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Guest Post: Turbiana, is it Trebbiano…or not?

  By admin | January 23, 2014 - 12:53 pm | , ,
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TurbianaToday we have a guest post from Wai Xin, a wine educator based in Singapore.  Xin brings us on a fascinating journey to get to the truth about Turbiana!

Modern DNA profiling ability has enabled researchers to name most grapes and their parentage. But for those who won’t be spending time on reports, they find the proof in the glass. While not always exact, some characteristics that run in the vine family can be tell-tale signs of its lineage, with slight variations attributed to vintage and geographical differences. But if you need a grape to stump someone, try Turbiana.

Sitting at a Zenato wine dinner three months ago, I overheard diners and their enthusiasm to taste the flagship wines – two vintages (2005 & 2006) of Sergio Zenato Riserva and a 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. All rich and opulent, and should you have a case of the 2005 Sergio Zenato Riserva, it is certainly a good time to start exploring. But what really started the discussion among nearby wine specialists wasn’t the Amarone, they were two dry whites from Lugana.

Lugana is a small region south of Lake Garda, sitting near the border of Veneto and Lombardy. As often happens to a small region nestled between two large areas, it is often overlooked.

To try and figure out Lugana, I pulled my phone out from pocket and conjured my secret stash of wine resources. A Dropbox account containing handy resources such as maps, scholarly texts, and in this case, 521 official documents detailing all the approved Italian wine regions from IGT to DOCG.

“I vini a denominazione di origine controllata “Lugana” devono essere ottenuti dalle uve provenienti dal vitigno Trebbiano di Soave localmente denominato Turbiana o Trebbiano di Lugana.”

white wine tastingIn loosely translated essence, “Trebbiano di Soave, in local terms Turbiana or Trebbiano di Lugana.” Trebbiano and Soave sounded familiar enough to us. Done deal.

Or is it?

Two weeks after that dinner, on a friend’s insistence I met Fabio Zenato from Le Morette. “You must meet this man and his wines” my friend said, “I have never tried this variety before.”

At our meeting, an assortment of sparkling, dry, red and dry white wines were laid out on the table, and the word Lugana caught my eyes again. But instead of calling it a Trebbiano di Soave, Fabio addressed it with an alien name Turbiana. Tur. Interesting…

Very often Trebbiano, one of the most planted varieties in Italy, has its name appended with a region. Names like Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano di Romagna and others are aplenty. The French call it Ugni Blanc, but even with that, it is still one of the many French synonyms.

In 2001, a group of researchers from University of Milan looked into the differences between these “Trebbiani” and other grape varieties that could be related. The result showed huge genetic differences suggesting that most Trebbiano, if related, must be cousins. Two grapes showed remarkable resemblance; Trebbiano di Soave and Verdicchio were 99% similar, while Turbiana differed slightly with Verdicchio at 97%.

Fabio supported the 2001 study. With this result, he can prove his claim since it had clearly demonstrated that Turbiana was significantly different from Trebbiano. I support his cause, and by calling it Trebbiano, it only misrepresents the Lugana native to a distant family. To get things right, Trebbiano di Lugana needs to be correctly known as Turbiana, and Trebbiano di Soave as Verdicchio.

lugana vineyardsIn Singapore, Lugana wines are almost non-existent with only a handful of merchants carrying one or two labels. The Zenato Luganas are available in Crystal Wines, while Monopole carries a Lugana from Tommasi owned Villa Giradi. Fabio’s visit to Singapore in October was to look for an importer. In December, his wines were showcased over a Veneto wine dinner, but as of today, I am not certain if anyone was confident to take up the distribution rights.

With my few experiences of Turbiana, it had came across being neutral and shapeable. While at other times, fully expressive of its fruits and minerals. Such unpredictability can make it difficult to handle, yet intriguing for some. The name change will do some good, but first it has to overcome the many obstacles ahead.

Tasting Notes: 

Zenato Lugana DOC San Benedetto 2012 – Hint of ripe tropical fruits showed initially and supported by a more melon-like aroma. While the palate was crisp and bone dry, the fruit flavors that showed on the finish was a welcoming touch. A simple wine but paired fine with fresh seafood.

