defines as “humanistic capitalism”, wanting to offer his employees the respect his father didn’t receive and reclaim the value of crafts that might once have been deemed “blue collar”.  A huge part of this is his work in Solomeo, the village that he calls home (and where his wife, Federica, was born). The couple got married there in 1982, making it the company’s headquarters in 1985. Since then, Cucinelli has invested significantly in the tiny, hilltop hamlet, gradually restoring it, and adding his own cultural flourishes – a School of Arts & Crafts, Forum of the Arts, Aurelian Neohumanistic Academy, theatre, amphitheatre, library and more. Over the last 30 years, he has – working with architect Massimo de Vico – transformed the village.  Castello di Solomeo, the winery and vineyard, is the latest addition – but one that has been over a decade in the making. Michele Baiocco – who has been leading the project’s team since 2010 – met Cucinelli playing football. He’d been making wine in Perugia, and the two men met for dinner. Cucinelli asked him if he’d help him “give the agriculture world a new dignity”, and they decided to create a Bordeaux-inspired wine. Together they found the right site for a vineyard in Solomeo, and planted the first vines in 2011.  Cucinelli had always loved Bordeaux, but with Montalcino not too far away, and a wish to make something “typical” for the region, Sangiovese was an obvious addition. Extensive studies were undertaken to create a vineyard with the right soils and exposition. But – take a look at a picture of the vineyard, with its softly curving rows of vines that flow across the property – and it’s clear that this isn’t a standard vineyard.  “The vineyard is like a painting,” says superstar winemaking consultant Riccardo Cotarella, who has been working with the team, especially on the blending process, since the 2018 vintage (the first commercial release). It is “an artist’s way to plant vines”, he explains – one that doesn’t make it any easier to work. Cucinelli’s inspiration, however, was a renaissance garden, and the fact that it forces everything to be done by hand is key to the project, emphasising the craftsmanship of making wine, as well as making a beautiful place for the team to work.   The philosophy in the vineyard is driven by “reason and good sense”, with no chemical pesticides or fertilizer, using grass cover and cover crops. It’s a complex site – with five hectares, spread across four different soil types (more clay rich, more marl, sandier and more calcareous) and divided between four varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sangiovese).  Each of the 12 different blocks is vinified separately, something which they feel is key to terroir expression. They only make one wine from the site, and – as Cotarella says – “Working with Brunello [Cucinelli] always means the best quality.” Careful vineyard work is key, and the team has been reducing the production per plant, to focus the vines, encouraging complexity and concentration. Just like Cucinelli’s clothes, this is a wine intended to last.  While Cotarella consults, Pietro Grelloni is the full-time winemaker dedicated to Castello di Solomeo, working alongside Baiocco. Grelloni was born locally and worked with Baiocco, but had travelled the world making wine before returning to Perugia, when Baiocco asked if he’d like to join the Cucinelli project in 2017, just in time for the vintage. It’s clearly a special project to be involved in, but – for Grelloni – it’s the long-term view that sets it apart. “We take care about the year, but we also have to take care of the future,” he says – explaining how it is not just about the vintage that will be harvested this year, but in 100 years’ time. As Cotarella says, “It’s a very special wine, with a very special philosophy.”  Castello di Solomeo is exclusively available from FINE+RARE. The second vintage, 2019, is set to be released this week.

Read anything about Brunello Cucinelli and “dignity” is a word that comes up time and again, woven into the very fabric of the empire he has built. As the fashion icon releases the second vintage of Castello di Solomeo, we explore the philosophy behind the project 

Exploring the cashmere king Brunello Cucinelli’s Umbrian wine project, Castello di Solomeo, and the philosophy that defines it

Made in Solomeo

Made in Solomeo: the stamp of dignity

When Au Bon Climat founder Jim Clendenen unexpectedly passed away on 15th May 2021, aged just 68, there was an outpouring of sorrow. FONDATA’s Gavin Lucas considers how the one-of-a-kind bon vivant shaped Santa Barbara and California’s wine scene today

Gavin Lucas looks back on the life and times of Jim Clendenen, California’s original wild boy and a pioneer of fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara

