When a regional tasting committee rejects a wine for being ‘atypical’, I take note.
My mission at One Pallet is to find the world’s truly unique wines with character and a story to tell. Conservative committees make my job easy.
So what is it that makes a wine interesting?
More often than not, it’s a winemaker that pushes the boundaries.
I’m not talking about the producer who ploughs her vineyards naked on horseback by the light of the moon. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I’m talking about passionate producers who challenge perceptions about what a wine can and should look like. Producers who definitely don’t make wine to satisfy the committee seeking products that fit neatly in a box.
Christian Chaussard, like his regional peers Olivier Cousin and Noella Morantin, has felt the frustrations of the Loire AOC who deemed his wine ‘atypique’.
And I can see why they did.
On first opening (which is when a panel typically tastes and delivers its verdict) Christian’s Pineau d’Aunis is pretty chunky. Charming in its own rustic way, but not everyone’s cup of tea at this point and certainly not a comfortable first impression for the conservative AOC.
But this is just the first step in an interesting journey as this wine lives, breathes and develops in the glass – or ideally a decanter – only really delivering what Christian intended a good two hours after opening. A lovely autumnal perfume starts to complement its savory profile, with rich dark fruits, plenty of body on the palate and a surprising amount of tannic grip that keeps you reaching for the glass. And for me the journey is just as interesting as the destination.
The label – a clown with a funnel on his head – suggests Christian has accepted the view that he’s a little crazy. And if you turn to the back label and get your magnifying glass out, five strands of hair coming from the clown’s head each hold a clue to Christian’s frustrations with the system. By shunning common tricks like manipulating alcohol with sugar and liberal use of sulphur, Christian has taken a leap of faith with ‘Patapon’ and been rewarded with a wine that over delivers on flavour, texture and intrigue.
Here’s to the crazy ones.
:::BON:::
B = Biodynamic: cynics think its voodoo but this is basically holistic farming that uses manures and composts to improve soil life and the interaction of the vines with their environment.
O = Organic: farming without the use of inputs that can have adverse effects. ‘Non-systemic’ fungicides and pesticides are used in place of ‘systemic’ chemicals said to enter the ‘blood’ of a plant (akin to antibiotics in the human world).
N = Natural: no additives or aids (eg yeast, yeast food, added acid/enzymes/tannin) bar a touch of sulphur during aging or before bottling, if any at all.