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A Visit with Thomas Puechavy

A Visit to Thomas Puechavy's in February 2023

Words and photos by Jules Dressner.  This winter, we were able to visit Thomas Puechavy for the first time. After greeting us at his home in Nazelles-Négron, we took the 17 minute car ride to the village of <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray </glossary>to visit his vines. I sat up front with Thomas, who I'd only met minutes prior, along with his two friends Raf and Martin. It was a fun ride; Thomas is like me, Franco/American, but grew up his entire life in Paris. Raf is French but lives in London and Martin is German. Both were in France to help Thomas <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">prune</glossary> before spending the weekend at the various wine fairs around <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> and <glossary term="Angers" title="104">Angers</glossary>.  Everyone spoke English, and we discussed the VERY REAL connection between musicians/music lovers who are also really into wine. You see, Thomas' first life was largely spent making music and touring with the band Moriarty. It was during extensive bouts on the road that he caught the wine bug. Raf and Martin originally met him through music, and they too are now completely enamored with wine through Thomas. "Both reward an obsessive nature." After a beautiful drive, we'd arrived to the village of <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>. From a small dirt path, we walked onto an open field that quickly gave way to a large plateau of vineyards.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/24/3b/243bfddfbd2feb0066a06035bbab18f8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/1f/f7/1ff7d1ee44fea92a7b40476c12cc0494.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/f1/9d/f19d29bb11e00e95b9c86670aa2b5ed8.jpg" /> Thomas explained that this plateau is shared with Huet and Foreau. Some neighbors! The soils are <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>, but this particular area is very light in <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, making for exceptional drainage and imparting tons of <glossary term="Minerality" title="662">minerality</glossary> to the wines. Puechavy's vines are spread amongst many <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>, the youngest 25 and the oldest in their 80's. All in all, Thomas farms 3.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> spread over multiple <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> and two <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dits</glossary>, all within the same plateau.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/2d/27/2d27739fe37966ea08df58e8f3fff800.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/09/59/09595cb681f924ef3bef9c020c8aa173.jpg" /> The vines had been worked <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally</glossary> prior to Thomas' arrival in 2018 and are currently in <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">organic conversion</glossary>. So far he's been very careful with the soil, working it only superficially and very lightly at that. "I worry there are still some roots at the superficial level after years of intensive <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventional viticulture</glossary>." Thomas is also looking into <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover-crops</glossary> and various herbal sprays to bring vigor back to the soils.  "I'm pretty lucky. Huet and Foreau work <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodynamically</glossary> and <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary> and are my only big neighbors. We're even in a counsel together to promote <glossary term="Biodiversity" title="1162">biodiversity</glossary> in <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>."  One major project at the moment is to replant an indigenous tulip that all but disappeared in the area with the rise of <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">chemical agriculture</glossary>. Huet has always been able to maintain them on their land and is now giving them to other growers in the counsel to propagate in their own vineyards. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/f6/ec/f6ec86864bc33c29e6c0a01f7717c8d2.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/db/7a/db7a2dc44114263dd7f39a0a3294d245.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/23/bc/23bcabd49f5dba952c97c2879550c3a0.jpg" /> While walking through the vines, Thomas also explained how he originally had no intention to work in the <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary> or even to start his own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. "After finishing my studies, my plan was to go work for someone else, probably somewhere in the south like the <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary>, and eventually find a little <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> to make some wine on the side. During an apprenticeship in the <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary>, my boss at the time introduced me to a retiring <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> who had 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>. His big stipulation was that he DID NOT want his land worked by someone already established in the area. He had some great <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> but wanted me to take on all 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>. That wasn't possible, but I did happen to know two other guys who wanted to start small <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary> of their own. We agreed to split the land, and here I am today." From the vines, we headed back to Nazelles-Négron to taste some wines in Thomas' beautiful <glossary term="Tuffeau" title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/b1/23/b123715932bebed8a0b13c5ee6f41f18.jpg" /> We began in the <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> room, tasting the soon to be <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> "Rayon Blanc" 2021 and "Les Doyennes" 2020. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/e3/80/e38078ac677273551dc2ebac113bce90.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/55/69/556997b9a1830c3df89c95634b019315.jpg" /> Both wines are made in a very straightforward fashion: <glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-pressed</glossary> then <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racked</glossary> to <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> to <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary>. "Rayon Blanc" comes from the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>'s younger vines and is <glossary term="Aging" title="74">aged</glossary> 14 to 16 months before <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>. "Les Doyennes" comes from the old vines (60 to 80 years old) and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">ages</glossary> 26 to 28 months before <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>.  A third wine, a <glossary term="Pétillant Naturel" title="778">pet-nat</glossary> called "Les Turbulants", begins its <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> in <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> before finishing in bottle.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/d5/e1/d5e1385670ede41d44ba34ce1136b60e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/b7/c7/b7c7c9d858b9accbfb6ad6fec6497893.jpg" /> We ended the tasting with an <glossary term="Off-Dry" title="736">off-dry</glossary> 2022 from a tiny <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">vat</glossary>. Thomas wasn't sure what he was going to do with it during the visit, but has since decided to <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottle</glossary> it without <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary> with a <glossary term="Crown Cap" title="359">crown cap</glossary>, expecting a "perlant" style to develop in the bottle. After all that hard work, it was lunch time and we finally got to eat at Hervé and Patricia Chardonneau's Le Berlot in <glossary term="Montlouis" title="684">Montlouis</glossary> for the first time!  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/46/a4/46a4ecce12c76f48251490f9a27bef23.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//977/de/d1/ded1c1727412022ab60a0c4ade88a66a.jpg" />

