Éric Rodez

Éric Rodez is the 8th generation of his family, and he has been making wine at his family’s estate in Ambonnay since 1984. A true artisan of his trade, he is highly critical of conventional viticulture, calling it ‘a logic of comfort’ and in his view, the only true long term solution for soil health is biodynamics. Rodez’s six hectares of vines are all in Ambonnay, where he sees elegance over power. He was also mayor of Ambonnay and he is committed to his region as a whole by trying to promote quality in viticulture.

“His experience in Burgundy as chef de cave at Krug, had as result to cultivate his exceptional skill on the complex assemblage technique.”

So, inside the cellar, he blends excellently, gaining a large palette of base wines from vinifying parcels separately, and he also possesses an unusually large stock of reserve wines. He might seem a little bit obsessive about the ageing of individual parcels: 60 different base wines from 35 parcels, some in tanks, most in used wood. He also blends both malolactic and non malolactic wines to achieve a better balance and complexity.