Chapoutier in the Rhone Valley was first among the larger producers in France to go organic and biodynamic. Now the head of the firm, Michel Chapoutier, is disturbed by the fact that some wines that call themselves natural are simply defective. Their volatile acidity is too high and they are infected with Brettanomyces.
This is not a taste of terroir he says, instead it is a sign of poor winemaking. These wines should not be allowed appellation status, he believes, because an AOC wine must be typical for the region och show the region’s character. These wines all taste the same, he thinks, whether they come from Bordeaux, Rhone or from somewhere else.
Michel Chapoutier says to Drinks Business that he does not think it is wrong to use sulphur in the right proportions.
Brettanomyces is a yeast that produces a somewhat “rural” smell to the wine which can sometimes be acceptable and even pleasant, but sometimes not. Brett, as it is often called, can be monitored with sulphur. High volatile acidity is often due to strong exposure to oxygen which brings acetic acid. This can also be avoided by adding some sulphur.
There is some truth in it what Michel Chapoutier says. We have also noticed that wines without sulphur lose the character of their origin. This does not mean that they are always faulty. But they are harder to recognize in a blind tasting.
2 Responses
Michel Chapoutier is simply saying how it is. Nothing new here; just common sense. May it prevail to the benefit of all wine consumers.
Common sense is perhaps not as common as it should be. ;-)