From humble beginnings in Beaujolais in the 1980s, the natural wine movement has become a global force. But what influence has it had just north in Burgundy’s long-established, terroir-focused appellations? Simon J Woolf explores the blurred line between classical and natural winegrowing

From Beaujolais to Burgundy, how has the natural wine movement shaped a terroir-driven region? For FONDATA Simon J Woolf explores the changing landscape.

Natural Wine’s Influence on Burgundy

Nature vs. Nurture: The quest for Burgundy’s true identity

Broad in build and sporting a leather necklace, Mike Ratcliffe looks like a man who would be good at wrangling cattle. But that burly side is countered by an accent softened by time working and studying abroad (not to mention being married to a Brit), and a certain polish – even after an overnight flight from the Cape – that speaks of the business sphere. It’s clear that he’s no-nonsense – a man with ambition, and not one, I suspect, you’d want to get on the wrong side of. But it’s also clear that his savvy brand-building has been key to the success of Vilafonté.  He is a man with a plan – a 100-year plan, in fact. As of December last year, when co-founders Dr Zelma Long and Dr Phil Freese retired, Ratcliffe is the lone man at the helm of Vilafonté – a wine producer that has been attracting increasing amounts of attention. In a recent report for the Wine Advocate, Anthony Mueller wrote, “Vilafonté continues inching toward triple digits with a spectacular array of new releases” – awarding its 2021 Series C 99 points (making it the joint-highest-scoring South African wine to date, sitting alongside Sadie’s 2021 Palladius and an 1800 Muscat of Alexandria from Jaubert). But Ratcliffe’s not resting on his laurels: as he tells me, “If you’re going to do anything, go 100%.”  Ratcliffe’s family owned Warwick Estate – and as the world opened up to South African wine in the wake of apartheid – they realised they needed help developing their wines. Although Warwick was one of the nation’s stalwart names, “We were the big fish in the small pond,” says Ratcliffe – and to grow internationally, they needed outside input. They hired Phil Freese – then Vice President of Winegrowing at Robert Mondavi and responsible for planting the first Opus One vineyards – as viticultural consultant (for a “staggering” fee, Ratcliffe tells me). The investment paid off and after two years, they had made amazing progress – and Freese suggested they use Zelma Long (previously of Robert Mondavi, then Simi) to consult on the winemaking side.  At the same time Freese was working on his PhD, which involved research on the world’s oldest soils – many of which he discovered were in southern Africa. The oldest documented soil in Africa is vilafontes, thought to have originated 800 million years ago – and he, along with Long (whom he later married), started wondering about this soil’s potential for wine. The couple – along with the help of an investor Sydney Back – bought 40 hectares of land in 1996, at the foot of the Simonsberg mountain in Paarl, planting their first vines the following year. Vilafonté was born.  Ratcliffe had been working abroad as a skipper, before heading off to Roseworthy to get his MBA in wine in 1999, but had met Long and Freese through their work at Warwick, and was keeping an eye on their new venture. Soon after he returned back home, Sydney Back – a man Ratcliffe describes as “the Robert Mondavi of South Africa” – passed away, meaning Long and Freese were looking for a new partner. Impulsively, Ratcliffe volunteered – scrambling to get the money together in time for the deal to be finalised in 2001.   The trio made wines in 2000 and 2001 but only to get a feel for the site, planning to make 2002 their first release. Unfortunately, the vintage was tricky and Long told them firmly: “It’s good – but it’s not good enough.” It’s a decision that the bank didn’t necessarily appreciate (“That was a tough year,” says Ratcliffe) – but allowed them to launch with 2003, “arguably the best vintage of the decade” according to Ratcliffe (and a wine that he tells me is still “impeccable”). No one seems to be clear on how “vilafontes” became Vilafonté – whether it was a marketing decision to add a Gallic twist to the name, or just a mistake somewhere along the way – but it stuck.  They had originally planned to make a single Grand Vin, but the site had other ideas – producing two distinct styles, and so they created Series C (a Cabernet-driven blend) and Series M (a Merlot-driven blend). It may not make perfect business sense, having two flagship wines, but repeat experiments have (so far, at least) confirmed it was the right choice. While some plots clearly belong to C or M, the blends are different each year – and younger-vine fruit or anything that doesn’t fit is declassified to Seriously Old Dirt. This latter wine was launched with the 2012 vintage, using purchased fruit from around the Western Cape as well as declassified plots to provide an earlier-drinking entry-point to the Vilafonté brand.   The secret to the wines is the soil – incredibly poor, ancient soils, degraded and nutrient-deficient – meaning the vines really struggle. Even 27 years on, the vines are scrawny little things – producing tiny yields of concentrated fruit. It’s one reason that the site had – to their knowledge – never been planted, and local farmers were puzzled why anyone decided to put down roots here. Combine that with a “deeply pragmatic” approach (in Ratcliffe’s own words), and a long-term team dedicated to doing “the same thing over and over and over”, and you have the recipe for something special. In Ratcliffe’s mind, it’s key that they aren’t trying to create something new each vintage – but continue their pursuit of perfection with Series C and M. They work sustainably but sensibly, with cover crops, high-tech underground drip irrigation and a cellar that operates purely on solar power, but avoid certification or trading on any green credentials: for the Vilafonté team, it is all about the quality in the bottle.  For years, Ratcliffe juggled managing both Warwick and Vilafonté, but eventually sold his old family business to a California-based venture capital fund, allowing him to focus exclusively on Vilafonté. The property has just released its 2021s, the 18th vintage to emerge from the Paarl estate – and its top-scoring wines to date. Yet Ratcliffe is clear that this is just the latest step in his masterplan. The vines are yet to turn 30, and there are a few small parcels on the estate that could still be planted, while the team is constantly running trials – empowered to challenge everything they think they know. Just last December (2023), Long and Freese retired – after a four-year handover period, but will remain loosely involved. Ratcliffe isn’t looking back, though: as he says, “Our greatest wines are ahead of us.”  Vilafonté’s 2021 releases are available now  Read more Editorial  

