French Wine Odyssey A pictorial journey through the vineyards and cellars – Photography by Mick Rock r Pieces of Orthogneiss rock by bunches of Melon de Title Page : Bourgogne grapes in vineyard of Domaine de l'Ecu. Sunset over vineyards near Mercuès, Lot, . Le Landreau, Loire-Atlantique, France. [Muscadet [Cahors] de Sèvre-et-Maine]

Château du Nozet viewed over Sauvignon Blanc Vineyard of Domaine San Martino, near Sartène, vineyard on a misty morning. Pouilly-sur-Loire, Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France. [Vin de Corse- Nièvre, France. [Pouilly-Fumé] Sartène]

Harvested Sauvignon Blanc grapes with the village The windmill of Moulin-à-Vent above its autumnal of St-Andelain beyond, near Pouilly-sur-Loire, Gamay vineyard, Romanèche-Thorins, Saône-et- Nièvre, France. [Pouilly-Fumé] Loire, France. [Moulin-à-Vent / Beaujolais]

Autumnal vineyard at Husseren-les-Châteaux with New oak barriques in chai of Château Léoville- the three ruined châteaux on the hill behind. Barton, St-Julien, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Eguisheim, Haut-Rhin, France. [Alsace] Bordeaux]

Wines 'en pupitres' and 'sur lattes' in the cellars of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin in the Gallo-Roman Vineyard below the château of Pierreclos, Saône- chalk quarries (crayères) of Reims, Marne, France. et-Loire, France. [Mâcon-Villages / Mâconnais] [Champagne]

D973 road running through the vineyards of Autumnal Gamay vineyards high in the hills above Meursault, Monthelie and Auxey-Duresses, Côte , France. [Chiroubles / Beaujolais] d'Or, France. [Côte de Beaune]

Lavender field and vineyard near St-Pantaléon- Picking Syrah grapes in the Coteau de Semons les-Vignes, Drôme, France. [Côtes du Rhône- vineyard of Georges Vernay at Tupin, Rhône, Villages] France. [Côte Rôtie]

Bottles of Charmes-Chambertin 1987 in the cellars Vineyards and sunflower field, near Gaillac, Tarn, of Domaine Georges Roumier, Chambolle- France. [Gaillac] Musigny, Côte d'Or, France.

Clos Bacchus vineyard between Château-Chalon Hut of Pierre Damoy in Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and Menétru-le-Vignoble, Jura, France. [AC vineyard at Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte d'Or, France. Château-Chalon] [Côte de Nuits Grand Cru]

Ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in vineyard of New vineyard above the coast near Port-Vendres, Château Pibran, Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [Collioure / Banyuls] Cru Bourgeois Supérieur]

Ancient bridge by vineyard with the Massif de The ruined papal château viewed through vineyard, Maures beyond, south of Vidauban, Var, France. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vaucluse, France. [Côtes de Provence]

Very old wines in the vintage bottle cellar of Stacking bottles to age 'sur lattes' in the cellars of Château Margaux - dating back to 1848. [Médoc / Champagne Salon, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Marne, Bordeaux] France.

Springtime apple blossom in small vineyard near Vineyard in early spring near Cassis, Bouches-du- Clairvaux, Aube, France. Rhône, France. [AC Cassis]

Evening light over village and vineyards of Village of Chénas surrounded by its vineyards, Cucugnan, Aude, France. [AC Corbières] France. [Chénas / Moulin-à-Vent / Beaujolais]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 1/6 Vineyards near Tuchan, Aude, France. [Fitou / Château Lafon-Rochet viewed over its vineyard, Corbières] St-Estèphe, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Bordeaux]

Picking Merlot grapes at Château Palmer, Cabernet Franc vineyards below Le Moulin Bleu Cantenac, Gironde, France. [Margaux / Médoc / near Bourgueil, Indre-et-Loire, France. [AC Bordeaux] Bourgueil]

