These are generous yet savory and complex wines without a drop of dosage. They are wines that make us think of Bertrand Gautherot the farmer -- a farmer who works very closely with nature. They are wines that could not be more authentic or uncompromising. Yet, at the same time, they are textural, generous and delicious. Like the man and the farm on which they are grown, these wines are unique; they should be sought out by those searching for true wines of place.And the critics are singing from the same hymnal. According to Antonio Galloni (Vinous), "Like many artisan Champagnes, the Vouette et Sorbée are wines first and foremost ... When the wines are on, they are among the most exciting wines being made in Champagne. Bertrand Gautherot crafts gorgeous, handmade wine loaded with personality."
And Peter Liem:
The Champagnes of Vouette et Sorbée are uncompromisingly original, possessing deep, vinous aromas and assertive personalities. These are wines before they are Champagnes, and their intensity of character makes them more suitable for contemplative drinking or to accompanying food than to casual sipping. They are clearly the products of a natural philosophy of viticulture, with all that that implies in the French wine world.As you have probably garnered from the foregoing, Bernard Gautherot is the Vouette et Sorbée vigneron. Bernard, like a number of the Growers that we have covered in this series, came back to the vines after stints in the wider corporate world; in his case, as a luxury goods designer for Girlan, Chanel, and Dior, respectively. He left that world in 1993 to take over the family estate.
The estate, named after the vineyards directly behind the winery, is located in the Côte des Bar commune of Buxières-sur-Arce, with most of its 5 ha of vineyards therein resident. One vineyard (Chalet) is located in the neighboring commune of Ville-sur-Arce.
Bertrand started out a grower and his passion has always been in the vineyards. He began farming biodynamically in 1998 and gained his certification in 2001. He feels that "biodynamics has encouraged the root structure of his vines to descend deeper into the ground rather than settling for nutrients near the surface" (Peter Liem, Champagne). The small size, and tight geographic footprint, of the vineyards is an advantage for Bertrand in implementing and managing practices that advance the health of his vineyards. The vineyards are detailed in the chart below.
As he has done in many of the fledgling-grower stories, Jacques Selosse also makes an appearance here as he is credited, along with Jerome Prévost, with encouraging Bertrand to make the leap from grower to winemaker. He began making wine in 2001.
Bertrand's winemaking style can be classed as minimalist. The grapes are vinified in oak barrels using indigenous yeasts. Minimal sulfur is applied at harvest. There is no cold stabilization, fining, or filtering and no dosage is added.
Fidelè is a Blanc de Noir made from grapes sourced from the Fonnet (mostly) and Biaunes vineyards. Walters sees this wine as showing vibrant red and blue fruits, having racy acidity, and a minerality that runs the length of the palate.
 |
| Source: nettarietruschi.it |
Blanc d'Argile is a Blanc de Blanc made from low-yield, ripe Chardonnay grapes grown in the Biaunes vineyard. Beginning in 2019 this wine will be further fortified with fruit from the Vouette vineyard. Walters describes this wine as "Super mineral, nutty, and stone-fruited" with some red fruit notes. He further finds it salty and smoky with good texture.
 |
| Source: plusbellelavigne |
 |
©Wine -- Mise en abyme
No comments:
Post a Comment