The legacy of Jim Clendenen – Au Bon Climat

The legacy of Au Bon Climat’s Jim Clendenen

Le Pin doesn’t really do events. I guess it doesn’t need to. This tiny 2.7-hectare property produces on average 600 cases each year and the wines are instantly snapped up on release by collectors lucky enough to be privy to the merchants’ miniscule supply.  But FINE+RARE, after much searching, collated an extraordinary collection of Le Pin bottlings (some coming from Thienpont’s own personal cellar) right back to the inaugural 1979 vintage. The tasting consisted of 12 vintages of Le Pin, as well as three vintages from L’If, Thienpont’s relatively new project in neighbouring Saint-Emilion. We also persuaded Thienpont to come to London and share Le Pin’s fascinating story from the beginning. The setting was perfect for such an intimate event. With just a handful of guests alongside Jacques Thienpont and Diana Berrouet Garcia (MD of Domaines Jacques Thienpont), the dinner took place in Claridges’ L’Epicerie restaurant. L’Epicerie, which seats just 14 guests, is set within Claridges’ hallowed kitchens. It meant the guests could watch the chefs at work and discuss with them why they paired certain dishes with certain vintages. In hindsight, it was amazing just how versatile the Le Pin wines turned out to be. The younger vintages paired beautifully with poached lobster, fois gras terrine, black truffle and artichoke. The older vintages worked just as well with beef fillet and aged cheeses. But, however well the food worked, everyone was there to taste Le Pin.  Le Pin needs little introduction. The youngest of all the Right Bank icons, it became an almost overnight success thanks to the critical acclaim of the property’s fourth vintage in 1982. Combined with its tiny production levels and an ever-expanding collectors’ market, Le Pin became the ultimate wine collectable – and the market price of this tiny estate quickly rose to stratospheric levels.   Such are its size and popularity that it is rare to taste one bottle of Le Pin, let alone 12 vintages back-to-back. I’ve been lucky enough to taste the wine en primeur over the years, so I had some idea of what to expect, but it’s only at maturity that this extraordinary wine’s vivid personality really comes to life.  The elusive address has humble beginnings. From the 1920s to the late 1970s, the land was owned by the Loubie family. During this time, the wine was made by a contract-winemaker based in Lalande de Pomerol and was sold with little fanfare.  In 1979, Jacques Thienpont jumped at the chance to purchase the property when it came up sale, privy to the extraordinary terroir of the site, located next to his uncle Gérard’s esteemed Pomerol estate Vieux Château Certan. Thienpont named his new acquisition after a single pine tree that shaded the property. Over the years, he gradually expanded the vineyard to 2.7 hectares by purchasing slivers of land from adjacent producers.   It’s hard to imagine that a wine of such prestige came from what was – in the early days – a very basic operation. The project and space were so small that there was little flexibility when it came to vinification. Everything was done by hand and malolactic fermentation took place in barrel because Thienpont had nowhere else to store the wines (although this eventually set the trend for modern winemaking). In time, the Belgian vigneron made improvements in the winery and vineyard, including replanting a significant part of the land with new Merlot clones and re-trellising the vines. Now, 40 years later, Thienpont is as hands-on as ever, insisting he is involved in every stage of winemaking.   Wine experts consider Le Pin’s key advantage to be its unique terroir and soil composition. With sandy gravel topsoil on a pocket of gravel which runs five to 10 metres deep, the vineyard has perfect drainage. As it’s south-facing, it is a warmer site and that gives the vineyard great benefits, particularly in poorer, cooler vintages. It is notably different from surrounding vineyards. The vineyard contains a high proportion of iron oxide, aka “crasse de fer”, which Jacques Thienpont attributes to the soil’s fantastic drainage and feels helps Le Pin perform well in wetter vintages.   There are a few odd Cabernet Franc vines in the vineyard at Le Pin, but the wine is 100% Merlot. A significant portion (40%) of the vineyards were replanted in the late 1970s, and replanting has continued under Thienpont’s ownership. In fine wine terms the average age of the vineyards is relatively young. The fact that Le Pin can already produce such incredible wines suggests the future looks bright for the property.  The property produces low volumes but with great consistency, with the wine always expressing a beautiful integration of tannins, wonderful depth and detail. It also ages beautifully, as this stunning line-up showcased so well. Tasting a younger vintage (2018) earlier in the day, it became apparent how versatile Le Pin is. Despite its youth, the 2018 is drinking beautifully right now. Berrouet Garcia believes it is one of Le Pin’s trump cards – it just performs so well at any time, in its youth, at full maturity and any time in between, such is its openness and versatility.  