Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/807387
{ SOMMjournal.com } 85 David Ransom: How did the part- nership with Les Vignobles André Lurton come about? Michel Rolland: All thanks to Monsieur Lurton, actually! During an interview I was asked if I had any regrets in my long career. I said no, except to have missed meeting some of the great wine growers in the world including André Lurton, a resilient and determined pioneer. A few days later, Mr. Lurton called and said, "It's not too late, you know." And here we are! You consult on Château Bonnet and Château La Louvière's reds. What is your vision for these two wines? Have you adjusted the formula, and what do you want consumers to know about them? First, it is not about adjusting, but rather a search for more precision. Like much of the wine produced in Bordeaux, Château Bonnet stands for the everyday pleasure of drinking wine, delivering great value while continuing to respect what people have come to love about Bordeaux. Château La Louvière repre - sents the pinnacle of the Bordeaux region. It is a special wine for special occasions. There are many opinions on what makes a wine uniquely "Michel Rolland" in style. How do you define the Michel Rolland style of wine, or is there one? It would be nice if there was a "Michel Rolland style"! However, I instead try to embrace the facts: Pomerol wines are Pomerol, Argentinean are Argentinean, Californian are Californian. In any region, first it is necessary to determine how we can produce the best-quality grapes in the given terroir, as they will in turn decide the quality of the wine. So rather than stick to a style or formula, I simply focus on making good wine. You are known for making high- end wines, sometimes with high prices attached. However, these wines are wines for every day, not cellar - ing. Why did you feel this project was important for you and for Bordeaux, and why now? In my 40-plus-year professional career, I've worked on many different projects includ - ing both very expensive high-end wines and everyday wines at affordable prices. With each I feel it is necessary to adapt to the request of the winery and provide what is appropriate, but this question speaks to a much larger picture of Bordeaux, a big region with many winemaking levels. While approximately 15 percent of Bordeaux's production consists of wines seeking to maintain the Bordeaux image and must be consumed after aging, the vast majority of Bordeaux wines are developed to be drunk young. From a marketing standpoint, the Bordeaux region gives us some of the best wines to be quickly consumed for some of the best prices in the world market. Both Château Bonnet and Château La Louvière are great examples of this. Château Bonnet (SRP $14.99) and Château La Louvière (SRP $74.99) are imported by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. www.deutschfamily.com Château Bonnet, one of the two Lurton Bordeaux properties where Michel Rolland consults on the red blends in what he calls "a search for more precision." PHOTO COURTESY OF LES VIGNOBLES ANDRÉ LURTON Château Bonnet stands for the everyday pleasure of drinking wine, delivering great value while continu- ing to respect what people have come to love about Bordeaux," says Michel Rolland. Michel Rolland says that Château La Louvière "repre- sents the pinnacle of the Bordeaux region—a special wine for special occasions." Q: Q: Q: Q: