Fabien Hyon (1855 + ChateauOnline) promises but doesn't deliver

2008 en primeur: 2 cases of Les Forts de Latour and 3 cases of Latour not delivered by Chateauonline  

2008 en primeur: 3 cases of Carruades de Lafite not delivered by Chateauonline   

I was contacted today by RV, a Bordeaux en primeur client of ChateauOnline. Over the years RV bought en primeurs regularly from ChateauOnline and, although there were some problems over bottles being broken in transit, the wine ordered did arrive. 

RV's experience to date with the 2008s, now that ChateauOnline is part of 1855, has been less than reassuring. Some of RV's substantial order of 2008s, including  Mouton-Rothschild and Lafite, was delivered back in August 2011. There are still 14 cases outstanding, amongst them some First Growths. 

Back in February Fabien Hyon promised by email that the remaining wines would be delivered rapidly – since then not a squeak from Hyon and no wine either. (See emails below.)

Email received from RV (10th April 2012):       

Hello Jim,

Great to find your blogs on internet with regards to Fabien Hyon and 1855. I for myself bought a number of primeur 2008 with ChateauOnline whom I recently found out Fabien Hyon is also managing director. 

Following a number of unanswered emails and phone messages to Chateau Online, I did some research to find the MD and found it was Fabien Hyon so emailed him (21/2/12) about my missing wines (24 Calon Ségur, 36 Carruades de Lafite, 24 Les Forts de Latour, 24 Haut Brion, 24 Mission Haut Brion, 24 Clarence Haut Brion and 36 Latour!) and he did at least reply see below....but since that message nothing and he no longer replies to any of my messages...it's outrageous. Do you know of any lawyer in Paris who has managed to receive financial compensation for the present value of their wines and all the stress that this is causing? 

Kind Regards,
RV

My advice to RV? Hire a lawyer without further delay. See here. 

Email from Fabien Hyon (February 2012) with promise of 'votre livraison rapidement'

Madame,

Merci de votre message. Pour être clair :
- Il s'agit du premier message que je reçois de votre part,
- Nous allons organiser votre livraison rapidement, en effet sur CALAIS, les expéditions vers le Royaume Uni étant plus délicates en ce moment,
- Je ne peux vous empêcher d'aller écrire ce qu'il vous plaît sur des forums, mais je vous assure que cela n'accélère en rien les livraisons.

Je fais donc un point avec notre équipe et reviens vers vous sur une date sous quelques jours,

Salutations distinguées,

_________________________________

Fabien Hyon
Directeur Général

ChateauOnline
www.chateauonline.com 




Email from RV to Fabien Hyon, MD of 1855 group
Le 21 févr. 2012 à 11:41, RV a écrit :

Cher Monsieur,

Je vous email car il me manque toujours les vins listes ci dessous de la campagne primeur 2008 et aussi car je suis tres frustre que l'on ni Triona ou Mme Guinehut repondent a mes derniers emails. Comme on me dit depuis des mois que vous avez des delais avec les papiers de douane pour faire livere les vins en Angleterre J'ai sugere que vous m'envoyez mes vins a Calais et je viendrais les chercher. Pourquoi ne me repondez vous pas a mon mail? C'est simple, il vous suffit de m'envoyer la facture de TVA, je regle et je vous donne l'address de livraison. 

Veuilliez au moins avoir la correction me me repondre sinon la seule alternative qu'il me reste c'est rechercher par l'internet d'autres clients dans la meme situation que moi (par example des sites comme Lapassionduvin.com) et de partager ma frustration avec eux.

Veuilliez agreer Monsieur mes salutations distinguees

**

1855 share price

After thin trading today on the French Bourse shares in 1855 closed down at 0.06 cents down on last week's close of 0.07. At the beginning of 2012 the shares opened at 0.06 and then gradually rose until about a month go they briefly hit 0.10. Since then it has been back downhill confirming their junk bond status.

*

Which of these two 'gentlemen' is Fabien Hyon? 

a)

or 

b)

or 

c) I can't tell the difference!

1855: story in Property Week + another example of delayed 2008 en primeur

Château Mouton-Rothschild

Mark Adams, an extremely frustrated client of 1855, covers in his column in Property Week (160,000 unique pages views per month) his recent trip to a Paris court to try to prise his wine out of 1855.    

'If only I had purchased the case of Mouton Rothschild 2008 which brought me to Paris on 17 November from Corney & Barrow or Justerini & Brooks.  I would not then have had to appear before Le Juge de Proximité at 4 Place du Louvre at 09:30 as the wine would have dutifully arrived as ordered.'  Read the rest here.

Read also Mark's disappointing visit to Paris in more detail here in a previous Jim's Loire post.

***

Château Latour

A message from GH, a similarly frustrated client of 1855, now considering his legal options:

'I appreciate your comments and your efforts to bring to the light the business practices of 1855.

Their behaviour is a huge scandal; many questions arise why the French authorities didn't close down this company already a long time ago.

I am myself a victim of this company concerning the 2008 Bordeaux subscription and missing delivery of those wines so far as many other wine lovers are; not thinking about the problems of the 2009 Bordeaux delivery that will probably come to the surface soon...

Reading all the blogs now I honestly have a lot of doubts that I will ever see those wines especially with regards to the fact that I took advantage of the spring 2009 economic crisis with a bit depressed prices for the big names like Lafite Rothschild and Latour, wines that I am waiting for...

I had many phone calls and mail conversation with those guys from 1855 and just got to know that delivery is gonna be delayed but will certainly happen.

Here their latest mail that I just got 3 days ago:

Dear sir,

Thank you for your message.

We would like to get back to you regarding the 2008 deliveries.

Please be assured that our teams are working to shorten the delays as much as possible. We guarantee that all the wines in your order will be delivered by the end of this year in spite of those supplying delays.

You will be notified by email when the wines are ready to be shipped.

We would like to thank you for your patience, we remain at your disposal if you have any further questions.'

Let's hope that GH gets lucky and does indeed receive his 2008s before the end of 2011. 

**

'Management' and leading shareholder of 1855 

Emeric Sauty de Chalon and Fabien Hyon are the senior 'management' team of 1855 (1855.com, 1855.con). Thierry Maincent was an administrateur and one of the directeur général délégués until he resigned his posts for personal reasons on 30th September 2010. Businessman Jean-Pierre Meyers, who is on the boards of L'Oreal and Nestlé, is a long-term shareholder of 1855.


1855 is a probationary member of La Fevad.

Jamie Goode: the coming wine war?

Jamie Goode

 

Interesting and controversial piece from Jamie Goode on his wine anorak blog which has provoked considerable discussion here:

'The coming wine war

There’s a clash of cultures in the world of fine wine, and before too long it could become a war.

On the one hand, we have the fine wine establishment, which is dominated by Bordeaux, but also includes the top Champagne houses, as well as a few others such as the super-Tuscans. This is wine as a luxury good or an investment vehicle. It’s where the money is.

On the other hand, we have the emerging terroiriste/natural wine movement. This is somewhat counterculture, and its development as a category threatens the status quo of fine wine.

As the message of authentic wine with a sense of place – made by people driven by passion rather than profit – gains traction, it is causing a degree of discomfort in the fine wine establishment.'

1855: 2008 en primeurs due this month – have they arrived yet?

 Château Montrose

Following the fraudulent trading case yesterday at St Albans reminds me that 1855 are due to deliver the 2008 Bordeaux en primeurs to their customers this month. I would be very interested to heart whether anyone has received their wines as ordered. Equally has anyone had profuse apologies and a lame excuse that the wine won't be delivered until next month...?