Michel Bettane, Thierry Desseauve et Michael Schuster regoûtent les 2006 et finalement... Brane s'en sort vraiment bien! Avec même une petite ligne d'excuses de la part de Michel Bettane pour la mauvaise note qu'il lui avait donné en dégustation primeurs. Merci à vous, cher Michel!

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Michel Bettane, Thierry Desseauve and Michael Shuster re-tasted the 2006 wines and in the end... Brane really defended itself quite well! Michel Bettane even apologized for the low score he had given in the primeurs tasting. Thank you, dear Michel!

Good color, flowery charming nose, excellent overall blance, very nice evolution in bottle, I apologize for misjudging the wine in early samples; classic Margaux style. Supple tannin, almost ready to drink. 16,5 Michel Bettane

Elegant and plentiful wine, with fresh berry aromas, ripe structure, slim body and long length. Classy and pleasant. 16,5 Thierry Desseauve

Ripe and sweet to smell, nicely balanced, rich, fresh middleweight, with a finely dry tannin, not big, but refined and complete, ripe, sweet even and elegant across the palate, and with fine , scented persistence, long and graceful, subtle and complete Margaux; still quite firm but without asperity. Excellent Brane-Cantenac. 2014-2028+ 17

Michel Bettane, Thierry Desseauve 和Michael Schuster 重新品了2006年份酒，结果是...布莱恩名列前茅！Michel Bettane甚至收回他在品2006期货酒时给出的差评并为此表示小小的歉意。要不人说没有不变的真理。谢谢您Michel！

颜色正，花香宜人，综合平衡度极佳，在瓶中的演变非常好，我为我再早期品该酒时作出的错误评论致歉，是玛歌的经典风格。单宁柔和，马上就到最佳饮用期了。16,5 Michel Bettane

优雅饱满的一款酒，带新鲜莓果的香味，成熟结构，细长酒体，余味悠长。经典宜人。16,5 Thierry Desseauve

成熟带甜香，非常平衡，丰富，清新中度浓重，干而细腻的单宁，不过度，细致复杂，成熟，回甘，过下颚后仍留优雅感，香味犹存，回味悠长，美妙，是微妙和复杂的玛歌，且坚定但不粗糙，使款绝佳的布莱恩•康特纳。最佳饮期2014-2028+ 17

Le site LA PASSION DU VIN http://lapassionduvin.com/phorum/read.php?3,1375,510397#msg-510397 retient notre attention depuis plusieurs mois et mêmes années...

Toujours curieux de connaître les opinions des amateurs autant que celles des professionnels, nous suivons régulièrement les discussions sur leur forum...discussions parfois très animées (limite agressives même, de temps en temps...).

Voici deux commentaires de dégustation récents, l'un sur le Brane 2000 et l'autre le Brane 2002 que nous avons trouvés non seulement positifs et bien écrits mais en parfait accord avec ce que nous pensons de ces vins en ce moment et de leur évolution. Merci à ces dégustateurs avertis et bravo pour leurs palais très 'afutés'!

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We've had our eyes on the website LA PASSION DU VIN http://lapassionduvin.com/phorum/read.php?3,1375,510397#msg-510397 for several months and even years now.

Always curious to read connoisseur and professional opinions, we regularly monitor the discussions on their forum - discussions which, at times, are quite lively (almost aggressive even).

Here are two comments from recent tastings – one about Brane 2000 and the other about Brane 2002 - that we found to be not only positive and well written but also in perfect harmony with what we think of these wines and their evolution at the moment. Thanks to these knowledgeable tasters and three cheers for their sharp palates!

