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Welcome to episode 5 of Leon's Winementaries.
Today, an episode with one of my heroes in the world of wine: Ilja Gort.
I do not know if he needs an introduction. I really don't think so. I think he's the most famous Dutch wine maker in France.
I'm a big fan of him and follow him on Facebook, it's very easy to become friends with him.
He is also active on Twitter and has a lot of nice movies on YouTube.
In one of my favorite movies, he tricked an diligently employee of the institute of alcohol policies:
they wanted Ilya to change the text on the back of the bottle where it says that drinking 2 or 3 glasses is good for your health, into 1 or 2 glasses.
Ilya response to this matter: let's bring it back to just ONE glass.
I recommend you warmly to watch the entire video with sound. You will find the link below this film - Jacht op de wijnboer, 'Hunt the winemaker'.
Also a link to another favorite movie of mine from him: The Mystery Merlot.
Ilja Gort bought in 1994, Chateau de la Garde, a 13th century castle near the famous wine town of Saint Emilion in the Bordeaux wineregion.
On his website www.tulipe.nl it is nice to read that since 2010 the name changed into Chateau La Tulipe de la Garde.
The Tulipe, the flower can be recognized on several of the winelabels. As well as on the label of the wine of this episode: the red La Tulipe de la Garde Merlot, 2010.
On the site you can read that the vineyards on the chateau are divided into 30 parcels which will be are vinified separately and consists of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.
And finally the different cuvées from different wines will be vinified for different series.
Ilya is not doing it all by himself, but is assisted by one of the most important "flying wine makers," a winemaker who makes the finest wines around the world: Michel Rolland.
Besides the wines of Chateau La Tulipe, Monsieur Rolland makes wines of the famous chateaux as Ch. Ausone and Ch. Angelus both from St. Emilion and for example Lascombes from Margaux and from St. Julien Leoville Poyferré.
The authoritative American wine journalist Robert Parker is very excited about the wines of La Tulipe.
And in the 2012 Almanac of wines of Cuno van 't Hoff tells us that the Merlot is being impressive, that he has a lot of freshness, smoothness and easy with occasionally a licorice touch.
I taste the licorice in it, I find it delicious.
For less than 5 euro available from any Albert Heijn. Topper, Ilja cheers!