Investment Update
29Oct
What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a bottle of wine? Chances are it’s less than £424,000 which is what a 1945 Romanée-Conti went for at Sotheby’s in New York last month, breaking the sale record for a single bottle. With pretty consistent growth and the possibility of big returns, wineinvestment may seem like an easy win, but how should you go about getting a lot for your bottle? GQ is here to answer all your questions, advising you when to open your wallet and when to put a cork in it.
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Just Tasted
23Oct
Yesterday evening Atlas was joined by Frédéric Faye, the Technical Director of Château Figeac for a Tasting and Dinner at The Berkeley. Having joined Figeac in 2002, Frédéric first began as a vineyard manager and went on to become Technical Director. Long seen as an under-performer in St. Emilion, it was Frédéric and Michel Rolland, who acts as an consultant to the estate, who saw that the property achieve the quality expected. It is no doubt that Château Figeac certainly has the potential, and now the aspiration, to win promotion to St. Emilion’s top tier, the Premier Grand Cu Classé (A).
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Market News
30Jun
Originally from Ningbo China, Weibo came to London in 2008 for a Masters degree in Social Policy at London School of Economics. Although she was expecting to pursue a career in academia, this was happily sidelined for her interest in fine wine.
Before joining Atlas in 2018, Weibo worked for seven years at another leading fine wine merchant in the UK as private client account manager. At Atlas, along with advising private clients, Weibo travels to key regions to meet producers and assess new vintages. She additionally spends some time in China each year meeting with those clients who are based abroad. Ever interested in the academic approach to fine wine, she is a qualified educator for the WSET Level I and II. In addition to her passion for wine, Weibo holds an Advanced Certificate of Chinese National Tea Art and has vastly improved the way in which tea is served at Atlas.
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Just Tasted
11May
Simon Larkin MW, Managing Director of Atlas Fine Wines, has followed this domaine more closely than perhaps any other over the last 20 years, having worked with them at his previous employers. Over this period, he has seen a dramatic surge in quality and consistency, culminating in a remarkable run of vintages post 2000. As Simon says, it is highly likely that several of Ponsot’s extensive range of Grand Cru will rank in his top ten in almost any Burgundy vintage he tastes from barrel. Domaine Ponsot gained famed under the stewardship of the charismatic Laurent Ponsot, Rose-Marie’s brother, who stepped back last year to begin a négociant business and to write a book. While Laurent still holds stake within the Domaine, Rose-Marie has moved forward from a ‘behind-the-scenes’ role to oversee the day-to-day management of the estate. Since Laurent Ponsot’s departure to pursue his own aims, wine-making responsibilities have passed to Alexandre Abel, who is working with the team previously supervised by Laurent. We were delighted that Rose-Marie joined us to explain how this exceptional domaine moves forward in its new era as we discussed and tasted through wines from across the Ponsot portfolio including five vintages of the Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes, the property’s flagship Grand Cru. The full list of wines tasted was as follows:
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Just Tasted
07Dec
Yesterday evening Atlas' hosted a Tasting and Dinner with Gianluca Grasso, of Elio Grasso at Theo Randall. Today, the Elio Grasso estate is run by Gianluca , who has taken over the day-to-day running and winemaking from his father Elio, after completing his studies at the oenological school in Alba. There is no great secret to the quality of the wines here. Yes, the Barolo vineyards, the Cru of Gavarini and Ginestra, are outstanding sites on which to grow high-class Nebbiolo: both are south-facing, spanning at 300-400 metres of altitude, with a little more clay in Ginestra and a little more sand in Gavarini over the limestone base. Above all, however, it is a meticulous attention to detail that maintains the quality of the wines. This is something of a Grasso character trait and it underwrites the family’s firm belief that ‘wine is made in the vineyard’. Since Gianluca assumed winemaking responsibilities, quality has been propelled further; that same meticulous attention he employs in the cellars also ensures that the fruit is handled sensitively and none of its potential is lost.
The wines that Simon and Gianluca selected allowed for a fascinating comparison between the two Barolo, namely Vigna Chiniera and Casa Maté in three outstanding vintages (2012, 2013 and 2001) as well as the Riserva Rüncot in 2010 and 2001. While the Barolo undoubtedly command the headlines at this estate, the Grasso family produce some first-rate Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, all of which were on show. The full line-up was as follows:
Tasting
Nebbiolo Gavarini Langhe, Piedmont 2016
Barolo, Gavarini Vigna Chiniera 2012
Barolo, Ginestra Vigna Casa Maté 2012
Barolo, Gavarini Vigna Chiniera 2013
Barolo, Ginestra Vigna Casa Maté 2013
Barolo Riserva Rüncot 2010
Wines Paired with Dinner
Dolcetto d'Alba dei Grassi, Piemonte 2016
Vigna Martina Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont 2015
Barolo, Gavarini Vigna Chiniera 2001
Barolo, Ginestra Vigna Casa Maté 2001
Barolo Riserva Rüncot 2001
For information about events, please contact Hannah Van Susteren.
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Atlas Opinion
01Oct
Hector’s interest in fine wine started while in university, when he landed a summery stint selling wine to boat owners in the south of France. He then spent six months working for a Bordeaux négociant as part of his degree at Royal Holloway, University of London. Following graduation, he joined a fine wine trading platform where h e worked as part of the sales team. With extensive knowledge of trade and fluent French, he is a great asset to Atlas trade business, working closely with Bordeaux negociants and other merchants across France.
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