November 01, 2023 - Featured Winemaker - No comment
Melsolo: A winemaker in Gaillac with a world of influences. In 2021, Melanie Kröber established her domain, Melsolo, in the Gaillac vineyards. But it was a long journey that led her to this little corner of the world that she had never heard of. A quest that took her from East Germany to London, Australia, Vermont, and the Jura region of France.
It's in the Skin
In 2021, at 40 years old, Melanie Kröber took over 2.4 hectares of vines from Patrice Lescarret's famous Causse-Marine estate. "Patrice told me to choose, so I took Mauzac, Ondenc, Braucol, Sémillon, Petit Manseng, and Jurançon Noir," she explains. Another winemaker, Florence Delaby, has taken over 4ha as well.
After the first cuvées made partly with négoce grapes in 2020 (from a nearby parcel where Mélanie had worked that was in organic conversion), Melsolo's first "real" cuvées came in the 2021 vintage: Mauzac and Loin de L'Oeil, two white macerated wines (€14-15), the young winemaker's favourite style. "Firstly, I didn't have a press. And secondly, I love the rind of cheese, and for me, the skin of the grape is a bit like the rind. It's been through the whole history of the vintage, there's a lot of yeast on it... I think you could say that the terroir is in the skin." Her Loin de l'œil cuvée (the name of the grape variety, also known as Lendeleil) is a fresh, crisp white wine with a lovely bitterness. "This grape has almost no tannins, a super-thin skin, and no acidity, even though I harvested it early. It can be difficult to vinify on its own, so I went for texture," she explains. The result is quite remarkable for someone who "started drinking wine seven or eight years ago."
From Cheese to Wine
The story of Melsolo of course, started with Mélanie Kröber, who was born in East Germany and left to pursue a career in advertising as a statistician. "I was brought up with the notion that if you learned something, you stuck with it for life. But she defied convention and was soon in episode 2 of her life, working as a cheese refiner in London. "I yearned for something tangible. And what could be more tangible than enjoying delicious cheese paired with a fine loaf of bread? Perhaps the atmosphere of a cozy bistro... While in London, she frequented a particular bar, 40 Maltby. "Every time they served me a glass of wine," she reminisces, "I couldn't help but wonder, 'What is this?' The answer was, of course, natural wine. "I grew up far removed from the world of wine. I was entirely unfamiliar with it and didn't drink it. My parents weren't concerned with the quality of products, organic food, and things like that. They simply ate out of necessity."
Grampians, Vermont and Jura
To reach Gaillac, Melanie Kröber's journey included numerous trips and unexpected detours. In 2018, her travels took her to Australia, where she crossed paths with Tamara Irish of Enigma Variations Winegrowers, a natural winemaker in the Grampians region who would eventually become her mentor. Subsequently, in the United States, she encountered the hybrid creations of Deirdre Heekin from La Garagista in Vermont. These were independent and free-spirited winemakers in every sense of the word. Melanie shares, "I would have loved to settle in Australia or the United States, but obtaining a visa there is nearly impossible." Towards the end of 2018, she finally arrived in the Jura, despite not speaking a word of French. She recalls, "I had plans to produce my wine, initially by purchasing grapes. However, in 2019, the region experienced a grape frost... No grapes were available for purchase, and I couldn't find anyone to help me."
So, why Gaillac? Melanie chuckles, "I had never heard of it." Her quest for "ancient grape varieties" led her to this underestimated vineyard in the southwest, which has managed to preserve its unique grape varieties such as Braucols, Lendeleils, and Mauzacs. "We must protect them," she insists, "or one day, they'll all be uprooted and replaced with more chardonnay (as has happened in most of Jura)." Locally, she discovered a thriving vineyard with ample opportunities. Bernard Plageolles, a prominent advocate for Gaillac varietals, promptly arranged for her to have a cellar for vinification. She also crossed paths with Patrice Lescarret, who was seeking "someone motivated" to take over some of his Causse Marines vines. The first harvest took place in 2019, yielding 500 bottles, and then came 2020, a challenging year and finally, Melsolo was officially established in 2021, marking the beginning of her true adventure.
"I didn't have time to study, so I read many books. And getting up at 5 a.m. to harvest grapes doesn't scare me."
Mélanie Kröber, winemaker in Gaillac.
Intergration
There is still much work ahead, of course. First and foremost, discovering the essence of Gaillac red wine. "Here, they tend to favor blackcurrant and black fruit flavors, while I appreciate the more vegetal nuances of Braucol. To me, it's not about under-ripeness." Crossing the threshold of professionalization, increasing production from 20hl in 2020 to an anticipated 100hl for the 2022 vintage. This growth is necessary to avoid a situation like that of 2020. "I didn't have time to study, so I read a lot of books. And the idea of waking up at 5 a.m. to harvest grapes doesn't scare me."
Beyond these challenges, there's more to consider. While Mélanie is becoming proficient in French, she is still in the early stages of her language learning journey. She also needs to convince the local wine shops to stock her wines, even though she can already count on the support of importers from Quebec, the UK, and Spain. But, she is working hard on conquering the language barrier and overcoming her shyness to prove her place in the exceptionally dynamic Gaillac region.
.jpg "A assortment of Melsolo natural wines")
Where to find Melsolo wines?
(non-exhaustive list)
- Gaillac : Aster, 17 Rue de l'Arbre Vert, 81170 Les Cabannes, France - 07 63 98 83 10
- Berlin : Otto, Oderberger Str. 56, 10435 Berlin, Germany - +49 30 58705176
- Paris : Sur Mer, 53 Rue de Lancry, 75010 Paris - 01 48 03 21 38
- Paris : Le Verre Volé, 67 Rue de Lancry, 75010 Paris - 01 48 03 17 34
- Paris : Vendanges, 5 Rue Sedillot, 75007 Paris - 09 83 26 77 28
- Anvers, Belgium : Restaurant Véranda, Lange Lobroekstraat 34, 2060 Antwerpen, Belgium - 06 27 16 32 49
The wines from Domaine Melsolo
Melsolo - White Wines
- Compromis 2020 and 2021, a blend of Mauzac and Loin de L'œil, vinified separately currently macerating.
- Ondenc 2022, one-week maceration, very little pigeage (punch down), destemmed. It's something pure, without skin aromas, just texture (cuvée name to be defined, bottling spring 2023).
- Mauzac 2022, currently macerating.
- Sémillon 2022, currently macerating.
- Petit manseng 2022, still in development.
Melsolo - Red Wines
- Braucol 2022 (name to be defined) : A three-day "infusion" or maceration, resulting in a very light, almost rosé red, which departs from the typical Gaillac style by emphasizing vegetal notes rather than blackcurrant.
Mélanie Kröber - Melsolo
