Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 10 June 2011

Noëlla Morantin + Vincent Roussely

Noëlla Morantin

Nigel Wilkinson (RSJ Restaurant in London) arrived on Wednesday afternoon for a few days of visits to producers. He had time to drop off his bags before we headed off on our first visits. We started with Noëlla Morantin, someone I really should have visited before. She has 8.66 hectares, which she bought from Catherine and Didier of the Clos Roche Blanche with the following grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay and Côt. I had previously tasted Noëlla's Gamay in London and was further impressed by her wines during this visit.

The barrel room


The winery kittens (above and below)



Bunches of grapes growing fast in a nearby parcel still owned by the Clos Roche Blanche


Centre of Angé where Vincent Roussely has his temporary boutique

From La Tesnière (Pouillé) to Vincent Roussely in Angé is but a short drive. Vincent's ambitious building works around the family winery, which he bought back last year, are advancing.

The old winery


Inside the restored winery


Nigel and Vincent

Further reports to follow but off now for a day in Saumur and Chinon...

1 comment:

Luc Charlier said...

Jim, once again, congratulation for the pictures.
Mrs Morantin’s top snapshot is a beauty: the overall atmosphere is one “à la de la Tour” (Georges, not Quentin) or even Caravaggio, but at the same time, you capture the intensity of her focus on the gesture, just like Master Goya would have done. I really love this picture.
If you see a chance to readjust the frame (elbow seen in totality, a bit more of the glass and less of the wall above) you get there something to publish ... after her permission of course.
And here I come with a new theory: constantly wearing funny shirts has endowed you with a special gift. It allows you to disregard all the back-ground noise related to your outfit and concentrate on the job. Methink André Agassi is in for a chance as well!