This offer represents an increasingly rare opportunity in the contemporary Burgundy landscape. It’s a gorgeously detailed wine from an experienced and truly gifted producer who chases his dream of wine immortality by doing everything himself, both organically and by hand. Best of all, the finished product doesn’t break the bank!
Domaine du Clos des Rocs farmer-winemaker-owner Olivier Giroux does not share the work habits of some of his more well-heeled neighbors in Burgundy. He says “it is just me here—I’m a peasant. I tend the vineyards. I make the wine. I take care of the marketing.” Olivier’s work ethic and dogged self-reliance produce single vineyard wines of stunning purity and character while the absence of payroll or subcontracting at his small property means prices remain refreshingly low. Still, don’t be fooled by Olivier’s low prices, bootstrap attitude or modest cellar. Across the board, Clos des Rocs is bottling extraordinarily pure wines that are full of soil character and recall Burgundy’s golden era in the 1960’s and 1970s. Trust me that this is a producer to keep your eye on in the years to come!
Olivier Giroux was born and developed an early interest in wine in southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais region. Following university-level wine education and a decade spent honing his skills with large producers in the Rhône valley, Olivier longed to return home to realize his dream of bottling White Burgundy. He believed the soft, rolling hills of his youth still remained more focused on soil and farming versus what he perceived as the Rhone’s preoccupation with technology and stylistic cellar decisions. Olivier’s extincts lead him to one of the most obscure villages in all of Burgundy. The entire village appellation of Pouilly-Loché is a microscopic 32 hectares, and even though it has been recognized by the French government since 1940 and is a highly regarded growing zone, I don’t recall ever having seen a single bottle of wine labeled as Pouilly-Loché on a list or shelf in America. In short, this village—and Olivier’s property—is located well off Burgundy’s beaten path.
Fortunately for all of us, the obscurity of the Pouilly-Loché appellation meant that with his purchase of Domaine du Clos des Rocs in the mid 2000’s, Olivier acquired an impressively diverse 6-hectare collection of gorgeous, limestone-rich old-vine Chardonnay parcels for the price of what even a few rows in one of Burgundy’s more prestigious vineyards might cost. Olivier immediately set to transition all farming on the property to organics while renovating the cellar to prioritize cleanliness and efficiency over faddish technology and gimmickry. With the US debut of his wines in 2014, it became immediately clear Clos des Rocs deserved a place in the top tier of estates in southern Burgundy. These are nuanced and classically styled wines that perfectly articulate the region’s unique and inimitable character.
In the glass, the 2015 Domaine du Clos des Rocs Mâcon-Loché displays a rich golden straw core with green reflections on the rim. This wine enjoys a beautifully classic nose with aromas of preserved yellow apples, bosc pear, hazelnuts, acacia honey, lime blossom and lemon curd over a subtle core of oyster shells and crushed limestone. The medium-bodied palate is nearly full bodied and slightly viscous in texture with incredible concentration and flavors almost identical to the nose. With a wine as fully realized and complete as this—and with no exposed seams or rough edges—it can be challenging to separate the fine details from the big picture. Still, it is extremely UN-challenging to enjoy this beautiful expression of southern Burgundy’s pastoral terroir. Simply decant for 20-30 minutes in Burgundy stems between 50-60 degrees, depending on your personal preference, and serve alongside a similarly pure and joyous dish. If, like those of us in Northern California, you’re currently battling severe winter weather, I might suggest a brief visit to Provence via this
delicious halibut preparation. It’s the perfect companion for this wine.