Zenato Lugana Riserva “Sergio Zenato” 2007 – Having aged in oak barrels, tinge of smoky aroma overshadowed a neutral fruit. Palate had a light hint of residual sweetness and finished off with good roundness. Rather akin to a rich Chardonnay.

Le Morette Lugana DOC Mandolara – Youthfulness of the wine showed both in glass and palate. A gentle expression of fresh apple and flowers, the steel-like palate was driven by pronounced salty mineral touch that cut from beginning to finish.

Le Morette Lugana DOC Benedictus  Keeping the skin with the juice gave a nice straw gold tone and dense phenolic volume. Partially fermented in small oak barrels also imparted spicy note to the rich spectrum of aromas. If there’s a lack of description for the wine, one can say there’s a taste of grape flesh within.

Wai Xin, CSW, FWS is a wine communicator based in Singapore. He describes his journey to wine as follows – “I woke up one day and decided to throw my Java coding career out of the window for a lifetime of intoxication. Believing strongly that wine is for enjoyment and not a trading commodity, I encourage sensible, affordable drinking and the exploration of individual preferences.”

Wai Xin is the author of a blog entitled “Wine Xin- The Babbler”, as well as a contributing author for EnjoyWine.Sg and ChubbyHubby.Net (a food, family, and lifestyle blog). Xin may be reached at this.is@winexin.sg or via twitter @Winexin.

Note from Jane N:  What I find most interesting about Xin is his “98” score on the CSW – very impressive!!

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For more information on any of SWE’s programs, contact Jane Nickles, our Director of Education and Certification- jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org .

Good luck with your studies!

 

 

Move over Big Gulp…Riedel’s in Town!

  By admin | January 16, 2014 - 4:09 pm |
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Riedel Coke CropAs I swirl my lovely Riedel glass, I detect hints of cinnamon, allspice, cherry, currant, and anise.  Could it be Côtes du Rhône, Oregon Pinot Noir, or perhaps Chianti?

Maybe for dinner…but for lunch today I am savoring Coca-Cola from the latest creation of Riedel, the renowed  Austrian glass company that made its name by creating the “perfect” wine glass for just about every wine type and variety imaginable.  (Their Zinfandel glass is,  in my opinion, the perfect all-around wine glass, as well as an object of subtle and timeless beauty.)

To create their signature Coca-Cola Riedal glass, the company has combined the style of the top of their Riedel-O Sauvignon Blanc glass with a slight curvature through the middle, a bit of a flare and a short, flat base.  It’s slightly reminiscent of a classic roadhouse “coke” bottle of years past. But this is serious stuff – if you believe in Riedel (and just about all the wine lovers I know truly do believe) you believe this glass will enhance the flavor and experience of your Coca-Cola.

Riedel Coca-Cola AdDon’t be tempted to cheat, however…the glassware comes with a stern warning.  It is not  designed for Diet Coke, and definitely will not work with Pepsi, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper.  I am determined, however, to see for myself how it works with a Rum & Coke. (I am sure George Riedel would approve.)

The Coca Cola+Riedel glass is available at retail for about $19 a glass or $29 for a set of two.

For more information, see the Riedel Website.

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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Onward to the Okanagan

  By admin | January 12, 2014 - 12:44 pm |
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Mission Hill Winery Overlooking Lake Okanagan

Mission Hill Winery
Overlooking Lake Okanagan

About 12,000 years ago, during the end an ice age, a cycle of flooding rushed through parts of Canada, Washington State, and Oregon.  These floods ran with the force equivalent to 60 Amazon Rivers and eroded large portions of rock and deposited high quality soil as far south as the Willamette Valley.  In British Columbia, these floods helped create the Okanagan Valley, one of the most dynamic wine regions in Canada.

The Okanagan Valley, located east of Vancouver, is a beautiful landscape filled with hills and lakes.  The region benefits from large deposits of fertile soils left behind by the ice sheets, dispersed over time by wind and water.  The area has a continental climate, moderated by Lake Okanagan.  The surrounding mountains help restrict rain, and the southern part of the valley, which borders the Sonora Desert, benefits from the desert’s warm, dry air.  All these factors work together to create a patchwork of unique microclimates capable of producing quality vinifera grapes.