The Wine Advocate is yet to grant any South African wine a perfect score – but some are getting close. Most recently, Vilafonté earned 99 points for its 2021 Series C. As it’s released, we sit down with owner Mike Ratcliffe to find out about this Paarl project and its rapid trajectory to stardom

Wine Advocate recently awarded Vilafonte’s 2021 Series C 99 points – we sat down with owner Mike Ratcliffe to find out more about the Paarl wine estate

Kicking the dirt with Vilafonte’s Mike Ratcliffe

Kicking the dirt with Vilafonté’s Mike Ratcliffe

Brunello di Montalcino is so well-established in today’s world of wine that it is hard to believe how relatively young its international reputation is. This pure expression of Sangiovese, from the vineyards around the hilltop town of Montalcino in Tuscany, was first produced in the 1860s, named by Ferruccio Biondi-Santi (of Biondi-Santi). The name Brunello di Montalcino comes from the supposedly superior clone of Sangiovese identified by Ferruccio’s father, Clemente Santi – known as Sangiovese Grosso or Brunello. Prior to 1968 (when Montalcino was first awarded DOC status), however, there were just 11 producers operating in the region, working around 60 hectares of vines. It was these pioneering wine-growers who went on to set up the Brunello Consorzio (consortium), determined to promote and protect the region’s vinous heritage. By 1980, when Montalcino was granted DOCG status, that number had grown to 53. Today there are over 250 producers, with more than 2,000 hectares under vine, and Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most famous appellations. As the vineyards have expanded, so has the range of styles, showcasing the varied terroir and distinct characteristics of single vineyards or Crus. Made exclusively with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is released a minimum five years after the vintage, spending at least two of those in oak. Riserva wines are aged an additional year prior to release. Producers generally also make a Rosso di Montalcino, with an additional 500 hectares classified for Rosso di Montalcino production. These wines can be released after just one year, with any vessel permitted – producing a softer, earlier-drinking style of Sangiovese. The famous Brunello clone long thought to define the wines is a myth, and various clones are planted in the region today. Subzones or crus? Despite the climatic differences in Montalcino, the concept of subzones within the region is still in its infancy and not without controversy. Some producers are reluctant to endorse a terroir-specific identity to Montalcino because many have vineyards throughout the region. They use this to their advantage, identifying how certain sites perform better than others in different vintages, allowing them to play around with their blends when designating what becomes their Brunello and what is relegated to their earlier-released Rosso di Montalcino. Another reason for their reluctance is that there is plenty of variation even within these subzones – with microclimates varying dramatically, most notably in altitude. It is the altitude of the site that, for many Brunello producers, is the central factor in determining the style and in many cases the quality of the wine. If this is the case, high-altitude vineyards could have more in common with each other than neighbouring vineyards lower down the slope that sit within the same subzone. For this reason, single vineyards or Crus could be a more accurate way to divide and break down Montalcino’s terroir. Subzones may not tell the whole story, but it is easy to understand why producers with vineyards located in a specific subzone with a distinct identity are keen to highlight this area – a village, so to speak, rather than single vineyard or Cru. The north-south divide The Montalcino vineyards are positioned in a circle around the eponymous hilltop town. At the simplest level, the sub-zones to the north of the town are cooler than those to the south. Producers in the northern regions of Montosoli and Canalicchio tend to pick their grapes later than those in the south. In the 2016 vintage, for instance, lower sites in the south were picked three to four weeks earlier than those in the north. However, altitude and prevailing winds also play an important role in the microclimate of a site. The vineyards in the hottest region of Montalcino in Castelnuovo dell’Abate are also some of the closest vineyards to Mount Amiata, which – at 1,740 metres’ altitude – is large enough to create its own weather patterns. This is hugely beneficial, creating a larger diurnal shift in temperature. While each of the sub-zones (particularly Montosoli) has a distinct flavour profile, the important factors of altitude, picking dates and winemaking techniques all play a role in influencing the region’s rich and varied tapestry of wine styles. The North Montosoli Directly to the north of Montalcino sits the Montosoli hill, perhaps the most distinct terroir in the region and certainly the sub-region that most strongly champions the sub-zoning of the appellation. Montosoli is distinct not just because of the cooler climate but also because of its soil, a distinct calcareous galestro. Wines from Montosoli have a finesse to the tannins as well as heightened aromatic capacity. The galestro rock brings a sapidity and mineral salinity to the wines. Despite the notable elegance, the wines also match the power and intensity of some of the other great sites within Montalcino. Altesino was the first producer in the region to produce a separate exclusive Montosoli cuvée in 1978. Baricci (one of the founding fathers of Brunello), however, has only ever had vineyards in Montosoli and has long been aware of the qualities of the subregion, claiming that it has been legendary for wine production for hundreds of years. Key producers: Altesino, Baricci, Caparzo, Livio Sassetti, Canalicchio di Sopra, Valdicava Other wineries based in the north of Montalcino, outside Montosoli, make some of the region’s best single-vineyard Crus, including Il Marroneto’s Madonna delle Grazie and Castiglion del Bosco’s Campo del Drago. Torrenieri To the far northeast lies Torrenieri; here the compact clay soils create more tannic, burly examples of Montalcino. Key producers: Sasso di Sole, Citille di Sopra Central + The South Tavernelle Tavernelle is home to some of the most famous producers in Italy. Soldera’s Case Basse vineyard is situated here, alongside neighbouring Pieve Santa Restituta, the Brunello estate owned by the Gaja family. For Gaja, Tavernelle is in a particularly privileged position, facing south and southwest with an altitude ranging from 320 to 350 metres, characterised by an extremely windy, dry, and bright microclimate. The wind protects the vineyard from damp, alleviating disease pressure, while the altitude slows ripening, allowing the grapes to gain flavour complexity but retain freshness. Poggio Antico is also based in Tavernelle and has some of the highest vineyards in the whole of Montalcino, with an average elevation of 480 metres. At this height, the soils are rockier and more calcareous, providing good drainage for the vines while the vineyards are exposed to sea breezes coming from the Tyrrhenian Sea, extending the ripening period and creating more flavour complexity in the grapes. Key producers: Soldera, Pieve Santa Restituta, Poggio Antico Sant’Angelo in Colle To the southeast of Tavernelle, these south-facing vineyards feel the full effect of the localised weather patterns caused by Mount Amiata. Here lies an historic part of the Montalcino appellation with many of the original founders of the consorzio based here, including Lisini, Il Poggione, Talenti, Argiano and Col d’Orcia. This region is known for producing the most muscular and powerful styles of Brunello. Key producers: Lisini, Giodo, Talenti, Il Poggione, Argiano, Col d’Orcia
 Castelnuovo dell’Abate Castelnuovo dell’Abate – the warmest subzone in the appellation – expanded considerably in the 1980s and 1990s. Here the wines – such as those of Poggio di Sotto and Mastrojanni – are known for their balance between elegance and power. Alongside its two vineyards in Central Montalcino, Le Ragnaie also has a vineyard in the region. The slopes are south-facing, however their warmth is moderated by the cooling winds of Mount Amiata, which are particularly noticeable at night. This diurnal shift slows ripening, retains acidity and allows for more complex aromatic and flavour components to develop in the grapes. The mountain also acts as a protector, helpfully diverting storms from the region and protecting it from hail. The varied altitudes within the subzone can produce contrasting styles of Brunello: Poggio di Sotto, for instance, will harvest its vineyards on lower slopes four to five weeks before their higher vineyards. Key producers: Poggio di Sotto, Le Ripi, Mastrojanni, Le Ragnaie Central Montalcino + Le Croce The central vineyards, located directly to the southeast of the town of Montalcino, are home to some of the most traditional styles of Brunello, known for their ageing potential. Both Fuligni and Salvioni have southeast-facing vineyards that sit between 380 and 450 metres above sea-level on soils of chalk, schist and stony marl – and Salvioni in particular argues that this altitude is key to producing the best Brunello. Further south in the Croce subzone, Cerbaiona has become a cult name in Montalcino, offering a unique expression of the appellation largely due to its distinct patch of terroir. The vineyards of Cerbaiona are located on limestone shale and sandy soils, which – combined with a gentle touch in the winery – produces a particularly elegant style of Brunello. Of course, Le Croce is also home to Biondi-Santi – the estate that started it all. The original Il Greppo property is situated at 480 metres above sea-level and, despite the high altitude, the estate likes to pick early, opting for a distinctly fresher, structured Brunello that is austere in youth but built to age for decades. Key producers: Biondi-Santi, Cerbaiona, Fuligni, Salvioni Read more about Italy or explore all current Brunello di Montalcino listings

Arguably the ultimate expression of Sangiovese, the Brunello di Montalcino appellation produces some of Italy’s finest wines – but the region is hugely varied. Here, we examine its subzones – one of the keys to deciphering the wines – and highlight the top producers in each

Exploring Brunello di Montalcino – these special Sangiovese wines and the appellation’s varied terroir, and the varied styles it produces

Your guide to Brunello di Montalcino wines

Your guide to Brunello di Montalcino

“Good maturity, a nice freshness and lots of energy” Olivier Lamy, Domaine Hubert Lamy “Microscopic grapes each with very little juice but perfect balance” Guillaume Boillot, Domaine Henri Boillot These comments from some of the leading white winemakers in the Côte d’Or sum up our findings nicely. 2019 is a fantastic vintage for whites in the Côte de Beaune. The wines are both generous and exuberant, while retaining fantastic acidity and freshness. Despite the volume on the palate and, in some cases, warming alcohol (ranging from 13.5% to 14.5%), the Chardonnays predominantly retain a classic Burgundy flavour profile. It is not all pineapple and passion fruit, but lots of ripe apple, white peach and that acidity running through the palate keeps these lavish Chardonnays feeling fresh. So where does 2019 sit compared to other recent vintages of Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune?  Many believe it is not a vintage that can easily be compared. The combination of maturity and freshness for many is something not experienced before. The 2019 growing season, like 2018, was warm and dry. In fact many vignerons saw huge similarities in terms of temperature and rainfall (or lack of) between 2019 and the previous summer, with both considerably higher in sunshine hours and lower in rainfall than average. However, there were distinct differences that has made 2019 clearly a cut above its 2018 compatriots. Most obviously and particularly for the white wines of the Côte d’Or is an increase in both concentration and acidity, caused by drastically low yields and small berries (a result of a difficult flowering period during the spring). The generosity of the vintage is therefore unlike the more austere, citric vintages of 2011, and it does not have the linearity and focus of 2014. It is undoubtedly a warm vintage for the Côte de Beaune but it is clear that vignerons are getting a better handle on how to deal with the heat. Many were keen to make the point that these days they pick on acid levels rather than alcohol, and maybe that has helped them get the picking date right. Also notable in parts of the Côte de Beaune malic acid levels were very low in 2019 (typical for sunny vintages) and this where relevant certainly played a part in the wine’s composition. Low malic acid actually helps emphasise the freshness in the final wine, since the malic acid is converted to lactic acid during malolactic fermentation during élevage. The more lactic acid, the more the wines feel softer and creamier. The malolactic fermentation therefore had much less of an effect in the 2019 whites, the result being an accentuation of freshness that beautifully contrasts the generosity and richness of fruit. Despite being a warm year, it certainly hasn’t fallen into the trap of 2015, a similarly warm vintage where the aromas were distinctly tropical and the wines a little flabby – a result of picking too late. A term we heard used a lot when visiting the wineries was that 2019 was a “floral” year. There is undoubtedly an expressiveness of aromas for a grape that often can be a little shy on the nose. For Fiona Ragg at Mischief & Mayhem, despite the similarities to 2018, “It had nothing like the sunshine hours. And didn’t suffer from heat spikes either.” Etienne de Montille noted that while it was warm during the day, the nights were distinctly cooler than in 2018, helping the vines regenerate, preserve acidity and prolong ripening, allowing more complex aromatics to develop.  The dry weather kept disease at bay and a harvest around the second week of September under ideal conditions saw grapes brought in in perfect health. Was it these factors that helped retain such delicate florality to these “gourmand” wines? Many of the producers we spoke to believe that 2019 offers a certain degree of precision and delicacy which, at the height of a warm July, they were not expecting. The freshness in the wines is a welcome surprise for many. This is matched by a lovely pristine fruit clarity not dissimilar to 2017, but with much more concentration – and much more freshness than 2018.  An interesting comment from Jadot’s Frédéric Barnier when struggling to compare the vintages is that in the past, vintages as rich and concentrated as 2019 relied on a certain level of botrytis in the vineyards. But in 2019 there was no botrytis, this was just natural concentration caused by the small size of berries combined with the low yields. 
Qualitatively, there seems to be tremendous consistency across the appellations, but also across producers. If anything, what seemed most evident to me was producers who perhaps were a little disappointing in 2018 produced much better wines in 2019, and the top producers seemed to really excel. In this respect, the vintage stands head and shoulders above vintages such as 2016 and 2013, where selection was essential. Yes, there are some flamboyant examples and they are hugely enjoyable for it, even if they do push the classic concept of white Burgundy to the limit. The majority of the wines we tasted, however, remain much closer in flavour profile to the classic Côte de Beaune flavours of yellow apple and white peach, with a strong mineral salinity shining through on the limestone soils, and richer body and creaminess of the heavier clay soils. The wines behave as they should, reflecting their respective terroirs despite the added concentration and verve. The top wines eschew a beautiful fruit clarity and are delightfully expressive, with a lifted florality, avoiding the overt tropical notes which can bury what we know and love about white Burgundy in a warm vintage. The clarity of fruit, exuberant florality, concentration and freshness combined makes 2019 a very happy vintage. The lack of volume however remains the sting in the tail, with some producers down up to 50% on normal production levels due to a bout of frost (on the low-lying vineyards), poor flowering throughout the region and hydric stress affecting
the young Chardonnay vines. These episodes, however, have not diminished quality and, in some important ways, have helped define a unique and exciting vintage for Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune.  Explore Burgundy

Burgundy producers are just starting to release their 2019s – a vintage that offers amazing consistency and balance. After a week tasting in the Côte d’Or, Gavin Smith delves deeper into the whites of the Côte de Beaune, putting the vintage in context

Burgundy producers are just starting to release their 2019 wines – a vintage that offers amazing consistency and balance. 

