See the Spring Newsletter

Informations about the climate in 2011, how the flowering was going, the general evolutions about Laroze. Go to the letter.

Laroze invited at Angélus

This week as the 2009 primeurs are being tasted, we are at Château Angélus with Hubert de Boüard, amongst the wines made on family estates and the growing number of properties where Hubert is involved as an advisor - today about 20.
I asked Hubert in 2009 to join our technical team at Laroze and to help us build a higher profile with journalists, wine importers and distributors worldwide. These are the people, who are coming to Angélus this week from all over the world. Some are getting to know Laroze for the first time and others are seeing it again from a different perspective.
We are hoping that this cooperation will make Laroze better known and recognised for the premium quality of its wines, and help us to build a greater reputation.
The setting of Château Angélus, its renown and the wonderful conditions for tasting here are certainly steps in the right direction.

Laroze is also present at Château Grand-Pontet, where the wines of the 46 Saint-Emilion Grand Crus Classés are on display.

Cork quality

We are currently ordering our dry materials ready for bottling, so we often discuss the perennial subject of corks, their quality and price and the fact that despite all the precautions we take with our suppliers, anomalies of taste and aroma are always attributable to them on one occasion or another. And this of course is true for all wines, whatever their price, that use natural corks.
When a wine is corked or its tannins are dry and its fruit has withered, no drinker thinks of complaining to the cork supplier, who in fact is fully responsible. The scapegoat is always the chateau and the brand’s reputation always suffers the consequences.
There are more and more articles by professionals and connoisseurs on this subject, because it is no longer acceptable in this era of traceability that all the work carried out to make a great bottle of wine is polluted by a defective stopper.
Attitudes are evolving, gradually technical cork-based closures are being developed and increasingly used – not yet for Bordeaux fine wines – but if the cork suppliers do not solve the problem fast, an irreversible decision could be taken in the next ten years, or even less.
I find it completely intolerable and unacceptable that our work is made a laughing stock, even if the number of instances remains very minimal, because each and every bottle must be faultless and every consumer should be allowed to enjoy the best of what the wine has to offer.

After all, that’s what she or he pays for.

A major reference book for the Bordeaux trade:

The Bordeaux brokers “Les Grands Cru”, who specialise in wine transactions between the estates and the Bordeaux wine merchants, have published a superb book, unfortunately in only 800 copies (what a pity!), to commemorate their tenth anniversary.
The authors did not fall into the trap of writing what could have been a boring collection of memories, but quoted interviews with well-known characters within the Bordeaux wine trade, managing to create a clear, intelligently constructed view of the Bordeaux market, making it easier to understand how it works, its advantages and its abuses.
This book with its texts, its design and the way it is built, reflects all the energy of these young brokers who through sheer talent, a dogged devotion to hard work and clear-sightedness, have been able to establish their key professional role as a point of reference on the market of great Bordeaux wines.

Chronicling the taste of wine

In his latest January 2009 publication (no. 57), Jean-Marc Quarin, goes beyond his usual tasting remarks, revealing a little more of his own personal perceptions regarding the taste of wine and describing a little of how he personally takes his bearings with regard to aromas and tastes, so that we might benefit.
This professional goes a great deal further than a lot of his colleagues to try to explain the differences in taste between great wines and the others, with no holds barred.
You can read it on paper or on line at www.quarin.com
There is also an English version.

The website

11,700 visits to the Laroze website in the accounting period from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 from 85 countries, the main ones being: France 8,970, Belgium 562, Germany 461, USA 298, the Netherlands 248, Canada 169, UK 164, Switzerland 162, Ireland 64 and Italy 45.

I notice that even if absolute numbers of visitors are not very high, the number of countries is clearly increasing, which raises the international profile of our brand. This strengthens our efforts to develop export sales together with our merchant partners.

Wine and alcohol

1) China, like Russia, are in favour of importing wines into their countries to reduce the level of alcoholism that results from the traditional consumption of strong spirits (rice alcohol, vodka, etc.). Replacing 45° or more by 12 to 14° is a good thing.
2) France, the ancestral producer and consumer of wine, under pressure from anti-alcoholic, fundamentalist or puritanical lobbyists, is trying to reduce overall levels of alcohol being consumed by discouraging all promotion of wines. Young people no longer learn how to progressively find their feet with alcohol by getting to know wine and enjoying it in all its moderation. Having no measure of their own limits, they try strong spirits with no reference point to judge by.
And the consequence: hard alcoholism is on the increase amongst young people in France.
Is this the right way to prepare their future? I don’t think so. It is pathetic.

Vinexpo Hong-Kong

We are attending Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong from 27 to 29 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on stand EF 44 10.

You will be able to taste Laroze and Lafleur Laroze vines in the 2003, 2005 and 2006 vintages.
Only our partner merchants, who are attending the exhibition will negotiate prices on these wines.
They will offer Laroze 2005 for tasting (Veyret Latour will have 2006).

These are:
- Ballande et Meneret and Sovex-Woltner: stand DE 47
- CVBG: stand D 58
- Grands Vins de Gironde: stand E 42
- Veyret Latour: stand BC 38

On Tuesday 27 May in the afternoon the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés tasting will take place at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific with the 2004 and 2005 vintages, followed by the “Grands Crus Classés Challenge” which will highlight the outsiders in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages.
This should be great fun!
I will not be on my stand on Thursday afternoon (29th), since I will be travelling to Tokyo where, with members of the Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés Association, we will be presenting wines on Friday (30th) at the Joël Robuchon Château Restaurant from midday to 9.0 p.m. to professionals and VIPs.
Back to Bordeaux on Saturday…

The investments in communication

€20,000 of promotional spending in publications is a big sum for us and the 2008 budget is the same as in 2007. It has been two years now that we have invested in support for the new Laroze and Lafleur Laroze labels to help our merchants garner recognition for them in their sales networks.
The magazines we have decided to advertise in are:

- Revue des Vins de France
- Decanter
- Revue du Sommelier International
- In Vino Veritas
- Tasted