Goes out to nearly 20.000 Bordeaux Wine Lovers all over the world!
|
|
Ronald becoming am member of the Pomerol Wine Brotherhood
|
|
|
A Personal Note From Ronald,
|
|
|
|
I tend to focus on Classified Growths in this Magazine but there is an appellation that is renowned all over the world without any classification at all: Pomerol is a small but famous appellation on the Bordeaux Right Bank.
Pomerol is represented by its wine brotherhood: “Les Hospitaliers de Pomerol” with a tradition that goes back for 7 centuries. And it was this brotherhood that bestowed a very special honor on me. And I will tell you all about this and I will even show you a video of the event.
Of course I will tell you all about the superb wines we tasted there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wine archeology in Bordeaux
Some things can only happen in France and specifically in Bordeaux. A dear friend of mine presented me with a very special bottle. But there is more: the story of how he came by this bottle is incredible and I must share with you because I feel that it is quite extraordinary.
|
|
|
|
|
Have a great Holiday season
Thanks for the feedback on my previous issue %%First name%%, I am still open for other questions and more suggestions. You can like always reach me by email and simply reply to this magazine. I love to hear from you.
|
|
Ronald and Margaret love to share
their passion for Bordeaux with you
|
|
|
And please remember: Don’t drink anything I wouldn’t drink!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ronald a member of the Hospitaliers of Pomerol
|
|
17th Century Chateau De Sales, the perfect backdrop for Ronald’s intronization
|
|
|
|
|
|
Small, but beautiful
The wine-growing commune of Pomerol lies on the Bordeaux Right Bank, just next to Saint Emilion. The main grape varieties Merlot and Cabernet Franc thrive on the cool clay soils of Pomerol. The size of the village of Pomerol -that gives the name to this appellation- is in line with the size of the appellation. Pomerol is one of Bordeaux’s smallest appellations. The village Pomerol consists of a church and a few houses, and you really have to pay attention driving past, because it is easily missed.
The Pomerol appellation with just 800 ha is the smallest of the major fine wine regions in Bordeaux, covering an area that is roughly three kilometers wide by 4 kilometers long. It is about one-seventh of the size of its much larger Right Bank neighbor Saint-Emilion and is slightly smaller than the smallest Left Bank AOC of Saint-Julien.
There are about 150 owners active in producing these seducing wines.
|
|
|
Chateau de Sales, one of the
larger properties in Pomerol
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ronald looking great in Red
|
|
|
The Hospitaliers of Pomerol
The Bordeaux wine brotherhoods play a very important role in the Bordeaux wine world and Pomerol is no exception. The wine brotherhood rekindles the memory of one of its legendary hospices built during the Twelfth Century by the powerful Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, today known as the Order of Malta.
These hospices were built along the main medieval pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela, to receive a huge number of Christian pilgrims in the distant past. Medieval archives show that Pomerol’s hospice were renowned for: “the warmth of its welcome as well as for the quality and virtues of its wine, considered invigorating and therapeutic.”
Maltese cross
Those of you who have toured with me will remember the Maltese cross on the label of Chateau Gazin. Chateau Gazin has been in the Bailliencourt family for over a century and is currently run and owned by the fifth generation. The chateau is maybe not as well known as its famous neighbor Petrus but their wines are excellent. At some points in their vineyards there is one row of vines that is Gazin and the next row belongs to Petrus. And the Maltese cross figures prominently on the label.
|
|
|
|
In Pomerol you can still see the ancient rocks that in the past served as boundary stones for the domain belonging to the Hospitallers’ Commandery. A Maltese cross was sculpted on all of these boundary stones.
It is in this memory that the Pomerol Hospitallers today wear their red robes with a large Maltese cross, with a scallop-shell (symbol of the Apostle James the Greater) at the intersection of the points of the cross.
The Knights of Malta used to take care of pilgrims and protected holy places. The Hospitallers these days continue the tradition of welcome in Pomerol and uphold the banner of the Pomerol Appellation throughout the world. And I was to be admitted to their ranks.
Recognition
For me this was recognition for the many years of my involvement in the Bordeaux wine world. This recognition came not just for almost 15 years of conducting high-end wine experiences to the region that is so dear to me, but also for my activities as a wine writer and journalist. I have written many articles on the great wines of Bordeaux that have been published in magazines all over the world.
