Second-generation owner and winemaker of her estate in Anjou: “The important thing is to feel alive”.
For the 13th interview in Le Figaro Vin’s series we remain in Savennières in the Loire to meet Tessa Laroche, #38. One of France’s greatest winemakers, hidden away in one of the country’s tiniest appellations, Savennières Roche aux Moines, she will celebrate 20 years at the helm of her estate in 2023.
Her parents bought the property, whose wine-growing origins date back to the Middle Ages, in 1981. At that time the wine was still sold in barrels, not bottles. With each passing vintage they succeeded in converting the neighbourhood. Tessa’s mother, Monique Laroche, who passed away in 2020, was the driving force who played a major part in establishing the region’s viticultural reputation.
Her core operation remains the iconic wine of the estate, turning out between 30,000 and 40,000 bottles a year, but in recent years Tessa Laroche has branched out with a new wine, Le Berceau des Fées. This is made from young vines and matured in vats instead of barrels, while her reds, made from Cabernet Franc, display a vivacity rarely found elsewhere. Though her terroir remains her greatest love, not a day goes by without a glass of champagne. As she is fond of pointing out: “The important thing is to feel alive”.
Le Figaro Vin: How does it feel to be crowned a winemaking champion?
Tessa Laroche: I am not a champion, because it is impossible to go it alone. I am just a winemaker. I have a passion, I try to do the best that I possibly can, together with all the colleagues who work with me on the estate.
Who is your mentor?
My mother tops the list, but I would add Odilon de Varine, Charles-Emmanuel Girard, and Richard Leroy (respectively cellar master in Champagne, oenologist in the Loire Valley, and legendary winemaker in Anjou, ed.).
Is wine a team sport?
Yes, without a team you cannot function. There is always a captain, as in any sport or as there is on a ship. The prerequisites are that my team must enjoy food and wine, must have a good sense of humour, and must be happy. The wine we make is good and full of life, so we have to be in harmony!
What is the key to making a good wine? The terroir or the winemaker?
You cannot achieve the necessary level of complexity without the terroir. Without being a megalomaniac, I am lucky to have one of the finest terroirs in existence. That said, all of us are passionate about what we do and, no matter what, our love is reflected in the wine.
To what do you owe your success?
To this wonderful place, and to my parents, who came to establish themselves here. My team has been here for 15 years. Without them I would never have got this far.
The king of grape varieties?
Chenin. It is the best grape variety in the world, with its potential for total success or abject failure. You have to learn how to tame it, growing small yields and small bunches of grapes. But you can have so much fun with it, making sparkling wines, dry wines, sweet wines…you have to know how to manage it, rather like with a horse. If you give it its head it probably won’t be that good. Just now my preference is for dry wines, but the sweet wines are coming back into favour.
Your favourite wine?
Roche aux Moines 2001, my very first wine.
Your favourite vintage?
2019, which I like hugely right now, just like the 2017. But it’s constantly evolving.
If your wine was a person, who would it be?
Just like your dog, your wine takes on your appearance. My wine looks like joie de vivre because I try not to transfer my anxiety to it.
What are the best circumstances in which to taste your wine?
You should be relaxed, at the end of the morning, or after a productive day, sitting in the garden or in front of the fireplace.
Who is your strongest competition in the Loire?
For all of us here Richard Leroy is the master. We even call him God. He is always exchanging ideas, part of the conversation. He loves to share his knowledge. We have to remember that we are all just passing through and it is essential to engage with each other. There is a real solidarity in Anjou, and no one works in isolation. That is probably why the region attracts so many new establishments.
Have you ever thought about chemically enhancing yourself, or your wine?
No, that has never occurred to me. I don’t wear make-up, so why not keep my wine natural too?
Is your family proud of you?
We are siblings and everyone is delighted by the continuity of the estate.
What has been your most innovative strategy in the vineyard and in the cellar?
To get the best grapes depending on the vintage. You have to reinvent yourself every year. However, there is nothing more difficult if you are French!
Who would be your ideal successor on the podium?