2019 Burgundy white wine vintage report 

It was a small yellow aphid that disregarded national borders, wiping out the livelihood of every grape grower in its way and there was no known cure nor effective prevention in its first devastating years. Even when a cure was discovered, growers were reluctant – and often financially unable – to use it.  As a result, phylloxera vastatrix  – vastratix meaning ravager – continued to nibble on the roots of vines across western Europe, sucking the lifeblood from the vines and leaving wounds for any passing infection. By 1900, 2.5 million hectares of France's vineyard had been uprooted, causing production to slump, encouraging dodgy dealers to make fake wine, and leading to mass protests.  The story of phylloxera in Europe started as a well-intentioned gift. In 1862, an American grape grower sent some cuttings of native vines to his friend in the Rhône Valley who planted them, unaware of the damage it would inflict on his compatriots. Within a year, local growers were lamenting their sick vines. Phylloxera had wanderlust, sparing no French region; nor did it respect the country's finest terroirs or illustrious châteaux.  However, a concerted national response to the potential ruin of the country's national beverage was not forthcoming. The French government was too busy putting on International Exhibitions in Paris (1867), opening the Suez Canal (1869) and waging war on Prussia (1870-71). In 1870, the government acknowledged there might be an issue, offering a 20,000 Franc reward for a cure. Remedies were offered including burying living toads in the vineyard, adding volcanic ash from Pompeii to the soil or inviting a marching band to play to the vines. Unsurprisingly, the vines continued to die. In 1880, a solution was finally accepted: graft European varieties to the roots of American vines. However, grafting noble French varieties - vitis vinifera - to the roots of these lowly American varieties seemed like sacrilege to many growers. It was thought they would affect the nobility of their precious wines. There was also the issue of cost: uprooting your vineyard, replanting and then having to wait between three and five years for a crop did not feed a family and the concept of state aid was still a long way off.  As a result, many tried to limp on for as long as possible, injecting carbon bisulphide, an expensive and toxic solvent used to vulcanise rubber, into the soil to stave off the inevitable.  The producers in the south of France were the first to be hit in the 1860s and they replanted with high-yielding hybrids. By the turn of the century, the Languedoc was producing more wine than ever before. However, the region's unscrupulous merchants made up for the initial shortfall at peak phylloxera by bulking out grape juice with sugar and water while others made wines from raisins. These practices continued despite the replanted vineyards returning to full production, causing a huge oversupply and depressing prices.  Urged on by a growing labour movement, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 1907 to call for change. The Champagne Riots of 1911 The Champenois followed suit, rioting in the streets in 1911 and the root of their troubles also lay with phylloxera.  In 1892, the Marne was invaded by its first phylloxera aphid and, by 1910, 40% of the region had been affected. But this was no time for production to fall: Champagne sales were booming and to make up for the shortfall, dodgy merchants (and some of the seemingly reputable houses) brought in wines from the Loire and the south of France by the train-load. The wines were made sparkling in their cellars and the bottles emerged, as if by magic, as Champagne. Supply and demand economics suggested that the growers should have been earning more for their fruit as phylloxera affected supply and sales boomed, but fake Champagne kept prices low. Having borne the cost of replanting their vineyards, this was not how growers imagined they would be rewarded and protests ensued.  While most vineyards in Champagne and beyond are now planted on American rootstocks, there are some vines and vineyard owners that play wine roulette and grow vitis vinifera on their own roots. For example, three plots belonging to Bollinger were planted in 1960 in the traditional pre-phylloxera way. One has succumbed to the vine louse but the remaining two parcels are the source of Vieilles Vignes Françaises, a rare Pinot Noir-based Champagne that provides a taste of a bygone era.  We asked Denis Bunner, Bollinger’s Deputy Cellar Master, about the Aÿ-based Champagne House's rarest wine, Vieilles Vignes Françaises, which is produced on its own roots.  Why did Bollinger begin producing Vieilles Vignes Françaises in 1969?  An English journalist Cyril Ray proposed the initiative to Madame Bollinger following a visit in 1967 and this inspired Madame Bollinger to create a wine from the precious vines to commemorate her 70th birthday, which saw the first bottle produced in 1969. The wine was launched in 1974. Are the vines pre-phylloxera? If so, they must be more than a century old. No, the current plots in Aÿ were planted in the 1960s but it is impossible to give an age to the vines due to the perpetual renewal and the way the root system grow [the system is called provignage, which is like vine fostering when there is an empty space to fill. Take a cane from one vine, train it down into the soil and partially bury it with the end sticking out until it forms a separate vine. This is also done in the Nacional vineyard at Quinta do Noval]. There were three plots that weren't grafted but there are now only two. What happened? third plot succumb to phylloxera?  The third plot in Croix Rouge de Bouzy was attacked by phylloxera at the end of the 1990s – the vineyard didn't have protective walls around it. The last vintage was 2004 as we had to uproot it when it fell prey to the infestation. How many acres do the two remaining plots cover?  The Clos Saint-Jacques (Aÿ) covers just over half an acre while the Clos des Chaudes-Terres, which lies within the boundaries of Bollinger’s own lands, covers a little over a third of an acre. In total, they represent 0.36 hectares. Is there anything special about the soil of these two plots that means it resists phylloxera?  The soil is not remarkably different from that in the rest of Aÿ and as per the rest of Champagne it features chalk. Is this special cuvee made every year?  No. Only in declared vintages. What is the average production of Vieilles Vignes Françaises?  This varies by vintage, but falls within the range of 2,000 to 3,000 bottles. A total of 2,420 numbered bottles of the 2009 Vieilles Vignes Françaises vintage were produced. Read more Editorial

