Newsletters
 June, 2011
Dear Customer,
And so to our usual verbiage: our newsletters can be unfashionably verbose, so if you prefer to go straight to a particular topic, the main headings are below.
General
My apologies for not writing to you since April - it has been a very busy time here with sales in the Ardres shop demanding all pairs of hands to help out, plenty of talks to give and some new consultancy business. I am not complaining really!
So, UK tax now stands at a minimum of £2.17 including VAT on each bottle of still wine and £2.78 on each bottle of sparkling wine. It’s no wonder that in Ardres we are constantly being told just how much wine prices have risen in the UK and how at the same time your choice has been narrowed. In France there is (next to) no duty which explains why we can maintain so much better a selection of wines than can be found in the equivalent style of retailing operation in Britain - and why we have found an increasingly large number of British customers coming here to make savings in shopping for decent wine. For us at least, these are very happy times.
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Boursot's Reduced Cross Channel Fares
As a Boursot’s Wine Collection customer you should take advantage of our special arrangement with SeaFrance whereby you can get a special day return crossing fare for just £25 for your car and all passengers Sundays to Fridays, or £29 on Saturdays.
In addition, SeaFrance is offering you a 36 hour return of £35 (£40 for Saturdays) as a Boursot customer.
These savings over SeaFrance’s normal prices are only available to you as a registered member of our database, and are not visible on our website. You can book at these special rates directly on this link. If you lose this link, you can also go to www.seafrance.com and in the Offer Code panel, enter the word Boursot.
In addition if you spend more than 600€ with us, we will be happy to reimburse your day return fare booked through SeaFrance, so please remember to bring along your receipt.
In case you didn’t know it already, we should also point out that Tesco clubcard points can be exchanged for Eurotunnel tickets.
SeaFrance
I have it on good authority that SeaFrance’s ownership is being retained by the French government, subject to final approval by Brussels. However, some of the other cross channel operators are complaining that SeaFrance would be receiving unfair treatment and it is these complaints that have slowed down the decision!
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Boursot's Hotel Offer
As you may know, we have a list of local hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, golf clubs and places of interest on our website under the Local Info button from our Home Page - or directly here. We hope you will find this helpful. We hope you will find this helpful. Whilst talking about Local Info, we also list the Bank Holidays so that you do not find, on getting here, that everything is closed (except Boursot’s Wine Collection of course which remains open every day except Sundays and Mondays).
It is probably true to say that about three or four years ago, the 4 star Hôtel Château Tilques between here and Saint-Omer, was overly crowded with partying Brits and the consequence of that was that the hotel’s quality and value seemed to slip.
Now, things are very different as those of you who have been to our Gourmet Evenings there can testify, and we have no hesitation in recommending the hotel and its restaurant. The food is great, the service is impeccable and the bedrooms are characterful, light and spacious. With its idyllic setting, and proximity to the bustling and pretty town of Saint-Omer with its historic cathedral, I can’t think of a much better combination for an easy and tranquil getaway for a night or two.
As a Boursot’s Wine Collection customer, through 2011 you will continue to receive reduced rates of 129€ per room Sundays to Fridays and 159€ for Saturday nights; these prices are per night for two people, including breakfast and are of course offered subject to availability. When booking, please mention Boursot to get your special rates.
Also between Monday and Friday, if you’d like to eat in the Brasserie du Parc, Château Tilques’ attractive conservatory, you will be offered a free kir - again, provided that you mention Boursot’s Wine Collection!
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Your Own Events in France
You may know it already but we are often asked to help organise various social events - for groups such as Golf Clubs, Rotary Clubs, U3A, Wine Clubs, Car Clubs, birthday parties, office parties, pre-wedding parties etc.
Typically, we would discuss your desired objectives for your event and then work backwards from there. We can liaise on your behalf with local restaurants and if required, hotels. Being locals, often we are allowed to provide our wines in restaurants at our shop prices and with no cost of "corkage" to you.
