Bordeaux-Undiscovered has teamed up with

The case consists of 4 smooth Clarets from the celebrated 2009 vintage which are ripe and ready for drinking now, or can be laid down in your wine rack for up to four years. Produced from small family estates in and around the Bordeaux region, these wines will match with all your favourite winter recipes. If you want the finest bubbles for a special Valentine’s Day dinner, the 2 Sparkling Wines in your case are crafted from grape varieties from south west France including Chardonnay, Folle Blanche, Tempranillo, Ugni Blanc and Chenin.

The case contains:

Chateau de Hartes 2009

45% Cabernet Franc 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot abv 13%

This wine hails from the Entre Deux Mers and has been in the same family since 1928, currently run by the Great Grand Daughter of the original family owner. Good dark crimson colour which comes with complex aromas with a good body, plenty of fruit and well balanced tannins. Will compliment roast meats, stews, casseroles, grilled meats and cheeses well.

Chateau Blouin 2009

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc abv 12.5%

The Chateau is set overlooking the Dordogne river near Libourne on the Right Bank. It has been with the current family for 5 years. Using traditional methods they produce a very nice wine which is ruby-red in colour and boasts pleasant aromas of spicy red fruits. Supple in structure on the palate with hints of red fruits, velvety tannins and a good finish. Will compliment most meat dishes particularly lamb.

Chateau Grand Rousseau 2009

40% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc abv 13.5%

The Chateau has been in the hands of the same family since 1840 and is situated in the Entre Deux Mers. This wine is a charming deep ruby coloured claret which is round, smooth, well balanced with integrated tannins and a classical bouquet. It has subtle red fruits with notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, tobacco, violets and vanilla. A good compliment for stews, casseroles, grill and roasted meats.

Chateau des Trois Tours 2009

50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc abv 13.5%

Located in the Entre Deux Mers region and situated on the Dordogne. This wine has good ageing qualities and can be drunk young. It has an intense bouquet of red fruits and a fine liquorice finish. Deep red colour with just the right balance of tannins, very pleasing on the palate and a good long finish. Ideal with game, feathered game, beef dishes and hard cheeses.

Prince De Lourme Brut Blanc de Blancs French Sparkling Wine

This Brut Sparkling wine comes with an abv of 11%. It has been crafted with noble white grape varieties: Chardonnay, Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc and Chenin Blanc, grown in the South West of France. An ideal compliment with Asian dishes and seafood or simply as an aperitif. A delicate sparkling wine with long lasting bubbles it boasts a beautiful pale yellow colour. It is fresh on the palate and reveals floral touches of surprising finesse.

Comte de Laube Rose Brut

This Sparkling Brut Rose comes with an abv of 11.50%. Produced from a variety of grapes including Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Ugni Blanc and Tempranillo. Produced in the South of France this wine boasts a good fruity elegant Sparkling wine with hints of redcurrants which lies softly in the mouth with a cascade of bubbles. It is at home with a selection of Asian dishes, hams, cold meats or simply as an aperitif.

Happy Drinking!

Having recently written about the

The Press Association is reporting that Customs officials have no idea how much wine fraud costs the taxpayer each year and are not doing enough to put booze scam criminals behind bars, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The latest estimates from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) saw the loss to the taxpayer from evasion of duty on spirits and beer soar more than 40% to £1.2 billion in 2009/10.

However, that figure excludes wine sales – despite fears that the market is being targeted by fraudsters because of a successful crackdown on stronger alcohol.

The NAO welcomed “significant” improvements to HMRC’s anti-evasion efforts after it was strongly criticised in the past and noted some “early notable successes”. But it found “no evidence” that the strategy had succeeded in stopping beer being sent abroad for export, but then diverted back to the UK, and called for action to quantify wine-based losses.

Officials were still unable to download information from a European Union database of food movements that would help track illicit shipments, the NAO said. It also complained that HMRC had “no explicit objective” of pursuing more criminals through the courts – with only six or fewer convictions secured in each of the four years to 2009/10.

Gangs have taken advantage of the single market by shipping British-brewed drinks to France and other countries with lower duty levels but then illicitly bringing them back for the UK market.

The public spending watchdog’s head Amyas Morse said:

“While the renewed strategy to deal with this is more comprehensive than what went before, and the department has had some early notable successes, it needs to do better in a number of areas.

