1. Did you ever have a formative wine tasting moment when clouds parted and you suddenly appreciated something with crystal clarity?
My first ever, of Ontario wines in 1976, when everyone seemed to be contradicting each other which made me realise there are no rights and no wrongs in wine appreciation.
2. What is the first tasting note that you still have on record?
You'll have to ask Davis! (Davis University in California have recently archived all of Jancis's tasting notes and wine writing - (see http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/my-transatlantic-archive).
This is the oldest wine we could find noted on jancisrobinson.com -
Sauternes: Château Yquem 1784:
'Very dark brown syrup with copper coloured rim. Bottle stink immediately after pouring. After 5-10 minutes a very beguiling bouquet of dried roses emerged and the wine was lively, aromatic, fragrant for a good 40 to 50 minutes. On the palate the wine was very gentle, very delicate, very feminine to the 1787's more aggressive appeal, and the sweet fruit was lovely and very, very long before fading (earlier than the 1787). A marvel of a relic rather than unmitigated pleasure.'
3. Riesling is a grape variety you have famously championed. Is it now getting the recognition it deserves?
Barely. Ch Ste Michelle in Washington have championed it in the US and the host of well made dry versions are helping but it probably has too much flavour to be widely appreciated.
4. Can you tell us an interesting food and wine pairing from your travels?
Sheep's eyeball and, from memory, Vranac on a tour through what was Yugoslavia in the late 1970s
Jancis Robinson OBE, MW.
5. Is there a wine style or type that you just don't get along with?
99% of Prosecco, I'm afraid.
6. Can you recommend any up-and-coming wine regions that ought to be on our radar?
I'm selflessly off to explore Chilean Patagonia and Baja California tomorrow.
7. Is there such a thing as an underrated 'value' vintage in either Bordeaux or Burgundy?
Maybe 2007 in both regions.
8. Have your own tastes and preferences evolved with time and experience?
Yes. Please don't ask me to elaborate. Too much packing to do.
9. To whom are you indebted for passing on some of their wine knowledge?
Edmund Penning-Rowsell was really useful in passing on that ignorance is not something to be ashamed of. If you don't know, ask. And Hugh J. and Michael B. have been invaluable mentors in the art of connoisseurship.
10. Is there any advice you would now give to your younger self when starting out on a career in wine?
Don't work so hard!
Jancis Robinson:
T: @JancisRobinson
W: www.jancisrobinson.com
Back in July, at our pop-up shop in Exmouth Market, Jason hosted a tutored vertical tasting of the thrilling wines of Domaine de Trévallon, Eloi Durrbach’s world-famous domaine with wines dating back to the early Eighties. (Jason's review of that tasting can be found on our blog here).
Jancis Robinson has recently written a review of that tasting and the Domaine too, which she has kindly allowed us to re-publish below. The original can be found on Jancis' website here:
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/tasting_articles/ta201308301.html
Jancis Robinson:
Last July a small group of us were treated to 'the second most comprehensive vertical tasting of Trévallon ever,' as UK importer Jason Yapp put it. The biggest collection of vintages of wine from this very particular property in the beautiful and hauntingly rocky countryside round Les Baux de Provence had taken place appropriately enough at the great Rhône wine lovers' meeting place of La Beaugravière in Mondragon in 2007.
Eloi Durrbach, giving up his architectural studies in Paris, planted 3 ha of vines in 1973 at St-Etienne du Grès at 50-100 m elevation on a property that had been the family holiday home since 1955. His parents had been celebrated artists and friends of Picasso. His mother was commissioned, for example, to make a tapestry of his acclaimed Guernica. According to Jason, the sale of this tapestry to Nelson Rockefeller underwrote Domaine de Trévallon to a substantial extent. The Cubist label used from 1996 onwards was designed by Durrbach Père. Eloi apparently did a deal round the kitchen table with his siblings to acquire the family property, no one realising quite how valuable it would become. He was allegedly retrospectively sued for a seven-figure sum, which resulted in a price increase, but there was a time when Trévallon was one of France's great wine bargains. (Today the current vintage of the red, 2009, sells for about £40 a bottle. Yapp are also currently offering the 2005, 1998, 1997 and 1984.)
The vineyards, heavily influenced by the limestone of Les Baux (which gives its name to bauxite incidentally) are north facing and planted with equal portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah - much to the displeasure of the INAO authorities whose official position was to sanction Grenache in this corner of France. Durrbach however was much influenced by Brunet who came from Ch La Lagune in Bordeaux to found Vignelaure outside Aix-en-Provence. Brunet was impressed by Guyot who promoted Cabernet/Syrah blends in Provence. Durrbach's Cabernet came from Bordeaux via Vignelaure and the Syrah from Château Rayas in Châteauneuf.
Yields have always been notably low in this dry, organically cultivated corner of the world - often as little as 25 hl/ha at Trévallon, producing between 600 and 700 cases a year, so old vintages are extremely rare. Even at the property itself they don't have a single bottle of 1982. François Perrin had to supply the bottle of 1982 for the Mondragon vertical.
The wines we were treated to at Medcalf in Exmouth Market, London, had made two journeys in their often long life: from Trévallon to Yapp Bros in Mere, Wiltshire, and then to London. Yapp explaing that he was sparing us 'the not-so-good vintages such as 1997'.
The first bottling was in 1976 but the breakthrough vintage was 1982. Robert Parker described it as 'one of greatest discoveries of my career' even if he fell out of love with it in the 1990s. On being told this, my fellow taster Steven Spurrier pointed out that he had bought the 1977 for his Parisian wine shop Caves de la Madeleine. This was the vintage, the second ever, that Jason's father Robin, founder of Yapp Bros in 1969, was given by a customer. Although it was inky black and quite unlike anything else he had ever tasted, he took a punt on it and never regretted it.
The grapes aren't destemmed at all and are fermented in open foudres with minimal sulphur additions - natural before their time? Fermentations can be dangerously hot so the wines tend to vary considerably from year to year. The young wine is racked into 300-litre tonneaux and aged for two years (reds) and one year (whites, with no bâtonnage).
As you can see from the many different appellations below, Trévallon is not exactly conformist. The AOC Les Baux was created in 2003, for example, but Trévallon was left out because it contains more than the specified maximum of 20% of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vineyard now totals 19 ha of vines, of which two have been dedicated to a Marsanne/Roussanne white wine since 1991, to which was added about 10% Chardonnay from 1998. The oak on the whites has been less and less evident with time, fortunately. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its history, the wine varies enormously with the year. In 2002 floods were so bad that none was made. And the reds tend to become increasingly sweet with age, particularly the early vintages, but they all start off being particularly clean with a fresh finish - perhaps thanks to the height of the vineyards, even if the flavours themselves vary.
The wines are listed in the order tasted.
Dom de Trevallon 2011 IGP Alpilles 16.5 Drink 2012-2014
Deep straw. Great provençal twist - some herbs, body and ripeness though not remotely flabby. Racy and a tad hot on the end. Really interesting. The Marsanne really kicking in. Lightly honeyed and herby. A little like a good white Châteauneuf. 13.5%
Dom de Trevallon 2006 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 14.5 Drink 2008-2010
Deep straw. Much less aromatic than the 2011 - I miss the scent. Seems a little fruitless. 13%
Dom de Trevallon 2009 IGP Alpilles 17- Drink 2015-2023
Bright ruby. Well-melded nose with perhaps just a hint of brett? Some balsamic notes. Lots of Cabernet tannin - really very youthful and almost severe on the finish but with lots of ripe fruit in the middle. A tough baby for now. But it really opened out after 45 minutes in the glass. 13%. £39
Dom de Trevallon 2007 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 17.5 Drink 2013-2025
Dark crimson. Strongly herbally scented. Almost eucalyptus-like. But with masses of flesh. Clean and fresh on the finish. One of the more intense vintages. Great balance and drive. 14%
Dom de Trevallon 2005 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 17 Drink 2017-2027
Mid crimson. Mid intensity of nose. Quite brutal and bone dry, without the lusciousness of the 2007. Very dry finish. Uncompromising. Surly at the moment but it's tucked in there for the long haul. 13%. £47.50
Dom de Trevallon 2003 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 16 Drink 2013-2018
Dark ruby with some evolution at the rim. A little monotone on the nose, so to speak. As though the grapes were pretty desiccated. Very drying tannins on the end. Not much fun and I think it will never really have enough juice or charm. 13%
Dom de Trevallon 2001 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 18 Drink 2010-2020
Already a bit of development on the rim. Dark ruby. Very complex and developed aromatically. Balsamic note again (like the 2009). Tapenade (is this autosuggestion?). High toned. Much mellower than most vintages. Definite candied black-olive notes on the finish. Some richness before a firm finish. Already drinking well. 14%
Dom de Trevallon 1998 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 17 Drink 2007-2017
Bright ruby. Very interesting gamey/animal notes on the nose. Lively and punchy. Not very dense nor very ripe but full of character and definitely provençal. A little bit of herby dust but much juicier than the 2003. Long. A tad dry on the end. 12.5%
Dom de Trevallon 1997 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 16 Drink 2009-2017
Pale red. Stinky. Not quite enough fruit and it seems to have aged pretty fast. It's certainly proper wine but is not very fruity or appealing. 12%
Dom de Trevallon 1995 Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône 17- Drink 2002-2015
Fine bright subtle mid ruby. Heady and bright. Rather refreshing. Lively and a little animal. A tad austere on the finish. 13%.
