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Les Vins du Siècle est un grand site fédérateur, bilingue et mondial. Dans toute la France, « triés sur le volet », les meilleurs producteurs (la très grande majorité ayant l’exclusivité de leur appellation) sont retenus pour la typicité des vins, leur rapport qualité-prix-plaisir, l'expression de leur terroir et leur passion de vignerons.

Pas de vins à la mode, surcôtés ou de "jus de bois" dans Les Vins du Siècle. La typicité d’un vin, ce n’est rien d’autre que l’association d’un sol, d’un micro-climat, d’une plante et d’un homme. On ne peut aimer un vin qu’en appréciant celui qui le fait. Derrière une étiquette, il y a un viticulteur (ou une viticultrice) et c’est fondamental de ne pas les dissocier. Bien sûr, les sols ont une influence considérable et, dans chaque territoire, dans chaque commune, le vigneron fait la différence avec son voisin.

Il ne s’agit donc pas seulement de faire du bon vin, ce que tout le monde peut faire, mais surtout d’élever de vrais vins racés, reconnaissables entre mille, qui sentent ce “fumé” bourguignon, déploient ce “velours” libournais, ces senteurs alsaciennes, cette “chair” en Médoc ou à Châteauneuf, cette “minéralité” à Pouilly ou à Meursault, cette fraîcheur en Champagne comme dans nos grands liquoreux.

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HALL OF FAME

DOMAINE FRANCOIS BERTHEAU

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY

This family winegrowing was taken again by François Bertheau in 2004. It represents the fifth generation to exploit this vineyard of 6.22 ha. The vines are 45 years old on average. the maturing is done out of barrels (including 20 to new wood 30%) for one 18 months duration, the wine, not filtered, will be marketed approximately 6 months after its setting in bottles. “The 2011 were marked by one early spring, a summer not particularly beautiful, and a very beautiful back season, tells us François Bertheau. These weather conditions gave very good performances, with on the other hand a vigilance with the control of the temperatures in wine making. The quantities are, with something near, similar to 2010. Although it is still a little early, this vintage 2011 appears quite well-balanced, perhaps better than the 2010, of which it seems to be first cousin with character and much of fruit, perhaps a little more steady and more tannic. It will surely be of guard. For a vine grower it is a beautiful year as we like them.” While waiting, there is its superb Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes 2009, scented, associating richness and smoothness, concentrated and fleshy, with tannins quite present, a sure value. Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses 2008 remarkable, with tannins tasty and rich, generous, is at the same time coloured and fullbodied, with this quite fleshy and attractive mouth prevailed by the stone-fruits and cinnamon. Taste Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2008, which is an assembly of 4 pieces, very well-balanced, very scented (fresh ripe red small fruits, humus…), with this point of morello cherry characteristic of the appellation, a very full wine, of beautiful intensity, guard. Chambolle-Musigny 2009, with the complex nose with notes of ripe red fruits and liquorice, concentrate to the nose as in mouth.

CHATEAU LAROQUE

SAINT-EMILION Grand Cru Classé

The Château has belonged to the Beaumartin family for over forty years. This superb feudal castle of the 12th century was rebuilt under Louis XIV, thus earning it the nickname of "Petit Versailles". The vineyard covres 58 hectares of vines planted on a wonderful terroir of clay-limestone slopes on the heights of Saint-Emilion with excellent exposure to the sun. The harvesting is carried out by hand when the grapes are perfectly ripe, one plot of vines at a time. The wine is made in small vats so that each batch of grapes can be kept separate and the balance between the terroirs can be worked out to perfection. Vatting is long and closely supervised before transferring the wines into barrels for 12 months. The greatest of care is taken at each stage of the wine-making process to obtain the very best levels of quality. The wine has a lovely robe, deep colour and we can note aromas of spices and black fruit. In the mouth, the attack is powerful and full. This is a most elegant wine with ripe, fine tannins, a long finish and excellent ageing potential.

CHATEAU LESTAGE DARQUIER

MOULIS

Created by ancestors in 1868, this property was a little more important, extending on neighboring districts from Listrac and Arcins. Brigitte and François Bernard took it again in 1982 whereas it produced nothing any more but some bottles. After having rebuilt the vineyard mainly, they develop today large efforts in the wine storehouse, as well on the level of the wine making as of the maturing. The vineyard of 10 hectares, including 8.5 in production, is located on the group gravelly Ouest of Grand Poujeaux and profits from a very great quality from soil (Qualification Agriculture reasoned and certification Terra Vitis since 2004). After a manual vintage and severe sorting, the wine makings are very well controlled (control of the temperatures, daily reassemblies by slow pumping with small flow, 21 days long fermentings, frequent washings with ventilation…). The wine elegant, supple, fruity, quite robust, with rich and tasty tannins is at the same time, well typified, with the notes of humus and ripe small fruits red, powerful and supple at the same time, with rich tannins, of guard. Beautiful Moulis Terra Vitis 2010, still very young, with the aromas of ripe fruits (black cherry) and of spices (grooves), slightly peppered, rich and coloured, of beautiful color crimson, dense with the nose as in mouth. The 2009, with the nuances of cherry black and spices, of beautiful structure, rich, fleshy, all in subtlety, of steady color, is very scented. The 2008 are of color garnet-red, complex, with nuances of cooked fruits red, a tannic and fleshy wine.

