Prestige tasting Monaco
Prestige tasting in Monaco
Wines of the South
Hôtel de Paris – April 26th, 2010
See the video of the tasting 
Faithful to what now has become a tradition, SommelierS International made the news of the spring on April 26th, by gathering about forty wine tasters in the luxurious «Hôtel de Paris», in Monaco, under the presidency of Philippe Faure-Brac, Best Sommelier of the World 1992.
A mythical place
Legendary palace hotel in the heart of Monte Carlo, permanent symbol of exquisite luxury and courtesy, the «Hôtel de Paris» distils a delightful lifestyle. It is in the Debussy lounge, whose oak-pannelled walls and gilding give to the great meetings a flavor of solemnity to make it, every time, an unforgettable moment, that SommelierS International gathered, once more, professionals of the wine on the occasion of a prestige tasting.
Table 1 : Ph. FAURE-BRAC, Yann EECKHOUT, Patrice LEVEQUE,
Laurent CAVALLUCCI, René ALLIERI, Ph. GUGLIELMI.
Table 2 : Virgile VANIER, Florian BALZEAU, José POTTIER, Julien TABOR, Didier CRATO, Stagiare, Carine AIGON, Gisèle MARGLUN.
Table 3 : Odile DENOYELLE, Roy BRULEY, M. BERGES, Stéphane OPIARD, Laurent NIERI, Alain DOPFF.
Table 4 : Ph. FOURNERY, M. FEDERICI, Julia GOSEA, M. COMPAN,
Natasha SIMON, M. NGUYEN, M. SCAVO, M. NOVELLA.
Table 5 : Hubert PREBAY, Guy FRAYSSE, Eliane NGUYEN,
Huynh AUCOUR, Laurent NIERI
A selected congregation
It is with the invaluable assistance of Patrice Frank, Head Sommelier at the «Hôtel de Paris» and President of the Monegasque Association of Sommeliers, who perfectly orchestrated this marathon tasting, that Virgile Vanier, President of the Association of Sommeliers Nice-Côte d'Azur-Provence, and Gisèle Marguin, President of the Association of Sommeliers Alpes-Marseille-Provence managed the work of 35 professionals of the world of wine: Sommeliers, Star Chefs, cellarmen and journalists.
The South of France honoured
Although the atmosphere was relaxed, the morning was studious and dense. Divided into five thematic tables, the wine tasters sifted through their expert palate a range of about 200 wines - whites, reds and rosés. If the flasks of all the wine-producing regions of the South of France were in majority, the Burgundy, the Bordeaux and the Champagne regions were also very qualitatively represented, as well as some wines of Spain.
About thirty wines of Spain have especially come to show their know-how and the particularities of their cru. We have been honoured to receive Alberto and Eduardo Garcia of the Bodegas Mauro and San Roman, sons of the legendary oenologist Mariano Garcia (formerly Vega Sicilia), but also Federico Vazquez of the Bodegas Cosme Palacio at La Rioja, and Ivo Pagés de Vinya Ivo, genuine adventurer of wine who develops excellent products in the difficult lands of Cadaqués.
This is just a small example of the brands present at this tasting has we also had the privilege to taste the wines of the Bodegas Roda which wine is one of the most coveted of Spain, Cirsion!
We hope you will have as much pleasure in reading the comments as we had in tasting all these wines.
A meeting between sommeliers and wine-growers
The afternoon was devoted to the meeting between the sommeliers and the wine-growers having presented their wines, informal and friendly exchange during which the sommeliers who had enjoyed, in the morning, fine moments of pleasure due to the variety of the wines tasted, shared their feeling with the producers.
The great «Champagne Gonet Blanc de Blanc 2004» and the fabulous «Cuvée Louis Philippe Bas Armagnac Dartigalongue» magnificently brang this exceptional day to an end.
Very many thanks to our friends wine-growers for having allowed us to achieve this excellent tasting.
Dominique PEYRAL-BON
Collèges de Sommeliers
Philippe FAURE-BRAC : Propriétaire du Bistrot
du Sommelier – Paris
Dégustateurs de l'ASM
Patrice FRANK : Président de l'Association,
Chef Sommelier à l'Hôtel de Paris
Jean PALLANCA : Représentant de l'ASI pour Monaco
Bruno SCAVO : Chef Sommelier de la «Brigade Volante» de la SBM,
Trésorier adjoint de l'ASI
Benoît BOUQUIN : Sommelier à l'Hôtel de Paris
Patrice LEVÊQUE : Maître d'Hôtel au Grill de l'Hôtel de Paris
Yann EECKHOUT : Sommelier à l'Hôtel de Paris
Laurent CAVALUCCI : Directeur du Wine o'Clock à Monaco
Branko GRIZELJ : Chef Sommelier au Fairmont à Monaco
Marc GUGLIELMI : Agent Commercial en vins
Dégustateurs de l'ASNCAP
Virgile VANIER : Président de l'Association
Yves BOTASSO : Secrétaire de l'Association
Lionel COMPAN : Trésorier de l'Association – Chef Sommelier du Negresco à Nice
Laurent NIERI : Responsable Communication de l'Association
Natacha SIMON : Sommelier
Alain DOPFF : Sommelier - Le Mas Candille à Mougins - 1* Michelin
David FEDERICI : Sommelier - Les Vieux Murs à Antibes
Philippe FOURNERY : Confrérie de l'Etiquette à Menton
Olivier BETTATI : Clos Nicéa – Les Vins de Bellet
René NGUYEN : Amis du Vin
René ALLIERI : Amis du Vin
Huynh Xuan Phu AUCOUR : Amis du Vin
Guy FRAYSSE : Amis du Vin
Hubert PREBAY : Amis du Vin
Eliane NGUYEN : Amis du Vin
Julien TABOR : Elève Mention Complémentaire en Sommellerie à Nice
Dégustateurs de l'ASAMP
Gisèle MARGUIN : Présidente de l'Association
Odile DENOYELLE : Chef Sommelier Les Gorges de Pennafort à Callas - 1* Michelin
Carine AIGON : Animatrice Télévision spécialisée en émission vins
Julia GOSEA : Chef Sommelier au Keisuke Matsushima à Nice - 1* Michelin
José POTIER : Directeur de restaurant Le Petit Nice à Marseille - 3* Michelin
Florian BALZEAU : Sommelier le Petit Nice à Marseille - 3* Michelin
Roy BRULEY : Sommelier Caviste à La Valentine
René BERGES : Sommelier-Restaurateur, Le Relais Ste Victoire à Beaurecueil
Romain AMBROSI : Chef Sommelier Hôtel du Castellet - 1* Michelin
Stéphane OPIARD : Sommelier Formateur
Pierre CHATELAIN : Elève Mention Complémentaire en Sommellerie à Marseille
Photos of the tasting...
