Par Corinne Conroy,
jeudi 23 décembre 2010 à 17:49 ::Accueil
Rencontre étonnante avec un amateur chinois qui nous a été présenté par Monsieur François Zhang, traducteur du livre sur la Classification de 1855 et qui nous a apporté deux beaux ouvrages anciens qu'il nous a demandé de signer pour une vente aux enchères. Nous y avons découvert, par exemple, l'histoire de Branne avec deux 'n', ou encore de notre voisin, Brown-Cantenac - dans le désordre- , sans compter une photo du château Boyd-Cantenac qui était en fait celle de ...Brane! Amusant de voir que les informations à l'époque étaient parfois fantaisistes!
Par Mary,
jeudi 23 décembre 2010 à 14:25 ::Accueil
We recently had a rather astonishing visit with a Chinese connoisseur who was introduced to us by Mr. François Zhang, translator of the book on the 1855 Classification, and who brought us two ancient books that he asked us to sign for an auction.In these books for example, we learned about Branne's history with two 'n's, and about our neighbor, Brown-Cantenac – all mixed together – not to mention a photo of Château Boyd-Cantenac which in fact was one of….Brane!So funny to see how information at the time could be rather fanciful!
Par Mary,
lundi 20 décembre 2010 à 09:16 ::Accueil
For the second year in a row, we've started our Grandes Ecoles cycle, 2010-2011 edition.
I started with MINES ParisTech in Paris on Tuesday, December 7, where a group of very attentive and eager young connoisseurs tasted 6 different vintages of our wines. The tasting was followed by a fun cocktail where I was able to talk in private with the club’s members.
This year, a vertical tasting of Brane with some of the LA PASSION DU VIN website's bloggers was added to the Grandes Ecoles cycle. We met at the Parisian restaurant L’Ardoise where we had the pleasure of tasting 2007 to 2001 wines, then a magnificent 1983 and a 1970. It provided an excellent overview of each wine and vintage's characteristics and was a moment of relaxation and sharing with everyone, despite the impressive snowfall we experienced during the day!
Then on the last day, at the ENSTA tower in Paris in front of a very enthusiastic audience, we had the pleasure of inaugurating their very first tasting session!
It was a very busy week, and it closed the first part of this annual tour of schools.
今年的大学校巡展加进一个项目：与LA PASSION DU VIN网站部分博主的布莱恩垂直品酒会。地点在巴黎L’Ardoise餐厅，在那里我们愉快地品尝了2001至2007年份酒，之后是一款美妙的1983年份酒和一款1970年份酒。尽管这一天大雪肆虐，我们很好地概览了这些酒及年份的特征，度过了放松与分享的美好时光！！
Par Corinne Conroy,
mardi 14 décembre 2010 à 11:11 ::Accueil
"Quand la Chine s'éveillera ...le monde tremblera" avait dit en son temps Napoléon 1er... Il avait raison. L'écrivain et homme politique Alain Peyrefitte, dans les années 70, l'avait lui aussi prédit !
La Chine s'est belle et bien éveillée ... nous ne savons si nous tremblons, mais, en matière de vin, les Chinois se sont réveillés et ils apprennent très vite! Les chiffres parlent d'eux mêmes. En 2013, la consommation de vin en Chine (du rouge, surtout) devrait atteindre 1,26 milliard de bouteilles, selon les prévisions d’un institut de recherches lié au salon bisannuel bordelais VinEXpo. Des projections reprises avec euphorie par la version en ligne du Quotidien du Peuple qui annonce, ivre de joie: «La Chine pourrait devenir le 7 ème marché mondial pour les importations de vin d’ici 2013». Actuellement, dans ce classement, la Chine occupe la 9 ème place. En théorie, cela signifie que chaque Chinois consommerait en moyenne une bouteille de vin par an ! Dans la pratique, c’est une autre paire de manches puisque le marché chinois du vin, compte tenu de la progression actuelle de la classe moyenne et des habitudes de consommation, représenterait 200 millions d’acheteurs potentiels. La Chine absorberait alors près de 16 % de la production mondiale de vin. Et le vin de Bordeaux s'y trouve en excellente position!!! "La moitié des exportations de l’Aquitaine, c’est du vin vendu en Chine" disait récemment Alain Juppé.
Dégustation à Pékin, plus de 1500 personnes, même chose à Shanghaï ... quand à Canton...2500 entrées ont été enregistrées... Séoul, Tokyo , deux grandes destinations, sont elles aussi sorties de la crise et les clients étaient bien au rendez-vous pour déguster le 2007. Les japonais restent tout de même parmi les 10 premiers pays importateurs de vin et sont les premiers consommateurs de vin par personne et par an en Asie. L'effet millésime a relativement peu d'importance dans cette région du monde, ce qui compte surtout c'est l'image de marque et la réputation des crus et des grands vins de Bordeaux en général.
