Shameless Retail Plug

By Dan Rhodes

In conjunction with our retail store, Spectrum Wine Auctions recently put together an informative and enjoyable tasting event which took place at the Legends Wine Storage Facility in Irvine.  http://legendcellars.net/. The event highlighted any number of themes including 2009 Bordeaux, 2010 Burgundy from the recently discovered star of the Spectrum Discovery Team, Pierre Ravaut, as well as some Library Selections. Here are some of the highlights!

2009 Bordeaux

In a world too often infatuated with the “latest and the greatest,” 2009 Bordeaux is already “yesterday’s news” for many given the unprecedented press and scores generated by the soon-to-arrive 2010s. Hold on a minute, didn’t Parker just call 2009 the greatest Bordeaux vintage of his lifetime? (Or something like that!)

There an old saying which notes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Such is clearly the case with 2009 Bordeaux. While most of our blue chip classified wines have long sold out, we still have a plethora of high quality, value-priced Bordeaux perfect for the here and now. The beauty of 2009 Bordeaux wines is their lush fruit which bodes well for Bordeaux-lovers who actually drink the stuff!

Please feel free to stop by our store located at 1063 McGaw Ave in Irvine to check out any and all of these Bordeaux bargains currently on our floor. Here are some of my highlights with notes!

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Château Poitevin 2009 Médoc…$15.99

Full on Médoc wine. Nice hints of Cab Franc (chocolate, carob, floral) provide above-average complexity for the price. Nice black currant/black cherry fruits. Lot of wine here for $15.99!

I really liked this because: (A) It’s cheap! Even I can afford it but also (B) The wine captures an old school take on Cabernet Franc and the Médoc. Like I said, there’s a lot to like here for the price.

Moulin d’Issan 2009 Margaux…$17.99

Nice earthy tones that course through the nose and palate. Black currants, carob, brown spices. Lot of wine here for the price. Complexity and intricacy that go way beyond the price tag. Second label for d’Issan (Margaux).

Having visited this estate many times, I have always liked the wines of Emmanuel Cruze and Château d’Issan.  For my money, it’s the most beautiful Château in all of Bordeaux replete with a moat and drawbridge that’s positively medieval. Visiting d’Issan is like traveling in a time machine. This is a gorgeous wine that’s very well made and classically Margaux.

Château Coufran 2009 Haut-Médoc…$24.99

Large percentage of Merlot here. Works nicely in conjunction with the vintage. Plush assemblage of assorted red and black fruits. Still maintains a sense of place. Fruit and oak balanced nicely. Hints of milk chocolate on the finish. Great wine for the price. Makes you re-think your position on Merlot. (Wine Enthusiast 90-92)

Coufran is one of the best wines out there with which to introduce the nascent wine lover to Bordeaux. Plush with soft, rounded tannins, the 2009 is particularly attractive and should convince anyone of the unique greatness of 2009.

Château Larrivet Haut Brion 2009 Péssac-Leognan…$37.99

Very serious wine. Leads off with a complex nose of smoke, African violets and road tar. Classically produced, old-school wine. Stony, gravelly black fruits with hints of bitter chocolate and fig. Outstanding complexity. (WS/WA 91)

Like most 2009s, the wine is quite accessible with a lot of “baby-fat” but don’t sell short their capacity to age as all of the requisite components are there and in balance. What I like about this wine was its classic approach to the terroir of Pessac-Léognan. Only Bordeaux can produce wines like this.

Château Phelan-Segur 2009 St. Estephe…$47.99

May well be the best wine ever produced at this estate. Leads off with an enticing nose of violets and ripe berries. Layered complexity comprised of red and black currants, crème de cassis and minerals galore. Underlying foundation of St. Estephe clay comes through loud and clear supporting the wine’s inordinate complexity. Sophisticated earthiness to the palate. Fantastic under-$50 wine! (WS 92)

The last great Phelan-Segur that I personally can recall was the 1989. I loved that wine but this is much better! Very happy to see this estate at long last lives up to its reputation.

Library Selections

Our retail store has many wines such as these; older stocks that we have direct imported from Europe out of Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley. We are continually on the look-out for library selections that make sense in terms of both quality and price.

Corton Charlemagne 2009 Ravaut…$69.99

Spectacular wine! One of the top wines of the event! Leads off with a nose of butterscotch and brown spice followed by a stunning palate of crème caramel, caramel apple and golden delicious apple. Sundry hints of mango, pineapple, minerals, limestone,  allspice and nutmeg all add up to a drop dead gorgeous affair that seduces via intricacy and  complexity rather than power, per se. Drinking really well right now!