“This includes establishing reliable estimates of the tax gaps for beer and wine, and achieving tangible success in tackling the illicit diversion of duty-unpaid alcohol back into the UK market.”

An HMRC spokesman said:

“It is the impact of the criminal investigations on the organised criminality driving the fraudulent market that is important, not any specific number of cases.

“NAO have accepted that the prosecutions mounted in this period were successful in bringing fraudsters to justice. HMRC continues to develop enhanced approaches to maximise the impact of the criminal investigations carried out.”

]]> http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/uk-tax-loss-on-wine-fraud-is-unknown/feed/ 0 http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/burgundy-bids-for-unesco-cultural-landscape-status/ http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/burgundy-bids-for-unesco-cultural-landscape-status/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:45:42 +0000 Nick http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/?p=2908 Continue reading →]]> Burgundy wine makers are hoping to be added to the UN’s World Heritage status in July of 2013.  Champagne also made a bid in the category.  Both wine regions have applied previously but France’s Culture Ministry decided to back Burgundy’s bid last weekend.

Burgundy’s application is to list the ‘Climats’ of the Cote d’Or as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape – a cultural landscape is defined by UNESCO as ‘combined works of nature and humankind, that express a long and intimate relationship between peoples and their natural environment’.

Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne explain the term ‘Climat’ as:

“Unique to Burgundy and is used to designate the terroir.  The climats are precisely-defined plots of vines, which have been known under the same name for several centuries.  The precise location, soil, sub-soil, exposure, micro-climate and, in particular, the history of the climats within the vineyard form the specific nature and unique personality of a terroir, of a wine, and of their natural and cultural identity. The Burgundy Côte has constantly upheld the identity of its climats, over some two thousand years. It is these climats which have shaped the landscapes and village and urban communities.”

Burgundy’s Unesco application is limited to the Cote d’Or, the 60 km stretch from Dijon to Santenay, which covers the 1247 climats in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. This is among the world’s most celebrated vineland, from Gevrey-Chambertin to Montrachet via Vosnee Romanee, Pommard and Volnay.

The Burgundy regional council, the Côte-d’Or general council, the towns of Dijon, Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin, all of the communes and the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB), as well as all those for whom Burgundy wine and its broad culture hold a special place, are involved.

It is hoped that heritage status will boost Burgundy’s wine tourism and the region earmarked an annual budget of 400,000 euros to back its bid.  The city of Bordeaux was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007 and has over 347 historic monuments in a protected area of 150 hectares, as well as 3 churches (Saint-André, Saint-Michel, and Saint-Seurin) that were already listed as World Heritage sites on the pilgrim road to Santiago de Compostela.

Great Wine Capitals released a market survey on wine tourism 2010/11 and interestingly Bordeaux and Bilbao-Rioja registered the highest average revenue related to wine tourism activities. The city of Bordeaux attracts 3 million visitors a year.

Saint Emilion was listed as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site in 1999 and is  the oldest wine area of the Bordeaux region.  Named for the Breton monk Emilian, a travelling confessor, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock there in the 8th century (which you can still visit) Saint Emilion’s wine history stretches back much further to Roman times.  Over a million visitors a year come to Saint Emilion.

Should Burgundy win its UNESCO status it will be interesting to see if its tourism gets a well deserved boost.

You’d be surprised how many of my customers ask for wines that are not above 13%. I can well understand why as higher alcohol wines tend to fight with food. A wine with lower alcohol levels tastes fruitier and it brings out the flavours of many a dish. What’s more you can enjoy more than a glass without feeling heady. I find that drinking high alcohol wines is like drinking spirits: they numb the mouth and close the taste buds down – would you drink scotch with your roast sirloin of beef?

In years past it was common to have wines are 12% but warmer seasons, changing styles and better wine making techniques have led to the rise of alcohol levels. Red wines in particular seem to be difficult to find under 13%.

Sun is the real culprit to producing higher alcohol levels in wine. This can be demonstrated in many 2009 and 2010 vintages from Bordeaux. Hotter climates produce grapes with higher sugar levels and it is the sugar contained within the grapes that dictates the level of alcohol. Therefore during the growing season should the vines be exposed to excessive heat you can be certain the wine will be of a higher alcoholic level.

