Bubblies and Cognac at Vinexpo

A major wine show always has a huge selection of sparkling wines, Champagne and others. We like to start a tasting with a glass of Champagne to refresh and educate our palates

Lynne's friend Alison Jee is responsible for Gosset's PR work in the UK, so we went to the Gosset stand first and were shown their 2002 Celebris, which was delicious, rich and bready

 and the Rosé version too. If you are interested, speak to Morgenhof

Odilon de Varine-Bohan, Directeur Général Adjoint, Gosset

 Gosset also has Frapin Cognac, but we didn't taste it

 At a tasting of Gold Medal winners from the Brussels Exposition, we tasted some Champagnes from small producers

 

We were invited to the launch of Lanson in South Africa about three years ago, but we have seen little of them since. We saw that they were having a launch of Extra Age Champagnes and wrote asking for an invitation. 

As we'd not heard from them, we went to their pavilion 

to see if we had an invitation

 They were also showing a special range of tennis themed Champagnes for Wimbledon, where Lanson (the second biggest label in England) is a sponsor 

 

 Next morning, on our way to the Lanson launch, we passed by the Drappier stand 

 where they told us about their big event of the day: opening this huge bottle. We hoped we'd get there, but our Lanson appointment was first and we didn't make it

 At the Drappier stand, we saw Johan and Pieter de Wet of Dewetshof passing by and called to them. They joined us for a tasting of Drappier Champagnes. Drappier was imported by Cuvées Classiques in Cape Town. Since they have closed, sadly, Drappier is now being imported by The Wine Cellar

 

 After that intro to the day, we moved along to Lanson for their launch

 A row of Vintages

 Tennis Champagnes

 and Lanson White

 Champagnes being poured

 under the eyes of the Cellarmaster, Jean Paul Gandon, and Anton Hobbs, Export Director Asia Pacific, who translated for those of us less fluent in French

 After the Lanson launch, we moved across to their subsidiary Besserat de Bellefon, who make a low-pressure Champagne, which has a very soft, delicate mousse. Like Lanson, it does not undergo malolactic fermentation

 and the rain poured down

 Cédric Thiébault, Cellar Master for Besserat de Bellefon

 Then back to Drappier to taste the 1995, which we missed in the morning

 At the German stand, a Riesling Sekt from the Rhineland

 and a very elegant Vouvray from the Loire Valley, made from Chenin blanc

Champagne Henriot is looking for a distributor in South Africa

We took Pieter de Wet along to the Mounier/Prince Hubert de Polignac/Cognac Hardy stand for an introduction to the Cognacs we had tasted in Cognac

 Again, we received very generous treatment

 CEO Christophe Juarez and colleagues

 Beautiful colour of aged Cognacs from Cognac Hardy

 A Lalique decanter of Cognac Hardy

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

John & Lynne's French Odyssey: The Médoc

At Vinexpo, John met the Directeur Développement Communication from Château Kirwan in Margaux. She was handing out press packs about the Château in the Press Centre. She invited him to visit. As she was going to Monaco at the weekend, she sent an email to a colleague, Philippe, asking him to look after us when we visited. So, we rose early and off we went for our appointment in the Médoc on Saturday. 
Passing through the village of Margaux,

we found a market. As we had some time in hand, we had a look

This man sold cheeses, charcuterie, patés and his own apéritifs, which he gave us to taste

The Château Kirwan tasting room and offices

Vineyards in gravelly soil

At the appointed time, we arrived at Château Kirwan

and went to the tasting room

where we discovered that Philippe had decided to take the weekend off because he was too tired after Vinexpo. 

 The young lady in the tasting room phoned the Directeur, 

who told her to give us a tasting and we tasted two reds

A tour group arrived, so she gave us a bottle of sauvignon semillon to take away and excused herself to take them on a tour. We were not invited. Great marketing and service. We've been in similar situations and, usually, a group like that has no problem adding two more people to a tour of a farm

but it's very beautiful

Famous names wherever you look

a newly planted vineyard

Paint salesmen have a hard time in France

This travelling butcher takes his wares from farm to farm

Then on to Pauillac in time for lunch

at a bistro called La Salamandre

where we ate on the verandah

one of the worst meals we have had in a long time

A trilogy of meats, a blood sausage, beef and lamb done on the grill. We like lamb rare, John's was barely singed, the  chips tasted like mielies and were flabby, the wine acceptable for the price (about R315 for 1 course and a glass of wine each)

The service was as ordinary as the food, so we left no tip

and went back to Bordeaux, after a day which was good in parts
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© John & Lynne Ford. Adamastor & Bacchus 2013