Spring 2019 - International edition Focus on PIEDMONT WINERIES Cantina Rizzi Gian Piero Marrone Anna Maria Abbona Daniele Pelassa MÉDOC 250 WINES REVIEWS New contributor2016 vintage : Erika MAntovan Critics & reviews by Joanie METIVIER Médoc (Crus Classés, Crus Bourgeois...), Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco...), Bourgogne (Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune...), Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly- oux R Fumé), Champagne, Porto, Germany, Finger Lakes, Canada, Armagnac... 800 WINE & SPIRITS REVIEWS Château Dauzac © P. © P. Château Dauzac + Winemaker’s voice e Château de LMonluc est aujourd’hui le siège d’un important site viticole et le berceau du Pousse Rapière. On y élabore de l’Armagnac, du Floc de Gascogne et des vins de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne. La gamme Aubaines de Goupil est élaborée avec de nouvelles techniques de vinification qui révèlent le potentiel aromatique de chaque cépage. Nos vins sont des assemblages équilibrés et plaisants à boire à tout moment de la journée. The Aubaines de Goupil range is made using new Château de Monluc is today the headquarters of an important winemaking techniques that reveal the aromatic potential viticultural site and the birthplace of Pousse Rapière. It also of each grape variety. Our wines are balanced blends that makes Armagnac, sparkling wines, Floc de Gascogne and are enjoyable to drink at any moment of the day. Pays de Côtes de Gascogne wines. Si vous souhaitez distribuer la marque Monluc n’hésitez pas à nous contacter. If you want to distribute the brand Monluc do not hesitate to contact us. Le Club des Marques SAS CHATEAU DE MONLUC - 32310 SAINT-PUY - FRANCE : (33) 05 62 28 53 51 @FRANCE: [email protected] / @EXPORT: [email protected] L'ABUS D'ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ, CONSOMMEZ AVEC MODÉRATION. ALCOHOL ABUSE IS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR HEALTH, DRINK RESPONSIBLY. It is with great pleasure that I invite you to discover this 2019 Spring edition of VERT- DEVIN magazine. For this issue I chose to explore and to taste wines from France, Por- tugal and Italy. This magazine is the result of exhilarating trips, amazing tastings, discove- ries and fabulous meetings ! So in the first part of the magazine you will meet great winemakers from Bordeaux, Champagne, Portugal, Pied- Brunnbauer Photo Johannes mont, Tuscany, Armagnac and discover a few beautiful Châteaux and Domaines. Concerning the second part: As you already know, from the previous issue I’m no longer the only one to write for the magazine. In the previous issue I introduced you Joanie Metivier, a talented Canadian sommelier & journalist well known thanks her blog and Instagram. In this issue she’ll take you to Canada and the Finger Lakes. In pages 20 and21 you’ll also be able to read her first wine reviews for Vertdevin. In this and from this issue you’ll also have the chance to discover a new contributor of the magazine, Erika Mantovan, a talented Italian journalist & sommelier. From this issue she will write also for Vertdevin Maga- zine. Discover these articles on pages 22 and 23. For the third part, and after all these passionate interviews enjoy a buying guide made to suggest good values for wines and also for spirits. Following that, in the fourth part, you will tickle your taste buds finding more than 800 wine & spirits reviews about: Médoc (Cru Classé, Cru Bourgeois…), Bourgogne (Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits), Loire (San- cerre, Pouilly Fumé), Champagne (Vintage, Extra-Brut, Rosé), Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco, Barberad’Alba…), Porto (30 & 40 Years Old Tawny), Germany and Armagnac (vintage)… Enjoy interviews and read with delicacy the Wine & Spirits reviews section. Jonathan Choukroun Chicheportiche Come to discover Wines & Spirits from all over the world, a selection by Vertdevin. This tasting is exclusively reserved to professionals and wine collectors. Wednesday, 15 May 2019, from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm Espace Chapeau Rouge, 9 Cours du Chapeau-Rouge, 33000 Bordeaux (France) Informations & registration: www.vertdevin.com/en/tasting Spring 2019 - International edition Interviews Wine & spirits reviews Italian Piedmont Médoc Crus Classés Anna Maria Abbona ....................... 4 Haut-Médoc Crus Classés ...................... 31 Cantina Rizzi ............................ 5 Margaux Crus Classés ...................... 31-32 Saint-Julien Crus Classés ....................... 33 Gian Piero Marrone ........................ 6 Pauillac Crus Classés ....................... 34-35 Daniele Pelassa ........................... 7 Saint-Estèphe Crus Classés ..................... 36 Tuscany Médoc Crus Bourgeois Fattoria La Ripa ........................... 9 Haut-Médoc Crus Bourgeois ................. 