Louis Latour Agencies

Roadshow, part 1 : Simonnet-Febvre

11 April 2017

In early April Jean-Philippe Archambaud winemaker director at Simonnet-Febvre and Laurent Chevalier winemaker director at Henry Fessy came to the UK to present a series of joint masterclasses around the UK. An action packed week saw them in Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, Winchester and Fareham.

Today Simonnet-Febvre is probably best known for Chablis wines however Jean-Philippe spent the week showcasing the diversity of Northern Burgundy appellations he works with and discussing the company’s origins in sparkling winemaking in the 1840s.

Laurent Chevalier presented a selection of Beaujolais Crus from the magnificent 2015 vintage. Their unique domaine which extends over more than 70 hectares and includes vineyards in nine of the 10 crus, Beaujolais-Villages and Beaujolais Blanc.

In part one read about Simonnet-Febvre wines.

Crémant de Bourgogne

Simonnet-Febvre started life as a producer of sparkling wines in the 1840s.  Burgundy, inspired by winemakers to the north began to make sparkling wines in the 1820s in Rully, then as the trend spread north Nuits Saint Georges was the second location followed in 1840 by Chablis. A tradition was established in Northern Burgundy, which lies just 30 kilometres from Southern Champagne and in 1935 the Chablis Mousseux appellation was established. This was superseded in 1975 by Crémant de Bourgogne appellation.

Simonnet-Febvre use traditional winemaking techniques. The grapes come from Northern Burgundian vineyards close to the towns of Auxerre and Tonnerre. The grapes are handpicked, the first fermentation takes place in tank and the second in bottle. The wines are aged longer than the legal minimum of 12 months; two years for non-vintage and three for vintage. Disgorgement is by hand and the wines are finished with a low dosage of around five to six grams per litre.

Simonnet-Febvre produce five Crémant de Bourgogne : Blanc Brut NV (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), Blanc de Noirs Brut NV (Pinot Noir), Rose Brut NV (Pinot Noir), Vintage Brut -  (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and a limited release Blanc de Blancs zero dosage.

Greater Northern Burgundy

Chablis is one of France’s best known appellations but there are a multitude of other wine growing areas surrounding it and Simonnet-Febvre work in many of them. Jean-Philippe brought four wines for his regional wines.

The small St Bris appellation lies to south west of Chablis. Unusually Sauvignon Blanc is planted on the region’s Kimmeridgian limestone soils which produce a delicate but distinctive wine with orchard fruits and flint characters. Simonnet-Febvre look for a round style of Sauvignon and harvest later than some of their neighbours to ensure fully ripe grapes, allow a full malolactic fermentation and age on lees.

A new addition to the Simonnet-Febvre stable is their vineyard in Coteaux de l’Auxois, a forgotten vineyard area located half way between Chablis and Beaune by the village of Semur-en-Auxois. This area was a significant winegrowing area in the 18th and 19th century however following the damage caused by outbreak of phylloxera and both world wars people moved to other types of agriculture.

A small vineyard was replanted in the 1970s and due to the northerly location it was planted on the distinctive Lyre trellising system to increase the size of the canopy to give full exposure to the sun. Simonnet-Febvre bought this vineyard in 2013 and are working to re-establish the region’s reputation and identity.

We tasted two wines, the Esprit de Lyre Auxerrois and the Saveur de Lyre, a Chardonnay Pinot Gris blend. Taking inspiration from the areas unusually trained vines each wine’s name contains the word Lyre. Auxerrois, is originally from Alsace and a close relation of Pinot Blanc. Jean-Philippe observed that this variety thrives in this area producing relatively rich and rounded wines perfect for early consumption. The Saveur de Lyre benefits from Pinot Gris’ aromatic qualities and the slightly mineral salty characters evident in this wine.

Northern Burgundy’s red wines are far less known than their white counterparts however the area has a lot to offer and the roadshow guests tasted the 2015 Côtes d’Auxerre red, a Pinot Noir from the hills surrounding the town of Auxerre. 2015 was an excellent vintage and has resulted in red wines with more body than normal. Many had never tasted a wine from this appellation and were impressed with its quality.

Chablis

Simonnet-Febvre produce wines from all levels of the Chablis appellation however for this visit we focused on Petit Chablis and Premier Cru.

Petit Chablis is a sometimes misunderstood appellation, the wines come from vineyards that are distinct from the main Chablis sites and are planted on hillsides with Portlandian rather than Kimmeridgian Limestone. Petit Chablis are softer, fruitier and more approachable in their youth than other wines from the region.

The Chablis Premier Cru vineyards lie on either side of the Serein River. The vineyards on its right bank, such as Fourchaume and Montée de Tonnerre, are more structured and typically require longer ageing, as opposed to their neighbours, such as Vaillons and Montmains, over on the left bank which tend to open up sooner. Jean Philippe brought an example of the newly released 2015 Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons for the masterclass. Although still youthful, we found a rich wine with broad savoury and lychee fruit characters and a saline finish. Jean Philippe emphasized that the wines could be drunk immediately, but should really begin to sing at between 5 and 8 years from vintage.

To read the second part of this report and learn more about Henry Fessy’s Beaujolais wines click here.