Rocky Hills of the Okanagan Valley

Rocky Hills of the Okanagan Valley

Inhabited originally by the Okanagan Tribe; fur traders, miners, and missionaries moved into the region in the early 19th century.   The first vines were planted in 1859 at the Oblate Mission by Charles Pandosy and were used to produce sacramental wine.  Eventually, the region became known as a fruit growing region, especially once modern irrigation systems were introduced in the 1930s.  It was not until the 1970s that growers begin to experiment with vitis vinifera and the area was planted with small amounts of German varieties, such as Riesling, Ehrenfelser, and Scheurebe.

Since that time wine culture in the Okanagan Valley has expanded dramatically. In 1996 there were about 45 wineries.  Today, there are over 120, most of them family owned and operated.  The vineyards are not limited to a handful of varieties, but dozens.  The diversity of microclimates allows for almost any kind of grape to successfully grow.  Where one winery produces Syrah and Merlot wineries less than forty miles away are growing Pinot Noir or producing ice wines.

Mission Hill Winery

Mission Hill Winery

For now, most of the wine is sold primarily at the wineries with some distribution throughout BC.  This may soon change as regional associations and proponents attempt to ease Canadian laws on wine shipments and distribution.  Although the wines are not yet readily available in the USA or Europe, we have our fingers crossed that this may soon change.

For more information, see the Wines of British Columbia website.

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Post authored by Ben Coffelt  – bcoffelt@societyofwineeducators.org

It’s Official: Cabernet is King!

  By admin | January 6, 2014 - 2:54 pm | ,
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Photo: www.adelaide.edu.au

Photo: www.adelaide.edu.au

If you are a Cabernet Sauvignon lover, rejoice! According to a new report issued today (January 6, 2014), Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely planted wine grape variety (by vineyard area) in the world.

This piece of news is actually the result of decades worth of research conducted by the University of Adelaide; funded by Australia’s Grape and Wine Research and Development  Corporation. 

The report, entitled “Which Winegrape Varieties are Grown Where:  A Global Empirical Picture,” is purported to be the first complete database of the world’s winegrape varieties, compiled using data from over 44 countries.

The database and its narrative, which has more information than most of us have ever even dreamed of, is available for free download, courtesy of the University of Adelaide:  just click here.

According to the report, the top ten wine grape varieties grown worldwide are currently:

  1. Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. Merlot
  3. Airén
  4. Tempranillo
  5. Chardonnay
  6. Syrah
  7. Garnacha Tinta
  8. Sauvignon Blanc
  9. Trebbiano Toscano
  10. Pinot Noir

Red Grapes 3.3Other interesting pieces of information include the top five winegrapes that have increased in vineyard volume over the past ten years, which are:  Tempranillo (#1), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay (#5).  Accordingly, the five grapes that have declined the most in vineyard volume are Airen at #1, followed by Mazuelo, Grasevina, Garnacha Tinta, and Trebbiano Toscano.

The report (all 670 pages of it) is a wealth of information – so much so that you should wait to download it until you have a large block of free time!

For More Information:  The University of Adelaide , Australia’s Grape and Wine Research and Development  Corporation

Click here to return to the SWE Website.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

The Legacy of Peter Jahant

  By admin | December 8, 2013 - 2:10 am |
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Map via www.lodiwine.com

Map via www.lodiwine.com

If you are studying for the CSW Exam, you might recall that the Lodi AVA, located in northern California, has seven sub-regions:  Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumes River, Mokelumne River, Sloughhouse, and the smallest of the seven, Jahant.

I’ve always been intrigued by the interesting name of the Jahant AVA, so this morning I decided to do a bit of research. This is a small area and  information is somewhat difficult to come by, but I did find out who the area is named for, as well as quite a few interesting details about the soil and climate of the area.

The area’s namesake is a former gold prospector turned family farmer named Peter Jahant. Peter was born in France in 1827 and moved to Akron, Ohio with his parents when he was six years old. In 1850, lured by gold fever,  23-year-old Peter took off with for Sacramento with three or four friends, intending to prospect for gold. After a few years of variable success in gold mining , he bought a livery stable and settled down. He eventually married and established a family farm in the Acampo area. In 1912, Peter Jahant’s son, Charles, planted 130 acres of grapes on the original family farm and gold prospectoradditional purchased land. The Jahant name is well-entrenched in the area, with Jahant Road, Jahant Stables, and Jahant Slough (a stream) all part of the local landscape.

