I think you would have to be one of only a few wine producers, to have also worked at Maison Vauron! Can you share a bit about your time here in New Zealand, and the journey you’ve been on since? In 2011, after three years of studying winemaking and wine business in Bordeaux, I really wanted to get out of my region. As a rugby player, having a wine experience in NZ was a hit and I didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to work in a such place like MV [Maison Vauron] over 2010-2011. Working in the shop, unloading containers, preparing orders, delivering to restaurants - enjoyed every little task and even more so when JC or Scott were around. Before leaving NZ, my wife and I went on a 60-day road trip to visit about 30 wineries all around the country … it was the best trip of our lives! You’ve had a diverse journey, from Loupiac to New Zealand and back to Bordeaux. How did your time in New Zealand influence your approach to wine? I arrived in NZ with a very traditional Bordeaux background. Even other French wine regions felt very different for me. After a year at MV I received a strong offer from a Bordeaux vineyard and so we took a 2-month wine trip. I totally fell in love with small NZ wineries. Freshness, fruitiness and soft extraction - that was the opposite of my winemaking studies and experiences. Two vineyards really impressed me: Dry River for whites and Felton Road for reds. I am still tasting them regularly thanks to my UK importer who is also selling their wines. You arrived at Les Domaines des Moncets in 2016 - can you share a bit about the history of the estate and how it has evolved since then? Château Moncets has been around since 1777 and Château de Chambrun since 1994. When I took over in 2016, Michel Rolland was the winemaker consultant. It was a very intense experience. I learned a lot before his contract ended in 2018, after which we were able to shift from an older, more traditional style of winemaking to fresh, fruity, and precise extractions from our two vineyards. Our distribution exploded in 2022 after covid when the 2019 vintage was released on the market. It was a big change on a big vintage, that was really “out of the box” for Bordeaux. What makes the terroir at Moncets and Chambrun unique or particularly well-suited to the varieties Merlot and Cabernet Franc? Chambrun is about 12 plots on the top of the plateau of Pomerol/Néac, some pure clay and gravely soil, very much adapted to Merlot. It has a deep root system, draining but never in drought. We can reach the most accurate maturity of tannin and get a “creamy tannin”, typical from Pomerol. Moncets is a large block of 22 hectares implanted on 3 hills of heavy clay going down to 5-6 meters. We have 26 plots, and each plot has a real identity because of the diversity of slops and sun orientations. Since 2015, millions of Euros have been spent in a new gravity flow cellar at Moncets. We now have 44 Italian concrete tanks to vinify everything separately at very low temperature. We do infusion on a long maceration process to adjust the extraction and to get this very fresh and expressive aromatic. Les Domaines de Moncets received the organic certification in 2018. How do these environmental initiatives influence the quality and future of your wines? Being organic doesn't necessarily impact the taste directly. It's more about adapting the vineyard on a daily basis through observation. The goal is to recreate harmony and balance, helping the vines resist the effects of climate, insect attacks, and diseases. It takes years to achieve even a minimum level of this, and in recent years, climate change has been progressing too rapidly to allow proper experimentation and decision-making. Since 2018, we've been actively bringing life back into the soils, helping the vines develop strong root systems. Our cover crops are carefully managed, and we support the vines through key stages such as budburst and flowering. Can you tell us a bit more about the viticultural and winemaking techniques you use to limit the impacts of climate change? Cover cropping with cereals helps keep water into the soil, legumes capture nitrogen in the air to release it into the soil and crucifer help to uncompact soils thanks to their roots system. I have also been using drones for years. They take photos of canopies and analyse the colour of leaves. Depending on the colour, the software tells us which lack vines are suffering from and we sow adapting plants to balance the different lacks - potassium, calcium, magnesium. Years later, vines are really green and can do easily their job of photosynthesis, are also more resilient to decease and climate effect. Château La Voûte is the latest addition to Les Domaines de Moncets. What attracted you to this estate and how does Château La Voûte complement the existing identity and offering of Moncets & Chambrun? Château La Voûte is a 3.925-hectare vineyard, including 1.42 hectares planted at the highest point of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, in the heart of the AOC Saint Saint-Émilion. Perched at 91 meters above sea level, this exceptional terroir is home to old Merlot vines growing on a very rare red clay and pure limestone subsoil. You can’t find more authentic on the market! Bordeaux right bank is either St Emilion with Merlot on clay and limestone soil or Pomerol with Merlot on clay and gravel. Moncets & Chambrun are the purest expression of Pomerol. With that purchase we can now offer the full range of terroirs with this “modern” touch. Outside of Bordeaux, are there any regions or winemakers that inspire you? The Cornas and Cote Rotie areas are my favourite! Someone as Laurent Merlin is a very good friend and the work he does on this steep cliff of granite is unbelievable. His Syrah cuvée “Les Grands Ducs” in St Joseph is a must have. Fosse Seche in Anjou is above any Chenin and Cabernet Franc I ever tasted. And then, when I found out about the history of the two brothers, this vineyard became an obsession, so much agronomy project going on over there, I love it. For the last six years, I have been working on a Biodiversity project at Chateau Moncets with some big influences coming from Fosse Seche. What wine would you open to celebrate a big moment — and why? An old vintage Sauternes because nobody can’t be insensitive to a such aromatic complexity! A Doisy Daene 1997 is probably my best memory about sweet wine. After dining, relaxing in front of the fireplace, no better moment to enjoy a slow degustation of it.What are you must-dos for anyone visiting Bordeaux? Places to eat, drink, and visit? In terms of restaurants in Bordeaux, I would suggest: L’avant comptoir in Bordeaux to enjoy a new style of wine bar.Brasserie Bordelaise to live the traditional experienceMoelleuse and Persillée for meat lovers And if you are looking for a meal in the vineyards: Table de Catusseau in Pomerol, best food experience for this very premium but discrete restaurant in the heart of the noblest Bordeaux appellation.Le Jardin in St Emilion to enjoy a beautiful meal in a very old building without the busy crowd of the Unesco city.Le Cercle by Château Guiraud in Sauternes in my hometown. Done it with my family last week, no better place for a relaxing but high-level gastronomy mixing sweet wines and traditional French cuisine. My two favourite places in Auckland are Piha and Waiheke Island - and I’ve found similar spots around Bordeaux.If you like Piha, I highly recommend Dune du Pyla in Arcachon for those who like good restaurant and expansive areas, otherwise Grand Crohot beach for those who like wild nature and long beach. Grand Crohot is the place where I met my wife and where I proposed - no better place for me!For those who enjoy Waiheke Island with its hilly vineyards and beautiful views anywhere you are. Saint Emilion is a must to visit in France. Our new purchase Chateau La Voute has probably the most blowing view.