A brief look at the past week in wine...

                    
Spanish call on French Ambassador for Answers
                            
                            On Wednesday, the Spanish Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador, issuing a statement to Paris and the European Commission following Monday’s attacks on Spanish wine tankers.

The statement accuses France of violating basic European Union rules: ‘Spain has already officially passed on its protest to the French authorities, and urges them to adopt all appropriate measures to guarantee, with absolute security, the free movement of people and goods, one of the basic principles of the European Union.’

The incident, which saw 70,000hl of Spanish wine gushing across the French motorway, was in protest by French growers angry at cheap Spanish prices. The protestors wrote on the side of the trucks ‘wine not complaint’ in reference to Spain’s supposed weaker production regulations that allow prices to be lower.

The Spanish Federation of Freight Transportation (CETM) that protect the rights of freighters, claim the protest and subsequent attacks on the tankers were witnessed by French police and reporters who did nothing to stop the protesters.

UK based newspaper The Telegraph reported that the French region’s top state representative was filmed shortly after the tanker hijacking stating that investigations would be made into whether the Spanish wine was compliant or not. No mention was made of punishing the attackers.





Steven Spurrier praises 2015 Medoc

Spurrier praised the fruit dominant, modern style of many Bordeaux 2015 Médoc wines, in an interview on his initial impression of the vintage to Decanter.com.

‘The whole of Médoc has done very well and my line is Bordeaux is back,’ he said, speaking at Château Belgrave, where estate owner and negociant Dourthe held its primeur tasting.

‘There’s a great difference in my view between the modern style, which means making a lot of the fruit, and the old-fashioned style which is still a bit rustic.

‘It’s not like Bordeaux 10 years ago, when tannins could be hard as nails. In 2015, the fruit dominates the tannins and the acidity.
It’s not 2010, but it will ‘have a big place in people’s hearts’

Spurrier stressed that he didn’t feel the 2015 en primeur wines were quite at level of the greatest vitnages so far this century. ‘In hindsight, I think this vintage will be viewed less good than 2005, 2009 and 2010 but only fractionally less good.’ He drew comparison with 2001, adding ‘everyone says it’s less good than 2000, but everyone loves drinking it. This 2015 vitnage will have a big place in people’s hearts.’


  
  Chateau Margaux Director dies

Paul Pontallier died this morning (28 March) on the eve of the Bordeaux 2015 en primeur campaign. Pontallier, who had been battling cancer for some time, had spent more than 30 years at first growth estate Château Margaux, joining the company in 1983 and becoming managing director in 1990 after the retirement of Philippe Barré.

He has been widely credited with significant improvements in the wine, alongside estate owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos.

Born April 22 1956, Pontallier studied at Montpellier and at the faculty of oenology in Bordeaux under the renowned Emile Peynaud, where he wrote a thesis on how red wine ages in barrel – graduating in 1981. After a short period of military service, during which he taught oenology at the Catholic University of Santiago in Chile, he joined Margaux and has been an intrinsic part of the estate ever since.

Cheers!
 The Grand Cru Team