Depending on whether you would like it, I can talk a little about the various wines being served, probably concluding with some entertaining words about what’s going on in the World of Wine. These events are always fun and they are different: with only 23 miles across that English Channel, but a million miles away in cultural terms, people always seem delighted to get away for a complete change of scenery and for a bit of French life.
With our advantageous deals with SeaFrance as well as with local restaurants and hotels, you can really entertain your guests here in northern France at extraordinary value.
In addition of course, I am happy to travel to you to present wine related events to your groups or dinners.
Do please contact me by phone or on guy@boursot.com to explore your options.
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Forthcoming Boursot Events
All our lunches and dinners are of course held in English. Vegetarian and alternative food options can also be provided, as long as we receive notice at the time of booking. Please contact us on ardres@boursot.co.uk or on +33 321 36 81 46 to book for any of our events below. If a guest speaker is unable to attend, we will endeavour to find another speaker and if none is available, Guy Boursot will present the talk.
Boursot’s Wine Collection is usually open on the Sunday morning after a Saturday night dinner.
Sunday 10th July: Mid-Summer Lunch at the Moulin d’Audenfort presented by Guy Boursot
Our mid-summer "do" is on Sunday 10th July - an informal four course lunch at the waterside mill hotel Le Moulin at Audenfort just outside Licques, 10 minutes from Ardres. As usual we will start with a bubbly reception and then move on to five wines with our lunch. We have just a few places remaining.
I will be talking about the wines as well as about what is going on generally in the world of wine at the moment. Tickets for the lunch will be 49€ (about £43 at today’s rate) and accommodation at around 55€ per room is available. It’s a good inexpensive day or weekend away. And it will be fun.
Saturday 24th September: Dinner at the Restaurant de la Plage, Boulogne: "39 Years and Not Out" presented by Guy Boursot
We were particularly struck recently by the excellent quality of this restaurant on the sea front in Boulogne. The quality of the cuisine was one of the finest we have enjoyed in a long time and we felt that it would be good to pass on this good experience to you.
However, there is limited capacity for only 35 in the restaurant’s private room so we recommend you book early for this dinner. With luck we’ll have fine weather and thereby enjoy the sunset over the sea, whilst having some wonderful wines to accompany the restaurant’s great food.
Tonight I will be talking about the changes in the wine world over the last 39 years, since I joined Berry Bros & Rudd Ltd in London in 1972. Tonight I will be talking about some of the trends that came and went as well as those that lasted, recounting some of my many anecdotes and experiences in the wine trade over all these years.
I believe you should enjoy a delightful evening of four courses of excellent cuisine, wonderful wines and entertainment and for all this the price will be 78€ per head (about £69 at today’s rate).
Saturday 15th October: Boursot’s Anniversary Weekend
Our Anniversary event this year will be something of a food and wine extravaganza. On the Saturday afternoon in the Ardres shop, we will be hosting a wine tasting of several of our new discoveries that we would like to share with you. There will also be a Cheese and Chocolate Tasting in our underground vaulted cellar and ... as if that were not enough, there will be an organised visit to Ardres’ best boulangerie where the owners will explain and demonstrate how their various different breads are made. You may be tempted to walk out with a warm baguette!
That evening, our Gourmet Dinner will be held at the Hotel Atlantic on the seafront in Wimereux, 30 minutes to the west of Ardres. The hotel is a favourite gastronomic destination for those wishing to escape and spend a relaxing weekend on the French seafront.
Anniversary Dinner at the Hotel Atlantic, Wimereux
Last year, our dinner with journalist and broadcaster Simon Hoggart was sold out, and I am delighted that he has agreed to be our guest speaker again this year. Simon will probably be well known to you as the Guardian’s political sketch writer as well as the wine columnist for The Spectator. In addition of course he was for 13 years the chairman of BBC Radio 4’s comedy show "The News Quiz".
I am sure that Simon Hoggart needs no further introduction but in case you should be wavering, you can be assured of a highly entertaining evening and we recommend that you book as soon as possible.
