AMA Wine Talks
Académie du Vin de Bordeaux

By Phydiasse REN
AMA Wine Talks-Academie du vin de Bordeaux Interview - Alexandre MA

Every year during En Primeur season, I attend a very special dinner – a vintage-themed soirée like no other. Last year, the theme was all vintages ending in the number “4,” with wines spanning from 1914 to 2014. One sip felt like stepping through a century in time. This year, the theme was vintages ending in “5”, once again taking us on a journey from 1935 to 2015. As a true wine enthusiast, I found myself completely immersed. This isn’t just a tasting, it’s drinking history itself.

This is the legendary, ultra-hardcore vintage-themed dinner held every April by the Académie du Vin de Bordeaux.

To be honest, it’s the event I look forward to most during the En Primeur week. But amidst all the joy, I’ve always been curious: what exactly is this mysterious organization behind it all?

So this January, Phydiasse and I made our way into the world of this mysterious Bordeaux institution, the Académie du Vin de Bordeaux. I am sincerely grateful to Madame Frédérique Dutheillet de Lamothe, the current head of the Académie, for taking the time to speak with me and share the fascinating story of its origins and evolution. I was also lucky enough to get an early look at the upcoming edition of the Code du Millésime, a beautifully crafted guide to decoding Bordeaux vintages.

Founded in 1948 by the owners of iconic estates like Château Yquem, Château Cheval Blanc, and Château Lafite, the Académie du Vin de Bordeaux was born out of a desire to reconnect Bordeaux fine wine with the world in the wake of war. From the very beginning, the Académie has carried a very special mission: to protect and promote the heritage, culture, and “art de vivire” embodied by Bordeaux’s greatest wines. It is, in many ways, the “poetic soul” of the Bordeaux wine world, quietly preserving the “spiritual soul” of Bordeaux fine wine.

To me, the charm of Bordeaux has never been limited to the wine itself. It lives in the stories, the land, the people, and the passage of time it holds within every drop.

Now, let the video begin now, I hope you enjoy it.