Monday November 15, 2010 16:55:30

“Here are my tasting notes on Brane-Cantenac 2002: The nose is fine. It evokes small fruits and flowers (violets, and almost a hint of roses). It remains slightly oaky but elegant (cedar). I also smell a slight smoky touch and a note of menthol/eucalyptus that is refreshing overall. It is complex and elegant. The mouth is in unison, with refined tannins, fruit that is starting to evolve, a sapid and lacy middlemouth and a floral/precious wood finish that has a pleasant effect. As a whole it evokes a subtle and ethereal wine. I like this bottle very much. The next day, the wine had held well. Simply recorked, it didn’t move an inch. Hand's down, a great success." Zapata

Sunday November 14, 2010 21:04:36

"Brane - Cantenac 2000: Bottle tasted with roast duck and mushrooms, and I admit I was captivated by it. When it is opened, the tannins are slightly rough, but after 2 hours in a carafe, they have blended in and become smooth. In terms of aromas, we have ripe fruits with blackcurrant and black fruits, with notes of cedar and roasting that have a fine effect. The nose has freshness and a lot of class.

In the mouth, the velvety texture is truly pleasant. The structure is built upon these velvety tannins that impart a superb length by conveying flavor. It’s crisp! I really like this bottle, which means a lot from a Burgundy enthusiast!" Didier

CHATEAU BRANE-CANTENAC 2000 IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN A LUXURY BOX MADE OF SAPELE WOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT LAVINIA! www.lavinia.com

长时间以来我们一直都在关注LA PASSION DU VIN http://lapassionduvin.com/phorum/read.php?3,1375,510397#msg-510397 这个网站… 业余爱好者和专业人士的评论对我们来说永远都非常有价值，所以我们经常看他们论坛上的讨论...非常生动的讨论（有时甚至有些激进…）

这里是最近两条对布莱恩2000和2002的品酒评论，这不仅是两条正面的评论，更重要的是这两条评论恰如其份地表现了这两款酒目前的演变特征。感谢这些严谨的品酒人士，也为他们的宫殿鼓掌！

周一 2010年11月15日16:55:30 “这是我对布莱恩•康特纳2002年份酒的品后心得：酒香精致，带小果味，花香（紫罗兰和近似玫瑰的香味），有一股优雅的雪松木香。我还嗅到了轻微的薰烤味和一缕薄桉的混合清香。复杂且优雅。口感：精细的单宁非常和谐，开始演变的果味，入口美味留齿，余味带花香和美好的木香。总体来说是款微妙和觉醒的酒。我非常喜欢这瓶。第二天，简单重新塞上木塞的剩余酒保持得仍然非常好，一点都没有变口味。毫无质疑，是款非常成功之酒。” Zapata

周日 2010年11月14日21:04:36 “布莱恩•康特纳2000年份酒：该瓶酒配菌菇烤鸭肉，非常迷人，开瓶是单宁略强劲，醒酒2小时后，单宁变得异常柔滑犹如天鹅绒。酒香以成熟果味为主，如黑加仑和黑色果类味道为主，带松香和美好的焙烧味。该酒香非常清新和高贵。口感：天鹅绒般的丝滑感非常宜人，由这细腻单宁支撑的酒体构架带来的余味极长，非常芬芳。令人着迷！ 我非常喜欢这瓶酒， 虽然我是个勃艮第的忠实爱好者。” Didier

布莱恩•康特纳2000年份酒目前在LAVINA店及其网站www.lavinia.com有精品木礼盒装！

Une semaine un peu difficile mais très intéressante pour notre représentante... levée entre 4H30 et 6 H tous les matins, puis en bus pour l'aéroport, dans l'avion et en dégustation suivie d'un dîner tard dans la nuit tous les jours...

Un programme chargé pour présenter le millésime 2008 dans le cadre de la tournée européenne annuelle de l'Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux et qui s'est terminé en Slovaquie!

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This week was a bit difficult but extremely interesting for our representative...up between 4:30 and 6 every morning, then on the bus to the airport, airplane and tasting followed by dinner late into the night every day...

A busy program to present the 2008 vintage in the framework of the Bordeaux Union des Grands Crus’ annual European tour, which ended in Slovakia!