This was one of the evening’s top wines and speaks to the grandeur of traditionally made white Burgundy. I hear so often at tasting events and dinners lines like, “Who cares about the whites?”Or, “The first duty of any great wine is to be red.” It’s a very short sighted attitude that, in my opinion, is predicated upon the halo effect engendered by an ocean of white wine mediocrity and sameness that’s produced here in California. European white wines are distinctive, flavorful and very interesting. Many are truly great! Such is the case with this masterpiece from Ravaut. One sip and you will remember what attracted you to Chardonnay in the first place. The wine is rich and round, for sure, but the acidity and gout de terroir that’s at play makes for a first rate wine experience worthy of any connoisseur’s palate. Don’t conform to the opinion of the crowd or the press.  Let your own palate be your guide!

Nuits St. Georges 2006 “Les Cailles” R. Chevillon…$74.95

For many, the wine of the night! Lots of wine here for $75 and 2006 red Burgs continue to be, in my opinion, underrated. Classic NSG nose of iron ore, forest floor and decaying leaves. Black fruits galore on the palate with hints of Asian tea, black truffles and Portobello mushrooms. The wine delivers elegant rusticity with quite a bit of polish and sophistication for Nuits St. Georges. But what else would you expect from Chevillon. Magret de canard, anyone?

We have just a small amount of this wine left.2006 is a much underrated red Burgundy vintage. Lost in enormous shadow of the 2005 vintage is a very ripe, clean and terroir driven vintage that may not quite have quite as many majestic peaks as 2005 but still has its fair share. And this is one of them. Don’t hesitate to call me on this or any of the other wines highlighted in this blurb.

Domaine Pierre Ravaut

I have chronicled this story before but for those unaware, our Spectrum DI team (including your truly) discovered this domaine in Burgundy two years ago. Upon tasting numerous bottles and samples in his cellar over the better part of a morning, we were convinced that we had come upon an undiscovered star. This is old school Burgundy, traditionally made and terroir bound. The prices are extremely fair and reasonable given the quality of what’s in the bottle. The 2010s are still a bit tight but will make for sound drinking over the next 5-10+ years. For those looking for something a bit more immediate and plush, we still have a bit of inventory from his 2009 vintage in stock. Give a call!

Côte de Nuits Villages 2010 Ravaut...$19.99

Crisp, sour cherry, red delicious apple fruit. Cranberry nuance. Very high pitched at this point with bright, high-pitched fruit and acidity. Everything balanced though. Wine evolves very well in glass and tasted way better on second day. Broader, darker with more plush textural strokes. Solid.

Ladoix 2010 “Carrieres” Ravaut…$22.99

Darker cherry/black cherry/blackberry fruit. Hints of pesto and wintergreen. Really nice nose of sandalwood, raspberry incense, sweet smoke, cherry wood. Very well done wine for the price!

Corton 2010 “Les Hautes Mourottes” Ravaut…$59.99

Enticing nose of tea, Asian spice and sandalwood. Pointillistic exposition of cherry/black cherry/blackberry with hints of sundry brown spices. Good balance acid/fruit. Classic Corton and a good buy at this price point. Crowd favorite!

2010 Burgundy: A Small Report

By Dan Rhodes

Wines from France are once again in the spotlight thanks to the superb, back-to-back quality of the already-legendary 2009/2010 harvests. By now, everyone is well-acquainted with the superstar status of Bordeaux from these two magnificent, yet very different, harvests. Both received extraordinary scores and great critical reviews from Robert M. Parker, James Suckling, and Wine Spectator.

Now it’s Burgundy’s time to shine! In similar fashion, the region was blessed with two extraordinary, back-to back affairs that mirror Bordeaux directly in that 2009 is a lush, fruit-driven vintage, très Pinot, as the Burgundians would say, while 2010 is a more classic, terroir-driven vintage in which the vast differences in soil composition truly find their sundry voices in the wine’s ripe and concentrated fruit.

I was fortunate enough to attend recently the La Paulée Grand Tasting Event in New York and walked away completely mesmerized by this vintage of vintages. For those of you unfamiliar with La Paulée, I urge you to go to their website at www.lapaulee.com. Organized annually by renowned wine impresario Daniel Johnnes, this bi-coastal tribute to the wines and glory of Burgundy alternates location between New York and San Francisco. Next year’s event will be held in the “City-by-the-Bay” and will be well-worth attending. Daniel and his top-notch staff do yeoman’s work in fashioning an indescribably unique wine experience that’s second to none.

