Goes out to nearly 20.000 Bordeaux Wine Lovers all over the world!
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Ronald at work, tasting the Bordeaux 2015 for you
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A Personal Note From Ronald,
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The vintage 2015 is worth its Bordeaux Vintage Special because the quality is very good and sometimes even outstanding. I tasted all wines on futures at the chateaux and it is my humble opinion you will be reading here. People often ask me to compare this vintage with the 2009 or 2010. I will share my feelings about this question in this Magazine. But, spoiler alert, in my opinion, the Right Bank (Saint Emilion and Pomerol) outperformed as did the Margaux appellation on the Left Bank. In general, the wines of this vintage in Bordeaux can be extraordinary but -be careful- not all are on the same level.
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Bordeaux Wine Tours for Bordeaux Wine Lovers
Granted, there are a lot of suits and ties in this issue but you won’t see them on our tours. Our Bordeaux Wine Tours are best described in the words of one of our guests: “casual elegance”. In other words: An extraordinary food and wine experience presented in a relaxed and fun environment. Releasing our 2017 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule created a bit of a buzz and two of our tours are almost sold out. I recommend booking early so you’ll be sure to be able to participate on the tour of your choice. Please click here to see our 2017 program.
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Most of you loved it, nobody hated it
I asked you for feedback and suggestions. I received much positive feedback and nobody seemed to hate my Magazine and that gives me courage to continue what I am doing. Having said that, I am open to comments and/or suggestions. Just shoot me an email:(Ronald@BXWINEX.com) or simply reply to this magazine. I love to hear what you think, thanks.
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Ronald and Margaret,
your hosts in Bordeaux
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And please remember: Don’t drink anything I wouldn’t drink!
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The Bordeaux Vintage 2015
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Ronald and Margaret tasting the Haut Brion 2015
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The Bordeaux Vintage 2015
Another 5 vintage, and I’m not talking about 5 stars, although that could apply as well. Since 1945 most of the vintages ending in 5 were excellent with the exception of 1965. The vintage 2015 will find its rightful place in the line up of great vintages. Dry and sunny weather in the spring made for flowering conditions that were excellent.
2015 in general was a dry year with a rainy period in the two first weeks of August. September brought drought with very warm days and cool nights. This guaranteed a good balance in sugar and acidity and helped to render the tannins more silky and the aromatic potential more complex.
The harvest conditions resembled the vintages 2005, 2009 and 2010 because of these weather conditions.
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The Margaux wines were exceptional this year
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Ronald enjoying a 6 liter bottle of Le Croix de Beaucaillou
at one of the many “En Primeur” receptions
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Peter or George
Comparing vintages is often the basis for an interesting discussion. Each and every year people want to know if this is another 2009 or 2010. In reality it is like describing your children. When you are founding a family you’ll see resemblances and differences between your kids. One may be more intellectual where another is more into the arts. Both will be interesting and it is impossible to choose between Peter and George (or whatever the names of your children are).
One winemaker said to me during the futures tastings: “My answer to the question of similar vintages annoys me a bit. This question always makes me want to compare the recent vintage with a vintage from the nineteen forties. So no one will have a reference.”
To me each new vintage is a bit like a new child. You will see similarities with the other children but this child will have its own character. And that is how it should be I feel.
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Points, Parker and Ping Pong
How important are the points? Of course ratings and tasting notes serve a purpose. You haven’t tasted the wines where as we tasters have. This year is special in that sense that it will be the first time in over 30 years that the American wine guru Robert Parker won’t be there to guide us. And now with Robert Parker out of the game, everything will change.
Rating is an emotional and personal experience. The result is an absolute number that seems to create its own truth. What’s the difference between a wine rated 93 point or 95 points? Or even worse, around the 90-point limit, let’s say between 89 points and 91 points? The difference is “just” two points but it can make or break the image of a wine or a vintage. As the owner of a Classified Growth told me: “A point more or less may cost me between four to eight euro per bottle.” If you produce 200.000 bottles, this ads up.
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Guideline
For me ratings are more a guideline because personal preferences come into play. My advice: find a wine critic that represents your palate, and don’t get hung up on numbers. This isn’t an exact science and it was never meant to be. I personally feel that Parker would be the first to admit this.
But you guys all want points so here we go. My ratings are on the French 20 point scale. And remember the old saying: points are for Ping-Pong, wine is for pleasure.