Brussels, Zurich, Paris…an impressive series of tastings where the 2008 wines were generally positively received although still very, very closed. We insisted on decanting our Brane for the tasters’ pleasure. In Brussels, there was a big turnout in spite of a rather slow start. It was a bit calmer in Zurich and then there was a knowledgeable crowd in Paris...on the whole, it was a success for UGC and especially, we are happy to report, the number of young professionals in each of these cities is on the rise. Enthusiasts, bloggers, Facebook and Twitter friends…social networks work!

There was a lively evening in Brussels, at the Tour & Taxis Royal Depot, where the magazine ‘Vino!’ (Louis Havaux and his son Baudoin) hosted the entire delegation around 400 people for a dinner prepared by the Michelin star (**) chef Yves Mattagne. We enjoyed a sublime menu of poached lobster, served with truffled potatoes mousseline and squab, saffron vadouvan, with hokkaido squash, lemon, chorizo...All followed by a delicious dessert of spiced marinated oranges, on island sorbet.

The Tour & Taxis Depot (named after the Austrian family Thurn und Taxis) deserves a short description of its history. Situated on an immense shut-down industrial site, these depots were restored and rehabilitated to become a forum for events like the ‘Couleur Café Festival’…They are located along the Brussels Canal, just minutes from downtown, and include several buildings made of brick, glass and wrought iron. In some places they resemble a factory or train station. An exceptional décor testifies to the industrial age and the Thurn und Taxis Imperial Post…

In the late 19th century, Belgium (5th leading economy in Europe) sharply increased its commercial trading with the rest of the world, and the semi-marshy site connected the Charleroi Canal to the Wellebroek Canal, Belgium's first train station - Allée Verte - and the former port, not to mention the city boulevards… Ideal! The Royal Depot and its ancillary buildings, as well as the Customs House, were built between 1904 and 1907. They offered imposing facades, covered with brick and blue stone, and the thickness of their walls was impressive…the quality of the buildings and their cellars were therefore perfect for warehousing. The new merchandise station opened on the same grounds, as did the new port for easy loading and unloading of all types of products. As early as 1911, Brussels’ economic life was linked to this place which gave the neighboring districts a new dynamic and great momentum. But in 1987, after the lifting of customs barriers, the development of road transportation, and then the Post’s departure, this now-classified place was neglected… It was Guido Vanderhulst, heritage expert and director of the non-profit association La Fonderie, who recommended transforming this site into a 30-hectare combined zone dedicated to housing, companies, offices and shops. And of course, the 17,000 m2 of former depots were renovated to continuously welcome fairs and trade shows and other cultural events.

These efforts were indeed a success, for there is also a magnificent wine cellar, 'Chai et Bar' - which is very well stocked with, including other wines, Brane and Baron de Brane (!). The cellar belongs to the Bordeaux group Duclot and its director, Mr. Christophe Dufournier, also manages the company's Parisian store. A short visit to the website www.chai-bar.be will give you an idea of the beauty of this innovative and original fine-wine shop, with its 'Tasting Bar,' a calm venue that is open to all lovers of good wines. Every month, you can taste a new selection of 16 wines at the ‘Chai et Bar’ price, served with shaved cheese and deli meats...before deciding what you want to buy! The wines preserve their aromatic freshness and are served at an ideal temperature thanks to the climate-controlled Enomatic system with added nitrogen.

It’s hard to realize, from these pictures that were taken with an iPhone, how beautiful the ‘Tour et Taxis’ site is but….you get the idea of its imposing structure...

In Bratislava, together with the company Fatra Global and the wine merchant Veyret-Latour, we presented our 2008 and 2005. A small market but not a slight one, Slovakia is interested in Bordeaux wines and, every year, a growing number of connoisseurs visit this event, and then the dinner hosted in the Bratislava Castle restaurant by Branislav Urban, owner of Fatra. The tasting was opened by the French Ambassador, his excellence Jean-Marie Bruno, and the Slovakian Foreign Affairs minister, who also participated in the gala dinner that same evening.

