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1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Sunday 8 March 2009

2005 Empreinte, Domaine Fouassier, Sancerre Rouge

7th March 2009


This is undoubtedly one of the new-style red Sancerres – an example of the rolling red revolution happening in Sancerre and elsewhere in the Central Vineyards. Empreinte is another of the wines that I picked out from the December 2008 tasting.

From a plot of 1.3 hectares with vines aged at least 45 years – hand-picked fruit with a yield of 26 hl/ha. Deep coloured red, concentrated black fruits – a powerful wine with some toasty wood notes that would be difficult to identify as a Sancerre red. If the Pascal Jolivet 2005 Exception was in the style of a Côte de Beaune, Empreinte is more Côte de Nuits with a nod towards Chile – perhaps Cono Sur’s 20 Barrels? Ideally needs more time and would surely age happily for at least five to eight years. Certainly impressive but I suspect that in vintages of Empreinte to come, Paul and Benoît Fouassier will be looking for a style that has greater finesse.

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