With a couple years in bottle, the 2018 really expresses a signature trait of Le Pin, a trait that through the tasting is so distinctive and emanates from almost every vintage – a trademark tannin texture and mouthfeel. The best way I can explain it is as if the tannins are totally spherical in the mouth. There are no edges, you can feel they are there by their density on the palate. They are the “dark matter” equivalent of tannin – they are there but you just can’t feel them.  Before the Le Pin vertical, guests were introduced to Jacques Thienpont’s Saint-Emilion estate, L’If. Thienpont’s first vintage from this young estate was 2010 and the wines are the perfect antithesis to Le Pin. Whereas Le Pin is voluptuous and opulent, L’If is stricter, more linear and has amazing energy. Thienpont has fallen in love with the limestone soils of Saint-Emilion. While still similar in climate to Pomerol (warm and sunny) the limestone soils in Saint-Emilion keep freshness in the wine and importantly, in winemaking terms, the pH low.  Whereas Le Pin’s opulent levels of ripeness and high pH (due to the soils) can sometimes have problems with fermentations getting stuck (so much so from 2015 onwards that Le Pin has been fermented using a special commercial yeast that avoids this problem), L’If’s limestone soils mean they can push ripeness levels and never lose freshness. Like Le Pin, tasting through the vintages of L’If there is a strong character trait across the vintages – a vibrant energy that is just so expansive on the palate. The 2015, 2013 and 2012 all express distinct vintage traits too, the 2015 the most powerful, the 2013 lighter but beautifully clean and vertical, while the 2012 is soft and juicy with lovely floral delicacy.  Le Pin’s roundness and silk-like texture is such a lovely contrast to L’If and tasting them side by side only accentuates how different in style these two wines from Jacques Thienpont are.  The vertical of Le Pin starts with two legendary vintages – the 2010 and 2009. Strangely, the 2009 throws a lot of sediment, something not found in the other wines. It is hugely concentrated and opulent. Pushing the levels of ripeness, there is a touch of VA, but it doesn’t diminish the wine at all. Despite the richness and ripeness, it is very much on the red fruit spectrum– but the 2010 was even better. It has an electricity to it that adds another level of excitement to the dense, rich fruit and smoky tones. This electric energy was also present in my wine of the night – the 2001. This wine is so elegant and refined, and is in its perfect drinking window today, the light tertiary notes complement the exquisitely pure, fresh fruit. But it’s the clenched tautness to the wine and that extra burst of energy that makes it so special and surpasses even the hugely anticipated 2000. This too has the tension, the sinewy tannins, the textbook spherical mouthfeel but the tertiary development is more advanced than the 2001.  The 2008 was also a highlight for me. It had all the classic Pomerol hallmarks, the irony-minerality and opulent fruit. It was also impressively structured while remaining heavenly soft. It was perhaps the vintage that showed off this contrast best, but it was a trait running throughout. The 2007 was lighter, earthier even with a touch of menthol and shorter on the palate but still delightful. The 2006 for me also outshone the “better” vintage of 2005. The density of the 2006 is just so impressive. If anything, the 2005 tasted the least like Le Pin. It had an almost Cabernet-esque feel, more structured, more extracted and, in that sense, felt like the odd one out in the tasting.  The 1996 was fully developed with lovely tertiary notes and dried fruit flavours. But the spherical mouthfeel clearly synonymous with Le Pin was very much intact and there was still plenty of tension and a very long finish. The 1990 was a revelation, so light on its feet – almost Pinot Noir-like in its daintiness and purity. It had a lovely freshness still, despite the concentration from this warm vintage. Again, it is still spherical in character, with lovely mature Claret flavours.  The 1983 was slightly unclean on corking, perhaps unsurprisingly, but this blew off in the glass. It was fully mature, dominated by tertiary flavours, but the tannins interestingly were less dried out than the 1996. Finally, the inaugural 1979 vintage. Amazingly, this first vintage already has the Le Pin DNA on the palate. The spherical mouthfeel was there. It is a remarkably clean bottle considering the age. It tasted more youthful than the 1983 alongside and still had fresh fruit characters and more tertiary notes. The spherical tannins are beautifully integrated. What a wine and what condition! It’s quite incredible.  There were clear takeaways from the tasting. Firstly, Le Pin’s consistency was self-evident, performing year-in, year-out. Secondly, the DNA of Le Pin was distinct throughout the flight (bar the 2005) both in youth and at full maturity. Also, it is clear that its character, its distinctness exists right back to its humble beginnings. Le Pin is a special wine, a rare treat, but not just a wine for the well-initiated. Such is its openness, elegance and dare I say easiness, Le Pin turns out to be the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Browse all current Le Pin listings or read more Editorial

