Christian Seely wows diners with his wines and his anecdotes OMGD members taste the full range of AXA Millesimes wines This wine dinner was held in the Oak Room at the Park Lane Hotel. As guests mingled over Coates and Seely English Sparkling Rose many might have said “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?” incredulous. Yes, one can imagine that most people think that a top wine chateau in Bordeaux is owned by a French aristocrat, yet the world has taken quite a turn since the days that this might have been the case. Today the French insurance company AXA owns several wineries which produce the world’s most exquisite wine, such as Chateau Pichon Longueville, Chateau Suduiraut, Chateau Petit-Village, Chateau Belles Eaux, and two other properties outside France, Disznoko in Tokai and Quinta do Noval in Portugal.
This evening Managing Director AXA Millesimes, Christian Seely, an Englishman, overseeing 650 hectarces of Grand Cru vineyards introduced the wines of this wonderful collection of wineries. Wine lovers were seduced by carefully crafted wines of worldwide repute. The second growth Chateau Pichon Baron is the jewel in the crown and a wine much admired across the globe. The chance to explore two consecutive vintages side by side was areally interesting. Matching food and wine is central to Christian’s whole approach and together with Maître Rôtisseur Andrew Bennett, the Executive Chef, they created a great match. Christian Seely’s love of life, humour and generous nature are the ones which contribute to making him a natural host. The eye opener wine of the evening for me was the 1997 Colheita Port from Quinta do Noval. This Tawny was rich, sumptuous, complex and very long lasting – wow!