First of all, I think the fact that you're asking the question already means you're halfway there.
I’d love to share a few thoughts, if I may:
To me, there are at least two kinds of unicorns in the wine world.
The first is the established unicorn — someone like Jérôme Prévost. There’s already a great deal written about him and La Closerie, so for a new piece to add value, I think it would need to offer real depth or a fresh angle. That said, something longer and more reflective from your hand would certainly be welcome. A brief tasting note, on the other hand, might not add much at this stage.
The second kind is the emerging unicorn — producers like Bastian Pontillart or Romain Henin, for example. Their wines are often seen on Instagram and are incredibly hard to find, yet very little is known about them. What are their philosophies? What can one expect from their wines? A thoughtful portrait could be fascinating. That said, this type of unicorn might be less suited to a publication like Decanter, depending on the editorial focus.
Thank you for raising the question — and for the work you do. It’s always a pleasure to follow your writing.
Thank you Jens, and sorry for the slow response. Rather a hectic week. Agree re the 'emerging unicorns'! Always wary, though, of simply chasing scarcity...these wines are rare to taste even for me. And they have little interest in welcoming journalists. Sometimes I try and buy them in Reims/Épernay when I'm over.
Hi Tom - I hope you and yours are doing well today. If you are positing a choice between writing about great but inaccessible wines and delicious and accessible wines, I would encourage you to inform us about the wines we might buy. But if you have the time to taste and write about both categories, please do. I see the value in you having the knowledge of great benchmarks that you can then apply as you taste wines. In this way, you might be able to write in depth about an accessible producer making wines that approach the benchmark. The great, inaccessible wine will also become part of the catalog of information on which you can draw.
I agree that you have to talk about wine unicorns, we need to know what is so special about them, at the same time, please lay out the facts about price and availability, and given you are a word smith and a diplomat, please also let the reader know if in your opinion that the wines are over hyped and/or over priced
better have an overall view of terrior, growing season evaluations, and tatsing notes on wines that "some " of us , if lucky can get our hands on, or visit when we are in Champagne.
I think it’s all about balance, and contributing to up to date information about these producers. There are still articles that talk about Ulysse Collin (unicorn) being a disciple of Selosse (unicorn) when he worked there for a month and a half over 20 years ago. He has for exceeded that story line but it is still repeated.
The climate is changing in champagne and I feel like even the great growers story is evolving as quick as the new growers. If you dwell on the top, without contributing to the new it would be tiring. But I think you are finding a good balance, and not to mention, producers like Etienne Sandrin fall in the new category, but also a unicorn because they make so little. Love that you are writing about producers like that.
Good point - Etienne's wines are not hyped, yet still difficult (although not impossible!) to find. And yes, the number of Selosse 'disciples' in Champagne is much higher than the number of wines that taste anything like Selosse!
It's a bit like Top Gear featuring supercar reviews; people enjoy the content even though the vast majority will never get the chance to try or own them. Whilst many journalists may have a good knowledge of these unicorns, there should not be an assumption that everyone does. As ever, balance is everything, but you shouldn't worry about prfiling any wines that you think should be of interest.
Hi Tom,
First of all, I think the fact that you're asking the question already means you're halfway there.
I’d love to share a few thoughts, if I may:
To me, there are at least two kinds of unicorns in the wine world.
The first is the established unicorn — someone like Jérôme Prévost. There’s already a great deal written about him and La Closerie, so for a new piece to add value, I think it would need to offer real depth or a fresh angle. That said, something longer and more reflective from your hand would certainly be welcome. A brief tasting note, on the other hand, might not add much at this stage.
The second kind is the emerging unicorn — producers like Bastian Pontillart or Romain Henin, for example. Their wines are often seen on Instagram and are incredibly hard to find, yet very little is known about them. What are their philosophies? What can one expect from their wines? A thoughtful portrait could be fascinating. That said, this type of unicorn might be less suited to a publication like Decanter, depending on the editorial focus.
Thank you for raising the question — and for the work you do. It’s always a pleasure to follow your writing.
All the best,
Jp
Thank you Jens, and sorry for the slow response. Rather a hectic week. Agree re the 'emerging unicorns'! Always wary, though, of simply chasing scarcity...these wines are rare to taste even for me. And they have little interest in welcoming journalists. Sometimes I try and buy them in Reims/Épernay when I'm over.
Hi Tom - I hope you and yours are doing well today. If you are positing a choice between writing about great but inaccessible wines and delicious and accessible wines, I would encourage you to inform us about the wines we might buy. But if you have the time to taste and write about both categories, please do. I see the value in you having the knowledge of great benchmarks that you can then apply as you taste wines. In this way, you might be able to write in depth about an accessible producer making wines that approach the benchmark. The great, inaccessible wine will also become part of the catalog of information on which you can draw.
I agree that you have to talk about wine unicorns, we need to know what is so special about them, at the same time, please lay out the facts about price and availability, and given you are a word smith and a diplomat, please also let the reader know if in your opinion that the wines are over hyped and/or over priced
no, no need to reprt on those wines...
better have an overall view of terrior, growing season evaluations, and tatsing notes on wines that "some " of us , if lucky can get our hands on, or visit when we are in Champagne.
I think it’s all about balance, and contributing to up to date information about these producers. There are still articles that talk about Ulysse Collin (unicorn) being a disciple of Selosse (unicorn) when he worked there for a month and a half over 20 years ago. He has for exceeded that story line but it is still repeated.
The climate is changing in champagne and I feel like even the great growers story is evolving as quick as the new growers. If you dwell on the top, without contributing to the new it would be tiring. But I think you are finding a good balance, and not to mention, producers like Etienne Sandrin fall in the new category, but also a unicorn because they make so little. Love that you are writing about producers like that.
Good point - Etienne's wines are not hyped, yet still difficult (although not impossible!) to find. And yes, the number of Selosse 'disciples' in Champagne is much higher than the number of wines that taste anything like Selosse!
It's a bit like Top Gear featuring supercar reviews; people enjoy the content even though the vast majority will never get the chance to try or own them. Whilst many journalists may have a good knowledge of these unicorns, there should not be an assumption that everyone does. As ever, balance is everything, but you shouldn't worry about prfiling any wines that you think should be of interest.
Thank you Robert. At least with cars they don't disappear after one use!
Slightly disappointed you meant unicorns in a wine sense, which isn't how I initially read your headline
I hesitate to go more niche than I already am