Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Monday, October 11, 2010
Fine Wines
Supply and Demand: The Reasons for Growth
As a company Aston Lovell concentrates on introducing investors to the benefits of a fine wine holding in general, and of the clarets of Bordeaux in particular. Historically, the clarets have shown the strongest returns of all wines, in the form of capital growth. There are three main factors that make Bordeaux wines the most famous, exclusive and sought after wines in the world.
Weather
Grapes, like all fruits, depend on ideal weather conditions to produce a good crop. France, like England, has erratic and unpredictable weather. A truly magnificent wine can only be produced in ideal weather conditions. From the time the vine starts to bud in late April to the harvest in September or October, every drop of rain, every hour of sunshine and every degree of heat has its eventual effect on the quality and character of the wine. Hence the special uniqueness of each vintage.
The beginning of April sees the start of the year's crop with the first signs of life as the vine buds. Within 10 days of this the leaves have formed. A frost at this time of year would damage the crop thus reducing the total amount of grapes available. It is against the law to protect the vines with coverings, and you will often find the villagers out on a cold spring night using heaters and flame throwers to warm the air and protect the buds.
The vine flowers in early June and must continue to do so for 10-14 days for good grapes to form. Heavy rain at this point in its growth could be fatal to the expected crop.
If the flowers escape the rain and frost, grapes take their place. In August the grapes turn colour to red or translucent yellow. The ripening process will now begin and last for about 100 days. It is during this time that the weather will have its greatest effect on the wine, and will actually change the eventual taste and character of the vintage produced.
A vine left to grow unmanaged would spread across as one acre of land; however the fruit of such a large vine would not produce a great wine. To concentrate all the vine's energy into making a smaller amount of a better quality grape, the vines are regularly cut back almost down to their main stem. In st. Julien (where wines such as Chateaux Beychevelle and Leoville-Barton are made) one vine produces only enough juice for half a bottle of wine. And in the case of Chateau d-Yquem just half a glass.
History has shown that only 3 or 4 vintages out of every decade are worthy of consideration as a Fine Wine holding.
As a company Aston Lovell concentrates on introducing investors to the benefits of a fine wine holding in general, and of the clarets of Bordeaux in particular. Historically, the clarets have shown the strongest returns of all wines, in the form of capital growth. There are three main factors that make Bordeaux wines the most famous, exclusive and sought after wines in the world.
Weather
Grapes, like all fruits, depend on ideal weather conditions to produce a good crop. France, like England, has erratic and unpredictable weather. A truly magnificent wine can only be produced in ideal weather conditions. From the time the vine starts to bud in late April to the harvest in September or October, every drop of rain, every hour of sunshine and every degree of heat has its eventual effect on the quality and character of the wine. Hence the special uniqueness of each vintage.
The beginning of April sees the start of the year's crop with the first signs of life as the vine buds. Within 10 days of this the leaves have formed. A frost at this time of year would damage the crop thus reducing the total amount of grapes available. It is against the law to protect the vines with coverings, and you will often find the villagers out on a cold spring night using heaters and flame throwers to warm the air and protect the buds.
The vine flowers in early June and must continue to do so for 10-14 days for good grapes to form. Heavy rain at this point in its growth could be fatal to the expected crop.
If the flowers escape the rain and frost, grapes take their place. In August the grapes turn colour to red or translucent yellow. The ripening process will now begin and last for about 100 days. It is during this time that the weather will have its greatest effect on the wine, and will actually change the eventual taste and character of the vintage produced.
A vine left to grow unmanaged would spread across as one acre of land; however the fruit of such a large vine would not produce a great wine. To concentrate all the vine's energy into making a smaller amount of a better quality grape, the vines are regularly cut back almost down to their main stem. In st. Julien (where wines such as Chateaux Beychevelle and Leoville-Barton are made) one vine produces only enough juice for half a bottle of wine. And in the case of Chateau d-Yquem just half a glass.
