| dont eat at Le Chaudron or at least beware Mr. Jean-Louis Chave: My name is Michael Wheeler and I have the most unfortunate story to tell you which involved one of your wines. This last Saturday night I was dining with three fellow wine importers at Le Chaudron in Tournon. It was our first time at the Restaurant and we were anticipating a grand Rhone experience so we ordered your 1992 Hermitage Blanc as our first wine. Several minutes later, I see the owner go into the kitchen with an empty bottle of Chave Hermitage and a decanter. He comes out with the full decanter plus an open bottle with some liquid in it. There was no effort to show us the wine before he opened the bottle or to do so at our table. As he pours the wine into our glasses, I see a cork in his hand that is branded 1999. We taste the wine and it tastes like an inexpensive young white Rhone. At this point I say to the owner: "This is not a Chave 1992." He tastes the wine and says yes, this is in fact how the 92 tastes. We ask to see the cork and he said he must have left it in the kitchen. He runs into the kitchen to look for it but returns and says he could not find the cork, that he must have thrown in into the garbage! While he is looking for the cork, two of us taste the liquid that still remains in the bottom of the bottle, and there is no doubt but that it is water. When the owner returns to our table without the cork, I demand he take the bottle away and open a new bottle in front of us, which he does. This bottle is golden yellow in color and and grew into a glorious experience. The owner came over to the table later and said he must have accidentally switched the carafe with a Guigal Cotes du Rhone that was meant for another table. There were only three tables with customers at this time and we took a look at what was being drunk at the other tables and there was not a wine with the same golden yellow color as your 1992 Hermitage Blanc. We had caught the owner in a fraudulent lie, but stayed at the restaurant as it was late and we thought he would not dare try such stupidity again. Later on, we ordered a 1988 Hermitage Rouge from your domaine, which on our insistence, the owner angrily brought to the table, and opened in front of us. It was a fantastic perfect bottle. We then order a 1990 La Chapelle. "I am out.," he says. We then ask for a 95 or 98 Hermitage Cathelin and to our surprise he says: "I am out but I do have the 90 La Chapelle," which he had already told us he did not have in stock. The owner was missing in the kitchen for a long time and then comes out with a wet bottle, opens it without showing us the cork, and walks away. The label is moist and there is glue left on the bottle where the original label must have been. Clearly, to us, this bottle had been relabelled. We tasted the wine and it was old and oxidized. We then asked for the check but told him we refused to pay for the fraudulent La Chapelle or have him bring out another bottle of 1990 La Chapelle. Enough was enough! The owner insisted we pay for the La Chapelle and it turned into a very big, unfortunate scene. Finally, he kicked us out of the restaurant, saying: "This isn't America" and refused our efforts to pay for the meal and all the wines, with the exception of the La Chapelle. I am sure he will have a different story for you, but I don't think this was the first time he has done these tricks. Of the three importers at the table, two were Americans who speak French well and one was a native French women. So it is not possible that what happened was a 'misunderstanding.' As the incident involved your wine I wanted to bring it to your attention. Best Wishes on the 2001 Vintage. Mike Wheeler |
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"... sustenance - ... At this point I say to the owner: "This is not a Chave 1992." He tastes the wine and says yes ... We then ask for a 95 or 98 Hermitage Cathelin and to our ... ..." |