God alone knows. I have six nephews and nieces. The choice has to be obvious and, above all, not put pressure on anyone. As things stand, I am in no hurry.
Owner of Domaine Belargus: “I have a bit of a PSG syndrome”.
Figaro Vin’s 39th top French winemaker, Ivan Massonnat creates sumptuous wines on Savennières’ exceptional terroir.
In the Loire valley, on one of Anjou noir’s finest terroirs, Ivan Massonnat is fulfilling his long-lasting dream of producing excellent Chenins from Savennières. At the Belargus estate, born in 2018 with the purchase of the Pithon-Paillé estate, 24 hectares of vines are biodynamically grown in a parcel-based approach inspired by the Burgundian “climates”. Named in tribute to the rare cuvée once made by Jo Pithon – the “Belargus des Treilles” – Belargus is also the name of a small blue butterfly that’s exceedingly rare at this latitude but can be found on the Coteau des Treilles terroir.
Le Figaro Vin. – How does it feel to be crowned a winemaking champion?
Ivan Massonnat. – I don’t consider myself to be a champion. One part of me feels like a wine amateur that’s made it and is living the dream, the other like a producer that makes his wine and takes decisions.
Have you been training for long?
Yes, since my childhood, without even realising it. My passion for vines stems from my grandfather’s vines, and I’ve trained by being in contact with real champions, of the Burgundian kind.
Who is your coach?
Jo Pithon, who’s been by my side every day throughout this adventure, with 40 vintages under his belt. I have a few other mentors, such as Thibault Liger-Belair and Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy. It’s by their side that I learnt to trust myself. There’s Pierre Amoreau from Château Le Puy, who taught me a lot. Among those who inspire me, there’s also Anselme Selosse. His approach goes far beyond that of a winemaker, he’s a true philosopher. At 45 years old, I completely changed my life, shifting towards a career I knew to be difficult. When I see a man like him, I know I’ve done the right thing.
Is wine a team sport?
Yes, definitely. I spend my time saying so. There are some people who are often cast aside, especially in the vineyard, but on my estate, it’s the opposite. You need great talent, with each individual excelling in their specialty. The members of my team are sharp and well-suited to their roles. I have the PSG syndrome; I don’t want people working in silos. If everyone isn’t aware of the whole, we cannot accomplish anything. Good ideas sometimes come from across the playing field. For me, the concept of a rugby team is the best model there is.
What is the key to making a good wine? The terroir or the winemaker?
I have a vision of making wine with a sense of place, and not all places are created equal. That being said, a good-for-nothing from the finest place will not make a great wine! I don’t believe that a winemaker is a magician.
To what or to who do you owe your success?
To all those who believed in me, my closest circle, who didn’t view my project as a pipe dream. There are also those who told my story, as well as the clients. No project can bring people together the way wine does. Each link in the chain has been important. I never imagined things would happen so fast, and the seeds would take root.
Is your family proud of you?
Yes, and very happy for me. My family has made a lot of sacrifices, but it was worth it in the end.
Your favourite colour?
I started with reds, but today I like whites just as much.
The king of grape varieties?
Chenin! It has a lot of character and concentrates a lot of different traits.
Your favourite wine?
The Coteau des Treilles, which I just call Les Treilles.
Your favourite vintage?
Probably 1989, for the reds. It’s the one I’ve had the most opportunities to enjoy.
If your wine were a person, who would they be?
Me. A profound part of a winemaker’s personality finds its way into the wine they make.
What’s the best way to enjoy it?
In good company.
Have you already thought about chemically enhancing yourself, or your wine?
No.
If you had to put a price on your estate, what would it be?
I’m not planning to. This is a 100-year project, and I don’t know what value it will have in a century’s time!
Who is your strongest competition in Anjou?
I don’t view competition that way, nor do I consider my neighbours as opponents. What impresses me is team play. My adversary could be the beer or alcohol-free drinks industries. When I see people with a waning interest in wine, I feel like we’ve missed the boat somewhere along the line.
What has been your most innovative strategy in the vineyard and in the cellar?
