Alexis Cornu - Winemaker
Since 2016, this talented lover of epicurean pleasures has worked as Chief Cellar Manager and oenologist for the MDCV Group, creating wines for its 4 estates in the south of France: Château de Berne, UP I Ultimate Provence, Château des Bertrands and Château Saint-Roux, all located in Provence. He is the creator of no less than ten vintages, including organic wines.
Despite having traveled the world, it is in Provence that Alexis feels most at home. After obtaining a Masters in Environmental Biology from the University of Bordeaux, followed by a degree in agricultural engineering with a focus on viticulture and oenology from the prestigious Montpellier Sup’Agro, he sought to quench his thirst for adventure in the far corners of the world. A veritable jack-of-all-trades, he has worked as a wine-grower, a cellarman, and a teacher, but has always remained a passionate oenologist at heart, moving from Germany’s Rhineland to Australia, then to Japan, before returning to the French winegrowing regions of Bordeaux, the Vaucluse and the Côtes du Rhône… before giving in to the sunny climate of beautiful Provence.
With the MDCV Group, he has taken on an eco-responsible endeavor, guided by the rhythm of every season, ideal for practicing his craft according to his conscience, values and pleasure. This conscientious and enthusiastic cellar master places his talents at the service of several distinctive, character-fi lled rosés, as well as red, white and sparkling wines.
Alexis Cornu leads his crews with kindness and precision, carefully monitoring their various duties and ensuring meticulous profi ciency: tasting of every vat, assembly work, analysis and sampling, organization of the barrel-fi lling, traceability... “I have the wonderful feeling of belonging to a very special community of dedicated and highly devoted individuals, all working towards a common goal.”
He cherishes how fortunate he is to be working with the restaurant chefs of the MDCV estates, and in particular, Michelinstarred Chef Louis Rameau at Le Jardin de Berne. Together, they develop creative wine & food pairings that express the Provence terroir in all its glory and authenticity.
Interview With Alexis
What is oenologist's job?
The origination of the word oenologist goes back to the Greek oenos (= wine) and loguos (= science). The oenologist is the wine specialist . Graduate of a master's degree in technical sciences of study and knowledge of wine, his functions range from the cultivation of grapes to the bottle of wine. Only 5 training centers deliver this diploma in France.
What is your typical day?
There is no typical day for an oenologist. The key word is "adapt" . Adapt to what is happening in nature, vineyards and tanks. At this very moment, the 2017 harvest is coming to an end, so I am mainly concentrating on the analysis of the vines to select the most successful parcels. And then there will be time for wine tasting and blending . I also often accompany our customers to explain our terroirs, the characters of our wines and more broadly our philosophy of winemaking. In short, they are very varied days, which do not involve anything routine.
How is the 2017 harvest announced?
Each harvest is guided by the forces of nature and leads each year to the development of new wines. 2017 had rather unfavorable weather. A spring heat wave, followed by a heavy frost period and then a really dry summer. The harvest is certainly less bulky but of a very good quality . The maturity of the grape varieties has also been changed and it will be necessary to adapt to this characteristic cellar to make quality rosés dressed in a beautiful dress with a pale color.
What makes the color of the rosé wine of Provence?
The color of rosé de Provence is very important, much more than red or white. Indeed the dress of a rosé wine is the first thing that a consumer notices even before feeling it or drinking it. In terms of rosé wine from Provence , there are many nuances that are all referenced in the center of the wine of the Var . This pinkish color is defined by the natural pigments of the grapes. These are pigments called anthocyanins , which comes from the Greek, "The blue color of flowers" and these are concentrated in grape skins.
So how do you get a good rosé wine from Provence?
There are two possibilities. The first is to let the skins of grapes macerate in their juice and quickly pull the skins so that the color remains clear.
Another option is to keep the grapes fresh in the middle of the night . Harvesting at night, the colors are diffused much more slowly in the juice, so we manage to better control the color of our rosé wines. It also limits the oxidation phenomena that could alter the color. At Château de Berne we chose to harvest at night . Our teams meet at midnight in the heart of the vineyard to continue to harvest until 6am.
What is your definition of a good rosé wine?
In general, a good wine is, first and foremost, a wine that you like, so it's a very subjective . In my opinion, a good wine is a surprising wine, because although after having tasted the same wines year after year, I still like to be surprised. It is a wine that has elegance, power, wealth, without being too demonstrative, and it will be pleasant to drink to accompany meals.