JamesSuckling Interviews: Stephane Derenoncourt

JamesSuckling Interviews options modern and influential vineyard house owners, winemakers and business notables representing the brand new era that’s shaping tastes, traits and methods within the better wine world. 

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With a wealthy background in consulting spanning greater than 140 wine estates in Bordeaux and past, Stephane Derononcourt approached the T-Oinos winemaking undertaking on the Greek island of Tinos with a way of pleasure backed by years of experience – each requisite for the hostile, lunar setting that awaited him. The vineyard was based in 2002 by Greek businessman Alexandre Avatangelos and Gerard Margeon, the previous government head sommelier for the Alain Ducasse restaurant empire. Each males have been captivated with re-creating a winery from the occasions of historical Greece and have been assured that the trendy assyrtiko and mavrotragano grapes grown on Tinos (amongst different native varieties) might be used to make a few of Greece’s best and most original wines. Together with a workforce together with winemaker Thanos Georgilas, Derononcourt has utilized his extremely delicate winemaking method to the singular facets of T-Oinos choices, capturing the complicated, vibrant and energetic qualities of Tinos’ terroir. Their Clos Stegasta Uncommon wines, each mavrotragano and assyrtiko, are JamesSuckling.com’s highest-rated wines from Greece and are revered throughout the nation. They promote for as much as $150 and can be found via La Place de Bordeaux.

JamesSuckling.com’s Susan Kostrzewwa not too long ago talked to Stephane (who has stepped again from his broader consulting enterprise to give attention to T-Oinos and different tasks) in regards to the challenges – and advantages – of creating wine on Tinos, why Greece ought to protect its historical indigenous varieties, the significance of vine tribulation and why journalists (and sommeliers) want to take a seat up and take higher discover of wines from T-Oinos, Tinos and all through Greece. The interview has been edited for size and readability.

What attracted you to this undertaking and to creating wine on the island of Tinos?

My first impression was the fantastic thing about the place, after all, as a result of it’s one thing very particular, very unusual, and it’s filled with power. I’ve been a guide for greater than 25 years nevertheless it’s not day-after-day you possibly can come into contact with a spot like that. It was very fascinating for me to know find out how to handle the winery right here with the wind, the dryness, and many others. And I used to be impressed by T-Oinos’ proprietor, Alexander Avatangelos, as a result of he’s like a thinker. His dream was to place the panorama in a bottle. I discovered it very poetic, and all my life I’ve tried to make vins du terroir. For me, the id of the wine is totally intertwined with the soil.

The panorama of Tinos has been described as virtually lunar, with these intense winds and dryness you referenced posing a relentless problem each to the vines and winemakers. Are you able to discuss a bit of extra in regards to the terroir and the soil and what the ensuing type is?

Folks in historical Greece stated the gods have been combating with rocks and created this unusual panorama. On Tinos, the soils vary from sea stage to 350 meters in altitude. You discover some stunning soils with a whole lot of schist. It’s a granitic soil and a bit of bit like sand, coming from the erosion of the rocks. As quickly as you will have granitic soil, you will have a sort of purity. You discover that in wine from Spain and within the Loire Valley, like muscadet. It creates an excellent wine with a whole lot of raise, and it is a particular high quality I’ve thought-about for the reason that starting.

In comparison with Santorini, for instance, the place you will have a volcanic black soil, Tinos may be very sunny and heat and the type of a wine like assyrtiko is completely completely different. It’s greater and rounder. But with the granitic aspect you will have a whole lot of freshness. By way of high quality you will discover some superb wine in each locations, however to me the potential of this terroir is much better. You can also make wine with a full depth and a whole lot of freshness, with a sort of saltiness within the end – refined however stunning bitterness and aromas like lemon quite than unique fruit.

What’s your greatest problem at T-Oinos so far as local weather change is anxious? Any silver linings?

The large problem is the shortage of water. We’ve got to work far more carefully in observing what’s taking place with the vines and to remember that we’ll produce much less due to the shortage of it. However on the constructive aspect, the grapes are extra fascinating and extra complicated with this new scenario. I really feel that to make a posh wine, the vine should undergo a bit of. Our job is to stroll the road between not sufficient life and an excessive amount of – too vigorous a winery.  When a winery faces issue, the flavour and grapes replicate that soil and struggling.  It’s like you probably have youngsters and also you make their life very straightforward with no frustration, they’re much less more likely to develop into an attractive grownup.

In your assorted historical past of consulting worldwide, are there any tasks or areas that ready you to your work on Tinos? 

In 2008, I used to be accountable for a winery in Turkey in one other tough space, Cappadocia. There, it’s additionally  sand however with limestone. It was additionally very tough to yield a very good soil with out compaction. It was the primary experiment we made with a canopy crop and it was a hit. T-Oinos is probably the most stunning terroir I’ve ever seen throughout my life as a guide, but in addition perhaps probably the most tough. 

