Vignobles Jérôme Quiot Newsletter December 2002

Half-yearly newsletter issued by the Jérôme Quiot Vineyards, December 2002, n°12

The harvest is finished. There has been a lot of discussion about it, often to excess, but rarely at a distance or in an analytical way. This is our opinion on the 2002 vintage.
Our region gave the Syrah its patent of nobility. It is a grape variety about which Jean-Baptiste Quiot will give you our opinion. Its cultivation reminds us of certain home truths especially the fact that you can not plant this variety on any terroir.
The effects of wine on health are important and our domain is participating in trials with a German university.
The 2002 vintage will be low in volume but we continue to invest as part of our improvements to overall quality of the wines. Investment is easier when the banks and suppliers are confident, and the quality rating from the Banque de France will help us.
The restaurant ‘Au Tilleul’ has shared the secrets of one of its dishes with us and this too will help better appreciation of our wines.
Finally the usual columns.

The 2002 Vintage; a year for winemakers
As we indicated in our September newsletter, the 2002 vintage has been a difficult one. Severe storms battered the Rhodanien region, bringing huge volumes of water. Some plots of land were flooded, some roads had their surfaces damaged and walls collapsed. The Gard seems to have been more affected than the Vaucluse.
After these floods, we have been lucky : practically no more rain for the rest of the harvest. These storms, having been more troublesome than we were prepared for, in the opinion of the analyses, have produced on the best vintages in recent years, after 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. But I had to work with it.
We were able to take on more pickers, and we picked as fast as possible. We were able to find these pickers as some have been coming to us for decades, and in some case for generations.
Our parcels were less affected than others, for, as you will be able to judge when you come to Châteauneuf-du-Pape or to one of the other domains, we have very high standards where work with the vines is concerned ; the areas of trees offered protection from flooding of ditches.
Selection during the harvest will be a vital factor in the quality of the vintage. Certainly we do a selection in other years, but in 2002 we did it rigorously. The results have been up to our expectations and in relation to our efforts. Certainly we are not at the same level as in 2000 or 2001, but the quality has turned out to be at a good level and fruit aromas are very evident. Color is good and the vintage should not bring a negative reaction.
On the other hand, the volume is low, in the order of 25 hl/ha. The proof of the seriousness of our selection is that we have 35 % less than in a normal harvest and the average loss of volume in the Cotes du Rhone region will be 4 – 5 %. We will also be extremely careful where our negociant purchases are concerned where we have started our selection.
The situation is the same in Ventoux where, in order to retain a good quality, we did a severe selection, identical to that done in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The same causes produced the same results and we have good quality and small volume.
In Provence the situation is different. There was no rain and the harvest was excellent. The new domain we bought has produced the satisfying results we hoped for and confirmed the choice we made. The extension of the cave and the new tanks have made the job easier.
The harvest itself went well. The whites, rosés and reds are good quality. The whites and rosés have good colour, without any trace of oxidation ; very pleasant fruit aromas on the nose and we will make this year a ‘Tête de Cuvée’ in rosé (a better quality racking than in previous years, thanks to the new tanks). The reds are very supple. Good colours and length in the mouth are evidence to us of an excellent vintage. There will probably be a Cuvée Réserve. Moreover volumes are good and at the upper limit of our expectations.
A year for winemakers has let us show you that Vignobles Jérôme Quiot with its technical staff at the Cave and at the Domain (we had two more oenologists at the domain for the period of the vintage) can be sure more and more of a high level of quality. We owe you this in return for your loyalty and your friendship.
Jean-Baptiste Quiot

2001 – 2002 RESULTS
A few words on the results of our last financial year which ended 31^st July 2002.We have followed our policy of increasing our stock of red Châteauneuf-du-Pape by nearly 65 hl this year and 790 hl in the last three years. This is being done in order to increase the length of the ageing period of our wines for quality reasons.
Jérôme Quiot Selection
Increase of 385 % … but it is always easier to progress when you’re starting at the bottom !
Good sales of Côtes du Rhone Villages and excellent sales of Gigondas, which we launched at the end of 2001. Stable sales in white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We have continued to diversify our wine purchases this year and at the end of July we had six A.O.C. wines in stock, rigorously selected.
Overall figures
Allocation of sales by distribution sector
More than 90% of our sales are to the traditional sector and are tax free.
At the level of allocation to the different markets (in terms of value) exports represent 88% of our sales.

1. USA 20 %	6. Netherlands6,43 %	11. Danmark 2,75%
2. United Kingdom 17 %	7. Switzerland 5,17 %	12. Belgium2,65 %
3. France 11,20 %	8. Finland 4,58 %	13. Japan, 2,13 %
4. Sweden 9,17 %	9. Canada 4,28 %	14. Luxembourg 0,60 %
5. Germany 8,13 %	10. Ireland 4,20 %	etc…