A few pictures of the tasting in Bratislava…and of the old city that Branislav showed us on Friday morning, unfortunately a morning of torrential rain! What a shame...

Bratislava by night...

Visit of the city under pelting rain…what a shame!

His excellence the French Ambassador, Mr. Bruno, and Branislav Urban from Fatra Global

Bratislava Castle

At my table, enthusiastic connoisseurs who were delighted to be able to taste all the wines, especially Brane!

The French Ambassador giving his welcome speech

我们的代表辛苦而有趣的一周......每天早上4 :30到6 :00起床，然后坐巴士到机场，坐飞机，品酒，晚上很晚用餐......

波尔多列级酒庄联盟年度2008年份酒欧洲巡回品鉴的日程安排很紧凑，最后一站斯洛伐克！

布鲁塞尔、苏黎世、巴黎......一系列品酒会下来，2008年份酒虽然还非常收敛，仍然受到普遍欢迎。为了品酒人的乐趣，无论如何要把我们的布莱恩醒好酒。在布鲁塞尔，虽然开端较漫长，然而与会人很多；苏黎世，人稍微少些；巴黎，人山人海......总体而言，特级酒庄联盟大获成功，尤其，很高兴看到，各个城市有越来越多的年轻专家。爱好者，博客，Facebook及Twitter的朋友们......社会网络起着作用！

布鲁塞尔夜晚很热闹，在Entrepôts Royaux Tour et Taxis，《Vino！》杂志（Louis Havaux和他的儿子Baudoin）招待了整个代表团约400人，晚宴由米其林二星级厨师Yves Mattagne精心制作。经典菜单：水煮龙虾，配以块菰土豆泥及乳鸽，vadouvan香料藏红花，小南瓜，柠檬，西班牙辣味小香肠...... 最后美味甜点，香料腌制橙子加雪酪。

Les Entrepôts Tour et Taxis（这个名称来自于奥地利 Thurn und Taxis家族）有必要作些说明。坐落于古老而广阔的布鲁塞尔工业旧址上，这些仓库经过修复成为例如'Festival Couleur Café'等的活动聚集地...... 在布鲁塞尔运河沿岸，离市中心几分钟的距离，包含许多砖、玻璃及锻铁建造的建筑。有些地方像个工厂或火车站。装潢很特别，工业时代的见证，最早曾经是Thurn und Taxis的皇家邮政（Poste Impériale）......

19世纪末，比利时（欧洲第五大经济强国）与世界其他国家贸易往来大幅增长。这个位置，半沼泽地，可以连接Charleroi 运河和Willebroek运河，比利时首个火车站-l'Allée Verte-及老港，更遑论城市的林荫大道......太理想了！l'Entrepôt Royal及其附属建筑物以及海关宾馆（l'Hôtel des Douanes）建于1904年至1907年间。外观雄伟，装饰以蓝色石砖，墙砖惊人的厚重......优良的建筑和地下室的质量保证了无忧仓储。新的货物站，以及可以方便装卸各种货物的新港都建于这块场地。自1911年起，布鲁塞尔的经济生活与这个地方紧密相连，这里赋予了邻近街区新的动力，同时也大大刺激自身的发展。但是1987年，随着关税障碍的提高，公路运输的发展，还有邮局的撤走，这个地方从此弃用......遗产专家、la Fonderie ASBL的主任Guido Vanderhulst建议把这块地转化为占地30公顷的住宿、企业、办公及商业混合区。当然，17000m2的老仓库被改建为举办交易会和沙龙以及其他文化活动的场所。