Thomas Puechavy Producer Profile

Thomas Puechavy Producer Profile

Thomas Puechavy was born and raised in Paris. For most of his adult life he played harmonica, accordion and jew’s harp in the band Moriarty (while it's possible you've heard of them, they remain a BIG DEAL in France/Europe since their formation in the mid-aughts. Denyse Louis is a fan and thinks you should check out the singer Rosemary’s solo stuff…) Like many musicians we know, Thomas fell in love with food and wine during his extensive bouts of touring. In 2016, he decided to take the plunge into wine, studying <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and <glossary term="Enology" title="422">enology</glossary> in <glossary term="Amboise" title="100">Amboise</glossary>. His original plan was to work as an apprentice in various regions of France, eventually settling somewhere warm like the <glossary term="Languedoc" title="579">Languedoc</glossary>, where he’d work for someone else while comfortably tending a small <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of his own. The first part of this plan worked, sort of. While working in the <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary>, Thomas’ boss at the time introduced him to a <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> who owned 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of land in <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>. He was looking to retire and adamant his vines not be worked or purchased by someone already established in the area. It was an interesting proposition, but Thomas was asked to take over all 10 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>. It was too much on his own; fortunately Puechavy knew of two other upstarts who were looking to start small <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary> of their own. The three split the land, and  in 2018 Thomas began renting 3.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in the village of <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>, producing his first vintage in 2019. To say Puechavy lucked out with his land is an understatement: these <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> are as good as it gets. The vines are sandwiched between those of Huet and Foreau, the two legendary, defining <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary> of <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>. The vines, planted exclusively in <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>, grow on <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> and are roughly 25 to 80 years old. The specificity of the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> is that it's much more <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> heavy than other parts of <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>, resulting in great drainage and unparalleled <glossary term="Minerality" title="662">minerality</glossary>. The prior owner worked them <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally</glossary>, so Thomas is in the process of <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">converting</glossary> them to <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary>. So far he has been very gentle with working the soil, as he does not want to damage roots that may still be at superficial levels after years of <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventional farming</glossary>. He’s also exploring the idea of <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover-crops</glossary> and will most certainly replant certain <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> of very <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">old vines</glossary> that barely yield fruit. As an aside, it doesn’t hurt that Huet and Foreau both have been practicing <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary> and <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodynamics</glossary> for a long time and are Thomas' only neighbors. Puechavy was also lucky to find a house built next to a large quarry ideal for wine production in Nazelles-Négron. One catch though: while Nazelles is technically within the limits allowed ro <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinify</glossary> <glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>, Thomas lives 500 meters OUTSIDE of the delineated border! The <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> being notoriously strict with its zoning (<a href="https://punchdrink.com/articles/montlouis-sur-loire-vs-vouvray-wine-chenin-blanc-battleground/#:~:text=Montlouis%20is%20typically%20fully%20dry,%2C%20for%20its%20dessert%20wines).">we recommend reading this article for context</a>), Puechavy is only allowed to label his wines as <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary> <glossary term="Touraine" title="1036">Touraine</glossary>; in such he’s decided to <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassify</glossary> them all to <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>. It felt like was an unfair disadvantage ar first, but over the years (and in spite of working some of the best <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> in the <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary>) he’s come to embrace this unique, slightly absurd standing. Work in the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> is straightforward. Thomas divides the grapes between younger and  <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">older vines</glossary>, which are then <glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-pressed</glossary> to <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in  <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>. From the younger vines, a wine called “Rayon Blanc” is produced, <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> 14-16 months after it was <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary>. From the <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">old vines</glossary>, a wine called “Les Doyennes” is produced with an extra year of <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">elevage</glossary> in <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary>, <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> 26-28 months after <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. A <glossary term="Pétillant Naturel" title="778">pétillant naturel</glossary> called "Les Turbulants" is also made from the younger vines, partially <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermenting</glossary> in <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> before continuing in bottle. Puechavy lets the wines <glossary term="Spontaneous Fermentation" title="976">ferment naturally</glossary> and does not <glossary term="Filtration" title="447">filter</glossary> or <glossary term="Fining" title="449">fine</glossary>. When it comes to <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary>, for the time being he remains pragmatic: the goal is to not use any if possible, but Thomas is not averse to adding <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary> at any point he feels the wines need them. This has varied <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> to <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>, <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> to <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary>. Having only started in 2019, we cannot wait to see the wines’ evolution as the land recovers from its <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary> and Thomas gains more insight/ experience in the vines and <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>. The wines are already unmistakably "<glossary term="Vouvray" title="1121">Vouvray</glossary>" and resonant of their fantastic <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>. We're not going to bullshit you and say they are in the same league as Foreau or Huet, but connaisseurs should find parallels in the wines' structure. <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">VDF's</glossary> like no other!

Geremi Producer Profile

Geremi Producer Profile

Brother and sister Miriam and Renato Mareschi are first and foremost restaurateurs. Both grew up working in their parents’ restaurant in Ranuccio until it closed in 2006; Miriam ran the front of the house (becoming the sommelier in 1990) while Renato made the pizzas. Since 2002, Miriam owns and runs the fantastic trattoria Piazzetta del Sole in the medieval town of Farnese. Always encouraging her chefs to meticulously source ingredients, in the late aughts she found herself wanting to do the same with wine. Having become increasingly enamored with vini naturali, by 2010 Miriam served these exclusively. Wanting to offer her customers and excellent house wine, in 2016 she decided to start a small project of her own. Her brother Renato, who’d made wine with his father and grandfather in his youth (Mr. Mareschi produced wine for personal consumption until 1997), joined her and, in 2017, a white wine called "Itinerae" was produced to be served exclusively at Piazzetta del Sole. This first experience made Renato fall in love with the idea of tending vines and making wine, so he began sourcing as many vineyards as he could to rent and produce Geremi’s first “official” <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> in 2018. Today, the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> consists of roughly two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of rented <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>, most in the surrounding area of Farnese (home of Miriam’s restaurant) and Ischia di Castro (home of the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>) with a few other <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> in Montefiacone, a <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary> closer to the the <glossary term="Lake Bolsena" title="173">Bolsena Lake</glossary>. The wines are made in a small <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> in Ischia di Castro that's been in the family for generations. Miriam and Renato inherited it in the 1980's, when the family still made wine for personal consumption from a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> they no longer own. With no formal training outside of his time working with his family, Renato’s <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> are simple and rustic: a nod to the personal consumption winemaking of his past generation while also in line with what he and Miriam like to drink. Almost everything is currently produced in <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> or <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary>, though this may change with time. The wines <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> with <glossary term="Spontaneous Fermentation" title="976">spontaneous yeasts</glossary>, are never <glossary term="Fining" title="449">fined</glossary> or <glossary term="Filtration" title="447">filtered</glossary> and the only thing added is a small amount of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> during <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> and <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racking</glossary>.  For more details on each individual wine, please check their descriptions below.

Pedecastello Producer Profile

Pedecastello Producer Profile

Pedecastello, or “foot of the castle”, is a small <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> project from Alex della Vecchia. Nestled in the mountains of Tambre, a <glossary term="Commune" title="322">commune</glossary> of Belluno, the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> has been worked by Alex’s family for over a century. For generations they raised cattle, first for milk and then for meat. When Alex’s grandfather passed away, he inherited the land with his uncle. They worked a total of three days together before deciding to go separate ways over a fundamental disagreement: Alex wanted to butcher and transform the meat to sell individual cuts and his uncle wanted to sell them whole. At the same time, Alex had been dreaming of making his own wine and began wondering if he could use his part of the property to plant vines. Shaped by high <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary>, grassy, fertile soils and a cool climate, the region has historically been dedicated to cattle, notably for production of the famed <glossary term="DOP" title="402">DOP</glossary> Piave cheese. <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">Viticulture</glossary> remains extremely rare, with roughly 60 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> planted at the time of this writing. “Making wine in Belluno is 100% a result of climate change. 30 years ago, it would have been way too cold.” Inexperienced but full of conviction, Alex decided to plant a <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> in 2010. Around this time, he met the late Ernesto Cattel who, in the early years of shaping his Costadilà project, was looking to acquire some cattle. Alex seized the opportunity to collaborate with Ernesto and, hoping to learn how to make wine, began working full-time with Costadilà. As his time at Costadiłà blossomed into head of <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> and eventually running the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> after Ernesto’s passing, he kept cultivating his own <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> and lending a helping hand with the cattle. Alex currently grows two <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines at Pedecastello: the aforementioned <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> of <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> planted in 2010 and another split 50/50 between <glossary term="Bianchetta Trevigiana" title="1141">Bianchetta</glossary> and PIWI (a German, fungal resistant <glossary term="Hybrid" title="532">hybrid grape</glossary>) planted in 2017. The soils, composed of <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary> and <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary>, are very fertile, with <glossary term="Mother Rock" title="690">mother rock</glossary> a full two meters below the  <glossary term="Topsoil" title="1032">top soil</glossary>. Alex does not add <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover crops</glossary>, but lets grass grow wild and encourages <glossary term="Biodiversity" title="1162">biodiversity</glossary>. With an obvious assist from the cattle on hand, manure is used to <glossary term="Fertilizer" title="442">fertilize</glossary> the soils. Alex has been experimenting with various methods of still and sparkling <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> but so far has chosen to focus primarily on <glossary term="Methode Ancestrale" title="1311">ancestrale</glossary> sparklers. While in the same <glossary term="colfondo" title="1382">Col Fondo</glossary> vein as Costadilà (in fact they are made in the same <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>), the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> and use of <glossary term="Pinot Noir" title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> distinguish “Pedecastello” as a rounder expression marked by red fruit. Alex <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> his first <glossary term="colfondo" title="1382">Col Fondo</glossary> <glossary term="Bianchetta Trevigiana" title="1141">Bianchetta</glossary>/PIWI <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> in 2021 and will continue to do so in future <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary>.

