Introducing Sylvain Bock
We first met Sylvain at one of the fairs in Montpellier at the start of the year, having previously enjoyed his wines in some of the best addresses in Paris and Copenhagen. It’s always been a mystery to us why they haven’t yet reached the UK so it’s a pleasure to be introducing them.
Based in the small picturesque town of Alba-la-Romaine in Ardèche, when we arrived spring was in full effect with wisteria blooming and the vines just beginning to bud. After a simple lunch where we tasted through the wines that have just arrived, we went to see a few of the vineyards not far from the town.
The closer of the two sites to the cellar is composed mainly of limestone with very little topsoil and is planted with his Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc, as well as a few rows of old vine Grenache Noir and Merlot. Further north in the valley we find the Gamay, Syrah and some more Grenache Noir planted on basalt at higher altitude. The vineyards are farmed organically, teeming with wildflowers and insects, biodiversity is key to the health and wellbeing of the soil and vines.
Sylvain has recently built a new cellar in Alba-la-Romaine, having outgrown the small space in Valvignères he used to occupy. This is a reflection of the man himself, careful and considerate, rather than him simply wishing to make more wine – with more space and more tanks and barrels at his disposal, Sylvain isn’t rushed into bottling wines he doesn’t believe are ready. An example of this from our current release is the stunning non-vintage Chardonnay L’Equilibriste, a blend of the slow-fermenting, rich 2016 vintage, and the fresher, tense 2017 vintage, the result is incredible.
Sylvain ferments most of the grapes on their stems with only the old vine Grenache that is good enough to go into Neck Plus Ultra destemmed for a slower traditional maceration. Other work in the cellar is minimal, with no additions of any kind. Sylvain’s patience and knowledge result in wines of purity and freshness, without compromising on depth. As Sylvain says, ‘I don’t want to make nouveau wines, let winter do its job (in terms of settling the wines). I release them when they are ready.”
As well as trying all the wines in this release, we tasted the ‘18s in tank and barrel which were all looking extremely promising. Already in bottle is his first attempt at a pet nat, 100% grenache blanc – a real thirst-quencher. We can’t wait to get our hands on it later in the year. At the end of the tasting, Sylvain pulled out some old bottles for us to enjoy, the highlight being his 2013 Merlot Suck a Rock – the aromatics and lightness-of-touch drew instant comparisons to one of our favourite (natural) producers in Burgundy with no hyperbole.
We couldn’t be happier for these wines to be our first arrivals and look forward to showing them to you. That said, we have limited stock of everything. Please do let us know if you’re interested as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment.
The Wines
Equilibriste NV
100% Chardonnay coming from his best plot in the Saint Philippe vineyard, a high limestone content gives this wine a piercing acidity that carries the length for days. The vinification is simple – the grapes are pressed and fermented in old barrels where it is aged for a year. Sylvian blended the 2016 and 2017 vintages; ‘17 a fresher and more elegant year compared to the hotter, broader ‘16. Combining the two has created something rather special, obtaining both tension and richness, with amazing complexity.
Grelots 2016 & 2017 (2016 Magnums)
Named after the 3 grape varieties that make up its composition, GRE for Grenache Noir, LOT for Merlot and S for Syrah. Coming mainly from his own 2 vineyards and a little from a friend’s vineyard, the grapes are carbonically macerated and vinified separately, then blended before bottling. The results are fantastic – a very soif-able wine we find hard to put down. We have been lucky to also receive a small allocation of magnums from 2016.
Suck a Rock 2017
This is the wine that got us hooked. Single-plot of 45-year-old Merlot vines planted at his Saint Philippe vineyard which has a high limestone base. This wine goes through carbonic maceration and is aged in old barrique for a year. Ethereal, fresh and saline – it’s unlike any Merlot we have had before. We tried a 2013 Suck a Rock when we visited and were blown away.
Raffut 2017
100% Syrah coming from the Valvignères vineyard, carbonic maceration in fibreglass tanks then aged in old barrique for a year. When we visited Sylvian he explained this wine ‘needs the most air’ to express itself fully, it was quite a journey to see this wine transform over an hour, a truly different and overwhelmingly impressive expression of Syrah.
Neck Plus Ultra 2017
Taking its name from the old volcano in the Ardèche where the vineyards cling to the slope. This cuvee is not made every year, only when the conditions are perfect. Composed of different parcels of old vine Grenache Noir that have a mix of limestone & basalt soil. This is very much the senior to his other bottling Neck, the 2018 of which we will receive later in the year. Grapes are harvested for Neck Plus Ultra 10 days later than Neck for added complexity. This is his only red that is 100% de-stemmed and is aged in barrique for a year.
