PUBLICATION OF THE 2010 OFFICIAL SELECTION OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MEDOC

Transcription

1 PRESS KIT PUBLICATION OF THE 2010 OFFICIAL SELECTION OF THE CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MEDOC This brochure unveils the new 2010 Official Selection of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc. The "Cru Bourgeois" designation has regained its commercial value, respect in the markets and popularity with consumers, both in France and abroad. Created in compliance with a demanding, innovative regulatory structure, the launch of this third selection confirms the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc's dynamism and ability to bounce back. Frédéric de Luze President 1 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

2 Contents Revival and Reconnaissance of the Crus Bourgeois Ministerial approval Main Principles & Innovations Independence and Intransigence The secrets of "Cru Bourgeois" quality First stage: Eligibility of producers Second stage: Setting of quality standards Third stage: Attainment of "Cru Bourgeois" Recognition The "Cru Bourgeois" sticker provides a guarantee of quality, authenticity and origin Deep historical roots Today: a great family of wines Launch schedule for the 2010 Official Selection A new Internet site linked to the 2010 vintage A new Selection, a new artist & a new visual Key figures for the 2010 vintage 2 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

3 Revival and Reconnaissance of the Crus Bourgeois Ministerial approval Following the remarkable mobilisation of the wine producers of the Médoc in the formation of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, the traditional "Cru Bourgeois" designation, that had been in use for several centuries, was saved in Thanks to this totally innovative approach, the support of the French public authorities was obtained at the end of 2009 who approved the procedure with the Decree of 20 October 2009 and the ministerial orders of 16 November 2009 and 19 October Every year, at around the same time, the official selection of the new vintage is unveiled and brought to the attention of the general public. This official announcement is organized every year, both in France and abroad. In 2010, 243 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc were included in the Official Selection for the 2008 vintage. In 2011, 246 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc were included in the Official Selection for the 2009 vintage. Both lists are available on the Alliance's website Main Principles & Innovations The "Cru Bourgeois" qualitative selection procedure is an annual assessment open to all properties in the Médoc. The "Cru Bourgeois" quality procedure takes place two years after the harvest (the 2008 vintage was assessed in 2010, 2009 in 2011, and now 2010 in 2012). The "Cru Bourgeois" procedure consists of an audit of each property that applies, and an annual assessment of its production in the form of a blind tasting, based on a schedule of requirements, and complemented by a Verification Procedure. Compliance with the Schedule of Requirements and the Verification Procedure is assessed for each property by an independent body. The "Cru Bourgeois" procedure approves the quality of a given volume of wine and provides a guarantee of this quality to the consumer. 3 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

4 Independence and Intransigence The secrets of "Cru Bourgeois" quality Each stage in obtaining the traditional "Cru Bourgeois" description is supervised by an independent body. The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc chose Bureau Veritas for this task, as a body that specializes in the assessment of compliance. This independent body brings a fresh eye to the "Cru Bourgeois" quality assurance process and ensures impartiality at every stage. First stage: Eligibility of producers "Cru Bourgeois" Reconnaissance is open to all Médoc vineyards authorized to produce wine in one of the eight Médoc AOCs: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estèphe. The production facilities of properties undergoing the "Cru Bourgeois" quality procedure are subject to an eligibility visit during which the facilities are assessed. It is valid for several years and ensures that the property meets specific standards. The eligibility of properties is verified regularly on a random basis by Bureau Veritas. Once its eligibility has been confirmed, a property can submit its wines for the "Crus Bourgeois" official tasting. Second stage: Setting of quality standards Each year, the Alliance sets the minimum level of quality required to be recognized as a "Cru Bourgeois". A representative selection is made in a blind tasting of samples provided by properties applying which then serves as a reference throughout the process. This representative selection is made every year to reflect the character of the vintage. Each representative selection is rated by professional tasters in a blind tasting. They follow the same procedure in the tastings as they will use to select the Cru Bourgeois du Médoc. The score of the representative selection sets the minimum score that a wine must obtain in order to be officially recognized as a "Cru Bourgeois". 4 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

5 Third stage: Attainment of "Cru Bourgeois" Recognition Eligible producers present their wines for tasting two years after the harvest, in accordance with the schedule of tastings determined by the Alliance at the beginning of the campaign. A representative sample of the vintage is taken by an authorized agent. The identity of the sample is concealed by the independent body. The organoleptic examination consists of a blind tasting of the samples by a jury of experts, with six tasters per session. They are all professional tasters who are recognized in the industry, recruited by the Alliance and approved throughout the year by the independent body. The independent body is responsible for the organisation of the tasting, the revealing of the identity of the wines and the results of the organoleptic assessment. The tasting is on an individual basis with no conferring. The attribution of the traditional "Cru Bourgeois" designation is based on the arithmetic average of the scores given to a wine by the six professional tasters. This score allocated to a prospective château is compared to that of the representative sample for the vintage concerned. If the wine obtains a score greater than or equal to the representative sample, it is recognized as "Cru Bourgeois". 5 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