Dom de Trevallon 1990 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence 17.5 Drink 2000-2018
Just 600-700 cases made. Light to mid ruby. Strong redcurrant aromas. Sweet, ripe palate entry and then the tannins have magically melted to leave quite marked acidity and a certain herbal dust. Lots of ripe fruit and charm though very definitely a food wine! 12.7%
Dom de Trevallon 1985 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence 18 Drink 1995-2015
Bright pale ruby. Light nose and the first one to be definitively of an older wine. Sweet and round and jewelly. Actually not unlike a slightly less alcoholic old Châteauneuf! Very clean and fresh. Lovely stuff.
Dom de Trevallon 1982 Coteaux-des-Baux-de-Provence 18.5 Drink 1995-2018
VDQS. So rare it has no commercial value. Quite a brownish tinge to the rust red. This is a famously rare wine. Old and dusty but not without charm by any means. Lovely sweet, very old, almost old Musar-like, or old Algerian-like. Masses of pleasure! Tinge of rose petals. Again, that clean, fresh finish. Long and very charming. On the way down but gives enormous pleasure.
Each May when the majority of our newly-bottled rosé wine range has arrived here in Mere we host a tasting to assess the vintage and compare and contrast offerings from different producers. Our chosen venue for this is Medcalf bar and restaurant in Exmouth Market, London EC1 because its relaxed, urbane atmosphere seems to suit the genre and they have a secluded and sheltered private terrace which is ideal for tasting au plein air - undoubtedly the best way to sample pink wines.
Tired of big, corporate, free-for-all tastings we deliberately arrange for this to be a low-key and understated event by the simple expedient of not inviting many people. While this may seem commercially illogical it does make for a very pleasant atmosphere and ensures that those who do attend are unhurried and relaxed which are also important considerations when sampling subtle, berry-scented, summery wines.
The big variable, over which we have no control, is the weather. Rosé wines are very atmosphere sensitive and they never show at their best if it is overcast or, even worse, tipping it down. Fortunately, last Monday we were blessed with sunny skies and gentle breezes in the Metropolis prompting Jancis Robinson to Tweet: ‘Perfect day for tasting Yapp’s interesting rosé range outside at Medcalf – will report.’
The spectacle of two dozen different rosés lined up side by side is always a visual treat as there is a full spectrum of colours from a very pale ‘onion skin’ hued Reuilly Pinot Gris through the classic coral pinks of Bellet, Bandol and Cassis right up to the deep brick-red of an Irouléguy. My opinion is, of course, heavily biased but the 2010 vintage seems to be bien classique to me, with ripe red fruit aromas and flavours in abundance and plenty of deft wine-making in evidence. Personally I can’t abhor sweet, ‘jammy’, over-extracted rosé wines and happily there were none of these in evidence but bags of elegance and finesse which bodes well for carefree drinking this summer. My personal favourites were the delicate, bone-dry, Vin de Corse Sartène 2010 from Domaine Saparale, the ever-reliable Sancerre ‘Maulin Bèle’ from André Vatan and the rare Bellet: Domaine de la Source, made from pure Braquet, which I revisited over a delicious and highly convivial lunch of artichoke hearts, asparagus and hand-picked Dorset crab. Indeed – a perfect day!