And as editor of this Bordeaux Wine Magazine I had the pleasure of seeing this publication grow from a simple newsletter with 350 subscribers into a full magazine with today almost 20.000 subscribers. Since it’s founding in January 2006, this magazine has remained true to its original mission: to educate and entertain readers about Bordeaux in the most accessible and user-friendly way.
|
|
|
New membership, a pretty girl and Petrus;
what more can a guy want?
|
|
|
|
Click on this picture for a short video of Ronald’s intronization
|
|
 Ronald with his friend Nicolas de Bailliencourt, here in his role as Regent of the Hospitaliers of Pomerol |
|
Ceremony
The intronization ceremony was held in the courtyard of medieval Chateau de Sales. This chateau is the largest estate in the Pomerol appellation and has been owned by the same family for more than five hundred years. After a speech by Nicolas de Bailliencourt, co-owner of Chateau Gazin and Regent of the Hospitaliers de Pomerol, I took an oath on a glass of Pomerol. And while Margaret was sipping her first glass of Champagne I was invited to sign the official register. After that I received the beautiful framed plaque and a sash to be worn on official Pomerol-related events. By clicking on the picture of the video you can get an impression of the ceremony.
.
Or you can click here to watch the video.
|
|
|
|
Fireworks
No celebration in France can take place without a meal. And what a meal it was! Michelin three star chef Hélène Darroze created an original and daring tasting menu of naturally accompanied by a selection of the best Pomerol wines.
Organized by the vintage, we took a trip through time starting in 2012. (See picture with the full list).
Highlights form the outstanding vintages 2010 and 2009 were Chateau Clinet 2010 and Chateau Gazin 2009.
Then followed the superb 2005.
Highlights were the Vieux Chateau Certan 2005 and the absolute winner of the night: Chateau Trotanoy 2005! The fireworks came with the Petrus 2003. We were served two older vintages: 1998 was represented by Certan and Du Tailhas.
From 1990 we tasted the wine of our host: Chateau De Sales 1990.
The fireworks continued outside with a spectacular ballet and fireworks incorporating the lake behind the chateau. After that Margaret and I danced the night away at the after-party.
A memorable night!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great wines from a great appellation
|
|
The venue was as extraordinary as the wines
|
|
|
|
|
Wine archeology in Bordeaux, an extraordinary find
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An extraordinary find
“Ronald I have a very special bottle for you, but it comes with a story.”
These were the words of my dear friend Bence Nieland when he came to congratulate me with my birthday some time ago. Bence works in the wine trade and lives in Bordeaux. This is his story.
You should know that Bence lives in the center of Bordeaux in the much sought after area near the Jardin Public, the city park. Here you can find those beautiful 18th Century mansions were in days gone by the Bordeaux wine traders used to live. The house where Bence lives belongs to a typical Bordeaux lady, who is now well into her nineties. Madame Soubes still likes to tell the stories about the times when she would live in the entire house together with her family served on by household staff of over 15 people. Not quite Downton Abby, but still pretty impressive. Life apparently had been hard on her because she and her husband now only occupy a part of the first floor of the house. The rest is divided into several apartments
|
|
|
Bence in his wine cellar, showing Ronald his prize bottle
|
|
|
|
The door that was hiding the treasures
|
|
|
Dutch as the windmills
As my friend is as Dutch as I am, he of course has a bicycle. And the problem in any major city is that bicycles tend to get stolen and Bordeaux alas, is no exception. When his landlady learned about his stolen bicycle she offered the use of an unused space to store his new bicycle. The only downside was that the space was not completely unused: it turned out to be full of junk and Bence was asked to empty the room as a counter favor. One fine Saturday Bence started clearing away this junk and to his surprise stumbled upon cases of wine. And not just any wine: The first of the treasures to show up was a case of Magnums of La Conseillante, a famous Pomerol. And many more great wines were to follow. This mother-load had survived many years, as the landlady doesn’t drink any wine, only some Martini and even that in moderation. All this wine had to be carried to the vaulted wine cellar underneath the building.
In the rear of the storage area was some junk that needed to be shoveled into garbage bags.
|
|
|
|
Something solid
While shoveling Bence stumbled on something solid and this turned out to be more wine bottles. The cases simply had turned into compost over the years and all labels were gone. Confronted by this find, Madame Soubes went down memory lane and started telling Bence about how her family used to own a wine chateau near Gradignan, Chateau Saint-Géry, Graves Premier Crus at it was called back then. This area we now call Pessac-Léognan. The government had disowned this property due to a housing development in 1963 or 1964. Some wine from the family property apparently escaped the sale and ended up in this storage area to be discovered by Bence some 53 years later. It must have been one of the last vintages produced before the sale, so maybe a 1961 or 1962. Bence received three bottles for his troubles and tasted one with a wine lover friend. The labels were gone of course but on the cork it showed the vintage: 1962.
Madame Soubes still had kept an old label, which Bence used to create a new label for his bottles. From the remaining two, Bence very kindly offered me one as a present on my birthday and I look forward to tasting this bottle one day, of course in the company of my trusted friend. I am sure we will raise our glass to his Martini-drinking landlady…
|
|
|
|
Chateau Coulon Laurensac, without a doubt the best place in the world to taste all five First Growths and Yquem…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Bordeaux Wine Experience
at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France
Website : www.BXWINEX.com
|
|
|
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!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