Following the release of Bollinger’s latest vintage of Vieilles Vignes Françaises, we talk to Denis Bunner, Bollinger’s Deputy Cellar Master about the Aÿ-based Champagne house's rarest wine, as well as delving into the archives to explore the history of the fatal vine louse.

Phylloxera and Bollinger’s Vieilles Vignes Françaises on the wine grown from vines planted on its own roots and thus vulnerable to attack by the louse.

Phylloxera and winemaking

Phylloxera: a vine pandemic

In Sicily, for the feast day of San Giuseppe, they make a soup, a very plain soup of 
chickpeas, fava beans and wheat grains, all soaked and cooked separately before 
being combined with bitter wild greens and perhaps some broken pasta. It is a 
celebration not of poverty but in poverty. The richness of the meal comes from the 
time it takes, the hours of soaking and boiling, of picking leaves in muddy fields. 
The feast day of the patron saint of workers (and the stepfather of God) falls on 
the 19th March, full spring in the Sicilian countryside with the almond trees in 
blossom. San Giuseppe’s soup marks the last use of the previous year’s harvest, 
the last pulses and grains to be taken from the store which the summer’s baking 
heat and the rains of autumn had provided for the coming winter. It is both a soup 
and a celebration, but it is also a sacrifice – a sacrifice of time against an uncertain 
future, time given freely as a kind of guarantee. Cooking of any kind – but especially the lengthy processes of preserving, drying, 
pickling and curing – is really an act of optimism, an assertion that there will be a 
future in which to eat. And the more time and care you put into such a process, the 
more value you get out. For example, the longer a cure or a pickle takes, the longer, 
in general, it will last. In providing food for the future, this sacrifice also makes 
it much more likely that the future it was made for will indeed occur. A practical 
optimism, you could say. A spending of time, not just because you have little else 
to spend, but because it is prudent to do so. For much of the world now, of course, the situation is reversed: we can buy almost 
anything we want at any time we please and have it delivered almost immediately. 
And we seem to be encouraged to spend less time doing things like cooking. 
Time is a commodity, and rather than sacrifice our time, we’re encouraged to 
sacrifice time itself, to take shortcuts. Time is listed in any given recipe, along 
with the rest of the ingredients and equipment: two onions, one stick of celery, 
one carrot, 15 minutes preparation and two hours cooking time, but it is almost 
always consequently manipulated. Everybody knows – once they have followed 
a few recipes – that enough time is never given to cook an onion. ‘Sauté until soft 
and golden, about two minutes,’ writes the chef (or the editor insists so the recipe can fall into the category of ‘quick and easy weeknight suppers’ or ‘fifteen-minute 
meals’ or whatever it is they are currently trying to sell). The fact that nobody ever
sautéed an onion until soft and golden in less than 10 minutes is elided, sacrificed 
to the promise that this dish, now, will not cost too much of your time. Even recipes 
which can never be made quickly – soups, stews, cures – are touted as demanding 
just a little of your time and even less of your attention, your active time. The slow 
braise allows the cook to focus not on cooking, but on other things. To me, this 
is a lost opportunity. Yes, it is nice to know that dinner is safely squared away, 
puttering merrily to itself in a low oven. It is exciting to think that a jar of cabbage 
is slowly transforming into sauerkraut at the back of a dark cupboard. But if all we 
see is the prepared ingredients and the end result, how much do we miss of the 
metamorphosis in-between? Convenience is desirable, but over the last year, time has – for most of us – come at 
less of a premium. Even before that, though, I have always found a certain satisfaction 
in giving my complete attention to whatever I am cooking. This goes without saying for 
the quick and fast – for the doneness of a steak, or pasta, for deep-frying, or grilling 
delicate fish. However, it is also rewarding for the slower processes, for observing the 
slow changing of textures as liquids bubble and reduce.  If, for example, you are making marmalade, you could work out the setting 
temperature and, once the final boil has begun, insert a probe thermometer with 
an alarm set to sound when it reaches the precise temperature: all well and good. 
If, however, there isn’t a thermometer to hand – or, as is often the case, you only 
have one that is in sore need of calibration and therefore useless – you can fall 
back on the finger test your mother may or may not have taught you. Placing a 
stack of saucers in the fridge and – when you think the marmalade is nearly ready 
– spooning a little out onto a cold saucer, you prod the result with your finger to 
see if it wrinkles. What, then, if you don’t have a stack or even a single perfectly 
chilled saucer to hand? Then you have to watch the bubbles rise. 
The point of making marmalade or jam is not simply that you are cooking a liquid 
until it reaches approximately 105˚C, but rather that you are cooking a liquid until 
it becomes capable (as water is not) of reaching that temperature – which means it 
has to become thicker, stronger. The bubbles it creates, at first double the liquid in 
volume (bringing the inevitable worry that your pan is too small) before settling and 
lowering into a dense boil that threatens to catch on the bottom. Once you’ve seen 
it, that transformation is unmistakable, and if you had just stuck a thermometer 
in the pan and got on with something else, you would never have noticed. This 
(admittedly useful and in a working kitchen, essential) piece of technology would 
have removed you from the process, from the facts of cooking. This is true of any kind of technology – it is, by and large, its purpose. I am not necessarily suggesting 
that you replace your oven with a wood-fired stove and monitor the temperature 
with a questing hand (if you can’t hold it in there, it’s hot enough) – although that 
would, I think, be fun. Certainly, anything which makes our lives easier is not to be 
dismissed out of hand, but isn’t it always worth wondering what, at any moment, 
you can afford to lose? 
The point with cooking is that the time put in is not simply lost but rather spent 
or, invested – although sometimes you might not think it – wisely. A six-hour 
braise consumed in less than 30 minutes can seem hardly worth the effort, but 
only if you see the eating of food as the sole reason to cook it. When I think of 
meals I have cooked for other people, for birthdays or holidays or simply for 
the pleasure of company, it is rarely the eating of them – the few minutes of 
attacking a chicken or slurping up pasta or licking grease off fingers – which 
comes immediately to mind but rather their slow build-up. It’s the digging of the 
pit to build the fire that has to die before I bury the lamb, wrapped carefully in 
foil and sackcloth; the careful attendance to a boiling pan of stock, its bubbles 
changing in size and consistency as it gradually reduces into gravy; the oil 
slowly spitting out of a pot of ragù, its surface barely moving as it stews. These 
are the things I remember fondly, the nurturing process of bringing a meal 
together. And these moments aren’t solitary meditations – with any meal there 
is more to be done than just cooking something. There are salads to be made 
and dressings to be whipped, pasta to be rolled, tables to be set, cocktails to be 
mixed, and wine to be poured. The making of a meal is only a chore if you begin 
to do it wishing it were already over. If instead you begin to do it because you 
want to do it, with the end result of ‘something to eat’ as almost a by-product 
of a rewarding activity, then the pleasure you find in it changes. 
Although for most of us, it’s no longer – as it was for the Sicilians celebrating 
San Giuseppe – a matter of life or death. This choice to involve yourself 
purposefully in the everyday act of cooking, and otherwise preparing food, still 
has an air of sacrifice, of time exchanged in the promise of something greater. 
It is, I suppose, literally a sacrifice, as the time you allot to cooking is time 
you could have made available for emails, or exercise, or simply to idly scroll 
through Netflix adding films you will probably never watch to your list. But, as 
is the way of all such propitiatory acts, it is a sacrifice which contains the seeds 
of its desired outcome. What you put in determines what you get out, in the 
straightforward terms of a meal you can eat – but it is also its own reward. You 
know, as you reverently chop, or soak, or simmer, that you are investing your 
time to create something better than good. That whatever you are making will 
have a special richness to it. The richness of chickpeas, or water or gold.  This article was originally published in FONDATA, Issue One