The Jahant AVA is located in the center area of the larger Lodi AVA, about 7 miles south of the city of Lodi.  The region is bordered by the Dry Creek River in the north and the Mokelumne River in the southwest.  There are currently 8,000 acres of the area’s total 28,000 acres planted to grapes.

While the Jahant sub-region has a slightly cooler, dryer, and windier climate than the surrounding areas, the main difference, and the defining factor in establishing the boundaries of the area, is the soil.  The distinctive pink soil, referred to as “Rocklin-Jahant,” is a mixture of sandy loam and clay left by river flooding within the last 20,000 years. The clay component makes the soil excellent for retaining water  to the point that dry-farming is possible, even during the summer.  These dry-farmed vines produce grapes of great concentration, deep color and firm tannins; the nearby Sacramento Delta provides enough cooling breezes to maintain a good, balancing level of acidity.

Tempranillo,  Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel are among the most widely planted grapes of the Jahant AVA.  The Viaggio Estate Winery and Michael David Vineyards both have vineyards in the area.  White grapes also do well; the Lange Twins Family Winery has a lodi grape vinevineyard in the area planted to Sauvignon Musqué, a clonal variant of Sauvignon Blanc that produces grapes with a more pronounced floral aroma – and less of the herbal/cut green grass character – of a typical Sauvignon Blanc.

For more information about the Jahant AVA, click here. 

Click here for the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission

Click here to return to the SWE Website.

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Wine Book Review: “The Nose” by James Conaway

  By admin | December 5, 2013 - 9:30 am | ,
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the nose red wineThe Nose, a novel by James Conaway, in a nutshell:  Agatha Christie meets Sideways meets Bonfire of the Vanities in a delicious tale of  the perfect wine and a vain, self-satisfied, and extremely influential wine critic on the loose in Napa Valley.

This is a fun book:  not long after we meet Clyde Craven-Jones, aka “The Nose,” we’re invited to join him for a typical Thursday morning, consisting of blind-tasting the week’s crop of newly released vintages and grading them on his patented numbered scale.  (The lead character’s similarity to another (never named) influential wine critic with a similar such graded scale is hard to miss.)

Not long after the nose sniffs out his weekly winners, a mystery bottle of Cabernet arrives at his door.  He sniffs, he sips, he spits, and declares it to be a perfect 20 – an accolade he has never granted before.  The mystery begins as C-J tries to locate the producer of the “perfect 20.”  His quest comes to an abrupt end when our critic is found, face down, floating in a vat of newly-fermented Cabernet. The scene somehow manages to be gruesome and funny at the same time.

The NoseAfter C-J’s untimely death, his widow continues the quest to find the producer of the perfect Cab.  Along the way, we meet a bumbling cub reporter, a biodynamic farmer, a blonde bombshell, and more than a few greedy producers of cultish techno-wine.   A friendly crew of wanna-be wine writers, fashionistas, and wine lovers savant try to help solve the mystery but mostly just hang out and drink amazing wine at a seedy bar called The Wine Glass – and you just can’t help but want to join them.

James Conaway’s books on the California wine scene – including Napa: The Story of an American Eden and its sequel, The Far Side of Eden, are surely already well-known to both fans and serious students of California wine. Wine lovers, as well as those that enjoy a good mystery and perhaps even a slightly snarky comedy-of-manners, California style, will enjoy The Nose as well. (Holiday Gift Alert!)

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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Message in a (Square) Bottle

  By admin | October 20, 2013 - 2:48 pm |
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California SquaredDry Creek Valley wine producer Truett-Hurst has released a new range of California wines – a red blend, a Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Russian River Chardonnay – known as “California Square.”  Priced at $20.00 a bottle, the wines are good, but perhaps not particularly newsworthy. However, the company claims to have just launched the “the world’s first range of wines in square bottles!”