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2015 First Growths, my judgment
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From left to right: Philippe Dhalluin, the director of Mouton, Julien de Rothschild and Ronald and Margaret
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Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2015
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Eric Kohler, Lafite Rothschild’s new technical director told me that in his personal opinion the Right Bank is very expressive and the Left Bank is more classic and elegant. When I asked him about possible changes compared to his predecessor he answered smiling modestly: “My first challenge is to be as good as the previous director Charles Chevalier. It is difficult to improve when the quality is this high. I have worked here for more than 20 years and it was Chevalier who recommended me for the job.”
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Ronald tasting the Lafite2015 with Eric Kohler,
Lafite Rothschild’s new technical director
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Carruades de Lafite (18 points)
Remarkably close to the Lafite in style. Beautiful brilliant color. Rather discreet nose with some subtle and delicate fruit tones. Good balance and a more than decent length. This is a wine you want to drink already. Very approachable. Well made.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild (19,5 points)
The color is even more intense than the Caruades, but just slightly. A classy, complex nose that keeps showing more aromas. Exemplary balance and perfectly ripe and elegant tannins. Way more approachable than the 2015 was on futures . I just love the tannins here. A great and elegant Lafite
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I really enjoyed my discussion with Pierre Henri Chabot, the Maître de Chai of Château Latour when tasting the futures with him. As you probably know, the wines of Latour can age “forever.” We discussed the incredible collection of old vintages in the cellars of Latour. The oldest vintage in the cellar is the 1863 and Pierre Henri is one of the few people on earth who tasted this wine. Remember, this is a wine from before the phylloxera! He told me that the color was like the Latour 2000 is today and it tasted like a real Latour with the typical structure of this extraordinary First Growth.
Today the chateau goes back to ways of working from years gone by. They reduced the use of tractors by 40% by working with horses. Maybe that’s why the 2015 tasted so well…
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Ronald with with Pierre Henri Chabot, the Maître de Chai of Château Latour
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Pauillac de Latour (16 points)
A deeper color than we have seen the previous years. Decent fresh nose. Pleasant crisp and succulent fruit and already drinking nicely.
Les Forts de Latour (17.5 points)
A deep dense purple color, way darker than the Pauillac. Beautiful expressive nose with loads and loads of fruit. Nice freshness and a good structure. A well made Les Forts.
Chateau Latour, Grand Vin (19,5 points)
A deeper but more ruby color than the Les Forts. Lovely ripe fruit on the nose. Loads of elegant and elegant and ripe tannins and an exemplary length. A splendid balance and freshness and great structure to support this great wine. With an decent alcohol percentage of 13% we’re back to classic Bordeaux.
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Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2015
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Philippe Dhalluin, the director of Mouton was radiating when he told me how very happy he was with the 2015 vintage. It was the first great vintage made in the new chai at Mouton. Dhalluin feels that influence of the new chai maybe impacted the Petit Mouton even more than the Grand Vin. Dhalluin emphasizes that “the 2015 is the complete opposite of the 2013” (the first vintage in the new chai). He simply glows when he tells me about the famous transparent staves in each of the vats at Mouton. “We just start discovering the advantages of seeing what is happening inside the vats. Especially the ratio between the marc (the solids) and the juice. If there is more matter in the vats, we may have to extract less. Anyhow, I taste each cuve personally every day.”
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Ronalddiscussing the 2015 with Mouton Rothschild’s
Philippe Dhalluin
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Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild
(18,5 points)
Medium dense color. Typical “Mouton style” on the nose. Good ripe fruit and a remarkable freshness and decent length. Good structure and good ripe tannins. Is it the vintage or the new cellar? This Petit Mouton is claiming its rightful place amongst the better second wines of the First Growths.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild
(19,5 points)
Clear purple ruby color. Beautiful complex nose that takes a while to open. Hints of mocha and coffee. Good freshness combined with an extraordinary length and precision of the fruit. Loads of red and black fruit. Elegant silky tannins. A superb combination of power and elegance.
Aile d’Argent,
The white wine of Chateau Mouton Rothschild
(18.5 points)
A delicate straw yellow color. A spectacular expressive nose with loads of aromas like pineapple, tropical fruit and citrus fruit. Almost a whiff of sweetness on the nose. Freshness, structure combined with elegance. I wanted to drink this wine now instead of waiting for it. Very long.
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Margaret with Camille de Rothschild
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Pavillion Rouge de Chateau Margaux
(18+ points)
The first time with a cabernet sauvignon at 13,5% alcohol content (usually much lower). 78% cabernet sauvignon in the blend. Deep color and great fruit and freshness on the nose. Great precision and structure. Well made. The winemaker feels that this is the best Pavilion Rouge they have ever made.