Margate-based chef and food writer, Thom Eagle, contemplates the value of spending more, not less, time in the kitchen.

Illustration by Stewart Walton.

Margate-based chef and food writer, Thom Eagle, contemplates the value of spending more, not less, time in the kitchen

FONDATA: Time for Food

Time for Food

Burly

Accounts

Your access is restricted because of your age.

Access forbidden

You must be over the legal age to view this page. Please verify your age to enter.

Are you over the legal age to purchase alcohol?

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, there may be a delay to the selected ship date.

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, you will not be able to define a ship date, and we will get in touch with you to arrange delivery.

Your order request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Due to the quantity requested for collection, there may be a delay in meeting your requested collection date.

Due to the quantity requested for collection, it is not possible to define a collection date at this stage. Our team will liaise with the warehouse and contact you directly to confirm a suitable pick-up date.

This item has been listed by a collector and is available for storage or immediate delivery

For orders with a high value, we recommend shipping with a third party carrier. Items shipped with third parties will remain in banded OWCs.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a collection date. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the collection date with you directly.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to continue the purchase. Please select third party, or change the quantity (maximum 48 is allowed).

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a shipping date at checkout. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the delivery date with you directly.

For up to 499 bottles in storage, the rate is 39¢/bottle per month or a $50 minimum monthly charge (this covers up to 142 bottles). For over 500 bottles, the storage rate is 35¢/bottle per month.

