Château Margaux and Paul Pontallier to be Featured at 35th Annual l’Eté du Vin

May 8, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 8, 2014) – The Nashville Wine Auction is pleased to announce the 35th Annual l’Eté du Vin, which will take place from July 31-August 2, 2014. This year’s auction highlights the legendary first growth, Château Margaux and Paul Pontallier, the Bordeaux estate’s Managing Director and Winemaker.

“We are extremely excited to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of l’Eté du Vin with the world-class Château Margaux and their revered winemaker, Paul Pontallier,” says Nashville Wine Auction’s Executive Director, Holly Whaley.  “We can’t wait to welcome guests from around the country to Nashville to experience Château Margaux’s exceptional wines and help our community raise even more money to fund the fight against cancer. To be honest, you had us at Margaux!”

Château Margaux has produced excellent wines for over 400 years that celebrate the world-class terroir of the estate.  During the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château Margaux was awarded status as one of four “First Growths,” making it one of the premier wines in the world. Château Margaux has known both fame and fortune, while garnering exceptional reviews, including four 100 point ratings from Wine Spectator, for their beautifully well-crafted wines.

This year’s schedule of events is as follows:

  • Grand Cru Evening, Thursday, June 26, 2014 – $250/person
  • Vintners’ Tasting, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – $150/person 
  • Patrons’ Dinner, Friday, August 1, 2014 – $1000/person
  • 35th Annual l’Eté du Vin, Saturday, August 2, 2014 – $275/person

The Grand Cru Evening, chaired by Nancy and Billy Ray Hearn, will kick off l’Eté du Vin with a cocktail party at the home of Barbara and Kix Brooks. On this night, Nashville Wine Auction will announce the 2014 Norman M. Lipman Award recipient, while allowing guests a chance to preview the upcoming auction and this year’s beneficiaries.

The festivities with Château Margaux will begin at the Vintners’ Tasting, chaired by Elise and Harvey Crouch. Upon arrival at Richland Country Club, guests will be able to interact with Paul Pontallier, as he guides the audience through a flight of Château Margaux wines. Pontallier is presenting an exquisite tasting, including the 2004 and 1989 vintages of Château Margaux’s grand vin, as well as unveiling the first vintage of their newest label, 2009 Margaux du Château Margaux.

The Patrons’ Dinner, co-chaired by Ann and Glenn Eaden and Barbara and Greg Burns, is an exclusive opportunity for the gourmand. Michelin-Starred Chef Ken Frank, of La Toque in Napa, CA will prepare a four course meal with Chef Tyler Brown at the magnificent Hermitage Hotel. Pontallier will pour the 1999 and 1985 vintages of the grand vin, as well as Château Margaux’s second label, Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc.

At l’Eté du Vin, chaired by Clint Higham and Matt Donahoe, guests will experience excitement and joy as the wine community comes together to support the country’s longest running charity wine auction at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. With musical guest, Martina McBride, attendees will indulge in a gourmet dinner and bid on fine wines, unique dinners and tastings, one-of-a-kind travel opportunities and luxury items in the Silent and Live Auctions. A dessert bar, lively music and dancing will conclude the celebratory evening.

This year’s sponsors include Academy of Country Music, Beaman Automotive, Tennessee Oncology, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Stites & Harbison, Gold Skin Care Center, Audi Nashville, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Gary Musick Productions and Nfocus Magazine.

To purchase tickets and make reservations, interested parties may visit www.NashvilleWineAuction.com or call (615) 329-1760.

For guests coming from out of town, Nashville Wine Auction has created a special package, including hotel accommodations and transportation. To reserve the package, please call Anne Landis Jetton at (615) 329-1760.

ABOUT NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION: Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction is the oldest charity wine auction in the country. It has raised over $18 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to treatment, patient care, and eradication of cancer here in Middle Tennessee. The 2014 list of beneficiaries includes: American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Gilda’s Club/Nashville, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, Pearl Point Cancer Support, Saint Thomas Cancer Network, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Williamson Medical Center Foundation.

ABOUT CHÂTEAU MARGAUX: The vineyard of Château Margaux covers 202 acres and is situated on soils that are mostly gravelly but also clay-limestone, and whose diversity is surely partly responsible for the complexity of the wines they produce. The first wine, Château Margaux, which makes around 1/3 of the total crop, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (at least 85%), Merlot (between 5 and 10%) and finally Petit Verdot (around 2%) and a little Cabernet Franc (around 2%). These proportions vary of course according to the vintage, but the Cabernet Sauvignon always remains very predominant, being the “body and soul” of our wine. On average over the last 5 years, we have produced 130,000 bottles of Château Margaux and 115,000 bottles of Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux (our 2nd wine) per year. Our 3rd wine has been bottled since the 2009 vintage under the name of Margaux du Château Margaux, with an average production of 40,000 bottles since then. In addition to this, from a gravel plot of 29 acres, Château Margaux has been producing for over a century now around 12,000 bottles a year of Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, a white wine made solely with the Sauvignon Blanc varietal.

 

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