winners-wine

Chateau Lafite Rothschild: Exquisite Wine from Bordeaux

Filed under: Wine

It's safe to say that Halloween isn't celebrated in Asia with quite the same vigor as it is in the U.S. But this year, the last week of October brought some scary wine prices to Hong Kong: a lot of three bottles of 1869 Chateau Lafite Rothschild went for $698,076, or $232,692 per bottle---setting a new world record for the most expensive bottle of wine sold at auction.

"I happened to have one, from a different source, a few weeks before the auction and it was fabulous," says Jamie Ritchie, CEO and President of Americas and Asia for Sotheby's Wine. "We served it blind and the nearest guess on the age was 1959. What really made these bottles rare is the fact that they came directly from Chateau Lafite's cellars and were the oldest wines in the auction---you cannot get better provenance than that."

That provenance has been a part of Chateau Lafite for hundreds of years, part of the reason it's the winner of the Luxist Editors' Choice award for best in wine. Lafite's current incarnation dates back to 1868, when Baron James de Rothschild---a patriarch of the famous European banking family of the same name---purchased the Lafite estate, which had already been producing wine for at least a century.

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Duckhorn Vineyards Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic Red Wine

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Duckhorn Vineyards, located in St. Helena, Ca., is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic Red Wine.

Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent nearly 35 years establishing itself as one of North America's premier producers of Bordeaux varietal wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

Duckhorn made an early decision to focus on the production of Merlot. Though many Napa Valley wineries were using Merlot as a blending grape in the late 1970's, few were exploring the potential of this varietal as a stand-alone wine. A great fan of Merlot since traveling to St. Emilion and Pomerol, Dan Duckhorn felt that this elegant varietal was under appreciated in North America. "I liked the softness, the seductiveness, the color," says Duckhorn. "The fact that it went with a lot of different foods; it wasn't so bold, didn't need to age so long, and it had this velvety texture to it. It seemed to me to be a wonderful wine to just enjoy. I became enchanted with Merlot."

Gallery: Duckhorn Wine Company

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Cakebread Cellars Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic White Wine

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Filed under: Wine

Cakebread Cellars, in Rutherford, Ca., is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic White WIne.

The winery, renowned for its Chardonnay wines, is owned by the Cakebread family, who are known for being among the most creative and successful winemaking families in Napa Valley.

The winery has a reputation for producing world-class wines. Cakebread attributes its success to its focus on quality, consistency and continuity, characteristics which are applied to the grapes, its wines, its staff and the operation of the winery, itself.

Gallery: Cakebread Cellars

Cakebread's roots date back to trip Jack Cakebread made in the early 1970's when he came to photograph the Napa Valley and casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to family friends who owned a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang---it was the friends offering to sell their property. Cakebread headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born. Today a team of seven Cakebread family members leads the winery.

Cakebread Cellars has vineyard properties located throughout Napa Valley in addition to a recently added parcel in the Anderson Valley. The winery owns 13 sites totaling 420 acres, 340 of which are currently planted. Unlike many other wineries, Cakebread feeds its white grapes directly to a press where the juice is gently extracted without crushing (called whole cluster pressing) and only the juice is fermented.

All tours and tastings are made by appointment. They are conducted in various venues around the winery--in barrel rooms, in the fermentation room and occasionally alongside the vineyard or on a patio when production schedule and weather permits. Call ahead to make appointments, as weekends and holidays book quickly.

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Chateau Lafite Rothschild Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best International Red Wine

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is nominated for Best International Red Wine.

With a history dating back centuries and a claim to the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold, Chateau Lafite Rothschild is a fitting winner for the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award in the best international red wine category.

In 1787, scarcely ten years after some ambitious colonists declared a new country across the Atlantic, a small French winery called Chateau Lafite produced a very special bottle. Little did the resident oenologist know that nearly 200 years later, the bottle would sell for 105,000 pounds – roughly $160,000 – setting the mark for price that has stood since 1985.

When Baron James de Rothschild, a patriarch of the famous European banking family, purchased Chateau Lafite in 1868, it was perhaps a sign of a good investment recognized. But the Baron never saw his purchase bear fruit – he passed away just three months later, leaving the renamed Chateau Lafite-Rothschild estate to his three sons.

Gallery: Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Over a century later, Chateau Lafite Rothschild remains one of the world's most esteemed wine estates, producing some 35,000 cases per year. Much like the record-setting bottle from 1787, even the most recent vintages continue to rapidly appreciate in value – the 2008 Lafite Rothschild was valued at 1,500 pounds upon its release, but bottle prices more than doubled within two weeks. Baron James would be proud.

