A Visit with Olivier Lemasson of Vins Contes - August 2008

 Vin Contes was the second of the three vignerons in the Loire that I had arranged to visit following a tour of Germany with importer Rudi Wiest in August 2008. Finding Vin Contes proved to be more difficult than expected. Not so much the town of Chitenay itself, which you could drive through in less than seven seconds and which is tucked into the countryside in the Touraine region of the Loire valley, but the route de Seur, the street where proprietor Olivier Lemasson’s facilities are situated. I drove through the town about four times before finally finding route de Seur.

Now comes the puzzle of trying to find the actual address. Again, I am reduced to driving back and forth on this small two lane road. I must have looked like a dog trying to find a lost tennis ball. Finally, I see the wooden nameplate next to a driveway, partially hidden by a shrub. The “Vin Contes” sign is about the size of a large, theater sized candy bar and well worn at that.

Now, like an intruder, I’m driving around the grounds, peeking around buildings, trying to figure out where he’s located.

Olivier Lemasson’s winery, Vin Contes, is nestled in the rear of a shared structure in the back of a farmers property. There is various farm equipment scattered about, some belonging to the farmer, some belonging to Lemasson.



Olivier (at left) directing the cleaning of the equipment.

 As I approach, he is supervising two young men in the cleaning of some equipment. Looks like pressing gear and associated items in preparation of the upcoming harvest. After providing the men some instruction, Olivier takes me into one of two modest rooms that make up his empire. The first is accessible via a large sliding garage door. This room contains a storage area for his equipment and a counter built against the wall with some stools, which is his office.

No receptionist, no sign-in at the offices of Vin Contes

Behind another door is a climate controlled room which holds a number of barrels and remaining boxed inventory. A rather unassuming amount as it doesn't take long to sell out. Aside from the air conditioning, this is very old school.

Olivier pulls out a few bottles to sample, including the "les Puits" sauvignon, "Algotest" aligote, "Les Rosiers" romorantin, "le Petit Rouquin" gamay and "Cheville de Fer" cot. I’m disappointed to learn the "Pinor de Soif" pinot noir is sold out and not available. Not even Lemasson has a spare bottle. I can’t say enough about Lemasson’s wines. They are natural, distinctive and just irresistibly delicious.

After the tasting he offers to take me to the vineyards. Approaching his car, it is the complete opposite of your Napa Valley Range Rover. It is a well worn Nissan coupe in oxidized black. The doors creak like an old man’s knees and when you close the door the rattle continues like a voodoo dance chant. It’s a great ride!

Following Olivier into the vineyard.

Lemasson, himself, is dressed for work. His soiled t-shirt and jeans give the appearance that he had just been wrestling an alligator in the dirt. Please, don't take this as a slight for this is a high compliment. It is nothing less than exhilarating to see the owner of a wine label actually getting into his work as opposed to one that enjoys the fruit of others labor, perhaps while covered with a cashmere sweater tied over their shoulders.

His modest five hectares of vineyards are about a mile away down the road. The impression I take in is how sparse the vineyards are. Sections instead of whole fields. A small island of vines in an ocean of sunflowers, wheat and fallow land. His vineyards more resemble a large home garden than the expansive fields of most commercial wineries. The soil on this day is dry and clumped, but during this 2008 season, there are signs of too much rain resulting in mildew damage. The soil is largely clay with some silex mixed in.

Back to his office, I basically hang out for awhile while enjoying some more of the Cheville de Fer on this sunny, comfortable Loire day. I’d rather be doing this than sitting by a hotel pool in a tourist destination any day.

T. Oliver Meek with Olivier Lemasson.

I’ll admit that there was a bit of shock at the modesty of his winery and of the man himself, but it represents everything I love about the Loire and this type of wine making. There is another level of comfort knowing Lemasson is in the good hands of the principled Louis/Dressner importer and an appreciative distributor like David Bowler and his staff.

As a parting gift, Olivier offers me a 1.5L bottle of his Cheville de Fer. This size is not sold by his U.S. importer and while it’s a load to carry around, it will be proudly served at Thanksgiving a year later.