Living in the Médoc: Clos du Jaugeuyron

12/7/19 -

If you’re familiar with Clos du Jaugueyron, you know that winegrower Michel Théron focuses on a style of Bordeaux that is deliciously fresh. He intentionally makes wines that can be enjoyed young. But on the same note, all the Jaugueyron wines that I’ve tasted display a healthy flavor and structure that would surely allow for long cellaring and development.

Théron arrived in Bordeaux to study winemaking in the late 80s when he was 20 years old. His parents and their vines were in Minervois, and he was likely to return there after his studies. Things changed when he fell in love with a Bordelais woman named Stephanie. He wouldn’t move home and the two eventually married. He also admits to having found a firm admiration for the Médoc. He saw through the grand châteaux and the brands of big business. The Médoc, as Jaugueyron’s website puts it, is “between woods, estuary, ocean, and deep gravel in which the vines plunge.” This appreciation for the environment, its beauty and its natural vivacity, has been integral to Théron’s farming and winemaking.

Théron’s wines are self-described as “living.” He relies on the inherent energy and character of the Médoc’s ecosystem and of his grapes. In a region infamous for manipulation, Théron is an exception, sealing his commitment to ethical practices in 2008 with Demeter certification. But since his initial purchase of vines in 1993, he has never used chemicals in the fields. Viewing photos of his vineyards, you see grass and flowers dispersed amongst the classic Bordeaux gravel. In the cellar, his grapes go into tank whole-cluster (to ensure a light extraction) and are fermented with indigenous yeasts. After fermentation, elevage in oak is implemented, with percentages of new wood depending on the classification of the bottling - though he always keeps it limited. This lasts for about 12 months. Lees are stirred to enhance the textural finesse of the wine.

Clos du Jaugueyron, with Michel Théron at the helm, is a producer carrying Bordeaux into the modern wine market, where large pockets of consumers are focused on immediate drinkability and organic/biodynamic practices. However, he has a strong connection to the Left Bank, and he produces wines of strength and potential for lengthy aging. More than anything, it seems Théron wants those that buy his wines to taste the vitality of the Médoc, the land he earnestly appreciates. David Hatzopoulos