« I drink it when I am happy and when I am sad. I sometimes drink it when I am alone. I consider it essential when I have company. I toy with it when I have no appetite, and I drink it when I am hungry. Otherwise I never touch the stuff, unless I’m thirsty...” Lily Bollinger

How could I not start this chronicle with one of my favourite sayings, from one of the most famous women in the region, Lily Bollinger, “Bolly”. And what’s more, she is absolutely right! Who doesn’t fancy a glass of Champagne, at any time!

Each time I drink Champagne, I am reminded of the tradition we have in the Primum Familiae Vini (PFV). Every year, at the end of June or beginning of July, the current president (who rotates annually between the members) organises a two-day gathering in his cellar where all the families come to spend time together and discuss the issues that unite us in this wonderful association. One of the first gatherings I attended was at Pol Roger’s and of course I was very excited because we were going to drink Champagne for two days... and not just any Champagne !

I have since then seen a significant change. Whereas in the last half-century the main discussions were about the processes within the wineries, they now focus on the vineyard. This is a reality in all wine regions of the world. The focus on the origin of the wine, the vine, is helping to highlight the expression of the various terroirs in today’s Champagne. This has contributed to the development of new Champagnes that give us the opportunity to experience the different terroirs, offering us a more sophisticated view of the wines produced in the region. 

The result has been an evolution in the appreciation of Champagne, which in the last century was sold as a brand rather than a terroir, while today the appearance of single-cru and single-vineyard Champagnes has become manifest. This movement is linked to the idea of treating Champagne as a fine wine and the notion that it should be subject to the same scrutiny as the rest of the wines.

I raise my glass to the elegance and finesse of Champagne wines and to the unique and timeless pleasure they always give us.

Best (bubbly!) regards, Pablo Alvarez

While many winegrowers from Northern Rhone Valley (French wine region that is particularly close to my heart) are capable of moving me when I taste their wines, one estate in particular, to my mind, is worthy of the term “cult”; the Jean-Louis Chave estate. 

Recently awarded the Grand Prix de La Revue du Vin de France as the best winemaker of the year, a prize awarded by winemakers and former prizewinners, Jean-Louis Chave never always puts forward his “winemaker-farmer” approach. There is no doubt that his modest, discreet and affable style comes partly from his family history. 

The story begins north of Tournon-sur-Rhône in 1481, when the then lord offered the Chave family a vineyard and a farm (what a rich idea!!) for a “service rendered”, a service which no one remembers any more. Over the centuries from generation to generation, the Chave family, has taken care of their Syrah vines and endeavoured to produce the finest wines in the region. In 1885, the first plots of land were acquired in the majestic Hermitage appellation, which today is one of the most sought-after wines in the world. 

A magical terroir with granite soil, this wine is referred to as the Rhodanian Pétrus. The estate owns around 30 ha of vines, including 15 ha on the famous Hermitage hillside (10ha of red Syrah, 5ha of white Marsanne and Roussanne).

Gérard and his son Jean-Louis, who now runs the estate, form one of the most talented duos in the world of French wine. Unlike other producers of the appellation, Jean-Louis harvests, vinifies and matures his different plots separately and then blends them together to extract the full quintessence of the appellation. Most of the reds used to produce Hermitage come from the famous plots of Ermite, Méal and Bessards. The fruit of these three plots is without doubt the most wonderful illustration of the appel- lation thanks to the mineral power of the Bessards wines, derived from the soil which is made up of a block of granite, the velvety and fleshy nature of the Méal wines and the racy silkiness of the Ermite.

For the white Hermitage, the terroirs of Péléat, Rocoule and Maison Blanche produce high quality Marsanne representing 80% of the blend with 20% of Roussanne, which in the glass will translate into a tension and on the palate, a volume that is extremely well balanced. In the wine cellar, Jean-Louis Chave blends these parcels differently from year to year and practices discreet ageing that never exceeds 20% in new barrels. His aim is always to let his terroir speak for itself, and to this he attaches great importance. It is thanks to this that his red Hermitage will give you a rare oenological experience. Depth, balance, freshness and length are all present here to enchant your taste buds.

The confidential star of the appel- lation, the Cuvée Cathelin, takes its name from the painter and friend of the family, Bernard Cathelin. This wine was created in 1990 as a tribute to the painter himself, who incidentally designed the label. It is an ultra-confi- dential cuvée (around 2,000 bottles) and is only produced in the best years. This cuvée needs about ten years to reveal all its charm, as it possesses a fabulous concentration and an incre- dible longevity.

Another gem, Clos Florentin, acquired in 2009 in the Saint-Joseph appellation, also produces a magni- ficent wine. The only walled vineyard in the appellation, it is composed of very old Syrah vines. The estate also produces a very rare vin de paille with noble and refined aromas of candied fruits and an excep- tional generosity with a healthy acidity.

La Boutique by Baghera/wines offers you some of the most exquisite vintages of the Chave estate in magnums and bottles such as 1998, 1999.. and many other treasures.

Located in the heart of Geneva on the left bank between the shores of the lake and the old town, the Patio is a haven of delicacies highlighting high quality products.

In the kitchen, chef Rodolphe Estiod-Bruaud, 14/20 at "Gault et Millau", will delight you with perfectly executed gourmet French cuisine. In the dining room, Alexia Chenevard and her team will advise you on food and wine with accuracy and a smile.