Louis Latour Agencies

Jean Charles Thomas: My Favourite Wine

24 May 2014

For Jean Charles Thomas, Head Winemaker at Louis Latour, multi-tasking is all in a day’s work. There is the Domaine side of the business where Maison Louis Latour own around 50 hectares, with grand cru vineyards accounting for almost half, and then there is the negociant side of the business where Jean Charles works, with around 500 growers from whom he buy grapes, grape juice and wine.

Quality control and lab analysis, sourcing of grapes and assembling of wines are all part of his job as well as the logistics of corks and bottles. Yet for Jean Charles, winemaking isn’t all about science and technical stuff. “I love the creative side to the role, winemaking is definitely artistic…it’s the “artisanal” aspect of the role. I would much rather be a winemaker than director of a dairy production company, even if I love yoghurts.”

Jean Charles studied chemistry, biology and agronomy, and when he took his exams found he was more successful in winemaking than other subjects. His first job was a short 2 month internship where he did some winemaking just before his military service. He also had a stint working in the laboratory at Sancerre, near where his family owns five hectares of vines, but he is no longer involved. “It’s always complicated with families”, he says. Notwithstanding his viticultural heritage, it was never a foregone conclusion that he would pursue a career in the wine industry, let alone become head winemaker.

And so with all ambivalence about his destiny as a winemaker firmly behind him, and free from the distractions of the family business, Jean Charles turns his attention to the matter in hand, his chosen favourite; Louis Latour Pouilly-Vinzelles “ En Paradis”.

Louis Latour Pouilly-Vinzelles “ En Paradis” 2012 is 100% Chardonnay from the historic, roman vineyards of Vinzelles, named after the Latin “vincella,” meaning little vine. The limestone vineyards of Pouilly-Vinzelles, an appellation in the Maconnais, are exclusively planted with Chardonnay and the wines of this appellation closely resemble those of its better known neighbour, Pouilly- Fuissé.  

For Jean Charles, the challenge is to retain a style which is fruit-driven and not heavy. “So to focus on fruit and freshness, we avoid the use of oak. In this particular appellation it is possible to make much more concentrated wines with candied fruit aromas but we try to focus on ripe fruits and freshness, and it’s a style that works very well. I have noticed that whether you are in France, the US or in the UK, the style of this wine has a global appeal - people like these wines, and they are very good value for money which is also important for consumers.”

The harvest and the vintage are the busiest times for Jean Charles, there are 5-6 weeks of intense activity where it’s important for him to be on site all the time. “We employ 150 staff for the harvest - a real mix of people, some retired, others who take holiday specifically to take part for around two weeks. They have to be fed so we also employ people to take care of the catering. It’s a big operation. Every year is different and requires a different approach. We are at the mercy of the weather and there are certain winemaking decisions to be made. Most years we pick the whites first, but once in a while the reds may be ready before the whites. Every vintage is different, so we are constantly changing what we do, no two years are ever the same and I find this aspect particularly interesting.’

It’s precisely this complexity and variety which Jean Charles enjoys so much about the job; the uncertainty of the conditions; the application of the winemaker’s skill to control and enhance what is basically a natural process.