Travel

21st century Bordeaux
"Vinnaya Karta" ¹9 (68) October 2005

Can serious Bordeaux wines be produced outside Medoc, Saint Emilion and Pomerol?

How to find success for new generation? Is there balance between traditions and innovations? Answers to the questions "VK" correspondent finds at Vignobles Despagne.

5 September 2005. I arrive in a small village Naujan et Postiac that is lost in Entre-Deux-Mers closer to the left bank of the Dordogne river. This is where Vignobles Despagne properties are — Chateau Tour de Mirambeau, Chateau Bel Air Perponcher and others. Young and energetic Basaline Despagne who manages the family company together with brother Thibault does not lose time for talk. She starts a jeep and we go to see a special vineyard, Girolate.

Girolate is, in fact, unusual. "A few years ago we had an idea to make a vineyard that would recreate atmosphere and the environment of 1800s when they had the first classification of Bordeaux grands crus. Having studied historic documents we understood that yields were very low and concentration was achieved in the vineyards", says Basaline. In 1998 ten hectares were planted to Merlot grapes with an exceptionally high density of 10,000 vines per hectare.

Vine rows stand closely to each other and seem tiny. They are intentionally left low for vines to get energy and food quicker. There is grass between the rows. It makes vine roots to go deep through the layer of clay and chalk. A small bunch hangs on each branch. There are no more than 4-5 of them altogether on a vine. Berries are also small. Thus the musts will naturally have higher levels of extract, especially of tannins. Yields are around 20 hectolitres per hectare. "Our first objective is to have concentration in the vines", confirms Basaline.

Despagne philosophy means that the quality has a full cycle — from vine to bottle. Manually picked harvest is put in shallow boxes and transported to a separate winery. This is where we go. We are met by an installation of an iron giraffe near the traditional white stone building. ’It is a present from our friends, we call it Giraffolate", smiles Basaline. We enter and see empty metal frames with wheels designed for storing barrels and a few full barriques with older vintages. I get the feeling that the winery lacks inner organs — machines, pumps, hoses. "We try to do as little as possible at the winery. This is our second objective", explains Basaline. "Wines do not see pumps until bottling. Even then liquid is pushed by inert gas".

Alcoholic fermentation goes in barriques. Instead of traditional for Bordeaux pumpovers, horizontally lying barrels are carefully moved with the help of wheels. Thus maceration and fermentation can be controlled in each individual barrel. They vary — the higher the row, the bigger the temperature. Then musts ferment quicker, even though there are only three rows. Temperature is controlled by an old method of opening the doors when necessary and letting cold air in.

It is notable that the press wine is included without waste in the final product. "Usually the final blend contains no more than 30-40% of pressed wine. We use all 100 percent. The wine is treated so carefully that it has no rough edges", says Basaline.

Permanent staff counts 5 people — it was their idea to create Girolate. Michel Rolland, long term consultant of Vignobles Despagne, only approves their projects and gives technical recommendations. "He has a great baggage of experience. Michel is also a great taster", notes Basaline.

While I digest the extraordinary interpretation of old Bordeaux, we move to where the Despagne family is building future Bordeaxu. This is a new, still unfinished winery. Construction started a month ago. It stands in the open air without a roof and today receives the first harvest of Sauvignon Blanc. "The philosophy of the winery is to produce good volumes by artisanal methods", says Basaline. Vignobles Despagne annually produces 2 million bottles.

Workers finish insulating 200 hectolitre stainless steel tanks. Along the tanks there are pipes with water. It is so cold that the outer surface of the pipes is covered with ice whilst the outside temperature is 25 degrees above zero. We climb up to the spot where harvest is unloaded in the reservoir. Grapes immediately get into the destemmer, then — in the pneumatic press.

"The grapes are for basic white Bordeaux AOC. The main goal is to get fresh fruity aromas", says Basaline and points out to the neighbouring empty machine. "This is a brand new sorting machine called tribaie (literally, ’sorting grapes’). It was recently invented by the Lurtons for La Louviere and their other wines. They are very happy with the results. We will use it for our top cuvees". Next is a new ultratechnological press that uses inert gas to prevent slightest oxidation of the juices. The picture reminds of an avant-garde winery somewhere in Australia. Basaline concludes, "Thirty years ago my father built an estate that was ahead of his time. Now is the turn for our generation. We want to represent 21st century Bordeaux and be in the avant-garde for the next 20-30 years". If only other Bordelaise listened to these words...