A Burgundian winemaker visits Cape Town 14 May 2008

Jean-Marie Fourrier talks to Angela Lloyd before a tasting of
some of his wines

 

It is a sad irony that as the rand dives, the quality of imported wine in South Africa has never been better, nor the range more diverse. Indeed, some of the foreign wines now appearing on local importers’ lists are hard to come by, even in markets such as the US and UK, where the world’s top wines are traditionally sold.

Fine Burgundy is always rare, and that includes the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin-based Domaine Fourrier, soon to be available locally (when the 2006s are released, the excellent 2005s we tasted are all gone) through Great Domaines, the Johannesburg-based importer which brings in the best selection of fine Burgundy, as well as some other top quality European wines (www.greatdomaines.co.za).

A new vintage of the approximately 40 000 bottles produced by Jean-Marie Fourrier now sells out within two days. This situation is very different from 11 years ago, when Jean-Marie’s father, Jean-Claude Fourrier ran the domaine. Then, Clive Coates MW noted in his book on Burgundy, Côte D’Or: ‘This is another formerly prestigious domaine which seems to have given up the ghost in recent years.’ In his latest revision, Coates has elevated Domaine Fourrier to a two (out of three) star rating; (of the region’s approximately 5000 producers, only 17 receive a three-star rating and 29 two stars).

During a chat with Jean-Marie on his recent visit to Cape Town, I asked him about the differences between his father’s generation and his own. ‘My father was a member of a post-war generation, who didn’t have the privilege of going to wine school,’ Jean-Marie recalls. ‘There wasn’t the technical knowledge nor the equipment we have today. In the middle of the night, my father went to buy ice to place in the fermentation vats. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the first tractor came to Burgundy; we used horses until then. Aside from these shortcomings, there was also the question of people not talking to each other because of differences during World War II.’

As far as Jean-Marie’s generation is concerned, things have changed. ‘We’ve all been to wine school and partied together on Saturday nights; both lead to much more knowledge and communication. Travel too has opened our minds. Even so, I see two different types of winemaker - I find the word so alien! - there’s the one who approaches it scientifically and the vigneron, who works from experience learnt in the field; that’s my preferred approach.’

For instance, Fourrier propagates new vines via a selection massale, ie cuttings from vines already growing in the vineyard, a method he describes as logical rather than strictly scientific. Clones, he believes, produce berries that are far too big. ‘What is important to me is ratio of skin to juice rather than yield, but clones can yield between 62 and 128 hectolitres per hectare, whereas my selection massale vines yield between 32 and 35 hl/ha.’ Fourrier also points out clones require green harvesting, a practice in his opinion ‘ that exists because clones exist’. ‘It’s like telling a woman who’s been pregnant for eight months that she can’t bring into the world all the children she’s carrying.’ His selection massale vines are less fertile and take around six years to produce fruit, though Fourrier won’t use the grapes until the 10^th or 11^th crop, the final decision being a visual one.

‘Push the vine too soon and it won’t last’, he claims; ‘a properly cared for vine can last for 120 to 150 years.’ He’s pleased to say many more people in Burgundy are returning to the selection massale method.

If Jean-Marie Fourrier represents the new generation of vigneron, how does he see the difficult Burgundian appellation system and expensive wines being sold to a new generation of wine drinkers, most of whom have been brought up on varietal wines? Fourrier has some strong views on this matter. ‘At first I saw the appellation system as a handicap but as I’ve grown older, I see it as Burgundy’s strength: the excitement and mystery it has today will be the same in ten years’ time. For the beginner, grape varieties are easy to understand - less mysterious. For a new generation to put a step into Burgundy, we need more dynamic promotion from the BIVB [Burgundy’s promotional body]; 70% of wine from the region is Bourgogne rouge or blanc, which newcomers would understand but the BIVB like to think of Burgundy as ‘complicated’. You can see the method works with regions such as Champagne and Chablis being well recognised.’ He is also worried that Burgundy is going the same way as Bordeaux with many wines becoming investment purchases, or as he puts it: ‘Business is done around Bordeaux, but one relaxes with a bottle of Burgundy. ‘

 

Notes on these three Domaine Fourrier Premier Cru wines from Angela Lloyd and Cathy van Zyl MW

Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cherbaudes PC 2005
AL Light-hued, youthful purple. Very fresh dark cherry fragrance; silky texture with high acid and undeveloped flavours; the least together for me. It needs time to integrate and fill out.

CVZ For me this was the lightest of the flight (it was also the lightest in hue) with   a savoury hint to the red cherry fruit. The oak is subtle and already well integrated into the satin-like texture. It has lovely balance, and a roundness despite its light mid-palate.

Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots PC 2005
AL Brilliant, translucent purple crimson. Cool, elegant aromas of dark cherries and suggestion of rich earth, multi-layered. Minerally and tight with great flavour intensity, freshness and length. Very fine.

CVZ Quite cerise in the glass with initially subdued bouquet. Lovely mulberry and black cherry notes develop with time, also some wet, black earth. The palate, while showing more power in the middle, is still very refreshing with a bright acidity and very long. The oak is more apparent, but it is balanced.

Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux PC 2005
AL Clear but intense youthful purple, colour extending to rim. Much richer, meatier wine - most typical of Gevrey for me. Rich texture, good depth with noticeable tannin and hint toasty oak but clean and tight. Good development potential.

CVZ This shows lots of raspberry fruit on the nose and a chalky minerality on the palate. Fleshier than the other two, it is more opulent and heady, longer and with greater depth, more supple rather than taut tannins. This to me is the most typical of Gevrey, and my favourite.