Hey there, Wineologists!
I hope you all are surviving this TikTok crisis and being kind to yourself this weekend...I know this has been a tough week for so many of you!
I would love for you to take a short day trip with me...to Bordeaux! I will be joining fellow members of the trade at the Unions des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting event in Chicago, IL this Tuesday, January 21st!
What is this event do you ask? Well, the Unions des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) is an organization that connects 132 Chateaux to distributors, collectors, writers and other members of the wine trade. They visit cities throughout the world every January to allow professionals the opportunity to taste the next vintage of their members wine before "En Primeur" Week every April. This is the week where buyers throughout the world place orders for vintages before they're released and likely still in barrel. For luxury wine producers, like many Borderlais, this is an invaluable opportunity to gain a little cash flow, which inevitably will help fund future vintages. For buyers, this can be a cost saving opportunity, allowing them to gain access to some of the most beloved wines in the world at a lower cost than when they are released to the market.
If you are a Bordeaux collector, stay tuned! I can't wait to share my insider info on the 2022 Bordeaux Vintage! Here are few of the Chateaux I look forward to tasting and will keep a close eye out for!
Women of Bordeaux Wine
Since I am a women in this very male dominated industry and a business owner in my own right, I feel in necessary to highlight the women of this world renowned region that are making an impact.
1) Chateau Lafite Rothschild - Saskia Rothschild

Where do I even start with this boss lady? First of all, Chateau Lafite is a 1st growth Chateau from the original 1855 Classification located in Pauillac in the Medoc. The chateau was purchased in 1868 by Baron James de Rothschild and it has remained within the Rothschild family ever since. Throughout the generations, the family acquired several chateaux throughout Bordeaux including Chateau Paradis Casseuil in the Entre-deux-Mers, Chateau Rieussec in Sauternes and Chateau L'Evangile in Pomerol, just to name a few. In 2018, Saskia, a badass international reporter took over for her father as Bordeaux's first ever female CEO at age 31, continuing her family tradition as the 6th generation. Saskia has taken on ambitious projects in Chile and China and is a visionary in her own right. Saskia, you are amazing and I salute you!
2) Chateau Chasse-Spleen - Celine Villars, $55~
Now we move on to a chateau with a little less recognition and perhaps a more accessible price point for the average consumer. This chateau in the Moulis-en-Medoc has been a female run business for 50 years! Celine Villars has been at the helm since 2000 and has not only continued the family tradition of meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard and the in winery, but has transformed the estate into haven for wine tourism, equipped with world class gardens, art and hospitality. Looking forward to this budget friendly boss lady bottle of wine!
3) Chateau Coutet - Aline Baly, $50~

Aline Baly is the 3rd generation to take over the family business in Barsac, a small appellation that produces one of France's "Gold Wine" from botrytis affected grapes, however, she's not your average Borderlais. Aline left home and studied at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania before getting her MBA in Kellogg School of Business in Illinios. She's worked in Boston, Madrid and Hong Kong and is quite the world traveler. The world came full circle for her when she returned home and took over the family business, an 1855 First Growth and the first to become certifiably organic in the region. Aline is bringing a fresh perspective to the region and the next generation of Bordeaux consumers.
Cool Kids on the Block and Environmental Consciousness
No great chateau is complete without the bravery to be different, a great story and the ability to look towards the future. This is especially true in a region like Bordeaux. I wrote my WSET Diploma D6: Thesis on the Path to 100% Sustainability in Bordeaux by 2030 so many of these issues are fresh in my mind. Thanks to multiple rivers, an Estuary and the Atlantic ocean, Bordeaux maintains a Maritime climate, therefore, the effects of climate change can demand an especially high toll on this region. Bordeaux has seem many challenging vintages in recent years due to drought, hail, frost and other extreme weather. In order to help restore the land and climate to sense of balance, producers have been forced quickly adopt sustainable, organic and biodynamic practices both in the vineyard and the winery. They have a variety of different climatic certifications that possess varying degrees of familiarity with consumers, however, the Borderlais have all made their intentions known on a global scale. The chateaux below have mastered all 3 and deserve a little recognition!
1) Chateau La Cabanne, Pomerol, $65~

This is one of the oldest châteaux in Pomerol, with continuous plantings of vitis vinifera since the 12th century. It has been a family owned business since the 1950s and estate consists of 9 different plots of vines, almost exclusively planted to Merlot, with a small amount planted to Cabernet Franc. In some vintages, this wine can be 100% Merlot! They also are HEV 3 certified (HEV is a sustainability programme consisting of 3 levels, with a focus on biodiversity, plant protection, conservation and chemical and water management. It takes 3 years to complete and is audited every 18 months for compliance. The progamme and principles are widely supported throughout Bordeaux.) They also became organically certified in 2023!
2) Chateau Ruhaul, Graves, $90~ (Rouge)
This is known as the "United Nations Estate," due to many global owners from England all the way to Australia. The estate was also purchased by a famous Champagne producer, Alain Thienot in 1986 and helped to modernize the estate and helped preserve the quality of the wine throughout the last several decades. They are also HEV 3 and Terra Vitis certified! (Terra Vitis sits neatly between the HEV and organic practices, as an organization that is funded privately through the payments made by producers. While it upholds many of the same standards of the HEV, it also tightly regulates the use of synthetic and carcinogenic products, however does not eliminate them entirely where organic practices do).

3) Chateau Trotte Vieille, St. Emilion Grand Cru, $105~
The legend of this chateau always brings a smile to my face. The legend is, during the 15 century, near the chateau, there lived in old woman who townspeople called "Vieille". This woman liked to "trot" around near the carriage house close to the chateau, waiting for carriages to arrive so she could hear all the juicy gossip from around the area. Literally, who can blame her? This chateau also has some Cabernet Franc vines that date back to 1868, the pre phylloxera days that are often used for their Rare Cuvee. DELISH. Lastly, like many of their neighbors, they have also become HEV certified and practice mindful, sustainability in the vineyards and in the winery.
Wines That I Sell
As you know, I maintain fulltime employment in the wine business and am lucky enough to currently sell several labels that will be present at this event. Here are just a few...
1) Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan, $130~
This is a chateau that is more familiar to many collectors. They are a larger producer, making over 125,000 bottles in the 2021 vintage. In addition to being one of the earliest adopters of the Organic certification in 2019, they also practice precision viticulture, using high tech drones, satellite images and detailed soil surveys to help give their wines the most terrior expressive style possible. I think this is a lesson wine professionals need to learn over and over again. Bigger isn't better. Smaller isn't better. Better is better. And sometimes when you're bigger, you have greater resources to become better! A little vino for thought!
2) Chateau Figeac, St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe "A", $265~
I know, I know. I'm more than happy to discuss St. Emilion wine law in a later post! This chateau is UNESCO world heritage site. It's incredibly unique outcrops of quartz, flint and gravel give it one of the most unique styles of the region. It is also currently owned by Thierry Manoncourt, one of the founders of Unions des Grand Crus de Bordeaux organization.

3) Chateau Batailley, Pauillac, $100~
I've always believed, if you're going to be a Wineologist, you have to also be part historian. This estate is named after the French word for "battle" and is intended to pay homage to a skirmish that occurred amongst the vines of the state in 1453 during the 100 Years War. These wines are powerful and incredibly age worthy!
Alright, see you back here in a week for a full Unions des Grand Crus de Bordeaux recap! Be kind to yourselves this week, Wineologists!
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