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”I think it's very important never to lose a sense of wonder about these things — and in my case, a sense of wonder that I'm actually here.”Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millésimes, oversees one of the most far-flung fine wine portfolios in the world: Château Pichon Baron, Pibran and Suduiraut in Bordeaux, Domaine de l'Arlot in Burgundy, Disznókő in Tokaj, Quinta do Noval in the Douro, Outpost on Napa's Howell Mountain, Platt Vineyard on the West Sonoma Coast, and Coates & Seely, the English sparkling wine house he co-founded in Hampshire and now the Isle of Wight.

Host Suzanne Mustacich asks him the obvious question — how do you hold all that together? Christian talks about the total conviction that a great wine must be the unique individual expression of its vineyard, and a deliberately decentralised structure that leaves each estate's team to pursue that expression on its own terms.

He remembers discovering Bordeaux with his father, falling in love with wine, and driving to work along the Route des Châteaux. He talks about the excitement of discovering new vineyards, opening the first bottle from his English sparkling wine project, and the privilege of being able to make wine every day.

A personal conversation about vineyards, wine and the joy of still being fascinated by them.

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Château Pichon Baron https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/17440-chateau-pichon-longueville-baron

Disznoko https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/49846-disznoko

Quinta do Noval https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/22229-quinta-do-noval

Outpost Wines https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/27103-outpost-wines

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Chapters0:00 A life spent chasing wonder

0:44 Suzanne introduces Christian Seely

1:22 A snapshot of the AXA Millésimes portfolio

2:15 No group winemaking policy — decentralisation as a philosophy

4:10 Visiting the vineyards through harvest

4:52 Getting his start: a gap year in Bordeaux with his father

6:38 The drive to work past Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

7:52 Platt Vineyard: fog, the Pacific, and West Sonoma Coast

10:07 Outpost: volcanic soils and altitude on Howell Mountain

12:50 Domaine de l'Arlot: Burgundy's rare monopoles

14:59 A quarter-hectare next to DRC

16:23 Bordeaux vs Burgundy, and Pichon Baron's three wines

19:51 Le Griffon Blanc: grafting Suduiraut onto Pauillac

3:35 Tokaj: Aszú, puttonyos, and the wine of kings

24:53 Disznókő and the fall of communism

30:45 Quinta do Noval: field blends and the Nacional parcel

38:38 Blending a consistent house-style tawny port

43:19 Coates & Seely: building English sparkling wine from scratch

48:03 The dream dinner party#WinePodcast #ChristianSeely #AXAMillesimes #Bordeaux #Tokaj #Douro #Burgundy #NapaValley #EnglishSparklingWine