By Pablo Alvarez
Doting memories…
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Each “wine o’clock” begins with an encounter and the visit to a cellar to examine the bottles that will be put up for sale at the next auction.
At the beginning of February, while carrying out an inspection of the wines of a Swiss collector, among excellent bottles from great Bordeaux châteaux and others from the most prestigious cellar in Spain, I came across several bottles of Burgundy which were of great significance to me personally.
I then realized that a number of important events in my life were accompanied by wines from this Burgundian domain. For who does not have a great wine associated with an important moment in their life? In my case, one great moment transpired the day before my wedding; it was my last dinner as a single man and I was accompanied by my father.
We decided on a family-friendly restaurant which gave us the privilege of bringing our own bottles; among champagnes and great white and red wines from Burgundy, a particularly remarkable bottle of Chambertin Clos de Bèze 2009 from Domaine Armand Rousseau stood out.
Domaine Armand Rousseau is a great name in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation and most of its wines come from this terroir. The climate of Chambertin-Clos de Bèze covers 15.4 ha, including 1.42 ha for Domaine Rousseau, the second largest owner of Clos de Bèze.
This bottle that I shared with my father needed time to open-up and reveal all its character, and I was enchanted by its elegance and freshness. In a great vintage like 2009, the domain produced a particularly opulent Clos de Bèze and without any loss to its style. On the palate, it highlighted intense black fruit flavours and a marked presence of spices, all surrounded by silky and velvety notes.
The experience of organizing this latest “wine o’clock” has brought back doting memories and I will remember with particular fondness the preparation of the lots for this sale. It is ultimately these kinds of feelings that I try to share with our clients and wine friends, feelings that smooth the path towards a sincere and warm relationship with each and every one of them. It is surely the DNA of Baghera/wines, that which characterises us, the affinity we share with our passionate sellers and buyers of great wines.
Wine o’clocks, a proven success!
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