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STEVEN SPURRIER’S LETTER FROM LONDON Vinexpo Delights V inexpo, the bi-annual trade fair that takes place in Bordeaux every odd- numbered year and then travels to the U.S. or Hong Kong in even-numbered years, welcomed 48,122 visitors this June, up 3.2% from 2009. Almost 18,000 were from outside France, of these one-third from Asia and 2,974 from China alone. Although a lot of work is done during the day at Vinexpo, it is the lunches and dinners that stay in my memory. This year was exceptional, starting on the Saturday before with the launching of the stun- ningly beautiful new chai at Cheval-Blanc. The house Champagne Dom Pérignon 2002 in magnums preceded magnums of a lovely Petit Cheval 2000, double-mag- nums of the superb Cheval Blanc 1990 to finish with the truly great d’Yquem 1986. Dinner that evening was at Château Bouscaut, hosted by the Crus Classés de Graves, beginning with a tasting of their excellent 2009 white and elegant 2008 reds, then over dinner by Pascal Nibaudeau of Bordeaux’s one-star Pressoir d’Argent a range of mature wines; whites on my table were Malartic- Lagravière 2004 and Laville Haut-Brion 2003, reds being Haut-Bailly 1998 and an elegant Domaine de Chevalier 1981. Then youthful magnums of Bouscaut 1985 were served to all 300 or so guests, as was a magnificent Climens 1995. The high-spot, Michelin star-wise, was undoubtedly the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés du Médoc dinner on Sunday at Haut-Brion, for the chefs were Anne-Sophie Pic from Pic in Valence and Alain Passard (L’Arpège) and Yannick Alleno (Hótel Meurice) from Paris, who all lent their hands to the final dessert neuf etoiles, with which d’Yquem 1990 was served, broader than the 1986. As an apéritif, the Crus Classés of Sauternes and Barsac showed a range from 2008 to 2005. For dinner, since the hosts on my table were Philippe Casteja and Jean-Philippe Delmas, I enjoyed a sturdy Batailley 2006, an Haut-Brion 2003 (well balanced for this heat-wave vintage), Batailley 1996 (ready now) and Haut-Brion 1996 (needs time), 22 / the tasting panel / august 201 1 then a beautiful, wild roses, taffeta-tex- tured Haut-Brion 1975 was served from double magnums to everyone present. Monday night was party night at Domaine de Chevalier, where Olivier and Anne Bernard hosted the 12th Tour de France des Appellations. This is a bottle party in the sense that they, and their co-hosts since the first dinner in 1989 (Vinexpo is every other year, thank heavens) Faiveley, Château de Fuissé, Olivier Leflaive, Alphonse Mellot, Zind- Humbrecht and Pol Roger, with guest of honneur Vega Sicilia, place a range of vintages on a vast table in the middle of the chai, and the guests serve themselves, preceded, of course, by their whites as apéritifs to go with oysters and foie gras. With three or four wines per producer the choice of great vintages, many in magnums, is astounding, the food simple but perfect for this most relaxed evening, which ended for me with the Vega Sicilia Único 1994 before a sip of Zind-Humbrecht’s Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal SGN 2001. Tuesday evening found me at Clos Fourtet in Saint Émilion for the Black Tie Dinner (as was Haut-Brion) hosted by the Premiers Grands Crus Classés. Here the chef was Jean-Pierre Vigato of Paris’s three-star Apicus, who produced the most stunning meal of the week. Krug 1998 set the pace for a mature vintage from each of the 14 members (only Ausone is not part of the group), from Pavie 2002 to Trottevieille 1959. Apart from a magnificent Figeac 1989, four 2000s stood out for me: Angélus, Belair, Cheval Blanc and especially the newly- promoted Pavie-Macquin. Finally, Wednesday night is for me at Phélan-Ségur, where the Gardinier family, Roland Billecart and Armin Diel of Schlossgut Diel provided the wines and the menu never changes: the fresh- est Brittany langoustines, the finest Argentine beef and a soupe de fruits rouges, a dessert that set off Guiraud 2001 to perfection. I’ll be back in 2013. PHOTO: DECANTER