Ah, the difference a letter can make, I reflect to myself as I sit, bemused,
across the table from French winemaker Pierre Seillan.
A true flying winemaker in every sense of the term, Seillan is the man
behind brooding, Bordeaux-inspired reds produced in no fewer than three
countries. He has just explained his philosophy on “micro crus,” sub-plots
within the best vineyard sites that yield small lots of wine that powerfully
transmit the essence of the land, or terroir (ter-WAHR), as it’s often referred
to in wine circles.
Seillan has just concluded his explanation by declaring, with aplomb, that
he is “a terroirist.” He pauses after dropping the terroirist bomb and looks
at me with a twinkle in his eye.
I sense I am supposed to laugh, so I do. It comes easily thanks
to the fact that I have nine tempting glasses of the affable Frenchman’s
wines fanned out in front of me, winking up from inside pristine Riedel
stems. Just five minutes after meeting the man I am already perfectly at
ease, a chuckle on my lips, and the tasting hasn’t even begun.
A man of many terroirs
Seillan began his wine adventure some 40 years ago at his family’s
vineyard near Bordeaux in France. Their history in all things wine-related
runs deep, with sometimes ironic twists that have shaped Seillan’s philosophical
approach to viticulture.
One of these twists is the family’s recurring connection to the California
wine industry. Seillan’s family first brought rootstock from American vines
to France to combat the deadly vine disease Phylloxera, which attacks the
roots of native French vines. About a hundred years later, a member of his
family sent this same stock back to the US when vines planted here with
French rootstock became infected with the same disease (grafting the French
vines onto American rootstock was the solution in both cases).
Today, Seillan is as captivated with the terroir of Sonoma as he is with
that near St. Émilion in France, where he produces wines under the label
“Lassègue.” He is a partner in the Sonoma-area winery Vérité, a boutique
producer of Bordeaux-style reds. To this impressive resume he adds an interest
in the Tuscan estate Tenuta di Arcena, where he produces SuperTuscan-style
blends under the name “Arcanum.”
Servant of the soil
A self-proclaimed “servant of the soil,” Seillan only makes wine
from estate-grown fruit (meaning the land is owned by him and his partners),
which he says allows him maximum control over the finished product. Which
is a very good thing if you’re as obsessed as Seillan with capturing the
nuances of a particular place in your glass. Read on for highlights from
this very special tasting with a terroirist.
My Seillan favorites
Sonoma – 2003 Vérité “La Joie” Sonoma County, $150
This classy Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend is modeled in the style
of reds from the Bordeaux appellation Pauillac, where the celebrated wines
of Château Latour and Château Lafite are crafted. Full-bodied with taut
tannins, it offers up notes of raspberry-spiked brownies, fresh earth, tobacco
and bell pepper. Drink now or hold.
specs: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4%
Petit Verdot
Bordeaux – 2003 Lassègue Saint Émilion Grand Cru, $50
Made just a stone’s throw from renowned St. Émilion producers including
Château Cheval Blanc, this wine is wonderfully brooding and shows what
Merlot is capable of in the right hands. Complex notes of dark plums,
blackberries, cocoa and caramel are backed by essences of tobacco and
pencil box. Good now but even better in 4-12 years.
specs: 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tuscany – 2003 Arcanum II IGT Toscana, $96
A powerful but suave wine built to last, the Arcanum II marries
notes of black pie cherries, cocoa and earth with flavors of nuts and
toast imparted by the top-quality French oak Seillan uses. Appealing hints
of spice and licorice linger underneath. An impressive red that drinks
well with decanting but will reward those who lay it down.
specs: 68% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Sangiovese
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articles by Courtney Cochran