View on to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and its small walled Château Latour viewed over its vineyard on a vineyard Clos du Mesnil, owned by Krug. Marne, misty winter morning. Pauillac, Gironde, France. France. [Champagne / Côte des Blancs] [Médoc / Bordeaux]

Barrels of wine ageing in the magnificent cellar of Vineyard in early spring on the eastern slopes of the Château de Meursault, Côte d'Or, France. Mont Aimé, Bergères-lès-Vertus, Marne, France. [Côte de Beaune] [Côte des Blancs / Champagne]

The tower in vineyard of Château La Tour de By Village of Leynes surrounded by vineyards, Saône- with the Gironde estuary in distance. Bégadan, et-Loire, France. [St-Véran / Mâconnais] Gironde, France. [Médoc Cru Bourgeois Supérieur]

Autumnal vineyards on the slopes above Lac de St- Vineyards near Apremont, Savoie, France. [AC Vin André with Mont Granier and the Col du Granier de Savoie-Apremont] beyond. St-André, Savoie, France. [AC Vin de Savoie-Abymes]

Autumnal vineyard above Ville-Dommange on the Vineyards around the old church at Bossugan, Montagne de Reims, Marne, France. [Champagne] Gironde, France. [Entre-Deux-Mers / Bordeaux]

Poppies flowering in spring between Le Montrachet Performing the remuage on bottles of Cristal vineyard (left) and Chevalier-Montrachet, Puligny- champagne in the cellars of Louis Roederer, Reims, Montrachet, Côte d'Or, France. [Côte de Beaune Marne, France. Grand Crus]

Vineyards around village of Vinsobres with Mont The necks of bottles of Cristal champagne in a Ventoux in distance. Vaucluse, France. [Vinsobres pupitre with the sediment collected in the caps. / Côtes du Rhône-Villages] Louis Roederer, Reims, Marne, France.

Trailer of harvested Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in Harvest time rainbow over Grenouilles, Valmur and vineyard of Château Léoville-Barton, St-Julien, Les Clos vineyards, Chablis, Yonne, France. Gironde, France. [Médoc / Bordeaux] [Chablis Grand Crus]

Vineyard of Chapoutier by La Chapelle on the Hill of Hermitage with Tain l'Hermitage and Tournon Château La Mondotte, St-Émilion, Gironde, France. straddling the Rhône below. Drôme, France.

Magnums of 1989 Château La Mondotte in the Circular barrel chai of Château Lafite-Rothschild, vintage bottle cellar of Château Canon La Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Bordeaux] Gaffelière. St-Émilion, Gironde, France. [Bordeaux]

Grenache vineyard above the village of Maury, Vineyard of Château Pierron with avenue of plane Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [Maury / Côtes du trees beyond. Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France. Roussillon-Villages] [Buzet]

Snow covers Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and its small Village of Juliénas viewed over vineyard, France. walled vineyard, Clos du Mesnil, owned by Krug. [Juliénas / Beaujolais] Marne, France. [Côte des Blancs / Champagne]

Ripe Merlot grapes in vineyard at Château Lynch- St-Émilion and its bell tower with the King's Tower Moussas, Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc / in foreground. Gironde, France. [Saint-Émilion / Bordeaux] Bordeaux]

The Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé vineyard above the Cos d'Estournel viewed over its vineyard, St- villages of Soultzmatt (left) and Westhalten, Haut- Estèphe, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Bordeaux] Rhin, France. [Alsace]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 2/6 Rolling barrel into cellar of Louis Latour's Château Harvesting Grenache grapes in vineyards at de Grancey. The upright barrels are empty and Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [Côtes du await filling with wine from the new vintage. Aloxe- Roussillon-Villages / Rivesaltes] Corton, Côte d'Or, France.

April colour between vineyards at Bouzy, Marne, Château de Monbazillac - owned by the local France. [Champagne] cooperative. Dordogne, France.