Domaine Carterole Visit

A Visit to Domaine Carterole in March 2022

Words and photos by Jules Dressner. We've known Joachim Roque for quite a few years now, but this was our first time visiting his <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. Fueled by croissants, coffee and a nice view of the Mediterranean, we were ready to go!  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/5b/25/5b25d76464e006db818797e78c8bd725.jpg" /> Joachim told us he wanted to start the visit in the vines of Saint-André, the village where he lives. Not realizing it was a solid 20 minute drive, we had some time to chat about this sector I'd never visited before.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/77/df/77dfe658f31d33d482174eb415048b46.jpg" /> Saint-André is not only where Joachim lives but where he has the majority of his vines. The <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> here are part of the very broad <glossary term="Côtes du Roussillon" title="376">Côtes du Roussillon</glossary> <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary>.  The big project of the moment is to build a <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> minutes from his house for the 2023 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. “It’s much closer to <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> and all the Saint-André vines are right there. From my village, there is only one road to <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> and the 9 Caves where I have my <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>. We’re <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvesting</glossary> in August, it’s peak tourist season. Sometimes it takes me an hour and half to get to the 9 Caves. It’s a huge waste of time and energy.” The first sector we visited is Joachim's single largest <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of land.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/7a/84/7a84a583c9770f8971803bfc351cc830.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/e8/13/e813a479cfde9bfbb5fcfc5f3fc1c3d3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/04/d2/04d278591814eced1fe9b1779bdc8ac8.jpg" /> The main plantings are 12 year old <glossary term="Muscat" title="698">Muscat</glossary> that go into "Esperanza Blanc", along with the <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> and <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary> Joachim uses to make his <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. In 2022, he will plant some <glossary term="Xarel lo" title="1302">Xarel-lo</glossary> in hopes of making a sparkling wine. The <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> will also be by these vines, to the right of the building in the picture above.  The soils here are very <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sandy</glossary>, so <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> can get up to very respectable 40<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/0c/fb/0cfbf9c5991e1db49909d90aa8fdefb7.jpg" /> Some of the younger vines have been struggling, so Joachim planted mustard seeds between the rows to help with vigor. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/b4/11/b411c632ed4b9f478eaad60b75aedc42.jpg" /> The second <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> we visited is what Joachim uses the for his "Brutal". <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/cf/fd/cffd5c742cb259a738e3b40e5513b281.jpg" /> The <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> consists of <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> <glossary term="Co-plantation" title="309">co-planted</glossary> with <glossary term="Muscat d'Alexandrie" title="687">Muscat d’Alexandrie</glossary> (hey, that's the same <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> as Tom Lubbe's Brutal!) The vines are about 25 years old and planted on rockier <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sands</glossary>. They are off an off-road with little else but little patches of vines. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/54/83/5483f0fa3048d2bfba87e0806d70fa2a.jpg" /> That's the <glossary term="Pyrenees Mountains" title="1195">Pyrenees</glossary> in the above background on the left. You could see them at any point of the visit.  The third Saint-André <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> we drove to is planted in 1.2<glossary term="Hectare" title="523">h</glossary> of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary> and 1.2<glossary term="Hectare" title="523">h</glossary> of <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> for reds, along with 40 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary> and <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary> for white. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/54/f0/54f09807b519167f46e8c348fffb0e9e.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/84/09/84098fd07b6f2e74317b6574266e4403.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/84/e4/84e46f4a64ba900fc6c4ec771197f9e7.jpg" /> There are plans to plant 35 <glossary term="Are" title="1208">ares</glossary> of <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary> here in 2022. We didn't stop and see all 12.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in Saint-Andrée, though we did drive past a few <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> that go into the Tutti Frutti Ananas project. From this land, Joachim currently produces the Carterole "Esperanza" cuvées (white, rosé, red) and roughly 80% of the Tutti Frutti Ananas production.  We then headed to the <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. Joachim's main <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> is on the other side of the mountain from Saint-André. There were some stunning views on the drive over.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/29/17/2917a5a01ee2afaa0bfcd988223fe84c.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/f6/e4/f6e4b9005f6625ef41023b1055b458f7.jpg" /> Fun fact: that rock on the top of the picture above is famous for mountain climbing and actually where special police and fire fighters train.  After settling down a windy road, Joachim gave us the the lay of the land. His main <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> parcel has been dubbed Estafette because of the abandoned Renault truck of the same name living in the vineyard.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/95/c4/95c4764a964be283c8cdcc8244bfca29.jpg" /> "I have no idea how it got here. But it's useful to hide in when it rains or it's cold!" Hey, at least this is one <glossary term="Lieu-Dit" title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> where we actually know the name's origin! If you pay attention, you'll also notice the truck on all of Joachim's labels along with some <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>, a fisherman and <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>'s famous church Notre Dame des Anges. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/14/7b/147be6451c4bf2a2d6972a829b4e6774.png" />   "If you're driving in the area, you can see the truck from pretty far away. We've thought of painting it with our name and having tastings in it. Maybe one day."  From this <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>, an "Esta Fête" white and red are produced. Grape wise, it’s a traditional <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> planted with the three colors of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> along with some <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary> and a tiny bit of <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary>.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/74/ab/74abdea4b90bda92113c5d0b035b553b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/d6/45/d645b458f9fc901af39108debb63fba4.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/25/65/2565c72ca2b29eaf597a31da3afbf58f.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/5a/40/5a400833ad816e7f313e2962a2eb1cea.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/cf/52/cf527e5f5a6556b1a19a052911cfbe1a.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/c6/69/c669428e47d62d2a906c6cbb92260e39.jpg" /> The view is not too bad either: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/39/23/392362bc727801e73d8fe588acef57b3.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/ee/15/ee150d60dcf1778da684600911007215.jpg" /> Directly above Joachim's vines, Manuel from Vinyer de la Ruca has one of his biggest vineyards. I covered it extensively in my 2019 Vinyer de la Ruca visit and recommend you read about if there.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/21/fc/21fc5fe187a73b80d0e9df32c7c21bd2.jpg" /> If you look closely in the photo above, you'll notice sheep. They thought we were there to feed them and were very disappointed.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/91/d2/91d23ccc9e9d66a7b902add9e991be95.jpg" /> One thing I hadn't caught back in 2019 was that a large proportion of the grapes in Manuel's <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> go into the <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> for "Morango", a <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvée</glossary> from Tutti Frutti Ananas.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/61/b7/61b7cd1622e36536e33d2ff4066084d8.jpg" /> With the sheep still booing (behhhing?) us, we got back in the car, driving closer to <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> itself to visit a second sector. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/70/79/7079905bb7bcf264d276cc51cbefdfac.jpg" /> Here the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> are much more spaced out and at a lower <glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary>. The three <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenaches</glossary> are planted with <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>, but Joachim is planting other varieties for fun because it is one of the only sectors in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> that is <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanizable</glossary>. These are also the only vines Joachim owns. It was lunch time, so we headed back to town for a lovely meal accompanied by Joachim's 2021's.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/f1/a1/f1a15a58ffc0ac115f605046db044a06.jpg" /> The wines were all showing quite well despite it being a very complicated <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> with long <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentations</glossary> and a particularly worrisome spike of <glossary term="Volatile Acidity" title="1116">volatile acidity</glossary> that forced Joachim to add a gram of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfur</glossary> to the wines before <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary>. This is the first time Joachim has used <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> in his own production. He feels it's a concession but does not regret the decision.  After lunch, we got to be tourists for 10 minutes since the restaurant was right next to Notre Dame des Anges (which was unfortunately under repair scaffolding.) <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/03/78/03784ac9f7446127ccb9990e19bc6476.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/64/f6/64f6e022a7446d1bb1bbdaae67231cee.jpg" /> On the way back to <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, we stopped by Joachim's third sector in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/5f/ea/5fea7210163714b013e5075d2f70bef5.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/63/21/6321df73001129619c316c3a27c214f5.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/53/55/5355e12d168cf4fb67b8907f3df4fdca.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/e9/3a/e93a918ba5daa2764757f8042eb1164e.jpg" /> As you can see, these vines are directly above <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>. Along with the traditional <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenaches</glossary> and <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>, Joachim has planted <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary>, <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino </glossary>and <glossary term="Mourvèdre" title="692">Mourvèdre</glossary> in this area along with more <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary> and <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary>. A huge and unprecedented storm destroyed a lot of the vines here in 2014, so it was an opportunity to start fresh with these less traditional grapes. It was also a ton of work as they had to rebuild the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>. Before linking with Manuel from Vinyer de la Ruca, we stopped by the Carterole <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste a last wine Joachim had forgotten at lunch. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/2d/ad/2dad287bfe791f18b7dd727d5288d708.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//937/c7/40/c7401652e6006efb390d26119632e952.jpg" /> As with all the producers working out of the 9 Caves, the spaces are tiny and everything fits where it can. These bare bones <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary> really afirm that the quality of these wines is coming from the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> first and foremost.

Domaine Carterole Producer Profile

Domaine Carterole Producer Profile

Joachim Roque is a native of <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>, the famed medieval town on the Mediterranean coast of French <glossary term="Catalunya" title="247">Catalunya</glossary>. While tourism now reigns as its principle economy, for generations <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> was a fisherman’s village. To supplement their income, keep busy in the off-season and have wine for personal consumption, all fishermen had vines. Joachim’s grandfather was the last major fisherman of the village, and from a young age his grandson would help out on weekends during the <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. After a failed first year of university, Roque decided to stop school and start working; athletic and a fan of the outdoors, working in the vines seemed like a good fit. In <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> and <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperatives</glossary> have a quasi-monopole of locally grown grapes. Almost all of its members work <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally</glossary>, yet somehow Joachim landed at the only <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified organic</glossary> <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> in the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>. This <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> was an outlier for good reason: the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> and <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> are notoriously hard to work and low <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yielding</glossary>, even more so in <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary> where all the soil work has to be done manually. Joachim’s boss may have been the only “<glossary term="Organic" title="746">bio</glossary>” in the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>, but he wasn’t completely alone in the area. Seen as total lunatics by the locals, a handful of <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> had started trickling in from other regions or countries, doing everything manually, making the wines themselves and even selling the stuff. The legendary Alain Castex was first, followed by Bruno Duchêne and Manuel di Vecchi Staraz of Vinyer de la Ruca. Bruno was already purchasing grapes from Joachim’s employer, and this is how Roque was introduced to this microcosm of forward thinkers.  Inspired by this small group of <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> working <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>, in 2010 Joachim decided to set out on his own and join the  <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>. He found a <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> program in nearby <glossary term="Rivesaltes" title="863">Rivesaltes</glossary> and enrolled in their first year teaching an <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> curriculum. When it came time to pick an internship, Roque felt it made no sense learning in a <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanizable</glossary> farm. It had to be his native <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>, and the tiny amount of <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> producers made for an easy placement at Alain Castex’s Casot des Mailloles. With Alain he learned everything about <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> in the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary>, which he’s summed up to us in three words: “<glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary>, <glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary> and <glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary>!” From there, finding vines was not hard: huge swaths of land were abandoned. Through his local connections, Joachim easily amassed an ambitious 14  <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>, mostly from particularly hard to work <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> in bad shape. From his second <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>, Roque started selling grapes to Bruno Duchêne and the two quickly became friends. In 2012, Bruno launched Les 9 Caves, a revamp of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>’ old <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary> (the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary> had abandoned the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> in town for a modern facility in its outskirts) fully decked out with a retail shop, restaurant, guest houses and nine small <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary> destined to small, independent <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary>: a <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary> of independents! One day Bruno asked Joachim if he’d ever want to make wine and proposed him one of the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary>. Flustered, Roque told him he had no idea how to <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinify</glossary>. This was right around <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>; Bruno told Joachim that if he wanted, he could help out in the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> every night and he’d show him how he worked. Taking him up on his offer, Joachim observed, asked questions and got inspired. In 2014, a scant 1500 bottles of Domaine Carterole wines were produced from a small part of Joachim’s grapes. By 2017, it was dawning on Roque that working 14 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary> was untenable. Having recently relocated to the nearby village of Saint-André, he began relinquishing many <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> on the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> and replacing them with vines in his new village. Only 15 minutes from <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>, the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> of Saint-André are <glossary term="Alluvial" title="93">alluvial</glossary> and relatively flat, permitting <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanization</glossary> and producing “proper” <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> of 40<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary>. Today Joachim splits his time between 8.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> and 12 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in Saint-André. Still working at the 9 Caves, he is planning to build a <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> in Saint-André for the 2023 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. As of 2021, he no longer sells grapes to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>; at the time of this writing, roughly 40% of his grapes goes into the production of Domaine Carterole, the rest into the Tutti Frutti Ananas project and to Bruno Duchêne. Hey, we import all three!

