Verse read at Chateau Lascombes June 1987

Background.

       Alain Maurel, a dear friend of many years, and the President of Alexis Lichine in Bordeaux, France had been very ill for a long time and unable to run the company.

         He had had a number of complicated operations and had recently recovered, was back in harness and hosted a magnificent black tie dinner for about a hundred international guests at Chateau Lascombes on the 20^th June 1987 during Vinexpo.

         Lichine had recently acquired some other wine firms and also Cognac Otard, the presidents of whom were also present.

            On the lawns of the Chateau, a tethered hot air balloon (Mongolfier) took the more intrepid guests aloft a few hundred feet while the rest of us sipped Champagne.

          I wrote this piece actually DURING the dinner and read it as part as my official thank you speech on behalf of the guests from abroad.  Since half the guests were French with a smattering of English and half were English-speaking with a smattering of French, I thought it might be amusing to compose it in "Franglais".

Alain is Back

Monsieur Maurel, cher Alain Maurel,

We're all si enchanté you're wonderfully well.

You look tellement chic, comme toujours, as we know,

C'est bien que you're back and now rarin' to go.

Cette nuit à Lascombes nous sommes sure to remember

From Juin to July, through October, November.

C'est charmant to witness la Famille Lichine

With Otard et Coto et Pasquier Desvignes.

The Mongolfier rose on its maiden voyage

With Champagne but it should have been Otard hors d'age.

We've been feted with vins de Bordeaux et elsewhere

And grub magnifique - the finest of fare.

You offered Lascombes in Doub-Magnums -  no less

From the 'seventy vintage - l'année de noblesse.

Le fromage was yummy and perfectly matched

With le Grand Vin de Maison to which we're attached.

So, merci mille fois pour une soirée si belle,

We love you to death, Cher Alain Maurel.

                                             Robin Blackburne, Bordeaux, 20 June 1987

Footnote:  Tragically Alain died, very young, within the year, of a totally unrelated illness

Joy and Robin Blackburne - Chateau Lascombes , June 1987

Robin Blackburne reads the above piece of Verse at Chateau Lascombes June 1987