The Mandala Valley Vineyards could not have had a better choice of an oenologist than Dr Pascal Chatonnet, who was in Bangalore recently. Dr Chatonnet, a consultant for various vineyards in France, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Canada , is now a winemaker consultant to Mandala Valley.
“My challenge is making a wine which is equivalent to the best in the world, making it acceptable for exports and maintaining its consistency,” said Dr Chatonnet, who was visiting India for the first time. But he would now be visiting it three times a year.
He will consult on wine style development, wine quality assessment and review and benchmark the wines produced by Mandala Valley.
Pascal Chatonnet comes from a family with over 200 years of winemaking experience in Saint Emilion, France. He and his parents have worked and developed Chateau Haut Chaigneau and its surrounding 28 hectares of vineyard in Lalande de Pomerol. The estate currently produces its benchmark wine, Chateau Haut Chaigneau and the more recent first and second wines of Chateau La Sergue on selected plots.
He also produces since the year 2000, his flagship wine Chateau l’Archange from their small family-owned vineyard in Saint Emilion.
Pascal’s laboratory Excell has become the wine world’s reference point for research and analysis of wines.
Mandala’s wines are being tested and analysed in his laboratory. Says Pascal. “I am like a coach in the wine-making operation. I set the guidelines and rules to get the right taste.”
Mandala Valley has positioned itself as the fine wine for connoisseur, who is looking for mature and well-rounded wines. Says Ramesh Rao, Managing Director of Mandala Valley Vineyards (P) Ltd, “Traditionally, it takes five to seven years to develop a vineyard, one to three years in setting up a winery and 10 to 100 years in building and establishing a brand.’’
The Company has acquired land at Dobbspet near Doddaballapur and planted three varieties of grapes. It has also leased vineyards in Maharashtra.
Says Rao, “We are a small player with fine wines in a market dominated by commercial wines. The world is moving towards technology-led commodotised wine, but there will always be a place for great wines made in the traditional way from grapes grown and picked with care.”