6 The "Cru Bourgeois" sticker provides a guarantee of quality, authenticity and origin From the 2010 vintage onwards, all bottles of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc will have a secure visual recognition system, embedded in a sticker. Appearing on all bottles of Crus Bourgeois du Médoc and recognizable by the "Cru Bourgeois" logo, this sticker contains a unique code for each bottle, thereby providing a guarantee of its authenticity and "Cru Bourgeois" origin. A guarantee of quality and security for professional buyers and consumers, the system enables: - The respect of volumes produced The quality tasted and recognized by the professional jury corresponds to the quality of the wine placed on the market for an authorised volume. - A guarantee of the origin and uniqueness of each "Cru Bourgeois" bottle when it is placed on the market A unique code is allocated to each bottle. - The protection of each bottle Several levels of security are incorporated into the "Cru Bourgeois" sticker. The "Cru Bourgeois" procedure approves the quality of a given volume of wine and provides a guarantee of this quality to the consumer. You will find the "Cru Bourgeois" sticker Directly on the bottle, on its label or its back label. The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc have created a demanding quality procedure. The quality of wines produced and selected must be guaranteed and protected: the various levels of security incorporated in the "Cru Bourgeois" sticker enable increased protection against possible counterfeiting. In this way protection is improved for consumers, professional buyers and wine-producers. A solution to the counterfeiting problem: all bottles have a sticker. 6 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

7 Deep historical roots The Crus Bourgeois are a legacy that dates back to the Middle Ages. The bourgeois were inhabitants of the "bourg" of Bordeaux, a town of merchants and craftsmen. During the period of English rule, they acquired rights and privileges, including exemption from taxes on the sale of the wines from their vineyards both locally (Guyenne) and abroad. By the fifteenth century, enriched by international commerce, the bourgeois of Bordeaux were able to acquire the finest properties in the region, which were initially referred to as the "Crus des Bourgeois" and then simply the "Crus Bourgeois". A text from 1740 contains the first selection and specifies the prices of the wines of the Médoc. The French Revolution resulted in the privileges granted to the Bourgeois being revoked and the Crus des Bourgeois suffered during this period of social turmoil. However, over the centuries they played an increasing role in the development of the Médoc vineyards through the export of their wines. In the early nineteenth century, the Crus Bourgeois (about 300) had re-established themselves with prices that were already higher than those of the Crus Artisans and Crus Paysans. After 1855, the authorities planned to create additional classes in the already famous existing classification with a view to incorporating some of the Crus Bourgeois. At that time, 248 Crus Bourgeois were listed. Mr. d'armailhac's book, published in 1858, lists 34 bourgeois supérieurs, 64 bons bourgeois and 150 bourgeois ordinaires. In the early twentieth century, the Crus Bourgeois developed further and took up an important place in export markets, notably Germany and Russia. The First World War brought an abrupt stop to this growth, and the situation became worse with the Great Depression of While the number of properties decreased, there were enough producers in the Médoc to keep the term "Cru Bourgeois" alive and in use. In 1932, the Bordeaux wine brokers, under the joint authority of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture designated 444 Crus Bourgeois. This list was registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry but was never submitted for ministerial approval, however, it was to serve as a reference for the use of the term for more than 70 years. In 1962, a union of the Crus Bourgeois was created. It organized an internal classification on two occasions in order to promote a competitive spirit within the Crus Bourgeois. In 1979, the European Community labelling regulations approved the traditional term of "Cru Bourgeois" provided that the conditions for its use were specified by French law. On 17 June 2003, a ministerial order finally approved the first official classification of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc which recognized 247 châteaus out of 490 candidates. 7 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

8 Some of the châteaus that were not included denounced this classification as unfair. The judging panel was composed of eighteen professionals including the President of the Union of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc (in accordance with the procedure stated in the Decree of 30 November 2000). In 2007, the Administrative Court of Appeal of Bordeaux annulled the Decree of 17 June 2003 that had approved the classification of the Cru Bourgeois du Médoc. This decision was made on the basis that one cannot judge something in which one has an interest. In 2009, "Cru Bourgeois" Reconnaissance was approved by the public authorities with the decree of 20 October 2009 and the ministerial order of 16 November saw the first implementation of the "Cru Bourgeois" Reconnaissance system with the publication of the 2008 Official Selection. The publication of the Second Official Selection of the Cru Bourgeois du Médoc took place in 2011, for the 2009 vintage. The publication of the Third Official Selection of the Cru Bourgeois du Médoc took place in 2012, for the 2010 vintage. Today: a great family of wines. The Crus Bourgeois are part of Bordeaux's wine heritage. Some properties existed long before the creation of the 1855 classification and many are still here today in a demonstration of the strength of the traditional "Cru Bourgeois" description. The Crus Bourgeois form a big family that brings together vineyards with widely differing profiles, and very different terroirs (eight prestigious AOCs: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis en Médoc, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estèphe), led by a variety of producers, many of whom have their origins in the Médoc, but who also come from other countries and regions, bringing dynamism and new ideas. This is the strength of this family: diversity in unity. The vineyards share the same region and the same history, but each has its own character and offers the consumer something different. This diversity can be found at every level: the appellation, winemaking techniques, flavour, price, reputation, marketing, approaches to wine tourism, communication, presence on social networks, etc. Ultimately, the members of this big family share the same ambition: the defence of the traditional "Cru Bourgeois" classification, in a world in which the preservation of traditions and expertise has become a symbol of luxury. As a result of their selection criteria and positioning in terms of price, the Crus Bourgeois are well-suited to today's markets and the requirements of increasingly demanding consumers. 8 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

