From left to right: Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal, Bernardino Sani, Ernst Loosen, Anselme Selosse, Jane Eyre-Renard, and Matthew Day
Drinking with the experts
For the second time, we reveal the wines that have attracted the attention of some of the world’s leading winemakers. In this article, Wine Lister asks 11 vignerons to name their favourite bottle – providing the ultimate wish list of top-quality cuvées to look out for.
Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal – Château Angélus
Eighth-generation winemaker, Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal tells us that she has tasted many unforgettable bottles, including Clos Rougeard Le Bourg 2002, Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2008, Rayas 2005, Pétrus 1971, Krug Clos du Mesnil 1988, and Dunn Howell Mountain 1998. Above all, a bottle of Jacques Selosse Millésime 2002 comes out on top, having been opened by Stéphanie and her husband during a holiday to Mauritius a few years ago, where they enjoyed it on the beach with fresh crayfish. “The incredible depth, length, subtle salinity, complexity, and balance make this wine a real stunner and a wine one cannot forget after tasting it”. Stéphanie tells us that it is a combination of the wine and the context in which it was tasted that takes it to the top spot.
Bernardino Sani – Argiano
Bernardino Sani, winemaker at Argiano, tells us that his choice of wine is dependent on the occasion. Having previously worked in France, Central America, and the United States, Bernardino’s selection of favourites is as varied as the countries in which he has lived. Romantic dinners with his wife call for sparkling wine, such as Bérêche & Fils Rilly-La-Montagne. Super Tuscan estate, Montevertine, makes its way onto Bernardino’s podium of top reds, for its “terroir-driven” Sangiovese, Le Pergole Torte. He also cites G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero – “a pure example of Nebbiolo” – as one of his favourite reds. While Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Etna are high on Bernardino’s list of favourite white wine regions, Domaine Leflaive’s Montrachet 2002 takes the prize for the best white he has ever tasted.
Ernst Loosen – Weingut Dr. Loosen
Ernst Loosen believes that cool-climate Rieslings and Pinot Noirs are “red and white twins”, with both offering “pure pleasure to drink” at a young age, and “become truly interesting with a decade or two of maturity”. He feels “naturally drawn to Pinot Noir, especially the more elegant, Old World style of Burgundy”, and admires the “earthy, ethereal, sous bois aroma” that both varieties develop with age. Ernst tells us that “it’s a lot of fun to drink a well-matured Riesling Auslese alongside a [Burgundy] Pinot Noir of similar age”, highlighting the 1971 vintage as one that provides an excellent comparison between the two. He also notes that a 1959 Burgundian Pinot Noir and a 1959 German Riesling will never fail to provide you with “an unforgettable experience”.
Anselme Selosse – Domaine Jacques Selosse
When forced to choose, Anselme Selosse tells us that his favourite wine would be one produced by Rioja Alta’s López de Heredia. During a visit to the estate in 1972, two years before he joined his father at Domaine Jacques Selosse, he was “captivated by the family’s winemaking philosophy”, elements of which still influence his own style today. He singles out Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva as an exceptional wine that is “deeply imbued with the character of its birthplace”. For Anselme, it brings to mind “someone with the wrinkles of experience etched on his face, who dares to express himself without seeking approval”. Anselme pinpoints two vintages with these qualities, the 1996 and the 2001, describing them as “coloured with age [but] young at heart, […] harmonious, balanced, complex, and subtle” – “storytellers” which tell the unique tale of their terroir.
Jane Eyre-Renard – Maison Jane Eyre / Jane Eyre Mornington Peninsula
Fortunate to have tasted many outstanding wines since her first harvest in Burgundy in 1998, Australian-born winemaker, Jane Eyre-Renard, discloses (“in no particular order”) her three favourite categories: Pinot Noir, Grower Champagne, and Vin Jaune. When pressed for names, Jane tells us that, “if she really had to choose”, it would be between Pierre Overnoy’s Vin Jaune 1985 and Jacques Frédéric Mugnier’s Musigny Grand Cru 2010. Shared with a group of dear friends, the Vin Jaune, with its “complexity, power, length, and pure deliciousness”, was, for Jane, the perfect illustration of why “no great bottle was ever drunk alone”. Meanwhile, the Musigny encompasses “all the things [Jane] loves about Pinot Noir.” Having worked with Frédéric Mugnier back in 2002, she shared this bottle with her harvest team in 2022 when it was 12 years old.
