The Wine Conversation

Great wine is made in the vineyard but the decisions taken on which lots make the final blend of the Grand Vin is crucial not only to the quality but the finances of the estate (as the Grand Vin can go for up to three times as much as the second wine).Listen to Lilian Barton Sartorius of Ch Léovillle Barton, Hervé Berland of Ch Montrose and Eric Kohler of Ch Lafite discuss what they look for when blending the world’s greatest wines.

The first in our series of Great Wine Lives, we speak to the legendary Jean-Michel Cazes.Jean-Michel tells us how in 1973 he returns to Pauillac with his young family to join his father in running the insurance agency, as well as the family properties of Château Lynch Bages and Les Ormes-de-Pez. His father had suggested selling the châteaux as they had lost money for many years, but Jean-Michel persuaded him to keep them on. It was the start of a new era in Bordeaux.

Jane Anson gives her personal recommendations of where to go and what to see if you only have 48 hours in Bordeaux. From visiting the building where the 1855 classification was signed, to heading out into the vineyards, Jane reveals her ideal itinerary for wine lovers.

The first in our series of Great Wine Lives, we speak to the legendary Jean-Michel Cazes.Jean-Michel talks about how he joined his friend Claude Bébéar to create AXA Millésimes and buys some of the world’s most sought-after names; Château Pichon-Baron, the second-growth Pauillac estate; the legendary Port house, Quinta do Noval; and the Tokaji-producing Disznókő estate in Hungary – all whilst running his own family businesses which were rapidly expanding.

Sarah Kemp remembers Michael Broadbent, author, auctioneer and friend for 30 years who died earlier this year. In this episode she talks about  his ground-breaking work and his wise advice on how to approach fine wine. Sarah remembers some of his great columns for Decanter magazine, including the one in which he declared his ambition to make love in the great vineyards of the world,  which won him  the Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year award. She looks back on how his career started and how he managed to write his own job description to launch the Christie's Wine Department in 1966. A tribute to a remarkable man who wrote the seminal guide to wine tasting and influenced a generation of wine lovers.