Many prominent wine personalities, such as Aubert de Villaine, Lalou Bize-Leroy, Marcel and Jean-Michel Deiss, Anselme Selosse, Leonard and Olivier Humbrecht, Stéphane Derenoncourt, Philippe Charlopin, attend Les Rencontres.
These meetings were founded in 1993 by the legendary Burgundian winemaker Henri Jayer and his friend Jacky Rigaux, Professor emeritus at University of Burgundy and renowned connaisseur of the terroir. Their purpose is to carry on the ideas and the legacy of a true Maître du Vin.
This year's theme is: «Le goût du lieu, guide de l’esprit et de la main du vigneron».
M. Rigaux discovered Cupano back in 2004, when he talked about our Rosso di Montalcino 2002 on Elitewine:
Ornella Tondini, from Italy, and Frenchman Lionel Cousin purchased the 86.5-acre Cupano estate (35 ha) in 1996. The new owners felt that the east-facing hills, on which there had been no vine since philloxera hit the Montalcino region in the 19th century, held a promising potential. The bare land had never been subject to modern agricultural practices, which can often be harsh due to the use of chemicals, so the new proprietors decided to use biological methods from the very beginning. No pesticide, herbicide or fertilizers have ever been used on the Cupano Estate. Tondini and Cousin originally planted 5.45 acres (2.2 ha) of Sangiovese, a 1.23-acre parcel (0.5 ha) of Cabernet Sauvignon and almost 1 acre (0.4ha)of Merlot on the east and west hillsides. The geology of the Cupano vineyard is very diverse and made of rocky, clayey/sandy, and semi-sandy soils. The winery, which was built in 2004 to have as little impact on the environment as possible, could process grapes from up to 17 acres (7 ha) of vineyard and Tondini and Cousin do not plan to increase the size of the Cupano vineyard above that. The owners control the yield, strictly select the grapes and use only berries that have reached full physiological maturity. Refusing to follow modern winemaking practices, they do not use industrial yeasts. The first wines from the Azienda Agricola Cupano are exceptionally pure”.
Rosso di Montalcino 2002
This wine is 100% Sangiovese, with a 15 months élevage in Burgundy barrels (1/2 new, 1/2 one year old). The crimson colour is shiny and limpid. The first nose is elegant and powerful with spice aromas of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and pepper harmoniously intermixed with a delicate oaky note. The aeration reveals black fruit scents of bilberry and blackberry and delicate floral notes. The attack is both consistent and supple with a good acidity, which highlights the minerality of the wine. Despite the young age of the vine, the aromatic persistence is very good. This is the signature of a truly great terroir: great texture, beautiful minerality, great length, and gorgeous balance.
In 2006 Les Rencontres Henri Jayer led to Le Terroir et Le Vigneron, presenting all the wine makers' point of view about terroir, its prominence and richness. Here's what Lionel wrote about this topic.
Ornella Tondini, from Italy, and Frenchman Lionel Cousin purchased the 86.5-acre Cupano estate (35 ha) in 1996. The new owners felt that the east-facing hills, on which there had been no vine since philloxera hit the Montalcino region in the 19th century, held a promising potential. The bare land had never been subject to modern agricultural practices, which can often be harsh due to the use of chemicals, so the new proprietors decided to use biological methods from the very beginning. No pesticide, herbicide or fertilizers have ever been used on the Cupano Estate. Tondini and Cousin originally planted 5.45 acres (2.2 ha) of Sangiovese, a 1.23-acre parcel (0.5 ha) of Cabernet Sauvignon and almost 1 acre (0.4ha)of Merlot on the east and west hillsides. The geology of the Cupano vineyard is very diverse and made of rocky, clayey/sandy, and semi-sandy soils. The winery, which was built in 2004 to have as little impact on the environment as possible, could process grapes from up to 17 acres (7 ha) of vineyard and Tondini and Cousin do not plan to increase the size of the Cupano vineyard above that. The owners control the yield, strictly select the grapes and use only berries that have reached full physiological maturity. Refusing to follow modern winemaking practices, they do not use industrial yeasts. The first wines from the Azienda Agricola Cupano are exceptionally pure”.
Rosso di Montalcino 2002
This wine is 100% Sangiovese, with a 15 months élevage in Burgundy barrels (1/2 new, 1/2 one year old). The crimson colour is shiny and limpid. The first nose is elegant and powerful with spice aromas of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and pepper harmoniously intermixed with a delicate oaky note. The aeration reveals black fruit scents of bilberry and blackberry and delicate floral notes. The attack is both consistent and supple with a good acidity, which highlights the minerality of the wine. Despite the young age of the vine, the aromatic persistence is very good. This is the signature of a truly great terroir: great texture, beautiful minerality, great length, and gorgeous balance.
In 2006 Les Rencontres Henri Jayer led to Le Terroir et Le Vigneron, presenting all the wine makers' point of view about terroir, its prominence and richness. Here's what Lionel wrote about this topic.