I am delighted to report that the inaugural Natural Wine Fair which we co-hosted with 4 other innovative wine merchants (Les Caves de Pyrène, Aubert & Mascoli, Dynamic Vines and Wine Story, since you ask) in Borough Market from last Sunday until Tuesday was an unreserved, barn-storming success albeit one that was fairly exhausting for the organisers and exhibitors.
Carefully scheduled to attract visitors who might also be attending the leviathan London International Wine and Spirits Fair in Docklands, the NWF surpassed our expectations in terms of foot-fall and we have received heaps of positive feedback. In fairness luck played a fairly major part here as the venue, in the satellite Jubilee Market, is only partially covered and either heavy rain or broiling sun would have been problematic. As it was we had 3 days of hazy sunshine and soft breezes which made for a very pleasant environment in which to taste wine and fraternize with wine makers and merchants.
The first day of the fair was aimed at private customers who paid £18 each for the chance to taste up to 500 organic and bio-dynamic wines and meet the people who make them. There was some trepidation amongst the organisers as to whether we would attract enough visitors but some terrific press coverage beforehand helped boost advanced ticket sales and many more people turned up to pay on the day. With over 700 people attending on the Sunday the fair had got off to a superb start although we were under constant pressure to ensure there were ample clean glasses throughout the day.
There was a good turnout from on-trade buyers and journalists over the following 2 days and we were delighted when Jancis Robinson tipped up on Monday afternoon and decided to interview and film the only New World wine maker present, Ron Laughton, of Jasper Hill vineyards in Heathcote, South Australia. Ron featured quite prominently at the fair because he was also the guest speaker at a talk on the New World Perspective on Natural Wine where he was introduced by NWF organiser and Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron. Ron gave his forthright opinions on everything from compost to irrigation observing that ‘if you need to irrigate you’re in the wrong place’.
Jancis also gave the thumbs up to Pascal Labasse’s Jurançon Sec: Domaine Bellegarde 2010 and Fredrik Filliatreau’s red Samur: Château Fouquet 2010 both of which she has short-listed as a strong contenders to feature at a gala dinner at her alma mater, St Anne’s college Oxford, later in the year.
Marc Imbert from Domaine de Torraccia in Corsica attracted a steady stream of visitors eager to taste his dry white and red blends (made from Nielluccio and Sciacarello) as did two celebrated Provencal wine makers Sylvain Hoesch, from Domaine Richeaume, and Laurent Bunan from Mas de la Rouvière in Bandol. Xavière Brugière’s Pic Saint Loup L’Arbouse drew praise from the Tate Gallery’s wine expert Hamish Anderson and if that weren’t enough Gérard Basset (Master of Wine and World Champion Sommelier) singled out his white ‘Les Mûriers’ as showing particularly well. Bruno Ribière’s ‘rich and nutty’ white Grenache was another wine that Jancis rated highly and she averred that it could go well with cheese – a theory I intend to test imminently.
The Natural Wine Fair certainly scotched the myth that low-interventionist wines are all cloudy, feral and funky and made by blokes with bushy beards - there were a handful of those on show of cousre but they were a tiny minority illustrating that Natural Wine movement is a very broad church and its popularity is increasing. The Natural Wine Fair had a definite buzz and the fresh feel of something innovative backed by bags of enthusiasm and goodwill and bit of good luck to boot. I for one can’t wait for the next one but I must remember to order more glasses!
Last month we received the sad news that Isabelle Barantin had finally succumbed to the circling sharks and sold the iconic monopole vineyard of Château Grillet to François Pinault of Château Latour. I spoke to Isabelle on the phone shortly afterwards and made the mistake of congratulating her on the sale - the property had been discreetly on the market for quite some time. ‘Ne dis jamais ça’ was her terse response. Isabelle made it very clear to me that she had been a reluctant vendor - still a few million Euros in the current account must sugar the pill to some extent. While it is a shame that this unique 3.8 hectare site is passing out of a family ownership that dates back to the French Revolution at least Isabelle can leave with her head held high having restored the vineyard and wine to their full, outstanding potential during her 17 year stewardship.