New World wines from Australia, Chile, Argentina etc invariably will have higher levels of alcohol compared with those of most European (Old World) Wines, some as high as 15% plus, as they have hotter growing climates which may be a contributing factor to those who are prone from headaches with red wine. A result of global warming could well be that the levels of alcohol in European wines are on the increase but I will always continue to seek wines of an ABV (Alcohol By Volume) percentage no greater than 13.5%. I have a few recommendations for you if lower alcohol reds are your preferred tipple.

Brissonet Rouge 11.5%. £3.57. This is a soft, fresh and powerfully aromatic red bursting with ripe flavours of ripe cherries, violets, dark chocolate and blackberries. This really is a must for your more tomato based dishes as it is super with barbecued meats as well as pizzas, pastas, as well as barbequed meats, cheeses and Indian, Thai and Chinese meals.

Chateau Millet Lartigue 2008 12%. £7.80. A fruity, soft, well balanced, easy drinking wine with notes of black cherries, blackcurrants, vanilla, dried herbs and cedar. It will pair well with duck, game, goose, pork and beef, Asian cuisine – especially dishes prepared with soy, black bean and oyster sauce.

Le Roc du Chateau Pellebouc 2006 12.5%. £9.01. A gold medal winner from the Thienpont family with the flavour of red currants, raspberries, blackberries, candied fruits and spice. In the mouth, it is quite powerful in terms of both roundness and balance. Le Roc du Château Pellebouc will accompany both beef and lamb as well as pork and chicken and is really great with rich casseroles and spicy curries.

Chateau Chadeuil 2008 12.5%. £7.34. A cracking merlot based claret, dark ruby in colour with flavours of black cherry, mocha, spice, plum, blackberries and a hint of vanilla. It is a medium bodied, supple wine with very well balanced tannins and a long smooth finish. This is a wine that has been produced with good food in mind. Good on it’s own but really blossoms when drunk with Rump Steak, Game, Roast Beef, Stuffed Aubergines/Peppers and Strong Cheeses.

Chateau Graves de Barrau 2008 12.5%. £8.64. A traditional claret with flavours of blackberries, blackcurrants, vanilla with a touch of gravelly earthiness. I recommend you decant and let breathe for a good while whilst bringing up to room temperature. Graves de Barrau is an excellent accompaniment with Sirloin Steak, Chilli Con Carne, Spaghetti Bolognese, Roast Lamb and Meat Based Pasta.

Cuvee Jean Baptiste Audy 12.5%. £5.99. Cuvée is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and has intense aromas with oodles of fruit and notes of blackberry jam, ripe dark plums and black pepper with a hint of smoke. Cuvée will accompany tomato based pastas and pizzas, richly flavoured casseroles, game and grilled meats.

Happy drinking!

After Porto, Munich, Fukuoka, Saint-Petersburg and Quebec, the guest of honour this year is Hong Kong. There will be a dedicated gourmet area, the Official Pavilion of Hong Kong (400 m2) and many attractions to welcome Hong Kong to the 8^th Bordeaux Wine Festival.

You can wander along the mile long Wine Road from 11 am to midnight which includes 10 pavilions with a wide range of wines from producers and merchants featuring the diversity of Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region – some 80 appellations.

Bordeaux is also celebrating its food heritage – twelve stalls will line the quay offering local produce. There will also be three gourmet restaurants where you can accompany your glass of wine by tasting the best products of Aquitaine, created by local artisans: the foie gras and ceps of Périgord, Bayonne ham, Arcachon oysters.

The Bordeaux Wine School will be offering interactive workshops including tastings, aroma tests and games. A specially designed area for reading has been set up that houses a selection over 60 works related to the cultural world of wine. Every day several authors will sign their books and meet the public.

There is also an art exhibition – the Bordelaises XXL – of wine bottles decorated by artists from Bordeaux and Hong Kong. Companies, dealers, owners, institutions, communities, unions or groups who purchase a Magnum 2.50 m high or a Jeroboam of 4 m high can offer it to the imagination of visual artists – painters, sculptors, graphic artists, photographers and taggers.

The Place des Quinconces will be transformed into a giant auditorium with some 5000 seats for three performances. This Bordeaux Music Festival will encompass music from around the world, from jazz to classical: Stacey Kent, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine and the amazing American jazz singer Dianne Reeves will be giving performances.

