Michel Rolland, a central figure in international wine in recent decades, died today in Bordeaux at the age of 78. Considered the first “flying winemaker,” he built a very long career as a consultant, with assignments at more than 150 estates in 14 countries and hundreds of companies followed through the Rolland & Associés laboratory in Pomerol.
The contribution of winemaker Michel Rolland has profoundly affected the evolution of wine style globally. Also redefining the role of the winemaker, who is increasingly involved in the strategic choices of wineries. From France to the Americas to Italy, he has collaborated with many leading entities, including Caprai in Montefalco and several Bolgheri estates linked to the Antinori family. Such as Ornellaia, Masseto and, more recently, Biserno and Tenuta del Nicchio.
In addition to his work in the vineyard and cellar, Rolland was also a keen observer of the dynamics of the industry. Often able to read in advance the evolutions of taste and the market. A direct interlocutor, with whom confrontation meant getting to the heart of the transformations of contemporary wine.
With Michel Rolland goes a figure who has made a profound mark on the way wine has been understood and produced over the past fifty years.