Tickets for this Gourmet Dinner will be, as last year, 96€ (around £85) per person to include a champagne reception, four course dinner and five more wines. And of course all entertainment - and there should be plenty of that!
Saturday 19 November: Riesling and Gewürztraminer - are these the greatest and most original grape varieties in the wine world? Presented by Nicolas Faller from Ribeauvillé.
Our speaker will be Nicolas Faller from the family house of Robert Faller & Fils in the picturesque town of Ribeauvillé in Alsace. The house was founded in 1697 and the business as propriétaire-viticulteur has been passed down from father to son to this day. Faller has several valuable hectares of Grand Cru vineyards dotted around Ribeauvillé, growing primarily Riesling and Gewürztraminer grapes. This is a top quality producer.
The Riesling grape in particular has of late been enjoying a renaissance among aficionados for its different and distinctive style. We will be enjoying Rieslings and Gewürztraminers from simple to Grand Cru and Vendange Tardive wines.
More details and the price of the dinner will be published in the next newsletter. The venue is still to be established but we are happy to take your reservations for this exciting evening now.
Sunday 11th December: Christmas Market Lunch at Restaurant La Griotte, Ardres
Our Christmas Lunch is a fun highlight of the year. This year we shall be eating at the Restaurant La Griotte on the green in Ardres where Madame Dacheville cooks very good uncomplicated food. We are taking over the entire restaurant.
That morning, from 10am, the annual Turkey Festival will be held about 20 minutes away in the village of Licques, and then I suggest you come to the lunch and then "do" the Ardres Christmas Market in the afternoon, by which time our spirits and the general atmosphere will have warmed up! Père Noël is normally to be found abseiling down the church spire at around 6pm.
The lunch comprises four courses and six wines at a price of just 55€ (around £49) per person all-inclusive. It is an inexpensive fun day out and accommodation can of course be arranged for you in and around Ardres, should you wish to stay over.
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News in the World of Wine
You often ask me as a wine writer and presenter to tell you my thoughts about what appears to be happening in the global wine market.
Since our last newsletter in April, you may well have heard some of the media steam about the 2010 harvest in Bordeaux, the world’s biggest source of red wine for investment. Journalists and merchants from all over the world descended on Bordeaux in April to taste the infant grape juice and initial opinions on the quality of the young red wines were published in the media. Since then, some producers have announced their opening prices, offering their first tranches of their 2010s to the world through their "négociants" or brokers. Curiously if you were to arrive at the door of any major château and you asked to buy its wine, you would be told that there was none to sell, as it has already been fully allocated to the brokers.
Daily I am receiving offers of the 2010s from the Bordeaux négociants, but this year’s "en primeur" campaign seems to have been particularly prolonged as the château owners have been holding back, determining the true demand before setting their prices! The "great" names have only just begun to release and wow, what price increases we are seeing: +20%, +40% on the excellent but different 2009s. Some journalists say that this game-playing could spell the demise of the Bordeaux system, but I fear that the Bordelais will achieve everything they set out to: they are masters of marketing and, dare I say it, manipulating opinions. Hypothetically the new emerging markets could take everything on offer, leaving nothing for Europe, and the Bordelais would still be smiling. The prices are crazy this year and I for one cannot see many of us enjoying the 2010 claret of one of the top 200 (1855 classified) châteaux in a few years’ time - they will simply be too expensive.
Wine has become a trading commodity and while other financial markets have had more downs than ups recently, fine vintage red Bordeaux continues to perform well, and even more so now that several new markets have emerged. The "new rich" especially in Asia are thirsting for great names, either to keep, as an investment, to have on their tables or, even, to drink (albeit that it might then be mixed with Coca-Cola)!
The unique Bordeaux "en primeur" system has existed for many years now, although perhaps its potential profiteering will be seen to be more blatant this year. The "great" 2009 harvest produced such a strong global demand, from the classic markets of Europe across to the fast-rising market in Asia, that given another opportunity in 2010, all but the lowliest châteaux appear to be jumping on the bandwagon this year. It can, after all, offer the producers great cashflow in a capital intensive business and in which, as you will read in a moment, Mother Nature can still wreak havoc.