Every evening there will be a Sound and Light Show projected on the façades of the Palais de la Bourse. The theme this year is: “The world loves bordeaux, Bordeaux loves the world.” From 11.30 pm to midnight, there will be a firework display over the Garonne River, accompanied by various musical performances. This year, 3 countries will be guests of honour for this firework display: the USA, Australia and Spain.

The Belem, last of the French sailing ships ever to be built, will be docked in the Port of the Moon to honour the tradition of maritime trade linked to the world of wine. Now a training ship, the Belem, shipped the first cargo of wine from France by sail since the late 1800s to Ireland a few years ago. To learn more about this beautiful three-masted barque see my blog French Ship Wine by Sail.

The Bordeaux Wine Festival is well worth a visit and for further information on the festival you can visit www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com, or contact the Bordeaux Tourist Office by email otb@bordeaux-tourisme.com or telephone +33 (0)556 00 66 00. Ticket sales will commence in April.

What have Bordeaux Chateaux and Whisky got in common? Barrels. Not just any old barrels either. Finishing is the procedure that some whiskies go through where the whisky is matured in a cask (barrel) of a particular oak and then spends time in a second cask. It’s the second cask that bears the link to the chateaux. Over the last decade there has been a growing trend in using barrels from top flight Bordeaux chateaux.

Sue spotted that Bruichladdich produce a rare whisky DNA_1: The “36*” which is a very limited offering of the last of their late 60s and 70s casks finished in barrels from none other than Le Pin. Bruichladdich’s Redder Still is finished in Chateau Lafleur (see Sue’s blog here). Past bottlings of Bruichladdich have been matured in casks from Chateau Haut Brion: the Bruichladdich Links Carnoustie was part of their celebrated Golf Course Series, released to coincide with the Open Championship and the Bruichladdich The Sixteens Cuvee was finished in casks from Chateau Lafite.

Other ex Lafite barrel whiskeys are the 1999 Laphroaig 11 Year Chateau Lafite Rothschild Cask Murray McDavid and the Tullibardine 1992/2010 Premier Cru Classé Bordeaux Chateau Lafite Finish.

Following the acquisition by LVMH, Glenmorangie produced a limited edition aged in casks previously used to mature Château Margaux and Glenmorangie Pride 1981 is finished in casks from the Sauternes Chateau d’Yquem.

Auchentoshan’s18 Year Old 1992 Mission (Murray McDavid) is aged in bourbon casks before being finished in Sauternes casks from Chateau Climens. Auchentoshan also produced a limited edition 18 Year Old 1992 finished in casks from Chateau Montrose and an 11 Year Old 1999 aged in casks from the Saint Julian Chateau Lagrange.

Bowmore also produced the Bowmore Cask Finish Chateau Lagrange, the Bowmore Cask Finish Chateau Haut Brion and the Bowmore Cask Finish Petrus.

Isle of Arran created the Pomerol Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish which was matured for eight years in conventional ex-Bourbon barrels before spending six months in 20 casks previously used by Château La Conseillante.

The Dalmore 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon was matured in American White Oak followed by several years in casks from Chateau Haut Marbuzet (Saint Estephe).

Doubtless there are more and I’d be interested to know your thoughts on the whiskies if you have tried them!

It was common in the past to see whiskies matured in sherry barrels but the finishing fad has not only encompassed chateaux. I have seen whiskies finished and matured in casks previously used for Tokaji, Port, Madeira, Amarone, Moscatel, Calvados, Cognac, Cuban Rum, Burgundy and Chardonnay wines and Beer!

]]> http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/bordeaux-chateaux-and-whisky-share-flavours/feed/ 0 http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/bordeaux-chateau-bought-via-facebook/ http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/bordeaux-chateau-bought-via-facebook/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:19:42 +0000 Nick http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/?p=2875 Continue reading →]]> When I wrote about Social Media and Wine little did I know that a year later a little known chateau would make waves in the wine world through its use of Facebook. Yannick Evenou (Managing Director of the Fayat Vineyards: Château Clément Pichon Haut Medoc, Château la Dominique Saint Emilion and Château Fayat Pomerol) recently purchased Chateau Réaut la Gravière from Champagne Roederer as part of a consortium of 12. A property sharing group or GFA (Groupe Foncier Agricole) was created and Evenou offered shares in the chateau via Facebook to attract investors.

The name of the chateau was changed to Chateau Réaut and for 1500 euros investors could become part owners of the GFA. The investment equates to 165 vines and 36 bottles per year. 400 members of the public have taken up the offer of shares and their bottles of wine will be labelled with each purchaser’s own name.