My most innovative idea in the region was to break the glass ceiling. What has defined Belargus is the conviction that this region produces some of France’s finest white wines and that they shouldn’t be sold at a discount. It was a risk, but in line with what I was doing. Les Treilles has been the proof of this: a 100 euro-wine from Anjou. This was completely unheard of.
Who would be your ideal successor on the podium?
I don’t know yet. I don’t want to impose this on my children. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: I will not last forever. What will remain is the terroir. My only wish is that my successor be passionate.
Wine Lister speaks to 10 top sommeliers to find out more about their bottles of choice
From left to right: Lupo Theones, Victor Petiot, Gareth Ferreira, Beatrice Bessi, and Paul Lo
What top wines do sommeliers recommend?
Whether offering the perfect food pairing or serving an unforgettable glass, sommeliers are often responsible for creating moments of vinous magic shared by wine lovers far and wide. Our latest blog flips the script, with some of the world’s leading sommeliers sharing with us their most memorable pours, providing the ultimate guide on how to drink like a pro.
Read our blog on your favourite winemakers’ favourite wine for more insight into what the experts are drinking here.
Lupo Theones – Head Sommelier at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London
Lupo Theones shares the same sentiment as many of his peers: “it is challenging to choose a single wine when you taste so many great wines as a sommelier”. He nonetheless mentions Egon Müller’s Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 2011 as a wine that “deeply impressed” him, having tasted it soon after moving to London to join The Connaught. Describing a “perfectly balanced” palate that “shows a great acidity and minerality”, Lupo notes that it is a wine you can drink on its own, or paired with the likes of sushi and shellfish, as well as Foie Gras.
Victor Petiot – Wine Director at Caprice at Four Seasons, Hong Kong
Having discovered the vintage just last year, Victor Petiot cites Toro Albalá Don PX 1931 as his favourite wine, due to its “uniqueness” after sleeping in barrel for over 90 years. He explains that it provides “the perfect balance between powerful and well-balanced” with a “sweet and creamy texture yet high acidity”. On the topic of pairing, Victor tells us that the wine prompted the creation of a new dish to be served with it, comprising “a pigeon cooked in a coffee dough with salsify, hazelnut, pan-fried foie gras and pigeon sauce with coffee and a bit of Toro Albalá 1931”.
Gareth Ferreira – Head Sommelier at Core by Clare Smyth, London
Gareth Ferreira recalls being “immediately hooked” on his first real trip to visit the great producers of Burgundy during his early career. He tells us of the first time he tried Jean-Marie Fourrier’s Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques, which made him question, “how can wine taste this good?”. It has since remained a wine he “looks forward to opening, no matter what the vintage is”, though the first he tasted – 2009 and 2010 – “will always have a special place in [his] heart” and 2002 is one of his favourites in Burgundy.
Beatrice Bessi – Head Sommelier at Chiltern Firehouse, London
“The reason that I became a sommelier is the Nebbiolo grape” exclaims Beatrice Bessi, who fell in love with Barolo in particular over 10 years ago. It is her “never-ending love”, as the region takes a lifetime to know in its entirety (“similar to Burgundy in that respect”, she notes). While citing Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello as “traditionalist” producers that she would turn to on special occasions, Beatrice recently “fell in love with the wines of a super modern producer”, Domenico Clerico. In regards to pairing, she tells us that there is “nothing more satisfying” than an amazing glass of Barolo with pizza – there “doesn’t need to be an occasion to have a great glass”.
Paul Lo – Wine Director at Grand Lisboa, Hong Kong
Unable to choose a favourite, Paul Lo instead recalls an exclusive dinner he hosted in May 2014, at which the late chef Joël Robuchon’s menu was paired with 10 wines from the Lisboa cellar hailing from the 1959 vintage. Listing Dom Pérignon Oenothèque, Margaux, Palmer, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafite, Mouton, La Mission Haut-Brion, Cheval Blanc, and a Steinberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, he tells us that “uncorking the wines in a single event was unforgettable”. He gives particular praise to the Steinberger, noting “so many elements inside – nectar coupled with dried nuts, dry fruits, cigar, caramel, noble spices”, presented with “delicate and perfect acidity”.