所做的努力没有白费，因为我们在那里发现了很棒的酒窖'Chai et Bar'，其中，布莱恩和布莱恩男爵卖的很好（！）......这个酒窖属于Bordelais Duclot集团，他们的经理Christophe Dufournier先生也负责这个公司在巴黎的店。您可以登陆网站 www.chai-bar.be 一睹这个高品质葡萄酒店的美妙，他们的品酒吧'Tasting Bar'，很幽静并且对所有热爱好酒的人开放，他的店铺也因此新颖别致。每个月可以以'Chai et Bar'的价格品尝新选的16款酒，配以奶酪屑和猪肉屑……先选好要买的酒!这里的酒因为有Enomatic系统在氮气下及空调控制可以保持芳香清新，而且可以在理想温度下饮用。 从这些用i-phone拍下的照片上很难领会到' Tour et Taxis'的美，但是......可以想见它恢弘的结构。

在Bratislava，我们和Fatra Global公司及Veyret-Latour酒商一起，展示我们2008年份和2005年份的酒。斯洛伐克市场不大但并非最不重要，这个国家对波尔多葡萄酒很感兴趣，每年有越来越多的热爱者参加品酒会及随后的晚宴。晚宴在 Château de Bratislava 餐厅，由Fatra 的公司总经理Branislav Urban宴请。法国大使Jean-Marie Bruno和斯洛伐克外事部长为品酒会开幕，他们也出席了当日的晚宴。

一些照片：Bratislava品酒会……及星期五上午Branislav带我们游览的老城。不巧，那天下着瓢泼大雨！真遗憾......

夜晚的Bratislava

倾盆大雨中游览城市......太遗憾了！

杰出的驻斯洛伐克法国大使Bruno先生，和Fatra Global 公司的Branislav Urban先生

我这桌，葡萄酒爱好者非常高兴可以品尝所有葡萄酒，尤其是布莱恩！

Dans le cadre de Margaux Saveurs, nous avons eu le plaisir d’accueillir presque 200 amateurs enthousiastes, de tous âges et de différents horizons.

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On the occasion of Margaux Saveurs, we were pleased to welcome almost 200 enthusiastic connoisseurs, of all ages and from different horizons.

Our afternoon visitors got to enjoy the musical talent of the vocal group Allegro, who entertained us with 16^th and 17^th century drinking songs and their comical lyrics!

Thanks to everyone who came. Here are some pictures of the event.

玛歌美食节之际，我们很高兴接待了近200位不同年龄及不同层面的爱好者。

下午的客人有幸欣赏了Allegro乐队的音乐才华，我们伴随十六及十七世纪歌词有趣的饮酒歌，度过了美好的时光！

感谢大家。这些是活动现场的照片。

Du 19 au 21 novembre le Village viticole de Margaux vous invite à découvrir la dégustation!!

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From November 19 to 21, the wine-growing Village of Margaux invites you to discover tasting!

“Margaux Saveurs” proposes to introduce you to tasting in a fun and attractive format, with numerous games for all ages. The goal: demystify the world of wine, by sharing moments of conviviality with wine-makers, merchants, restaurant owners, hotel owners and everyone else who contributes to Margaux’s dynamism! There will be carefully planned activities to help anyone who is curious about wine understand, discover and experience local products.

Brane, of course, will be part of this fun-filled weekend, and we hope to see you on Friday November 19 and Saturday November 20 for a visit at Brane where we will present “how wood ageing and coopers influence wine.” There will be visits at 10 am, 11:30 am, 2 pm and 3:30 pm on both days. On Saturday at 3:30 pm, the Allegro Vocal Group will sing 16^th and 17^th century drinking songs in our cellars around the themes of wine and love.

 To reserve, sign up on the website http://www.margaux-saveurs.com/ or call us directly at the Château at 05.57.88.83.33.

Still in the context of Margaux Saveurs, Musique Au Coeur du Médoc (MACM), of which Brane is a partner, is organizing a concert followed by a cocktail-tasting at Château Desmirail. The concert will take place on Saturday evening. You will have the pleasure of listening to a concert featuring four-hand piano and two guitars, with Guillaume COPPOLA and France DESNEULIN on piano and the PALISSANDRE duet on guitar. Dance will be the theme: Brahms, Dvorak, de Falla, Granados and Piazzolla.   Reservations: 05 57 88 74 79

11月19日至21日，玛歌葡萄酒村邀请您来体验品尝！！

“玛歌美食节”将通过多种老少皆宜的游戏为您展现有趣而诱人的品酒会。目的：与葡萄种植者、酒商、饭店经营者、酒店经营者及所有感动玛歌的人，在欢乐时光中，揭秘葡萄酒的世界！有精心准备的动画制作以使葡萄酒好奇者理解、发现和感受这个种植区的产品。

当然，布莱恩（Brane）也是这个激情周末的一部分，我们期待您于19日星期五及20日星期六参观布莱恩，届时将为您介绍“橡木培酒与大师傅（tonnelier）对葡萄酒的影响”。这两天的参观开始时间为10 :00，11 :30，14 :00和15 :30。星期六15 :30，Allegro Vocal乐队将为您演绎十六、十七世纪的饮酒歌，地点在我们的酒库，那里的扩音效果会让访客们像其中一首歌中所唱“在酒神（Bacchus）和爱神之间徜徉......”，

预订请网上注册，网址：http://www.margaux-saveurs.com/，或者直接打电话到酒庄，预订电话：05 57 88 83 33

还是届玛歌美食节之际，Musique Au Coeur du Médoc (MACM)，于鸡尾品酒会之后在Château Desmirail组织一场音乐会, 布莱恩是合作伙伴。音乐会于星期六晚上举行。您可以欣赏到一场钢琴四联奏和两首吉他，钢琴由Guillaume COPPOLA和France DESNEULIN演奏，吉他由Le Duo PALISSANDRE演奏。主题是舞蹈的主旋律：Brahms, Dovrak, de Falla, Granados 和 Piazzolla. 预订电话 : 05 57 88 74

Le 13 octobre dernier, nous avons eu le plaisir de recevoir pour la seconde fois, une équipe de TARGET CHINE, le grand magazine de luxe chinois, accompagné par Yoshi Omori de Zhenji, anciennement Chinedge.

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On 13 October, we were honored to host a team from the Chinese luxury magazine TARGET for the second time, together with Yoshi Omori from Zhenji, formerly Chinedge.

Mr. Sam Wong, consultant for upscale restaurants and columnist for Target, Voyages and World Cuisine, was our guest, along with the 'Lifestyle' section editor, Mrs. Tian Li. This year, most of the special edition devoted to Bordeaux wines revolved around Chinese food and wine pairings. Which was absolutely in keeping with the times…as Yoshi and Nathalie Omori had asked the Shan brothers (them again!) to concoct special dishes for Target that would pair perfectly with our wines, like our Brane-Cantenac 2003, whose spicy notes work well with Szechwan cuisine.

We had a lovely time making casual conversation about possible savory pairings between Bordeaux wines and the extremely varied range of flavors in China's 'cuisines,' because like in France, each region has its distinctive, and more or less spicy, style!

去年10月13日，我们第二次接待了由真笈公司（前Chinedge公司）的Yoshi Omori陪同下的中国奢侈品杂志《商品评介Target》的团队.

高档餐厅顾问，《商品评介Target》杂志, 旅行和世界餐饮的专栏作家Sam Wong先生以及生活风尚专栏编辑Tian Li女士是我们的客人。今年，关于波尔多葡萄酒讨论最多的是围绕葡萄酒与中国菜肴的搭配。十分流行......Yoshi和Nathalie Omori还请Shan兄弟（一直是他们！！！）为《商品评介Target》特地精心编制我们葡萄酒的理想搭配佳肴，如l布莱恩•康特纳2003年份酒，有点辛辣，可以搭配川菜。

断断续续讨论了很久关于波尔多葡萄酒与极其丰富多样的中国佳肴可行而美味的搭配，因为，如同在法国，中国每个地区有各自独特的风格......而且或多或少有点辣！

Faisant d'une pierre deux coups, notre représentante s'est rendue dans la capitale russe pour deux belles dégustations, du 26 au 29 octobre.

