Is science killing Romance?

I'm sitting down after a long week with the Famille Fabre Chardonnay from the June selection. It's crisp, bright with a little oak aging. It's beautifully delicate and it goes great with this lightly toasted brie sandwich. As I read the back of the bottle, the notes talk romantically of the 'Terroir' and how after thousands of years the vineyard occupies a natural amphitheatre which has created this beautiful wine. Terroir 'romance' sells wine....but is it true? The science says not!

Terroir can mean the geology (the rocks), the soil, the climate, the aspect, the slopes and the vegetation. Basically, the wine growing environment! But when we say, I can taste the minerality in the wine from the granite or how the chalk, schist, marl, looes or clay makes the wine taste a certain way........ is it true?

In short, NO!

The science!

It's simply not correct, the roots of the vines have no way to absorb those minerals, although they can absorb the simple dissolved minerals in the water in the soil (eg Nitrogen, Phosporus, Potassium etc) but not mineral flavours. Also, the stone erosion takes so long (millions of years), it's not feasible to affect the vines each year. And the flavours of many soluble minerals (chalk - calcium carbonate & calcium hydroxide) are tasteless...

The things that affect the wine are the sun, the temperature of the air, the temperature of the soil, the rootstock, the leaves and compost from the previous years leaves, the bugs that die in the vineyard. These all impart effects on the vines and the grapes that grow.

Additionally, all of these control the water in the vineyard and with that, the way that the grapes swell and develop over the growing season. We also know that in dry regions, many viticulturists irrigate the vines to maintain a consistent water ratio for the vines. In wet regions, the viticulturist creates improved drainage. This is so important to the growth of the vine and the grapes. Way more important than the rocks.

But let's not dissmiss the geology! The rocks are important as over millions of years they have formed the hills, the valleys, the mountains, the aspects facing towards the sun, the shelter to protect the vines. But science proves that they don't impart flavours in to the grapes.

What should we look at?

What does make a difference? We should talk about rootstocks (since Phyloxera) and yeast. The rootstock is normally American and infact a totally differect species, that controls how 'strong' and 'vigourous' the vine is....but it's not as sexy as terroir as they are named '3309' or '101-14', but vitally important. The yeast is equally important as that pesky little fungi causes huge flavour variations.....but again, not very sexy or romantic. There are many names, but for example 71B‑1122 Narbonne or D‑47 White Wine does not turn me on!!!! But we don't talk about these on the back of the bottle!

Good Practice

The development of organic, sustainable and biodynamic farming means that we look after the vineyards better, we tend the grapes with love and affection. We gently support the growth of the vines and grapes to produce beautifully flavoured grapes. This is where winemaking succeeds, this is where the farmer and the winemaker make a difference to what you get in your glass. This is the new romance!

Romance isn't dead though!

So, for me, the terroir is important but let's not over rotate on the geology and let's appreciate the skills of the farmer (viticulturalist) and the skills of the winemakers & the science that makes your wine beautiful and delightful to drink. I won't and don't dismiss the history and heritage....creating wine is a real skill....creating great wine is an even bigger skill. Long may it continue.

Something to think about over the weekend.

Big Love!!!

Matt

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