France

Question 1

Who influenced Eleni & Edouard Vocoret’s winemaking?

Answer 1

Edouard’s influence: Daniel Barraud

Eleni’s influence: Vincent Dauvissat (Staged under Weingut Jurstritsch in Austria)

Question 2

What are the 4 bottlings of Vocoret Chablis?

Answer 2

Les Pargues
Boucheran
Bas de Chapelot
1er Cru Butteaux

Question 3

Chablis Les Pargues - Vocoret

Answer 3

Eleni and Edouard’s holdings in Les Pargues are 0.40 hectare. Les Pargues is located in the next valley over from the Premier Cru Montmains but still has the same expositions. The soil is Kimmeridgian (middle Jurassic), predominantly argilo-calcaire. The vines are 30 years old.

(First vintage produced was 2017.)

Question 4

Chablis Boucheran - Vocoret

Answer 4

Boucheran is made from a 0.89 hectare located between two premier crus, Vaillons and Montmains. The soil is Kimmeridgian (middle Jurassic) with a high proportion of white clay in the soil. The vines are 35 years old.

(First vintage produced was 2017.)

Question 5

Chablis Bas de Chapelot - Vocoret

Answer 5

Bas de Chapelot comes from a 3.2 hectare parcel just below Montée de Tonnerre. It is the Vocoret’s only parcel on the right side of the river bank. The soil is deep, clay and limestone, and Kimmeridgian (middle Jurassic). The vines are now 40 years old vines and due to their proximity to the riverbed are very exposed to frost.

(First vintage produced was 2014.)

Question 6

Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux

Answer 6

Eleni and Edouard’s holdings in the premier cru Butteaux are 0.32 hectare. The soil is Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic), pre-dominantly argilo-calcaire. The vines are 60 years old and all selection massale.

(First vintage produced was 2014.)

Question 7

Vocoret winemaking

Answer 7

The winemaking is consistent across all the wines. Alcoholic and malolatic fermentation is done in stainless steel with natural yeast (4 months). The wines are then aged for one year in old barrels. Before bottling the wines are put back in tank for an assemblage of one or two months.

They prefer a long aging. ~ 18 months before bottling.

Question 8

What is the story of Eleni & Edouard Vocoret?

Answer 8

Edouard and Eleni met while apprenticing in New Zealand. They married and returned to Chablis to take over a small piece of Edouard’s family domaine, Domaine Vocoret & Fils.

Their primary focus with their 3.3 hectare inheritance was farming. The first couple of vintages were sold in bulk shortly after harvest as they converted the vineyards to lutte raisonnée and hand harvesting. 2013 was their first release and they wasted no time showing off their vision of pure and terroir driven Chablis.

Question 9

Three Chablis producers in portfolio

Answer 9

Eleni & Edouard Vocoret
Domaine Moreau-Naudet
Vincent Mothe

Question 10

Bottlings of Moreau-Naudet (8)

Answer 10

Petit Chablis (2.5 ha)
Chablis AOC (10 ha)
Chablis Vieilles Vignes 'Les Pargues' (1 ha)
Chablis 1er Cru Forets (1.7 ha)
Chablis 1er Cru Montmains (0.65 ha)
Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons (1.7 ha)
Chablis 1er Cru 'Montee de Tonnere' (1 ha)
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur (0.6 ha)

Question 11

Winemaking approach at Moreau-Naudet

Answer 11

While there is far from a recipe in the cellar, Domaine Moreau-Naudet’s premier crus and single grand cru wine follow a very consistent fermentation and aging regimen. Fermentation is always with indigenous yeast, followed by a long maceration on lees. The wine is then aged for an average of 18 months on lees in a combination of stainless steel and 600-liter French oak barrels of which only 20% is new. (Most of the wine is aged in stainless steel, with around 2/3 in steel and 1/3 in oak.)

Question 12

Petit Chablis - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 12

Despite coming from a 2.5 hectare parcel of young vines, this wine is made with the same level of care that the rest of the wines are. Contrary to the profile of most Petit Chablis, yields are lower than average, fermentation is with indigenous yeast, and it is harvested by hand. The wine is aged for nine months in stainless steel before bottling.

Question 13

Chablis AOC - Moreau Naudet

Answer 13

14 - 20 month aging on fine lees. There is no oak for the AOC Chablis, it is entirely stainless steel.

20 - 60 year old vines.

The vineyards are spread across two villages - Préhy and Courgis. One is predominantly limestone and the other is predominantly clay.

