Charles Lachaux, 32, winegrower in Vosne-Romanée in Côte d’Or, received the title of best young winegrower on the planet at the Golden Vines Awards in London on October 8. A title awarded by 400 professionals from 55 countries.
At the head of a family estate
Sixth generation to take the reins of this 14 hectare family estate in Vosne-Romanée, 32-year-old Charles Lachaux did not expect this award and at first thought it was a joke. It was not, and the award was well deserved. The “best young winegrower in the world” is at the head of a 14 ha estate. The company produces 15 appellations, all in red wine, organic and biodynamic.
Respect for biodiversity
The young winegrower is testing new techniques: “we are doing tests such as training or the method of pruning”. Others are abandoned: “We have stopped working the soil so we are not plowing. We let the grass grow, it brings back more biodiversity ”. The winegrower advocates a manufacturing process that above all respects the vine. “We try to do work that accompanies the life cycle of the vine”. It takes more time to spend there, because here everything is done by hand. “We prune when it starts to grow, we cut a few branches when the vine stops growing in the summer, lots of things to make it as comfortable as possible.” In eight years, by dint of hard work and high standards, he has succeeded in imposing his wine aesthetic and raising his wines to an exceptional level. A nugget to discover urgently! The Oscars of Wine The Golden Wines Awards, created by the Liquid icons association, founded by the late 2010 best sommelier in the world Gérard Basset and the Briton Lewis Chester, were made thanks to the vote of 442 wine industry professionals, scattered in 55 countries.