While “once-in-a-lifetime” might be overused, a vertical of Le Pin back to the inaugural 1979 vintage was just that. After tasting 12 vintages of this cult Pomerol with owner Jacques Thienpont, Gavin Smith considers what defines the property, and wine

A once-in-a-lifetime tasting of Le Pin back to its inaugural 1979 vintage held in Claridges’ L’Epicerie restaurant

Le Pin – from the beginning

Le Pin: from the beginning

Calon Ségur was my first ever en primeur purchase. There was such hype around the 2005 vintage and I was desperate to get my hands on something, anything. At the time I was a delivery driver for a small wine merchant and it was a luxury, but I could just afford a 12-bottle case of Calon Ségur. That alone is proof of just how cheap this wine was at the time, and how little in demand. The château always had pedigree, however. It was classified as a Third Growth in 1855 – a ranking that may even have been an underestimation, given its reputation today. Evidence of wine-growing on the estate dates all the way back to the 12th century. Since then, the property has passed through the hands of some of the most important winemaking families in Bordeaux. By 1718, the Marquis de Calon owned not just Calon Ségur but Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild. With the exception of Ch. Margaux, all the future Médoc First Growths were under his management, but he famously said, “I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon.” The quote inspired the heart that adorns every bottle. More recently, the vintages produced under Georges Gasqueton in the 1920s, ’40s and ’50s remain legendary. So, what went wrong? How could an estate, favoured over Lafite and Latour, fall so far from grace? In modern times, the blame seems to have been lain firmly at the feet of Madame Denise Gasqueton who took over the property after her husband died in 1995 and managed it until her death in 2011. But current Technical Director Vincent Millet says this is an unfair assumption. And he should know. If there has been one constant at Calon Ségur through its complete transformation, it is him – having started working at Calon in 2006. “Gasqueton was very traditional in her approach,” says Millet, “but her methods were not uncommon at the time.” Millet explains how the 1970s, ’80s and even ’90s were a lean era in the Médoc. Prices for the wines hit rock bottom and costs had to be cut to survive. Philippe Gasqueton – her husband – had instigated a mass uprooting of Calon Ségur’s vines, hoping to save on labour costs, which were the estate’s biggest outgoing. Although it’s hard to believe now, they pulled up every other row of vines. While Saint-Estèphe had a great reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, it was harder to grow than the earlier-ripening Merlot, which typically produced more fruit. As Merlot gained in popularity, plantings in the Calon vineyards grew. By the time Millet joined the estate, Merlot represented 50% of the blend at Calon.  Millet is not critical of Gasqueton’s decisions. “It was necessary to survive,” he says. But he knew Merlot was not the best variety for the Médoc and he was keen to make changes. He’d spent five years working with Ch. Margaux, Mouton, Latour, Pétrus, Haut-Brion and Lafite Rothschild, examining the effects of filtration on wine. He then joined Ch. Margaux, heading up their research development department for eight years. By the time he reached Calon, he knew that changes in the vineyard would rekindle its reputation – a disappointment to Madame Gasqueton who had invested in a new winery just a few years earlier. But Gasqueton was open to Millet’s ideas and he convinced her to build a truly state-of-the-art winery at their other estate, Ch. Capbern. “Capbern became a laboratory,” explains Millet. It was their playground, providing much of the research that would inform the work at Calon. Soon before Millet’s arrival, Gasqueton started restructuring the vineyards to make sure they met the appellation’s minimum vine density. Millet then started dividing up the vineyard and identifying the best plots and replacing the Merlot. Importantly he also insisted that rather than harvesting the Cabernet straight after the Merlot, they would wait for the fruit to be fully ripe – something he remembers having to persuade Gasqueton was necessary. “We have to act when the grapes tell us to, not the other way around,” he explains. By 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon once again represented 80% of the vineyard – the same proportion as in the estate’s legendary period in the early 20th century. By the time Gasqueton passed away in 2011, the roadmap for changing Calon’s fortunes was already in place. The estate was purchased by the insurance company Suravenir in 2012. And the new owners, much to Millet’s delight, were happy to invest in the property. As the financial constraints lessened, Millet was able to implement changes rapidly. Under the new management, Millet found he could be more selective with the fruit. He could easily distinguish the best plots, as they were all now vinified separately. Amazingly, production of the Grand Vin dropped by almost half. Between 2000 and 2005 production sat at around 180,000-200,000 bottles a year. Today they make just 100,000 bottles of the Grand Vin.  The second wine Marquis de Calon became the expression of Merlot at Calon Ségur (almost a copy of Calon’s profile under Madame Gasqueton). But today Calon Ségur is distinctly Cabernet-driven and it is what Millet believes is the best interpretation of Calon Ségur and Saint-Estèphe’s terroir. There’s much more to the wine than Cabernet, however. “Calon Ségur is all about finesse,” he says. “It doesn’t have the terroir to make the powerful wines of Ch. Montrose or Cos d’Estournel. The wine would be too rustic if we tried to make it more powerful.” It’s this elegance that makes it unique in the appellation, defying Saint-Estèphe’s reputation for chunky, slightly awkward tannins. Today, the estate is firing on all cylinders and it has become the darling of Saint-Estèphe.  With its change in fortune, financial security and the capable hands of Vincent Millet, the property has rediscovered its terroir – the one thing that hasn’t changed over the centuries. I still have one bottle left of that first case of 2005 I bought – and it turns out, despite being the only thing I could afford, it was a brilliant buy. Having been able to taste through every vintage since has been fascinating, allowing me to follow the estate’s journey. Maybe with the final bottle, I will toast its 20th birthday. It will neatly mark a fascinating transformation of this once ugly duckling estate – that today has become Saint-Estèphe’s most elegant. Explore all current Calon Ségur listings or read more Editorial