38-40 Margaux Crus Bourgeois .................... 40-41 Champagne Pauillac Crus Bourgeois ........................ 41 Saint-Estèphe Crus Bourgeois ................. 41-42 Champagne Christian Briard ................ 10 Listrac-Médoc Crus Bourgeois ................... 42 Champagne Michel Gonet .................. 11 Moulis-en-Médoc Crus Bourgeois. 42-43 Médoc Crus Bourgeois ...................... 43-48 Portugal Christie’s Port & Douro wines ............... 13 Médoc Haut-Médoc ............................. 48-51 Bordeaux Margaux ................................ 51-52 Saint-Julien ................................. 53 Château Dauzac ......................... 14 Pauillac ................................. 53-54 Château Prieuré-Lichine .................... 15 Saint-Estèphe ............................ 54-55 Listrac-Médoc ............................... 56 Armagnac Moulis-en-Médoc ......................... 56-57 Domaine de la Tuilerie ..................... 17 Médoc ................................. 57-60 Blancs du Médoc ............................ 62 Winemakers’ Voices .................. 18-19 Champagne Blanc de Blancs ........................... 64-67 Champagne Rosé ............................ 67 Other champagnes ........................ 67-68 Articles by Joanie Metivier Loire Ravines Wine Cellar ...................... 20 Pouilly-fumé ............................. 70-71 Sancerre ................................ 72-74 Canadian Icewines ....................... 21 Bourgogne Côte de Nuits & Hautes Côtes de Nuits ......... 76-82 Côte de Beaune & Hautes Côtes de Beaune ...... 84-92 Articles by Erika Mantovan Italian Piedmont The numbers of Amarone .................. 22 Barbera d’Alba ............................ 94-97 Barbaresco ............................. 97-100 Romagna Sangiovese ...................... 23 Barolo ................................ 100-106 Dolcetto d’Alba ............................. 108 Langhe ............................... 109-111 Other Piedmont wines .................... 111-112 Buying guide Other countries Wines to discover and savor ............. 25-26 Germany .................................. 114 Spirits to discover and savor ................ 27 Finger Lakes by Joanie Metivier .................. 115 3 Okanagan Valley by Joanie Metivier .............. 116 Port Wines ........................... 118-120 Horizontal tasting Rums .................................... 122 Wines to discover : Domaine Solence ......... 29 Armagnac ............................ 123-126 Interview Italian piedmont ANNA MARIA ABBONA A jewel in the heart of the Italian Piedmont nna Maria Abbona is a family owned and operated winery, Your luck ? What do you mean? located in Piemont. Even though the domain as well as A.M.A.: My luck has been the big scandal of methanol, many people Athe vineyard have existed for more than a century the died because of it. At that time there were a lot of industrial wines property was founded only in 1999 by Anna Maria Abbona. In the with less quality but then, many people like journalists in terms of beginning, the property had 3 hectares of vines in production, communication and wine makers, began to work to reach a better the rest being hazelnuts, forests, crops… all the fruit wassold to quality and good prices. This scandal has been the chance to improve cooperatives. Step by step the Anna Maria Abbona Cascina grew the quality of our wines respecting the land and the tradition of the in planted area and also in notoriety. region even if we weren’t yet ready. It tooks us ten years to reach this goal. The first Italian wines that helped the Today Anna Maria and her two sons (Fre- promotion of that change was some simple derico and Lorenzo) manage 20 hectares red wines produced around 1986-1987 by of vineyards planted over 3 different soils. small and qualified wineries. Those were The first one is around the winery and the the themes based on the new trend. When flagship where “my family and me live”. I started making good wines it was hard The second is at the Barolo in the area of to put them on the market with the proper Monforte d’Alba and the third, the last one price (more expensive than I used to do) they recently bought, is in the direction of but fortunately traveling around the world the mountain and the highest one, perfect like Switzerland, Germany, Austria I suc- to make Alta Langa. Indeed, in 2019 they ceeded better compared the local market. will harvest for the first time Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the grapes varieties allowed What is the signature of Anna Maria for the production of sparkling wine in Abbona? Piedmont. A.M.A.: I guess I’ve always been looking for Let’s go to meet Anna Maria, a true, passio- balance among structure and elegance. nate and passionnant winemaker ! In the Dolcetto it’s much more difficult be- cause of its acidity and very copious tan- Why did you make the choice to produce