Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/735024
{ SOMMjournal.com } 77 A New Start Producers started to increase the quality of their wine which led to Saint-Bris being classified as AOC in 2003. The new status has resulted in higher-quality wines that can be sold at prices that are much more attractive for the vigneron, and still very reasonable for the consumer. Nothing better illustrates this change than the fact that Romaric and his brother Mathias have abandoned arable farming and now focus solely on 18 hectares of vineyard at Domaine Petitjean. Saint-Bris is reserved exclusively for white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. It can be produced in just five villages: Saint-Bris-le-Vineux itself plus the neighboring villages of Irancy, Chitry, Vincelottes and Quenne. You can understand there - fore that the area under cultivation is tiny, at 133 hectares (328 acres), but the wines are well worth seeking out —and not just for curiosity value. The sunnier, south-facing slopes around these five villages are still planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that will be made into wine sold under the Bourgogne Côte dAuxerre appellation. On the north and north-east facing slopes and on the tops of the hills the Sauvignon grapes are in their element. The slightly cooler temperatures bring out the typical, easy-to-enjoy blend of exotic fruits and spices you'd expect in Sauvignon and help retain a good level of acidity, but the winemakers in Saint-Bris are looking for more than just these primary flavors and aromas, and by skillful variations to their work in the vineyard and the winery they look to bring an extra dimension to their wines. The use of oak barrels of varying ages for various lengths of time is one way to bring a broader aromatic range to the wines. Another is to use a little Sauvignon Gris in the blend. Typically Sauvignon Gris will have a higher degree of potential alcohol at harvest and will bring not only a slightly darker color but also more substance and fattiness to the wine. Harvesting is crucial too. According to Romaric Petitjean there are two schools of thought: Pick early and you'll get loads of fresh, varietal fruitiness—of the same style you find in the wines of Touraine, for example. Pick a little later and you'll get more maturity and consequently much more depth and complexity—wines more expressive of the character of the local weather in short, more like what we expect from Bourgogne. Romaric is definitely in the second school. Jean-François attaches a good deal of importance to the age of his vines, many of which are 50 years old or more, despite the fact that Sauvignon is prone to vine diseases and is not a variety known for its longevity. The reduced yields and extra maturity of grapes from the old vines help Jean-François create the complexity he is looking for in his wines. Complexity does not necessarily mean old wines however. The regulations of the appellation allow Saint-Bris to be bottled at any time from 15th of December after each year's harvest, and the wines are normally sold and enjoyed quite young. Having said that, a few years' aging will enhance the extra dimension that our two vignerons have spoken about; the 2010 is a case in point with its soft, creamy texture on the tongue and distinctly chalky overtones, alongside the classic fruit and spice more often associated with Sauvignon. A Bright Future The final stop of the day was by no means the least remarkable -quite the contrary in fact. Bailly is a hamlet on the banks of the River Yonne. It's officially part of the village of Saint-Bris-le Vineux and is home to Caves Bailly-Lapierre, a winery unlike any other. The reception, the cellar and the winery itself are all deep under - ground in a disused stone quarry which ceased working many years ago and was then converted into a mushroom farm. In 1972 it became a wine cooperative which, for the past 50 years, has constantly sought to produce wine of ever-higher quality. The current head winemaker, Sylvain Martinand, explained that the just over half of their production is Crémant de Bourgogne, with the remainder being still white wine, of which the majority is Saint-Bris. Sylvain believes that Sauvignon is one of the most difficult grapes to vinify for the simple reason that it can present so many varia - tions from one year to the next. It's a point well taken after the morning's tasting of vintages from 2010 to 2014, which revealed a cornucopia of aromas and flavors from lychee to peppermint and from melon to buttered toast. The new Saint-Bris AOC has brought exciting opportunities, but at the moment it's not well understood, and Sauvignon Blanc from Bourgogne is not what most people expect. To give consumers a point of reference, every bottle of Saint-Bris produced by Bailly- Lapierre carries the words Sauvignon Blanc prominently displayed on the label. It's a sensible marketing decision, but Sylvain looks forward to the day when the grape variety is not the defining element -to the day when, as is the case with Meursault, for example, the name Saint- Bris is enough in itself and is accepted as simply a different expression of Bourgogne. Judging from the quality of the wines and the progress made since 2003, that day may not be long in coming. Sauvignon sur place: Saint-Bris in the cellar at Domaine Bailly- Lapierre. (Right) Writer Jiles Halling (left) tastes with Romaric Petitjean in the cellar.