Until relatively recently, Saint-Estèphe estate Calon Ségur rarely lived up to its Third Growth status, but today it is one of the region’s most in-demand names. Gavin Smith speaks to winemaker Vincent Millet about this property’s miraculous transformation 

Calon Segur’s winemaker Vincent Millet on this Saint-Estephe ugly duckling estate’s miraculous transformation

Talking to Vincent Millet of Calon Segur

Calon Ségur: the ugly duckling of Saint-Estèphe

Since Bruno-Eugène Borie took over Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou in 2003, the estate has become one of the best-known and most-loved properties in Bordeaux. The 2023 vintage will be his 20th at the helm – during which time the estate, and the region, have been transformed.  “Everything has changed, and nothing has changed,” Borie says, laughing. “Go all the way back to 1720. Even then, Ducru was trying to improve and adapt to current market conditions.” While he insists that Ducru’s quest to produce the best wine possible dates back centuries, facilitating that motivation has not always been easy. Bordeaux thrived throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to the arrival of phylloxera in 1875. The economic turmoil in Europe during the first half of the 20th century was even more challenging, and the recovery slow. It’s only really in the 21st century that many of the top Bordeaux estates have regained the resources and clawed back their premiership. Borie took over Ducru at a key turning point for the region – with both the climate and markets rapidly changing. Economic reform in China led to a huge influx of new customers for the fine wine market, and Bordeaux in particular. “China represents 30-40% of the Bordeaux sales today,” says Borie. “It changed everything.” For Borie, this sudden and huge expansion of the market began to lure investors from all over the world. As investment flooded into the region, new wineries, new equipment, new viticulture and new technology began to pop up everywhere. “More investors meant more managers, and more managers hired innovators,” says Borie. It facilitated a whole qualitative movement that, he believes, is behind so much innovation in the region. But the investment in Bordeaux was not the only factor behind the big changes at Ducru. Borie’s decision to slash production had a huge impact on the estate. Before he took over, the property made around 15,000-20,000 cases of the Grand Vin. Today, it’s closer to 7,500 to 8000. Few estate owners can attest to such a dramatic drop in yield for the sake of quality. Such a bold move was certainly helped by Ducru’s independence – it is one of the few Classed Growths that is still 100% family-owned. And the risk has paid off, with Ducru regularly competing for wine of the vintage in the Médoc. Climate also brought about big changes at the property. Borie’s first year in charge – 2003 – was the hottest on record. Soaring temperatures were causing havoc all over France and not just in the vineyards. “People were dying on the streets of Paris,” recalls Borie. He remembers his viticulturist at the time came to him in June, suggesting they start leaf-thinning the vines (removing leaves, opening up the canopy and bring more sunshine to aid ripening). With the vintage’s blazing sun, Borie thought it was madness. “People did it because it’s what they always did,” says Borie. But he resisted. He quickly realised it would be the weather – rather than tradition – that dictated work in the vineyard going forward. As harvest dates crept forward, the days of an August off at the beach were disappearing. Everything was changing. While the investment and innovation in these early years coincided with rapid change in the region, it is over the last 10 years that Borie has witnessed the most impactful changes in Bordeaux. In the vineyard, these changes have not arisen from flashy new machinery, but in the strategic employment of companion planting and cover crops. These agricultural techniques have been used through the ages, but, Borie believes, never as dynamically and rigorously as today. “We plant a certain type of radish in the vineyard where we find compaction, this opens the soil and creates more oxygen. We plant alfalfa at the beginning of spring where needed, bringing nitrogen to the soil at the right time,” he explains. The control of organic matter, Borie believes, is the key to healthy soils, healthy vines and, most importantly, the quality of the grapes. But, Borie is quick to emphasise, this is not simply a revived practice from the days before chemical farming. For Borie, the science behind which and what cover and companion crops to use is much more advanced. Practices are no longer habitual, but much more scientific. “The companion planting of crops between the rows is very new,” says Borie. “Each plot has different requirements.” It doesn’t always work. Borie recounts how the planting of sorghum to encourage the root development of the vines resulted in a nematode infestation (a pest similar to phylloxera) – and the sorghum was quickly replaced. They’re still learning, admits Borie, but he’s convinced the vineyards have never been in better shape. Over the last 10 years, there have also been technological developments in the winery too. Borie is very proud of his “smart” tanks – which analyse the must and wine throughout fermentation, 24 hours a day. It’s a game changer for Borie who has been experimenting with them since 2019. In recent vintages, the Grand Vin has been made exclusively in these tanks. The information these tanks provide is perfect for monitoring temperatures and maceration levels – allowing Ducru to get the best out of the tannins without over-extracting. With live updates on what’s going on inside the tank (and no need to manually take a reading), they can adapt their processes instantly. Ducru has always been family-owned – giving Borie a sense of responsibility and duty. He still lives at the estate, making it one of the very few inhabited châteaux in the Médoc. Borie resides in one of its famous towers, while his mother (95 years old) lives in the other (and still enjoys two glasses of wine for lunch and one for dinner).  As custodians of the estate, Borie – and his mother – have witnessed many changes. And as Borie has grown accustomed to greater precision in the vineyard and winery, he has returned to consider older vintages in the estate’s cellars. He and his team set about checking every mature bottling, re-corking only those in perfect condition and destroying the rest. These bottles are more than history, they represent his family – and his sense of duty to their reputation has been the driver behind many similarly costly projects over his 20-year tenure. Having the opportunity to taste the entire range from Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou from the magnificent 2019 vintage (now all in bottle) was a wonderful experience. Across the range, it is the textural quality of the wines that really stands out. The clarity of fruit – which Ducru has become renowned for – is also apparent. The quality of the Grand Vin, however, is so impressive – the depth and concentration, the layering of abundant tannins while never losing its finesse. Even at such a young age, its drinkability is a perfect example of contemporary Bordeaux with that extra level of precision. Tasting the 2005 alongside proved how well the wines at Ducru age. Still youthful with plenty of fruit, the first hints of midlife tertiary development bring so much complexity to the palate. It was only Borie’s third vintage, but the lower yields produced a wine of incredible concentration and balance.  The fortunes of history and the new wealth in Bordeaux has benefitted practically every property in the region but few have been so effective at capitalizing on it than Ducru. The transformation of this Saint-Julien property, both in the vineyard and winery, is impressive but there is, Borie believes, still room for improvement. His latest investment is a state-of-the-art winery planned for completion in 2024. With Borie in the driving seat and committed to championing the Super Second’s – and his family’s – reputation, Ducru-Beaucaillou is in a safe pair of hands. Browse all Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou listings or read more Editorial

Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou had been transformed under Bruno-Eugène Borie. On the eve of his 20th vintage at the helm, Gavin Smith sat down to talk to the winemaker and owner about the changes, family – and why there is still more he can do at this Saint-Julien Super Second

On the eve of Bruno Borie’s 20th anniversary in charge of Ducru-Beaucaillou, he identifies his key motivations behind transforming this Bordeaux Super Second

Bruno Borie on 20 years at Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou

Duty of service: Bruno-Eugène Borie on two decades at Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou

In recent years, Chablis has faced hot, dry summers that have challenged the classic, cool, steely, linear-styled Chardonnay for which it’s renowned. But 2021 bucked the trend, with moderate temperatures and plenty of wet weather. The crop was small, but the best wines have laser-like acidity, refreshing mineral salinity and delicate floral tones.  Following an extremely warm start to the growing season (with almost summer-like 25˚C temperatures in March), budburst was two weeks earlier than normal. A warm early spring, as is more and more commonplace in Chablis’s warming climate, put viticulturalists on high alert. With early budding shoots, frost was a major concern, and it wasn’t long before their worst fears were realised.  For 10 days straight in early April, temperatures at night dropped well below freezing. Thanks to a mass of cold air coming down from Northern Europe, temperatures were consistently dropping as low as -8˚C. The real devastation happened on the nights of 6th and 7th April – where rainfall just prior to dusk increased humidity levels, allowing moisture to get inside the buds. The water droplets froze, expanding and effectively exploding the buds, totally destroying them. At such low temperatures, smudge pots and wind turbines can do little to protect the vines. Between 80 and 90% of Chablis’s first buds were destroyed. Vignerons therefore had to rely on secondary and tertiary buds if they were to produce any wine this year. But producers already knew production would be decimated, since these secondary shoots produce far fewer bunches – typically just a bunch per vine. Barely had the season started and the vignerons were looking at losses of up to 80%. While the rest of April and May were a quiet time in the vineyards, it was the calm before the storm. Lots of rain and a significant increase in temperature in June saw the canopy expand rapidly. These storms meant vignerons had to be quick to fight the onset of mildew – not so easily managed with so much rain, particularly for organic growers who have to spray the vines after every episode if they were to sufficiently protect them. The stormy wet weather continued into July and it was viticulturally challenging to keep the vines in a good state. With the wet weather, it was difficult to get tractors into the vineyards to spray; organic producers were further limited by restrictions on copper applications. August was drier, but – like June and July – remained cold and the grapes only started to go through véraison (changing colour, representing the shift of the vine’s energy to ripening fruit rather than growing leaves and shoots) at the beginning of September. Even then, the ripening of the grapes was very heterogeneous and under-ripeness was starting to be a concern. As a potential harvest date grew near, another storm arrived, with substantial rainfall on the 17th, 18th and 19th September. Vignerons were forced to gamble, holding off picking until after the storm, despite the substantial threat of botrytis; or to pick before and risk under-ripeness. Most opted for the former, having to wait a few days for the dilution of the grapes that followed the rainstorms to pass before harvesting. It was then a race to get the grapes in before the onset of botrytis. Most started to pick from 20th September onwards. Vignerons had to identify which vineyards were most at risk and quickly get that fruit in before tackling other sites. Typically, the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus – with their elevation and aeration – were less affected, but no site was without risk. With such heterogeneous ripening, and the risk of both botrytis and under-ripeness, sorting was essential to produce quality wine in 2021. Any botrytis would make the must prone to oxidation and darken the colour, but most notably diminish the purity and minerality that defines Chablis. Hand-picking, protecting the fruit in small baskets and whole-bunch pressing the grapes were all key to preserving quality. The style of the vintage is defined by its relative coolness. The wines are taut, with powerful, energising acidity, putting the wines alongside 2011, 2012 and 2014. They aren’t as full as those of 2014 and 2012, yet have similarly vibrant acidity levels. Unlike the recent warm vintages of 2018, 2019 and 2020; 2021 is not a fruit-driven vintage, but more floral (white flower), herbal (a charming herbaceousness) matched by powerful energy from the acidity. With the cool conditions, warmer Premier and Grand Cru vineyards tended to fare better, with producers suggesting that Les Clos performed particularly well. The sunny site has naturally lower acidity, a rounder texture and huge natural density, playing to the leaner, acid-driven style of the vintage. Vignerons’ work in the cellar will also play more of a role in the finished wines. Domaine Long-Depaquit, for example, extended the lees contact and carried out more bâtonnage to create more body in the wine, helping better integrate the high acidities. With yields decimated by as much as 80%, only tiny volumes will be available, and the wines will prove particularly difficult to find after their initial release. Although the vintage was by no means easy, the best wines are classically styled with a backbone of vibrant acidity – offering a distinct change to the solar 2018s, 2019s and 2020s. Huge thanks as ever to Matthieu Mangenot of Domain Long-Depaquit for his detailed insight on the vintage. Discover all current Chablis listings or read more Editorial 

