''Why me?'' he asked while sinking in his comfy arm chair in Rodez's offices in Ambonnay. ''I would like to hear how you perceive and approach Champagne'', I replied. And I got exactly what I asked for.
After spending some time working for Krug, Eric Rodez returned to his family winery in the early 90's continuing a tradition of eight generations. And it was exactly the moment that he told himself ''I am in Champagne and Ambonnay, I will be the king of the world!''. But his very first vintage in 1984 was exceptionally bad. Not just bad but exceptionally bad. '''Why? I applied normal process in the vineyards and traditional cellar practices but the wine showed no emotion.'' The next four years he focused on his new role as a winegrower and it took him ten years until 1994 to regenerate life in the soil.
In 1995 he had turn to organic methods and biodynamics. ''I am now a certified organic and biodynamic grower and I also apply aromatherapy in the vineyards'' he tells me and shows me the little box with the essential oils (pictured below). ''It is simple; climate in Champagne is tough so I have to spray although I try to reduce copper quantities. I utilize citrus and orange essential oils before the appearance of any downy mildew or oidium symptoms. If I see something slightly going wrong then it is the turn of eucalyptus and if there is significant outburst I will use thyme.'' He employs 50 ml of essential oils with 100 ml of oil and this is mixed with 250 ml of wash. Then this solution is blended in 200 lts of water and this is enough to spray one hectare.