Fake Pinot: Sieur d'Arques – could you make it up?

Truly murky!

'permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin – Merlot –> à la bouteille –> Pinot Noir'

Anyone visiting the Aimery Sieur d'Arques website can see the proud commitments made there – 'nos engagements':

'Assurer la Qualité Totale de son activité


Sieur d’Arques a depuis toujours cultivé le souci de la qualité. Dés 1997 la cave a été impliquée dans une démarche de certification et de sécurité alimentaire. En effet à partir de cette date Sieur d’Arques a commencé la mise en place de l’HACCP sur ses lignes de production, et a été certifiée ISO 9002 en 1999. Suite à l’évolution du référentiel, Sieur d’Arques a fait progresser son système qualité et répond désormais au travers de ses certifications à la norme ISO 9001 :2000 (depuis 1999 – renouvelé en 2008), la norme ISO 22000 :2005 (depuis 2006 – renouvelé en 2008) et le référentiel IFS version 5 niveau supérieur (depuis 2004 – renouvelé en 2008).

Une évaluation constante de ses vins


Dégustation des vins avant leur libération par des œnologues aguerris, dégustations comparatives réalisées par des structures compétentes de la filière, dégustations lors de salons nationaux et internationaux,… Sieur d’Arques dispose ici d’un processus efficace de dégustation de ses vins. Ce processus incontournable évalue la qualité globale des vins pour anticiper la satisfaction du consommateur.

La garantie d’une traçabilité maîtrisée


L’ensemble des enregistrements tout au long du process de fabrication des vins tranquilles et effervescents permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin à la bouteille. Ce système de traçabilité est complémenté d’un dispositif éprouvé de gestion de crise qui permet de répondre avec une grande réactivité tout au long de la chaîne de fabrication et de distribution.

In the light of the Pinot scandal these ringing declarations are more than a little hollow – sadly or hilariously so depending on your point of view. Bearing in mind the volume of fake Pinot Noir that was sold through Sieur d'Arques to the Americans it is impossible now to read this paragraph with a straight face:

'Ensuring traceability control


The tracking process throughout the production of still and sparkling wines allows Sieur d’Arques to ensure traceability from the grape to the bottle. This traceability system is completed with a proven crisis management system which makes it easier to be pro-active throughout the entire production and distribution chains.'




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I am aware that there is technically a difference between the company that owns the website – Aimery Sieur d'Arques – and the company – Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques SARL SICA Cooperative – that sold the 'Pinot Noir', was condemned and fined by the court in Carcassonne. There is third Sieur d'Arques company – Les Vignerons du Sieur d'Arques Société Coopérative Agricole – which makes sparkling wine. However, their Aimery website generally uses Sieur d'Arques without qualification, Pierre Mirc is in charge of all three (his title varies) and Alain Gayda is the chief editor (redacteur en chef) of the Aimery website. Thus the distinction is surely technical. 

As well as assuring the 'traceability' of Merlot and Syrah into Pinot Noir, one can well imagine the renowned 'proven crisis management system' swinging into action when the news came through that the fraud squad had busted Claude Courset at Ducasse. A scene rich in comic potential:

"Holy shit!" "That stupid motherf*ck**!" What the f**k are we going to do?" "I'm an oenologist – I know nothing." " "We know nuffink!" "It wasn't us – it was 'im, officer!". "When the police ask –  just act stoopid!"

Fake Pinot Noir: time for resignations

In my contribution today on our cooperative blog – Les 5 du Vin – I call for the resignations of Alain Gayda and Pierre Mirc, managing director and president respectively, of Sieur d'Arques. Although Gayda and Mirc both protested their innocence of the fraud, the court judgment identifies them, especially Gayda, as amongst the principals in the fraud.

Although the oenologue who told the truth to the police has lost her job at Sieur d'Arques, Gayda and Mirc both remain in post despite the court's damning verdict. Nowadays it is clear that nobody resigns even when involved in a 7 million € fraud.

See on Les 5 du Vin heads must roll!

For an alternative view see the posting here on the blog of Jacques Berthomeau.

Other posting on the fake Pinot Noir here, here, here and here.

Fake Pinot Noir (cont)

True Pinot Noir – Sancerrre October 2008

Reading part of the judgment makes depressing reading, particularly the role that Sieur d'Arques played in the fraud. Having visited Sieur d'Arques on a number of occasions during the 1990s including for their innovative Toques et Clochers auction of barrels of Chardonnay, I had always been impressed and felt that they were a model co-operative. Sadly it would appear, despite the continued denials by Pierre Mirc, president of the co-op, and Alain Gayda, the managing director, that they were up to their necks in the scam.