SWA's Contribution to The Event

Now let’s move on to the wines. In similar fashion the Bordeaux UGC event, the La Paulée Grand Tasting event encompasses a lot of producers and it’s impossible to procure tasting notes for every wine presented. Rather than use scores, I have simply assigned asterisks (one, two or three) to the wines which I found particularly impressive.

Les Blancs

Domaine R & V Dauvissat

Petit Chablis 2010 *

Probably the best Petit Chablis I have ever encountered. Crisp, clean and flavorful with complexity and richness that goes way beyond the genre. Bargain hunter alert!

Chablis 2010 “La Forest” **

Stone nuanced lemon-lime fruit. Superb. Another great bargain given the quality at play.

Chablis 2010 Preuses ***

Limestone nuanced fruit, lemon meringue, and lemon zest. Nice richness to accompany the wine’s superb cut and grip.

Chablis 2010 Les Clos ***

Fantastic delineation of soil, vintage and fruit. Similar flavor profile to the above-noted “Preuses” with just a bit more finesse, depth and complexity. It’s that little bit extra that verily defines the greatness of “Les Clos”. This is a wine that approaches perfection in terms of what Grand Cru Chablis can deliver.

Domaine William Fevre

Chablis 2010 “Vaillons” *

The Fevre style is a bit more user-friendly than Dauvissat. This is a very good “Vaillons” that should be available in the market place at a fairly reasonable price.

Chablis 2010 “Preuses” **

Combines nice lemon meringue richness with a tart, stony custardy cut. Well done.

Chablis 2010 “Bougros” **

Similar to “Preuses” with just a bit more definition, cut and complexity. Grand Cru quality for sure.

Domaine Hubert Lamy

I have always loved this estate. Bargain hunters and those who appreciate well-made, traditional white Burgundy will not want to miss these.

St. Aubin 2010 “Frionnes” *

Crisp, clean and delicious. The wine juxtaposes tons of minerality with concentrated, pristine Chardonnay fruit.

St. Aubin 2010 “Clos de la Chatenière” *

Very similar to the above-noted “Frionnes”. But one senses an additional layer of complexity and nuance lurking beneath the surface which should reveal itself with time.

St. Aubin 2010 “Les Murgers des Dents de Chien” **

Classic Lamy in terms of its cut and minerality. Resides at a quality level similar to a top-notch Chassagne-Montrachet.

Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

Chassagne- Montrachet 2010 “Ancegnières”**

Very stony, minerally wine, lean but in a good way. Certainly doesn’t lack in complexity. Clean.

Chassagne-Montrachet 2010 “Chenevottes” **

Very rich, honeyed, candied lemon fruit. Superb effort from this vineyard. Juxtaposes nicely with the more mineral focused, terroir-driven “Ancegnières”.

Batard-Montrachet 2010***

Grand Cru and classic Batard! Honeyed, rich orchard stone fruit with nice swirls of lemon butter complemented with unique hints of herbs and stone.

Domaine Leflaive

Puligny Montrachet 2010 *

Very high quality. Village wine in name only.

Puligny Montrachet 2010 “Clavoillon” **

One of the best “Clavoillon” I have ever tasted from Leflaive. Great balance, focus and finesse.

Batard Montrachet 2010 ***

Very sophisticated and polished for a Batard. Plenty of roundness and richness for sure but the Leflaive penchant for finesse and sophistication speaks in no uncertain terms. Lots of nuance and complexity lurking beneath the surface.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon

Volnay 2010 “Santenots du Milieu” **

Very flavorful red and classic Volnay. Lafon’s red wines from Volnay remain, in my opinion, some of the best bargains in the Burgundian universe. Very round and supple with ripe flavors of stony cherry/black cherry fruit. Very ample for Côte de Beaune.

Meursault 2010 “Clos de la Barre” *

Very nice wine. White peach, apricot skin. Understated elegance.

Meursault 2010 “Charmes” **

More classic Meursault and very “Charmes”. Rich without being flamboyant, layered golden peach, ripe apricot and nectarine flavors . Very unctuous without being cloying.

Les Rouges

Maison Joseph Drouhin

Beaune 2010 “Clos des Mouches” *

I am almost certain I am underrating this wine as the Drouhin style is one which is always quite reticent upon release. This is a very good Beaune which carries an assortment of wild cherry/wild berry fruit to play along with hints of forest spice.

