votes: Clos deVougeot Photos Archive of Autor 64 PART 2 We are staying in a typical and very popular local hotel Le Cep in the heart of Beaune A charming owner Jean Claude Bernard still beaming with positive mood very well read and witty and full of generosity during every our visit unveils in front of us more and more of the never ending charms of Burgundy Together we are preparing for the next third festive event of our stay III 76th La Paulée de Mersault gala lunch banquet on 16th November 2008 The origin of this feast was a small gathering and treat after the end of vintage attended by owners wine makers and their collaborators to which friends often from far away were invited who helped with vintage In 1923 Count Lafon managed to attract amateurs and professionals from the spheres of gastronomy and wine from all over the world and mix them on this occasion with local wine makers and celebrities A new form in the style of a banquet at Chateau Mersault has been successful ever since After pompous celebrations of the preceding two days after the auction at Hospice de Beaune when famous Burgundy wines are sold and after the gala dinner and dubbing of knights at Clos de Vougeot with the feast for gourmands businessmen and all lovers of Burgundy wine the La Paulée crowns the three days of celebrations and festivities The banquet is very original 700 guests are crowded at huge long tables where from 12.30 to 19 hrs selected meals are served Everybody has to bring wine and they have to share it with others The banquet is presided by an outstanding personality elected by the local artistic commission The winner is usually an important artist who brought fame to one of the areas of art on the international scene The celebrity person receives the Le Prix de la Paulée de Mersault together with 100 bottles Each selected artist is very proud of this award This year’s president is the famous French director Claude Lelouch His speech is witty and connected with wine of course The banquet goes on in a friendly and goodhumoured atmosphere and rising spirits underlined by the orchestra again the irreplaceable Cadets de Bourgogne Burgundian Cadets everybody no matter where they are from enjoy themselves The mutual language of all guests is a friendly co habitation pleasant experiences and shared joy of feasting and degustation of wines Guests rotate with their bottles and full empty glasses at to their discretion Everybody wants to bring the best from their crop or cellar the opposite would be discrediting The wine marathon during which it is common to taste 60 different wines seems to have no end Wine makers walk around tables fill glasses compare muse compete in the effort to get prestigious ovations and every guest has to be experienced to be able to enjoy the evening and not to lose the ability to decide together with his consciousness The degustation marathon runners and individuals who are exceptionally resistant can visit the wine cellars where various wine makers offer their unique wines till the next morning The Burgundian character is typical for two famous quotations toujours buveur jamais ivrogne roughly translated as always drinking but never drunk and Quand le verre est plein on le vide quand le verre est vide on le plains When the glass is full we drink it up when it is empty we are sorry but we fill it again Romanée Conti During this year’s Burgundy Festivities we are expecting to witness one rarity beyond the framework of the official celebrations and that is the visit to the world famous winery that produces the best wines in the world according to specialists amateurs and lovers It is a small area in the heart of the Cote de Nuit winery Romanée Conti Wine from this production is a legend the temple peak personification of perfection and holds all superlatives ever uttered about wine An inconspicuous plaque at the door 1 rue Derriere le Four 21 700 Vosne Romanée confirms that the address is correct We are kindly greeted by the very Mr Bernard Noblet who has been the pillar Burgundy Trois Glorieuses Hotel Staff on Traditional Costumes Leaders Magazine II 2009 Receptionist Hotel le Cep Claude Lelouche movie Director and President of the La Paulee de Meursault 2008 with Iva Drebitko
Leaders Magazine II 2009 65 of the winery for more than 30 years His sparkling eyes and lovely infallibility confirms and corrects our knowledge at the beginning Vineyards in the total area of about 25 hectares produce wines under names Romanée Conti La Tache Richebourg Grands Echezeaux Romanée Saint Vivant and Echezeaux The vintage goes through an uncompromising selection and gives approximately 25 hectolitres per hec tare per year Everything is total bio no chemistry during all processes from growing to maturation and production Biodynamics is used according to the theory of Rudolf Steiner The value of the winery in Romanée Conti is based on the following categories Floral vegetal mineral fruit The impact of nature is the main feature and the producer of the resulting wine does not prefer any characteristic feature of the wine density flavour or the dark colour of the wine are not important the important thing is the total of precious qualities and their balance when the wine is examined from the point of view of colour smell taste and total harmony of all senses and experiences We taste the whole production of the vintage of 2007 that is still in barrels Echezeaux has a wonderful bouquet floral full of smells unbelievably soft Grand Echezeaux addresses us more strongly it is spicy in this phase excellent Richebourg is fuller rich it embraces us and surprises pleasantly by its distinctiveness La Tache is a wonder the wine is silky and fills our senses with its extent and duration it is fully harmonious and juicy deep and it has a soft end that modifies the character of its taste Even in this phase of maturation it is surprisingly persistent and we all agree that it is the best wine from those we have tasted so far Then there is the legend of Romanée Conti wine from the area of only 1.85 hectares we are full of expectation and catch our breath We bring the admirable vintage to our lips we are excited silence falls and our eyes are full of tears of emotion and happiness We are still full of emotions when we smell the wine and humbly we taste the grand perfection and elegance devoid of any attributes We are lucky Mr Noblet decided to invite us to the cellar where the legendary vintages of bottles are stored for the chosen ones We walk through the precious treasury Mr Noblet brings three bottles without etiquettes only marked with chalk We taste guess blunder it is an experience Mr Noblet seemingly enjoys the moment and smiles quizzically He complimented us with bottles of Grand Echezeaux 1986 1990 and 1996 that come up to their fame Mag nificent Once enclosed and reclusive Burgundy which is called the belly of France is now thanks to its policy of dynamic development known world wide it is omnipresent and demanded in various places of the world During the hardest times of the inter war period it found the way out of its poverty its people worked very hard and with conviction and patience they succeeded in developing region They are very well aware that they have not won forever and it is remarkable how they strive every day to keep and develop their successes It is a pleasant and easy decision of every visitor to participate in their success By Joseph Drebitko Photos Archive of Autor From left Mr and Mrs Joseph Drebitko Romanee Conti Winemaker Mr Bernard Noblet and Mrs Irena Valka českou verzi naleznete na www leadersmagazine cz In the courtyard of Romanee Conti cellars 76th Paulee de Meursault Paulee Cadets de Bourgogne Romanee Conti sign Bout 3 famous wines La Tache Romanee Conti and Richebourg
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