Evenou told decanter.com that:

“More than 100 [investors] are from Bordeaux, but we have had interest from all over the world.

They will receive a certain part of the crop, but we will also be distributing the wine through traditional methods. As some of our main shareholders are merchants and restaurant owners, we have good distribution channels in place.”

According to Decanter other members of the main buying consortium include local Bordeaux restaurant owner Daniel Cuny, and several Burgundy negociants.

Chateau Réaut has 26 hectares of vines and produces wines under the Premiers Cotes de Bordeaux AOC. I have not been able to discover much about this mysterious little chateau – the Rouzaud family of Champagne House Louis Roederer bought Chateau Pichon Lalande in 2007 and with it Chateau Bernadotte. They bought Chateau de Pez in 1995 and Haut Beauséjour in 1992. I am not sure when Chateau Réaut la Gravière was added to their portfolio.

Chateau Réaut is listed as being located in Paillet and there are records of a Chateau Réaut La Gravière in Rions which is not far away, producing red, white and rosé wines, belonging to Alain Réaut up until 2007. Whether this is one and the same I can not tell and I am left wondering why the chateau was not better marketed by Roederer once they acquired it?

I must admit that even the information on Chateau Réaut’s Facebook page is sparse – let’s hope that they catch up with the potential of social media and start a website! It seems incredible to me that a chateau that no one has heard of is not making the most of the vehicle that has finally given it some air time.

Chinese New Year begins on 23

In Chinese mythology dragons hatch from eggs and ascend to the heavens in the form of water spouts (tornado or twisters over water). The dragon is highly respected as a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. Many Chinese people often use the term “Descendants of the Dragon” as a sign of ethnic identity.

The Year of the Black Water Dragon (the last one having been in 1952) represents good negotiations. Water calms the Dragon’s fire and the Black Water Dragon is far more perceptive of others’ needs, and is more likely to be progressive and diplomatic. This Dragon will act wisely and intelligently, making smart decisions – as long as they have been well researched.

The Chinese New Year is a marketing opportunity for gifts and last year – the Year of the Rabbit – saw several wines produced with rabbit motifs on the label. This year there are few “dragon” wines that suit the bill.

Australia seems to have cottoned on to the potential of the Chinese New Year with Year of the Dragon Golden Harvest Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Penley Dragon Shiraz.

Of course China already has a great candidate – Dragon Seal from the Hebei Province of Beijing. Dragon Seal wine can trace its roots back to 1910 when a French friar converted the Heishanhu Church’s graveyard into a wine cave. He hired a French oenologist to produce both red and white wines for the mass and daily drinking. In 1946, the Church officially registered the winery, named it “La Shangyi Cave de Pékin” and began to sell its products in the domestic market. Over the years the winery was acquired by the state and the first bottle of Dragon Seal was launched in 1988, the Year of the Dragon.

In China Chateau Calon Segur has become quite popular as it’s name sounds like “flying dragon”. The word for dragon in Chinese is “long” and Tianlong is the “Heavenly or Celestial Dragon” (“tian” literally means “heaven or sky”) who pulls the divine chariots, guards the mansions of the gods and protects the heavens.

Oddly enough Calon Segur is not only one of the oldest properties in the Medoc but it is possibly one of the lowest in altitude – at some points the vines grow barely 2 metres above sea level. It’s thought that the name Calon comes from the Gallo-Roman name of Calones for the town of Saint Estèphe. Calones were the little river boats that were used to transport timber from one bank to another of the Gironde. I think that’s rather fitting for a wine that could have potential in the Black Water Dragon Year, don’t you?

Another wine from Bordeaux that could prove to be a popular Chinese New Year gift is Chateau Beychevelle as the label depicts a ship that resembles a Dragon Boat.

I have also spotted a Domaine du Dragon that produces wines under the AOC Cotes de Provence, a Grand Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon from Shandong in China, Berberana Red Dragon Tempranillo and Happy Dragon Pinotage/Shiraz from Cloof Wine Estates in South Africa.

Can you suggest any more?