Domaine Carterole Interview

An Interview with Joachim Roque from 2022

You’re originally from the region and from a viticultural family right? I’m from the region but not exactly from a <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> family. I was born and raised in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>, my grandfather was the last fisherman of the village. Back then, it was traditional for fisherman to own vines as a second occupation; the winter season was much slower for fish so it was something else to do. So I’ve always been around vines, doing <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvests</glossary> every year. Pretty much everyone worked for the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary> of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, at the time all the grapes went into making the <glossary term="Vin Doux" title="1095">vin doux</glossary>. How much land did your grandfather have? Back then every family had two or three <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>, it was a complementary activity and not seen as a full time job. When my grandfather got older, it was his brother-in-law who started taking care of the vines. He had about eight <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary>, and those <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvests</glossary> are my earliest memories in the vines. My grandmother had eight children and it was a big weekend activity: the whole family would <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> and she’d cook for everyone. So you inherited land? I did not. No one from my family kept my great uncle’s vines. As you know, the popularity of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary> and <glossary term="Vin Doux" title="1095">vin doux</glossary> has been in free fall for quite a while. So he’d sold off most of his land and kept very little. I went through high school but flunked out of university, it was not my thing. So I needed to start working. I ended up working for a <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> who sold to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary> but worked <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>. I’ve always been an athletic person, so I took a liking to the the physical aspect and being outside. That was in 2008. How long did you work with this vigneron and what led to your own project? I worked with him for about a year. He was the only one working in <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary> for the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>, so he knew all the “crazy” independent <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> working in the same way: Alain Castex, Bruno Duchêne, Manuel di Vecchi Staraz… and he was also selling them a bit of his crop for a little extra income. So that was my introduction to that microcosm. Working <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary> felt natural to me and meeting these small independent <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> coming from other regions was inspiring. In 2010, I decided I wanted to start my own project. So I followed a <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticultural</glossary> program in  <glossary term="Rivesaltes" title="863">Rivesaltes</glossary>, mainly so I could touch subventions from the government. It was the first year they were offering an <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> curriculum, so that meant my internship would de facto be with someone who was <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary>. Being from <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>, it didn’t make sense to me to go somewhere flat and learn tractor work; I needed someone in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>/<glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>. Fortunately for me, there weren’t a ton of choices and I ended up with Alain Castex. He taught me everything about <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> in <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, which I will sum up as: the <glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary> and the <glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary> and the <glossary term="Xadic" title="1465">xadic</glossary> (laughs). But my time there did not coincide with the <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> and <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary>, so I was not able to learn anything from him in that respect. Being from the area, it wasn’t that hard finding land. These were more or less abandoned by <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cooperative</glossary> farmers because they were not very productive. But honestly it was good for me, I learned a lot from the hard work and low <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary>. So I started with a few <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> and was bringing my grapes to the cooperative. 2011 was my first <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> and in 2012 I started finding more land. I was still bringing everything to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary> but working most <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>. Talking to Alain and Bruno Duchêne, they said they might be interested in my grapes and that’s how I started selling some to Bruno. By 2013, Bruno and I had become close. He was in the early stages of the 9 Caves project, and told me: “You’re 25, you’re from the area. You don’t want to make your own wine here?” I told him I had no idea how to make wine, that Alain hadn’t been able to show me. This was around <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> time, so he told me that if I wanted, I could come by after the day’s work picking and help him out in the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, see how it works and ask questions. So my first lessons in winemaking were with Bruno. It was great because Bruno is someone who’d been in other regions, had experience past the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroirs</glossary> of <glossary term="Banyuls" title="135">Banyuls</glossary>. So I got to absorb his techniques for his wines, but also ask how it was done elsewhere. If I have one regret, it’s that I started so young in my native land and didn’t spend any time seeing how it’s done in other parts of France and the world. So this was the spark. Yes. From this experience I decided to make my own wine. But I started with very little independent production and continued to sell to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>. This assured revenue that I could re-invest into my own <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>. My first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> with Domaine Carterole was 2014. How has Domaine Carterole evolved since that first vintage? From 2014 to 2017, I’d say about 80% of my production was still going to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative </glossary>and a little bit to Bruno. I had managed to rent 14 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines at that point, all in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>. But I realized it was going to be impossible to working all of these <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>, at least economically. So from 2017 to 2020, I let go of a lot of the <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> and searched for flatter land that was at least partly <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanizable</glossary>. These ended up being in the sector of Saint-André, the village where I live. It was too much land for my own production, so that was also the impetus for Tutti Frutti Ananas. This was 2017. So 2017 was a turning point. The years prior I was making between 1500 and 3000 bottles, it was nothing. From 2017 to 2020 I made between 4000 and 7500 bottles. And 2021 another milestone, because I acquired more vines in Saint-André but also decided to completely stop with the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>. One of the biggest reasons I was so conservative in the early years was that I worried I wouldn’t be able to sell my production. But now I’m confident I can do it and aim to make about 15 000 bottles a year. 14 hectares sounds like a huge amount of land for the area. How much of it was on terraces? How much on flatter land? It’s true being from the area helped, a lot of people remembered by grandfather. Then my neighbors would see me working the soils with my little caterpillar, they felt compelled talking to the crazy young guy busting his hump. I told them this was my vision for the work in the vines, and a bunch of them actually said that if I wanted, they had land I could rent. Today I have 8.5 hectares in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary>, five of those on the traditional <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> where <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanization</glossary> is impossible. Then I have 12 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in Saint-Andrée where I live. <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> is a magnificent <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>, but economically it’s very hard to make a living, especially if you work <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>. I’d have to sell the wines super expensive or do some <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négoce</glossary> on the side. In Saint-André I can get 40<glossary term="hl/ha" title="528">hl/h</glossary>, with <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> like that I can have something to offer quantity-wise at a more reasonable price. Even eight hectares still sounds like a lot for Collioure. Some guys have a lot more but it’s worked <glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally</glossary>. But yes, I suppose I have a relatively large amount of land, especially for working <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organically</glossary>. What goes into Domaine Carterole versus Tutti Frutti Ananas? I’d say I <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinify</glossary> about 40% of my production, then the rest goes to Tutti Frutti and to Bruno. Roughly 80% of the grapes that produce Tutti Frutti come from my land. What does Carterole mean? It was my grandfather’s nickname. A carterole is the little barrel like the ones Saint Bernards wear around their necks. Back in the day, fishermen would fill theirs up with wine for the day’s work on the boat. The wines were much lighter back then, and grandpa had a reputation for drinking a lot of it. So that’s where the nickname came from. What grapes are you growing? In <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> the biggest <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> I have is a flat <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary>. It’s not very traditional, here we always had the three <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> (<glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Noir</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Blanc</glossary>) and <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>. When they introduced the <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> in 1971, those wines are meant to be dry so they started permitting other grapes. Now 15 are allowed; that includes <glossary term="Mourvèdre" title="692">Mourvèdre</glossary> and <glossary term="Counoise" title="351">Counoise</glossary>, the latter being very rare. The only guy I knew who still has a lot is Alain Castex. Besides the <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary>, in <glossary term="Collioure" title="319">Collioure</glossary> I have <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary>, <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary> and <glossary term="Mourvèdre" title="692">Mourvèdre</glossary> for red. In white I have <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary> and some <glossary term="Roussanne" title="878">Roussanne</glossary>. In Saint-André I have <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary>, <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary>, <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary> and a bit of <glossary term="Muscat" title="698">Muscat</glossary>. All of this was already there, and two years ago I planted some more <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary> and <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary>. And this year I’ll plant more of those along with <glossary term="Grenache Blanc" title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary> and <glossary term="Xarel lo" title="1302">Xarello</glossary>. Being the only local in what you call this microcosm of small vignerons puts you in a fairly unique position. You’re from the region but learned from outsiders; how does that resonate with you personally and for the region as a whole? Before I met any of these <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary>, I’d of course heard of them. Locals considered them eccentric oddballs. They thought they were crazy for working this land manually for tiny <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary>. I’ll admit that locally people are quite judgmental and wary of outsiders. I know Bruno befriended an old man who taught him how to <glossary term="Grafting" title="500">graft</glossary>, but personalities like that are rare around here.  But I also think there was resentment and jealousy. Think about it: 90% of the <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vignerons</glossary> are selling to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>, and here come these outsiders with their independent <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary>, selling the entirety of their production at high prices. Fortunetly I got to know these people and they are extraordinary: they are humble, generous and smart. Bruno gave me the opportunity to have my own <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>. Knowing I’d be around Bruno and Manuel with Alain just next door, it’s what motivated me to do this. Without their influence, I don’t know where I’d have ended up. I’m very lucky, they’ve always had my back: tasting my wines, giving me advice, reassuring me, always giving me the time of day. They also introduced me to all their customers! A conventional winemaker, even if he has his own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>, he’s not going to share his customers with a neighbor, he sees them as a competitor. Bruno and Manuel, they’ve taken me to all the fairs, introduced me to people like you, made sure I was around at the right times. A lot of locals scratch there heads at what we do; this is an area that has lost all of its popularity yet here is this small group of people selling their production. We are happy in what we do, we get along, we share our energy and party together. It’s great.