The 2021 vintage was difficult everywhere in France, with viticulturalists facing challenging weather throughout the season – but perhaps nowhere was hit quite as hard as Chablis. But the region’s winemakers are no stranger to adversity. Gavin Smith digs into the vintage

Find out everything you need to know about Chablis 2021 – a challenging vintage that produced a small crop of steely and classic Chardonnay

Chablis 2021 vintage report

Chablis 2021: a steely year for the region

Everyone remembers their first bottle of Soldera, such is its impact on the senses. Speak to anyone lucky enough to have tasted it and watch their eyes glaze over as they are immediately transported back to the moment, the friends they shared it with and no doubt the food it accompanied. It is one of those rare wines that has a way of imprinting itself on the memory. Such is the magic at work in seemingly every bottle of this special Tuscan red that it’s not just the first bottle, but every bottle that you remember. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of this enigmatic estate set in the hills of Montalcino. In its comparatively short existence, the wine has built a considerable reputation, yet after founder Gianfranco Soldera passed away in 2019, the property finds itself at an interesting crossroads. Right up until his death, Gianfranco Soldera had very much been the face of the estate. His personality and strong opinions made him a memorable character – and a man not beyond controversy. He was a leading voice against the Brunello consortium’s handling of the Brunello-gate scandal in 2008 and fiercely believed that Brunello should be 100% Sangiovese. In 2012, his winery was the victim of sabotage, in which large volumes of wine (from vintages between 2007 and 2012) were lost – simply poured down the drain. After the attack, the Brunello consortium offered to help club together and replace the wine, but Soldera rejected the offer and soon left the consortium (although the exact reasons behind his resignation or expulsion are unclear). After this incident, Soldera simply labelled his wine as Toscana IGT (today IGP), to make a point that his wine was and will always be 100% Sangiovese. Despite his polarising nature, ultimately Soldera let his wines do the talking. He was incredibly ambitious from the start, setting out to produce a wine that would compete with the world’s finest – a feat he achieved remarkably quickly, considering he started the vineyard from scratch – replanting the vineyards in their entirety when he arrived at the estate in 1972.  While Gianfranco was the face of Soldera, he did not work alone. The estate has always been a family affair. Both Gianfranco’s son Mauro and daughter Monica, along with her husband Paolo Franco, have worked at the estate for many years. It is Monica’s husband who has since taken charge of the winemaking at Soldera, after working alongside Gianfranco for 16 years.  As we sit down to taste through seven vintages of Soldera that span 21 years, Monica introduces her husband, on what is his first visit to the UK as Soldera’s winemaker. She makes the point that before joining the family business, Franco was in fact a skilled silversmith – requiring a keen sensibility of the hands, eyes and mind. Skills, she believes, are ideal for working at Soldera, and perfectly attuned to her father’s perfectionist mentality. Gianfranco was by all accounts not an easy man to work with. “It’s a difficult job,” Monica laughs. “We are not him, but we try our best.”  Monica also explains that, despite her father’s headstrong approach, he was always open to advice and frequently invited university students to the estate, experimenting with vines on the property, exploring ways to bring out the best in the grapes and vines. Monica believes that science is the key to making wine more naturally. “The more we study, the more natural our processes become,” she says. Working with students has allowed them to fine-tune what they do, keeping the vines healthy in the shifting climate. The 2017 vintage – the penultimate wine made under Gianfranco’s watch – is due to be released later this year. It was a very difficult vintage in Tuscany, with a ferocious heatwave in the summer of 2017. There were concerns that it might be similar to 2003, when their vines were badly affected by the high temperatures. But to their surprise, the vines showed no signs of water stress, the leaves remained green and rich in colour. Soldera felt this was down to the vines’ deep roots and higher trellising, something they introduced after 2003.  Despite the lack of water in 2017, the team was still able to work with a bigger canopy – meaning more leaves to shade the grapes. The intensity of the summer saw them harvest the grapes a whole month earlier than is typical, starting on 26th August. “To lose one month is extraordinary,” says Monica. Production was also down to 11,000 bottles, versus a normal 15,000. Technically they are allowed to produce as many as 50,000, giving an idea of how much they are prepared to sacrifice to maintain their high standards. Tasting the 2017, there is only a hint of the heat that severely marked the vintage for many of Soldera’s neighbours. The wine still has the trademark perfumed aromatics of old rose and the sinewy tannins that flex beautifully on the palate. It is easily one of the most elegant wines produced in Montalcino in 2017. The 2017, however, was always going to struggle to live up to its predecessor, the 2016– a vintage that is amongst the very best in the region. Monica noted just how easy 2016 was in terms of the growing season; everything was just right, right up until harvest. The sheer amplitude of aromas is really quite extraordinary, with strawberry fruit, old rose perfume, fiery earthy, irony, ferric tones and a wild floral note. The energy on the palate is wonderful and thick, tender, with almost elastic-like tannins that make the mouth water. The wine has such vibrancy and a really long finish. The 2015 as a vintage sits somewhere between 2016 and 2017 in style. While it was very warm, the vines were less affected and produced wines of great concentration. The wine does not have the aromatic amplitude of the 2016 and is nuttier in its aromas rather than perfumed, but seemingly the signature of Soldera – those tender tannins, like silk, bring so much energy and emotion to the wine. The 2014 is perhaps a surprise highlight of the flight. It was a difficult vintage, with lots of rain. For Monica, it proved very tough and required lots of sorting and fruit selection. In the end they got just 400kg of fruit from one hectare, making just 8,400 bottles. The dried rose, perfumed scent is matched by earthier, ferric tones. I get tomato leaf – which is often considered negative in tasting notes – but here it adds a wild, lifted, herbal tone that brings more complexity to the wine, complementing the sweeter rose notes and savoury, dried-stone aromas. The breadth on the palate is where the magic really is. It stretches right across the palate and brings such effortless depth too. The tannins are still tight but just starting to ease up, and there is so much freshness too. It really is in a wonderful place. A 10-year gap and the 2004 is the wine of the flight. Despite the bottle age, the scented Pinot Noir-esque perfume is still there in abundance, matched again by an earthy ferric richness. The tannins have eased up as you would expect, developing more mid-palate richness, making the wine incredibly juicy. The tannins are still elastic and bring a huge lift to the palate. It is a mesmerising wine. It was a great vintage in Tuscany, albeit with moderate temperatures for Montalcino, and it has matured beautifully. Some argue that Soldera excels in more moderate vintages – something that shines through in the 2004 and 2014.  The 1999 is another great vintage in Brunello and the next wine in the line-up. Distinct tertiary notes are now showing on the wine, with blue cheese, roasted walnut, dried cherry, sage and light herbal tones mingling together. There is still so much vibrancy to the wine. The tannins are not quite as silky as the younger vintages, but the acid is still so striking. It definitely feels like a wine of its age and, despite the minimal approach at Soldera, the framework suggests extraction levels were higher back then, in keeping with the trends of the time. It is a lovely wine, but not as ethereal as others. Finally, the 1996: at 26 years of age still holds on to those wonderful, scented aromatics as exuberant as ever. Again, matched with more tertiary notes, blue cheese along with dried cherry fruit, lots of dry extract, the tannins as structured and sinewy as ever, but still very fresh. It’s an unforgettable flight of some of Montalcino’s top vintages, but it’s Soldera’s ethereality that emerges – with that heady mesmerising scent and tender tannins consistent across the wines. Soldera might thrive in cooler vintages, but the quality of this wine rarely drops below outstanding. Even without Gianfranco at the helm, it’s clear that – under the watchful eye of Monica Soldera, Paolo Franco, and the rest of the Soldera family, not to mention their research team – the estate has a very exciting future ahead. Huge thanks to Zubair at Raeburn Fine Wines for organising the event. Discover the history of Soldera and all current back vintages available