Looking at the reds from the 2010 harvest, the quality is certainly very good but is a little more erratic than 2009, especially in the right bank areas of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. June was wet (so, what’s new?) and was followed by consistent, cool weather through to September.
The Cabernets in particular seem to be rich in fruit and tannin (the natural preservative that gives an astringent dryness in the mouth when the wine is young) but they also have high levels of acidity, meaning that these clarets have a freshness and should develop into long-lived wines - probably longer than the rounder 2009s. To have had two "great" years back to back, is unusual but of course this should prove lucrative to the Bordelais looking to fuel the burgeoning Asian demand.
While on the subject of Bordeaux, look out for some excellent whites from 2010 - both crisp dry whites from areas such as Entre Deux Mers and rich sweet wines from areas such as Loupiac and Sauternes. And these continue to be at good value.
Meteorologically, the recent months have produced some interesting extremes. In most areas of France, the vines have been three to four weeks ahead of normal for all the same reasons that we have experienced in the north! But there has been severe hail damage in areas such as southern Bordeaux (yes this, too, is bound to have an adverse effect on prices) and also notably in Corbières where 1,000 hectares of vines are now not expected to produce any fruit until 2013.
Oddbins has of course gone now and there have been several recriminations flying around the trade, the company having left £21 million in debts. Much of the empire of shops has been sold off, further fragmenting the retail wine trade in Britain. As a result of these debts, many wine and spirit retailers in the UK will find it even more difficult to get extended trading terms, and I have heard several producers voicing that they would rather operate in new markets such as Asia, where they feel they can remain more profitable.
In Madeira, 200 years after its arrival on the island, the Blandy family has bought back control of The Madeira Wine Company which produces brands such as Blandy’s, Cossart Gordon and Leacock. The previous majority shareholder, the Symington family, will keep a minority stake in the company while looking to further develop its own Port houses: Dow, Graham, Warre and recently acquired Cockburn.
For the first time in the history of French mainland viticulture, Sangiovese vines from Italy are being planted in the Hérault region of the Languedoc. This seems to be a development that will suit all parties: for the Italians as domestic demand for new Sangiovese vines has decreased substantially; for the French as the Sangiovese vine works well in arid conditions and should produce interesting new flavours for the south of France.
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Boursot's New List
You can always see our latest list on this link and if you would like to print it, it's available on this link. There are many exciting wines on this list and when next you come to Ardres, we encourage you to ask about some of our new wines. Often they are available for you to try.
The deliciously balanced 70% Chenin Blanc/30% Chardonnay Château Marie du Fou from the Vendée is back with its 2010. We still have a good range of red Bordeaux at what may soon turn out to be incredibly reasonable prices; good Burgundies from all over the region; and an excellent grower’s Grand Cru champagne from Marguet - all at incredibly reasonable prices.
Three new wines that are worthy of highlighting this month are those from Domaine Jean Royer in the southern Rhone village of Châteauneuf du Pape. We have bought three exceptional wines from here - a delicious 2008 red Châteauneuf which tastes of smooth, rich and spicy flavours (and at 17,90€ - under £16 - it’s less expensive than so many other wines from this famous village); a 2010 white Châteauneuf which, whilst still young, is showing exotic dry fruit flavours that make it good to drink with light summery food. And then there is an extra-ordinary wine, Le Petit Roy, which is classified as a table wine because it is made just outside the official Châteauneuf appellation and therefore does not have the right to call itself anything more than a Vin de Table. But it has been made by a superb winemaker in the same manner as one of his top wines, so you can serve it with absolute confidence. At 9,80€ (about £8.70) it is not cheap, but as soon as you put your nose to the glass, you can tell that this is no ordinary wine: soft, rich and juicily fruity. Excuse me going on, but it’s one of my favourites of the moment - and those that I have shown it to, have immediately asked me to reserve them further stocks!