From left to right: Omri Ram, Guillaume Pouthier, Telmo Rodríguez, Thibault Liger-Belair, and Sebastián Zuccardi
Matthew Day – Klein Constantia
With a host of experiences across the globe, from Saint-Émilion to Napa Valley, Matthew Day followed his roots back to South Africa, where he heads winemaking at Klein Constantia. He tells us that his favourite wines sit in two categories: those that hold sentimental value and have played a vital part in his career, and those that he just can’t get enough of. He ranks Penfolds Grange, Margaux, and Didier Dagueneau in the first category: his first job in Australia was at Penfolds and Margaux was the first First Growth he tasted. “When it comes to Dagueneau, I am crazy about Sauvignon Blanc, especially those from Pouilly-Fumé or Sancerre”, explaining that the wines “opened [his] mind to a terroir-focused winemaking style”. His wine picks for pure pleasure include d’Yquem, while Gramercy Cellar’s Syrah is his absolute favourite wine to drink. He is a firm believer that wines like these are better enjoyed with friends, without food, rather than trying too hard to force a pairing.
Omri Ram – Château Lafleur
Like many other oenophiles, Omri Ram struggled to narrow his favourite wines down to one. He cites the wines of Domaine G. Roumier, Domaine Coche-Dury, and Domaine Jamet as having marked “unique and special occasions”, while noting that some of the greatest wines “are those you can drink on a Tuesday evening, without breaking your head wondering if you should open your last bottle of something very rare”. In this case, he turns to the Rhône and Bordeaux. He enjoys the wines of Domaine Alain Graillot in Crozes-Hermitage – no frilly edges, “just a pure, well-made Syrah”. His adopted region, the Right Bank, holds a special place in his heart, offering great ageing potential without needing to break the bank. While Omri enjoys gems from Château Magdelaine (vintages 1990, 1995, and 1999 to be specific), he tells us that the real unsung heroes come from Fronsac, Côtes de Bourg, and the Médoc Crus Bourgeois. A current favourite of his is Château Tour du Haut-Moulin 1996, a Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc “of depth and sophistication”.
Guillaume Pouthier – Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Awarded the title of France’s best winemaker by Le Figaro Vin at the end of last year (recap the article here), Toulouse-born winemaker, Guillaume Pouthier, has many favourite wines. If he had to choose the one that he felt the “strongest emotional connection” with, it would be Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin 1991 from the icon Northern Rhône estate, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave. He tells us that it is a perfect example of a great wine with “perfect balance, good texture, and structure”: a classic Hermitage, one to be drunk now or kept for many more years.
Telmo Rodríguez – Remelluri
Telmo Rodríguez, of Remelluri fame, tells us that his favourite wine is Bodegas De La Riva’s unfortified Palomino, ‘M. Ant. De La Riva’, produced by winemakers Willy Perez and Ramiro Ibáñez from grapes grown in Jerez’s iconic Macharnudo vineyard. Seeing its Place de Bordeaux debut last September, this wine could be, according to Telmo “one of the world’s best whites, thanks to the Palomino grape’s noble expression and the finesse and flavour provided by the Albariza soils found in Jerez”. Dedicated to the revival of Spain’s native grape varieties, Telmo is keen to promote the new generation of great winemakers keeping these historic wines alive.
Thibault Liger-Belair – Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Unlike our other interviewees, Thibault was quick to disclose his favourite wine: Domaine Hauvette Cuvée Cornaline 2011 Baux de Provence. “I love the precision and the style Dominique Hauvette can integrate into her wine”, he tells us. With “bright fruit and a wonderful aromatic expression”, this wine displays “exemplary precision and finesse, even when young”, according to the vigneron. Thibault recently brought a bottle to taste blind with his winemaker friends at their regular haunt in Beaune, and tells us that it left them stumped!
Sebastián Zuccardi – Zuccardi
“I have so many wines that inspire me and open my mind”, explains Sebastián, third-generation owner and winemaker of Argentinian estate, Zuccardi. Faced with the task of picking just one favourite, he chooses Soldera: “The wines display finesse and transparency, allowing the intensity of the distinctive terroir of the Montalcino forests to shine through”. Sebastián shared with us tales of his visit to the estate, where he was hosted by the legendary late Casse Basse winemaker, Gianfranco Soldera, remembering clearly Gianfranco’s desire for the aromas of the forest to be reflected in his wines.
Winemakers at the iconic Pomerol estate: “It’s easier to make great wines with strong women and sensitive men”.
Our next interview in Le Figaro Vin’s series finds us in Bordeaux’s Right Bank, where we meet Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau, who stand at #6 in the rankings, a couple who create the kind of wines you fall in love with.