Hunawihr and its 15th-century fortified church Charolais cattle by road signs at Pierreclos, Saône- with the Rosacker vineyard beyond. Haut-Rhin, et-Loire, France. [Mâconnais] France. [Alsace]

Harvesting botrytised Semillon grapes in vineyard Vineyards at Patrimonio, Haute-Corse, Corsica, of Château d'Yquem, Sauternes, Gironde, France. France. [AC Patrimonio] [Sauternes / Bordeaux]

Machine harvesting in vineyard of Domaine Ste- Sign on the D2 road in Pauillac, Gironde, France. Clair (Jean-Marc Brocard) at Préhy, Yonne, [Médoc / Bordeaux] France. [Chablis]

Harvested Chardonnay grapes in traditional Autumnal vineyards of Moët et Chandon near to baskets (100kg in each) in vineyard of their Château de Saran at Cramant, Marne, France. Champagne Fallet at Cramant. Marne, France. [Côte des Blancs / Champagne] [Côte des Blancs / Champagne]

Village of Latour-de-France above vineyard, Harvested Merlot grapes in wooden tubs, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [AC Côtes du Lamarque, Gironde, France. [Haut-Médoc / Roussillon-Villages-Latour-de-France] Bordeaux]

Barrel cellar which has been dug out of the tuffeau Bottles of champagne ageing sur lattes in the subsoil below Domaine des Roches Neuves, cellars of Moët et Chandon, Épernay, Marne, Varrains, Maine-et-Loire, France. [Saumur- France. Champigny]

Vineyard, lavender, sunflowers and straw bales at Château d'Yquem and chais viewed from its Chamaret, near Grignan, Drôme, France. vineyard. Sauternes, Gironde, France. [Sauternes / [Coteaux du Tricastin] Bordeaux]

Sunset over village and vineyards of Monthelie, Bunch of chardonnay grapes on the Kimmeridgean Côte d'Or, France. [Côte de Beaune] clay soil of Chablis. Yonne, France. [Chablis]

Autumnal vines lead down to the village of Le Racking barrels by gravity at Champagne Krug. Mesnil-sur-Oger which surrounds the small walled The tastevin is used to check clarity and taste. vineyard of Clos du Mesnil, owned by Krug. Reims, Marne, France. Marne, France. [Champagne]

Unloading harvested Aligoté grapes in backstreet View over vineyards to La Cité, the old town of of Puligny-Montrachet, Côte d'Or, France. [Côte de Carcassonne, Aude, France. [AC Malepère] Beaune]

Harvesting in vineyard by Château de la Saule Dew droplets on leaves in vineyard of Château du below the village of Montagny-lès-Buxy, Saône-et- Cléray-Sauvion. Eolie, near Vallet, Loire- Loire, France. [Montagny / Côte Chalonnaise] Atlantique, France. [Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine]

Chardonnay grapes on old vine in vineyard at Château de Corton-André, Aloxe-Corton, Côte d'Or, Montagny-lès-Buxy, Saône-et-Loire, France. France. [Montagny / Côte Chalonnaise]

St-Émilion viewed over vineyard of Château Fitou wine sign by vineyard at Paziols, Aude, Belair, Gironde, France. [Saint-Émilion / France. [Fitou / Corbières] Bordeaux]

Mechanical harvesting of grapes in the morning Filling a hod with harvested Merlot grapes in fog in vineyard of Château du Cléray-Sauvion. vineyard of Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Eolie, near Vallet, Loire-Atlantique, France. Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Bordeaux] [Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 3/6 Henri Pernot, récoltant, squeezing the juice from a Claude Papin working with Chenin Blanc vines in Savagnin grape onto his refractometer to measure Clos de la Soucherie vineyard of Château Pierre the potential alcohol. Château-Chalon, Jura, Bise, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire, France. France. [AC Château-Chalon] [Coteaux du Layon-Villages]

Sign for Cormicy and the Route Touristique du Signs to Pouilly and Fuissé - two of the villages Champagne by the church in the village of Cauroy- which make up the appellation Pouilly-Fuissé, lès-Hermonville, north-west of Reims, Marne, Saône-et-Loire, France. [Mâconnais] France.

