Philippe Engel, the 49 year old at the helm of the excellent Domaine René Engel in Vosne-Romanée, died suddenly of a heart attack on Wednesday while on holiday in Tahiti. Philippe, who was not married, ran his grandfather's domaine with admirable simplicity and skill, producing wines that were dependable and sensibly priced. As Jasper Morris wrote about him in 2003, 'his only worry is the lack of an heir to take over'.
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