As a guide, I’ve labored in all places, typically in very sunny locations the place I needed to discover options, primarily by way of lowering irrigation as a result of my dream is to drive the winery with out irrigation. For the primary time this yr at T-Oinos, we didn’t irrigate something. There wasn’t any water and it’s very uncomfortable to take water from the town for the winery when folks want it. We’ve got to seek out options however not with cash – with ecology.

Why is mavrotragano of particular significance to you and T-Oinos?

Mavrotragano was not beforehand used to make nice wines in Greece; in Santorini, they used it to make vin santo. I used to be a bit of bit afraid of mavro as a result of I didn’t know the range nicely. However the first time I got here to prepare the harvest and style the grapes, I used to be very shocked by its similarity to syrah, for instance. It’s a tannic wine. You discover a trace of flowers like violets, and there’s a spicy aspect to it. It’s improbable as a result of it’s the sort of selection whose taste actually displays the soil, the schist. You could have one thing very complicated, very elegant within the tannins – like a powder – and naturally minerality. It’s naturally highly effective however all the time recent as a result of you will have a saltiness within the end. It’s straightforward to drink however on the identical time very complicated. For me, it was an attractive discovery.

Why do you suppose it’s necessary that Greece protects its indigenous varietal heritage?

I feel wine is a mirrored image of the society. Within the final 50 years, it was a sort of a homogenization – very straightforward for wine lovers to drink the identical wine and be assured that they’d acknowledge cabernet sauvignon whether or not it was from Bordeaux or California or wherever on this planet. It was the start of appreciation and it was simpler to go for worldwide varieties like merlot, syrah, cabernet. Now the world is completely different as a result of we love all the pieces native. We love all the pieces new and we’d like surprises. 

We have to dream as a result of the world is tough. And so there is a chance to construct the long run with the previous, and all these varieties come from the previous. They’ve an extended historical past. Our job as winemakers is to supply a brand new definition of the range nearer to what the patron expects. Possibly 20 years in the past it was fascinating to say, “Wow, have you ever tasted a cabernet from Greece?” At the moment? No one cares. Now they’re replanting the previous varieties and pondering extra about id, tradition, historical past. It’s a very good factor.

Do you’re feeling there’s any drawback to international perceptions about Greek wines on the whole?

High quality trendy winemaking is one thing that’s a bit new in Greece, as a result of beforehand there was an previous type and custom of winemaking, and although in antiquity they have been very well-known, that fame disappeared. For a very long time, they made a country type of wine [like retsina, where resin was added to the wine]. However for the previous 20 years, most likely first due to Santorini, Greece has been producing some actually high-quality wine. Sooner or later, we’ll hear extra about them.

So that you suppose Greek wine could have its second globally? 

Despite the fact that Greek wine has been getting higher and higher within the final 20 years, critics and journalists all the time say the identical factor about Bordeaux, the Rhone, California. I do know James [Suckling] loves these wines however he’s one of many solely critical folks on this planet by way of critique to do it. We’ve spent a whole lot of time organizing masterclasses as a result of I can ship samples to completely different critics, however they do not know what the wine is from this a part of the world. I made a decision to fulfill with a whole lot of sommeliers as a result of now we have two sorts of storytellers – journalists/critics and sommeliers, and the sommeliers are essential as a result of they’ve direct contact with the patron. 

I’m optimistic, although, as a result of this nation is so wealthy by way of varieties. There are greater than 300 completely different ones. If we work tougher on these varieties, introducing this new era of winemakers to pondering extra in regards to the type and better high quality, there’s a lot potential in Greece.

READ MORE GREECE ANNUAL REPORT: A VINOUS EVOLUTION TO CLASSIC QUALITY

Are you able to speak about new developments and enlargement at T-Oinos?

The large funding for the second is to construct a brand new cellar, as a result of we work in good situations however not wonderful. We would like very exact manufacturing, very natural. It should take three years to construct because it’s a really particular design with particular folks to handle it. Additionally, all the pieces is tough as quickly as you’re on an island, as a result of all the pieces comes from the continent. If you happen to want folks with good technical expertise, it’s a must to supply from different areas. So it takes a whole lot of time, however will probably be an attractive undertaking. We’ve additionally determined to plant two extra hectares of vineyards as a result of in Tinos, it takes 15 vines to make a bottle. That’s why the wine is a bit of bit costly – as a result of it’s very tough to supply and demanding, with a whole lot of precision. We’ve got to be within the winery the entire time due to the wind, and people 10 folks within the winery wish to be paid each month. 

How can we entice extra customers not solely to Aegean wines, however to wine on the whole? Within the face of declining wine consumption, what do you suppose we might do higher?

It’s necessary to have interaction the critics and journalists as a result of it’s your job to assist. Additionally, if we are able to make extra complicated and distinctive wines that stand out globally, this might be extra profitable. We all know there are nice wines in Greece. We’ve got to higher talk that to the patron. Additionally, the world is altering so much and lots of people now journey. There’s new ardour for Greek gastronomy and so they lastly come, style, love and purchase the wine. So it’s a long-term undertaking.

– Susan Kostrzewa