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Killing two birds with one stone, our representative visited the Russian capital for two impressive tastings, from 26 to 29 October.

On Wednesday 27 October, the Union des Grands Crus tasting was held behind the Gum, on Red Square. It was skilfully organized by Ubi France and was followed by a sumptuous cocktail at the French ambassador's residence in Moscow. The 2008 vintage was presented and was generally appreciated by the Russian professionals in attendance.
Around 1,000 people were expected and apparently this was more or less the number of people who actually showed up. Although still somewhat closed, the 2008, once decanted, had a worthy appearance. Its nose was aromatic and mostly pleasing, and its flavor was well-structured and pleasant, in spite of its closed tannins since the vintage is still too young to express its full potential.

The delegation was then invited to the French embassy’s majestic palace, the Igumnov House, where it was warmly welcomed by the French ambassador, Jean de Gliniasty, and enjoyed a refined and highly original cocktail against the music of a jazz orchestra invited specially for the evening.

It wouldn’t be possible to describe this evening without mentioning the palace and its incredibly splendor, or underlining how privileged we were to be invited. The Igumnov House, which is located in the Zamoskvorechye district, Moscow’s most picturesque historic district, on the other side of the Moskva, is one of the city's most attractive residences and its noteworthy history has been linked to France's history since the 19th century. It sits on one of the city's largest avenues, Bolshaya Yakimanka Street, between the Kremlin and the southwest part of the city, toward the famous city Kazan.

Until 1924, the French embassy was located in Saint Petersburg, in the Pashkov House, which was purchased in 1890 and sold back to the Soviets in 1953. It was therefore when diplomatic relations between the new USSR and France resumed that Moscow became the seat of foreign embassies and the French government started looking for a palace worthy of French prestige. After several moves and transfers, France decided upon the Igumnov House, which had been owned by the family of the same name since 1851. In fact, the family of Nicolay Igumnov, a rich Moscow industrialist, owned a majestic Empire-style residence on this plot. However, highly attached to the ancient Russian architectural style, he wanted to restore the traditions of Ancient Russia, an expression of the Russian soul. In 1888, he therefore decided to raze the Empire residence and build a private Russian-style house. He entrusted the project to Nikolay Pozdeyev, an architect from Yaroslavl, who had solid knowledge of the traditional architectural heritage. It is said that one day, Nikolay Igumnov, when visiting his factories in Yaroslavl, was filled with awe upon seeing two churches and absolutely wanted the architect to design the plans for his future residence.

The house is therefore the capital's finest example of private neo-Russian architecture and the only one whose interior has been more or less preserved. Its architect died shortly after the end of construction, so it's a truly exceptional achievement!

Here are a few pictures (they're not excellent unfortunately, since they were taken with an iPhone) testifying to the beauty (rather ornate perhaps) of this fine architectural complex.

Opposite the embassy, Ivan the Terrible's church

On Thursday 28 October, invited by Barrière Frères and the importer ‘Simple’, Brane took part in two tastings that were majestically organized at Hotel Baltshug Kempinski, on the other side of the Moskva, also right next to Red Square. In an atrium that was decorated specially for the occasion where each table was adorned with a fluorescent cube indicating the names of the properties, Simple entertained its professional clients first then its private clients in the evening with a cocktail. Two vintages of each wine were featured in the tasting: for Brane, a 2007 and a 2001, which both met with modest if not great success…especially the 2007, which is already ready to drink and is absolutely delicious.

Note that ‘Simple’ is a very dynamic importer, which devotes a great deal of energy to training sommeliers through its tasting school and which does an enormous amount of work promoting wines and Bordeaux wines in particular. They also have several fine-wine stores and restaurants. We were particularly well received by Anatoly Korneev, one of the firm's partners and managers.

