Newsletters
 May, 2008
Dear Customer,
Running contrary to the modern popular trend, this Newsletter is comparatively verbose, covering a variety of subjects on wine. In case you'd like to find the section of most interest to you, the headings are:-
General
There are mixed messages coming from Britain at the moment. The chancellor in his recent budget gave wine retailers the opportunity to make more profit from their sales: with the additional duty increasing the bottle's cost, percentage margin yields more cash profit per bottle. But in addition several retailers have taken duty and other cost increases as an excuse to dramatically realign their "price points". The strong reaction from one of our customers epitomises the situation (I have removed the names of the supermarkets involved):
"The white burgundy we had been buying on a regular basis, has gone from 5.99 to 7.69 after the budget and the Vacqueras that we used to buy for 5.99 again has also gone up to £7 something . The cheaper sauvignon and chardonnay wines that we used to buy at £4.99 have gone up to £6.something. If you try to buy something for £4 or £5 it is absolutely undrinkable, sour, and or chemical and horrid and that when one is tempted to buy some Chablis lets say reduced from £11 something to £6 or £7, again it is not good wine and not even worth the reduced price. We are finding it difficult to buy any decent or vaguely drinkable wine for less that £8 to £10 a bottle and can't afford it and from now onward we are going to buy all our wine from you in bulk. The chardonnay we bought from you at about £3 was very drinkable and good value and the Vacqueras at £5 was excellent. And we get the fun of a weekend in France for half the price of going, and half the distance of going, to Cornwall." (JP)
As this fantastic weather continues and as the pound rallies back against the euro (which of course you will have hardly heard about in Britain's media - good news does not make headlines!), we can see more and more people venturing across the channel to do their shopping again. Boursot's Wine Collection is where quality and good prices meet, where you can taste the wines beforehand so that you can be confident that what you buy is what you want.
Many of you are kind enough to recommend us to your friends and colleagues - thank you. We are a small company and need all the help we can get: I hope that you will spread the word.
Cross-Channel Offer
As a Boursot's Wine Collection customer, you have access to our specially negotiated cross-channel Day-Return Fare of just £20 during May and June on SeaFrance. This is bookable ONLY by telephoning 0870 264 2644 and quoting our special code "Boursot". In addition, during May come here and spend more than 600 euros (around £470 at present rates) in one transaction and we will pay for your ferry crossing. To take advantage of this specific Offer, please contact us so we can tell you the process. This is the time to make colossal savings on the prices being charged in the UK - and enjoy a great and inexpensive day out at the same time. Escape to enjoy!
These offers might also be attractive to those of your friends who are planning large parties, such as weddings.
Wine Offers in May
As you know, rather than following mass retailer ploys of artificially hiking prices so as to (sometimes) take "enormous" discounts off, we give you genuinely keen net prices on our guaranteed quality wines. This month we'd like to highlight some wines that are either new to us or that we feel deserve better attention. They will all show off very well at any special parties you may be planning. We show the prices here in Euros (without the approximate sterling equivalent). You should take advantage of these temporarily reduced prices. So as to get the wines you'd like while they are still available at these reduced prices, your orders may be reserved now and held until such time as you wish to collect.
WHITES |
| Château Tour Bicheau, Grand Vin de Graves (Bordeaux), 2006 | €7,10 | €6,70 |
| Traditionally white Graves wines have a slight spiciness on the palate. This wine is made from 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon, so has a full dry but refreshing flavour which makes it easy to appreciate. We believe that this wine shows at its best when served with white meats. |
| Riesling, Trottacker de Ribeauvillé, Robert Faller et Fils (Alsace), 2005 | €9,30 | €9,00 |
Faller is based in the picturesque town of Ribeauvillé, where many of Alsace's best Rieslings are produced. Fabulous: from argilo-calcareous subsoil, this wine is bone dry but with plenty of typical Riesling flavour. We always compare Faller's wines very favourably against Trimbach's - but at so much better value.
| Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru,
Les Champs Gains, Château de Citeaux (Burgundy), 2004 | €34,00 | €33,00 |
| Exquisite - this specific wine is one of the finest white Burgundies you could wish to taste, and shows off everything that is so great about these top white wines. Very elegant, with a long fresh fruity style backed with a tiny amount of oak. Complex, classy - and simply delicious. |
REDS |
| La Bette, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, 2005 | €6,00 | €5,60 |
| Stunning - this is a memorable wine. There is the label to start with, not that you should judge a wine that way, and then there is the rich brambly aroma. Finally the many concentrated fruit layers leave you in no doubt that the winemaker and the terroir have combined to produce a modern style of "Big Red". |
| Château de Corneilla, Cuvée Prestige, Côtes du Roussillon, 2005 | €8,50 | €7,00 |
| A warm, rich and spicy wine made from an exotic blend of 10% Grenache, 30% "old" Carignan, 30% Syrah and 30% Mourvèdre. With complex aromas and a softness on the palate, this wine also has a very long "finish". For those of you who love what southern France can do, this offers amazing quality and value. |
| Lirac Rouge, Château Saint-Roch (Rhône), 2006 | €9,50 | €8,90 |
| A generous tasting fruity red from one of the best producers of the southern Rhône. A wine to go with red meats or richer cheeses. |
| Gigondas, Château La Gardine (Rhône), 2005 | €12,90 | €12,40 |
| A rich red Gigondas made in the normal way from Grenache and Syrah among other grape varieties. The well-rated Château La Gardine has produced here a delicious balance of soft red fruit flavour backed with oak. |
| Côte de Nuits Villages, Domaine Rémy Boursot (Burgundy), 2006 | €14,00 | €13,50 |
| This wine is full of up-front juicy Pinot Noir fruit. The grapes are taken from some of the best vineyards around the village of Chambolle-Musigny, the long-established home of the Boursot tribe! Amazing value. |
| Châteauneuf du Pape, Château Saint-Roch (Rhône), 2001 | €20,00 | €18,00 |
| This wine is made by the visionary Brunel brothers of Château La Gardine fame. It is hard to find such wines that have reached maturity such as this fine smooth and rich example from the excellent 2001 harvest. A rich brambly aroma. |
CHAMPAGNE |
| Champagne Pannier, Brut Sélection | | €16,20 |
| In June, the price on this gorgeous champagne is expected to rise to €18,50. Pannier is renowned for its reliability as a provider of good quality champagne. This wine is made from 40% Chardonnay and 30% each of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, resulting in that high quality "biscuity" flavour. It tastes elegant and classy but still offers extra-ordinary value. Huge saving over UK price. |
Boursot's Wine Collection
Our May list contains some new items and you can view this as always on this link or print it on this link. To add to our impressive selection of spirits, we have a new pair of high quality Armagnacs from a small family producer: an Hors d'Age and the other a vintage 1982 - both at extremely reasonable prices. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines under the new Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise label from the Cave de Buxy also offer amazing value for good quality Burgundies at 6,30 euros and 7,10 euros respectively . And as for our Champagne Pannier, Brut Sélection many have enjoyed its soft delicious flavour - but I should remind you that we only have a finite amount that can be offered at our Special Price of just 16,20 euros , so if you might have need, it would be wise to reserve your requirements now.
If you are feeling the squeeze, we are utterly dependable for wines of both quality and real value.
George Adams of blakeneys.com is now developing his on-line shop within our underground vaulted cellar, adding an authentic presence to his retailing activities.
As the majority of our business is with Britons, we remain open on French Bank Holidays, and unlike other wine retailers in the area we do not close for "annual holidays". Do remember to call us if you'd like to come outside our normal opening hours and we will be pleased to open up for you, assuming one of us is around.
Wine News
After what seemed like a non-starting summer last year, the results of the 2007 Bordeaux harvest can now be assessed and in general, I'd conclude that it was, at best, irregular. The sweet wines from Sauternes look to be good whilst the majority of reds were light and fruity and not for longer term keeping. But with burgeoning Asian demand, I am not sure that the 2007 wines are going to represent as good value as they should.
The fast-rising Asian and Russian markets are enabling producers of luxury brands including fine wines to find profitable new outlets for their products. Europe, as a mature market, is being left relatively in the shadows when it comes to supplies of fine wine.
The European Council of Ministers recently approved last year's watered-down reform proposals headed by Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel, and grubbing up of just 175,000 acres (as opposed to the 400,000 originally targeted) of inferior vineyards across Europe can continue so as to eradicate sub-standard vineyards. The problem of excess wine production still exists across the entire world, although paradoxically there is ever-increasing demand for the limited edition high quality wines from the classic areas. I wrote some initial thoughts on the EU's reforms in my newsletter of January 2008 (hit THIS LINK to see this newsletter).
Many customers ask about cork and other bottle closures. A couple of years ago I wrote articles on the bottle closure (cork versus plastic versus screwcap) debate, and without wishing to sound smug, I did suggest waiting to see. What we need to understand as a starting point is that this is a hugely lucrative market: there was much lobbying by vested interests, to use relatively untested new materials - we simply didn't know then, but that didn't stop people reaching early verdicts.
The fundamental problem was that cork had become a victim of its own success and with its demand continuing to rise, shortcuts had been taken in the sterilisation process which ironically led to the cork ending up being tainted, usually because the corks were not dried sufficiently. Then, as a result of inserting a less than perfect cork into a bottle, the wine became contaminated or "corked" - i.e. smelling and / or tasting of cork. Plastic had other problems, chiefly its lack of elasticity and resultant difficulty in removing from (or getting back into!) the bottle.
The screwcap was the one medium that appeared to be reliable, although I have always maintained that the sense of theatre about opening a bottle was being lost with screwcaps. These closures are in the main best for bottles that are for immediate drinking and as yet, not for ageing as several bottles have been found to develop bad egg odours over time.
The problem came into being because of wine's growing universality, but now that cork producers have come under very real threat, they seem to have pulled their proverbial socks up and appear to be producing stricter quality controls: therefore better resulting bottles of wine.
One day I feel sure there will be breathing artificial closures available, whether in plastic or in, screwcap, at sensible prices - which will effectively signal the death knell of the cork industry, bringing new waves of unemployment to Spain and Portugal. We will have more reliable bottle closures but it will be a sad day.
Lunches, Dinners and Events
Provisionally lined up as guest speakers for this Autumn are Patrick Leflaive, Paul Bouchard, and as something rather different, Robin Butler - the world's leading dealer in antiques for the wine enthusiast. More details will follow as soon as they are available, but here is our calendar of events as it stands at present.
You can see that our Events represent extra-ordinary value. In addition we can help you find overnight accommodation local to the dinner. Please contact us now if you wish to book for an event.
Saturday 7 June: Loire Gourmet Dinner
7.00: Restaurant Le Cygne, Saint-Omer (25 minutes from Ardres)
Our Guest Speaker is Christophe Bondu who works with the progressive Château Marie du Fou in the Vendée region of the Loire. He will talk about the sparkling, reds and whites we will be serving from our Loire list - such as the sparkling Saumur, our Sancerre Rosé from Franck Millet, the red Ménétou-Salon, the Chinon from the renowned Charles
Joguet and of course the impressive wine from Marie du Fou.
Tickets: 85 euros per person to include 4 courses, all wines, water and coffee.
Saturday 5 July: Champagne Gourmet Dinner
7.30: Château des Tourelles, Le Wast (20 minutes from Ardres)
Guy Boursot hosts a Champagne Dinner - a rare opportunity to try over dinner several contrasting styles: Non-vintage, Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé and Sweet champagnes - proving the versatility of this, the world's greatest sparkling wine. Guy's family has been at the forefront of the champagne business since 1828, and as a past chairman of the Champagne Academy, the body that represents the generic interests of the Grande Marque Champagne Houses in the UK, he is well qualified to talk on this most complex of subjects. An extra special evening.
Tickets: 105 euros per person to include 4 courses, all champagnes, water and coffee.
Sunday 13 July: La Fête de la Belle Roze.
12.30: Informal Sunday Lunch: Hotel Clément, Ardres
La Fête de la Belle Roze is a uniquely Ardesien affair, commemorating Françoise Roze's saving of Ardres from the Spaniards in 1653. A day of fun, stalls and street processions with two giants - La Belle Roze and King Francois 1er. An informal Sunday lunch hosted by Guy Boursot.
Tickets: 49 euros per person to include 4 courses, all wines, water and coffee.
Saturday in August: Informal Lunch on the Ardres lakes
A lunch on the lakes of Ardres: details to be finalised. More soon.
Saturday in September
Dinner at Restaurant L'Esplanade, Ardres' new venue: details to be finalised. More soon.
Saturday 11 October: Anniversary Gourmet Dinner
7.30: Hotel Atlantic, Wimereux: details to be finalised. More soon.
Sunday 14 December: Christmas Market in Ardres
Christmas in Europe! The Ardres market with all its stalls starts on the Sunday morning and when darkness falls, you can see Père Noël abseiling down the church!
12.30: Informal Sunday Lunch: Hotel Clément, Ardres
Speaker: Guy Boursot.
Tickets: 49 euros per person to include 4 courses, all wines, water and coffee.
That's about it for now. I look forward to seeing you here again soon!
All best wishes
Guy
Guy BOURSOT
Wine Consultants SARL
Tel: +33 3 21 36 81 46
Mob: +33 6 76 10 32 41
www.boursot.co.uk
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