History has shown that only 3 or 4 vintages out of every decade are worthy of consideration as a Fine Wine holding.
Appellation Controlee
A French phrase, which indicates the wine to which it is applied has been produced under the strict supervision of the Institut d' appellations d'Origine, and has been made from grapes grown in a specific area of France. The first appellation, and the foundation of the system, was set up in 1929 in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Since then, by 1936 in fact, the system has been extended throughout France and now covers some 30% of total wine production, including the wines made in Bordeaux.
The Institut d'appellations d'Origin will initially measure and define the area to be included in the particular Appellation and thereafter has authority under French law, reinforced by EEC directives, to regulate the grape varieties that may be planted, the maximum amount of grapes produced, the method of pruning, and often the precise wine-making techniques to be employed.
The main purpose of the system is to maintain and enhance quality, but it is also employed to maintain the special characteristics of the wines in a particular area. Wine produced under the authority of the Institute d'Appellations d'Origine are entitled to display the term, "Appellation Controlee" on the bottle labels as in indication that the content of the wine is of the best quality and from a limited supply.
They also limit the amount of labels each vineyard is allocated to only enough for 177 cases of wine per acre of land, for each vintage. Any wine that may be left over after all the "labelled" bottles are full is sold under a secondary lable, or blended with another wine.
Age and Quality
As soon as the wine is ready to drink stocks start to diminish. Wine good enough to be used as an investment will usually have a life span of 40-49 years, some may last ever longer. An excellent wine will take approximately 5-7 years before it has matured enough to be drinkable, however most connoisseurs will wait until the wine has reached its optimum drinkable level, usually when the wine is approximately 12-18 years old. The wine will then carry on maturing in the bottle getting better and better as the years pass, right up to the end of its life when it will suddenly (in comparison to its life span) "go off". Or, as it is better known in the wine world as, "Over the Hill".
As is commonly known, an increasing demand (due to increasing quality and rarity) together with a decreasing supply (due to consumption) creates the basis for a very successful and stable market.
Aston Lovell, as part of our service, tracks a wine's progress and predicts its maturity and when it will reach the end of its prime drinking life. We organise the holding according to the client's expressed requirements.
A French phrase, which indicates the wine to which it is applied has been produced under the strict supervision of the Institut d' appellations d'Origine, and has been made from grapes grown in a specific area of France. The first appellation, and the foundation of the system, was set up in 1929 in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Since then, by 1936 in fact, the system has been extended throughout France and now covers some 30% of total wine production, including the wines made in Bordeaux.
The Institut d'appellations d'Origin will initially measure and define the area to be included in the particular Appellation and thereafter has authority under French law, reinforced by EEC directives, to regulate the grape varieties that may be planted, the maximum amount of grapes produced, the method of pruning, and often the precise wine-making techniques to be employed.
The main purpose of the system is to maintain and enhance quality, but it is also employed to maintain the special characteristics of the wines in a particular area. Wine produced under the authority of the Institute d'Appellations d'Origine are entitled to display the term, "Appellation Controlee" on the bottle labels as in indication that the content of the wine is of the best quality and from a limited supply.
They also limit the amount of labels each vineyard is allocated to only enough for 177 cases of wine per acre of land, for each vintage. Any wine that may be left over after all the "labelled" bottles are full is sold under a secondary lable, or blended with another wine.
Age and Quality
As soon as the wine is ready to drink stocks start to diminish. Wine good enough to be used as an investment will usually have a life span of 40-49 years, some may last ever longer. An excellent wine will take approximately 5-7 years before it has matured enough to be drinkable, however most connoisseurs will wait until the wine has reached its optimum drinkable level, usually when the wine is approximately 12-18 years old. The wine will then carry on maturing in the bottle getting better and better as the years pass, right up to the end of its life when it will suddenly (in comparison to its life span) "go off". Or, as it is better known in the wine world as, "Over the Hill".
As is commonly known, an increasing demand (due to increasing quality and rarity) together with a decreasing supply (due to consumption) creates the basis for a very successful and stable market.
