Press release issued Tuesday on the departure of Thomas Bachelder from Le Clos Jordanne
In short:
Thomas Bachelder, the man who took Le Clos Jordanne from the conceptual stage to international acclaim has announced that he will step down in his role as winemaker to open his own winemaking consultancy business in conjunction with his wife, Mary Delaney. Sébastien Jacquey, who has been working with Thomas for the past three years as assistant winemaker, will assume the role of winemaker. Since its launch in 2006, Le Clos Jordanne, of Jordan Station on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, has quickly become a producer of a highly coveted, world-class wine. The winery is focused exclusively to the production of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown from several coveted vineyard sites.
More detail:
Keith Brown, vice president of winemaking for Vincor Canada, announced today that Thomas Bachelder will be leaving Le Clos Jordanne to start own winemaking consultancy business in conjunction with his wife, Mary Delaney. Thomas, who took the winery from conceptual stage to international acclaim as Ontario’s top “garagiste wineryâ€, has been a tireless champion of the Niagara Peninsula and specifically of its ability to produce world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. One of the pinnacle events for Le Clos and Thomas was the Judgment of Montreal in 2009 for the 2005 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay. His beliefs in what the region could achieve were further substantiated when Le Clos Jordanne was named one of the world’s top 10 organic wines by The Independent in the UK; also in the UK, one of the most highly respected members of the international wine critics’ circle, Jancis Robinson, has called Le Clos Jordanne “the Ontario Pinot producer I have found to be most impressive”.
Working at Thomas’ side for the past three years, Sébastien Jacquey is now ready to assume the role of winemaker and continue the legacy that Thomas created. Thomas will remain as a consultant to Le Clos Jordanne and continue to provide vision and direction.
“I am very excited about the new opportunities that have been presented to me and also happy that Thomas will be by my side as I take the next steps in my winemaking careerâ€, notes Sébastien. “The wines are being handed over to me with a pedigree that I will work tirelessly to uphold.â€
Le Clos Jordanne is a remarkable collaboration between Vincor Canada and Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins, in France. It symbolizes the extraordinary vision of fusing tradition and innovation with passion and expertise. Using traditional Burgundian methods, wines are crafted to exemplify the distinct Niagara terroir. Located in the town of Jordan Station on the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, the winery owns four distinct vineyards: Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone, La Petit and Talon – totaling 56 hectares (138 acres). Exclusively planted to Burgundian varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the vineyards are farmed using organic and biodynamic techniques.
Le Clos Jordanne wines are available at select retailers across Canada and may be purchased online at www.leclosjordanne.com.
More about Sébastien Jacquey
Jacquey’s journey to Le Clos Jordanne began with five years of vocational training. After gaining his university diploma in Technology and Biology in 2002, which included specialization in both Food and Biology, he went on to the l’Institut Jules Guyot, where he earned both his National Diploma in Oenology and his Professional Agricultural Aptitude certificate in 2004. In 2005, he received his Master of Earth and Environment studies, specializing in Vine Management and Terroir. Jacquey then went on to the l’Institut Supérieur d’Agriculture, Rhone-Alpes, where he graduated as an Engineer of Oenology and Viticulture in 2007. Recognizing that knowledge is not only gained in the classroom, Jacquey’s rigorous training has been complemented by his internship and apprentice experience. In 2002, he led a study at l’Ecole Nationale d’Enseignement Supérieur d’Agronomie de Dijon which focused on the interaction of aromatic compounds in wine and oak. Sébastien also enjoyed his first internship at the Pascal Jolivet-Les grands vins du Val de Loire, Sancerre and in 2003, was a trainee at Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Pauillac, making wine with one of the most prestigious Bordeaux wineries. While making wine for the Rothschild family, Jacquey also studied Semillon’s aromatic maturity at Bordeaux’ Coopérative de Guitres.
In 2004, Jacquey was a winemaker at Cave Coopérative d’Aleria, Corsica, and in 2005, in addition to working in the winery and vineyards of the Domaine Comte Senard in Aloxe-Corton, Burgundy, he also did a study on the soil density and erosion at the Domaine. While working for the Domaine Thomas-Moillard in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, Jacquey was able to expand his education and experience even further. In addition to working in the vineyards and the cellar, he set up a quality Management System (IFS) for that company. Jacquey’s depth of experience, and his incredible passion for his work will ensure his professional life at Le Clos Jordanne is as exquisitely developed as the wines he creates.
More about Le Clos Jordanne
Le Clos Jordanne’s estate is devoted exclusively to the growing of ultra-premium Canadian VQA wines made from Burgundy’s classic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. The wines of Le Clos Jordanne debuted in Canada and the international marketplace in 2007 and have introduced the Canadian wine industry to an entirely new level of quality and expectation. In May 2009 Le Clos Jordanne’s 2005 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay captured the top spot for Chardonnay in the “Judgement of Montreal†experts’ tasting, bringing global attention to the Niagara Peninsula and to the super and ultra-premium wines it can produce. The wines are crafted with exacting organic viticulture practices. In the cellar, innovative New World practices are combined with time-honoured Burgundian techniques, such as harvesting and sorting the grapes by hand. Every step of the process receives careful consideration, and the continuous accolades for Le Clos Jordanne wines cement the team’s efforts. The presence of Le Clos Jordanne wines in the international marketplace has enhanced the reputation of Canada’s VQA system of quality control.
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