Joly: Natural wine is "meaningless"

Biodynamic pioneer Nicolas Joly has blasted natural wines as “meaningless”. Speaking at the RAW wine fair in London last month organised by Isabelle Legeron MW, Joly told the drinks business: “The term natural wine is nothing more than a drawer in which to put all the winemakers who didn’t make enough effort to convert to organics and biodynamics. Those naming themselves as ‘natural’ wines are going to have a huge problem in five years and are going to find it extremely difficult to sell their wines.” 

Joly feels that now organic and biodynamic wines have become trendy, everyone istrying to jump on the band wagon. “Natural wine is an empty concept devised for capturing a market. What is ‘natural’? All wines are natural. If you do nothing in the cellar you will have a natural wine but it won’t necessarily be a good wine to drink.”

Joly believes the subject of sulphur use – crucial to the natural wine movement – has been over discussed and incorrectly communicated. “It all depends which sulphur you use. A small amount of volcanic sulphur is actually a good thing for a wine. Wines destined to be shipped abroad that want any kind of life span need sulphur to protect against oxidation – they can’t survive without it. It’s pointless trying to fight the sulphur issue,” he said.

Explaining how biodynamics works, Joly, who runs biodynamic property La Coulee de Serrant in the Loire where he makes three wines from 100% Chenin Blanc, said: “At a physical level, biodynamics can’t work. It works in tiny quantities as a receiver on an energetic level like using a phone to connect to a friend. Being biodynamic connects a vine to that which it needs to express its full potential."

Joly revealed that he believes sound frequencies have a positive effect on stimulating yeast during fermentation. “I play a specific note to my wines in a specific spot of the cellar during fermentation. Sounds dominate matter and stimulate life but very little is understood about it,” he explained. He also believes shape is more important than material when it comes to fermenting and ageing wines, citing amphorae, which are still used in Georgia, as the best shape for maturing wine.

Exclusive Forrester Chenin for High Timber

Chenin Blanc pioneer Ken Forrester has created a sweeter version of his popular FMC Chenin for South African restaurant High Timber in London. As reported on the drinks business, FMC Première Selection Moelleux 2010 follows is a sister wine to the original Forrester Meinert Chenin (FMC), which has done much to raise the profile of South African Chenin Blanc on the world stage.

After a favourable 2010 harvest, Forrester (above) and good friend Martin Meinert opted to use one of the FMC barrels to create an exclusive wine for High Timber. Made in a late harvest style, the sugar content in Moelleux is much higher than in FMC, while the alcohol and acidity levels remain the same. Meinert describes the wine, which is barrel fermented and spends 15 months in oak, as “sweeter, riper, more voluptuous and sensual than FMC.”

Moelleux, which means sweet in French, is expected to arrive at the restaurant next month. “Each year we tend these old vines as best we can and are guided and forced to work in concert with nature, which is totally unpredictable. Occasionally, unpredictable weather patterns can result in disaster or a virtual miracle, the Moelleux we believe is the latter.

“After a fantastic harvest in 2010, we are delighted to present High Timber with its own exclusive FMC. We continue to be honoured at the reputation of the original wine, and hope that the Moelleux will be just as popular,” Said Forrester, who has hosted numerous wine dinners at the St Paul’s site.

With over 40,000 bins, High Timber, co-owned by Gary and Kathy Jordan of Jordan Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, offers one of the widest selections of South African wines in the capital. “To say I am delighted is an understatement. FMC is one of our most popular wines and with the Moelleux made exclusively for us, it’s the new jewel in our cellar,” said the restaurant’s co-owner and sommelier Neleen Strauss.