It’s 50 years since Soldera – the iconic Tuscan estate that crafts some of the region’s finest Sangiovese – was established. To mark the occasion, Gavin Smith caught up with Monica Soldera to taste through back vintages and talk about what lies ahead for the remarkable property

Soldera is the iconic Tuscan estate who crafts some of the region’s finest Sangiovese wines. We caught up with Monica Soldera to taste through back-vintages

Soldera: tasting 50 years of a Tuscan wine icon

Defining Soldera: tasting 50 years of a Tuscan icon

For good or for bad, the 2021 was a vigneron’s vintage, a year that required every bit of nous to circumnavigate the many issues that plagued the growing season. With an early budbreak and one of the latest harvests on record, it was a long and exhausting vintage for everyone involved. This was by no means a vintage that made itself – and its success was determined by the actions of man not nature. Whereas normally there tends to be quite a bit of variation between the sub-regions of Bordeaux throughout the growing season, in 2021 things were decisively challenging everywhere. All were initially threatened by frost, followed by mildew pressure, excessive rainfall in June, cool summer temperatures and a general lack of sunshine throughout the spring and summer months – only to be rescued in the final sunny weeks leading up to harvest. Some unlucky enough (mainly around Sauternes) also suffered hail damage prior to harvest. Despite the homogenously bad weather, the varying soils and varieties throughout the region all reacted quite heterogeneously, meaning some suffered more than others. Such were the manhours required in the vineyard in 2021, production and quality were going to be badly affected. Bear in mind this was all still at a time when Covid-19 was still a pressure point for employment, as noted by a number of wineries we visited. The mild and very wet winter brought an early and uneven budbreak, as early as 10th March in Pessac-Léognan and 15th March in Saint-Emilion – which was a full two weeks ahead of normal. This was followed by unseasonably warm weather, Ch. Figeac in Saint Emilion registered 25˚C, resulting in the vines’ quick acceleration of growth. With the vines already so advanced, the threat of spring frosts was all too apparent. Right on cue, temperatures plunged at night.  The 6th, 7th and 8th April saw black frosts cause significant damage across the region. Those worst affected in the classified sites were in Sauternes and Pessac-Léognan – with some châteaux in Sauternes witnessing their entire crop wiped out. The threat of frost was a prolonged agony for many, lasting right up until the 5th May, with temperatures recorded as low as -5˚C. For the Moueix estates in Pomerol, the combination of wind turbines and smudge candles could raise the temperature in the vineyard up by 2˚C – enough to protect the grapes. Other properties without such resources weren’t so lucky. Ch. Margaux's white wine vineyard is famously susceptible to frost. After installing a sprinkler system throughout the whole 8.5 hectares, the system malfunctioned, not working on 1.5 hectares where they lost everything (fortunately the remaining seven escaped harm). The frost damage was far from democratic, with estates within the same appellation seeing widely different levels of damage. As always, the châteaux on the Left Bank closest to the Gironde such as Ch. Léoville Las Cases and Latour came away largely untouched by the frost. Further north in Saint-Éstephe, châteaux such as Calon-Ségur and Montrose were also unaffected – not just due to their close proximity to the river. The cooler clay-rich soils of the appellation mean budburst is always delayed, and with the vines not as advanced, damage was limited. The risk of frost threatened Saint-Emilion for 10 days straight and led to a huge amount of work in the vineyards protecting the vines. The vineyards on the lower plains were worst affected, Croix Canon for instance, while Ch. Canon and neighbouring Ch. Berliquet up on the limestone plateau were spared, due to the vineyards’ fortunate south/south-west exposition – the brow of the hill protecting the vines from the freezing northeasterly winds. Vines basking in the sun at Ch. Latour If there was one moment of calm throughout the 2021 growing season, it came at flowering. Clement, dry weather engendered successful flowering, though rains arrived at fruit-set, leading to coulure for the Merlot. A huge deluge fell in June – as much as three times the month’s average rainfall. The damp, cloudy conditions saw the widespread outbreak of mildew that remained throughout June, July and into August. Bordeaux’s proximity to the Atlantic and the naturally high levels of humidity this brings have always made it susceptible to mildew, but for many vignerons we spoke to, this was the worst outbreak they had ever seen. The poor climatic conditions saw coulure and millerandage (the development of fewer and differently sized berries) badly affecting the Merlot on the Left Bank. This is why you’ll see such high proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blends this year – with Cabernet being much less susceptible to both conditions. Despite the blanket attack of mildew, its effects varied from property to property. Ch. Margaux believed the mildew outbreak was the worst they had ever seen, yet for them, it never reached the grapes, only the canopy – allowing them to protect the fruit from damage. Perhaps their largely Cabernet Sauvignon plots made it easier to protect; Merlot certainly wasn’t so lucky. Further north in Saint-Julien, Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou chose to leave the grass cover throughout the growing season to soak up the humidity and reduce the rain splash which spreads the mildew to the vines. Many sprays later and the yields were still significantly impacted; their Grand Vin is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon (the highest proportion ever) and production is the lowest on record, cropping at 20hl/ha. Ch. Pontet-Canet in Pauillac was devastated by mildew in 2018, losing two thirds of their crop. Despite the bigger outbreak in 2021, production was down only 15% – clearly having learnt how to better cope with the issue. The estate’s Justine Tesseron emphasised that you had to react fast to protect the grapes – you had to get out into the vineyards immediately after each rain episode to stop the spread. It was the year their newly built “tisanerie” came to the rescue, making them much more efficient in preparing their biodynamic sprays and reducing the overall impact. Many estates including Ch. Cos d’Estournel and Calon-Ségur carried out early de-leafing to reduce the impact of the disease. It was a huge risk. If the climate switched to more intense sunshine, the crop would have suffered significant sunburn. But the intensity of the sun, fortunately for them, was never that strong. With such high levels of rainfall in the summer months, the vignerons faced their next issue – a slow and uneven véraison. That moment where the energy of the vine switches from producing its canopy to ripening the grape is set off by a period of hydric stress – something which was not forthcoming in 2021. An event that typically takes place over two weeks was spread over four. The high rainfall also meant bigger berries and dilution was a concern, particularly as they edged towards harvest, worried the skins could burst and rot would set in. Fortunately, things finally started to dry up in August and, while temperatures remained mild, the grapes pushed through véraison. The September weather finally brought some hope for the vintage and, according to many vignerons, was their saviour. Sunny days and cool nights were ideal for grapes to concentrate, retaining freshness, while producing the beguiling aromatics that are so distinct in the 2021 wines. There was a little more rain in mid-September, most notably in the Médoc, which brought concern over rot, but any significant damage was held off by a dry and sunny October. Smudge pots or "bougies" between the vines, on hand to offer protection against frost The northern appellation of Saint-Estèphe was noticeably drier than appellations to its south, with hydric stress starting in July and “perfect weather” followed in August according to Ch. Montrose’s Lorraine Watrin. She compared the growing season to 2014, which was particularly successful in the appellation. By the end of September, throughout the regions, most of the Merlot was picked. Of course, the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes, capable of growing in much cooler, wetter conditions, were much less affected by all of Mother Nature’s shenanigans. For the estates that avoided the frost, the whites reached good volumes and the fresh temperatures of the growing season proved ideal for the varieties. The whites were largely picked in the first two weeks of September and the top examples proved exceptional. For the reds, Mother Nature had one more card to play. Weather forecasts for the first weekend in October predicted heavy storms and more rainfall. With the large berries close to ripeness, a heavy storm could decimate the later-ripening Cabernets and would prove catastrophic for many on both the Left and Right Bank who rely on large proportions of Cabernet in their wines. With little choice, most ran the risk, and held out picking until the storms passed. Thankfully Mother Nature’s trump card was never played. Amazingly, the forecasters got it wrong, and the storms never came. Finally, the Cabernet was picked under sunny skies. Many châteaux such as Calon-Ségur held out as long as possible and were harvesting right up until 13th October – their latest harvest since 2012. What is extraordinary about the 2021 vintage is the complete inverse effects of the previous three years. Three vintages of relative drought, plagued with concerns over rising sugar/ alcohol levels, vines blocked from maturation due to hydric stress, and a genuine concern that the wines would lack full phenolic maturity, due to the compacted ripening season. Every one of these concerns was turned on its head in 2021, producing wines that are the opposite of the 2018, 2019 and 2020s. This unique season has put technology advances in Bordeaux to the test – from weather stations, UV boosting to state-of-the-art machinery – and at its best, they’ve defied the odds. A couple of decades ago, a growing season like 2021 would have produced very little wine at all, but today the Bordelais have proven that man can – at least for now – manage almost everything Mother Nature throws at them. And, most importantly, still produce wines of striking finesse and aromatic charm. Read more Editorial 

Man versus Mother Nature: The 2021 growing season in Bordeaux was in complete contrast to the previous three vintages. Gavin Smith runs through the key moments that shaped this unique year

Everything you need to know about the 2021 growing season in Bordeaux, how the best chateaux managed it – and how it impacted the style of the wines produced

Ch. Gazin

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