The bottles, modeled after old-time spirits bottles, are eye-catching indeed.  Designed by Kevin Shaw of the award-winning drinks packaging design firm “Stranger & Stranger,” the ornate bottles feature embossing, retro graphics, and screen-printed labels.

According to the California Square website, the bottles make for a more sustainable wine, as shipping, storage, and packing are more efficient, compared to round bottles.  They also claim that the square bottles make “lifestyle sense” as they do not require a dedicated wine rack for storage and they won’t roll away – I am sure we can all relate to that one!

The bottle itself can also be re-used in a myriad of ways.  I have to admit, just looking at the bottle I thought of quite a few….olive oil decanter, flower vase, oil torch, water carafe, and soap dispenser. The website has few more creative ideas such as “message in a bottle,” homemade flavored vodka and “ship in a bottle.”

In a world full of gimmicks, of course, the wine inside has to stand up to the glamorous exterior, and thankfully, Truett-Hurst winemaker Ginny Lambrix has crafted the wines, produced with grapes grown using biodynamic principles, with care.  Here is a quick rundown of the three offerings:

  • California Squred Red BlendCabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, 2012 – A base of Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a touch of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this structured wine shows typical “Cab” aromas and flavors of blackberry, black plum, cheery, licorice and savory herb. The winemaker calls this wine a “sexy beast.” We can only hope!
  • Red Blend, Paso Robles, 2012 – A blend of 8 different lots and 5 different varieties – Petite Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. Each lot was individually fermented to coax maximum flavor and texture from the grapes. The resulting blend is juicy, rich, and complex with flavors of red berries, chocolate, plum and spice.
  • Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2012 – Produced with 100% Chardonnay, the grapes for this wine were whole cluster pressed for enhanced texture and extraction of skin flavors.  A portion of the wine (70%) was fermented in French Oak barrels with active lees stirring and MLF; the remaining wine was cold-temperature stainless steel fermented. The resulting wine shows both oaky-vanilla-tropical fruit flavors and a bit of citrus-floral-minerality as well.

“California Square” wines are available throughout the U.S. at Total Wine and More locations.

Click here to visit the California Square Wines website.

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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE – your SWE Blog Administrator – jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

 

Vodka, Meet Oak

  By admin | October 10, 2013 - 2:36 am |
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starkaHere’s something that sounds new:  Oak-Aged Vodka! Sure enough, cutting-edge spirits producers such as Absolut, Adnams, and Bendistillery are producing Oak-Aged Vodkas that are flying off the shelves. However, like so many things, it seems to be a case of “everything old is new again!”

Starka, perhaps the “original” Oak-Aged Vodka, has been produced in Poland and Lithuania since at least the 15th century, when the region was known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.  By the 1800’s, Starka was the favorite potent drink of area, beloved by both the gentry and the commonfolk alike.

Tradition held that upon the birth of a child, the father of the house would place a large quantity of homemade sprits into an empty oak barrel, seal the barrel with beeswax and bury it in the ground, where it aged until the child’s wedding day.

By the late 1800’s, various companies in the area, which by this time was divided into Imperial Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, began to mass produce Oak-Aged Vodka.  The vodka became widely known as Starka;  a term that  referred to the aging process and, alternatively, meant “old woman!”

StarkaStarka production continued after World War I, which ended foreign rule over both Poland and Lithuania, and all throughout the post-World War II era when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union.  During this time, liquor production in Poland was nationalized, but production of Starka, mostly as a high-end export product, continued uninterrupted.

Currently, only Polish Starka is considered “true Starka.” It is now produced by only one Polish Company,  Polmos Szczecin. Polmos Szczecin Starka is produced from natural Rye Vodka aged in oak barrels with a small addition of apple leaves and lime leaves.  The product is offered in various age classes ranging from 5 years to over 50 years old.  Their oldest product dates back to 1947.  In addition, there are a number of companies in Lithuania, Bulgaria, Russia, and Latvia producing what is considered to be “Starka-style Vodka” produced mainly from neutral spirits and herbal tinctures.

