More and more France in Italian wineries: Thomas Duclos is the new “wine coach” for San Felice

French is increasingly spoken in Italian wineries. With France’s great enologists increasingly responding, albeit in different roles, to the call of Italian producers, as have already done, for example, Richard Geoffroy, former chef de cave of the legendary Champagne house Dom Pérignon, now at Bellavista, icon of Franciacorta, and Cyril Brun, former chef de cave of Charles Heidsieck, now at Ferrari, benchmark of Trentodoc. But also, in an advisory capacity, a “sacred monster” such as Michel Rolland (at Caprai, in Montefalco, at Tenuta di Biserno, not to mention his past consultancies at Ornellaia and Masseto in Bolgheri), who a few years ago handed over the management of his company to Julien Viaud, who has been at his side since 2006, or Stéphane Derenoncourt, who, with Derenoncourt Consultants, works with Scopone in Montalcino, Campo alla Sughera and Tenuta Argentiera in Bolgheri, La Massa in Chianti Classico, and Inama in Soave. Not to mention Eric Boissenot, one of the stars of Bordeaux, son of Jacques Boissenot, right-hand man of Émile Peynaud, former consultant to four of the five Bordeaux Premier Crus - Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux, and Mouton-Rothschild - who has been signing the wines of Tenuta Fratini in Bolgheri for some time now, to name the most famous cases.
And now another important name has been added to this prestigious group: Thomas Duclos, who has been associated with the Oenoteam laboratory based in Libourne (France) since 2011 and is considered one of the most authoritative voices of the new French winemaking generation, collaborating with numerous prestigious estates such as Château Canon, Château Troplong Mondot, Franc Mayne, Beau-Séjour Bécot, and Château Giscours. He will be the new “wine coach” for the San Felice winemaking team, according to a statement from the Allianz Group winery.
“San Felice has chosen Thomas Duclos as its wine consultant. Known for his disciplined approach focused on purity, balance, and elegance, Duclos will support and train the winemaking teams at the three estates—San Felice in Chianti Classico, Campogiovanni in Montalcino, and Bell'Aja in Bolgheri (three companies that together cover a total of 685 hectares, of which 188 hectares are planted with vineyards, ed.) - contributing to innovating and strengthening our expertise, enhancing the specific characteristics of each territory, and bringing our wines to an even higher level of recognition and personality”, says Mario Cuccia, president of San Felice.
Carlo De Biasi, managing director of San Felice, adds: “To face the challenges that lie ahead, we must evolve in the vineyards, in the cellar, and in the organization. The human factor comes first for us; the team is crucial in creating the vineyard, the wine, and the brand in order to enhance its value. These very complex steps also require the support of a new point of view that becomes part of our team. Thomas Duclos represents the perfect synthesis between an external vision and respect for our identity: an ideal ally for a project that will accompany us along this path with the aspiration to always strive for the best, driven by an instinctive pursuit of excellence and the desire to constantly raise the bar, while remaining authentic”.
“San Felice is a mosaic of soil and exposure that expresses the spirit of contemporary Chianti Classico. Campogiovanni, in Montalcino, is the power of a historic place enhanced by a 21st-century vision. Bell’Aja, in Bolgheri, is the fine and precise interpretation of a wild and sunny terroir,“ commented Thomas Duclos after his first visits to the estates, thus maturing the decision to form a partnership. Describing himself as ”a hard worker and very attentive to human relationships: the Oenoteam team is proof of this. This broad vision is essential in everyday life. It is essential to integrate into the company teams to produce wines that are precise in terms of balance and elegance. Our job is to reveal a terroir without exaggerating. Each wine must have its own personality”.