I speak from direct experience as Yapp Brothers have shipped straight from the Château since the early 1970's and I cannot think of a wine that has been more commercially controversial. Robert Parker described Château Grillet as being ‘overpriced and overrated’ in his 1997 book wines of the Rhône, which is not what you want to read when you are sitting on pallets of the stuff. For years I had a running dialogue with Jancis Robinson who doggedly catalogued its short-comings (there was even a derogatory comparison to Harrogate springs!) before she was finally won-over by the 2004 vintage: “France’s most idiosyncratic appellation, devoted to one producer with one amphitheatre of Viognier vines has been difficult to love for many vintages but in 2004 white Bordeaux wizard Denis Dubourdieu was brought in to give the wine a good scrub and here at last we have real freshness even at three years old. There’s a deeply mineral nose and then dense fruit and a wonderfully creamy finish. Even the most jaded wine enthusiast would be fascinated by this evidence of a new era at this famous white Rhône landmark.” Which, if you are trying to sell it, is much more uplifting.
Once, after a tasting in the Crown Hotel in Southwold when a room full of Masters of Wine had roundly berated the 1990 vintage, I did consider throwing in the towel but the great Rhône guru John Livingstone-Learmonth (www.drinkrhone.com) persuaded me to keep the faith on the grounds that the terroir at Château Grillet is unique and capable of producing outstanding wines. Happily he was right (as gurus often are) and the vintage run from 2003 onwards, under Monsieur Dubourdieu’s influence has been fantastic. I tasted the 2005 last week with Farr Vintners boss Stephen Browett at Chabrot Bistro d’Amis (www.chabrot.co.uk). It’s a bargain there, in London restaurant terms, at £95 a bottle and is drinking beautifully now. It is still a little closed on the nose and merits decanting but it has great vigour, length and minerality and is the perfect foil for classic French cuisine. I think it has a least a decade’s happy drinking ahead of it - as does the 2006 which is also stupendous. We are about to ship the keenly anticipated 2007 which will, I suppose, mark the end of an era. If the rumours of what M. Pinault paid for the property are even half accurate it may well also be the last ever vintage of Château Grillet that is remotely affordable, so my (highly partial) advice is to fill your boots before the Bordelais ramp up the prices – it’s unquestionably a buyers’ market!
I am surprised at the chutzpah of some UK merchants trying to 'talk up' the 2008 Rhône as a 'superior' vintage that merits buying en primeur. The cold facts are that the 2007s (many of which are still available) are better across the board and the keenly anticipated 2009s should (on the basis of our early tastings) also be far superior.
If one takes a look at the prognostications of leading pundits they seem to concur with our sentiments:
Jancis Robinson 'Rhône 2008 - The Overview' jancisrobinson.com November 2009
'You must come back and taste the 2009s', was the common refrain when I visited the Rhône Valley last month. I was there to taste the 2008s, which was a strange exercise as, the more I tasted them, the more I realised that most sensible wine buyers will want to stock up on the exceptional 2007s while they wait for the eagerly anticipated 2009s. Overall the general characteristic of the 2008s in both northern and southern Rhône is that they are decidedly muted - especially after the super-concentrated 2007s.'
John Livingstone-Learmonth Decanter Magazine 'Rhône 2008: Buy With Care' April 2010
'The 2008 vintage in the Rhône came as a jolt to many growers...It was a marked departure from the free-wheeling seasons that nature delivered for most of the 2000's. There are no blanket rules for buyers except caveat emptor: try the wine before buying it.'
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate eRobertParker.com
'The 2008 southern Rhône vintage is reminiscent of 1999. While challenging in many cases, the good estates and serious vignerons who performed a heavy triage because of mildew in late summer, have produced good to very good wines. As in every challenging vintage, there are some outstanding efforts. To reiterate, the good news is that 2009 is looking like a potentially superb vintage. Even if you miss out on the 2007 vintage, 2009 may come close to rivaling that stupendous year, but the quality cannot be ascertained until the wines have finished their malolactic fermentation in late spring, 2010.'
I can see very little incentive in laying out cash for buying these wines in advance although many of the top growers have produced wines of great delineation and charm. The 2008s will not have the aging or the investment potential of the 2007s and 2009s - so why fork out for them before they are bottled? Or to put it another way. Why make such song and dance about a journeyman vintage?
Jason Yapp