Pavillion Blanc
(19 points)
This white wine of Chateau Margaux is, as always, made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
A subtle golden yellow color. A superb and expressive (white flower) nose with strong citrus fruit (grapefruit). Fat and round in the mouth and very long indeed. Almost a hint of sweetness. Superb ripe flavors with layers and layers of complexity.
Chateau Margaux, Grand Vin
(19,5 points)
Beautiful deep and clear purple ruby color. Exemplary expression of the fruit on the nose. A ripe and silky structure. More freshness than in the 2005. Elegant tannins that will prove to be the backbone for enjoying this great wine for decades to come.
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Ronald with Corinne Mentzelopoulos, the owner of
Chateau Margaux
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Other Pauillac, Saint Estephe, Margaux and Saint Julien wines
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Other remakable Pauillac, Saint Estephe, Margaux and Saint Julien wines were:
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Pontet Canet |
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Palmer |
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Cos d’Estournel |
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Ducru Beaucaillou |
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Pichon Baron |
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Pichon Comtesse |
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Prieuré-Lichine |
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Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion
(Second wine of La Mission Haut Brion)
(18 points)
Medium deep color, more towards red than purple. A bit closed on the nose at first but opens up in a more than lovely way. Good freshness without any unpleasant acidity. A pleasing wine that is more on the elegance than on the power. Decent length
La Mission Haut Brion
(19+ points)
A deep ruby red color with hints of purple. A subtle and discreet nose with hints of fresh fruit. Took a while to open up in the glass. Typical freshness of the vintage. Elegant tannic structure and great length. More open and accessible than the Haut Brion like always. Alcohol is at 15,1%, which scared me a bit, but thanks to the acidity there is balance and the wine is not dominated by the alcohol. La Mission is always a bit higher in alcohol than the Haut Brion because of the denser plantation of the vines. This is a wine that will age perfectly well.
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Le Clarence de Haut Brion (Second wine of Haut Brion) (18 points)
Less expressive than the Chapelle. Opens up after a while. More freshness than the Chapelle and a more powerful tannic structure. Well made.
Chateau Haut Brion (19.5+ points)
The color is a bit more concentrated than the Mission. A classy expression of black fruits on the nose. Great complexity! More open than in the precious vintages. An elegant and classy Haut Brion with loads of fruit, coffee, tobacco and spice. A silky tannic structure and an exemplary length. More elegant and open than the famous 2005 and a less dominant tannic structure than in the 05 and 2010. Not dominated by the alcohol of 14.9%. Definitely one of my winners of the vintage.
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Chateau Haut Brion 2015 (white wines)
La Clarté de Haut Brion
(17.5 points)
Serves as the second wines of both Haut Brion Blanc and La Mission Haut Brion Blanc
Light yellow color with some slight hints of green. Incredibly expressive nose that seems to jump out of the glass: Tropical fruit, almost citrusy. Very nice indeed. A whiff of sweetness. Lacks the complexity of the first wines.
La Mission Haut Brion Blanc
(19 points)
This wine used to be called Laville Haut Brion. Since 2009 it is labeled La Mission Haut Brion Blanc.
Slightly lighter in color than the Haut Brion. Some delicate (buttery) notes on the rather closed nose. Beautiful roundness with loads of different aromas. Great complexity. Great length, this simply is a lovely wine.
Haut Brion Blanc
(19,5 points)
Almost sparkling golden color. Less citrus fruit than La Mission. Elegant and some restraint power combined with an incredible length. Although you simply want to drink this wine already it will age perfectly well. What stays with you is the purity of the fruit.
A truly great Haut Brion white. Again, my white wine of the vintage. Very well done!
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Other Pessac-Léognan wines
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Other remakable Pessac-Léognan wines were:
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Haut Bailly (red) |
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Pape Clement (red and white) |
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Malartic-Lagravière (white) |
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2015 Right Bank: First Growths A
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Ronald tasting yet another great Ausone with Alain Vauthier and his daughter Pauline
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Chapelle d’Ausone
(18 points)
A deep concentrated color. Rather closed on the nose. Good complexity with some nice fruit tones. An elegant and seductive second wine. Decent length.
Chateau Ausone
(19,5 points)
An intense purple/red color. 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. Delightful expressive nose with red and black fruit (cassis). Silky texture so typical for Ausone in great vintages. Tasting this wine is an experience in itself. Incredible complexity with licorice, fruit combined with elegant and perfectly ripe tannins. Incredible length; this wine goes on and on and on. I look forward to tasting this wine in 5-10 years.
