Newsletter November 2001

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Half-yearly newsletter issued by the Jérôme Quiot Vineyards, November 2001, n°10

Contents
Assessment of the 2001 harvest
Financial results of the year 2000 - 2001
Recent awards
Domaine Duclaux
Recipe
New presentation
Residues in wine
Where to find us

EDITO

Dear Readers,
The harvest is finished. We are going to give you all the details and let you share our satisfaction.
Jean-Baptiste and Florence, my two children, have become proprietors of Domaine Duclaux. We will give you more information later about this. There will be no changes in quality except in our continuing quest for improvement.
In this period of research into food safety, it is essential to be concerned with chemical residues that we might find in our wines. Some people just talk about it. We have worked on this and will let you have the results.
Don't forget that every month on our website you can find a page of recent news from the vineyards or from the cellars. In November 2001 we talk about work in the cellars after vinification (website jeromequiot.com).
We have got planning permission to extend our cellars in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and we'll talk about that in the next newsletter (a million and a half Euros in investment).
Finally and most importantly, our thoughts go out to our American friends who have been affected by the events of September 11th. Special thoughts to our friends in New York. But also to friends and customers throughout the world as every one of us has been affected by this tragedy. Who does not have a friend who at some time has lived in 'The Big Apple'?
J. QUIOT

Assessment of the 2001 harvest
We have a few scruples about talking so soon about a good year. You are all going to think that we are pushing things a bit … as we say in Provence.
But - We are now sure that the 2001 vintage is an excellent vintage. Perhaps not quite as good as 2000, but there is little difference. In fact the appearance and polyphenol qualities are much better. In Côtes de Provence we have never had such intense colour (more than 25 on the IC scale) nor such structured tannins (certain vats are more than 100 on the DO scale). The 2001 vintage is superior to 1998 and probably to 1999. It is true that the praise is not unanimous. But our attempts to improve quality, which are discussed in each newsletter, are starting to bear fruit and we are starting to - thanks to our investments - have more control over the character of our wines and the imponderable element of quality.

To come back to wines and the vintage, we can confirm that good colour and structure are definitely present. We don't see any hardness in the tannins, although the reds will still keep nicely. The new "Fabbri" pneumatic press at Châteauneuf-du-Pape is largely responsible for this. The colours are verging towards red rather than violet.
The colours of the Côtes de Provence rosés are very attractive, the new reception bay, maceration in the new stainless steel tanks and the new "Pera" pneumatic stainless steel press with 60hl capacity have brought a suppleness and control hitherto unknown. Quality is re-affirmed.
The aromas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape whites and Provence whites are better structured than in the 2000 wines and the wines have more roundness in the mouth.
The only fly in the ointment: the reduced yield from all the vineyards. 30hl in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 40hl in Côtes du Ventoux and 42hl in Côtes de Provence. But the quality is definitely there.
Jérôme Quiot.

Financial result of the year 2000 - 2001
Our financial year closed for the first time at 31st July rather than 31st August. We are able to give you details on the main range.
The turnover for Vignobles Jérôme Quiot is confirmed at 3,810 950 Euros (24 998 208 FF) showing a progression of a little more than 17%, on the basis of about 740,000 bottles sold.

Even if sales of Châteauneuf-du-Pape red have grown, we have still been able to retain significant stocks of this wine as we wished to. We have kept about 50 000 extra bottles this year. This will allow us, in time, to increase the ageing period of our wines: notably for the special cuvées like Cuvée Exceptionelle or the Domaine Duclaux wines.
The sales of Provence rosé 2000 have been particularly good this year and we were sold out by the end of October. Consumption of rosé seems to be increasing in a number of European countries. The style of Domaine Houchart and the profile of Provence wines increasingly seem to be attracting younger consumers.
As for Châteauneuf du Pape white 2000 where the production has been slightly smaller than in previous vintages, we were also sold out in October. For this wine regularly feted at Concours and tastings, it is the result of continuing efforts in the vineyards and perfect vinification methods.
Among the successes of this year, we must not forget the Côtes de Provence Red Réserve where the concentration and character of the wine are astonishing.

Our 12 main markets have established themselves as follows:

As for the 'Jérôme Quiot Sélection', a subsidiary of Vignobles Jérôme Quiot which allows us to age, stock and commercialise negociant wines, the figures are not yet significant, but 2001 should see the realisation of our objectives.
At the moment, three appellations are being sold regularly under the brand 'Jérôme Quiot Sélection': Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne and Vinsobres, and a Gigondas. Other appellations are sourced as required. Our aim is to develop this range, with an additional Côtes du Rhône Villages and other local appellations.
We hope to be able to give you details of the new wines next February.
Isabelle Ogier

Recent Awards.

More awards here.

DOMAINE DUCLAUX :
Domaine Duclaux has become the property of Florence and Jean-Baptiste QUIOT:

The Duclaux family is one of the oldest in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Louis Duclaux was 1st Consul (Mayor) of the town in 1627. Numerous members of the family were mayors before the revolution in 1789, Presidents and assistants to the commune during the French Revolution, and Mayors again when the Revolution was over. Saddlers for several generations, they somehow managed to build up their domain over the years, by marriage, by purchases (for example of national commodities during the French Revolution). They were amongst the first founders of the Syndicate for Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines in 1904.

When phylloxera arrived and destroyed all their vines, they had sufficient means to replant rapidly and they did not have to sell their domain as numerous wine grower had to. This family, in their quiet way, worked with passion amongst their vines. The only notable events were the quality of the vintages, frost or hail, rain or wind.
The Quiot and Duclaux families became involved with one another over the centuries through family connections. The last heiress of this family, Emeline Latour, died on 23rd April 2001. Godmother to Florence and Jean-Baptiste Quiot, she bequeathed to them this wonderful domain.