Just like its illustrious Pomerol neighbours, Petrus and Vieux Château Certain, Château Lafleur likes to keep its cards close to its chest. Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau, partners in life and in wine, are at the head of this micro-estate of 4.58 hectares. Dynamic, engaging, and sociable, they are pursuing the work of Baptiste’s parents – Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau – who, in 1985, decided to take over the tenancy of Château Lafleur from two cousins, Marie and Thérèse Robin. In 2001, the Guinaudeau family acquired the entire estate. Baptiste and Julie, then aged 20 and 18, decided to take a leap of faith and move in. Twenty years later, this seems to have paid off: Château Lafleur is a cult name among professionals and collectors. Since buying their flagship estate, the Guinaudeau family has slowly built a constellation of different sites across the region, where they produce several wines: Les Perrières, Château Grand Village, and Les Champs Libres. These wines, more accessible than Château Lafleur, also showcase the skill and sincerity so characteristic of Baptiste and Julie’s work.
Le Figaro Vin: How does it feel to be crowned a winemaking champion?
Julie Guinaudeau. – At the end of the day, this doesn’t really change anything.
Baptiste Guinaudeau. – What are we the champions of? Of nothing. We are, first and foremost, farmers; our lives follow the rhythm of the seasons. We are fortunate to be in this position and to be doing the work we love. Above all, we are very lucky.
Is wine a team sport?
BG: Yes, without a doubt. Wine is truly a team sport, one that isn’t bound by time or borders. Even more so in Bordeaux, contrary to the somewhat dusty, fossilised, “members’ club” image people have of it. In the wine world, Bordeaux is an exception. Nowhere else involves so many people who do not hail from the region and as many women in leadership roles. In fact, Bordeaux might be the region with the freshest and most feminine approach.
It’s important to stress that wine doesn’t encompass a single profession: there are several. We can’t do everything alone. For this reason, it’s essential to know who to surround ourselves with. We have an international, multidisciplinary team. Thanks to the renown of Bordeaux, we attract people from all around the world that want to work with us. We’ve never needed to post job offers anywhere. There are 25 of us in the team, of which a little under a third had never made wine before working with us. A third come from abroad, another third from other parts of France (most of whom had nothing to do with wine before joining us), and a final third from a more “classic” background. We really appreciate this group of people, who always give it their all.
Who is your mentor?
BG: Here, that would be me. You always need a conductor, a team coach, who has an overview of the game, but I discuss things with Julie and my parents a lot. We are a couple, following in the footsteps of another couple, Sylvie and Jacques (Guinandeau, Baptiste’s parents and previous estate managers, ed.) in the story of Lafleur. They are the ones who built the foundations of what we are today.
We have a specific progression path at Lafleur, and it always begins in the vineyard, for a cycle of two to three years. Out of 25 people, there’s only one person who’s never pruned a vine plant: our accountant! Other than that, everyone starts out in the vineyard with us. This is the foundation, the “core curriculum”. During those first few years, you get to know the true character of the person you have before you. This evolves: the team members mature, they change, and we constantly strive to get the best out of them.
Have you been training for long?
BG: We both began our careers in wine very young. We started working together 22 years ago: 2001 was our first joint vintage. What sets us apart is that we make wines together, as a couple. We are both in love with each other and with the wines we make. We are living on-site, 100% immersed, and are lucky to own the estate. We are among the youngest, but we already have two decades of foolishness and success behind us. My parents brought us into the fold from the get-go. Throughout the 2000s, the four of us worked symbiotically. We are a family that has been making wine for many years, but we’re only the second generation of full-time winemakers.
JG: I worked on my parents’ organic farm in the Lot-et-Garonne. I met Baptiste in high school when I was 16 years old. I came to Bordeaux to learn oenology – there was something magical about winemaking for me. I had the opportunity to make my first wine at Lafleur in 2001, which confirmed to me that it was something wonderful. I grew up with a strong sense of taste instilled in me, through my parents, who grew tomatoes and other vegetables. For this reason, I had a very developed palate. Wine naturally followed in the footsteps of my upbringing.
What is the key to making a good wine? The terroir or the team?
BG: Everything! We have a somewhat simplistic formula that states that great wine is the sum of three elements: a great soil (with a favourable climate); great genetics (when it comes to the variety); and a winemaker that calls the right shots at the right time.
To what do you owe your success?
BG: We owe it to discomfort, which is at the heart of our profession. As long as you feel discomfort, you’re not in any danger. It’s comfort that’s dangerous. Within prestigious, historic appellations, it’s being tempted to rest on your laurels. For us, discomfort came from having to buy Lafleur in 2001. When you buy land in Pomerol in the 21st century, it’s an investment, a gamble, one that needs to work out. The second discomfort came in the 2010s, when we had to change our distribution model because we weren’t reaching our consumers anymore. We looked for the best ambassadors, the best distributors, to share our vision with them. The latest thing that is stirring up discomfort is climate uncertainty, which we have always lived with, but which has turned a new corner today. What’s interesting is that we have never felt so much agency over it.
Are your daughters proud of you?
JG: They are, because they see how hard we work. There are few women in my profession and our daughters are proud to see me amongst other strong women in a male-dominated field.