]]> http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/the-chinese-new-year-%e2%80%93-2012-the-year-of-the-black-water-dragon/feed/ 0 http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/life-sentence-for-chinese-smuggler-of-top-flight-bordeaux-wines/ http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/2012/01/life-sentence-for-chinese-smuggler-of-top-flight-bordeaux-wines/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:49:17 +0000 Nick http://bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/?p=2854 Continue reading →]]> ShanghaiDaily.com has reported that a wine smuggler, Sun Xitai, has been jailed for life for illegally bringing over 70,000 bottles worth 45 million yuan (US$ 7.128 million) to China’s mainland.

This has been China’s biggest wine smuggling case. Despite being previously convicted in 2002 when he was sentenced to 1 year in prison and 1 year’s reprieve in the city of Tianjin, Sun Xitai continued his smuggling activities between January 2004 and December 2009.

Sun, aged 62, set up three Beijing trading companies (one of which was Beijing Jiatai Wine Trading Co Ltd) to cover his smuggling activities. Sun, was said to have imported red wine from France, Britain and Hong Kong amongst others on more than 80 occasions.

To minimize customs payment, Sun is alleged to have declared acquisition prices much lower than the actual prices he paid and lied about the names of the wine.

Sun is alleged to have given high-end red wines unfamiliar Chinese names to pass them off as cheap brands. By doing this, he declared much lower prices for premier wines such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux.

Customs officials said they confiscated 27 fake company seals and invoices and found real invoices indicating the true price of imported red wines in Sun’s office. Sun is alleged to have asked suppliers to put a few cheap wines on top and hide more expensive ones below in the container in order to trick customs officials into thinking the whole consignment was one of cheap wine.

Each imported bottle of red wine is taxed at around 50% of its acquisition price. To dodge the tax and increase their profit margin, a Chinese report in Legal Daily said that many people file false declarations to mislead customs officials.

The report also said that about 70% of imported red wines sold in China were smuggled which is sabotaging the legitimate industry.

Sun said at his trial that he had no choice but to smuggle, as the tax rate on wines was too high for him:

“It would be difficult to stay in business if I went through official channels”.

Sun, a native of north eastern Liaoning Province, pleaded guilty at court but insisted his profits were just 4 million yuan. His secretary, Meng Li, was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 2 million yuan for her involvement.

The Legal Daily has said that registering wine with customs under a false name and with a lower price or concealing high-end wines in packages of cheap wine are the most frequent methods of duping customs these days. French customs’ records from 2007 show that the amount of wine exported to China far exceeds the number of bottles recorded as arriving by customs in China – I wonder how the figures add up today?

Having written about

Originally from Norwich in the UK, Ian Hutcheon settled in Chile and runs both the Tremonte Vineyard and the nearby astronomy centre, Centro Astronomico Tagua Tagua. Tremonte is located in the Andes, on the Costa Mountains and the Rekewa Mountain in the southern extreme of the Cachapoal Valley.

The vineyard lies on an old gold mine Los Coipos which was abandoned years ago and the grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot and Viognier. The area is dotted with boutique vineyards and Tremonte is on precipitous slopes of 45° to 51°. The vines that stem from here are of the highest above sea level in Chile, so high that sometimes in the winter they can get lost amongst the clouds.

Ian Hutcheon’s new wine, Meteorito, combines his love of astronomy and wine making. It is aged with a meteorite which came from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter and is 4.5 billion years old. The meteorite, which is about three inches wide, is from an American collector’s private collection and crashed into the Atacama Desert in northern Chile about 6,000 years ago.

Hutcheon says that “when you drink this wine you are drinking elements from the birth of the solar system” and that the idea behind submerging it in wine was to give everybody the opportunity to touch something from space, and extra-terrestrial rock, the very history of the solar system, and feel it via a grand wine.

Hutcheon began making the first lot of Meteorito in April 2010 from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The grapes then went through a process of alcoholic fermentation for about 25 days, before undergoing malolactic fermentation for about 12 months to refine the taste of the wine – it was during this process that the wine was held in a wooden barrel with the ancient meteorite. Hutcheon said he believes the meteorite gives the finished wine a “livelier taste”.

So far more than 10,000 litres (2,200 gallons) of Meteorito has been produced and it has caused quite a splash in Chile – being featured on the national news.

The wine is currently sold exclusively at the Centro Astronomico Tagua Tagua and Hutcheon said he would like to export it to other countries including the UK.

I must admit that it’s an interesting concept and it certainly turns the idea of terroir on its head, in more ways than one.