From left to right: Stefan Kobald, Victoria O’Bryan, Julien Sarrasin, Jonathan Charnay, and Pascaline Lepeltier
Stefan Kobald – Head Sommelier at Pollen Street Social, London
Stefan Kobald tells us that current favourite wine is Philippe Colin Montagny 2016. Having always known of the producer, Stefan discovered this specific cuvée before the first lockdown and has been “hooked ever since”. He describes its “fresh acidity, stunning aromas of ripe apple, citrus notes of lemon peel, and grapefruit”, with a “hint of butter coming from the light oak usage”. Sharing the same philosophy for when he buys wine for the restaurant and himself, he seeks freshness and drinkability, and a wine that invites you back to take another sip – which this wine “definitely does”.
Victoria O’Bryan – Wine Director at Addison Restaurant, California
Narrating her recent encounter with Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 2002, Victoria O’Bryan tells us that it made her “weak at the knees”. She explains that the wine opened up with surprising ferocity, “like a jolt of electricity giving power and lift to bright citrus tones and a stunning limestone minerality”, with an expression that was “at once creamy and piercing with layers of intensity”. When pairing a wine with “this flair of tension and drama”, Victoria would recommend pouring it alongside caviar or oysters.
Julien Sarrasin – Head Sommelier at Hide, London
“Every wine aficionado would understand the emotion I felt when I first tried this unique wine”, notes Julien Sarrasin, referring the Rhône’s renowned Reynaud family, and specifically a 2004 Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Now under the influence of the “Rayas effect”, Julien also cites a rosé called Parisy from another Reynaud property, Château des Tours – a blend of Grenache and Cinsault that provided his “most exciting experience” of rosé wine. He describes its “intense bouquet of crushed wild ripe raspberries, jammy strawberries, liquorice stick, and Mediterranean herbs”, which pairs with “intense seafood and fish dishes, as well as meat”.
Jonathan Charnay – Beverage Director at Masa, New York
Echoing Lupo Theones’s choice, Jonathan Charnay tells us that his “absolute favourite wine” is Egon Müller’s Scharzhofberger Riesling, though cites the Auslese as his top wine. He muses on its “great complexity and depth” with “intense aromas of white flowers and honey” that he immediately fell in love with when tasting with Egon Müller during a visit to the winery in 2013. While it is sweet when young, Jonathan points out that it can “age for decades, turning into a delicate elixir” with notes of “apricots, ginger and bergamot”.
Pascaline Lepeltier – formerly Managing Partner at Racines, New York
Pascaline Lepeltier informs us that if she “had to go back to a wine over and over again” it would be Benoit Courault’s Gilbourg – a Chenin Blanc from Anjou in the Loire, where she grew up. “Benoit was one of the first vignerons I met over 15 years ago” she explains, noting that her path was paved by time spent with him in his vineyards in the Coteaux du Layon. Produced with grapes from different plots on schists, Gilbourg is made organically and with minimal intervention – “a real paragon” according to Pascaline. Admiring its “tremendous” ageing potential, she notes its evolution into “the most complete, complex, powerful but ethereal Chenin”.
Explore Wine Lister’s own MUST BUYs for 2021 in our recent blog here.
Having recently confirmed Chablis as the place to look for Burgundian Value Picks, this week’s Listed blog brings the price scale up a notch to look at the top five still dry white wines under £200 per bottle by Wine Lister score. Alongside one further appearance from Chablis, the selection is pleasantly diverse.
Domaine Bonneau du Martray’s Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru takes the number one spot. With a market price of £116 per bottle, it is in fact the least expensive of the five. Brand is its strongest category with a score of 950, generated by 4,150 monthly online searches on Wine-Searcher and presence in 36 of the world’s best restaurants. Figures from Wine Market Journal also place it first for trading volumes, with 440 bottles of its top five vintages traded at auction during the last 12 months.
