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Romain Ott: The Château Léoube identity

Romain Ott

 

Romain Ott – Winemaker

Romain Ott, the magic word in the world of wine and winemaking. Son of a winegrower and born of a family of winegrowers for four generations, he handles all the productions (wines and olive oils) of Château Léoube.

Romain Ott, an agronomic engineer specializing in oenology, has been taking care of the renewal and identity of Léoube since 2000, with passion and great dedication to family’s philosophy.

“Producing the best of what the earth can give with love and gratitude…” is Romain Ott’s philosophy, a “Philosophy of the Essence of Wine”, with the utmost respect for the product and traditions, in the subtle search for the healthiest and most balanced grapes possible, for the greatest quality and consistency.

At Léoube, we do not look for exuberance in wine, but rather our own style, matter and stability. “The goal is to improve the wines and enhance their quality while maintaining the “Léoube style”: a genuine, precise, fine, balance and elegant wine, dedicated to the pleasure of every moment,” emphasizes Romain Ott.

A pleasure to share with friends and family through the various Château Léoube “haute couture” vintages, signs of the estate’s knowledge and expertise.

Podcast

The Drinking Hour podcast: Romain Ott of Château Léoube

For episode 151 of The Drinking Hour, Romain Ott, winemaker at Château Léoube, talks to David Kermode about life at the estate, his approach in the winery, what he looks for in the perfect rosé and being asked to make a ‘Super Tuscan’ in Provence
 
Click Here to Listen to the CLUB OENOLOGIQUE podcast

 

AOC CÔTE DE PROVENCE - ORGANIC ROSE WINE

SPARKLING WINES

AOC CÔTE DE PROVENCE - ORGANIC RED WINE

Our story

Anthony and I had been looking for a house in Provence for a while when we eventually found Léoube, our sleeping beauty. Set back from a quiet bay on the coastline, the house had been owned by the same family for years but hadn’t really been touched – we fell in love with it.’ Carole Bamford

The previous owners had been producing rosé wine at Léoube in small quantities and we wanted to honour this tradition and continue to work with the unique terroir and setting of this historic château. But we also hoped to build on their foundation and push the winemaking at Léoube in order to create wines of exceptional quality that could be shared more widely.

Having turned our own family farm over to organic principles in the UK, we wanted to bring the same sustainable, natural approach to Léoube, working with the rhythm of the seasons to preserve and protect the land and to produce wines in harmony with nature’s cycles.

As founders of an organic farm, what was most attractive and fascinating to us at Léoube is its soil. Provence is home to some of the oldest vineyards in France and the soil there dates back over 800 million years. The seabeds once sat on the estate’s land, which saturated the soil with an array of minerals. Much of Léoube’s distinct flavours come from its soil and the gentle hint of the sea that infuses the vines on this land.

We arrived at Léoube in 1997 and began the process of converting the vineyard and olive grove to become organic. When we bought the estate, we asked our neighbour, Jean-Jacques Ott, to help guide us through the conversion process. Later his son Romain came to work for us – we call him little Ott. Romain brings a unique sensibility to the winemaking at Léoube, blending traditional techniques with new technology to create elegant, balanced wines that reflect his expertise and mastery of his craft. His skill is matched by his passion and it’s been a real honour to work with him to develop our range.

We’re very proud of the fact that all our wines, particularly the rosés, are consistently recognised as striking and excellent examples of their terroir. Léoube is now sold in over 30 countries around the world and there is so much more we would like to do to bring this beautiful terroir to people’s homes.

Our Timeline

1977    The Bamford family start converting their family farmland over to organic principles in the UK

1997    The Bamford family arrives at Léoube

2000    Romain Ott, a fourth-generation winemaker, takes over wine production at Léoube

2002    The Bamford family launch Daylesford Organic in the UK

2005    Launch of a new cuvée, Secret de Léoube

2010    Château Léoube gains its organic certification

2011    The Collector Grand Vin is launched

2012    Sparkling de Léoube is launched

2014    Launch of a new cuvée, Léoube La Londe

2018    Launch of a new cuvée, LOVE by Léoube

2020    Love by Léoube scores 90 pt at The Ultimate Wine Challenge, Silver at the Global Masters Awards

Rosé de Léoube Scores 91 pt Robert Parker, 91 pt at The Ultimate Wine Challenge, Gold at the Global Masters Awards, Gold at the Organic Global Masters

Secret de Léoube Scores 92 pt Robert Parker, wins Gold at the Global Masters Awards

La Londe wins 90 pt at The Ultimate Wine Challenge

To See all of their videos click here