Domaine la Providence Producer Visit

A visit to Domaine la Providence from March 2022

This visit took place in March 2022. Words and photos by Jules Dressner. Ah, <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>… Lavender! Celebrity wineries! Kermit Lynch! I gotta say, I don’t spend a tremendous amount of time in this region but I get why people dig it. And I also get why we don't visit often: outside of the established classic <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estates</glossary> in <glossary term="Bandol" title="134">Bandol</glossary>, it’s mostly a a lot of… <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">Rosé</glossary> from celebrities, <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary> in stupidly shaped bottles, <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary> with grapefruit extract… <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">ROSÉ</glossary>! So why the hell were we in Lambesc, a small village 30 minutes North-West of Aix-en-Provence? To visit Jean Benoit and Bénédicte Comor and their <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">neo-vigneron</glossary> operation at Domaine la Providence! Our introduction to their work was through Julien Pineau, who’d worked in <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary> before eventually settling in the <glossary term="Touraine" title="1036">Touraine</glossary>. Over a splendid vegetarian dinner in summer 2021, he <glossary term="Blind Tasting" title="170">blinded</glossary> us on a bottle we all loved. After the reveal, it was clear Julien was <glossary term="schnook" title="1448">schnooking</glossary> us on his friend’s wine: “He made 2000 bottles and it costs this much!” After some communications with Jean Benoit, we agreed to import this single wine, “La Providence”, and to visit as soon as we could. So here we were. The property, a dilapidated farm house and 18 sprawling <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines, was acquired by the Comor in late 2016. It used to be called La Pomme (“the apple”), which instantly felt off since none were grown there. A new name was inevitable but many of their original choices were taken (more on that later). Eventually they settled on Domaine la Providence; no it’s not named after the city in Rhode Island or religious undertones but for the lesser common use of the word: a person or event that arrives at the right time to save a situation or constitutes an opportunity, an exceptional help. We began the visit right outside the main entrance, with three <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> and 0.5h of Caladoc, a <glossary term="Hybrid" title="532">hybrid</glossary> of <glossary term="Grenache" title="508">Grenache</glossary> and <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/ff/11/ff11c1662198c44db87092dc1f54c584.jpg" /> For the “coup de coeur” <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> (<glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> they feel are truly qualitative, they like working and currently <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinify</glossary> themselves), JB is superficially working every other row of soil while leaving <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover-crop</glossary> in the other to rest for a year. They are also replanting old vines on the sites they like. Before Jean-Benoit and Benédicte took over, the vines were worked ultra-<glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventionally </glossary>and 95% of the production was destined to <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>'s <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. Everyone around them thinks they are crazy for having <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">converted</glossary> to <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organics</glossary>, especially since the first five crops all went to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>. Because <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> and production were so important to the previous owner, over-plantation was rampant. Very quickly, the Comor ripped out all vines planted on richer soils on the sides of most vineyards, letting them rest or planting fruit and olive trees. JB is planning to rip out an additional five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> in the main sector of vines by the house, mostly <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>. The long term goal is to rebuild the landscape to something less <glossary term="Monoculture" title="671">monocultural</glossary>, the way they imagine it would have been in the 1970’s. Tearing out these vines would also permit the Comor to build a new <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> and, more ambitiously, create <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> in this sector. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/1f/b5/1fb5045df08f717937d1b753364a725e.jpg" /> “If you look, you can actually see that with years of <glossary term="Chemicals" title="279">chemicals</glossary>, <glossary term="Erosion" title="1153">erosion</glossary>, tractors and <glossary term="Machine Harvesting" title="611">harvest machines</glossary>, the soil levels dip drastically from the top to the middle of the row. To properly work these soils, you actually can’t use the same tractor. You have to switch mid-way to a caterpillar or by hand.” <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/a1/9b/a19bb87bc6a3171cf161cc109d078445.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/a7/37/a7378109ca04581893fad3c4572db22f.jpg" /> Currently, a large part of the grapes are still destined to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>. For these, they do not work the soils, choosing to clean up the edges of the rows with a disc blade. There tend to be more <glossary term="Esca" title="425">esca</glossary> problems in these <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> and they are not so sure if they want to replant. They are also still <glossary term="Machine Harvesting" title="611">machine-harvesting</glossary> these as the grapes go to the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">coop</glossary>. Some sectors Jean-Benoît has been preparing for new plantations by letting the soils rest three years after the uprooting. The only thing he’s doing is planting fava beans to bring nutrients and air to the soil. On the white <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> soils, Jean-Benoit has decided to focus exclusively on white grapes, already having planted <glossary term="Terret" title="1025">Terret</glossary>, <glossary term="Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc" title="1043">Ugni Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary>, <glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Sémillon" title="1003">Semillon</glossary>, <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary>, <glossary term="Bourboulenc" title="1253">Bourboulenc</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="-Select term-" title="">Marsanne</glossary> and <glossary term="Clairette" title="297">Clairette Rose</glossary>. Here is a picture of the biggest new plantation: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/85/52/8552df6b4f523d8c490cdeeff4e012ab.jpg" /> He is purchasing from three separate <glossary term="Pépiniériste" title="773">pépiniéristes</glossary> to get as much <glossary term="Clones" title="304">clonal</glossary> diversity as possible. Many of these <glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varieties</glossary> are not permitted in the <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellation</glossary> but since the plan is to make everything in <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">VDF</glossary>, the constraints are limited. One of the major <glossary term="Plateau" title="809">plateaux</glossary> close to the farm is all <glossary term="Gravel" title="504">gravel</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>. Here there is mostly <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> planted in 1993. The big project in this <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> is to add <glossary term="Palissage" title="757">palissage</glossary> so he can control the vines better. They’ve also been replanting like crazy here, in total 2200 vines with 1100 more on the way in 2022. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/a2/db/a2db722573034970ad33814685730aa4.jpg" /> As you can see in the picture above, <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> with young vines have <glossary term="Irrigation" title="549">irrigation</glossary> tubes and need to be watered the first three years of their life, it's just too dry otherwise. The <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary> region is actually very involved in this: they provide access to the <glossary term="Irrigation" title="549">irrigation</glossary> but also control the levels of water you are allowed to use by analyzing the stress levels of vines. As far as I know, no other region is this involved in the process. JB estimates that a young plant doesn’t need to be <glossary term="Irrigation" title="549">irrigated</glossary> after three or so years. We then saw another young plantation of white grapes: <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary>, <glossary term="Marsanne" title="634">Marsanne</glossary> and <glossary term="Carignan Blanc" title="1306">Carignan Blanc</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/2b/aa/2baadc08294c564501bfa79c68d89bef.jpg" /> In the area, white mustard grows on <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> and is indicative of healthy soils. Good news: we spotted it everywhere! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/b7/fb/b7fbcd016375b01acedf901250526f2b.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/20/4e/204eaf7f6639e54f841be7c712f4c751.jpg" /> We then hopped into the car to see the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> further from the house. The first stop was a <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> of <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary> planted in 1985. The soils here are <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary>. Jean-Benoit likes it because it’s well protected from the wind. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/e4/78/e478989a0c29e32c33da9fd2e85211de.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/7d/05/7d052dfdda00026e49798c3f976dfbe3.jpg" /> Around this point in the visit, I turned to my colleague Carl and said something equivalent to “this is a shit ton of work.” What was already and currently being done, plus all the future plans: what a tremendous undertaking! I asked Jean Benoit if he anticipated or planned on such an intense project. “I had no idea. We visited in summer, the vegetation was gorgeous and we instantly fell in love with the property. But we were also reasoning for our family. With six children at home, it was good to be close to things: schools, extracurricular activities... Even going out on a date to have dinner or see a movie in Aix-en-Provence! We also have relatives close by. I’ve had eight different jobs before settling down here, I was always moving around. Here I feel what I am doing matters. But I didn’t know how to drive a tractor in 2017!” The next <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> we visited was mostly <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> and <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary> planted in 1966 on pure <glossary term="Sand" title="909">sand</glossary>. Here they are working the soils as they like the sector, with the ultimate goal of only mowing over <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover-crops</glossary>. There was also another young plantation of white grapes, this time <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary>, <glossary term="Bourboulenc" title="1253">Bourboulenc</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary> and <glossary term="Clairette" title="297">Clairette Rose</glossary>. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/03/f0/03f0d4e8ec1310dc342e4ea7f9ae69d7.jpg" /> After an extensive tour of the vines, we headed to the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste some 2021’s. Nothing had been <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> save a juicy <glossary term="Carignan" title="237">Carignan</glossary>/<glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> called "Chemin Faisant." This loosely translates to “the path being created in real time.” <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/21/c2/21c243f5e4ec3c1494c9ba24a1ebc5a5.jpg" /> While there are <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> and <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> in the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary>, the majority of what was <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in 2021 was sitting in 500L <glossary term="Burgundian" title="210">Burgundian</glossary> <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary>. Those saw <glossary term="Battonage" title="147">bâtonnage</glossary><glossary term="Battonage" title="147"></glossary> twice day and were <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racked</glossary> after <glossary term="Malolactic Fermentation" title="622">malo</glossary>. Fun aside: whenever a <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> was <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racked</glossary>, Jean-Benoit chose to write a current event he’d heard on the news that day in chalk. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/7c/b7/7cb71bb8aa89f99cc348c3566bce74be.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/02/a2/02a2ae8ac1f6adbd9fb8e34fa8aeff33.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/48/46/4846569b411f003c4fa6166b2d474885.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/7e/fe/7efe0c894ec61c6a4037bce57a75eea3.jpg" /> “It’s fun for the kids and helps me remember what happened on what day.” This being the first “real” <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>, it wasn’t decided what <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blends</glossary> or <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottlings</glossary> would come from what we’d tasted. 2021 was an atypical <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage </glossary>with a lot of rain that slowed <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturation</glossary> and limited <glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentration</glossary>. Over dinner, we found out that the Comor have been together since college and dreamed of starting an <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> for the last 20 years. They seriously started pursuing the idea in the 2010's and almost settled in the <glossary term="Beaujolais" title="151">Beaujolais</glossary>, where they met and befriended many locals who could have easily helped them find land. But Jean Benoit’s determination to also make <glossary term="Saint-Véran" title="900">Saint-Véran</glossary> and <glossary term="Pouilly-Fuissé" title="820">Pouilly-Fuissé</glossary> at the same time proved too complicated. There was also an opportunity in <glossary term="Limoux" title="597">Limoux</glossary> that fell through. Perhaps the funniest detail we unearthed was that they’d originally wanted to call the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> Domaine du Possible but, as some of you may already know, it was already taken! We just so happened to have bottles from our visit with Loïc Roure, so we opened some up since they’d never tried them. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//934/54/15/5415a4862a471fdd7b872b150f96afef.jpg" /> “We wanted to call it Domaine du Possible because for 20 years we were always getting shut down. But Providence works.”

