Terroir, Organic Viticulture and Fine Wine with Comte Stephan von Neipperg

At a convivial dinner held for the Commanderie de Bordeaux in Cambridge, MA in November 2017, Count Stephan von Neipperg, whose family has an 800-year history of winemaking in Germany, emphasized the critical role of terroir: “without outstanding soil, there is no outstanding wine.” For example, four weeks before harvest, the soil has a braking effect on vine growth, shifting nutrients from the leaves and branches to the grapes and grape skins, where flavors develop. He recalled that in the 1960s, before his arrival in Bordeaux, the widespread use of herbicides and pesticides, as well as increasing reliance on a limited variety of rootstock clones, led to a general decline in quality (witness the array of famous vintages, such as 1928, ‘29, ‘45, ‘47, ‘49, ‘59 and ‘61, prior to a drop-off in the mid-1960s). At Canon-La-Gaffeliere, several years were necessary for the transition to organic viticulture. Without adequate preparation of the vineyards, other estates in St. Emilion lost much of their crop to oidium, a mildew infection. The Von Neipperg properties use their own compost; employ independent nurseries and a variety of rootstocks, which heightens the complexity of his wines; and avoid spraying, which is “not needed much: when the soil is alive, the vines grow nicely.” On the Right Bank, where the soils are predominantly clay and limestone, he explained, “terroir is more important than cepage;” as an example, chalky soils impart higher acidity and freshness to merlot. The Count then led a tasting of his properties, Chateau d’Aiguilhe (Cotes de Castillon), Clos de l’Oratoire and Canon-La-Gaffeliere from the 2008 vintage. He predicted that Oratoire (90% merlot/10% cabernet franc) would be most popular on that occasion, due to its roundness and softness, whereas the structure imparted by Canon-La Gaffeliere’s higher proportion of cabernet franc, with its spice, herbs and flowers, would show to better advantage after another ten years.
Tasting suggestion: Ch. Canon-La-Gaffeliere 2014, St. Emilion.