Bogdan Estate, one of the most important producers of organic wines in Romania, joins in Wines of Romania’s efforts. Thank you for your trust! Together, we take the Romanian wine to the world!
"It is a natural partnership. In everything we do, we adopt the latest and most ethical practices in European viticulture and winemaking and, naturally, we want the same thing as Wines of Romania, to draw attention towards the quality of Romanian wines. We have an enormous capital, both in the soil, and in domestic wine grape varieties or in the way international varieties express themselves in our vineyards. Romanian wines are ready to be introduced to the world", says Oana Anton, Marketing Manager Domeniul Bogdan.
Bogdan Estate: An import of professional excellence
Another major news for Romanian wine lovers is that ,at the same time, the Bogdan Estate team has recently grown richer, through an important addition of experience and professionalism – the winery has signed up Derenoncourt Consultants, one of the most influential teams of oenologists and winegrowers globally.
„Derenoncourt Consultants embodies the new generation of consultants working in viticulture & wine-making. It is undoubtedly this all-encompassing perception of a vineyard that mostly clearly represents Derenoncourt Consultants’ speciality. A wine’s identity is defined by observing the place where the grapes are grown, by making a careful note of each and every detail, taking into consideration the soil and sub-soil, the orientation of the vines and the climate.
Establishing an ethos for wine production adapted to the vineyard itself enables the grower to produce grapes capable of revealing true character, unique wines that recount their history. Humankind comes and goes, but soils remain…" is the quote in which Stephane Derenoncourt summarizes the philosophy of his company.
A guitarist at the gates of Bogdan Estate
Called "the new Michel Rolland" by Jancis Robinson, Stephane Derenoncourt is an self-taught professional whose story is the exact opposite of the classic story of a successful oenologist. If a standard story often brings up the experience of generations, passed on from father to son, with a childhood spent among the vines, experience gained in the winery, possibly even before specialized studies, Stephane Derenoncourt is among the few who started from zero and learned everything on the go.
According to the portrait published by Jancis Robinson in 2004, Stephane, the son of a worker, arrived in Bordeaux by hitchhiking to be with his girlfriend at the time. He liked the climate, settled in the area and, in 1982, found work in a vineyard in Fronsac, after which he spent the next decade playing the guitar and working seasonally in wineries. In 1990 he arrived in Saint Emillion and began, for the first time, to be interested in the winemaking side, after he got a job in the Chateau Pavie Macquin winery.
With an excellent 1993 harvest, despite a rather unremarkable year, the "long-haired man" attracts the attention of specialists and Derenoncourt receives an offer from Stephen von Neipperg, the owner of Château Canon La Gaffeliere – if the name sounds familiar, it’s because he does part of the investors who founded Enira in Bulgaria and Alira in Romania.
Then came the resounding success of the first edition of La Mondotte, from 1996, a "super-cuvee" that von Niepperg had dreamed of and that Derenoncourt turned into reality. From that moment, from "premiere grand cru classe" wineries to the wines of Francis Ford Coppola, everything Stephan Derenoncourt touched turned to gold. He got to collaborate with the most important names in the field, including the guru Michel Rolland, with whom he was compared, and his story has already been told in many major books of the industry. He refused countless contracts, in Europe and around the world, because he wants to personally survey the way the vines evolve.
Bogdan Estate: a tradition of top consultants
On the other hand, Domaine Bogdan is not at its first relationship with a prominent figure in the wine world. The direction of the winery, the implementation of the biodynamic direction and the entire management of the over 150 hectares were the result of the collaboration with the late Phillipe Cambie, the one about whom Robert Parker said that if a team of the best winegrowers in the world were to be put up, Cambie should be called as a coach. Dr. Leonello Anello was also co-opted into the same team of international specialists (see an exclusive interview given to Wines of Romania here: https://www.winesofromania.com/en/domeniul-bogdan/), international guarantor of the certification system " Biodynamic Wines" and considered the founder of modern biodynamics.
The Organic Certification of Bogdan Estate was obtained in 2016, from Austria Bio Garantie, Inspection and Certification Body active since 1994.
"In 2022, the Derenoncourt team fully audited the Bogdan Estate. They analyzed, plot by plot, the types of soil and subsoil, the quality and evolution of the plants, everything was noted down to the smallest detail, after which clear indications were formulated for what needs to be done. What is happening now at the Bogdan Domain is a very elegant combination of joy, pleasure, mathematics and science. We are happy that we were able to bring into our project a company of such caliber, with a very hands-on approach – in addition to the periodic meetings with the associates in the company, we have a dedicated consultant, who visits monthly to follow the development of the vines" adds Oana Anton.
