1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 545 A Young Man with a Bright Future

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation typically refers to the wines produced in the area surrounding Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as well as in the neighboring villages of Bédarid, Courteçon, and Sorgue.

Ronan and Mr. Jacques's destination was Courtezono, a village just a few kilometers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where Theodore was waiting for them at a vineyard.

Courteçon is located northwest of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. To get there from Bonijo, one has to circle half of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which gave Ronan a good opportunity to observe the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Although Papal Neuebourg and Lourmaran are both located within the province of Vaucluse, the terrain and soil here are completely different from those in Lourmaran.

The area around Lourmaran is mostly limestone soil. Ronan artificially altered the soil type by adding clay, creating a clay-limestone mixed soil. The most distinctive feature of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is its 'pebble plain'.

"It's true that the grapes grow in a unique environment." Ronan exclaimed, looking at the endless vineyards outside the car window. "The grapes here are even growing on 'pebbles'."

These 'pebbles' are mostly quartzite, remnants of Alpine glaciers, smoothed by thousands of years of erosion in the Rhône Valley. The rocks absorb heat during the day and release it at night, thus accelerating the ripening of grapes. In the dry summer, these rocks also act as a protective layer, helping the soil retain moisture.

According to AOC requirements, Grenache must have a minimum alcohol content of 15%, but Grenache grown on the 'pebble plain' of Châteauneuf-du-Pape easily exceeds 17%, all thanks to the 'pebbles'.

Mr. Jacques also looked out the car window at the scenery:
“Not everyone is qualified to grow grapes on the ‘pebble plain’. I heard that the cheapest plot of land in the pebble area this year is 100 million francs per hectare.”

"How much?" Ronan uttered in a high-pitched voice, sounding 'ignorant'.

The most expensive southern slopes in Lourmaran are only a few hundred thousand, while the cheapest 'pebble plain' in Châteauneuf-du-Pape costs 100 million per hectare?
“You heard me right,” Mr. Jacques repeated. “The cheapest land in the pebble area is 100 million francs per hectare, and the top-grade pebble plateau can sell for over 200 million francs. That’s what Jerome told me; he just sold his land.”

Ronan said self-deprecatingly:

“Jerome said his 50-hectare vineyard sold for 35 francs per hectare, and I was so envious that I couldn’t sleep for a whole week. Now, I might be so envious that I can’t sleep for a month.”

Papal Neustadt has not only a 'pebble plain' landscape, but also ordinary limestone and some sandy areas.

During Jerome's time, Stella took a people-friendly approach, acquiring land with a combination of affordable prices and other factors. Even so, the land prices were more than three times those of Lourmaran.

Mr. Jacques also sighed with 'envy,' noting that even Boniface in the Golden Triangle couldn't compare to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where land was incredibly valuable.

"There's no way around it. The AOC strictly regulates the size of the vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is only 3400 hectares. Newly reclaimed land is prohibited from being included in the AOC. The area remains unchanged, but the frequency of land changes hands is getting higher and higher. The most direct feeling is that the transaction price at the auction is getting higher and higher every year, breaking records every year."

"I'm so envious, so very envious," Ronan said, his eyes gleaming with envy.

Some people work hard their whole lives but can't buy a hectare of land, while others sell a hectare of land and it's enough to live on for a lifetime. That's the difference.

Ronan couldn't help but think of what Juliet had told him at the party at the end of last month: after resolving the 'Cheese Mountain' crisis, the Department of Agriculture was going to start promoting farmland expansion.

We need to work harder to buy more land.

Look at Jerome, he has 50 hectares of land, and he does whatever he wants, he can just quit a business whenever he wants.

We need to pay attention to this matter and not think it's none of our business; we need to prepare early.

While Ronan was making plans for retirement, Mr. Jacques was trying to decipher the surrounding road signs and terrain:

“We’re almost there. Theodore’s friend is nearby.”

In Provence, grape growers sell their grapes in three ways.

One option is to sell directly to a partner winery for cash; another is to exchange for wine of equal value; and yet another is to distribute cash and wine proportionally. Provençal people usually choose to exchange for wine or exchange for a portion of the wine, which is why larger vineyards typically have wine cellars.

Ronan followed Mr. Jacques to a wine cellar in a vineyard in Courteçon where he met Theodore in a formal suit.

Theodore was dressed very formally today, a stark contrast to his usual party attire of overalls and shirt that made him look like Peter Pan.

However, the black suit and the large black backpack he was carrying seemed out of place, and it was unclear what was inside.

Although Theodore and Ronan were not familiar with each other, the man did not forget Ines's instructions. After bringing Jacques and Ronan in, he took the initiative to introduce them to the plantation owner.

“This is Mr. Jacques, you must have heard of him, the owner of one of the five two-Michelin-starred restaurants in Provence.” Theodore paused, then continued in a more formal tone, “This is Ronan, the new owner of Château Stella Rosé. He is quite ‘reputable’ in Provence, a leading figure among emerging artists, his workshop boasts a thorn and flame motif that rivals that of the Fox family, and he also owns a Chinese restaurant in the liveliest part of Lourmarin.”

After finishing this long speech, Theodore let out a long sigh of relief and introduced the plantation owner to Jacques and Ronan:
"The wine made from grapes picked from Mr. Jackson was the 'top lot' at last year's auction. I haven't forgotten the taste of it all year. His cellar is full of good stuff, and we're in for a treat today."

Ronan gave Theodore a grateful look.

They actually came to meet last year's 'top bidder'.

He didn't know what price last year's "top bidder" had, but it was certainly not something that Stellaris, whose wines only sold for a few dozen francs a bottle, could afford.

Clearly, today's itinerary was tailor-made for Ronan.

Jackson politely led the three men to his cellar:

"Haha, I have to thank Theodore for the high praise he gave that wine last year. Those collectors trust your palate. I have a lot of fresh stuff here, let's all try it together."

Compared to the nearby vineyards where land prices reach millions per hectare, Mr. Jackson's wine cellar is rather unremarkable—just an ordinary cellar.

Ronan followed the group down the steep steps. A whiff of wine mixed with 'decay' hit him. After taking a few deep breaths, he could also smell a faint scent of oak and cold stone. In short, it wasn't very pleasant.

The light in the cellar was dim, but enough to see everything clearly.

Oak barrels were stacked along the wall, which was covered with a few specks of moss. In the middle, there was a larger oak barrel with four wine glasses and several bottles of red wine on it. The bottles had no labels, but there were some fancy marks made with colored markers.

Ronan looked around carefully. There was no temperature control equipment installed here, but the light blocking was quite good.

"No, why am I thinking about these things?" he muttered to himself.

He's just having an occupational hazard.

Mr. Jackson's wine collection and the wines at tomorrow's auction are all red and white wines, not delicate rosé wines, and the storage conditions are not so strict.

While lamenting when rosé wine might finally grace the auction stage, Ronan felt a small surge of anticipation for the upcoming wine tasting.

After moving to Provence, he developed a taste for rosé, occasionally drank a little beer, but drank red and white wine relatively infrequently.

The wines we're about to taste are sure to be excellent. Such fine wines deserve a few comments after we finish; what should he say?
But soon, Ronan began to be troubled by another problem.

He quietly nudged Mr. Jacques' arm in front of him and said in a low voice:

"I didn't see a place to vomit."

Jerome had a drainage ditch specifically for spitting out wine in his Châteauneuf-du-Pape cellar, and Ronan designed a similar place in his Lourmarin cellar.

But Jackson's place isn't a professional winery, and they certainly wouldn't consider people who come here just to taste but not drink.

So the question is, where should we vomit?

By this time, the group had reached the large oak barrel, and Ronan saw Theodore take a small barrel, about ten centimeters in diameter, out of the black bag on his back.

Ronan's eyes widened instantly, the light in them undoubtedly brighter than the dim yellow light overhead.

No, buddy, do you carry a vomit bucket with you?
Mr. Jacques naturally noticed that Theodore had brought his own props.

