Bruno Duchêne

Collioure and More from Bruno Duchêne

Bruno Duchêne Producer Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Bruno Duchêne
Region	Roussillon
Country	France
Proprietor	Bruno Duchêne
Size	4 hectares (+ purchased fruit)
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Schist
Grapes grown	Grenache Noir/Gris/Blanc, Carignan, Grenache Blanc
Fun facts	Bruno was so successful as a wild mushroom salesman that he owned a car phone in the 80's. He retired in his early 40's to Banyuls but got bored and started making wine. He lives on his boat Odin most of the year.

Bruno was so successful as a wild mushroom salesman that he owned a car phone in the 80's. He retired in his early 40's to Banyuls but got bored and started making wine. He lives on his boat Odin most of the year.

Name of Estate	Bruno Duchêne
Region	Roussillon
Country	France
Proprietor	Bruno Duchêne
Size	4 hectares (+ purchased fruit)
Farming	Organic (Not Certified)
Soils	Schist
Grapes grown	Grenache Noir/Gris/Blanc, Carignan, Grenache Blanc
Fun facts	Bruno was so successful as a wild mushroom salesman that he owned a car phone in the 80's. He retired in his early 40's to Banyuls but got bored and started making wine. He lives on his boat Odin most of the year.

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Bruno Duchêne

producer profile 27.07.2020

Bruno Duchêne Producer Profile

In a past life, Bruno Duchêne was a wild mushroom distributor in his native <glossary title="602">Loire valley</glossary>. Today, he lives in the town of <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, where he produces <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> reds from some of France's hardest to work vineyards. Bruno owns four <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> spread over four <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>, all planted on <glossary title="933">schist</glossary> but with enough <glossary title="430">exposition</glossary> and <glossary title="656">micro-climate</glossary> variations to keep things interesting. <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary> and the neighboring <glossary title="319">Collioure</glossary>'s historic vineyards, planted at low density on ancient  <glossary title="1022">terraces</glossary>, are notorious for being extremely low <glossary title="1129">yielding</glossary> and near-impossible to work <glossary title="645">mechanically</glossary>, subsequently leading to an ever-increasing abandonment of these legendary sites. The vines are worked <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>, and because of the region's ideal climate, Bruno averages only three <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> <glossary title="328">treatments</glossary> a year (this is an extremely low number). And because <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> is not an issue here, <glossary title="333">copper</glossary> is never used. The wines <glossary title="976">ferment spontaneously</glossary> in <glossary title="1140">tank</glossary>, then are <glossary title="843">racked</glossary> to <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> for <glossary title="74">aging</glossary>. <glossary title="993">Sulfur</glossary> is never added at any point. Bruno principally produces three red wines: "La Luna", "La Pascole" and "L'Anodine". All three are made with <glossary title="309">co-planted</glossary> <glossary title="508">Grenache Noir</glossary>/<glossary title="1158">Gris</glossary>/<glossary title="509">Blanc</glossary> with a splash of <glossary title="237">Carignan</glossary>. "La Luna" comes from <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> where the grass grows free; some are Bruno's, others are purchased fruit from friends working <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>. "La Pascole" is a single vineyard partially <glossary title="810">plowed</glossary> by hand. Finally, "L'Anodine" represents the <glossary title="740">oldest vines</glossary> in areas that are impossible to work <glossary title="645">mechanically</glossary>, and where the soil work has to be done 100% by hand (except for a tiny <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> where a horse has room to <glossary title="1028">till</glossary> and <glossary title="810">plow</glossary>). The latter is only released in <glossary title="617">magnum</glossary>.  Bruno also produces miniscule quantities of a <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> white called "Vallpompo" from <glossary title="509">Grenache Blanc </glossary>as well as some <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>. He also experiments with very limited production <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary>, usually a few hundred bottles per <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. These tend to be <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> from his own land or purchased fruit from his friends.

producer visit 17.07.2019

This visit with Bruno Duchêne took place in July, 2012

This visit with Bruno Duchêne took place in July, 2012. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Maya Pedersen. Bruno Duchêne is the man. From the minute he greets you with his big smile and booming laugh (his deep HA HA HA sounds like Falkor from Never Ending Story), you just get good vibes from the guy. Anyone who knows him well will tell you the guy is pure energy. And as we discovered at lunch, Bruno doesn't just party: he is the party. But more on that later... Before meeting up with Bruno, our top priority was to find a leash for Zaggy, which had been lost at some point during our last visit. Cruising around <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, we eventually found a pet shop that lured us in with its amazing wall art:  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//2e/04/2e04da5d95d6cdd5114e5c06bc7bcc04.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//6a/34/6a344f334515ae488b0eb3572f2fb547.jpg" /> After finding a nice red leash for Zag-Zag, we met up with Bruno on one of <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>' main strips. <glossary title="135">Banyuls-Sur-Mer</glossary> is a beautiful and very touristic town on the edge of the <glossary title="880">Roussillon</glossary>. It borders <glossary title="247">Catalonia</glossary> (all the signs are in French and Catalan) and was built on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. As an <glossary title="108">A.O.C</glossary>, the region is known for its  <glossary title="461">fortified</glossary>, <glossary title="736">off-dry</glossary> <glossary title="508">Grenache</glossary> <glossary title="389">dessert wines</glossary>. But since the vast majority of Bruno's production consists of <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> wines, these receive the <glossary title="1406">Vin de Pays de la Côte Vermeille</glossary> or <glossary title="319">Collioure </glossary> <glossary title="113">appellations</glossary>. Interestingly, you can make <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary> <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary> from grapes in the <glossary title="1022">terraces</glossary> of <glossary title="319">Collioure</glossary>, yet all <glossary title="405">dry</glossary> wines from terraces, including those grown in <glossary title="135">Banyuls-Sur-Mer</glossary>, must be called <glossary title="319">Collioure</glossary>.  Bruno's wines have quickly gathered cult status in the States for their pure expression of <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> and extreme gulpabilty. Moreover, as with most things culty, quantities are extremely limited and the wines are almost impossible to find outside of New York City (although some nice retailers who ship out of state will gladly provide you with some). While I would love to tell you that we do this only to boost demand and make these trophy wines, the truth is simply that Bruno is currently working on a tiny scale. His four hectares produce very low <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary>, and the <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> below represent his ENTIRE ANNUAL production.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//b2/51/b251e02e155abd3c11cb944551117545.jpg" /> The area you can see in that picture covers roughly half of Bruno's "<glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>", which in reality is little more than a <glossary title="1018">temperature controlled</glossary> garage. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's by far the smallest place I've seen wine being professionally made in. But as the old adage goes, you make wines in the vines, not the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. Speaking of the vines, Bruno owns four <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> spread over four <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>. They are all planted on <glossary title="933">schist</glossary>, but each <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> has different altitudes, <glossary title="430">expositions</glossary> and <glossary title="656">micro-climates</glossary> to keep things interesting. Originally from the <glossary title="602">Loire</glossary>, Bruno arrived to <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary> in 2000. Quickly realizing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life there, he quit his job as a wild mushroom distributor, bought some vines and produced his first <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> in 2002. Driving up to the vines, I asked him if it was hard for him to find land as an outsider. "A good attitude goes a long way! It worked out perfectly." That quote embodies Bruno's easy-going nature perfectly. Never a worry in the world!  Anyhow, we only visited Bruno's biggest <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> (2.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>), because he felt it would give us the best idea of the work he does.  "You're going to understand everything!"  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//68/52/6852467b5cced6a3aacf4ce5c1d543d8.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//b2/12/b212e0cc38e61031be9dc573e6c24b10.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//92/1d/921d38101c040bb3913b769f362f4598.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//db/50/db505895ec641655b6ff0dc493a14381.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//7c/e8/7ce8cc1aed02c40889f6c2f68584e74c.jpg" /> As you can see in the picture below, all the vineyards are planted on the steep, mountainous hills and face the <glossary title="1194">Mediterranean</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//cd/97/cd9799fc8304bf55f6513db5c0865934.jpg" /> Bruno produces three red wines: "La Luna", "La Pascole" and "L'Anodine" (the latter only being available in <glossary title="617">magnum</glossary>). Unlike most <glossary title="427">estates</glossary>, the three <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary> come from the same <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary>, but Bruno bottles them separately to highlight different <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> practices. For "La Luna", he lets grass grow free.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//84/ea/84ea392de928f27df134f70ed7f97a44.jpg" /> "La Pascole" in a single vineyard is partially <glossary title="810">plowed</glossary> by hand.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//eb/30/eb30a91faaf58b845701c1850bada749.jpg" /> Finally, "L'Anodine" represents the areas that are impossible to work mechanically and where the soil work has to be done 100% by hand, except for a tiny <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> where a horse has room to <glossary title="1028">till</glossary> and <glossary title="810">plow</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//bb/1c/bb1c5b18f5940cd03703922a3d6e9df4.jpg" /> He also makes a white called "Vallpompo" from <glossary title="509">Grenache Blanc</glossary> and <glossary title="1158">Grenache Gris</glossary>. All his <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> are <glossary title="309">co-planted</glossary> in red and white, and because of optimal weather conditions, he only performs three powdered <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> <glossary title="328">treatments</glossary> a year and never uses <glossary title="333">copper</glossary>. The old vines are 80-100 years old, and Bruno has replanted the other half over the last decade.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//80/12/80126c127e41a01b6d9a1375f768b50f.jpg" /> Bruno replants everything by himself, which is pretty uncommon these days: it's a very tough and precise process, so usually a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> will hire a <glossary title="773">pépiniériste</glossary> to do this work, or at the very least heavily assist in it. Everything is <glossary title="941">selection massale</glossary>, and he does it the old school way: planting an american <glossary title="869">rootstock</glossary>, then letting it grow for three or four years before <glossary title="500">grafting</glossary> the French foot.  "Only the elders still know how to do this, and they taught me how to do this. When you plant this way, the vines are here forever." Sounds like those elders really appreciated Bruno's good attitude!  Another question I had for Bruno: how does wind affect your work? "There is always air coming from the sea."  Winds from the water and/or the mountains are ever-present: over 200 days of the year are "extremely windy", with the <glossary title="1040">Tramontana</glossary> usually to blame.  Heading back into town, I noticed something that had stayed on my mind since George Descombes pointed it out in <glossary title="200">Brouilly</glossary>: a clear difference in color between neighboring vines, apparently an easy way to tell if they are being treated <glossary title="279">chemically</glossary> or not.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//c7/0b/c70b2c866601655b07b2aa8020c73def.jpg" /> Basically, the darker green vines on the lower right are the result of repeated <glossary title="526">herbicide</glossary> use, while the lighter, brighter ones on the top left are what healthy vines look like when left alone. Since I'm not a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary>, I won't speculate any further, but I must say that the difference in color is undeniable... Driving back into <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>, Bruno got very excited telling us about his upcoming project. Along with a dozen or so other partners, he has spearheaded buying an old, soon to be disenfranchised building from the <glossary title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>. It's in the heart of town, and will provide stocking rooms for a large number of <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary>, as well as five independent <glossary title="254">cellars</glossary> (including Bruno's). We got to visit: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//f1/03/f103904230c4781cdf345637278e4cfc.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//48/22/4822b25f642685b1c424b4dcb8ae6215.jpg" /> As you can see, it's huge. The partners plan on opening a bed and breakfast, as well as a restaurant/wine bar in the space.  "I was about to be debt free for the first time in almost twenty years. Not anymore! But you know what? An opportunity like this will never happen again, and I'm so glad I was able to find this many people to invest. The goal is to create a community spirit, a <glossary title="252">cave cooperative</glossary> of independents!" It's important to note that only 200 of <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary>' 1800 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> are farmed and <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> independently. And while Bruno understands that the little guys need to have each other's back, he's not doing this to spite or challenge the <glossary title="252">cave cooperative</glossary>, who has recently moved to a larger, more modern facility outside of town. "These vineyards are extremely difficult to work. If it wasn't for them still being able to sell a lot of wine, I can't even begin to imagine how many of these vines would become abandoned overnight." We went back to the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> just before lunch to taste the 2010's. All the wines are <glossary title="913">sans souffre</glossary> this vintage, and everything was tasting great, blah blah blah... Lunch was at the great restaurant/natural wine bar El Xadic Del Mar. We ate like kings, and started with this: <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//1d/c6/1dc65421a0f321a086ffcd932e537d67.jpg" /> But that was only the beginning. Bruno started ordering bottle after bottle. And since he knows everybody in town -warm greetings kept erupting from him every 10 minutes- it got to the point where he was pouring some of our wine to them and vice-versa. Look, there's even photographic evidence. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_17//f7/1b/f71bf60fca8f496ac48e19ff47c89c03.jpg" /> By the time cheese was done and Bruno ordered a bottle of <glossary title="135">Banyuls</glossary> "for dessert", we were all toasted. We actually had to spend three hours drinking coffees and Badoit on a terrace by the sea before I felt comfortable enough to drive home. This was happening the whole time though, which was quite entertaining: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HK8jVfE37qY" width="560"></iframe>