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Chateau Cheval Blanc 2015
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My fellow Dutchman Kees van Leeuwen, professor of viticulture at the Bordeaux University and consultant to Château Cheval Blanc, told me “It was not a difficult vintage to make. The only thing is that we took our time for the harvest as a result of the three different soil types we have here at Cheval Blanc. But we have over 40 reliable and flexible pickers for the harvest, mostly women and they did a great job.”
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Le Petit Cheval
Cheval Blanc was so happy with the quality of the harvest that they decided -for the first time since 1988- not to make a second wine. So no Petit Cheval in this vintage.
Chateau Cheval Blanc (19,5+ points)
An intense but brilliant color. Discreet but pleasingly fresh and complex nose. Beautiful velvety texture, perfect ripeness and incredibly complex. Impeccable precision in the fruit. Incredible length, this wine goes on and on. A truly classy Cheval Blanc. One of my preferred wines in this vintage.
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When I asked Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, the co-owner and wine maker at Angélus about the vintage, he too was modest: ” I can’t say that it was a hard vintage to make. It was important to follow nature and we see less influence by men in 2015. I wanted to maintain the freshness.”
Hubert had his own way to tell me to which the 2015 can be compared. Always the diplomat, he told me his “2015 has the elegance of the ’98, the silkiness and the freshness of the 2001 and the fruit of the 2005…”
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Carillon d’Angélus (17,5+ points)
Medium intense color. Interesting complexity on the nose. Good freshness and structure. Fruit and pleasure are the keywords here. Mid term drinking. This wine is becoming more and more an excellent and attractive second wine.
Chateau Angélus (19,5+ points)
Deep, dense and brilliantly red and purple color. Powerful expressive nose with a classy expression of pure black fruit. You can feel the ripeness on the nose. A creamy velvety texture and a lovely freshness. A ripe and elegant tannic structure that guarantees a long future. Lovely freshness. The tannins dominate a bit in this stage but they are smooth and elegant and not aggressive at all. I already wanted to drink this wine and I must admit that this was one of the few samples I swallowed. Hubert de Boüard proves again to be worthy of his “A” status. Angelus is yet again one of my favorites this vintage.
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Chateau Pavie
(18+ points)
In the style of Pavie for the last few years an incredibly intense deep color, almost black. Discreet but complex nose with some dark fruit and spices. This is not a wine for little girls! A modern, almost New World style of winemaking. Sample strongly influenced by the barrels. Good decent length.
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Other Saint Emilion wines
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Other remakable Saint Emilion wines were:
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Troplong Mondot |
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Clos Fourtet |
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Canon La Gaffelière |
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Chateau Yquem (19.5+ or 20- points)
A delightful golden color, significantly more color than we have seen the last 5 years. An incredible expressive nose with tropical fruit like papaya, pineapple, mango, apricot and some peach. The sweetness is there, but doesn’t dominate at all. The sugar content of 144g/l is balanced perfectly by the acidity. The style is without a doubt modern, not opulent but pure and long. Lovely botrytis notes. This is not a blockbuster like the 2001 or 2009 but a classic Yquem approaching perfection in this vintage.
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La Conseillante
(18,5 points)
Always a well made wine from an excellent terroir and the new winemaker respected these elements.
I tasted the 2015 before a line-up from several other vintages and it was interesting to compare the evolution.
The 2015 has an incredibly expressive and fragrant nose. Strong tannic structure without any aggressiveness. Good length. Needs more time in the barrel
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Vieux Chateau Certan
(19,5+ or 20- points)
Brilliant shiny color. Crisp fresh red fruit on the nose. Elegance and structure combined. I loved the freshness. Soft and smooth on the palate. Is it silk or cashmere? Great complexity thanks to the higher proportion of Cabernet Franc compared to the 2010. Again one of the few wines I swallowed. A great VCC.
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Tasting Vieux Chateau Certan with the ever modest Alexandre Thienpont (L) and his son
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Remakable Pomerol wines were:
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Vieux Chateau Certan |
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La Conseillante |
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Gazin |
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Beauregard |
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Chateau Coulon Laurensac, without a doubt the best place in the world to taste all five First Growths and Yquem…
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The Bordeaux Wine Experience
at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France
Website : www.BXWINEX.com
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Call us:
1-877-203-2665 (toll free from USA & Canada) or
+33 556 20 64 12 (from anywhere else in the world)
(These lines go directly to our Chateau in Bordeaux so please remember that we’re on Paris time!)
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Copyright © 2016 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this Magazine are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.
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