Gayda and Mirc claimed they had no idea how much Pinot Noir is planted in Languedoc-Roussillon nor how much is produced. They claimed that as vin de pays was only a marginal part of their business – less than 10%, especially bulk sales their interest was devoted to Sieur d'Arques more prestigious products.

Neither the French fraud squad nor the court were over-impressed by this line of defence. In addition to being president of one of the leading cave cooperatives in the region Mirc is a representative on the INAO, the Fédération Départmentale des Caves Cooperatives and the Syndicat des Producteurs de Vins de Pays d'Oc.

Reading the court summing up you might conclude that Sieur d'Arques know nothing and care even less about Pinot Noir, which is rather curious as Pinot Noir features as part of the blend in no less than six of their Crémants de Limoux – Blason Rouge, Blason d'Arques, Bulle de Crémant Rosé (10% Pinot Noir – limited amount because PN isn't widely available in the region?), Diaphane Grande Cuvée and Crémant Sieur d'Arques Brut and Extra Brut. Admittedly these are AC wines, so perhaps they take more care over its origins.

Gayda's defence was further undermined by Sieur d'Arques oenologue, Christelle Della'Ava, handing over a copy of an email received by Alain Gayda on 28th October 2005 from ONIVINS detailing how much Pinot was planted in Languedoc-Roussillon. Gayda had asked ONIVINS how much Pinot was planted. Gayda passed on a copy of this email to Christelle Dell’Ava, who was then Sieur d’Arques chief oenologist in charge of the bulk Pinot market). Gayda wrote ‘confidentiel !!’ in the margin. What could possibly be confidential about the plantings of Pinot in Languedoc-Roussillon unless you were already in the process of setting up the fraud?  

The information from ONIVINS would have told Gayda that the maximum amount of Pinot that could be produced in the region was 67,680 hls. The court notes that Sieur d'Arques had already sold, according to Gayda's testimony, 10,000-12,000 bottles of Pinot under their 'Red Bycicle' brand. In 2006 Sieur d'Arques bought 53,989 hls from Ducasse, the Carcassonne négociant at the heart of the fraud. Then in 2007 they bought 75,376 hls from Ducasse. Sieur d'Arques sold to the Americans a total of 124,894 hls (16.6 million bottles).  

Leaving aside the maximum figure for the annual production of Pinot Noir in Languedoc-Roussilon, the fraud enquiry estimated that the region produces between 55,000 to 60,000 hls of Pinot. In 2006 Ducasse bought 53,889 hls of 'Pinot' – 93.34% of the total Pinot available on the market in Languedoc-Roussillon. The following year that percentage rose to 132.87%. Of the growers who supplied Ducasse and who were charged with the fraud, only Vignobles Alain Maurel (Domaine Ventenac and Château Ventenac in Cabardès) has any Pinot planted and then only a minimal amount as there appears to be is no mention of it on their website and certainly isn't listed as a component in any of their wines.

True Pinot Noir awaiting sorting in Sancerre: late September 2009

Sadly the ringing declaration on the home page of Vignobles Alain Maurel now rings a little false: 'La démarche qualité doit être construite du raisin å la satisfaction du client. L'élaboration d'un vin est une chaine où il ne peut y avoir de maillon faible.' (A qualitative approach must be built up from the grape to the customer satisfaction. The elaboration of a wine is a chain where there can be no weak link. Quality cannot be claimed, it proves itself.'

The court estimated that the profit (euros) made by those found guilty from the fraud was as follows:

Cave Cooperative de Barbaira: 430,511
Cave Cooperative de Montblanc: 285,961
Cave Cooperative de Canet d'Aude: 249,517
Pierre Fabre: 46,027
La Clairiege: 40,154
SARL Vailhere Courtage: 36,462
Cave Cooperative Cournonteral: 9905
Vignobles Alain Maurel: 458,390
SAS Ducasse: 3,705,101
Sieur d'Arques: 1,307,024 on a turnover of more than 16 million € from the sales of Pinot.

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In all of this it still remains a mystery exactly how much of the fake Pinot Noir was bought by Constellation Wines and Gallo. Constellation say they bought 10% but claim that what they bought really was Pinot Noir, while Gallo say that they purchased less than 20%. If these claims are correct then we don't know who bought more than 70% of the fake Pinot, assuming that all of it went to North America. The answer has to be in Sieur d'Arques records as they bought the vast majority of Ducasse's fake Pinot. It may also be in the court judgment – unfortunately I have only part of this.