The domain, which SA Vignobles Jérôme Quiot has been developing since 1991, comprises 12 hectares of vines. Situated in various parts of the communes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Orange, it contains old vines (75% of the vines are more than 50 years old) of which some are more than 100 years old, and were replanted in around 1880 after phylloxera. It is notable that the vines are very healthy, without any root stock problems. It is tangible proof of the hard work and professional aims of the Duclaux family. We will do our utmost to continue the fine traditions of quality attached to this domain.
Jérôme Quiot

Tarte fine of potatoes and roast langoustines Liver of smoked cod and tapenade vinaigrette From Gilles DAUTEUIL, Chef at Vieux Castillon
For 4 people - Preparation: 20mn - Cooking: 10mn
12 langoustines tails 1 large ripe tomato
8 potatoes 1 red or yellow pepper
4 leaves of filo pastry 30g tapenade
4 little pieces of cod liver 6 soupspoons aged vinegar
chives, basil, chervil, salt, pepper

Make the base of the tart with the filo. Cut the filo leaves into strips and then into a chiffonade, make them into a ball and on a baking tray cook at 200° for 5 minutes.
Steam the potatoes (if possible use the variety called Charlotte).
For the garnish, blanch the tomatoes, cut the flesh into lozenges. Chop all the herbs.
Put the chiffonade of filo onto the plate, put the potatoes around it and also the langoustine tails, which have been cooked in olive oil on the stove.
Fry the cod liver for about 2 minutes, cut it into little dice and sprinkle over the tart. Add the tapenade vinaigrette, the garnish and the herbs.
Serve warm.

We recommend to serve this with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape white 1995, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret; Serve in large glasses at 12°C (53.6°F).

New presentation.
From the 2001 vintage, the Côtes de Provence rouge, traditional quality, will be bottled in heavy green Bordelaise bottles. The Provençal bottle will still be available. 

Residues in wine: source and developpement of these molecules. Detection methods and the results of tests carried out at Vignobles Jérôme Quiot.

According to certain studies, wine can carry residues of chemical products, which can be harmful to the consumer's health. Without wishing to be alarmist, as we have always been cautious in our use of these products, it is important to be up to date on this elementary subject. The origins and evolution of these potential residues, the analysis methods today and the test results are covered below.

The vine does not grow well in the wild. Nature has to be controlled in order to be sure of the correct conditions for the plant and the soil to obtain healthy grapes and quality wines. During the 60's, agriculture in France changed fundamentally and the working of vines with horses gave way to the charms' of technology, considered at that time to be a sign of progress. Within this context, chemical molecules made a considerable appearance. Weed killer compensated for what the tractor lacked and the disappearance of manual working. Insecticides allowed control of harmful insects, which used to cause considerable losses in the vineyards (in some years up to 30% of the production).
Today the miracle molecules of the 60s and 70s have been exposed, thanks to present analysis methods, as being harmful to the environment and also to human health. At the time public bodies had analysed these products and authorised their use. The methods at that time - are they now outdated to lead to (it was 30 years ago) erroneous conclusions or are the imperatives of the time still valid for today? The French government is even in the process of creating a body to examine pesticide residues in food. Also, as prevision of the norms (fortunately) are still very strictly in favour of respecting the health of the consumer, and in order to be sure of the analytical quality of our products, we have carried out analyses of our wines, and the details are given below. We indicate that these analyses are not absolutely compulsory for the business of selling wine and that respect for our consumers has prompted us to carry out these tests. We are therefore ahead of French legislation, which is now becoming aware of the importance of this matter.

To the experimental protocol. We took two bottles randomly from the bottling line. These were two bottles of Châteauneuf du Pape, one white 2000 and one red 1999. They were transferred to the laboratory of the ITV, located at Orange, which following a demand by wine trade professionals in the Rhone Valley has specialised in specialised chemical analyses, particularly of residues. The residue traces discovered cover a large range of products used in viticulture: insecticides, weed killers and products for treating cryptogamic diseases. The methods used allow detection of much smaller quantities than the tolerances allowed. It is a question of separation by dividing up solvent/solvent from chromatography in gaseous phase, from purification on column and electron capture or from H.P.L.C with fluorescence detector or thermo ionic (details available in demand at Vignobles Jérôme Quiot).
The methods of detection are efficient and the results therefore perfectly valid. The two wines that we had analysed did not have the presence of any controlled molecule detected.
We know and are now able to pass by products, which cause problems for health and the environment. Present-day tractors allow effective work in the vines and have allowed the abandonment of herbicides of the past. These weed killers persist in the soil for a long time, which allows leaching by precipitation, and can lead to problems with drinking water in some regions. Elsewhere, biotechnology has granted the availability of insecticides, which are kind to the environment. Fewer treatments are used and in a manner less harmful to the user and to wildlife. Moreover, this has convinced us that we have always respected our terroirs as we would wish to, despite the technological impasses of the time.

Jean-Baptiste Quiot.

Where to find us.
18-20 February 2002 Vinisud, Montpellier
13-17 March 2002 Salon des Vins, Sté Commerciale Ville Marie's booth, Montréal
20-23 March 2002 Viiniexpo, Norex's booth, Helsinki
24-26 March 2002 Prowein, Sopexa pavillon, Düsseldorf
May 2002 London Wine Trade Fair, London