Question 14

Chablis Vieilles Vignes ‘Les Pargues’ - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 14

Les Pargues is a one hectare lieu dit which has the same exposition as Vaillons and Montmains, so despite being just a village site, it has the character of a premier cru. The vines are approximately 70 years old further adding to the intensity and potential of the site. Les Pargues is aged more in line with the premier crus in Moreau Naudet’s cellar, which is to say a significant percentage of the final blend was aged in old barrels.

Question 15

Chablis 1er Cru Forets - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 15

The domaine’s holdings in Forets is made up of two parcels, totaling just under 2 hectares. The older parcel is of 60 year old vines and is right next to Vincent Dauvissat’s holdings. The second is made up of younger vines (25 years old) and is next door to Raveneau’s parcel of Forets. Forets identity among the geologically diverse premier crus in Chablis is one of notable power and intensity. It’s soil is made up of a variety of different clays and decomposed rock over limestone which together with a southeastern exposure create a warm microclimate.

Question 16

Chablis 1er Cru Montmains - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 16

Their parcel of Montmains is small, just 0.65 hectare, and made up of on average 55 year old vines planted in a soil rich in blue clay (bleu d’argile). Montmains is on the opposite flank of the valley to Vaillons.

Montmains sees less oak. Only about 10%, whereas the rest see about 30%. She wants to preserve tension in Montmains because she sees it has being inherently large in body.

Question 17

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 17

Moreau-Naudet’s holdings in Vaillons are around 1.7 hectares of 35-50 year old vines. Fermentation is, as always, with natural yeast with up to a three month maceration on lees.

Question 18

Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montee de Tonnere’ - Moreau-Naudet

Answer 18

From a one-hectare parcel of 50-year-old vines within the lieu-dit Chapelot, Moreau-Naudet’s Montée de Tonnerre is consistently their most mineral driven wine. The soils are sandy with a rocky topsoil and rich in Kimmeridgian limestone

Question 19

Chablis Grand Cru Valmur

Answer 19

Moreau-Naudet’s sole Grand Cru Chablis comes from just over half a hectare of 35 year old vines with a fully southern exposure.

Question 20

Domaine Moreau-Naudet Story

Answer 20

We met Stéphane Moreau a couple of years ago through a good friend and the wines immediately moved us. Soon after the wines arrived stateside, they quickly became some of the most popular wines in our portfolio. Subsequent visits to the estate showed us how dedicated Stéphane was in crafting great expressions of some of the best sites in Chablis.

Stéphane passed away in September 2016 at far too young of an age. The tragedy affected all of us deeply. After a period of uncertainty, the family and Stéphane’s assistant winemaker voiced a strong commitment to continuing Stéphane’s vision. 2015 was the last vintage Stéphane made

Stéphane Moreau is not related to the other Moreaus in Chablis

Question 21

Chablis - Vincent Mothe

Answer 21

Coming from three different parcels: Champréaux, Vaulardy, and Usage, Vincent Mothe’s village Chablis is greater than the sum of its parts:

Champréaux: 4 hectares of 45-year-old south-facing vines. Located on a gentle slope of fine clay and calcareous ‘tufa’, formed by precipitated carbonate minerals. Provides intense minerality and freshness.

Vaulardy: 2 hectares of 20-year-old southeast-facing vines. Located on a plateau with a high limestone component, abundant with small limestone rocks, resulting in a mineral, tense, and chiseled expression to the wine.

Usage: 1 hectare of 15-year-old east-facing vines. Located on a plateau with rich, red clay soils, offering roundness and structure.

The Chablis AOC, like the rest of the wines in Vincent’s cellar, is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel. Farming at the domaine is lutte raisonnée

Question 22

Vincent Mothe Story

Answer 22

Guy Mothe built up his successful domaine in Fontenay-pres-Chablis by starting with a small parcel he inherited and acquiring additional small parcels of land that came up for sale over the years. Today the domaine is run by Guy`s son, Vincent, and the style remains unchanged. Vincent’s take on Chablis is always unoaked with an emphasis on minerality and purity.

