Bourgeuil from Xavier Courant of Domaine de L'Oubliée

Bourgeuil from Domaine de L'Oubliée

Domaine de L'Oubliée Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Domaine de L'Oubliée
Region	Loire
Country	France
Proprietor	Xavier Courrant
Size	7.14 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Sand, clay, gravel, limestone
Grapes grown	Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc
Fun facts	Xavier is a huge Bertrand Blier fan. Each wine he produced is named after one of his films.

Xavier is a huge Bertrand Blier fan. Each wine he produced is named after one of his films.

Name of Estate	Domaine de L'Oubliée
Region	Loire
Country	France
Proprietor	Xavier Courrant
Size	7.14 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Sand, clay, gravel, limestone
Grapes grown	Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc
Fun facts	Xavier is a huge Bertrand Blier fan. Each wine he produced is named after one of his films.

Get to know
Domaine de L'Oubliée

producer profile 12.07.2019

Domaine de L'Oubliée Producer Profile

Xavier Courrant, a former Parisian <glossary title="253">caviste</glossary>, decided to get closer to the source by founding Domaine de L'Oubliée in 2009. After studying <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>/<glossary title="422">oenology</glossary> and working with famed <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> <a href="http://www.leserbet.com/index.php?d_id=131&id=9" target="notSet">Romain Guiberteau</a> for a year, Xavier managed to purchase three <glossary title="1133">plots</glossary> of <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> and a small <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> to form a 7.14 <glossary title="427">hectare</glossary> <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> in the <glossary title="322">commune</glossary> of <glossary title="894">Saint-Patrice</glossary>. Each of the sectors features a unique <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>; in such Xavier <glossary title="1104">vinifies</glossary> three red wines to highlight their inherent differences. "Merci la Vie", his entry level <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>, comes from vines planted in 80% <glossary title="909">sand</glossary> and <glossary title="504">gravel</glossary> and 20% <glossary title="">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>. "Notre Histoire" is grown on <glossary title="222">calcareous</glossary> <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> and "Tenue de Soirée" is grown on <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>. Xavier also tends to a small <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> of <glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary>, a complete anomaly in <glossary title="191">Bourgeuil</glossary>. Appropriately, the wine is called "Existe en Blanc" (Exists in White). White wines are not permitted in the <glossary title="191">Bourgueil</glossary> <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary>, so this wine is sold as <glossary title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>. Each <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> is named after a film or novel from Bertand Blier, the famed French director whom Xavier happens to be obsessed with. After many years of <glossary title="332">conversion</glossary>, the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is now <glossary title="260">certified</glossary> <glossary title="746">organic</glossary>. In the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> have always been used, the wines are never <glossary title="449">fined</glossary> or <glossary title="447">filtered</glossary> and <glossary title="993">sulfites</glossary> are only added in very low doses at <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>.

interview 12.07.2019

An Interview with Xavier Courant from 2011

This interview with Xavier Courant took place in his Saint-Patrice cellar in June 2011. Tell us about Domaine de L'Oubliée. I work 6.4 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines in <glossary title="191">Bourgueil</glossary>, mostly <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> but I also own a 0.74 <glossary title="523">ha</glossary> parcel of <glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> on <glossary title="455">flinty</glossary> <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> soils. The <glossary title="216">Cabernet</glossary> is spread over three <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary>: "Merci la Vie" is made with grapes from <glossary title="909">sandy</glossary> <glossary title="504">gravel</glossary> soils, "Notre Histoire" from <glossary title="224">calcareous</glossary> <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and "Tenue de Soirée" from <glossary title="455">flinty</glossary> <glossary title="301">clay</glossary>.  The <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> was founded in 2009, which was my first  <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Before you took over in 2009, what was happening with the vines? My vines used to be part of a larger <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> spread over 18 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>. Because I wanted to start small and have the <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> be relatively close to each other, I decided to only purchase the six <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> in <glossary title="894">Saint-Patrice</glossary>. Before I took over, the vines were being treated <glossary title="279">chemically</glossary>. And while I'm hesitant to say that they were "reasonable" in the quantities of <glossary title="279">chemicals</glossary> used, the truth is that it could have been a lot worse. In other words, they were conscious that what they were doing was bad and did it anyways, albeit in a limited capacity! I'm currently <glossary title="332">converting</glossary> the entire <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> to <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, which will undoubtedly lead to <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> practices in the future. When I eventually reach this point, I plan on being completely hands-on in the process and making all the preparations myself. What's the work in the vines like now? I think the biggest change involves working the <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> matter of the soil, something that was never taken into account by the prior owner. The analysis I've conducted has led me to conclude that there just isn't enough <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> matter for the vines the work with, and I plan to rectify this through extensive <glossary title="810">plowing</glossary> (reasonable <glossary title="810">plowing</glossary>!) as well as with green <glossary title="442">fertilizers</glossary>. It's a slow process, but I don't want to rush anything because otherwise it would be too much of a shock to the vines. What about in the cellar? Not much! We bring the grapes to the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, put them in a tank and go back to the vineyard! Zero <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> during the winemaking, a tiny bit at <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>.  The grapes are never mechanically tampered with, and it goes without saying that we <glossary title="520">hand harvest</glossary>. We <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> in <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> tanks with zero <glossary title="1027">thermo-regulation</glossary>. Because of the <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> and the slow evolution of temperature, <glossary title="441">fermentation</glossary> tends to be rather long. And of course zero <glossary title="422">oenological</glossary> products!  What were you doing before 2009 when you started your estate? I do not come from a wine background, and no one in my family has ever worked with wine in any capacity. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but at least I can say that the influences in my winemaking are my own! I studied hospitality in school, and I come from a restaurant background. I was working all over Paris in hotels and restaurants, mostly high-end places, and through my various positions I met a lot of interesting people that got me more and more into wine.  I eventually opened a wine shop in <glossary title="457">Fontainebleau</glossary> where I was working exclusively with <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> and <glossary title="160">biodynamic</glossary> wine. This brought me even closer to the source, since I was in constant contact with the <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> I was working with. This urged me to take it one step further and pursue becoming a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary> myself. I studied <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> for a year then worked with Romain Guiberteau in <glossary title="919">Saumur</glossary> for a while, which helped me unlearn everything I'd been taught in school! Once I felt that it was time to move on, I started looking for vines to purchase to start my own <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>. My only stipulation was that I wanted to work with <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>.  I was really looking to start small, no larger than six <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary>. I have help, but I still do the vast majority of the work myself so anything bigger would have been overambitious.  Why did you name your estate Domaine de L'Oubliée, which for our anglophone readers translates to "Domaine of the Forgotten"? In <glossary title="894">Saint-Patrice</glossary>, the village I am based in, the vast majority of vineyard work was abandoned after World War 2 to favor <glossary title="78">agriculture</glossary>, mostly cereal and now a lot of corn. I think people have forgotten the potential of the <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary> from this region. It also helps that there is a consonant similarity to Bertrand Blier, whom I am a huge fan of!  You are such a huge fan of Blier that each of your cuvées are named after films of the same name, correct? Yes, that is correct! Can you tell us why you chose each title? Blier made a lot of films so I couldn't pick just any; the titles had to correlate with how I felt about each <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>! "Merci La Vie" (Thank you Life) is a lighter, fruity wine where you can just open a bottle and drink it with lunch or whenever the mood strikes. You can thank life for being at a table with some good food and some good wine! "Notre Histoire" (Our Story) is already more complicated to explain! It's like a couple going to the restaurant with the man planning to propose. There's a whole story behind it! "Tenue de Soirée" (Evening wear) is when you put your tuxedo on and things get serious! It's also a reference to the <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> of the <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>, the <glossary title="1126">wood</glossary> being the tuxedo! "Existe en Blanc" (Exists in White) is not a Bertrand Blier film, it's a Bertrand Blier novel! The entire book focuses on a man that's obsessed with women's underwear. He spends hours in front of bra shop displays! I don't think this really reflects in the wine at all; it's more of a reference to the fact that only red wine is produced in the <glossary title="191">Bourgueil</glossary> <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary>, but believe it or not, there is <glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> out here! How do you feel about your AOC and more specifically how your wines fit in to the concept of the AOC system? Are they "typical" of Bourgueil? I've talked about this with my fellow <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> in  <glossary title="191">Bourgueil</glossary>, and we've come to the conclusion that what we're doing is in our opinions the best representation of the <glossary title="113">appellation</glossary>. Our wines are definitely a "typical" product of <glossary title="191">Bourgueuil</glossary>. But unfortunately, we are the minority. It is far more "typical" to use selected <glossary title="321">commercial yeasts</glossary>, to <glossary title="270">chaptalize</glossary>, to <glossary title="377">de-acidify</glossary> etc... It's a total rip off!  I don't trust the <glossary term="AOC" title="108">AOC</glossary> system. The panels that judge the wines are constantly denying <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> who work <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> and don't intervene in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> for "atypicity" when our work is the most honest expression of an <glossary title="113">appellation's</glossary> <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>. Have you had any problems with the AOC? Yes. I've received numerous warnings about the wines. I still don't quite understand how their rating system works, but there are four classes and my wines were a class 2, which led to a reprimand. But I'm only just getting started and I look forward to future tensions with the panel! Do you consider yourself a "natural" maker? For me "<glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary>" is wine without <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary>. Which means that there's very little <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> being made! When it's good, it's really good. But technically, it's near impossible to do it every year.  Working <glossary title="746">organically</glossary> leads to a more natural style of wine, with lower <glossary title="783">PH levels</glossary> and vines that are able to resist illness on their own without adding <glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary> in the vineyard. Whether you want to call that <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> is up to you.  What do you like to drink? I love wine. I love wine because of its sheer diversity, and not just French wine. I recently tasted some amazing New Zealand <glossary title="927">Sauvignon Blanc</glossary> that really blew me away. Unfortunately though I don't have a great culture for foreign wine because in France we tend to stick to our national stock! I love <glossary title="212">Burgundy</glossary>; it's a really special place, particularly for reds. For whites I love <glossary title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> and <glossary title="858">Riesling</glossary>. Oh I just thought of something that has nothing to do with your question! It has to do with Bernard Blier! As a youth I'd always wanted to sneak a bottle of wine into a movie theater, and pair wine with film like you would with food! You can also do this with music. You can even do this with a book, but if you end up drinking the entire bottle I doubt you'll read it all the way through!  So did you ever sneak a bottle into a movie theater? You bet!

harvest report 20.01.2020

2020 Harvest Report from Xavier Courrant

December 15th, 2020: I think this is the first <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> report I’m sending you guys! After four years of small crops due to <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary> (2016, 2017, 2018) and <glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary> (2019), we were really waiting for a year like 2020. It was a mild and humid winter and a very warm spring: our last days of <glossary term="Pruning" title="834">pruning</glossary> were done in t-shirts towards the end of March. <glossary term="Budding" title="1166">Bud burst</glossary> began very early, three weeks in advance compared to the average of the last 10 years. Frankly, COVID benefitted nature: you could see that there was more insects and birds in the vineyards, their sounds often filling the eery silence of confinement. It was also an opportunity to spend extra time in the vines!  The vegetative cycle stayed three weeks in advance up until early August, when hydric stress slowed <glossary term="Veraison" title="1396">véraison</glossary> down to early September. Some rains in the interim did the the grapes good. On September 21st, a team of 17 pickers worked in fun and harmony for one week. The grapes were beautiful, fairly abundant, not too ripe, just perfect. The <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentations</glossary> were stable and went all the way with no issues despite the solar nature of the <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. The final wines are elegant, not too powerful and won’t be above 14% (too bad for the Trump tax, hopefully they will go away...) <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/9f/f9/9ff9ff511014bcd6233dc47c9ef96722.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/b9/72/b97205877036b1b8d932f7b88d8b7689.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/3d/09/3d099bf86861444d650eea806822e3a9.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/f3/54/f3542dc7c82da465512c0ad6c7afb59b.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/5e/ae/5eae21c68818d6c1500e1eee279eb805.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/4d/61/4d614d987223b489a41aaa1fd6db5e2f.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/25/aa/25aa550ec52544804a927a63a4ee66af.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/4a/b4/4ab47e7a08345e83e5530f8f5fd23460.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/b7/02/b7025f78d39cb40292b6fa9ca6234390.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/0d/89/0d89aacc1285c1671c79a05d848fa62c.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/d6/1f/d61f96c67f5abe037946208d59eea625.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/9d/5d/9d5d222d3bcd29174184e4e4e79fc2a8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/fa/05/fa053996d6ca1a95ef36d5572797ff9a.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/eb/2c/eb2c7366550f98f17edefe08dbabaf7e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/c7/8f/c78f66a332d7f127bf446f52d8541169.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/a7/12/a71286fbf23b21370d46ab524210cb46.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/23/3e/233ed4b15322d2cbc679c60791be6a25.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/57/7d/577d83c9127445c626dc545409117f43.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/5e/58/5e5877632c7666cd7a9764bba915e2f5.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/c7/f6/c7f6a30921a0087f9b4ffb89d68f1820.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//877/b6/79/b679bf8252f444f3c2f43a1c16fd0dca.jpg" />