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Chateau d'Yquem Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best International White Wine

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Filed under: Wine

Many French wines boast an extensive history, but the sweet dessert wine of Chateau d'Yquem traces its heritage all the way back to the 16th Century. Chateau d'Yquem is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best International White Wine.

In 1593, a nobleman named Jacques Sauvage gained control of the feudal territory of Yquem, where noteworthy winegrowing techniques were starting to take root. Toward the beginning of the 17th Century, the Sauvage family consolidated the vineyards and built the chateau that still stands today.

Gallery: Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes

As the years went on, Chateau d'Yquem's reputation made its way around the world. In the 19th Century, the wine became a favorite in Meiji dynasty Japan and in Imperial Russia, where the Tsar's brother paid 20,000 gold francs for a barrel of Chateau d'Yquem. At the start of World War I, the chateau was temporarily converted into a military hospital; during World War II, the head of the family was taken prisoner for two years before returning to France to bring Chateau d'Yquem to new heights.

Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH became the house's main shareholder in 1999, installing Bordeaux wine expert Pierre Lurton as the estate's manager. Other than that, not much has changed – and today, Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes remains one of the most beloved dessert wines in the world.

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Veuve Clicquot Wins the Readers' Choice Award for Best Champagne

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Filed under: Wine

If it weren't for Veuve Clicquot, the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for best champagne/sparkling wine, your next glass of champagne might be full of sediment. The house invented the practice of remuage, or riddling, wherein bottles are turned by hand so that the solid matter gets pushed into the neck and can be emptied before the bottling process is complete.

Remuage is just one of the advanced techniques pioneered by Veuve Clicquot over the course of its storied history. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, the house became the first to ship rosé champagne three years later. But the house's greatest leader turned out to be Barbe Nicole Ponsardin – also known as Madame Clicquot, the widow of Philippe's son. After her husband's death, she took the house's reins at the age of 27.

Gallery: Veuve Clicquot

In 1814, Madame Clicquot shipped 10,000 bottles of champagne to Russia, where demand skyrocketed for the better part of a century. Two years later, she invented the remuage technique. After a long career that brought Veuve Clicquot to the top of the champagne world, she retired at the age of 64.

In 1987, the brand became part of luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, maintaining the brand's historical caché. Reminders of the champagne's history are never far away – in 2008, the oldest unopened bottle of Veuve was found in a Scottish castle. Not for sale, the bottle now graces the Veuve Clicquot visitor center in Reims, France.

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The Nominees: Best in Wine

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Filed under: Wine

Best International White Wine
The first nominee has papal roots while the second nominee is so exceptional, it is considered to be liquid gold by many. The third nominee is the preferred choice of wine connoisseurs while the fourth nominee has been in the wine business since the early 17th century. The final nominee uses a secret weapon to give its wines hints of peach, apricot and grapefruit.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Chateau d'Yquem
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Best International Red Wine
The first nominee has roots that trace back to 1299 while the second continues to produce the world's most revered and highly sought -after wines. The third nominee is a member of the elite "First Growths", while the fourth has long produced wine for the world's most well-heeled oenophiles. The final nominee is celebrated for its strong, tannin-packed wines.

Chateau Pape Clement
Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Mouton Rothschild
Chateau Pichon-Longueville

Best Domestic White Wine
The first nominee is owned by one of the most creative and successful winemaking families in Napa Valley, while the second nominee is known for its critically acclaimed estate wines. The third nominee is consistently recognized for producing some of the best Chardonnays while the fourth nominee relies on nature and tradition rather than technology. The final nominee is owned by a French winemaking family who wanted to create top quality wine in Napa Valley.

Cakebread Cellars
Far Niente
Kistler Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
St. Supery Vineyards

Best Domestic Red Wine
The first nominee produces wines that age with grace while the second nominee makes wines that are "estate bottled" in the spirit of the Bordeaux chateaux. The third nominee uses an artisans' approach to winemaking while the fourth nominee is famous for its sustainable vineyard practices. The final nominee is just as committed to its intensely flavored and complex wines as it is to its engagement in green practices.

Clos du Val
Dominus Estate
Duckhorn Vineyards
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

Best Champagne/Sparkling Wine
The first nominee was served at Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding in 1981 while the second nominee has been blended by a member of its namesake family every year since 1843. The third nominee was a favorite of the Imperial Court of Russia while the fourth nominee was is world-renowned for its subterranean crayeres where it ages its wines at a constant temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. The final nominee pioneered many of the advanced techniques used today by winemakers around the world.

Dom Perignon
Krug
Louis Roederer's Cristal
Pommery
Veuve Clicquot

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