Just when I thought things couldn’t get better… then we were on the 31st floor of the W Hotel, surrounded by artifacts of the world’s most eminent wine family, bottles of Mouton Rothschild, Opus One, Almaviva, listening to none other that the charismatic Baron Phillippe de Rothschild himself, in town to support Drinks for the release of the his first vintage champagne, the product of an historic cooperation between three branches of his family.

After a taste of the Baron’s NV Blanc de Blanc, we sat down to lunch accompanied by an entry-level AOC Pauillac , Baron Nathaniel, named after the current Baron’s ancestor who first established the Rothschilds in Bordeaux. This wine was unpretentious, with little oak influence and not much tannin, but well balanced, perhaps a little fruity for a Pauillac. Later it actually paired more comfortably with a spicy meat dish than the next wine, Chateau d’Armailhac, which was much more typical of the Medoc. The Baron explained that Chateau d’Armailhac is difficult to find because it sells out so quickly. For a Grand Cru Pauillac, the price is indeed reasonable, and it tasted very good, though not so good with our spicy main dish. Meanwhile though, the Blanc de Blanc opened up beautifully after 20 minutes in my glass. I am learning to drink good champagne more patiently.

The Baron spoke obliquely about the challenges of bringing his family together on the champagne project. What large family lives in perfect harmony? But when we tasted the vintage 2006, we knew it was all worthwhile. A true vintage Champagne, this wine was superbly balanced with a brut dosage of 6gm. The Blanc-de-Blanc blend is based on Grand Cru Côte des Blancs: Avize, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger. The wine was bright with a delicate bead and persistent mousse delivering delicate but abundant aromas of citrus and pear. I was most impressed by the mouthfeel, which shows the benefit of 7 years bottle-aging on lees. But for all its richness the wine is nevertheless precise and restrained, altogether an expression of the highest quality materials and processes married with consumate skill.

With so few bottles of this exquisite wine in the world, it is sure to acquire an instant cult following. Baron Phillippe stressed though that his family makes wines to drink, wines to be enjoyed as wine rather than commodities.

Thanks to Drinks for setting up this amazing opportunity. The relation between this company and the Rothschild family goes back many years, a solid cooperation in a healthy market for premium wines.

Late that night after the frenzy of wine events had faded, I met the Baron in Steven Lin’s Backyard Bar to taste some fine whisky. Baron Phillippe talked about his adventures skiing in Greenland and many other things I remember only vaguely. I am left with the impression of a most accessible man, and although our lives are vastly different we found plenty of common ground.

I described for him how I met his legendary mother back in ’99 at Vinexpo in Hong Kong. It was brand launch for Veuve Cliquot, and I remember her radiant with joie de vivre. She will be missed in the wine world, but her son carries the Rothschild dynasty strongly forward in its 7th generation.