Tasting: Haut Les Mains in Saint Aubin

A look back at the hottest natural wine tasting of late summer, organized by Vin Noé's Jon Purcell in the cellar he rents from Jean-Jacques Morel in Saint Aubin.

As promised in Issue 8, here’s a look back at Haut Les Mains, the Burgundy natural wine tasting organized in Saint Aubin on July 24th by my friend Jon Purcell of Vin Noé. Purcell moved into the former cellar of Saint Aubin organic permaculture legend Jean-Jacques Morel last year. This year, with the support of Morel and his wife (and their courtyard), Purcell opened his doors to vigneron / négociant friends and neighbors from Burgundy, Champagne, the Jura, Baden, the Beaujolais, and Alsace.

And me. I poured tastes of my own not-for-sale wines, and represented the work of my friend Jan Klimeš from EUFORIA birch saps.

This was my first experience of a natural wine salon from the presenters’ side of the table. Attendees numbered over four-hundred, and I was obliged to explain to everyone that I was not a real winemaker, and what birch sap was, with the result that I was almost wholly unable to taste at any other stands that day.

I still tried, rather feebly, to don a Journalist Cap towards the end of the salon, snapping a few portraits of vigneron friends as they unwound. It seemed worth documenting the event, which Purcell initially conceived as a way to unite his circle of friends for an end-of-season party. That it became something bigger - attracting important buyers from Paris, Barcelona, Troyes, and beyond - is a testament to the talent of the assembled winemakers and the dynamism of the Burgundy natural wine community.

Readers unfamiliar with cheesy French synth-pop from the 1980s may be wondering about the name of the salon, and why, exactly, the poster (designed by Saint Romain Coffee’s Matt McClune) features two extraordinarily fey-looking black folk. “Haut les mains!” means “Hands up!”; this was apparently one of the first repetitive games / orders that Purcell’s year-old son was able to play. It’s also the name of a sort of ABBA-lite 1981 hit by the French pop duo Ottawan, who are pictured on the flyer.

This was taken close to 6pm, as we were already ushering people to the door.

Michele Chapel-Smith and David Chapel of Domaine Chapel.

Laurence Cuthbertson, Chris Santini, and Marie Triboulley of Foret Wines in Bushwick.

Sandra Kilian of BK Vins, wine importer Kisho Mizumi, and ambient-musician-and-wine distributor-turned-natural-vigneron Benoît Kilian.

Jon Purcell of Vin Noé and Jean-Michel Wilmès of seminal Troyes natural wine bistrot Aux Crieurs de Vin.

Jura vigneronne Katie Worobeck and her friend Anne.

Alsace vigneron Yannnick Meckert serving a mag of Patrick Meyer to Champagne vigneron Raphael Piconnet.

Loïc Lamy of Vins Saisons, Tommy Pace of Brasserie Vif, Christian Knott of Domaine Dandelion, Chris Santini, and Matt McClune of Saint Romain Coffee Company, unwinding after the tasting.

Julien Altaber and Arnaud Chapuis.

Chef David Maurin of Pommard restaurant Auprès du Clocher and Nuit négociant-brewer Oronce de Beler of La Maison Romane.

Le Soleil co-chef Svante Forstorp representing the ceramics he makes with his partner and co-chef Laïla Aouba.

Jon Purcell cradling his inspiration for the salon name.

The dance party afterwards.

I’m told the event will occur again - possibly at a different vigneron’s cellar, in a different region. I’ll add only that Haut Les Mains feels very appropriate - almost overdue, even - in right here in Saint Aubin, which, thanks to the efforts of Dominique Derain, Jean-Jacques Morel, and Julien Altaber and Carole Schwab, has long been an important bastion of natural wine in Burgundy.

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FURTHER READING

Issue 8: Local Heroes of the Côte d’Or
Issue 7: Unknown Legends of Bourgogne