Bordeaux consultant Stephane Derenoncourt is stepping into the shoes of Andre Tchelistcheff and other renowned winemakers at the Niebaum Coppola winery in Napa.

Coppola has hired Derenoncourt and his Bordeaux-based company Vignerons Consultants to work on the company’s five Napa Valley brands with responsibility for 150ha of vineyards.

‘We’re very excited about our new relationship with Stephane Derenoncourt,’ said Niebaum Coppola’s Larry Stone.

Derenoncourt follows some illustrious winemakers at Rubicon Estate: Andre Tchelistcheff, Tony Soter, Heidi Barrett, and most recently David Ramey.

Derenoncourt said, after meeting Francis Ford Coppola earlier this year, ‘Francis isn’t happy with the quality now and wanted something more “true” on his home property.’

His only other North American consultancy is with Virginia’s Boxwood Winery.

‘California wines are often easy to taste but difficult to drink. I intend to do something different,’ the Frenchman said. In addition to the two US consultancies he is about to release the ‘Derenoncourt’ label made at Cuvaison and John Caldwell wineries.

Derenoncourt also has projects in Turkey, China, and India. He has recently taken up work with Lebanon’s Saadé family at their Chateau Marsyas in Bekaa Valley, and Domaine de Bargylus along the Syrian coast.

Written by David Furer

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David Furer
David Furer
Decanter Magazine, Wine Writer & Sommelier

David Furer is a Californian wine writer, educator, consultant and speaker, who has worked for over 20 years in the wine trade. He has appeared in publications such as Decanter, Wine Business Monthly in the US and SommelierS Int’l in France. He formerly served on the Circle of Wine Writers’ executive committee and is a sommelier with accreditation from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In his book, Wine Places, he collaborates with photographer Charles O’Rear to capture some of the world’s vineyards, wineries and winemakers.