Gilbert & Gaillard defends itself and takes aim at Complément d'enquête (and Vitisphere along the way)

The Vitisphere article details the reaction of Gilbert & Gaillard (G&G) to the "Complément d'enquête" report and subsequent media coverage, particularly that of Vitisphere. G&G disputes several points in the report, notably the matter of Languedoc wines presented as Bordeaux and awarded medals. Jean-Baptiste Duquesne, winegrower at Château Cazebonne, is at the centre of this sequence, having provided the Bordeaux bottles for the experiment. G&G questions the validity of the experiment, arguing that the origin of the samples is dubious and that the decanting was not carried out under bailiff supervision, suggesting that Duquesne might not have altered the samples. In response, Jean-Baptiste Duquesne clarifies that he complied with the competition's requirements by sending two bottles and an analysis, expressing surprise at the 100% medal rate achieved. He explains that he chose ordinary, low-cost Languedoc wines to demonstrate the competition's lack of rigour, rather than to disparage them. Furthermore, he regrets using the term "piquette", describing it as an unfortunate joke. The text highlights the controversy surrounding the methods of "Complément d'enquête" and wine competitions, with Jean-Baptiste Duquesne acting as a key participant in the investigation to test G&G's credibility. The article notes that the competition did not respond to Vitisphere's questions regarding the duplicate bottles sent by Château Cazebonne, nor regarding its award rates.