Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
42 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/2019 { launch } FOR HIS FORMAL INTRODUCTION to the Los Angeles market, intrepid winemaker Sebastien Long could certainly have chosen worse than the pictur- esque setting of the Skybar Hut at the Mondrian hotel. Overlooking the South- land from the Sunset Strip, Long offered a fresh perspective on French wine. The event, appropriately dubbed "Discover French Wine, Reinvented," was held August 22 in West Hollywood as part of a grand world tour to debut Maison de Grand Esprit, one of the newest producers in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio. (The brand name, which translates to "House of Great Minds," aims to combine Old World credibility with New World winemaking techniques.) Long told attendees the intent of establishing Maison de Grand Esprit—which produces appellation wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Châ - teauneuf-du-Pape, and Provence, as well as Champagne under its sister brand, Cuvée Grand Esprit—was to reclaim intrigue for pedigreed wine regions while imbuing them with a modern sensibility. As part of the tour, Long trekked to numerous Asian and American locales to share his passion for a brand he perceives as much-needed in the in - dustry—especially as the younger generation of wine drinkers increasingly eschews Old World bottlings in favor of those from countries with relatively nascent vinous traditions, among them Chile and Australia. "What we've created with Maison de Grand Esprit resonates with people," he said. "The approach we had was toward the consumer and how can we reinvent [and] recreate French wine even with 2,000 years of history—how can we bring something younger, fresher, [that's] looking at the future?" Long undoubtedly has the resumé and roots to bolster his ambitions. Born in Alsace to a family with its own winemaking traditions, Long spent his child - hood running through vineyards in the Southern Rhône. After apprenticing as an adolescent at a few wineries in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, he went on to study winemaking and wine marketing at Montpellier SupAgro's National Institute of Higher Education in Agricultural Sciences in Languedoc-Roussillon. Long has worked harvests in Sonoma and also oversaw wine production for 12 years in Australia, accumulating experience that inspired a vision now manifested in Maison de Grand Esprit. The California affair was informal by design. Draped in the sunset's rosé glow, a young and energetic crowd enjoyed three selections from storied regions: a Grenache-based Provençal Rosé, a Crémant de Bourgogne, and, apropos to any celebration, Champagne (in this case, Cuvée Grand Esprit's Marquis de la Mystèriale Champagne NV). Paired with passed appetizers, the wines were complemented by a DJ spinning tracks as disparate as Blondie's "Heart of Glass" and, fittingly, Dua Lipa's "New Rules." The outline of a unicorn illuminated the center of the room, and while it provided an eye-catching backdrop for social media posts throughout the event, Long said it also served as a symbol of the brand's spirit. "The unicorn represents the master transformation," he explained. "It's one brand with dif - ferent regions and different wine styles even though the wine overall has the same identity: fruit-driven wine; accessible now [with] great concentration." The unicorn is also emblazoned on every bottle of Maison de Grand Esprit:, perhaps as an intimation that the successful union of two wine worlds may no longer be relegated to fantasy. The Maison de Grand Esprit 2017 L'être Magique Rosé from Côtes de Provence was featured at the "Discover French Wine, Reinvented" event in West Hollywood, CA. SEBASTIEN LONG AND MAISON DE GRAND ESPRIT LAUNCH IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE U.S. story and photos by Kyle Billings New Rules