“It is all simplicity and no fuss. The Mothes are a farming as well as a viticultural family, also raise cattle, have wheat and other crops. The viticulture is sustainable, and the vinification lucid and simple with a beautifully organized and very modern winery. They have close to thirty hectares of vines; vinify their parcels of Chablis villages to the taste of their customers. The Chablis is raised in impeccable stainless steel tanks – cleanliness in the winery is very important for this Domaine. The winery is kept at a cool temperature. Russell and I met them at a Beaune wine and cheese event and were delighted with the clarity of the appellations.” — BECKY WASSERMAN

Question 23

Anne-Sophie Dubois Story

Answer 23

Anne-Sophie Dubois is a part of a young generation of vignerons redefining the identity of Beaujolais. Born and raised in Champagne, she caught the wine bug early and spent her formative years learning the ropes in Burgundy. (Far from the usual story of winemakers in Beaujolais.)

The economics of vineyard ownership in France have made many regions unapproachable for a young vigneron without a considerable amount of wealth. Beaujolais is one of the few where that is not yet the case. Anne-Sophie fell in love with Gamay and decided that Fleurie was where she wanted to call home. Her domaine is composed of eight hectares in the heart of Fleurie that are now organically farmed. Most of her plots are already of considerable age, her oldest are 60+ years old.

If Fleurie has provided Anne-Sophie a canvas of old vines and granitic soils, she brings to the table a strong commitment to working the soil, staying out of the way in the winery, and a style that favors a Burgundian approach to vinification. “Dubois makes some of the most soulful, Burgundy-like versions of Beaujolais that I’ve encountered…a Fleurie with a bit of fealty to the Cote d’Or.” — JON BONNE, PUNCHDRINK.COM

Question 24

4 Beaujolais Producers in Portfolio

Answer 24

Anne-Sophie Dubois
Domaine Mee Godard
Sébastien Congretel
Domaine Chapel

Question 25

3 Anne-Sophie Dubois bottlings

Answer 25

Fleurie Les Cocottes
Fleurie L’Alchemiste
Fleurie Les Labourons

Question 26

Fleurie Les Cocottes - Anne-Sophie Dubois

Answer 26

Starting with the 2015 vintage, Anne-Sophie has decided to release a different side of her Gamay. Up until then, all of her Fleuries were 100% destemmed and fermented in a Burgundian-style. Les Cocottes is 100% whole cluster and made with carbonic maceration. It is released the Spring after the vintage and is intended to be fruit driven and drunk early & often.

The label was drawn by Anne-Sophie herself. (She’s really into art.)

Question 27

Fleurie L’Alchemiste - Anne-Sophie Dubois

Answer 27

L’Alchimiste is named after the Paulo Coelho novel, a book about pursuing one’s dreams and learning life lessons along the way.

100% destemmed, L’Alchimiste is a selection of vines over forty years of age. It is aged for around 15 months in a combination of cement and a range of different sized neutral oak barrels. Anne-Sophie bottles her wines unfined and unfiltered.

Question 28

Fleurie Les Labourons - Anne-Sophie Dubois

Answer 28

Formely known as Clepsydre, now re-named and carrying the name of the Lieu Dit starting with the 2017 vintage.

“Clepsydre” is the French word for water clock, a time measuring instrument developed in ancient Egypt. She named this cuvée Clepsydre because, as her bottling of her oldest vines and a slightly different elevage, it requires patience in bottle to show its full potential. This cuvée comes from a high density planted vineyard with vines of over sixty years of age.

Whereas previously the wine was a selection of the oldest fruit, Anne-Sophie has decided to take the selection one step farther and make it a selection of the best fruit from the old vine parcel. Les Labourons is the name of the lieu dit in Fleurie. In 2017, after receiving her organic certification, she wanted to rename the wine and have a new label drawn to showcase the new chapter in her winemaking.

Despite the label and name change, Anne Sophie’s approach to vinification is the same as vintages past. It is 100% destemmed and aged for around 13 months in 228L neutral oak barrels.

Question 29

Domaine Mee Godard Story

Answer 29

I decided to craft wines in the Beaujolais region because I believe in the potential of the region to make great wines.
My passion for food and science led me first to Oregon State University where I studied wine and then to enology school in Montpellier. I later worked at Maison Chanson, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, and Château de Corton-André.

The domaine currently has 5 hectares of vineyards in Morgon across 3 climats : Corcelette, Grand Cras, and Côte du Py. Since I took the vineyard only 2 years ago, I am not yet in farming organically but am slowly converting the viticulture in order to adapt the vines to a new path.

I am committed to keeping yields low and doing everything by hand in the vineyard before the grapes hit my sorting table.

• Mee Godard
• Mee’s first vintage was 2013.

