At 60-plus, Roederer’s chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon seems to grow more energetic by the year. On the eve of the House’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Reims, he spoke to Kaaren Palmer about succession, staying relevant and why retirement is not yet on his horizon.
Before the wonderful stage presentation and party marking Champagne Louis Roederer's 250th anniversary in Reims, an interview with one of the House's lodestars, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon (JBL), seemed a timely gift to someone who has followed the House for many years. The man himself seems almost younger and more energetic with each passing year, yet he responded seriously to my questions about succession and about maintaining energy and relevance beyond his 60th year.
While definitely not thinking of retirement yet, with another six to ten years in the offing, JBL may perhaps move to a different role nearer the climax of his working life at Roederer. At the moment, the entirety of the Roederer businesses, vineyards and wine production is under his management. In addition, JBL is a tireless user of social media on behalf of Roederer's champagne business, involves himself energetically in champagne education and in essential contact with young wine communicators, and seems to be across every important visitor to the House. How he covers all this ground is an absolute tribute to his work ethic, dedication and energy. Moreover, every interview generously reveals far more than one thinks to ask, showing a unique and fertile creativity.
JBL's close and respectful work with Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of family ownership, has resulted in a very creative partnership in which sustainability in the vineyards has been at the forefront of the House's progress. The importance of transmitting this legacy to the next generation can't be overstated. So too is nurturing the tasting team, as was done for JBL's predecessors, with an eye to the future. They have been tasting together for 20 years, and the six tasters span both sexes and 40 years in age. Another production engineer has just been appointed, probably to take over JBL's production role in due course. There are plenty of jobs to give out, and plenty yet to do. Goals are set, but not the 'how' of reaching them. It's all about inspiration in the cellar as well as in the vineyard, but simplicity is essential to a robust process. Indeed, sometimes words are not necessary, and at other times newcomers may reveal that they lack the essential people skills. Then is the time to move that individual to a role where soft skills are less critical.
JBL speaks of his youngest team member, aged just 30, whom he has known since the boy was six years old! Like many young people raised in times of plenty, he understands the ecology but not the underpinning finances. In his case, exposure to finance and an understanding of underlying costs are essential if he is to make the most of the opportunities he’s been given.
How does JBL maintain energy for every challenge? Sport, the gym, a personal trainer, running: it takes energy to create more energy. Later, at dinner with clients, there will be focus and dynamism.
And what circumstances inspired this drive for excellence? There are various answers, experiential, academic and otherwise. A seminal tasting of Clos de la Roche in Burgundy at the age of 14, teachers, and significant mentors such as permaculture guru Bill Mollison in Tasmania all played a part. So did the recent collaboration with Philippe Starck, when the energy in the room was so strong it gave everyone the freedom to create. All these experiences have fed the fire of excellence, working alongside and with nature to potentiate the outcome. Starck has been heard to say that his time with Roederer is like the marriage of 'the king of punk' (Starck) with 'the king of England' (the House of Roederer and all its traditions). The collaboration was indeed not about wine so much as about life!
Creating the wine of tomorrow while reducing the carbon footprint, and working with higher sugar and lower acidity, are directing Lécaillon towards a more natural approach. Farming sustainably within the Champagne landscape as part of the big picture has engendered a more philosophical view of creating the best ecosystem. It is a system that has probably evolved harmoniously of its own accord, and one does better to observe what exists than to over-analyse it and prescribe a scientific solution. The NV Collection may never have happened without these new freedoms. One can surmise that Frédéric Rouzaud became more relaxed about his heritage as he saw the success of the new viticultural and oenological strategies, because what JBL wanted to do pushed against long-held tradition, which is naturally strong in a prosperous family company.
To contribute to champagne's image of class, beauty, elegance and excellence means not just farming but creating something superior. Here, energy becomes more spiritual, and takes into account what we want to leave to the next generation and what we want to survive our own efforts. Lécaillon feels incredibly lucky to live with wines created many years ago, and to experience through them a strong feeling of transmission.
And so the idea of retirement is resisted. But will he suffer feelings of irrelevance after successfully passing the baton to the team? No! He feels like an art director of the family fortunes, able to see more clearly through the lens of experience than most. For example, if he leaves the tasting to the team, they tend to enjoy powerful aromas and flavours, when elegance is something that comes later, with experience. It's a case of 'less is more', as with the finest cuisine. For a perfectly styled result, no element can be too strong.
Roving the Roederer portfolio, whether to Ramos Pinto in Portugal, Domaine Pierre Damoy in Gevrey-Chambertin (a few weeks ago), Pauillac's famed second growth Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, or Domaine Ott in Provence, JBL leaves the teams in charge but asks WHY they want to take a particular course of action, promoting and stimulating creativity rather than giving directions.
What might be left on the bucket list of this prodigious talent? Lécaillon admits he has been lucky to taste the finest wines, and lucky to have recently acquired, in Burgundy, a playground no less than Clos de Bèze. But there's still work to be done. Yet work is not everything, he admits, although his wife strongly suspects otherwise. As long as he has a piece of land and a garden, he's fine. And he has a good cellar, so he will manage!
One of my questions concerned the ageing ability of the numbered cuvées compared with the former Brut Premier NV. The Réserve Perpétuelle, we find, confers ageing power while making the wine more delicious when young.
Favourite vintages?
- 1999 was JBL's first year in charge, and his predecessor left him to his freedom, much to his initial dismay. But it was a gift, he realised later, to be pushed into the role alone with his team.
- 2002 was a gift of nature, and brought about a new, riper Cristal profile.
- 2008 gave everything that could be wanted in a vintage, and was perfection, as the mistakes of 1996 were avoided.
- 2012 was good, but 2013 was fully organic and biodynamic, and the next level in precision and complex layers.
- 2014 and 2015 were manageable, but 2016 is possibly the best, although it was not an easy year.
- 2019 was fantastic.
- 2020 was challenging.
- 2022 was amazing.
At the same time, this man is a fan of unique and complex old Bordeaux spanning the 1940s to the 1970s, and then there's Chambertin, Barolo… even a mention for Australia's Giaconda Chardonnay.
Champagnes other than Roederer? The 1976 Dom Pérignon was 'very delicious', as was the 1964. Could this be because the brand had not yet become commoditised, I ask. JBL has also enjoyed Charles Heidsieck '96 and the '95 Blanc des Millénaires, Bollinger's Grande Année 1996, Taittinger's Comtes (such as the 2013), and Krug Grande Cuvée, but if he drinks anything other than Roederer champagne, he prefers Burgundy or Bordeaux.
And any words of advice for the youth of today? Follow your dreams and happiness, says this fortunate, talented, clever, generous, inventive and experienced chef de cave.
