La Côte St. Jacques, Joigny, Burgundy, France


M. Lorain showing the new born grape cluster in early May.

M. Lorain in his Chardonnay vineyard on the top of the hillside above his restaurant and five star hotel La Côte St. Jacques.

M. Lorain in the ancient alley of trees just up from the family home that is now the hotel/restaurant. This is where he used to play as a child and dreamed of owning one day. Now he does.

A New Retirement Enterprise for one of the World's top Chefs.

Peter and Linda D'Aprix

What does a Michelin three star chef do with himself when he hands over the reins of not only his beloved kitchens but the five star hotel that he and his wife Jacqueline (one of the first women sommeliers in France) had transformed from a small, family boarding house into a world class destination? How does a man, regardless of his years, when he is filled with imagination and energy just sit back and retire? Well this man does not!

As Michel Lorain related to us as we tramped the hillsides, he dreamed, as a boy, of owning the hillsides above his family inn. After all he spent his boyhood plaing in the alley of trees that led up the incline to the top of the hill from which all of Joigny can be seen; the river Yonne winding its way west to Paris; south to Marseilles and the waters flow from the east through a series locks as one of France's oldest canals.

His restless interest pushed him to test the soils on the hillsides. Never one to be restricted by tradition even if he embraced the classical training that gave him his mastery in the kitchen, he realized that contrary to the recent methods of wine making in Joigny, the test results indicated that Chardonnay not in the style of Chablis would be a variety that would do better on these slopes. In 1990, he assembled a consortium of investors and purchased approximately 18 acres just above his hotel that overlook the town of Joigny and planted 14 acres in Chardonnay immediately. In 1994 he planted 3 acres in Pinot noir and the rest in the Pinot gris traditional to the region. The reds are still too young to have much distinction but his Chardonnay is a delightful wine, light and smooth. If you are looking for a heartier wine these may not appeal to you, but if you like a lively, refreshing wine that will go well with almost everything, you could do worse than Michel's Chardonnay.

He has taken over the caves of the old Benedictine monastery equally near the hotel and the vineyards. This was the home of St. Vincent de Paulo for much of his life. It dates back at least to the early 1600's and exudes the patena of the centuries. Somehow, Michel managed to have his ultra modern stainless steel, temperature controlled fermentation vats trundled down the ancient, worn stone stair case and set up in the cave leaving room for the wooden barrels on the opposite wall. The humidity and temperature is constant. He proudly showed us around and shared with us tasting of the young wine from the casks.

Managing Editor, Linda D'Aprix joining M. Michel Lorain in a pipette of young Chardonnay from the barrel.

Young Red and White fro the barrel.

Wines sold at the hotel in 3 packs

Bottles of 1998 white Chardonnay and Red Pinot Noir.

Michel explained that this wine region of Joigny has an early history of merit in French wine appreciation. But it has been in low esteem for a long time. The record books tell of vines situated near the church Satin Thibault in Joigny in 1082. The wine graced the tables of the kings of France who had a particular passion for the wine of the Yonne and those of Joigny in particular. Until the 19th century, the wines were transported by boat to Paris on the highway of the river Yonne. These were red wines and "vins gris" or rosé wines. At one time there were 540 hectares or approximately 12,000 acres in production of high quality wines.

The hillsides have a southern and south eastern exposure and are protected from the north winds by the forested plateau of Othe. The river at the bottom of the hillsides provides a micro-climate that helps protect them from the freezes that often arrive in early spring. The geology is complex. The main rock is a soft chaulk. It is covered with a mixture of clay with flint throughout. It is a marvelous combination for Chardonnay giving it a richness of minerals. Michel relies heavily on his vineyard specialist Jean-Paul Le Drogo is maintaining the health and development of his vines.

The grapes are picked by hand. The grapes are pressed very gently. The fermentation is carefully regulated with temperature controlled vats. The wine is aged in oak.

Not content with this venture, Michel is working on a new old wine. Fascinated with the history and former high reputation the wines of Joingy enjoyed, he has researched the background of the old wines that were produced. Working with the government office that controls wine production in France, the Appellation Controlée, he is planning to reproduce the wine that made the region famous and the darling of the Paris court. The wine was a rosé, he says, that was quite different from the vin gris produced today. It was a blend of Pinot, Plan de roy (Malbeck), Sauvignon and a variety he has had to track down with much difficulty, Tressot, a very old variety, which he eventually found in Chile.

He has not been able to unearth the recipe of the blending, so will have to experiment for some time. First the vines have to be nurtured and brought to production stage. They are in the ground as we speak. Then with the first picking in 2001, the fun begins. This is an ongoing story but when we revisited the hotel in 2003, the first rosés were available for drinking and were quite interesting if different from most rosés we have tasted. If you are interested in tasting his wines you will have to visit his hotel and restaurant La Côte St. Jacques where the wines are served with his son's cuisine. This will not be a hardship! If you buy the 3 pack, the cost per bottle is only around $8.00 US.

If you live in Europe, Great Britain or Japan, he can ship them to you, but the U.S. is not yet on his list but he is working on it.

La Côte Saint Jacques Hôtel/Restaurant/Winery
B.P. 197
89304 Joigny Cedex
France
tel: 33-(0)3.86.62.09.70
fax: 33-(0)3.86.91.49.70
e-mail: lorain@relaischateaux.fr
web site URL: http://www.relaischateaux.fr/lorain