Question 30

Mee Godard Vinification

Answer 30

Mee prefers to use a fair amount of whole bunches. It depends on the vintage and the parcel but she usually de-stems only about half of the fruit. The length of her macerations vary but on average last 12 to 16 days in cement. She is aging her wines in a combination of vessels, always searching for the perfect balance of each for any given vineyard. She has mostly neutral barrels, foudre and demi-muids in her cellar.

Question 31

5 Mee Godard Bottlings

Answer 31

Morgon Corcelette
Morgon Cote du Py
Morgon Grand Cras
Moulin-à-Vent Les Michelons
Morgon Passerrelle

Question 32

Morgon Cote du Py - Mee Godard

Answer 32

A blend of 3 plots (Chaponne, Morgon and Cote du Py - but all in the Cote du Py climat)

Question 33

Morgon Passerrelle 557 - Mee Godard

Answer 33

Pasarrelle 557 is made from a selection of fruit from the schist and blue stone soils of her Cote du Py parcels. The wine is aged in a mix of foudres and demi-muids.

Passerrelle is French for “foot bridge.” It is an allusion to Mee’s background and story. She and here sister are adopted. She found out later in life that her biological parents were involved in agriculture so winemaking for her has a special connection to her roots.

Question 34

Moulin-à-Vent Les Michelons - Mee Goddard

Answer 34

Mee’s first vintage from this parcel was in 2016. This new vineyard in Moulin-à-Vent, expands her total holdings to about 6.5 hectares in total. The lieu dit of Au Michelon is loctated in the village of Chenas. The soil is sandy and the parcel is oriented southwest on the slope.

Question 35

L’Epicurieux / Sébastien Congretel Story

Answer 35

• grew up around vineyards in Southwestern France as well as in Africa and Indonesia
• I married my Beaujolaise wife (Charlotte) and quickly moved to Régnié in July 2011, just after our first son was born. At the time, I was working on offshore oil rigs, alternating one month on the job and one month off, during which I would enjoy spending time at my in-laws’ vineyard. I decided to leave the oil industry in March 2016, after my wife finished her oenological studies and we had purchased our parcel of Morgon.
• 2015 is therefore our first vintage, but it was my wife and her father who made it. 2016 is my first vintage that I worked on from start to finish.
• back to basics, according to seasons, creating w hands & heart
• working cleanly, organic moving to biodynamic

Question 36

L’Epicurieux / Sébastien Congretel Bottlings (3)

Answer 36

Beaujolais-Lantignie Gamayleon
Morgon Zelebrite
Regnie Chacha

Question 37

Beaujolais-Lantignie Gamayleon - Sébastien Congretel

Answer 37

Seb’s parcel in Lantignie is at 450m of elevation, 60yrs old, and on blue volcanic stone called diorite. That is the same stone found in Cote du Py in Morgon. (Lantignie is the next big thing as far as Beaujolais crus are concerned. Domaine Chapel’s Beaujolais-Villages comes from Lantignié.)

It’s carbonic maceration for 11 days, slowly pressed, and aged half in cement tank and half in 8 year old 400L demi-muids. The wine is not filtered or fined and is low sulfur (1g SO2 /Hl). (Seb’s vinfication is consistent across all his wines.)

The wine is named “Léon” after Seb’s oldest son Léonard. It’s also a play on words Gamayleon Chameleon because Seb believes it is a wine that can adapt to all situations.

Question 38

Morgon ‘Zelebrite’ - Sébastien Congretel

Answer 38

Soil: sandy granite
Elevation: 450m
Vine density: 9,000 vines/hectare
Viticulture started to convert in 2015 to organic

carbonic maceration for 11 days, slowly pressed, and aged half in cement tank and half in 8 year old 400L demi-muids. The wine is not filtered or fined and is low sulfur (1g SO2 /Hl). (Seb’s vinfication is consistent across all his wines.)

Question 39

Regnie ‘Chacha’ - Sébastien Congretel

Answer 39

Soil: Ancient alluvial
Elevation: 150m
Vine density : 10,000 vines/hectare
Viticulture started to convert in 2015 to organic

Parcels covered with grass, light plowing throughout the season to aerate the soil and remove bad weeds. Vyds in sandier end (Cercié) of Régnié, Lieu dit Les Bulliats and Les Perras. The parcels came from from Julien and Antoine Sunier.

It’s carbonic maceration for 11 days, slowly pressed, and aged half in cement tank and half in 8 year old 400L demi-muids. The wine is not filtered or fined and is low sulfur (1g SO2 /Hl). (Seb’s vinfication is consistent across all his wines.)