''The Flying Winemaker' and Michael Rolland Team
Up for CAMPO ELISEO
I have written much in the past about
Francois Lurton and his ability to roam the globe in search of the perfect plot
of land to create vineyards that, in time, have unbelievable results.
It is much like one looking for oil.
Francois Lurton has that ability in his
DNA to create wines in areas that have had some, but, not much recognized
success.
To reach his goal on one project,
Francois Lurton teamed-up with Michael Rolland, a noted international
oenologist and wine consultant. In essence, they are rivals that have the same
goal in mind.
That goal is to find land and create a
vineyard that will yield grapes that will produce wines that will be written
about for years to come.
The team of Francois Lurton and Michael
Rolland found a plot of land in the Toro region of northwest Spain, which
satisfied their curiosity. It was the perfect location for this project.
Michael Rolland explained that he
wanted to make wines with Francois in an area where he had some prior
experience. “Francois and I wanted to make wine in a hot region, so, Toro, near
the Douro river was a perfect answer.”
Michael Rolland had visited the Toro
region twenty years prior and the wines he sampled were really dreadful. Even
with awful wines, what Michael saw was true ‘potential’ in the region. With
Francois’ help, they had an opportunity to create fantastic wines.
The region received its DO
(Denomination of Origin) in 1987.
The project started in 2000.
Together, they decided to plant the
Tinto de Toro grape, a variant of Tempranillo, to produce a truly 100% Tinto de
Toro. They called the wine Campo Eliseo like “Champs Elysées.”
The land (vineyard) was close to the Douro river, which was perfect for drainage. In addition,
the terroir and warm weather conditions helped mold their decision to create
complex wines.
The team of Francois Lurton and Michael
Rolland produced their first vintage of Campo Eliseo in 2001. The last released
vintage is 2009.
The two recently were in our country to
show off their wines from Campo Eliseo. They want us to see what progress they
have made since the original plantings in 2000.
In essence, the tasting of their wines
is a culmination of twelve years of work.
They are showing the vintage
progression from the original vintage to the present release. In layman’s
terms, they are giving us the privilege to taste the wines of Campo Eliseo in
what is called a ‘Vertical Tasting’.
The results were quite spectacular.
The consistency of the wines showed us
the obvious characteristics of the Tinto de Toro grape and how this pair turned
their plot in Toro into a quality, world-class product.
All vintages showed oak, dark fruit and
spice.
My favorite vintage was the 2004,
followed by the 2006.
Presently the 2009 is available for
purchase with random stores selling past vintages.
The team of Francois Lurton and Michel
Rolland have achieved true success with the wines of Campo Eliseo.
As a side note: If you can not find
Campo Eliseo at your favorite wine shop, simply ask the store owner to bring
the Campo Eliseo in, or look for other wines from Francois Lurton. He currently
has vineyards in Chile, Argentina, France
and Portugal.
That is why they call him ‘The Flying
Winemaker’.
PHILIP S.
KAMPE
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