And for your visual pleasure...Saint Basil's Cathedral!

一石二鸟，10月26日至29日，我们的代表到俄罗斯首都参加了两场品酒会。

27日星期三，列级酒庄联盟品酒会在古姆百货(Gum)后面，红场边上举行，由法国企业国际促进署Ubi France组织，活动组织的很好。之后在莫斯科法国大使馆府第办有豪华酒会。品酒会上品饮的是2008年份酒，总体而言，深受被邀请的俄罗斯葡萄酒专家们的喜爱。

预期参加人数约1000人，实际到场人数与预计大体相符。2008年的酒还很年轻，有些收敛，单宁较重，无法体现其真正“个性”。然而，一经醒酒，便达到较佳状态，气味芳香馥郁，结构很好且口感宜人。

随后，在法国大使馆美轮美奂的宫殿la maison Igoumnov里， 代表团一行受到Jean de Gliniasty大使的热情接待，在为晚会特邀的爵士乐队声中尽享高雅且独出心裁的鸡尾酒会。 不描述这个宫殿及其难以置信的豪华，不强调在这里我们被接待的特权，就难以尽述这个晚会。la maison Igoumnov位于莫斯科最秀丽的历史街区Zamoskvoretche街区，Moscova的另一边，是这座城市最美住宅区之一。我们有必要停留片刻来看看她自19世纪以来与法国有关的历史。她毗邻这个城市最宽的大街之一la Grande Iakimanka大街，位于le Kremlin 和城市西南区之间，朝向著名城市Kazan市。

1924年之前，法国大使馆位于圣彼得堡Pachkov宫（1890年获得，1953年出售给苏联）。当新诞生的苏联和法国重建外交关系时，莫斯科成为法国大使馆所在地。法国政府开始寻找与法国声誉相符的宫殿。经过数次搬迁，选定la maison Igoumnov。此处自1851年以来是Igoumnov家族的府邸。 实际上，莫斯科富有的工业家Nicolaï Igoumnov家族拥有这块地，但当时还是帝国式辉煌建筑。然而，房主特别喜爱古代俄罗斯风格，他希望重建古俄罗斯的传统，俄罗斯灵魂的体现。1888年，他决定拆毁这座帝国式建筑，在此建造俄罗斯式私人别墅。他把这个项目交给了对传统建筑遗产非常了解的Iaroslav建筑师Nikolaï Pozdeiev。历史上说，一天，Nikolaï Igoumnov到Iaroslav参观他的工厂时，为两座教堂而倾倒，希望由其建筑师来负责他未来住宅的项目。

这座宫殿代表了首都新俄罗斯私人建筑的典型，亦是唯一一个内部或多或少得以保存的历史建筑。房屋的建筑师在完工后不久便与世长辞，她也因此而更加特别！

这些照片（可惜效果不是很好，因为是用iphone拍的）见证了这一建筑群的美丽（或许有点过于......）。

28日星期四，应la Maison Barrière Frères 和进口商'Simple'的邀请，布莱恩参加了两场在l'Hotel Baltshug举办的组织得很好的品酒会。位于Moscova另一边，离红场两步远。在特别为此次活动而装饰的前厅，每个桌上放有荧光立方体指示物体的名称，Simple先接待专业客人，然后晚会，以鸡尾酒会招待特别客人。每款酒的两个年份酒用于品酒会：布莱恩是：2007年和2001年份酒，都获得了一定程度上的成功，若不说非常成功......尤其是2007年份酒，已经可以饮用并且十分可口。

“Simple”是一家非常有活力的进口商，他通过他的品酒学校大力培训侍酒师，并为葡萄酒尤其是波尔多酒的推广做了大量工作。他们还拥有众多优质葡萄酒商店和一些餐厅。我们得到了这家公司合伙人及领导人之一Anatoly Korneev的热情接待。