Par Mary,
mardi 14 décembre 2010 à 10:21 ::Accueil
Napoleon once said of China, “Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” He was right. The writer and politician Alain Peyrefitte also predicted it in the 1970s!
China is indeed awake… we don’t know if we’re shaking but, in the field of wine, the Chinese have awoken and are learning very quickly! The figures speak for themselves. In 2013, wine consumption in China (mostly red) should reach 1.26 billion bottles, according to the forecasts of a research institute related to Bordeaux’s biennial trade show VinExpo. These predictions were brandished by the online version of Le Quotidien du Peuple which announced, drunken with joy: “China could become the world’s no. 7 market for wine imports by the year 2013.” Presently, China is in 9th position. In theory, this means that on average, every Chinese person would drink one bottle of wine per year! In practice, it’s a whole other story since the Chinese wine market, given the current rise of the middle class and changes in consumption habits, represents 200 million potential buyers. China would then absorb nearly 16% of the world’s wine production. And Bordeaux wine is excellently positioned there! “Half of the Aquitaine region’s exports are wines sold to China,” Alain Juppé recently affirmed.
There was a tasting in Beijing - more than 1,500 people. Same thing in Shanghai. As for Canton...2,500 admissions were recorded. Seoul and Tokyo are two major destinations that have also recovered from the crisis, and customers were ready and willing to taste the 2007. The Japanese are still among the 10 leading wine importing countries and consume the most wine per person and per year in Asia. The vintage effect is of little importance in this region of the world. What counts the most is brand image and the reputation of wines and great Bordeaux wines in general.
Every year, we discover the dazzling progress made by our Chinese customers…just a few years ago, they were reluctant to spit, preferring to drink…which, after a few glasses, invariably led to a few minor concerns of inebriation and kept them from discovering all the wines. They asked relatively few questions and were content with making comments about their opinion of such or such a wine, taking care to ask for a business card and offering one in return. Wine attracted all sorts of greed and they were lured by opportunities to get a good deal. In China, trading is highly developed and you don't need to be a wine-making expert to launch into the trading of Bordeaux and wine sales throughout the country. An opportunity like any other…as long as there was money to be earned, everything was good, connoisseur of fine wine or not. Today, things are a bit more serious!
As the years are passing by and relations between importers and Bordeaux merchants are developing, everything is starting to change and move in the right direction. First of all, buyers have learned to 'taste.' They try wines that interest them, taking care to spit and empty their glasses before moving on to the next one. They ask many questions, including about grape varieties. They know what they like and what they don’t like, and tend to prefer fruity and less powerful or tannic wines. The Margaux appellation is a great favorite among red wines! And Brane is highly appreciated, by virtue of its aromatic qualities and its flavors of red and black fruits and flowers, but also for its suppleness, elegance and freshness. Funny - the typical comment heard from the Chinese when they taste it is that it is ‘soft’!
The Chinese are increasingly interested in the 1855 Classification. It’s clear that they fight over the ‘First Growths’ and would kill for a Lafite or even a Carruade De Lafite. But they’ve understood that production of these very great wines is highly limited and that their price, which is extremely high, means that not all of their customers can buy them. They’re starting to become interested in the second, third and fourth crus classés, in decreasing order, naturally preferring the most renowned and prestigious labels. Thanks to its golden label, Brane is lucky to evoke luxury and quality at a first glance. Its new packaging, with the black and gold seal, has helped strengthen this idea of a luxury product, like a very up-market perfume or cognac. They love it!
There remains, however, a serious problem we need to resolve: the name of our neighbor, Château Cantenac-Brown, is pronounced almost the same as Brane-Cantenac. And although it is only a third growth, it speaks to our Chinese customers! They have a hard time pronouncing the two names since Brane and Brown are written the same in Chinese, and they sometimes confuse the labels, even though ours (older than Brown's) is unique and more legible.
We are currently working on a project in order to allow the Chinese market to remember Brane much more easily and systematically. To that end, in Beijing, thanks to our interpreter Ema Vallat Wang, we met an artist and calligrapher who examined the question and made a very attractive proposal, which we’ll tell you about when the time comes! Mr. Yang - also known by the name of Muoren, the great calligrapher, photographer and founder of the Chinese Calligraphy Association with the famous Liu Bingsen, Fan Zeng and Su Shishu in 1980. During the cultural revolution and unfortunately still long after, calligraphy was banned from traditional life in China and its artists were sent to camp to be 're-educated' or...simply eliminated. Mr. Yang decided to popularize the art of calligraphy again and spared no efforts so that it would be restored to the educational system. He now has 100 followers who are endeavoring to promote this ancestral art among young people through the modern media (TV programs, etc.) and to make it part of mass culture once again. Since 1985, he has published 43 books and sold 15 million copies.
For those of you who are particularly interested in this art form, a fascinating and extremely profound book, “Passagère du Silence,” was released a few years ago by Fabienne Verbier, a French artist who left to discover calligraphy in the depths of China in the mid 1980s (http://www.eurasie.net/webzine/article.php3?id_article=156). It’s a very dense book, and there would be no point in trying to summarize it. A demanding, discreet and intensely moving book. And one of those rare books that linger in the reader’s soul….A book that reveals what China was and what it has become.
As for Seoul and Tokyo, we were thrilled to see that the effects of the severe economic crisis that struck these two countries (huge won depreciation in Korea in particular) are starting to fade and that these two countries’ interest in Bordeaux’s wines has been restored. True to its habits, Korea is still a very big fan of Brane, which for a long time was Bordeaux's number one selling wine with Château Talbot! As for Japan, we have countless fans there, many of whom we met with in the framework of the Union's tasting at the importer Pieroth.
On the whole, it was an extremely time-consuming trip that fortunately included a few wonderful interludes, such as a dinner in Mao's 'Red Capital' restaurant at the back of a hudong, in front of which are parked the official automobiles of Mr. and Mrs. Mao….and the ‘Prince Gong Mansion’ in a rustic garden, in downtown Beijing (more welcoming and less glacial than the Forbidden City!) .
The return from Tokyo was a bit longer than planned due to the frost and snow that totally handicapped the Ile de France region and paralyzed the Roissy airport…we stopped in Toulouse for a few hours, and had to wait on the tarmac to be able to ‘park’ the A380 in its snowy block at Charles de Gaulle. There was no walkway to unload the passengers from the second story, nobody to welcome the French and especially foreign travelers when they got off the plane, no room in any hotels...all that was left was the airport floor to fall asleep on after twenty-four hours of traveling while waiting for the next morning’s flights (most of which were cancelled)! How sweet it was to finally get back home after such adventures!
Captions:
At the ‘Red Capital’ restaurant, the uniform of the Chinese People’s Army is de rigueur…The PrinceGongMansion in downtown Beijing
Wandering merchant in Canton
Canton, fully redecorated and renovated for the 2010 Asian Games
Hotel Shilla’s gardens in Seoul
Roissy is totally still when it snows and freezes...
随着时间的推移，进口商和波尔多酒商关系的发展，一切都开始朝好的方向发展演变。首先，买主们现在学会了“品酒”。他们会品他们感兴趣的酒，仔细吐掉，换品下一款酒之前倒净手中的杯子。他们会提许多问题，包括问葡萄品种。他们知道自己喜欢什么不喜欢什么，更喜欢果香馥郁的，不是十分强劲或较少单宁的。红酒中，原产地命名酒玛歌是人们的大爱！布莱恩酒质芳香，具有红果、黑果及花的香气，柔顺、优雅且清新，因此深受人们的喜爱。很有趣......品尝它的中国人对其典型评价是它很“soft”......柔和！
中国人对1855年的葡萄酒评级越来越感兴趣。显然他们都争夺“一流酒”，为了拉菲Lafite甚或是其副牌酒Carruade de Lafite而宁愿遭受天罚。但是，他们明白，这些名酒的产量极其有限，且价格高昂，不是所有客户都可以消费。自此他们也关注二等，三等及四等的列级酒，关注度按顺序递减，当然，闻名的、享有盛誉的酒标优先考虑。布莱恩凭其镶金酒标，给人第一印象就是奢华和高品质。黑色金色相间的新包装更增强了它奢侈品的概念，像高档香水或白兰地酒一样。中国人特别喜欢！！
因为有霜和雪，从东京回来用时比预期要长，Ile de France地区和戴高乐机场完全瘫痪......戴高乐机场因积雪关闭，在图卢兹停靠了好几个小时，一直在停机坪等待，空客A380只能“停放”在机场，没有栈桥供二层的旅客下机，没有人接待法国旅客尤其外国乘客下飞机，酒店没有空房......二十四个多小时的旅行后，只能在机场的地上睡觉等待第二天早上的航班（大部分已经被取消）！ 这般经历过后回到家的感觉真好！
