A FOCUS ON... Château L'Etampe (Vignobles Jade)
29/11/2022
We are delighted to finish off 2022 representing a wonderful new Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château L’Etampe, produced by the excellent Vignobles Jade.
The family behind Vignobles Jade have only made wine at Château L'Etampe since 2016, but they have been working the vineyards of the region for six generations since 1837, when Pierre Roux bought the very first patches of earth (that would in time become Château La Loubière.) His great grandson, winemaker Albert Roux, was a visionary for his time and implemented many of the practices that are used in biodynamic winemaking today, for example the use of cement vats and natural fertilisers. Despite the decades separating them, Château L'Etampe has also been farmed biodynamically since 2017.
During the 1980s, the winery passed from Albert to his daughter Micheline and her husband André Teycheney, and it is the Teycheney family (Patrick and Caroline) that run Vignobles Jade today. They did not dive straight into wine-making - Patrick defected from an operations role and Caroline from the luxury watch industry to carry on the family tradition. Given their career history external to wine, they were not satisfied with simply carrying on as before and they brought with them their own new personal ambitions for the winery: to set themselves up in Saint-Émilion and to create a biodynamic grand cru.
They decided in 2015 that would pool their resources and they went on to purchase three plots in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation: Château Fleur de Lisse, Château L'Etampe, plus a third organic vineyard. By 2018 they had 32 hectares and now had the necessary size to run a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru biodynamically.
Biodynamic wine-making for those unfamiliar, is a set of farming practices (originally developed by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s) that tries to create an ecosystem encompassing the whole of the vineyard: the vines and other plants, animals, soils, their environment as well as those who work there. Chemical fertilisers are banned in favour of natural materials and composts. This ecosystem should ultimately be self-sustaining, and the idea is that farming in this manner will result in grapes that reveal their terroir.
Caroline explains their decision, “We made the choice in 2016, with the acquisition of the Château Fleur de Lisse and Château L'Etampe, to convert all our vineyards to organic farming and biodynamic cultivation. The intelligence of nature and the observation of its ecosystem are at the heart of Vignobles Jade's values. It is in this respect for the terroir, for our winegrowers, for the consumer and for future generations, that we produce all our wines, vintage after vintage. This is our vision of a modern and eco-responsible vineyard.”
The Château L'Etampe vineyard where the Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes grow is bordered on its north side by a little stream and line of trees, the soils are sandy. This stream cools the vineyard during hot summer months, and the sandy soils then capture and retain warmth during cooler weather, achieving a remarkable natural balance. Their winemaker Nicolas Géré (in the first photo shown) has studied under in Hermitage under Jean-Louis Chave, travelled worldwide, and worked in some of the most renowned Bordeaux appellations, including Margaux, Sauternes and Pessac-Léognan. In the second photo, you can see me as the Merlot grapes came in earlier this year, an enjoyable trip getting to know the people behind the wine.
With each year, the wines of Château L'Etampe improve in their purity and precision. They are structured, aromatic, with plenty of ageability; and thanks to their biodynamic practices, the terroir expressed is noteable. With only 5000 bottles produced from this small vineyard every year, this is a relatively rare wine but well worth seeking out. I feel there is a very bright future ahead for Château L'Etampe and Vignobles Jade and am delighted to be able to bring this to you here in the UK.
Purchase online here: Château l'Etampe Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019