Hubert de Montille taking a sample of premier cru Pickers break for lunch in La Turque vineyard of Taille Pieds from barrel in his cellars. Volnay, Côte Guigal on the Côte Blonde. , Rhône, France. d'Or, France. [Côte de Beaune] [Côte Rôtie]

Marcel Richaud with harvested Grenache grapes in Examining Jeroboams of 1983 in the vintage bottle vineyard at Cairanne, Vaucluse, France. [Cairanne cellar of Château Latour. Pauillac, Gironde, France. / Côtes du Rhône-Villages] [Médoc / Bordeaux]

Rolling barrique through the 2nd-year chai of Harvesting Riesling grapes of Marcel Lipp in early Château Margaux. Margaux, Gironde, France. November in the Grand Cru Pfersigberg vineyard, [Médoc / Bordeaux] Eguisheim, Haut-Rhin, France. [Alsace]

Machine harvesting of Chardonnay grapes at James Herrick's Domaine de la Motte starts at Faugères sign with village of Roquessels beyond, dusk and continues all night. Narbonne, Aude, Hérault, France. [AC Faugères] France. [Vin de Pays d'Oc]

Harvesting Pinot Noir grapes in the autumn mist at Scattering nitrate pellets on vineyard in early Mercurey, Saône-et-Loire, France. [Mercurey / spring. Mutigny, Marne, France. [Champagne] Côte Chalonnaise]

Sign for winery of Marcel Perret at Solutré-Pouilly, Saône-et-Loire, France. [Pouilly-Fuissé / Elderly pickers harvesting grapes. Jura, France. Mâconnais]

Harvesting Chardonnay grapes from 80-year old Helicopter spraying vines on the hill of Corton, vineyard of Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon at Pernand-Vergelesses, Côte d'Or, France. [AC Bussières near Milly-Lamartine, Saône-et-Loire, Corton-Charlemagne] France. [Mâconnais]

Pierre Sauvion, winemaker, with sample of new Shaking bottles of "La Grande Dame" before wine taken from tank. Château du Cléray-Sauvion, putting them in pupitres to undergo the remuage. Eolie, near Vallet, Loire-Atlantique, France. Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, Reims, Marne, France. [Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine] [Champagne]

Tractor with trailer full of harvested chardonnay Pruning Pinot Meunier vines and burning them in a grapes in Les Clos vineyard above Chablis, Yonne, mobile incinerator in early March near Champillon, France. [Chablis Grand Cru] Marne, France. [Champagne]

Chablis sign in vineyard near Beine, Yonne, Sign on the Route du Vin at entrance to village of France. [Chablis] Gueberschwihr, Haut-Rhin, France. [Alsace]

Harvesting Gamay grapes from vineyard in the Harvesting Aligoté grapes into traditional wicker hills above Chiroubles, France. [Chiroubles / baskets at Pernand-Vergelesses, Côte d'Or, France. Beaujolais] [Côte de Beaune]

Fermenting must being aerated and pumped back Remueurs at work on bottles of Belle Époque rosé over the grape-skin cap (remontage). in the cellars of Champagne Perrier-Jouët. This is a Mas de Daumas Gassac, Hérault, France. [Vin de vintage Champagne in a distinctive enamelled Pays d'Oc] bottle. Épernay, Marne, France.

Collecting prunings for burning on a frosty winter Hod carrier with Syrah grapes in La Turque morning in Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard of vineyard of Guigal. Ampuis, Rhône, France. [Côte Château Léoville-Barton. St-Julien, Gironde, Rôtie] France. [Médoc / Bordeaux]

Walking route sign in snow covered vineyard "Le Cru " sign in vineyard, Fleurie, France. below village of Château-Chalon, Jura, France. [Fleurie / Beaujolais] [Château-Chalon / Vin Jaune]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 4/6 Harvesting grapes in vineyard of Château Mouton- Topping up barriques (ouillage) in the white wine Rothschild, Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc / chai of Château Lynch-Bages. Pauillac, Gironde, Bordeaux] France. [Médoc / Bordeaux]

Bunches of botrytis-affected Semillon grapes, Harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in vineyard Château Rieussec, Sauternes, Gironde, France. of Château Léoville-Barton, St-Julien, Gironde, [Sauternes / Bordeaux] France. [Médoc / Bordeaux]

3024 glass bonbonnes, each holding 70 litres, in Vineyard in early spring on the white limestone which the wine is placed for its 1st year. Mas soil of Lirac, Gard, France. [AC Lirac] Amiel, Maury, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [AC Maury]

Harvesting Gamay grapes from vineyard in the Sign by vineyard at entrance to village of hills above Chiroubles, France. [Chiroubles / Ambonnay, Marne, France. [Champagne] Beaujolais]

Christophe Sabon topping up barrels (ouillage) in Sandrine Garbay, Maître de Chai, examines a chai of Domaine de la Janasse, Courthézon, magnum of 1967 in the vintage bottle cellar of Vaucluse, France. [Châteauneuf-du-Pape] Château d'Yquem, Sauternes, Gironde, France.

Vineyard in the hills above Vinca with the Massif de Spreading pulverized bark on a vineyard in early Canigou (2784m) beyond. Pyrénées-Orientales, spring. Ay, Marne, France. [Champagne] France. [AC Côtes du Roussillon]

Road separating vineyards of en Luraule (left) and The Clos des Goisses vineyard of Philipponat above les Grands Charrons at Meursault, Côte d'Or, Mareuil-sur-Ay and the Canal Lateral de la Marne, France. [Côte de Beaune] Marne, France. [Champagne]

Burning vine prunings in late autumn in les Vineyard of Mas de la Dame in early spring. Les Bonnes Mares vineyard, Chambolle-Musigny, Cote Baux-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. d'Or, France. [Cote de Nuits Grand Cru] [AC Les Baux-de-Provence]

Autumnal Chardonnay vineyards surround the Viognier vineyards above Condrieu and the River village of Solutré-Pouilly below the rock of Solutré, Rhône, France. [Condrieu] Saône-et-Loire, France. [Pouilly-Fuissé / Mâconnais]

The 2nd-year chai at Château Margaux. The Harvested Pinot Meunier grapes by vineyard upright barriques await the new vintage from the above the Marne valley at Charly-sur-Marne, 1st-year chai. Margaux, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Aisne, France. [Champagne] Bordeaux]

Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, floodlit at Early spring in vineyards at Villespassans, Hérault, dusk. Pauillac, Gironde, France. [Médoc / France. [St-Chinian] Bordeaux]

Harvested Pinot Noir grapes in traditional wicker baskets on the wall of Louis Latour's Les Perrières Post Office in the wine village of Puligny- vineyard at Aloxe-Corton, Côte d'Or, France. [AC Montrachet, Côte d'Or, France. Corton]

Bottles of sparkling wine in pupitres in the cellars View north over vineyards towards the Marne of Bouvet-Ladubay, Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Valley from near Cuis on the Côte des Blancs, France. [Crémant de Loire] Marne, France. [Champagne]

Jean-Pierre Girondin, Chef de Caves, working on Ripe Pinot Noir grapes - here growing at Verzenay Jeroboams in pupitres in the remains of Saint on the Montagne de Reims, Marne, France. Niçaise Abbey, part of the cellars of Champagne [Champagne] Taittinger. Reims, Marne, France.

