Louis Latour Agencies

London Wine Fair : Winemaker's Favourites

08 May 2017

Stand B22

One thing our winemaker’s always get asked is what their favourite in the range is so we thought we would ask some of those unable to be here for you. All winemakers have a favourite and a couple of our winemakers did say this was their favourite at the moment as it does change with vintages. These are the current favourites.

Jean-Charles Thomas, Louis Latour: Aloxe Corton Domaine

Jean-Charles has been with Maison Latour for over 20 years and has never looked back after being drawn to winemaking for the complexity and variety that goes with the job. He describes the uncertainty of the conditions and the application of the winemaker’s skill to control and enhance what is basically a natural process as a great challenge.

His favourite wine is Aloxe Corton Domaine. Part of the reason is the history associated with this wine, it is an integral part of the family and the company history. Aloxe-Corton is located at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune and is a neighbouring village to Pernand Vergelesses and Ladoix. It has been the home of the Latour family and the heart of Domaine Louis Latour for centuries. This wine has an inviting, warm red colour which leads to an earthy, spicy well-structured palate which mellows beautifully with age.

Laurent Chevalier, Henry Fessy: Chateau des Labourons

Laurent Chevalier, their Director and a talented winemaker, crafts wines showcasing the myriad of styles possible from the Gamay grape and the region's varied terroirs. Henry Fessy's roots lie in the late 19th century when the Fessy family moved from the Loire Valley and began growing grapes in Beaujolais. They founded their business in 1888 and over the years developed a successful enterprise as a grower, negociant and winemaker. In 2008 the Fessy family sold to the family-owned Burgundian wine producer Maison Louis Latour and in 2009 they appointed Laurent to lead the business. With Louis Latour’s support the company has prospered and significant investment in their domaine and facilities has followed.

His favourite wine is Chateau des Labourons, a single vineyard wine from Fleurie. This vineyard covers 14 hectares and is located on the hillside above the village. Here he takes grapes from the best plots to craft a wine which recognises the history of this vineyard. The de Lescure family, who established this vineyard in the 18th century and owned the vineyard until Henry Fessy took over, aged their wines in wood. To honour this tradition Laurent now ages 10% of the wine in French oak barrels (5% new, 5% one year old), this does not bring wood flavours to the wine but helps bring a savour character with hints of spice and liquorice.

Odilon de Varine, Gosset: Grand Blanc de Blancs NV

Winemaker Odilon de Varine has worked at Gosset since 2006 and is the custodian of the House’s characteristic style. Winemaking at Champagne Gosset is as simple as possible to protect the individual characteristics of each vineyard and cru. Each Cru is vinified separately, with no filtration and aged on fine lees. Malolactic fermentation is naturally avoided to ensure the wines retain their natural acidity and fruit characters. Gosset wines are also marked by their extended ageing and the average length of time spent in the cellar across the range is 5 years.

Odilon’s favourite wine is the Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs NV. This wine was first released in 2011 and has gone on win praise and points from critics. It is freshness and finesse from the Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs wine that attracts Odilon combined with a roundness typical of Montagne de Reims Chardonnay. Creating it provides a real insight into the terroir of Champagne.

Thierry Redde, Michel Redde: Pouilly-Fume La Moynerie

The Redde family have been vigneron for 14 generations; the knowledge passed from father to son has given them a detailed understanding of their vineyards and allows them to create expressive and highly individual wines. Winemaking is currently headed up by Sebastien, while his brother Romain looks after the vineyards with their father Thierry overseeing.

Sebastien’s favourite wine is La Moynerie because of what it stands for; not only is it their signature Pouilly-Fumé but it is also the name of the winery. The La Moynerie is a blend of grapes from different locations from vineyards older than 15 years. Soils are clay-limestone, which produce wines that are rich, harmonious and long-lived, and clay-siliceous soils which gives wines with distinctive flinty flavours.

Julian Grounds, McHenry Hohnen: Rocky Road Single Vineyard Chardonnay

McHenry Hohnen embrace a 'hands-off' winemaking philosophy, where each wine is a focussed expression of its variety, its growing season and its individual site. Viticultural practices embrace old-school holistic farming philosophies and biodynamic practices which cultivate an environment where the soil and its organisms, along with plants, insects and animals, co-exist in a thriving equilibrium.

Julian’s favourite wine would definitely have to be Rocky Road Single Vineyard Chardonnay (recently renamed Hazel’s Vineyard Chardonnay as of 2014 vintage). The site is such an amazing mix of bright, rich soil, influenced by two oceans and farmed biodynamically. Perhaps one of the only sites like this in Australia.

Andries De Klerk, Morgenhof: Morgenhof Chenin Blanc

Morgenhof Estate covers 213 hectares of which 78 are planted to vineyards. The vineyards lie at between 65 and 450 metres above sea level on a variety of hillside slopes with different soils, aspects and microclimates. Andries produces Morgenhof wines from only Estate Wines, no wines are bought in for production. Being a traditionalist he supports terroir-driven wine production, so they do not irrigate the vineyards, allowing the dry land to contribute to the exceptional quality and concentration of the fruit. This process allows control over the quality of the grapes and he consistently produces World Class Wines.

His favourite is the Chenin Blanc; the wine comes from 49 year old vines and these give a complexity that is hard to describe. Combining the vine age with natural ferments aids in expressing the terroir in its purest form. This form is also extremely nice to drink!

On tasting

Monday 3.00pm – 6pm | Tuesday 12.00pm – 2.30pm | Wednesday 2.30pm – 5.00pm

Don’t forget to join us in the last half an hour of the day for a Frapin cocktail and a demonstration of how using dry or hot chais during maturation can impact cognac.