Professor of philosophy and co-founder of the publishing house Tonnerre de l’Est, he has just published a new book devoted to Romanée-Conti. A reflection on the estate’s great wines and Proustian works. Here’s a sneak preview, ahead of a book signing at the Athenaeum on 12 March, from 7-8.30pm, with Aubert de Villaine in attendance.
How did you, as a philosophy teacher, become one of France’s most specialised publishers?
I’ve always been passionate about biodynamic wines and viticulture. Years ago, almost decades now, I wanted to turn them into clear, concise art books. Publications that would appeal to amateurs and professionals alike. In the early 2000s, there was no such thing. So in 2011, with a few friends, we threw ourselves into the adventure by creating Tonnerre de l’Est. A totally independent publishing house. A luxury.
Following the estates of Olivier Humbrecht, Lalou Bize-Leroy, Jean-Louis Chave, Pierre Overnoy and Jean-Pierre Frick, you are devoting your latest book to Romanée-Conti… How did you come to meet Aubert de Villaine and, more importantly, how did you convince him to take on a new book?
A long time ago, I got into the habit of sending Mr de Villaine each of our new publications. In fact, we’ve been in contact through letters for over 8 years now. I’ve always wanted to publish a book about Romanée-Conti. I was struck by Mr de Villaine’s quote that ‘Romanée-Conti was the most Proustian of the great wines…’. So much so that I spontaneously wrote a text on the subject on my own, which I finally sent to him. To my great surprise, he replied. He had taken the trouble to read it, liked it and suggested a number of corrections. That was the start of our collaboration…
How did you work together?
We met several times in Vosne-Romanée to discuss the current version of the book. Little by little, the roles became reversed: Mr de Villaine somehow took on the responsibilities of a publisher. I wasn’t expecting that. After all, he is also a man of letters. I was delighted. So much so that, in addition to the suggestions he was kind enough to make, I offered him to write a preface. He accepted, and gave me the gift of a text that, for me, is much more than a simple introduction. Our writings are very complementary, leaving everyone free to choose whether to start with his or mine, which is barely three times as long.
As you said, the starting point for this book is rather unusual. It’s a quote from Mr de Villaine, who likens the wines of Romanée-Conti to the Proustian works…
It’s a very unexpected approach indeed. As I clearly explain in the book, Marcel Proust was not known to be a wine-lover. The fact remains that this quotation is meaningful in more ways than one. Proust’s search for detail, aesthetic sensibility and memory is inevitably reminiscent of the world of wine. The development of my text follows, as a commentary on this statement.
Music is also very present in your reflections…
Yes, it so happens that Mr de Villaine is a great fan of Marcel Proust, of course, but also of classical music. We talked about this at length during our last interview. Although it’s quite difficult to compare music and wine, the metaphor is often used. And with good reason. Bridges do exist, but it’s best to stick to allusions on the subject. Too much precision can lead to misunderstanding.
There are also some very pretty photographs and works of art. How did you work with the artists in question?
That was another exciting part of this project. After a full brief, the photographer, Dorine Maillot, was quick to capture the Proustian spirit. The same with the artist Edwin Mac Gaw. I gave him a whole series of recommendations based on the creations of the painter Claude Monet and the couturier Mariano Fortuny, whose dresses were the stuff of Marcel Proust’s dreams. The result is highly textured works, somewhere between finitude and infinity. Dream landscapes, in a way.
Your reflections end with much more practical information…
When writing this book, and in line with our previous publications, I also aspired to a form of conciseness. I wanted the reader to be able to quickly find useful information about the estate. I’m thinking of its key dates and the technical characteristics of its terroirs: surface area, age of vines, exposure… Both of these are very clearly set out at the end of the book. In my opinion, this is a real bonus compared with other books devoted to Romanée-Conti.
And what about tomorrow?
Two new books are in the works. The first, due out at the end of this year or the beginning of next, is about Lydia and Claude Bourguignon, two eminent soil specialists who run the Laroque d’Antan estate in the South-West of France. The second will give women winegrowers the chance to talk about their convictions, their practices…