Salut/Hi Michael Pronay,

le/on 17 Oct 2003 21:51:00 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

>> Another, MUCH more famous, up with Ostertag in the reputation
>> stakes, is Jean-Michel Deiss of Domaine Marcel Deiss.
>
>An absolutely impressive guy ...

And a really nice one too.

>> I don't know how much it costs,
>
>(I bet it's sold out since long.)

Yeah, I expect it is, but if John is going to the area, he may just be able
to get a taste.

>> but his Grand Cru assemblage

>... who hit the officials into their face by buttling this totally
>illegal concoction (by law a wine labelled "Grand Cru" has to be
>made from one - and only one! - of the four noble grape
>varieties). He was taken to the "tribunal penal" (iirc) - and won!

There's quite a lot more to it, in fact. Stéphane Martin, when he brought
me _his_ Altenberg assemblage to taste explained it, but I'm afraid, faced
with the wine itself, it went in one ear and out the other. But it has top
do with AOC legislation and is yet another example where french legislation
- designed to be applied with intelligence and discretion - becomes
ridiculous when applied literally and with malice.

>> "Altenburg de Bergheim" was a revelation - and that's an
>> understatement. It was quite simply the most exciting wine - bar
>> none - that I've tasted for the last 5 years.
>
>Wait for the Valinière ... ;-)

Let's hope it's at Vins Passions in Lyon next winter.

>M.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare

Sometimes oi just sits and thinks
Sometimes oi just sits.