The second-highest scoring still dry white under £200 is Vincent Dauvissat’s Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. It has both the highest Quality score and market price of the group (952 and £151 per bottle respectively). However, Chablis once again shows a positive price to quality ratio when compared to other white Burgundian offerings with the same Quality score. In this context, Maison Louis Jadot’s Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles and Maison Joseph Drouhin’s Montrachet Grand Cru Marquis de Laguiche are 42% and 173% more expensive (at £214 and £412 per bottle respectively).
Next on the list is Riesling Clos Sainte-Hune, Trimbach’s most iconic dry white. Its Quality and Brand scores (943 and 947 respectively) outperform its Economics score (870) resulting in an overall score of 930. Clos Sainte-Hune’s tiny production level of an average 9,600 bottles per annum (five times fewer than the 48,000 bottles of Corton-Charlemagne produced by Bonneau du Martray, for example) makes it a true rarity.
Travelling further south for the still dry white in fourth place, we find Domaine Jean-Louis Chave’s Hermitage Blanc with an overall Wine Lister score of 922. Curiously, vintage Quality score variation is more at play here than any other wine of this week’s top five. The 2016 vintage of Chave’s Hermitage Blanc earns the highest vintage Quality score of the lot (993), however 307 points separate its best from its worst vintage (2002) which is also the lowest vintage Quality score of the five.
Last but not least, the fifth highest-scoring still dry white under £200 is Domaine Didier Dageneau’s Silex, with an overall score of 914 and a market price of £124 per bottle. In a regional context, Silex takes the number one spot on all fronts with the highest Quality, Brand, and Economics scores of all Loire dry whites. As the fifth and final wine of this week’s top five, it has the highest restaurant presence with a listing in 39 of the world’s best restaurants.
This week, Wine Lister determinedly battles through the cold to bring on spring with the vinous ray of sunshine that is Sauvignon Blanc. The Loire valley is, for many, the holy grail of Sauvignon Blanc production, creating pure, age-worthy examples of the grape. Interestingly, Wine Lister’s top five Loire Valley dry whites for Quality all hail from the Easternmost tip of the Valley – Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre – thus edging out stiff competition from the more Westerly Chenin Blancs.
Whilst none of the top five breach the 900-point mark – thus not quite making it into the most elite band of Wine Lister’s 1,000-point scale – they don’t miss out by far, and are separated by just 28 points. Notably, two producers dominate – Dagueneau and François Cotat – filling four spots, with Alphonse Mellot’s Edmond taking the remaining place.
In top spot is Dagueneau’s Silex with a score of 895. This iconic Pouilly-Fumé – or Blanc Fumé de Pouilly as the domaine refers to it – might not be the Loire’s longest-lived dry white, but leads thanks to excellent critics’ ratings, with French duo Bettane+Desseauve awarding it 18.5/20 on average. Not only is it the Loire’s top dry white for quality, it also achieves the best Brand score of any Loire Valley wine – it is 68% more popular than any other wine from the region and its famous flint-emblazoned bottle is visible in 39% of the world’s top restaurants.
Second and third spots are taken by two Sancerres from François Cotat – Les Culs de Beaujeu (883) and Les Monts Damnés (879). François Cotat, along with his cousin Pascal inherited their respective domaines when their fathers – Paul and Francis – retired in the early 90s. The cousins decided to split production, with François continuing to make his wines in Chavignol, whilst Pascal built a new winery in Sancerre. François’ Les Culs de Beaujeu and Les Monts Damnés comfortably achieve the longest drinking windows of this week’s top five – 12 and 13 years respectively – at least three years longer than the remainder of the group.
Fourth and fifth spots are filled by Dagueneau’s Les Monts Damnés (869) and Alphonse Mellot’s Edmond (867). Whilst they are separated by just two points in terms of Quality, the former is over 2.5 times more expensive, perhaps thanks to Domaine Dagueneau’s cult status.