Aston Lovell, as part of our service, tracks a wine's progress and predicts its maturity and when it will reach the end of its prime drinking life. We organise the holding according to the client's expressed requirements.
A Brief Wine History
The drinking of wine goes back longer than written history. It emerges with civilisation itself from the East.
It was in fact the Romans who brought the first vines to France in about 500BC, and planted in Bordeaux in approximately 50AD. There has been much speculation about the quality of Roman wine which is well documented. It apparently had extraordinary powers of keeping, which suggested that even then it was good. The great vintages were discussed and drunk for longer than seems possible. There are records of a wine made in 121BC being drunk when it was 125 years old.
The most significant move in history was when the Romans took their wines to Gaul. By the time they had withdrawn in the fifth century from what is now France, they had laid the foundations for almost all the greatest vineyards of the modern world. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans were not limited to earthenware and amphora's to store their wines in, they had barrels and bottles not dissimilar to modern containers.
Shakespeare was also a great lover of wine and left some of the most descriptive tasting notes of the 17th century.
Late in the 17th century the cork was discovered. Soon after, it became clear that wine kept in a tightly corked bottle lasted much longer than wine kept in a barrel as it had been, which was likely to go off at any time after the barrel was broached. It was also discovered that wines kept in different sized bottles also aged in a different way, acquiring what is known as bouquet.
The wine trade was booming and Bordeaux wines were being exported all over the world. In fact ships were measured by the number of tonnes of wine they could carry.
In 1855 Napoleon III started the "Fine Wine Index" when he classified a number of wine producing chateaux as belonging to a certain "Growth", numbered 1-5 (1 being the best). He based his decisions on the quality and prices realized by each of the Chateau's wines, over the previous 100 years or so. This 1855 classification has remained the same with just one exception. In 1973 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was promoted from a second growth to a first growth wine, following vigorous lobbying by the Rothschild family itself. Besides this, nothing has been changed.
In fact, the laws Napoleon put in place in 1855 are vigorously upheld today and are controlled by the Institut d'Origine, and enforced by EC directives.
It was in fact the Romans who brought the first vines to France in about 500BC, and planted in Bordeaux in approximately 50AD. There has been much speculation about the quality of Roman wine which is well documented. It apparently had extraordinary powers of keeping, which suggested that even then it was good. The great vintages were discussed and drunk for longer than seems possible. There are records of a wine made in 121BC being drunk when it was 125 years old.
The most significant move in history was when the Romans took their wines to Gaul. By the time they had withdrawn in the fifth century from what is now France, they had laid the foundations for almost all the greatest vineyards of the modern world. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans were not limited to earthenware and amphora's to store their wines in, they had barrels and bottles not dissimilar to modern containers.
Shakespeare was also a great lover of wine and left some of the most descriptive tasting notes of the 17th century.
Late in the 17th century the cork was discovered. Soon after, it became clear that wine kept in a tightly corked bottle lasted much longer than wine kept in a barrel as it had been, which was likely to go off at any time after the barrel was broached. It was also discovered that wines kept in different sized bottles also aged in a different way, acquiring what is known as bouquet.
The wine trade was booming and Bordeaux wines were being exported all over the world. In fact ships were measured by the number of tonnes of wine they could carry.
In 1855 Napoleon III started the "Fine Wine Index" when he classified a number of wine producing chateaux as belonging to a certain "Growth", numbered 1-5 (1 being the best). He based his decisions on the quality and prices realized by each of the Chateau's wines, over the previous 100 years or so. This 1855 classification has remained the same with just one exception. In 1973 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was promoted from a second growth to a first growth wine, following vigorous lobbying by the Rothschild family itself. Besides this, nothing has been changed.
In fact, the laws Napoleon put in place in 1855 are vigorously upheld today and are controlled by the Institut d'Origine, and enforced by EC directives.
Labels: civilisation, drunk, France, Napoleon, Romans, vineyard, Western Cape wine
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