The wonder of Wessman

The Icelandic couple who found their dream wine estate in Bergerac two decades ago now produce acclaimed wine in Limoux, Champagne. Maison Wessman is currently looking for distribution into the indie trade throughout the UK and the wines are

Imbued with a deep love of wine, Robert Wessman had his heart set on finding an outstanding French wine estate that he and his wife, Ksenia, could call their own.

The hunt took more than a decade, but in 2000 the Icelandic couple purchased the 12th century Château Saint-Cernin, acquiring the vineyard parcels in Bergerac and Limoux in 2015, followed by Vignoble des Verdots in 2021.

There is a third, Champagne-flavoured chapter to the Wessman wine story, but let’s start in the south.

With the purchase of Saint-Cernin came vineyards in the south west region of Limoux, in two distinct terroirs. Vines in La Haute Vallée are planted at 400 to 450 metres above sea level, while those in the so-called oceanic sites are found between 200 and 300 metres. Altitude and cooler temperatures make for slower ripening in the Haute Vallée: the Chardonnay wines that come from here are renowned for their freshness and complexity.

The oceanic terroir is cool, humid, and temperate; the wines markedly plumper, though still with lovely vibrancy. There are two Limoux whites in the portfolio. PetitCernin, which offers immediately joyful drinking; and No 1 Saint-Cernin Blanc, the more complex and age-worthy of the duo.

In Perigord, Bergerac, the Saint-Cernin vineyard plots are found in Issigeac. Vines have been grown here for many centuries on the well-drained limestone soils, and their position on the plateau means they can bask all day in the summer sun. The area fell off the radar for some time, but in recent decades greater attention has been paid to the vineyards, with careful uprooting and minimal replanting. The result is that yields are small, setting this landscape apart from the more bountiful vineyards of neighbouring appellations.

The Bergerac Saint-Cernin range is a threesome of reds. Petit Cernin Rouge is packaged in the Green Gen Bottle, made

Try A Selection Of Maison Wessman Wines For Yourself

Bottle samples are available from UK stock. Please contact sue.harris@ westburycom.co.uk from flax fibres, developed by French startup Green Gen Technologies. Empty, the bottle weighs just 85g and is made from a food-grade PET liner, a flax fibre composite and a natural and bio-sourced resin.

The Héritage de Saint-Cernin range includes a white, a red, a rosé and a sweet wine. The grapes come from vineyards in Bergerac and Côtes de Bergerac.

Vignoble de Verdots is a modern 19-hectare estate with plantings of both red and white grape varieties, on clay, limestone and flint soils. The most recent purchase, the estate is modern and home to the Wessmans’ winemaking facilities. In the 1990s an underground barrel cellar was built at the property, to create an optimal ageing environment. The estate aims to have zero carbon footprint by 2030.

There are two ranges from Vignoble des Verdots. Source des Verdots is the signature collection, each wine made from a selection of the best terroirs in AOP Bergerac. The Château Les Tours des Verdots line-up includes a white, a red and Wessman’s only Monbazillac. The Tours des Verdots label includes a red and a white Grand Vin.

Lise Sadirac has been Maison Wessman’s winemaker since 2021. She comes with exemplary credentials, with extensive experience in organics and minimalintervention winemaking.

Sadirac believes passionately in vineyard biodiversity to support vine balance and to optimise quality of the fruit. Equal attention is paid to vinification – which is gravity-driven – manual punch-downs and the choice of barrel. It is the detail required for Maison Wessman’s premium wines.

Feeling the need to add top-notch Champagnes to the Wessman portfolio, the company has partnered with a leading Champagne house to create its own cuvées.

Champagne Wessman One sources all its fruit from Cru villages. Pinot Noir is harvested in Aÿ, while Chardonnay is sourced from the Côtes des Blancs. Both areas are characterised by a deep, chalky subsoil. Currently there are two Champagnes: Premier Cru Brut Rosé and Premier Cru Brut.

Robert and Ksenia set out to make world-class wines. They are succeeding.