He quickly assessed the feasibility of all three people vomiting in that spot simultaneously, and quietly replied to Ronan:

"Spitting the wine on the ground is too rude, so today I can only swallow it, but remember to only taste a little bit each time."

“Okay.” Ronan nodded.

While Ronan and Mr. Jacques were discussing tactics, Theodore had already eagerly tasted the first bottle of wine.

He would frown, sniff the air, and rinse his mouth. The scene made Ronan feel as if he were witnessing a religious ceremony.

Now that the prayer ceremony is over, it is time to recite the prayer.

The 'prank' that happened last night made Ronan act childish again. In his mind, he gave Theodore a voiceover—especially steady, especially wonderful, with rich layers of flavor, Amen, thank you for the gift.

But the serious, solemn, and deep voice echoing in the cellar was:
"It has a damp leather smell; this wine isn't very good."

Ok?
Ronan's mind went blank for a brief two seconds.

What does damp leather smell like?

Jackson, unwilling to give up, urged him to try the second drink.

After Theodore completed the entire prayer sequence, the words he uttered thoroughly enraged the Lord:

"This wine has a scent reminiscent of embroidered quilts; I don't think it deserves its price from last year."

Jackson's eyebrows shot up instantly:

"The smell of embroidered quilts? What does that mean?"

Theodore wiped his mouth:

"Don't get excited, buddy. This isn't your average embroidered quilt. It's a very old and very special embroidered quilt, but to be honest, it's not very good."

Over the next half hour, Ronan heard many unusual and quirky words that he never expected to be used to describe wines.

A drowning dog, the belly of a baby rabbit, wood smeared with strawberries. Theodore uses familiar words to describe a series of unfamiliar flavors.

Compared to him, Ronan's previous methods, such as 'fruitiness,' 'layers,' and 'acidity and sweetness,' are simply weak.

Jackson, like a masochist, could still laugh even after Theodore repeatedly belittled his drinking.

"It has to be you. Everyone else was saying 'yes, yes, yes,' and that I'd definitely be the top bidder this year, but I know very well that this batch of wine isn't as good as last year's. You're really something."

Suddenly, the plantation owner realized that there were two other guests present.

I was too 'excited' just now, and all I could see was Theodore.

He opened a new bottle of wine and poured only a tiny bit for each of Jacques, Ronan, and Theodore:

"Come on, try this one, friends."

Although the owner wouldn't pay any attention to him, Ronan still professionally completed each part of the 'prayer' ritual, only missing the vomiting part compared to Theodore.

Seeing how seriously Ronan was taking it, Jackson politely asked:
What do you think of this wine?

Ronan felt like a student who had been suddenly called on by the teacher, especially since the last person to answer the question was the top student in the entire school, which put him under immense pressure.

His attempts to describe it with terms like 'fruity aroma,' 'layers of flavor,' and 'acidity and sweetness' are simply too weak.

In a flash, countless 'tricky' words popped into Ronan's head, but he didn't have much time to choose. After swallowing the sip of wine, he smiled and replied:

I would call him a young man with a bright future.

"A promising young man?" Jackson laughed heartily. "May I ask why?"

Theodore spat out the wine, looked over curiously, and waited for Ronan to say something next.

Ronan shook the glass:
"This wine is too young, but in a few years, its flavor will be limitless."

In the field of professional wine tasting, determining the vintage of a wine is far more difficult than identifying the grape variety.

The aroma of a varietal, such as the blackcurrant flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon or the fruity flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon, are clear "points." Even laymen can achieve an accuracy rate of over 85% in blind tasting of varietals with trained palates. On the other hand, the characteristics of a vintage are "lines" that change during the aging process. There is no pattern to them, and it takes years of experience to judge them.

Theodore raised an eyebrow imperceptibly.

This Ronan is pretty good.
Jackson clapped his hands happily and said to Theodore:
“Your friend is impressive, a promising young man. It’s rare to meet so many experts. Don’t go, I’ll go get a few more bottles of wine to try.”

(End of this chapter)