Concrete Vats – Pure Perfection

I see concrete vats in the cellars of the vignerons whom I respect and whose wines I love. Matthieu and his father Bernard Baudry have concrete vats in their chai; Thierry Puzelat and his brother Jean-Marie have them; and Jean Maupertuis has them, too. There is something supremely pure about fermenting and aging wine in concrete vats. They are neutral. They do not take away or add anything. The thermal inertia of concrete vats is enormous. Thus, allowing the wines at a steady temperature. Concrete vats breath. The wines that see concrete vats are not as 'square' as, say. from those wines that see stainless steel vats.

There is wonderment of energy and purity about the wines that see concrete vats. I especially like wines that spend their time in the traditional concrete vats. Jean Maupertuis, for example, has concrete vats that are probably made before WWII. Jean Maupertuis himself does not know when his concrete vats were made.  The picture above is Jean Maupertuis in front of his concrete vat. Oh heck, Jean Maupertuis' vats are not even ergonomic. When I visited him in the tiny village of Saint-Georges-sur-Allier in Auvergne, he chuckled as he was explaining the concrete vats in his cellar.  The draining sprouts are located about a couple feet above the bottom of the vats rather than at the bottom.  So, he has to take a bucket and scoop out the remaining juice after fermentation.  Despite the extra labour and hassle, Jean Maupertuis keeps the concrete vats for a reason.  I can taste the freshness and purity that is rare in wines.