Storage is charged at HKD 40 per 12-bottle case per month. A minimum monthly storage fee of HKD 80 applies, covering up to 24 bottles.

Standard storage rate

By selecting third-party shipping, you will take full responsibility for all aspects of legal compliance and authorize Vinfolio to transfer the items to the party specified in your instructions. Items shipped via third parties will remain in their original packaging.

Collection times are between 8:30am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Wines at Will Call, that are not picked up within 10 business days, will be transferred to storage and subject to a $1.50 per bottle stocking fee.

Items to be sourced and shipped to our state-of-the-art fine wine storage facility for the best possible safe-keeping where you can arrange collection from our warehouse address in Napa.

Will Call (Napa)

You entered the incorrect password too many times. Your account has been temporarily locked. Please wait five minutes before trying again.

It seems you are visiting from {country}, we invite you to experience our {nationality} website.

Are you browsing from {country}?

We’re unable to process your order with both event tickets and a wine or spirit product in the same transaction. To proceed, please remove either the event tickets or the item from your basket. You’ll then be able to complete your purchase.

Please review your basket

Forgot Password

We're in the final stages of upgrading to our brand-new trading platform. As part of this transition, we're currently migrating all customer-owned inventory to ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Our new and improved platform will be ready for you on Friday, April 4.

Thank you for your patience - we can't wait to show you what's next.

Oops, something went wrong

We couldn't find any results to show here.

Please note: tax will be calculated at the next step

Our website is currently down for maintenance.

Maintenance Mode

Pre-authorizing a Payment Method enables your Account Manager to make payments on your behalf, without payment verification.

Pre-authorize

This transaction has been blocked by authentication failure.

Authentication failure

Your payment card has expired. Please check your details and try again.

Expired card

Insufficient funds to pay your balance. Please check your details and try again.

Insufficient funds

This transaction has been blocked by the payment provider due to possible fraudulent behaviour.

Transaction blocked

Please choose a different payment method and try again.

Unknown error

About description for demonstration purposes

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold, delivered or transferred.

At {shortName}

Your allocation will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your pre-order item will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your delivery request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

represents all the wines that are in your possession and have been consumed.

This is the price you paid for this item.

Cost price

After adding your new address, you'll be redirected back to this page.

Create a new address

Your notification will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

The lowest price you're willing to sell at.

shows all the items that you have pre-ordered, including en primeur wines, and all the items on your watchlist.

Futures

You can set a sell price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

You can set a market price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

shows all the actions that you have taken on items in your Portfolio.

groups every action by type - Purchase, Sale, Delivery, and Inbound Transfer - so it's clear at a glance what happened to each item.

History

shows all the items that are currently in transit to or from {shortName}.

In transit

Local delivery is free for orders over HK$1,800 (to a single location). For orders below this value, delivery is HK$150 for up to four cases and HK$50 per case thereafter.

Shipping starts from €15 within Italy and €45 to Switzerland and the rest of Europe for up to 48 bottles (75cl). Costs vary by destination. Larger shipments can be quoted on request.

The date shown below is when your order will ship from our local warehouse. Your final delivery date, along with full tracking details, will be provided once our team has processed your request.

You can arrange collection from our Retail store on 22nd Floor, 8 Wyndham Street, Central Hong Kong.
Collection times are between 9:30am-13:00 and 14:00-18:00pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

You can arranged collection from our warehouse STI INTERNAZIONALE SPA, on Viale del Lavoro, 57, 37051 Bovolone, Verona.
Pick-up hours are between 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

This is the current estimated market value for this item.

Manually set prices will be overwritten. Already listed wines are not affected.

Updates all unlisted wines to current market price.

Set all at market

represents all the wines you currently have in your Portfolio that aren't stored with us. Press the

My cellar

Name

Net price

New portfolio available

New portfolio

You do not have any invoices at this time.

shows all the items from your Portfolio that are currently on the market.

On sale

shows all the items you currently have in your Portfolio. You can perform individual actions on them from this page.

Overview

shows any items that are currently awaiting user action.

Pending

This is the dynamic estimated value of the item with trading margin removed.

This is the amount of profit you will receive if your listing sells.

Pre-authorised payments enable automatic transactions on your behalf, ensuring seamless and hassle-free payments. This allows recurring charges, subscriptions, or scheduled payments to be processed without manual approval each time.

The number of cases you wish to place on sale

Your catalogue item will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

* At time of sale a 15% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total estimated value*'

The fixed custom price you wish to sell each item for.

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold.

Available for sale — items stored with {name} eligible to be listed on the marketplace.

Profile

This item is at Vinfolio, available for storage or shipping. For more information on shipping and handling visit vinfolio.com/shipping

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Upon arrival your wine will be stored at Vinfolio in our temperature-controlled warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

When a wine is on "pre-arrival", it means that we have a confirmed order on the bottles from our supplier and we are simply waiting for the winery or distributor to ship the wine to us. The delivery timeframe for pre-arrival wines varies significantly, depending on where the wine is coming from. We will notify you once they arrive at our warehouse and, at that point, you can decide to arrange shipping or list them for sale.

Burly

Filter

Please wait

Related articles