Jonathan Hesford and Rachel Treloar started their Domaine (Treloar) in the mid-oughts. Theirs’ is yet another remarkable story of how two people threw in the “success” towel to start something more meaningful and powerful in the pursuit of personal and familial fulfillment. Although Jonathan is British and Rachel from New Zealand, America (9/11 to be precise) had its own dramatic impact on their lives and decisions. Jonathan (ultimately) went to winemaking school in New Zealand with Erik Kramer who is the Associate Winemaker at Adelsheim Vineyard (hence the original introduction). David and I visited with Jonathan and Rachel last spring when we made our initial investigation of Languedoc/Roussillon. It also turns out that they are good friends with Richard and Sara Case from Maury…small world as we know.
I had a chance to return to their Domaine for an update on their busy lives. There wines are not sold in the states for the most part (a small number of cases go to NY) but their story is compelling (www.domainetreloar.com) and their wines lovely, elegant, and focused.
The Leafy Drive Down to Trouillas
Cultivated Beauty
Arbored Archways Abound
First Sample of the Day
Jonathan Hesford, Vigneron
Winery Kitties
The Small Cellar
Grape Press in the Air, Chute Open
Jonathan Backs In
Woosh! Down Falls the Pomace
Domaine Treloar
The famous attraction in the town of Tautavel is the “Tautavel Prehistoric Man” Museum. In 1971 remains were found of a 450,000 year old man. For me however the town is famous for two things, 1) the awesome harvest celebration that kicked off my stay in the Roussillon and 2) the incredible tiles and mosaics that I discovered around the town. I tried to find out why Tautavel had these little gems of art engraved in random walls throughout the village but have yet to discover the answer. If anyone knows I would sure love to be enlightened.
I did not visit the museum (perhaps next trip) but I did do my best to track down as much of the “mosaic history” as possible.
Tautavel Co-op, Party Scene Over
Tautavel Tiles
I First Noticed this Tilework
The Mairie
Close Up
Pruning
The Site (for lack of a dissertation on "terroir")
The Plantation or Vineyard
Man Arrives in Europe
Man Arrives in Europe and Discovers BBQ???
The Men of Tautavel
The Birth of Fire
Birth of Art
"Man"
An Artist with a Sense of Irony
Those are all that I found but as the story is not complete I am sure that there were several others!
Slowly a few lieu-dit are being called out in the Roussillon appellation. One such area is Calce. This is mostly due to one specific vigneron, Gérard Gauby, who has set a new standard of quality for the area. My base is Maury, but one can go in any direction and find yet another valley of incredible vines. It could take months to figure out exactly what each site/soil imparts to a wine. For now, we follow the leaders. In addition to Gauby there is Olivier Pithon, another strong proponent of the Calce region.
Gauby has been making wine from his family’s vines since 1985 (before they went to the local co-op). His approach to his vineyards has changed over the years and therefore so have the wines. The early wines were huge and massive and lacked the kind of focus and finesse that we taste today. Some of this was probably growing up, and the other was a shift in farming practices. I believe that he is strictly bio at this point, as is his protégé Olivier Pithon. Gauby was instrumental in Pithon’s arrival in Calce (from calcaire) but Stephane Derenoncourt was the person that gave Olivier permission to be fully passionate about all things vinous.
I had the pleasure of meeting both men and a chance to talk briefly about the harvest. But as they were in the full swing of the vendange, there was not enough time to fully discuss or visit the vineyards. We agreed to spend some quality time among the vines when I return in the spring.
Leaving Estagel on D1
Incredible and Diverse Flora
Sisyphusian Rock Walls
Permanent Town Signs
Calcaire Hilltop
Shist Soils In Addition to Calcaire
Another "Routine" Leafy Canopy
Tags:
Calce
The small town of Maury is caught somewhere between its ancient past and a windfall of wine money that is sweeping it optimistically into the 21st century. The town consists of one main street (the D 117) that runs through the town and doubles as the largest, no toll thoroughfare between Perpignan and the coast……..In other words, it is active. The one and only café is located there, and it is exactly that spot where I found Richard last Saturday.
I am two minutes á pied from the center of town. It really is a sad one. There is an epicerie, boulangerie, and the mairie is pretty new, but that is about it. The charcuterie has closed, there is no bank, but there is either a vision of tomorrow or a kitschy, but cute trompe d’oeil nod to a mini renaissance. I have been told that the mairie of this town is very progressive and really wants to acknowledge the natural gifts of the area AND trade them cautiously for increased affluence and an improved standard of living. It appears to be going reasonably well.
Boulangerie
Centre Ville
Saturday Market
"The Flower Shop"
"Bienvenue"
The winery here in Maury, Department 66 (both the name of the French Department and the winery….very clever!), is absolutely state-of-the-art. It is designed for only one thing, making the best possible wine. Efficiency and ease of cleanliness are stressed in every aspect of design. Grape reception is handled slowly and with the most gentle handling available. Grapes are hand dumped onto a conveyer, then through a destemmer, no crushing. Then they move through a machine that I have seen before in Europe, but not in the states. Each berry is dropped onto a tray that further sorts for berries that are not “perfect” and also helps remove “jacks” (the little pieces of stems that can add to a green and/or stringent flavor…named for the game that we played as kids as the pieces of stem look like “jacks”). I have been told by the most up to date wine guy I know David, that there is an addition to this unit that actually can determine grapes with botrytis by “seeing” the color variation. Soon, we can make wine from our living room couch by remote control!
Harvested Grapes Wait In The Cold Room
Gentle Drop to Conveyor
Drop to Second Conveyor After Destemming
Through the Teeth
The Remaining "Perfect" Berries
Leftover "Jacks" and Other Garbage
Final Blow Though by "The Mistral"
Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness
Department 66