I talked some months ago about our starting with a new grower in Champagne this Spring. This has now come to fruit and I am pleased to announce that we are working with Benoit Marguet, the current generation of Champagne Marguet, Grand Cru - a fine producer in the village of Ambonnay. Apart from Benoit’s evident personality, he is a great winemaker and we are stocking a selection of his fine Grand Cru champagnes at some incredibly reasonable prices. If you enjoy a "biscuity" style of champagne, then Champagne Marguet is for you. Just compare our prices against those found in the UK and you will fully understand what I’m talking about! I am hoping that Benoit will be hosting one of our wine dinners in Spring 2012.
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Stocks
Inevitably our stocks rise and fall according to the season. If there is something that attracts your eye in our current list, do call or e-mail us and we shall be pleased to put some stock on one side for you, so as to guarantee that you can have it for when you want to visit.
We also have a range of unusual sizes in wooden boxes, making smart gifts. For example, we have jeroboams (double magnums) and imperials (quadruple magnums) of Bordeaux, Champagne and Minervois, most of which are in wooden boxes at very sensible prices. They make great gifts.
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An Offer for June
We are pleased to be reducing the price of two delightful wines from Robert Faller & Fils in Alsace, that will be ideal to serve outdoors this summer.
A mid-weight and juicy Pinot Noir 2009 that is just coming into its own now and that will be delicious over the next couple of years. During June this is reduced from 9,70€ to 8,90€ (about £7.90).
And a refreshingly grapey but dry Pinot Blanc from the same excellent producer. Reduced from 6,90€ to 6,50€ (about £5.80). It’s true to say that despite being made from grapes, few wines actually taste of grapes which is why so often you will hear adjectives of cherries, gooseberries etc - personally I am not keen on such adjectives. This wine is dry and soft and grapey: a good example of inexpensive Alsace wine that is lovely for outdoor summer lunches.
This Offer runs whilst stocks last.
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In Conclusion
Currently there is a rather limp discussion among some wine writers in Britain, about the bland and feeble offerings of the mass wine retailers in Britain. I say "limp" because many of these writers are responsible for promoting these very wines, and protesting that mass market wines are not what they want to write about but that their editors only seem to want to feature what is readily accessible on the high street. The trend is for these retailers to play it safe and to offer only those wines they know will sell themselves: exciting wines do not feature on their radar (and indeed why should they?).
We are constantly being told that our offering is so much more exciting and wide ranging than the equivalent retail operation in Britain. We are proud of our wine selection which, thanks to your support, is finding a wider audience with each passing month. We do not advertise and it is very unlikely that you will read a review on us in the British media, but we have found that your word of mouth continues to be our best source of new customers. So if you are happy with what we do, please help us by telling your wine loving friends about us - or you could refer them to our "Receive Monthly Newsletter" button on the home page of www.boursot.co.uk. We will be very grateful to you.
As with all our wines, we stand by our guarantee to take back any resaleable bottles if you find that the wine is not to your taste or if you have too many bottles left over after a party.
Remember: according to HM Customs & Excise you can take back as much wine as you like from France to Britain, provided that it’s for your personal consumption. If you want to take back a lorry full of wine for your own use at weddings and parties, you are perfectly within your rights to do so.
We are open from 10 to 6 from MONDAY to SATURDAY, and we do not close for lunch. If you should like to visit outside these hours, do please let us know. Sometimes it is possible to open up or to leave your order nearby for you to collect - and we have a secure web page on which you can leave your card details.
We hope to see you here again very soon, whether it’s for our delicious and easy to enjoy Petit Pont Réserve wines at around £2.90 a bottle or whether it’s for something more exclusive for your special dinner parties. We have them all.
A bientôt!
With all best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Guy
Guy Boursot
Wine Consultants SARL
Boursot's Wine Collection
9 Rue de l'Arsenal
62610 ARDRES
+33 3 21 36 81 46
www.boursot.co.uk
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