DOMAINE CHARLES AUDOIN

MARSANNAY

The winegrowing extends on 14 ha, offering a diversity of 14 appellations of de Marsannay, Porte-d’Or de la Côte-de-Nuits, à Pommard, en Côte-de-Beaune. Cyril Audoin, represents the fifth generation of vine growers. But, if the winegrowing reaches 14 ha today, the surface of the property, to the beginning of the year 1900, was limited to only 4 ha. The vineyard was maintained thanks to the perseverance of Marie Ragonneau, the great-grandmother of Cyril, a strong woman who knew only to preserve and maintain the vineyard, working itself with her horse and her pulverizer with back. To pay homage to him, Cyril created the vintage Marie Ragonneau besides on the Marsannay appellation. In its research of optimal quality, it also made the choice separately vinify in Marsannay appellation various worthy localities to express a typicity, a special character of it. A large work when it is known that the smallest Marsannay vintage, La Charme aux Prêtres, does not exceed 600 bottles! Marsannay always awaits the attribution of a classification in Premier Cru for its excellent localities located in medium of slopes, Marsannay les Favières, les Clos du Roy, Les Longeroies, Charmes au Prêtres, Au Champ Salomon … are the best representatives. Remarkable Marsannay Les Longeroies 2009, rich and scented in mouth, marked well by its soil, with these crystallized, combining structure and velvety, full and subtle fleshy prune notes, of guard. The 2008, with silky and rich tannins at the same time, release an intense blackcurrant bouquet and humus, a solid wine, very traditional, typified as we like them. The 2007, silver medal Beaune 2010, robust, with firm but molten tannins, persistent in mouth, with the undergrowth and cherry connotations, mixes intensity and smoothness. All stops some, Marsannay rouge Au Champ Salomon 2009, rich and persistent, with the intense bouquet of blackcurrant and humus, is a fleshy wine, very scented, very delicate, with intense savors with prevailing of ripe fruits to the palate. Marsannay Les Favières 2009, of nice garnet-red robe steady, is very traditional, with the intense and subtle nose at the same time (currant, cherry, humus), with silky tannins. Beautiful Marsannay Clos du Roy rouge 2009, scented, with the typical notes of blackberry, beautiful structure, with tannins silky but quite present, a generous and supple wine. Pommard 2009, having a nice bouquet (notes of bilberry and pepper), is a wine which associates color and matter, of molten and rich mouth. Taste also Gevrey-Chambertin 2009, of garnet-red color intense, robust, of powerful mouth, with the overripe fruit nose. Very attractive Marsannay blanc Au Champ Salomon 2010, a wine where intermingle with the notes of finely peppered almond and heather, of tasty mouth like Marsannay rosé 2011.

CHAMPAGNE LAURENT-GABRIEL

AVENAY-VAL-D'OR

In 1982, Daniel Laurent took over the family estate from his parents. His father used only a tiny part of his harvest for making his Champagne for a few friends and clients, the rest of the grapes being sold to traders. In Autumn 1982, Daniel decided to produce his own Champagne, with the assistance of his wife, and they registered their present trademark, "Champagne Laurent-Gabriel". The estate is a very small one, 2.5 hectares of vines producing about 18,000 bottles of Champagne per year. The vines are located in two places - 90% in Avenay Val d'Or, classified as a Premier Cru and Avize classified as a Grand Cru. Remarkable Champagne cuvée Prestige Millésime 2000 (80% Pinot noir, 20% Chardonnay), resulting from a wine making without malolactic fermentation and cold passage, maturing approximately 6 months out of barrels of oak, where all the complexity of the Pinot noir, is expressed, a generous and elegant Champagne, of persistent foam, very fruity, a vintage of a nice aromatic intensity (brioche, peach), full with the nose as in mouth. The Champagne brut Carte d’Or (75% Pinot noir, 15% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot meunier, coming from the years 2006 and 2007 and years of reserve), is all in aromas, with this nose of fresh small fruits, of lime and almond, a beautiful suave Champagne, of delicate foam, mixing roundness and nervousness, very out of structure, of a beautiful final. The cuvée Grande Réserve brut (75% Pinot noir, 15% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot meunier, year 2005 with wines of reserve, without malolactic fermentation, cold passage, and a passage from 4 to 6 months out of barrels of oak), traditional and quite well-balanced, of fruity mouth, a Champagne very harmonious, generous and charmer, powerful with the palate.