Just some hours’ drive north of Lyon, nestled in rows of Pinot Noir and Gamay, is the small French village of Bouze-lès-Beaune.
Tright here’s heaps to soak up for a international vacationer: cease at Veuve Ambal and pattern their cremant, benefit from the scrumptious Burgundian delicacies served by the lone however extremely cozy restaurant within the city, briefly trespass on the wine terraces after taking a unsuitable flip.
Extra importantly: in Bouze-lès-Beaune, there are caves to discover. Simply exterior of town middle, amongst a row of unassuming, ivy-covered row homes, is the previous workplace and tasting room for Michel Couvreur. Hidden down a winding stone staircase exist the cellars of Michel Couvreur. These caves, dug out by Mr. Couvrer himself, as soon as held (and in some areas nonetheless maintain) Burgundy wine, however have now been repurposed for the maturation of distillate in probably the most rigorously chosen barrels, and in one of the vital distinctive environments within the trade.
Reverse the previous headquarters is a bigger, fashionable constructing emblazoned with the Michel Couvreur emblem and it’s this constructing the place I met Jean-Arnaud Frantzen, curator and grasp blender. Not open to the general public and with no official touring program, Jean-Arnaud was gracious sufficient to spare a few of his time to let me, a fan of the label, soak up among the firm’s historical past, ask my very own questions and higher perceive their philosophy going into the longer term.
Michel Couvreur, till lately, was considered one of France’s few – if not solely – Impartial Bottlers and blenders. They occupy an identical area of interest to bottlers like Compass Field, however whereas Compass Field blends already aged and barreled whisky sourced from throughout Scotland, Jean-Arnaud has a lot finer management over the lifetime of the product. Borrowing from their historical past on the earth of wine, Michel Covreur has entry to considered one of whisky’s most coveted commodities: actual, extremely top quality, and really outdated sherry casks from Spain. They begin by immediately sourcing distillate from Scotland, bringing it house, after which inserting it into numerous appropriately-chosen barrels, earlier than laying them to relaxation within the caves of Bouze-lès-Beaune.
I knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t inform me the reply however I requested Jean-Arnaud anyway: Who do you supply your whisky from? It’s a secret partially to keep away from pointless affiliation with Scotch distilleries, however it’s also as a result of Michel Couvreur may be very a lot its personal product. The aforementioned management over the life span of the product ends in a constant and really distinct taste profile that’s explicit to this label. Jean-Arnaud and group import new-make whisky immediately from Scotland, choose and import casks immediately from Spain by truck, usually nonetheless very moist, however most significantly: absent of any sulphur, a by-product of the sherry trade that may drastically have an effect on a whisky’s character and their mixing course of.
These casks, which Jean-Arnaud quoted as 50 years outdated, are subjected to a contemporary observe within the trade: shaving. Barrels are rigorously organized of their extremely humid and chilly cellars, the place they’re rotated relying on want and profile. The eye to element doesn’t finish in barrel administration, and – as we stood over their bottling line – Jean-Arnaud even described their high quality management over their corks: wine corks that are locked within the bottle underneath laborious waxes resembling you discover within the wine world.
Jean-Arnaud may be very a lot conscious of the issues his trade faces. The provision of casks, Scotch distillers more and more maintaining their merchandise house, the price of delivery, the price of barley… While you’re as concerned within the trivialities of your product, you’re conscious of what further controls to position on which elements of your product. For Michel Couvreur their subsequent step is two-fold: First, Michel Couvreur is investing in native barley for their very own in-house distillation, which started in January 2022. “Terroir” being an vital high quality already on the earth of wine, it’s more and more changing into a distinguishable a part of a whisky’s taste profile.
Citing Epernay’s champagne home Henri Giraud, who’s give attention to terroir has resulted in sourcing new French oak constituted of native forests, I requested if one thing related was in retailer because the operation expands. At present out there is a bottling matured in barrels that held vin jaune, a white wine from Japanese France, only a few hours’ drive from Bouze-lès-Beaune.
Together with making their very own whisky is an excellent bigger change to their product providing. The spirit and liquor market is swiftly rising in France, and one of many largest will increase is in rum. Michel Couvreur has a rhum line debuting quickly, with a product equally aged to their precise requirements.
With my time of their new places of work and bottling line spent, Jean-Arnaud handed me off to a younger man sporting muddy leather-based gaiters named Alberic (Michel Couvreur’s grandson) who seems to be to be primed to take a serious function inside the firm. I thanked Jean-Arnaud for his time, and Alberic took me over to the previous headquarters.
We crossed the road and thru an ivy adorned doorway, right into a eating and residing house transformed right into a tasting room. Within the entrance is a China cupboard stuffed with lengthy discontinued MC expressions, on the again a bar loaded with related Couvreur bottlings, in addition to some alternative releases from Scotland’s greatest, all positioned in a room that appears as if it hasn’t been touched in 50 years.
Off to the aspect is a stone spiral staircase; we descend into their cellars and are met with the cool, humid and pungently candy odor of sherried whiskies, very outdated musky oak, and the earth itself. These are caves; that is uncooked. The unpaved walkway is barely muddied by condensation, the partitions damp to the contact. You possibly can hear the sluggish, rhythmic dripping echo by the halls. The barrels down right here replicate that “terroir” we had been talking of earlier.
Alberic reveals us round and explains how they transfer barrels from the entrance of the cave to the again – probably the most humid location – which dramatically reduces a whiskies proof over a really quick time. We navigate the corridors, go by cabinets stocked with dust-covered wine bottles with fading labels that look to be older than me.
Our information factors out what he believes to be among the oldest casks within the cellar and briefly disappears to fetch glasses and a whisky thief. What I tasted was phenomenal. Michel Couvreur, straight from the barrel, even at cask energy these things was pure velvet; full-bodied and stuffed with character with notes of walnut, leather-based, cigars… however that wasn’t all. Having the ability to bask in very aged, straight from the barrel Michel Couvreur was a uncommon deal with, however we sampled a few of their sherry aged rhums in addition to a couple of “experiments,” one particularly with whiskies completed in clay amphora jars. How’s that for terroir?
We conclude our day on the distillery itself, looking at their stills, and end up again at HQ with some tastings. Their very own distillate? Implausible. Even at a new-make proof it was not boozy, little ethanol, good fruity character. Foral. “Nicely Rounded.” Excellent for his or her home model. Their home bar was stocked with the whole lot they at present have out there, after which some and I’m provided to open and style no matter I’d like.
I began with “Intravagan’za”, a “grain spirit,” too younger to be whisky, the results of an experiment (I’m advised): the wedding of their very own distillate with among the greatest casks they’d in inventory. A few of their flagship Alba bottles are there together with some early bottlings obsessively rewaxed to attract them out to get pleasure from for so long as doable; one thing new for me to strive, as nicely. I’m a fan of their Over Aged Malt, and so they had a “pure energy” bottle out there, whose proof showcases that mix’s profile nicely. Then: Blossoming Auld Sherried, the embodiment of their mixing efforts. I left with a bottle of the latter two.
I actually appreciated my time at Michel Couvreur and am extremely grateful for his or her hospitality. The village that hosts them is gorgeous, and it was a pleasant detour and diversion from the standard European journey. I feel they’re in an advantageous place as nicely. Michel Couvreur’s self-discipline, willingness to experiment, and unique-to-them maturation course of permit their whiskies to face out in a really massive crowd.
