Jean Marc Astruc
France
Jean Marc Astruc - 31/01/1961 - 08/09/2022
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It is with deep sadness that we share the devastating news that Naked winemaker Jean Marc Astruc passed away on the 8th September 2022.
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As a respected grape grower with 30 years' experience and former President of his local co-op, Jean Marc knew everything about the local terroir, and the secrets to making great wines there. He was a true champion of old vines and was always happiest walking amongst them.
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Jean Marc was, and always will be remembered as an outstanding winemaker, a respected grape grower, a friend and a loving husband to Katie Jones. Those of you who have met and shared a glass with Jean Marc on our Tasting Tours will remember his smile that would light up the whole room.
Vineyard Location
Jean Marc Astruc's Story
Jean Marc Astruc's Story
To briefly introduce myself...I took over my family vineyards at the age of 19 after 3 years at agricultural college. I was born in the village of Tuchan in 1961 (giving my age away!) and I am thrilled to be getting married to another of the Angel funded winemakers, Katie Jones, in May this year.
For me the most exciting thing will be finding out what quality of wine will come out of the vineyards that I have been working for the past 30 years. Up to now the grapes have gone into the local cooperative so mixed up with other farmers grapes.
2015 will be the first vintage that I will make from my own vineyards that were previously in the local wine cooperative. I have been practicing a little by helping Katie with her wines at Domaine Jones.
The wines I plan to make for Naked Angels will be special as they will be from the Fitou appellation and made from a blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. 80% of all Fitou is made in cooperatives so this will be a great opportunity to see what can be done in a private Domaine.
How I came to be here, it isn't a heartwarming story I am afraid. In 2011 and after 2 final challenging years as President I was kicked out. The following harvest 14 hectares ( out of a total of 30) were vandalized in one evening. The trellising wires were cut not just at the end of every row but every 3 metres along every single row. Younger vines were cut at the base. It was a vineyard massacre! I had to repair all the wires before I could get my harvesting machine in to the vineyard. I never found out who did this damage, but it must have taken careful planning and coordination to cover such a distance in such a short amount of time.
I was president of the local cooperative for 12 years during which time I tried to install a contract system with the growers so that they could produce higher quality wines and be paid on quality. It worked well for 10 years with an ambitious investment plan but then recession hit and the coop was slow to adapt to new markets. The last 2 years were extremely challenging and finally I lost the confidence of the growers when their payments had to be reduced. Although the strategy worked well for 10 years it ultimately failed but I still remain convinced that in this area of France with rocky vineyards and low rainfall the way forward is for quality rather than quantity.
I look forward to a brighter future working with you Naked Angels instead of the local cooperative, thank you so much for your support!