2021 Domaine de Bellivière Visit

This visit to Domaine de Bellivière took place in July, 2021

Man it had been a long time since we'd visited Bellivière! After catching up with Christine and Eric, Clément and his wife Laure-Anne pulled up and we headed directly to one of the four <glossary term="Tuffeau" title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary> to taste the <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">un-bottled</glossary> 2020's.  "It feels good to have all four <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary> full this <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>!" <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/e4/5e/e45e77d38439f3e212ad8de191723ef0.jpg" /> We started by tasting many <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> destined for "Les Rosiers" 2020. The Nicolas were hoping the <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> will be <glossary term="Dry/Sec" title="405">dry</glossary> and by the time of this writing, the wines will have been <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> in November 2021. Because they had such a plentiful <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> in 2020, "Premices" will come from <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> that would have usually been reserved for "Les Rosiers". And many <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> intended for the <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">old vine</glossary> "Calligramme" will end end up in "Les Rosiers". At this point nothing had been <glossary term="Blending" title="1146">blended</glossary> and we were tasting single <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> expresssions. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/94/7e/947e4d25de34a9a944f93cc4624c08f3.jpg" /> If you're wondering what happened to Eric's hand, he sprained it while defending himself from a ninja attack. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/37/19/3719d0a6821ce97b99b5f9b1312e3f22.jpg" /> Fun fact: for the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>, the Nicolas do a seven hour  <glossary term="Pressing" title="827">press</glossary>. We kept tasting through various <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> of "Effraie" and "V.V Éparses". Trying  the whites from <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> at Bellivière is always a little tricky, since each varies greatly in <glossary term="Minerality" title="662">minerality</glossary>, <glossary term="Acidity" title="71">acidity</glossary> and oftentimes sugars. It's an interesting exercise, but ultimately Eric and Clément's <glossary term="Blending" title="1146">blending</glossary> choices will make for a totally different expression in bottle. We did however try one <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard expression</glossary>, the "Vigne en Foule" <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> we would later vist. It was already <glossary term="Dry/Sec" title="405">dry</glossary> and very good. Here's a picture of the Nicolas' dog I took for my mom. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/8e/8f/8e8f7f7e12d1146dfc8726539b7372d5.jpg" /> From the <glossary term="Tuffeau" title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellars</glossary>, we headed to the new <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste the reds. <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/69/8d/698d38657f9647a5faa53fb9d18e386e.jpg" /> We started with a new <glossary term="Vessel" title="1160">vessel</glossary> for Bellivière, a <glossary term="Concrete Egg" title="1284">concrete egg</glossary> you can see in the background of the above shot. 2/3rds of the wine was <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerated</glossary> <glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary>. We also tried some Hommage à Louis Derré from <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrel</glossary> before delving into some of the <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négociant</glossary> wines, specifically "Raisins Migrateurs" 2020 and 2019 as well as the new <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> of "Castor". <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/72/8d/728d274471f527c15c7c6aaed6c5da69.jpg" /> Despite the afternoon sun high in the sky, after tasting we set off to see some vines. Our first stop was the "vigne en foule",  an experiment started in 2001: <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/5b/ec/5bec7d5f6a5a286f70a2904dca54f962.jpg" /> <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/eb/82/eb823ac8d666776e7e672c914989c6ff.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/dd/a7/dda77494a0c6ca2f2392814e52091cfb.jpg" /> "The vignes en foule (“crowded vines”) were planted in 2001 at a density of 40,000 vines of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin</glossary> per <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary>. It was an experiment on a small area. At this density, with 50 cm x 50 cm between each plant, everything is done by hand and we cannot <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanize</glossary>. The term “en foule” means without <glossary term="Training System" title="1039">vine training</glossary>. Mark Angeli had had an experiment like this and he ended up tearing the plants out to be able to <glossary term="Mechanization" title="645">mechanize</glossary>. Since planting, we have never really been able to <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> because we couldn't manage it properly. But since Clément joined us, we have undertaken a lot of work on it, in particular the training of the <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> into a <glossary term="Pergola" title="774">pergola</glossary>. We have also  covered the ground with mulch to minimize grass regrowth. So this year (2020), for the first time, we were able to <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> it properly. The pickers were delighted because they had the impression of entering a "forest" of vines and the picking was within reach without having to bend down. The aim of this experiment is to see the impact of competition from the vines on the rooting and therefore the result on the wine." This vineyard has also led to some interesting discoveries Nicolas have started applying to other <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary>. On one <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary>, they are planting with more density now to create shade for the other vineyards to avoid <glossary term="Grillure" title="1462">grillure</glossary>. On another, they are letting the vines have less density, which will permit them to grow higher and free-er. The goal is to adapt and ultimately do less to the plant, but also expose them to less trauma during the growing season. With over 65 <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> at their disposal, the Nicolas are exceptionally suited for this type of experimentation.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/af/8c/af8cf0cbb3f3d7896ca8f45095946bda.jpg" /> From the vines, we headed back to the house to taste currently <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> wines before dinner.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/7c/ce/7ccefbe800abda44d2f8752d64748ae9.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/c1/29/c129b07c9e471c1fd85966b1d8cc62e4.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/32/6a/326a02b8b631d6c529610e14d98b56c6.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/9c/c1/9cc1ef04b6991fea2c227275a1734747.jpg" /> After tasting, we took advantage of the nice weather to barbecue outside (it had and continued to be a very rainy summer). Over a delicious meal of sausages and a few back <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintages</glossary> from the mid-to-late aughts, Eric's optimism resonated: "I believe we can fight against <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary> using natural methods. But it's a risk and a long term investment. We are currently in our third year of converting the vines." Clément, who is now fully at the helm of the estate's <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, agreed.  By this point in our <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary> trip, we'd experienced quite a bit of doom and gloom in the vines, so it was good to hear the Nicolas motivated and actively working towards facing the major challenges of climate change. They weren't the first to bring it up, but their particular drive was a turning point of the trip for me. I am still worried for northern French <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary>; the 2010's have made it abundantly clear that for it to have a future, adapted and perhaps drastic measures have to be taken immediately. To be continued...  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//932/c8/a1/c8a157181097f3ad25f057f54a7dcdad.jpg" />