9 Launch schedule for the 2010 Official Selection 18 September, publication of the 2010 Official Selection in two French media. 19 September in Bordeaux, exclusive tasting for Place de Bordeaux brokers and merchants, and journalists. 20 September in Paris, first press lunch for the 2010 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc organized for wine bloggers. 21 September in London, tasting of the 2010 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc for British journalists and wine professionals. Press release in France and abroad presenting the 2010 Official Selection. Tastings for journalists of the 2010 Official Selection will be organized by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc on request. 9 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

10 A new Internet site linked to the 2010 vintage Strengthening the Crus Bourgeois' new identity - Innovative format with tablet type navigation (dynamic, fluid, interactive), - Reflects the Crus Bourgeois' new positioning and incorporates the new graphic charter, - Emulates the Crus Bourgeois with a convivial, dynamic style. - All of the Official Selections of the Crus Bourgeois due Médoc, in three clicks. Improved links, more information for Wine enthusiasts and Professionals - A direct link between the "Cru Bourgeois" sticker on all bottles of the 2010 vintage and a dedicated space for each château. - Even more information on the châteaus: technical sheets, personal views of the owners, their first wine memories, photos or videos direct from the property etc. ), and a new feature: wine tourism facilities are indicated with symbols. - A mobile site offers greater accessibility for increasingly mobile wine enthusiasts - A site in 3 languages: French, English and Chinese A powerful link between the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc and internet users. 10 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

11 A new Selection, a new artist & a new visual To celebrate the publication of the new Official Selection, the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc has a new visual. It has entrusted the creation of this visual to the artist Virginie Saint Jeannet, known in Bordeaux for her "curation" of red images. She uses this technique to develop her favourite themes. A few words about the artist Presentation: Graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse. Stylist and artistic director for various fashion brands mainly in the United States. Since her return to Bordeaux, she has devoted herself to her artistic work. Recent Exhibitions: - Bordeaux Digital Week, 23 March to 1 April 2012: Red QRation: events and exhibition with a Red theme, thousands of red images projected outside and inside the Oenolimit wine bar. - Red Exhibition in June 2012 at the On Air Agency in Bordeaux: Video projection and collage exhibition. Virginie Saint Jeannet and the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc "In the same way that the colour Red gives expression to my passions and my views on pop culture, art, eroticism and gastronomy, the wines of the Crus Bourgeois express, through their origin, their terroir and their history, a deep passion for life, traditions and sharing. The wonderful wines of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc take me back to my home region of Bordeaux, to happy family meals, Sunday walks in the vineyards... essentially the delicious, simple pleasures of life." 11 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc

12 Key figures for the 2010 vintage 260 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc 104 Crus Bourgeois in Médoc, corresponding to the production of nearly 15 million bottles Representing 40 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 1045 hl 89 Crus Bourgeois in Haut-Médoc, corresponding to the production of nearly 12 million bottles Representing 34 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 1000 hl 13 Crus Bourgeois in Listrac-Médoc, corresponding to the production of nearly 900,000 bottles Representing 5 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 504 hl 17 Crus Bourgeois in Moulis, corresponding to the production of more than 1.3 million bottles Representing 7 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 552 hl 11 Crus Bourgeois in Margaux, corresponding to the production of nearly 1 million bottles Representing 4 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 719 hl 5 Crus Bourgeois in Pauillac, corresponding to the production of more than 250,000 bottles Representing 2 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 376 hl 21 Crus Bourgeois in Saint-Estèphe, corresponding to the production of more than 1.5 million bottles Representing 8 % of the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc Average Volume of the Crus Bourgeois for this AOC = 592 hl The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc select the Château's best production: the volume of Crus Bourgeois released onto the market varies between vintages. The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc produced approximately 32 million bottles in 2010, or 38 % of the Médoc's production. 260 Crus Bourgeois du Médoc and 32 million bottles correspond to a combined area of about 4,400 hectares, representing 27% of the Médoc's vineyards. Figures for the Médoc:: Conseil des Vins du Médoc 12 L Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc