Final internship and a few visits to some rather famous Châteaux...
Early morning bug hunting in beautiful Pomerol.
Time to catch up! Already two months have flown by since I started my final 7-month internship of my Master program here in Bordeaux. This summer, I have the privilege to train with Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix in Pomerol and St. Emilion (Think: La Fleur-Pétrus, Bélair-Monange, Trotanoy, Hosanna, etc.). For my Master thesis, I am conducting a study on the vineyard biodiversity of the group’s 9 Chateaux. In other words, a fellow intern and I are capturing and identifying 2000+ bugs/week for the next couple months and then analyzing the results. We are looking at the insect population differences between strictly viticultural zones (i.e. monoculture) and viticultural zones that nearer to wild zones and forests. Studies on vineyard biodiversity are still rather novel but have been increasing in popularity as an appealing environmental venture for wine-producing domaines. By attracting beneficial insects with specific trees and hedges, we can increase the natural immune system and longevity of the vineyard by decreasing the damages by pests. Of course, increasing insect diversity overall doesn’t necessarily mean that it will decrease the number of pests; however, it will lead to healthier balance overall.
Besides becoming something close to an entomologist and pulling dead mice out of our bug traps each week, I am also working in the vineyards to follow the mildew propagation and to estimate the projected harvest yields. So far 2018 has been a rather complicated year for winegrowing in Bordeaux. Until last week, it was a very cool and rainy spring and the disease pressure was significant. Also, we just missed a hailstorm that nearly destroyed some neighboring appellations.
Medoc Visits
Last week, the other Moueix interns and I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a few pretty prestigious Châteaux in Medoc…
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Pauillac
We started our day off with a great visit at Pichon Comtesse. Stephanie showed us their beautiful cellar utilizing both stainless steel and wooden tanks. Their reception area is on the 2nd floor of their winery in order to put the crushed grapes into the cuves by gravity (instead of pumping). They also have an R&D team who are working on several projects including biodynamic farming trials (See my previous blog on biodynamics here).
Tasted:
2015 Reserve de la Comtesse
2017 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
2015 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
2015 Chateau Pichon Comtesse: a warm vintage that perfectly ripened the fruit while keeping a nice acidity. Still very young; excited to see how this will develop!
Château Montrose
St. Estèphe
At Château Montrose, we had our visit with the cellar master, Vincent, who used to also be an intern chez Moueix. He walked us through the vineyards and talked to us about their own biodiversity efforts to maintain the wild zones throughout the vineyard. They have also started to leave cover crops and grass in the vineyards as they work with Claude and Lydia Bourguignon to increase the microflora diversity in their soil. Moving to the barrel room, your jaw immediately drops to the floor. It is absolutely stunning. I'll say it here: it is the most beautiful barrel room I have ever seen. Luxurious, spotless, and functional.
Tasted:
2015 La Dame de Montrose
2014 La Dame de Montrose
2015 Château Montrose
2014 Château Montrose
2009 Château Montrose
Montrose 2009… luscious and with all the sex appeal and finesse you could possibly want. 9 years old and still a baby!
Château Latour
Pauillac
We had the honor to have our visit with the technical director/winemaker, Hélène Genin, herself. Since the early 2000s when she arrived at Latour, she has brought the domaine's precision to the next level. The vineyard is farmed organically, with a larger and larger portion each year being farmed with biodynamic practices. During the winemaking process, Latour has started to use their own indigenous yeast for the alcohol fermentation. With every aspect of the winemaking, from grape-growing to bottling and aging the wine (they don't release the wine on the market until 12 years after it is produced!), Château Latour is dialed and re-defining what it means to be a First Growth in the 21st century.
Tasted:
2013 Pauillac
2012 Les Forts de Latour
2006 Grand Vin de Château Latour
Latour 2006… an aroma and tannin structure that continued to unwind and reveal new layers of complexity with each sniff. To put it simply: unforgettable.
Final thoughts:
What I remarked from all 3 Châteaux that we visited is how much effort they are putting into their R&D programs, especially pertaining to environmental measures. The push and investment from Bordeaux Châteaux in this regard gives me hope that organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices in the vineyard are more than just fad trials but represent a larger movement. The more winemaking domaines that understand that they can continue to produce extremely high-quality wines while also realizing their role as stewards of the earth, the better.