The Syrah grape
Second most important grape in terms of vineyard area for Jerome Quiot, the Syrah is currently very popular. This grape is responsible for 22 % of the plantings in Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret, 4 % in Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine Duclaux, 33 % in our Côtes du Ventoux vineyards and for 20 % in our Côtes de Provence vineyards. Its growth has been constant for some years and is still continuing in Provence
The Syrah is one of the very rare red feminine grapes (according to its gender in Franch) It is also necessary to note that the word Syrah does not mean the same grape in every country, for example, the Brasilian Syrah is in fact the Calitor.
Although the origin of each grape variety is generally well-known, that of the Syrah remains a mystery, but everything points to the fact that its arrival in France (maybe from Asia Minor) was some time ago. Finally, certain grape varieties presented as Syrah, are not quite that (Shiraz for example).
The Syrah is a relatively early grape. Its budburst is similar to that of the Grenache, but its maturity is earlier than Grenache, due to a shorter ripening period than average.
This grape puts out long fragile tendrils (remembering the vine is a creeper) and bearing in mind the Spring winds, particularly the Mistral, it is essential to trellis very carefully. A Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it is the only red grape where trellising is allowed (and is indispensable). Spur pruning can work but numerous cases of infertility in the buds at the base of the vine have been noted in the vineyard, obliging Guyot pruning (it is the only grape in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in Côtes de Provence where the Guyot pruning is allowed).
The Syrah is susceptible to grey rot (botrytis) and to acarids. The period of maturity is quite short, and necessitates careful surveillance as this period approaches. Finally, the Syrah is currently susceptible to problems of withering, unexplained by research.
Current reports show problems with grafting which after 25 - 40 years lead to the death of the vine stock. That explains why there are no very old Syrah vines, which bring the quality you would expect from an old vine.
The grapes are small to medium and the berries are small. Syrah wines have a good alcoholic degree and are suitable for ageing. They are generally of intense colour, very aromatic, elegant and complex. Aromas range from violet, olive or leather, and at times red fruits. These wines are tannic, fleshy, and relatively low in acid. The Syrah also makes fruity interesting rosés, although often highly coloured. Syrah does not favour yields higher than 80 hl/ha when the aromatic potential is severely diminished in our region.
In this way, cultivated with respect for yields and our appellations, the Syrah increases the aromatic palette of our wines and helps their color.

Investments
Plans for 2003
As you can guess, the coming year will probably be one of consolidation. The small 2002 harvest will result in a certain prudence and we will content ourselves with seeing through the investments that we started in 2002.
First of all we have to finish the new Cave at Châteauneuf-du-Pape and build the interior and access. As at today, the major work is almost finished. We’ll talk about this in the next newsletter.
Some new investments are centred around the profitability and control of our cost prices (specifically for tractors and cultivation materials). Our terroirs have a tendency to wear out tools and equipment and for some years the renewal of the agricultural estate had been reduced.
The domaine in Côtes du Ventoux will see the trellising of 4ha of vines, old ones, in order to maximise exposure to the sun and help the colour of the grapes.
We will finish the work at Domaine Houchart with improvements to the tasting area, installation of offices and new reception areas. We will be pulling up some hectares of vines and planting 1.5ha of Syrah in Vin de Pays and 1ha of Clairette.
In this way, in spite of taking in to account the current situation, we will be continuing the development and growth of our Domaine.
Jérôme-R. QUIOT

Rating at Banque de France
At a time when company ratings prompt much discussion, we have received our rating from the Banque de France. This rating, much sought after, is used by banks for lending purposes. Our company has received "La note d’excellence" the highest rating we could have expected. We prefer to reserve this communication to tell you about our products, therefore mention this only briefly.
It is excellent news for us as we have always set great store by the solid financial grounding of Vignobles Jérôme Quiot. In effect growth can only be accompanied by a stable healthy base situation.
Moreover, my father, Jérôme Quiot has been nominated by the Governor of the Banque de France as an adviser to the bank in the Avignon area. It is a great honor for our company.
Florence Quiot

Pikeperch in Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret with seasonal vegetables
Ingredients
200g pikeperch per person (400g before preparation)
For the sauce
½ Litre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret white
4 shallots
60g butter

Method
Prepare the fish and roast it skin-side down in olive oil.
For the sauce
Peel the shallots then chop them. Melt the butter in a casserole, add the shallots, sweat them and then deglaze with the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret. Reduce to a syrup add your fish stock and reduce again. Add the cream, cook and reduce by a third. Adjust seasoning, strain the sauce and it is then ready.
To make the sauce with red wine: Reduce the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret by 1/10 and add to the fish sauce.
November 2002
Simple accompaniments according to the season
Summer
Small summer vegetables, courgette ratatouille, aubergines, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes. Cut up the vegetables into little “cubes” then cook them on top of the stove. These are ideal with the sauce prepared with Châteauneuf Domaine du Vieux Lazaret blanc.
For autumn
A nice mixture of wild mushrooms, for example ceps, “chanterelles”, “horns of plenty” and add some chopped leak.
This can be accompanied by the sauce made with either red or white Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret.
For winter
A parsnip purée (this is a forgotten root vegetable). The perfect match would be with the sauce made with red Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret.
For Spring
You need to take risks in good weather! Steamed spinach with butter and redcurrants. You can accompany this with either red or white Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret.
Enjoy any of these with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret red or white from Vignobles Jérôme Quiot.
Jacques LORENTZ, Restaurant Au Tilleul Mittelhausbergen (67)

NEW PRODUCT in the Jérôme Quiot Sélection range
A.O.C. Vacqueyras 2001
We have launched a Vacqueyras rouge 2001 this summer – it has a refined nose and elegant fruit in the mouth, revealing all the authenticity of the terroir of the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Where to find us in 2003
Découvertes du Rhône
MARCH 10^th : Suze La Rousse, Expo Vinsobres
MARCH 11^st : Château des Trois Fontaines, Pernes Les Fontaines, Expo Côtes du Ventoux
MARCH 13^rd : Palais des Papes, Avignon, Expo Châteauneuf-du-Pape

13-15 MARCH : Viiniexpo, Helsinki, Stand Norex
23-25 MARCH : Prowein, Düsseldorf, Stand Sopexa
20-22 MAY : LWSF,Londres, Stand HwCg
22-26 JUNE : Vinexpo, Bordeaux