Just another amazing Grand Cru event put together by Todd & Colin Halpern and their team for their main clients, friends and suppliers. Delighted to be one of them.

You can see the photo gallery of these memorable days here

The list of wines opened that one night (due to the generosity of our hosts) follows...
WARNING: some wines listed can be offending to those that were not part of this experience !

Thanks also to Eddy and his Blackberry for allowing us to keep track of all the wines tasted

Below are the supper wines...
Champagne Gosset, 2000 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet, 1999 Marc Colin Montrachet, 2000 Drc Montrachet, 1982 Bon Pasteur, 1997 Corton Charlemagne Remoissenet, Mag 1982 Latour A Pomerol, 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, 1996 Harlan Estate, 1985 Groth, 1974 Marthas Heitz, 1990 Rayas mag, 1989 Rayas, 1961 Lynch bages, 1975 La Mission HB, 1957 Richebourg Remoissenet, 1959 Clos Vougeot Remoissenet, 1978 Richebourg Remoissenet, 1962 La romanee Leroy, 1982 Mouton in Magnum, 1990 Beausejour, 1959 Latour, 1961 Latour, 1959 Latour Haut Brion, 1961 La Mission HB, 1959 La Mission HB, 1989 HB mag, 1982 Lafleur mag, 1945 Gruaud Larose mag, 1990 Richebourg Drc, 1997 Gewurztraminer SGN Hugel, 1986 SGN ZH Heimbourg Gewurztraminer !!!

The last few bunches of grapes were picked today. Happy ending !

You can read our full vintage report here

Just two days away from the end of our 2006 harvest and the weather remains on our side.

We are picking today our last two plots of Pinot Gris that have remained remarkably sound to this day. One is located up the road from the main street of Riquewihr and the other in the continuation of grand cru  Schoenenbourg (in a "climat" called Kronenbourg).

The results are once again excellent with respectively 16,4° and 17,3° potential alcohol, right on target as a candidate for Vendange Tardive.

We picked on Monday the few last Riesling plots we had saved in the grand cru Schoenenbourg. The results were beyond our expectations. All 3 plots reached SGN levels with a lot of 19 HL (the equivalent of over 2500 bottles) controlled by the INAO inspector at over 20° potential alcohol.

Part of the controll procedure is that once the inspector has measured the potential alcohol on the grapes as pictured here, he returns next morning to issue the certificate. 

A Riesling SGN at over 20° potential is after all a very good achievement in any vintage !

Johnny Hugel tells us about his 58th vintage. 2006 turns out to be one where patience has been rewarded.
"Nothing ever happens as well as one wishes but neither as bad as one fears"

Just a week ago nobody would have believed (including ourselves) what we are witnessing today !

There is certainly one grape variety that we didn't expect to shine in such atypical weather conditions: riesling.  This varietal suffered more than any other of the climatic conditions since mid-September.

The grapes that we have brought in in the last few days is the proof of the perfect match between the riesling grape and the great terroir of the Schoenenbourg.

Photo of October 9 in the Schoenenbourg