Stretching from the Atlantic coast in the West to Pouilly-sur-Loire in the East, the Loire Valley extends half way across France, and is home to some of the country’s great white wines. Reflecting the diversity of the region, the Loire’s top five whites comprise two dry Sauvignon Blancs, two sweet Chenin Blancs, and a dry Chenin Blanc. However, whilst these wines are diverse in style, they share several key characteristics – they are all produced biodynamically, in small quantities, and by cult winemakers.
Leading the way are two Pouilly-Fumés from Domaine Didier Dagueneau – Silex and Pur Sang. One of Wine Lister’s Buzz Brands, Silex achieves excellent scores in each of Wine Lister’s three categories. However, it enjoys particularly strong brand recognition, present in 39% of the world’s best restaurants and receiving on average over 4,000 searches each month on Wine-Searcher. Pur Sang achieves its best score in the Economics category, thanks to strong price performance – with a three year CAGR of 14% and a six month growth rate of 13%.
Moving West to Vouvray, Domaine Huet Cuvée Constance comes next. Produced only in great vintages, this botrytised Chenin Blanc has the best Quality score of the group (981), and the 14th highest of all white wines on Wine Lister.
Continuing further down the valley, Clos Rougeard Brézé is in fourth place. The most expensive wine of the group, it has a remarkable three year CAGR of 33%, confirming that it is a wine on a strong upward trajectory. The fifth wine is Nicolas Joly’s Coulée de Serrant. Produced in the most westerly appellation of the group – Savennières Coulée de Serrant – Brand is its strongest category, present in 31% of top establishments.
Don’t forget – if you’re not yet a subscriber to Wine Lister, you can still fully explore this week’s five Listed wines, and those for the previous four weeks, via the homepage.
Trading volumes are a key measure of a wine’s success in the marketplace. To evaluate these, Wine Lister uses figures collated by Wine Market Journal from sales at the world’s major auction houses, looking at the total number of bottles sold of the top five vintages traded for each wine over the past four quarters.
A change in trading volumes impacts a wine’s Economics score. The chart below pulls out the biggest gainers in the last quarter of 2016, comparing auction data from the 12 months leading up to the end of Q3 2016 to data for the calendar year.
Wines from a variety of regions saw their Economics scores boosted by auction sales in the final quarter of 2016, suggesting a healthy broadening of interest in addition to the usual suspects.
Gaining most was Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain, which saw trading volumes from January-December 2016 increase tenfold. Its Economics score remains relatively low, at 420/1000.
Australia and the Loire also made an appearance. Domaine Huet Cuvée Constance enjoys a very strong Economics score of 796/1000, and also excels in terms of Quality and Brand, leaving it with a very strong overall Wine Lister rating of 856/1000.
Burgundy is still on the rise at auction, and was the only region to feature twice, with Maison Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques and Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny.
As we know, the quality of a wine is not set in stone. Just like our Brand and Economics scores, Wine Lister’s Quality scores are also updated over time as wines evolve and new vintages are released.
Our algorithm analyses Quality by aggregating ratings from our three partner critics: Jancis Robinson, Bettane+Desseauve and Vinous (Antonio Galloni). It also comprises a small weighting for a wine’s longevity, based on the critics’ combined drinking windows, with the drink-by date updated regularly as our partner critics retaste and reevaluate.
In this post we look at the 10 biggest gainers in Quality over the course of 2016:
Huet’s Le Mont Moelleux improved the most last year, adding over 20% to its score, taking it to 917. This is down to a score of 18/20 for the 2015 vintage from our UK partner critic JancisRobinson.com.
Also partly thanks to a new score of 18 from the same critic, in second place is the fortified Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20 Year Old Tawny Port. The wine was also deemed to be eight years longer-lived than had been previously thought, contributing considerably to its Quality score surge.
Château Simone’s Palette Rouge received a higher-than-average score from Bettane+Desseauve for its 2012 vintage, making it the third-highest gainer for the year.
Improvements were also enjoyed across a wide range of other regions, from Bordeaux to Champagne, and in the New World.
Who will be 2017’s biggest Quality gainers? Only time (and tastings) will tell.