This year, Maisons Marques et Domaines held their Annual Portfolio Tasting at Atmosphere Venues, a central London location on the 28th Floor of Millbank Tower with breath-taking views of the London skyline. Exposed brick walls and wooden floorboards brought a modern feel to the event and guests enjoyed panoramic views of the city under a bright blue sky, as well as over 150 wines from MMD’s portfolio of renowned producers.
The tasting took place on the 29th January and attracted strong attendance from press and the trade. Visitors had the opportunity to taste wines such as Cristal 2012; Chateau Pichon Lalande 1995 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2009; Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru 2014; Siepi 2016; Millecento Brunello di Montalcino Reserva 2012 and many more.
With representatives present from the vast majority of producers from Maisons Marques et Domaines’ portfolio of family run wineries, guests had the unparalleled opportunity to discuss the wines and the history of the estates in depth, discovering more about their character and latest developments, as well as gaining first hand insight into the current market situation in each region.
The tasting provided a first look at two new additions to the MMD Portfolio, one from the new and one from the old world, as well as the introduction of two new Rohe sub-regional wines, produced by established New Zealand producer, Rapaura Springs.
Purchased in 2019 by MMD’s parent company, Champagne Louis Roederer, Merry Edwards is a Sonoma County visionary and one of California’s first female winemakers, best known for her structured Pinot Noirs, her work on clonal selection and a library of notable single vineyard wines which express different parcels of the Russian River Valley. The Russian River Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County Pinot Noir and Russian River Pinot Noir will be available in the UK later this year.
Joining the portfolio from the old world is Paternoster from Basilicata, a leading exponent of Aglianico del Vulture, now under the ownership of Tommasi Family Estates. Paternoster’s ‘Vulcanico’ Falanghina, ‘Synthesi’ Aglianico del Vulture DOC and ‘Don Anselmo’ Aglianico del Vulture DOC will be available in February.
The event included a masterclass hosted by Olivier Bailly, Winemaker at Domaine Billaud-Simon. Olivier talked guests through a vertical flight of Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre and Les Vaillons which highlighted the age-worthiness of Chablis and the differences between these acclaimed Premier Cru vineyards separated by the Serein River.
Richard Billett, Managing Director of Maisons Marques et Domaines, said: “We always look forward to this moment early in our calendar, representing as it does the first major opportunity for us to collectively engage with and embark on the year ahead.
As anticipated, 2019 proved to be an unpredictable year, but I am pleased to say that with the support of our Principals and producers the business performed strongly and we were able to manage the challenges of a number of false starts as well as focus on strengthening our portfolio proposition, providing continuity of supply and delivering consistently high standards of service for our customers. We are confident that the experience of last year will position us well as 2020 plays out.
Contact Kate Lofthouse to find out more about MMD Tastings.