Friday, July 7th. Taking advantage of a trip a little far from my usual bases and thinking that I couldn't be closer, I head to Carsac-de-Gurson at Winery Poppy.
After 2 hours of tortuous roads and under a blazing sun I arrive at Grégoire Rousseau's house. Rested from his siesta, Grégoire first offers me to stay in a large room with imposing walls. After a small coffee and a glass of water, Grégoire explains to me how he arrived in this area, far from his base in Auvergne. After a few years working in a Winery in Bordeaux (whose name he won't tell me) with a good salary, he opted for a job with a nurseryman with whom he had no contact. The chance meetings settled him in this corner of Bergerac, a few metres from Bordeaux and more precisely from the Côtes de Castillon. The terroirs are more or less identical but the appellations do not enjoy the same reputation and therefore the same commercial outlets. Since 2006, when he set up his business, he has moved once, divorced once, had two frosts, been hit by hail x times etc... life at winemaker is and will be complicated. Grégoire Rousseau is not the type to let himself be defeated. Now owner of his maison, he has many projects in the pipeline. Among them are the indispensable ones, such as the purchase of grapes in 2017 to make up for the almost zero production in 2017 (almost 100% frost). There is also a new cellar, the construction of which is being completed with the help of a good friend in the area. After a 2016 that made him serene, the 2017 vintage is drying him out but he looks ahead with his big blue eyes and his joyful smile.
Around 6pm and despite the heat still being strong, a quick tour of his current cellar in an old barn, open doors, large luxury resin vats, far, very far, from an aseptic standard J. At the bottom left, the storage of bottles. A simple place, with no fuss or frills. We visit what will be the new cellar where some barrels of white wine are already sleeping (which we will taste in passing), the old press and at the back the field with 2 donkeys which will come to visit us. An airy and light space where we feel good. Crossing the small country road that passes in front of his house, we arrive at the orchard and then on magnificent vines of old Semillon. It's magnificent because the green is pure, the sun gives superb glints but the reality is still there, vines without any grapes : remember, the frost ? The man is really fed up and there's no point turning the knife in the wound. He suggests that we go and see a young man who has just settled down not far away, a phone call, and here we are in his truck for a 5/10 minutes drive to cross the invisible border between the Bergerac region and the Côtes de Castillon. We arrive at Château Brandeau where Sophie and Julien VOOGT have been working since 2015, when they took over the farm at Winery (10ha cultivated organically for over 20 years). The working tools are not the same, starting with a magnificent cellar for vinification and maturing. Julien is a guy with sparkling eyes, full of energy and desire, and he makes us taste his range. A very pleasant work, full of freshness and crispness. Julien is not looking for power but for fruit without excessive extraction. In particular, the "Joue Franc Jeu" vintage is really seductive in the entry-level range. I say to myself that we must follow the guy! Back outside to share a few beers. There's no better way, even at the winegrowers', to refresh yourself.
0h, we go back to Grégoire Rousseau's place to taste some of his wines (qd même), among others the white one, then some of Grégoire Rousseau's friends arrive, some of them, at least one is winemaker (Winery les 3 Saules en conversion AB) in the area too, with some skittles, then some skittles and my skittles. Barbecue outside, dinner in the cool (it's finally a nice 27°C at 23h30). It's time again to go to a local village and drink a few beers again, well, they do, because I'm resisting, or more exactly, I don't want any more. 1h15, back to Grégoire's place where the door to the brandies opens and I close again, tired by the road, the heat and the J skittles. 2h15, Grégoire tells me where I can sleep, like a baby, indeed, I sleep. I leave in the cool of the night around 8.30am, the maison is asleep and I leave a note for Grégoire to thank him for having allowed me to share a part of his life, his questions and his desires. See you soon for a vintage together?