Domaine la Providence Producer Profile

Domaine la Providence Producer Profile

We must thank Julien Pineau for introducing us to Jean Benoit's work.  For over 20 years, Jean Benoit and Bénédicte Comor have dreamed of starting their own <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>. They’d even gotten close a few times: first in the <glossary term="Beaujolais" title="151">Beaujolais</glossary>, <glossary term="Saint-Véran" title="900">Saint-Véran</glossary> and <glossary term="Pouilly-Fuissé" title="820">Pouilly-Fuissé</glossary> then in <glossary term="Limoux" title="597">Limoux</glossary>. From false starts and dashed hopes, opportunity struck in 2016: located in the village of Lambesc, about 30 minutes North-West from Aix-en-Provence, a property called La Pomme had become available. The couple, originally from the area, instantly fell in love with the old farm house and 18 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines. Lambesc and its surrounding environs have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Well into the 1990’s, this was a poor agricultural region where most farmers lived off traditional models of <glossary term="Polyculture" title="815">polyculture</glossary>. Then came the <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary> craze of the early 2000’s, with <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary> front and center. A shift in focus was inevitable: almost overnight vines became a <glossary term="Monoculture" title="671">monoculture</glossary>, with people planting anywhere they could: <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary> be damned, if it grows it goes. The prior owner of La Pomme worked in an ultra-<glossary term="Conventional Farming" title="331">conventional </glossary>fashion, focusing exclusively on <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary>. 95% of his grapes were destined for the local <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>’s <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary>. From the beginning, JB and Bénédicte wanted more than an <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary>, hiring famed <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodynamic</glossary> consultants Lydia and Claude Bourguignon. In addition to the <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary> (the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> is now <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified organic</glossary>), JB quickly started ripping out vines to replant three <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Indigenous" title="1139">indigenous</glossary> <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provençal</glossary> grapes and is planning to rip out an additional five <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> including all of the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>’s <glossary term="Cabernet Sauvignon" title="217">Cabernet Sauvignon</glossary>. Much of what has been ripped out was planted on richer soils on the edge each <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary>,  now left bare or replanted with olive and fruit trees. Convinced that white wine has a huge potential on his white <glossary term="Clay" title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary term="Limestone" title="596">limestone</glossary> soils, Jean Benoit has currently planted three <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> with a dizzying array of white grapes: <glossary term="Terret" title="1025">Terret</glossary>, <glossary term="Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc" title="1043">Ugni Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Vermentino" title="1081">Vermentino</glossary>, <glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Sémillon" title="1003">Semillon</glossary>, <glossary term="Marsanne" title="634">Marsanne</glossary>, <glossary term="Carignan Blanc" title="1306">Carignan Blanc</glossary>, <glossary term="Macabeu" title="609">Macabeu</glossary>, <glossary term="Bourboulenc" title="1253">Bourboulenc</glossary>, <glossary term="Grenache Gris" title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>, <glossary term="Clairette" title="297">Clairette Rose</glossary>… They are also replanting thousands of replacement vines in select <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary> suffering from <glossary term="Esca" title="425">esca</glossary> and/or overproduction and adding <glossary term="Palissage" title="757">palissage</glossary> for the <glossary term="Syrah" title="1001">Syrah</glossary> vines that desperately need them. All new plantings are selected between three <glossary term="Pépiniériste" title="773">pépiniéristes</glossary> to ensure as much diversity as possible. For vines destined for <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> production, JB works every other row superficially while planting the other with <glossary term="Cover Crop" title="1255">cover-crop</glossary> and letting it rest a year. For those still destined for the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>, only the edges of the rows are worked with a mechanical disk. Finally, the biggest project is to create <glossary term="Terrace" title="1022">terraces</glossary> in one of their main <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plots</glossary> where years of <glossary term="Chemicals" title="279">chemical</glossary> abuse, <glossary term="Erosion" title="1153">erosion</glossary> and tractors have warped the rows, making it impossible to work the soils without switching devices or vehicles mid-row. What a tremendous undertaking: five years of hard work and this is just the beginning!  After five years honoring their inherited contract with the <glossary term="Cave Cooperative" title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>, in 2020 Jean Benoit was able to <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinify</glossary> a small amount of <glossary term="Rosé/Rosato" title="871">rosé</glossary> and a scant 2000 bottles of a delicious red wine called “La Providence”. From a small makeshift <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> in their barn, roughly 20 times more wine was <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in 2021, an atypical and rainy <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> that led to blocked <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturations</glossary> and low <glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentration</glossary>. Grapes were <glossary term="Hand Harvesting" title="520">hand-harvested</glossary> and <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermented</glossary> with <glossary term="Native Yeast" title="538">native yeasts</glossary> in various <glossary term="Vessel" title="1160">vessels</glossary> (<glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary>, <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless</glossary>, <glossary term="Concrete" title="325">concrete</glossary>) but mostly in old <glossary term="Burgundian" title="210">Burgundian</glossary> <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary>. The <glossary term="Barrel" title="142">barrels</glossary> saw two <glossary term="Battonage" title="147">bâtonnages</glossary> a day and were <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racked</glossary> after <glossary term="Malolactic Fermentation" title="622">malo</glossary>; depending on <glossary term="Volatile Acidity" title="1116">volatility</glossary> levels, <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">sulfites</glossary> were added to some but not all <glossary term="Vessel" title="1160">vessels</glossary>. It’s unclear what <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blends</glossary> will come out this complicated first <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>, but from what we’ve tasted the goal is to make elegant, structured but not over-<glossary term="Extraction" title="433">extracted </glossary>reds that break the regions’ conventions while (perhaps by) respecting the <glossary term="Terroir" title="1026">terroir</glossary>. Everything will be <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> in <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>, perhaps not so crazy in our world but pretty damn ballsy in the ultra-chic, celebrity winery milieu of 2020’s <glossary term="Provence" title="831">Provence</glossary>.