As for the modern era, Oak-Aged Vodka seems to be catching on.  The well-known Swedish Vodka producer Absolut has recently launched an oak-aged product called “Absolut Amber,” named after the color the vodka takes on due to oak influence.  According to their website, Absolut Amber is aged in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American (ex-Bourbon) barrels for about six months. The aged vodka is then blended with “macerated spirits” (spirits soaked in wood chips) so that it touches a total of 8 types of wood before being bottled.  Absolut Amber is slowly making its way to the American market; it has been launched into the U.S. but is currently only available at airports.

Various reviews on the Absolut Website use the following words to describe Absolut Amber:  “rich, mellow, oaky flavor, smooth, vanilla, coconut, deep amber color, smoky aroma, spicy, allspice, dried orange peel.”  One reviewer said it was “not quite like a whisky but a step above vodka.” Very interesting!

What is even more interesting to me is the very creative array of Amber-based cocktails to be found on the Absolut Amber Website, such as the “Absolut Amber Nectar” which combines the spirit with apple juice, honey, and a twist of orange.

Other distilleries are producing oak-aged vodkas as well. Adnams Distillery in the U.K. produces a “North Cove Oak Aged Vodka.” The Adnams  Distillery product is made from barley-based vodka and is aged in a mixture of French and American Oak.  Alas, it does not seem to be available in the U.S.

Closer to home, the Bendistillery in Oregon ages its Crater Lake Vodka “briefly in New American Oak.” This gives the vodka a “spring water character” and a bit of vanilla-nutmeg spiciness. Click here  for a list of stores that carry Crater Lake Vodka in the U.S.

Vodka, meet oak – its 1525 all over again!

For more information:

Polmos Szczecin

Absolute Amber

Adnam’s North Cove Oak-Aged Vodka

Bendistillery

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Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CSW…your SWE Blog Administrator jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

 

1855: It was a Very Good Year…

  By admin | September 28, 2013 - 12:21 am | ,
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Bordeaux 1Its a familiar story to wine enthusiasts…in 1855, Napoleon III, the Emperor of France, decided that France would host an event to rival the Great Exhibition held in London four years earlier.  That event, the Exposition Universelle de Paris, would showcase all the glory that was France – including its finest wines.

One of the exhibitors was the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, which decided to feature a list of the region’s best wines. However, knowing better than to draw up the list themselves, they asked the Syndicat of Courtiers (Bordeaux’s Union of Wine Brokers) to draw one up.

It did not take the Syndicat long to think through the list; two weeks later, they were finished.  Their original list included 58 of the finest Châteaux of the Gironde department – four first growths, 12 seconds, 14 thirds, 11 fourths, and 17 fifths.   Apparently, the brokers did what brokers do:  they assigned the rankings based on price, reasoning that the market, in its infinite wisdom, had already ranked the wines based on who was commanding the highest price.  This move makes more sense if you know that in the 1850’s; the wine trade in Bordeaux was still largely controlled by the British.

bordeaux 2The Syndicat’s original list ranked the Châteaux by quality within each class. Mouton-Rothschild, quite famously, was at the head of the seconds.  However, the controversy concerning the entire list was such that by the time the Exposition rolled around, a few months after the list was first released, they had rescinded the quality listing within the categories, quickly claimed that no such hierarchy had ever been intended, and took to listing the Châteaux alphabetically.

As every good wine student knows, the only formal revision to the original list came in 1973, when, following a half-century of unceasing effort by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Mouton was elevated from second-growth to first growth, and the winery’s motto became “Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change.”  (“First, I am. Second, I used to be. Mouton does not change.”)

9.8-The-Haut-Medoc-4-color-[Converted]Since 1855, many changes have occurred in the names and ownership of the properties. However, as long as an estate can trace its lineage to an estate in the original classification, it can retain is cru classé status. Due to divisions of the estates, the 58 original estates now number 61.

And now for the rest of the story…

As any good CSW Student knows, Bill Lembeck, CWE, has designed the maps for the last few editions of the CSW Study Guide.

Next month, (Spoiler Alert) SWE will launch its 2014 version of the CSW Study Guide, and Bill has once again designed and updated the maps for us – this time in color! As a special bonus, Bill has created this map of the Häut-Médoc which gorgeously lists the Châteaux of the 1855 Classification.  A larger image and pdf of the map is available here.

Enjoy, and many thanks to Bill!