kilometres. Some growers maintain that each vineyard is exactly fitted to the correct grape variety. There is no doubt that some vineyards make superior wine and thus no reason to doubt for example that pinot gris or gewürztraminer show enhanced floral aromas and flavours in certain vineyards. Still the wide variety of aspects and soils shows that great wines from the same variety can be made in many different surface locations in this region.
Of interest is that winemakers from Chablis and Alsace who have spoken in Australia over the last few years are the most ardent supporters of being able to taste the flavours of the location in their wines and may even say they can taste the influence of the vineyard rock type.
The descriptions of the geology and soils of Bordeaux are also excellent and these are tied very closely to the best vineyards, especially on the south bank. The explanation of the setting of Chateaux Margaux, finally makes it clear to me why this wine has always tasted differently to the other first growths such as Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite.
There are many interesting conclusions that can be drawn from this book some of which can be applied to Australia. Though it must be remembered that Australia becomes the old world as the soils, the weathered rock, and the land surface, are so different. Post glacial soil development in France may be under 10,000 years whereas this is very young for Australia. Parts of the Barossa Valley weathered surface, which is under the soil surface, could be 20 to 50 million years old. Our youngest vineyard surfaces are at places like Mount Benson, South of Robe S.A. which are only tens of thousands of years old.
Those who have travelled in France and Germany know how important the vineyard slope is to maximize sunlight exposure; though with our constant sunlight it has less bearing unless the vineyard is in Tasmania or some of the marginal climatic mainland vineyards. Slope is also important for drainage, for exposure to cooling breezes and to catch rainfall and this is maximized with absorbent soils. ‘Terroir’ makes it apparent that weathered rock that has a variety of sources builds up a better soil profile for the vine. The long section describing the soils of Champagne and how the older calcareous weathered rocks are best when mixed with particles from younger lignitic rocks (a low grade of coal) is very convincing. This mixing is also explained in the Alsace region and is an important insight.
Perhaps most of this was known but the detailed manner in which it is set out is authoritative. Sections like that detailing the soil profiles across the best of Burgundy are valuable new information. Also so many of the vineyards in France are related to the weathering of limestone that you must conclude it is the favoured rock of the vine. We have some limestone such as along the Limestone Coast but it is not common elsewhere. Also there are many references to red wines liking limestone soils but its better when it is mixed with silts and clays or to use an imprecise term, reds like heavier soils than whites. Reference is also made to the depth of root penetration and it would seem the more physical and chemical variability of soil layers for roots to grow across the better.
This book received little attention on release and while it is specialised and perhaps not for the general wine enthusiast the comments made by a few of the major wine reviewers came as a surprise. I recall a review in the influential American wine magazine ‘Wine Spectator’ by Harvey Steiman. In a short review he said the following; ‘unfortunately he too often fails to link the geology to the character of specific wines’. At the end of the review mention was made of how he could now picture the soils and slopes of French vineyards but, ‘I just wish he had applied as much diligence to correlating all of that to the individual wines’. I find this a very harsh judgement. James Halliday, said in the Australian Gourmet Traveller, April/May, 2002; in a brief reference to the book; ‘and utterly failed to show a 