Romanée-Conti 1990 in the bottle ageing cellar at Grenache vines on stoney soil at Rasteau, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Vosne-Romanée, Vaucluse, France. [Rasteau VDN / Côtes du Rhône- Côte d'Or, France. Villages]

View over Chavignol with the hilltop town of Village of Monthelie viewed from Les Duresses Sancerre in the distance. Cher, France. [AC vineyard in Auxey-Duresses, Côte d'Or, France. Sancerre] [Côte de Beaune]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 5/6 Barriques in the 1st-year chai of Château Haut- Snow blankets the vineyards around the church at Brion, Pessac, Gironde, France. [Pessac-Léognan / Cuis, south of Épernay, Marne, France. Bordeaux] [Champagne]

Château de Crouseilles and vineyard, owned by the Colourful flowers planted on waste ground on the Cave Co-operative de Crouseilles. Pyrénées- outskirts of Chablis. Yonne, France. [Chablis] Atlantiques, France. [AC Madiran]

Chatillon-sur-Marne and its snow covered Vineyard in the early spring near Caramany, vineyards in the Marne valley overlooked by the Pyrénées-Orientales, France. [AC Côtes du huge statue of Pope Urbain II. Marne, France. Roussillon-Villages] [Champagne / Marne la Vallée]

Pommard on a bleak December day, viewed over Vineyards below the rock of Solutré with the rock Les Charmots and Clos de la Commaraine Premier of Vergisson in the distance. Solutré-Pouilly, Cru vineyards. Côte d'Or, France. [Côte de Saône-et-Loire, France. [Pouilly-Fuissé / Beaune] Mâconnais]

Farmhouse viewed over lavender field and Barrel-ageing in the 13th-century Collegiate vineyard, Grignan, Drôme, France. [Coteaux du Church cellars of Maison Joseph Drouhin, Beaune, Tricastin] Côte d'Or, France.

Bottle ageing cellar of Domaine Armand Rousseau, Château Ausone, St-Émilion, Gironde, France. Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte d'Or, France. [Saint-Émilion / Bordeaux]

Coastal vineyards of Domaine Pieretti at Santa Sunset over vineyards near Poligny, Jura, France. Severa, Luri, Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. [Vin [AC Cotes du Jura] de Corse-Coteaux du Cap Corse]

William Serre with Reveuse (a Percheron), using a Grenache vineyard on stoney soil above Rasteau, plough to turn over the soil near the base of the Vaucluse, France. [Rasteau VDN / Côtes du vines. Château Magdelaine, St-Émilion, Gironde, Rhône-Villages] France.

Burning prunings in early January in vineyard of Château Franc-Mayne with Château Clos des Autumnal vineyard at Chitry-le-Fort, near Auxerre, Jacobins in the background. St-Émilion, Gironde, Yonne, France. [Bourgogne Chitry] France. [Saint-Émilion / Bordeaux]

Chardonnay vineyard at Montagny-lès-Buxy, Bottles of wine maturing in cave which has been Saône-et-Loire, France. [Montagny / Côte hewn out of the soft tuffeau subsoil. Château de la Chalonnaise] Grille, Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, France.

Machine harvesting grapes in vineyard at St-Cyr- and its château, Côte d'Or, France. les-Colons, Yonne, France. [Côte d'Auxerre] [Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune]

Grande Cuvée in pupitres in the cellars of Krug. This is a composition of 40-50 different wines Riquewihr viewed from the Schoenenbourg blended together to make one of the very finest vineyard, Haut-Rhin, France. [Alsace Grand Cru] Champagnes. Reims, Marne, France.

Château Langoa and vineyard on a misty January Snow blankets a vineyard at Verzy on the morning. St-Julien, Gironde, France. [Médoc / Montagne de Reims, France. [Champagne] Bordeaux]

Chenin Blanc vineyard of Château de la Roche aux Stone building in the Bouchard Père et Fils section Moines above the River Loire, Savennières, Maine- of Montrachet vineyard, Puligny-Montrachet, Côte et-Loire, France. [AC Savennières] d'Or, France. [Côte de Beaune Grand Cru]

Marker stone by vineyard of Domaine la Dusk falls over Château d'Yquem and its vineyard, Bouissière below the Dentelles de Montmirail, Sauternes, Gironde, France. [Sauternes / Gigondas, Vaucluse, France. [AC Gigondas] Bordeaux]

French Wine Odyssey www.wine-odysseys.com All Photography © Mick Rock 6/6