BG: My daughters are proud of their mother. It’s easier to make great wines with strong women and sensitive men.
Who has been your biggest sponsor throughout your career?
BG: My parents.
Your favourite colour?
BG: All the reds.
JG: Yellow, because it’s the colour of the beautiful light we’re often blessed with in Bordeaux, that casts its warm glow on the landscape.
Your favourite variety?
BG: Bouchet. That’s what we call Cabernet Franc on the Right Bank. This fine variety fathered the two main Bordeaux varieties: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Born in the Basque Country, it was brought to Bordeaux by sailors, before ending up in the Loire Valley. It has everything going for it: grace, character, and a sense of balance that we love. As it’s relatively unknown, it always evolved in the shadows, and we identify with it. We live by the proverb “pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés” (“to live happily, live hidden”, ed.). Bouchet has been living on the Right Bank, in the shadow of Merlot.
Your favourite cuvée?
BG: The one we will discover next, whether that’s at home or somewhere else. I live in the future more so than in the past. At the moment, I really like the wines of Elian Da Ros – a winemaker from the same village that Julie grew up in, in the Côtes du Marmandais (in the Lot-et-Garonne, ed.). He is listed in Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world, but he marches to the beat of his own drum. His flagship wine is called Le Clos Baquet.
JG: The wines that have moved me the most have been German Rieslings. We’re very fond of the Prüm family, for example. If we had to pick one of our own cuvées, it would be Les Champs Libres. I love the idea that we can create something completely new with a Bordeaux variety (but with Liger-Sauternes genetics – Les Champs Libres is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Bordeaux Blanc appellation, but with a more Burgundian style. The first vintage was released in 2013, ed.).
Your favourite vintage?
BG: Always the next one to come!
If your wine was a person, who would it be?
BG: It would be Lafleur.
What’s the best way to enjoy it?
BG: Very simply and spontaneously.
JG: In a relaxed state.
With whom?
BG: With novice drinkers.
Have you ever thought about chemically enhancing your estate?
BG: We’re dangerous enough as it is! We don’t need to and neither does the wine. Great wines are pure wines, they don’t need any help to express themselves. We’re sometimes lucky enough to be able to go far back, and taste wines that are a century old. Even in that crude state, they are wonderful.
JG: We’ve tasted some incredible bottles. When we think about it technically, the conditions in which the wine was made, you realise the finest vintages were always the toughest, those where you managed, despite everything, to make a great wine.
For what price would you be prepared to sell your estate?
BG: It’s priceless. You would have to buy us alongside the estate, good luck with that!
Who is your most formidable opponent in Pomerol?
BG: We don’t have opponents. It might be because there’s less of a competitive spirit in Pomerol. You don’t have the weight of history, of rankings et cetera, unlike in other Bordeaux appellations, because our appellation is relatively young. We are tiny and we need each other. Together, we feel stronger. If we had an opponent, it would be the climate, but things aren’t black and white, because the climate can also help us. Just like a sailor fears the sea while depending on it, we fear and depend on the climate.
What is your greatest achievement?
JG: That Jacques and Sylvie placed their trust in me. They allowed me to express myself, to be a part of the family and hold the reigns, alongside Baptiste, of the production, in the vineyard and in the cellar. Others also saw my potential, such as Claude Berrouet (previously winemaker at Petrus, ed.), who taught us a lot. He educated our palates.
What has been your most innovative strategy in the vineyard and in the cellar?
To work and be in love! More seriously, we don’t innovate, because you must be wary of innovations in viticulture. Above all, you need to avoid being suddenly behind. You need to think long-term and take things slowly, but you also need to be able to act in the moment. We tinker, but we don’t innovate.
What’s your most original tactic?
BG: We harvest grapes that we’ve pruned. When we’re in the vineyard, we think about the wines we’ve enjoyed the previous day and discuss their various qualities. In the cellar, we always consider how we birthed the vintage, we think about the vines a lot. We spend a lot of time at the tasting table. We are against parcel-driven vinification. It can be very risky in tiny estates like Lafleur: micro-vinifying in the absence of mass. What makes the difference between a great wine and a good wine is the quality of the tannins, their length on the palate and the minutes that follow. The quality of tannins is linked to a delicate maceration. We prefer talking about “infusion” and “diffusion” rather than “extraction”. You need a minimum of mass for that, so these choices happen very early on. You can’t separate all the vines by age, by variety, by soil. 80% of the grape blend is made during the harvest.
JG: Wine is made in the vineyard. Once it passes the doors of the cellar, the die has already been cast. At Lafleur, it’s the sum of all the little details each step of the way, in the vineyard and in the cellar, that determine the end result.
Who would be your ideal successor on the podium?
BG and JG: Our daughters!