{"id":12557,"date":"2014-01-28T15:56:23","date_gmt":"2014-01-28T15:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.leaandsandeman.co.uk\/blog\/?p=12557"},"modified":"2017-05-15T17:48:23","modified_gmt":"2017-05-15T16:48:23","slug":"domaine-nicolas-rossignol-sarah-marsh-mw-burgundy-briefing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leaandsandeman.co.uk\/blog\/2014\/01\/domaine-nicolas-rossignol-sarah-marsh-mw-burgundy-briefing\/","title":{"rendered":"Domaine Nicolas Rossignol: Sarah Marsh MW ‘The Burgundy Briefing’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nicolas Rossignol<\/h2>\n

Nicolas Rossignol was born in Beaune on 26 July 1974. He is the fifth generation of the Rossignol family born in Volnay. On his maternal side, his grandmother was from Pernand Vergelesses and his mother is from Pommard.
\nAs a child he was not remotely interested in being a wine grower, although like most boys, he loved tractors.<\/p>\n

\"Cote_de_Beaune-Pommard<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Early Studies<\/h2>\n

Despite an initial lack of enthusiasm he decided to study a BTS viticulture and vinification at the lyc\u00e9e in Beanue, just to see if he liked it. In his first year he met some young chaps from Sancerre who had a deep love of their vineyards. He began speaking with his grandfather and thought \u201cthis is what I want to do. It rose within me.\u201d
\nIn the middle of his study he went to Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape. He was inspired by the wine he saw there. \u201cBig, deep and strong wine and with elegance and finesse,\u201d
\nHe began gaining experience by working for Joseph Voillot in Volnay. \u201cIt was not so far away, but it was a way to understand the soil.\u201d Joseph Voillot acted as a mentor figure to the young Nicolas who, like many young men, was at odds with his father. \u201cJoseph taught me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quite soon, Nicolas was fed up with studying. He didn\u2019t want to go on to the university in Dijon, but wanted to make wine \u2018for real.\u2019 First he took some time out at Lafite Rothschild.\u201d This was more to learn about the vineyards.\u201d Although he says he did not learn anything directly, he became more aware about things such as free juice.<\/p>\n

Introduction to Winemaking<\/h2>\n

After the end of his studies in 1994 he did a harvest at home with his father and from then on never missed a vintage. \u201cHowever he felt that he needed \u201cto go out into the world to experience something else and to properly appreciate where I am.\u201d So he decided to make two vinifications in one year and headed off for South Africa in 1995 to Boschendal.
\n\u201cHere I learnt about life! They said you are free; you can choose when to pick the grapes.\u201d He was offered Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. He chose Pinot Noir and made the 1995 vintage. \u201cI was allowed to do what I wanted. I learnt a little bit about wine. I showed them about whole bunches, but I learnt more about people and life. It is beautiful there.\u201d<\/p>\n

(coming back to Burgundy) \u201cAt first I worked with my father.\u201d His father was still young, (he has only just retired now in 2008) and Nicolas was still hankering to get away and make wine in other parts of the world, but by the end of 1995 he had to do military service.
\nThen in 1996 a cousin gave Nicolas the opportunity of renting his vineyards. I had to choose. I took the moment and started my own estate.\u201d They made separate estates, father and son. Although the vineyards were separate, Nicolas made all the wine. His father gave him free rein. \u201cIt was my worst work! I did what I learnt at school and it was bad. It was exciting and stressful, but I have a strong character, like my wine and my son, Joseph. I was just twenty-one years old and I had 22 appellations. I learnt very quickly.\u201d Nicolas went about changing the way things were done.<\/p>\n

\"Nicolas_Rossignol\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is more focused on the vineyards than the wine. He ploughs the soil. He really feels the soil,\u201d He passed his knowledge on to Nicolas. \u201cThe big difference between us is yields. My father worked in the 70s and 80s, the worse time in Burgundy for wine, when they took the easy way. He sold the grapes and wine to n\u00e9goce, but I wanted to produce the grapes to make and bottle my own wine.\u201d
\n\u201cMy father taught me to respect the soil and the vineyards.\u201d His grandfather showed him how to produce smaller grapes to increase concentration. He encouraged him to have a high canopy. He also told Nicolas about the moon calendar from pruning the vines to racking.
\n\u201cMy great motivation was to see my wine on the lists at restaurants. I wanted one day to become a reference for the village. At the time I needed outside criticism because my father would not tell me what he thought, so I went by journalists\u2019 reviews. Now I am more confident in myself and I do not take as much notice.\u201d He is always trying to change things, but is no longer trying to prove himself.<\/p>\n

Biodynamics<\/h2>\n

\u201cYields are very important, but I must also think about the price at which I can sell the wine. The most important thing for me is the purity and expression of the soil. I am not worried if people do not understand what I am doing. Maybe one day they will.\u201d
\nThere have been several key figures in Nicolas\u2019s life including his mentor Joseph Voillot, after whom he named his young son. Another winemaker has clearly inspired him. \u201cIn 2002 I made changes in my wine to be more like Christophe Roumier; to make wine with more elegance and purity. I tasted a lot with Olivier Lamy. We opened so many bottles and people would say \u2018you are crazy to open so many and leave so much.\u2019 We were just tasting so we left most of wine in the bottles we opened, but you have to taste the wine to learn.\u201d
\n\u201cIn 2002 the vineyards came into their own. We were doing more things in tune with the moon. I am not 100% biodynamic. We sprayed with clay in 2001 and 2004 and I think this works well. When the bunches close it helps against the rot. Many things are interesting in biodynamics, but other things are not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure the way we work the vineyards helps against rot. We work the vines so that they are more protected against rot. You can speak about homeopathy; speak about biodynamics. These are great in good conditions, but not when the conditions dictate that you must intervene. I do racking, bottling and pruning with the moon, but when the moment comes you may need to do something more interventionist.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nicolas Rossignol was born in Beaune on 26 July 1974. He is the fifth generation of the Rossignol family born in Volnay. On his maternal side, his grandmother was from Pernand Vergelesses and his mother is from Pommard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[660],"tags":[236],"class_list":["post-12557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-burgundy","tag-nicolas-rossignol"],"contentshake_article_id":"","yoast_head":"\nDomaine Nicolas Rossignol: Sarah Marsh MW 'The Burgundy Briefing'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nicolas Rossignol was born in Beaune on 26 July 1974. He is the fifth generation of the Rossignol family born in Volnay. 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