Star wine expert Michel Rolland: “The wine world is full of big egos”

class = “sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

Frenchman Michel Rolland (76) is considered one of the most successful oenologists in the world. It is said to have had a formative stylistic influence on wine production for decades. Despite the busy agenda, Rolland took the time to answer our questions in a rare conversation.

Blick: Monsieur Rolland, you are often referred to as the flying winemaker. How full is your current travel calendar?
Michel Rolland: Today I’m in Bordeaux, tomorrow I’m in Italy. Then I fly to Argentina. But to be honest, I travel less these days than I used to, partly because of my age.

The Oxford Companion of Wine states that Michel Rolland is the most renowned oenologist consultant responsible for ripe, dark, supple red Bordeaux wines. Do you agree with this definition?
Somewhere yes, but I don’t like being ignored. It is true that I do not like sour, immature and herbaceous wines. On the other hand, I do not desire to become overly mature. But if I had to choose between these two extremes, I would prefer immaturity to immaturity.

But does the specific Michel Rolland style really exist?
Of course there is. My style was born half a century ago. I have worked almost exclusively in Bordeaux and have not yet traveled. I had the opportunity to taste many Bordeaux wines, including great wines like 1928, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949 and 1961. For many tasters, especially from England, these wines were a qualitative reference. So these fine wines became my stylistic reference point. The wines were dark, ripe, powerful and paired with supple tannins. These were mostly sunny years without excessive rain. This allowed the grapes to ripen. The first of my two main points for making good wine was to grow ripe grapes. In order to obtain ripe grapes, some interventions need to be made, such as reducing the yield of the vineyard.

What was the second mainstay of Michel Rolland’s style?
Mixing different wines. I first learned this technique in Bordeaux. Grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are regularly blended here. I later used blending in Napa Valley and Italy. I’ve been working on a lot of great wines from Tuscany lately, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and some Cabernet Sauvignon. Blending different grape varieties or the same varieties from different vineyards is the key to great wine. Michel Rolland’s style is based on two basic elements: ripe grapes and the art of blending.

Tell us about your own wine, Clos de los Siete, which comes from Argentina.
With a little luck, you can realize a big project that you have always dreamed of in your life. My dream was to have a large production of a unique wine. Not just one winery, because if you only run one winery, that means you have one wine expert at a time. A wine connoisseur always has his own style. My idea was to run several wineries and blend them into one wine. For Clos de Le Siete we use wines from four wineries run by four passionate Bordeaux families: Cuvelier Los Andes, Diamandes, Monteviejo and my own Bodega Rolland. The main grape variety is Malbec, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah also added.

In a recent vertical tasting of Clos de los Siete, 2018 stood out as the most beautiful wine. What can you tell us about this vintage?
In the last 35 years I have worked in Argentina, 2018 was the best vintage ever. And for me personally, 2018 is the best vintage we have bottled at Clos de los Siete. When I was promoting the wine at the launch, I kept telling people that this wine was great for the price!

How about Pangea wine, which you blend from five different countries in Europe, Africa, North America and South America?
You remember mixing is my passion. And I’m sure that in Bordeaux, if we blend Pauillac with Graves, a little Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, the best Bordeaux can be created. But Pauillac makes Pauillac and Pomerol just makes Pomerol. This hasn’t stopped me from pursuing the idea of ​​blending the best of places across national borders. There is now excellent Cabernet Franc from South Africa. Then the stunning Petit Verdot from Spain. Merlot from Bordeaux, of course. Finally, Argentinian Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Why not bring all these great elements together in one wine? The name Pangea refers to the ancient continent that encompassed all of the Earth’s land masses. The wine does not represent a specific region. It does not represent a single country. It’s a completely different philosophy.

What are the most important skills you need to have as a successful wine consultant?
Of course, you have to be good at your job. You make wine, so you should know how to make wine. But the most important thing is your relationships with the people you work with. Ability to carry on conversations. Discussions are important to then move in the right direction. And that’s what I’ve been trying to do for almost 40 years.

How much demand is there for wine consultants like you these days?
The wine world is full of big egos. And unfortunately I see a certain development in many winemakers. They are less and less willing to share the success of their wines with other minds. That’s why we’re giving up on outside consultants like me. In my opinion, this is a mistake. Of course, the wine world knows Michel Rolland after all these years. But I never use my job to promote myself. I’m just there. It is very important for a winery to have a consultant. Consultants leave but come back. They come with a new vision and a fresh taste. If wineries want to progress and make better wine, it is important that they are exposed to ideas from outside the winery.

What are your favorite Bordeaux wines from the last 100 years?
I love the year I was born in 1947. We always had a duel in Bordeaux: 1945 versus 1947. 1945 was better on the left bank, 1947 on the right bank. Then 1982 and 2009. I’m also a big fan of 2022.

At the end of the speech, can you name three developing countries in the field of viticulture?
Of course, for example Romania, Bulgaria and Armenia. All of these countries have suitable soils and climates for viticulture. I used to make wine in the south of Bulgaria. But the local market is very difficult. It takes a while to convince people that they make good wine.

Source : Blick