Chambolle Musigny 2010 “Baudes”**

Very Chambolle. This is always one of my favorite Drouhin wines. Very silky, sensual red berry fruit. Glorious Chambolle nose of spice, sweet earth and rose petal is alone worth the price of admission.

Domaine Chandon de Briailles

Savigny-les-Beaune 2010 “Lavieres”*

Very good wines from this most underrated producer in 2010! Nice cherry/berry fruit here. Clean, ripe with above average complexity. Bargain hunter alert!

Pernand Vergelesses 2010 “Ile des Vergelesses” *

Here’s another great bargain! Very clean and pure with substantial richness and complexity from an appellation not necessarily known for such.

Corton 2010 “Bressandes” **

Grand Cru quality for sure. Regally feminine. Takes more of a finesse approach to this terroir with very positive results. Nice flambéed cherry, raspberry coulis fruit with subtle hints of truffle and earth.

Corton 2010 **

Slightly reductive but still very good. More masculine and forthright than the above-noted Bressandes. Both of these Corton are worthy of pursuit.

Domaine Michel Lafarge

Volnay 2010 “Mitans” **

Showing very well today. Nice warmth, richness and opulence. Easily the best “Mitans” I have ever experienced from Lafarge.

Volnay 2010 “Clos Château des Ducs” ***

A bit reticent today. But one senses a great wine. All sorts of complexity and nuance just below the surface. Time is definitely required but this will be a classic.

Volnay 2010 “Clos des Chênes”***

A bit broader and richer at first encounter than the Ducs. Lots of black cherry, wild berry fruit with hints of sous-bois and truffles. My guess is the Ducs will win the race in the long term but the Chênes is a bit more precocious and approachable for the short/mid-term. Two very impressive wines from Lafarge!

Maison Louis Jadot

Domaine Ferret 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé sous Vergisson *

Very nice PF from this legendary estate which is now administered by Jadot. Nice cut and minerality with complexity that goes way beyond Pouilly-Fuissé.

Pernand-Vergelesses 2010 “Clos de la Croix Pierre” *

Bargain hunter alert! Succinct flavors of red cherry/forest berry with decent complexity and nuance. This should be available in the market place at a fairly reasonable price.

Clos de la Roche 2010 ***

Grand Cru quality and very Jadot.    Round, rich waves of fruit with nice Morey spice. Fairly sophisticated Clos de la Roche. Quite precocious. Fans of the Jadot style will adore this. While somewhat fruit driven, it still captures the identity and quality of the appellation and terroir.

Maion Remoissenet

Meursault 2010 “Blagny” *

Very correct in terms of capturing the ripe richness that “Blagny” typically brings to bear. But has a nice bit of complexity and nuance. Always a nice Meursault from Remoissenet.

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 *

Very nice village wine. Above average richness and complexity for village wine.

Domaine Robert Chevillon

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Boussleots” *

Very NSG with hints of smoke and toast. Nice dark fruit, slightly sauvage.

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Roncieres” **

Brighter fruit, more polish. Sleek and fairly sophisticated NSG. Cool cherry fruit.

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Les Cailles” ***

Even better. Soil inflected nuances for the dark cherry fruit. Hints of truffle. Concentrated dark cherry/blackberry fruit.

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Vaucrains”***

Grand Cru quality. Scintillating nose of earth, spice and dark fruit. A bit reticent on the palate but everything is in place for a superb experience. A potential classic.

Domaine de L’Arlot

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Clos de l’Arlot” *

Very nice wine. Superb delineation of fruit and terroir.

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Clos des Forêts” *

Very similar. Darker fruits. A bit more complexity and nuance.

Maison Faiveley

Mercurey 2010 “Clos des Myglands” *

Bargain alert! Nice cherry, wild berry fruit. Hints of pomegranate and sweet earth.

Mazis Chambertin **

Grand Cru and classic Mazis. Powerful black cherry and black berry fruits yet restrained in that old-school Faiveley manner.

Corton Charlemagne 2010***

Best white wine of the event! Minerals galore. In this sense, classic CC. But one senses an enormous fruit complexity lurking just beneath the surface. Embryonic wine well worth pursuing and cellaring. I have always been a big fan of Faiveley’s Corton Charlemagne.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

Vosne Romanee 2010 “Reignots” **

Dark fruits, very rich on the palate. Classic Vosne spice.

Echezeaux **

Combines elegance and power. Dark cherry/berry fruits. Nice underlying complexity and my favorite at this table.

Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg

Vosne Romanee 2010 *

This was one of my top tables. Even their basic Vosne Romanée is superb in 2010. Gorgeous cherry vanilla fruit with hints of spice. Classic Mugneret-Gibourg.

Nuits St. Georges 2010 “Chaignots” **

Classic NSG. All sorts of earthy iron and soil nuances to complement the wines dark cherry fruit. Still, a refined wine of elegance and breed. Especially for the appellation of NSG. Liked this a lot. Very interesting juxtaposition of terroir and winemaking acumen/identity.

Echezeaux 2010***

Off the charts! Outstanding mélange of cherry/black cherry fruit. Regally feminine and drop dead gorgeous. One of the top wines of the event!

Clos Vougeot 2010 ***

Outstanding! Layers of red raspberry/black cherry fruit. Finely interwoven strands of complexity and nuance. Majestic, ethereal. Just has that feminine touch and mystique that Marie-Andrée always brings to bear. One of the top wines of the show! Un objet d’art.

Domaine d’Eugénie

Vosne Romanee 2010 “Clos d’Eugénie” *

This is the old René Engel estate. Now managed by Frédéric Engerer of  Château Latour. Whereas the Mugneret-Gibourg wines bring a mystical femininity to bear, the Eugénie wines are powerful, full – bodied affairs. Stylistically, very masculine but with breed, finesse and savoir-faire. This is a village wine in name only. Classic, old school with structure, and nuance.

Vosne-Romanee 2010 “Aux Brûlées” **

Darker, more concentrated than above wine with more grip, structure and nuance. Similar flavor profile.

Echezeaux 2010 ***

Big, deep, brooding, intense. Echezeaux sauvage. It will be fascinating to taste in 10+ years.

Grands Echezeaux 2010 ***

As with Engel, the Grands Echezeaux was always my favorite at this estate and this remains consistent. This is a larger than life, powerful wine. Verily Wagnerian in terms of its über-dimensionality. Clearly one of the top wines at the show. A head-turner.

Domaine Hudellot-Noellat

Vosne Romanée 2010 *

Retrained in that classic Hudellot style. Nice Bing cherry, wild cherry fruit with hints of Vosne spice. Super village wine and great quality at the price point.

Vosne Romanee 2010 “Suchots” **

Very well done wine and a classic expression of the “Suchots” terroir. Finely honed red/black cherry fruits with hints of spice.

Clos Vougeot 2010 ***

Refined Clos Vougeot of breed and finesse. Red fruits and spice cake.

Romanée St. Vivant 2010 ***

Quite powerful for an RSV. Gorgeous delineation of component fruits and terroir. Red fruit delight. 2010 could be the best ever from here. One of the show’s best wines.

Domaine Bruno Clair

Clos de Beze 2010 **

Powerful and classic Beze. Rich, robust on the palate with copious red and black fruits.

Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 *

Very nice village wine. Cherry/black cherry fruit with decent complexity and length.

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 “1er Cru” *

Another nice effort. Fruit sourced from Clos Prieur, Corbeaux and Combottes.

Latricieres Chambertin**

All in all, 2010 may have enabled this estate to produce some very good wines. Leaner and in this sense classic Latricieres. Floral nose with cherry palate and superb minerality. Needs some time. A terroirists delight. Latricieres is one of my least favorite Grand Cru sites but I really enjoyed this.

Chambertin 2010 **

Softer and rounder than the Latricieres with more black cherry, plum fruits, Hints of spice, truffles and sweet earth. Represents one of the best wines I have ever tasted from here.

Domaine Fourrier

Gevrey Chambertin 2010**

Jean-Marie’s wines are superb in 2010. This was one of the top tables at the show. Superb village wine.  Sweet, ripe cherry/maraschino cherry fruit. Sappy with good extract and concentration. I believe this is an old vine cuvée. Very seductive and flirtatious wine.

Morey St. Denis 2010 “Clos Salon” *

Very aromatic. Seductive on the palate. Very Morey.

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 “Combe-aux-Moins” ***

Great persistence on the palate. Full –bodied, rich black cherry fruit. Very Gevrey and very Combe-aux-Moins. One of the event’s top wines.

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 “Clos St. Jacques” ***

Another one of the show’s top wines. Kirsch, framboise, cherry/black cherry nougat. Creamy, hints of milk chocolate and wild berries. Off the charts. A show stopper!

Domaine Georges Roumier

Chambolle Musigny 2010 **

Magnificent village wine. Gorgeous, perfumed nose. Classic Chambolle on the palate. Silky red fruits, Very pure, very precise. Village wine in name only. Quality goes way beyond the appellation on the label.

Chambolle Musigny 2010 “Cras” ***

This is a superb Cras. Scintillating nose of rose petal, spice and perfume. Gorgeous red fruit palate with hints of anisette.

Morey St. Denis 2010 “Clos Bussierre” **

Possibly the best MSD Bussiere ever from this estate. Nice mix of red and black fruits. What I really like about the wine is that it speaks to Morey in the same way as Cras speaks to Chambolle. With precision, purity and finesse. Unadulterated terroir at play.

Ruchottes Chambertin 2010 ***

One of the top wines of the show. A pleasure from start to finish. Great attack with a lush and concentrated mid-palate followed by a long finish. All sorts of dusty cherry fruit with hints of pit and skin. Nice underlying minerality and soil notes as well. Grand Cru and classic Ruchottes.

Domaine Dujac

Morey St. Denis 2010 *

Another village wine in name only. Allspice, gorgeous fruit. Superb concentration for a village wine.

Gevrey Chambertin 2010 “Combottes” **

Classic in every sense of word. Nice black fruits on nose and palate. Very powerful wine.

Clos de la Roche ***

Superb. One of the top wines of the show. Grand Cru and classic Clos de la Roche. Perfumed nose of violets and rose petals followed by a layered black fruit palate that’s both seductive and powerful. Hints of licorice and sweet spice provide additional complexity. Wow!

A Slice of France in NYC

The Late Gene Mulvihill Collection Online Auction

By Amanda Crawford

It is my pleasure to present The Late Gene Mulvihill Collection, one of the best consignments to come through Spectrum’s cellar door. Mr. Mulvilhill was a titan in the world of wine collecting. Marked with characteristic passion and zest for life, a boyish enthusiasm and a belief that with focus and determination anything is possible, Mr. Mulvilhill dedicated himself to building the best cellar in the world. His passion and presence are sorely missed. 

Château Haut-Brion 1989 1.5L (Lot 34) & Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2000 1.5L (Lot 39)

Château Latour 2000 (Lot 2)

Over the course of many years, he assembled one of the world’s premier wine collections and became a wellknown wine connoisseur. He used state-of-the-art technology to ensure every bottle from his cellar was pristine and of perfect provenance. In fact, when verifying the provenance of the 1950 Château Lafleur (lot 73), we were able to use Château Latour’s proprietary DNA testing machine to confirm the age of the wine in the bottle! 

This is but a small slice of the personal wine collection of Mr. Mulvihill, but what a slice! The Bordeaux lover is in great company with cases of First Growths, included his beloved Latour, along with Super Seconds and the rarest of Pomerol and St. Emilion. The wines, like their owners, need little in the way of introduction, and we wish you happy bidding. 

Château Lafleur 1950 (Lot 73)

Please visit us in our live saleroom on May 11th at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills with more wines from thecollection of Mr. Mulvihill, along with many other fantastic consignments. 

To bid, please visit our website or submit a bid form. There are an additional 1,500 lots in this sale, and we invite you to look at wines from other consignors as well. As always, detailed photographs of every bottle are available online at Spectrumwine.com and my team and I 
remain at your disposal for any help we can lend.

Click HERE to view this incredible auction's catalog.

Bidding is now open and closes on Thursday, March 21 at 6:00pm PT

A Tour of Château Cheval Blanc

By Maryna Synytsya  

They say that there are very few sorts of wine in the world that are perfect to drink at any age, and Cheval Blanc is one of them.

Me with Pierre Lurton, Managing Director of Château Cheval Blanc

It was a perfect summer day to visit Château Cheval Blanc. We were fortunate enough to be given a tour by the courteous maestro and Managing Director, Pierre Lurton. For more than 20 years, Monsieur Lurton has been in charge of producing this magical wine. As we walked the grounds, he poetically presented and described the vineyard and its elegant journey in history. 

We were also given a private viewing of the new €13m winery designed by the prize-winning French architect Christian de Portzamparc which opened in June 2011. The winery is very contemporary but perfectly matches the style and architecture of the Château and its environment.  All of the architecture of the Château is originally preserved with furniture, works of art, family portraits, silverware and porcelain; it was certainly a voyage back in time.

The Cellar

After a small tour of the underground cellar which held hundreds of wooden barrels of wine, we went upstairs on the terrace to admire an amazing view of the entire property to finish this magnificent journey.