The group of young Bordelais winemakers, Bordeaux Oxygene, has just completed its sixth-monthly rotation of jobs, with Jean Baptiste Bourotte of Clos de Clocher the new president, and Severine Bonnie of Malartic Lagraviere vice-president.
This group launched in 2005 amid a burst of press, but has gone pretty quiet over the past year, to the frustation of some of its members I understand.
There are a few changes planned for the group also - Coralie de Bouard of Chateau Angelus is resigning, because she is travelling so much with her main chateau, and Heloise Aubert of Chateau La Couspaude is taking her place. So still 9 male, 9 female members, and still a good represenation of different appellations etc. There are plans to meet up with young Champagne producers in December, and maybe the next sixth months will see this group actually working together as a team.
Bordeaux Oxygene comprises:
Juliette Bécot (Châteaux Joanin Bécot, Côtes de Castillon, and Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Emilion);
Jean-Jacques and Séverine Bonnie (Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan);
Jean-Baptiste Bourotte (Château Bonalgue and Clos du Clocher, Pomerol);
Alice Cathiard-Tourbier and Jérôme Tourbier (Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan);
Mathieu Chadronnier (Château Marsau, Côtes de Francs);
Marie and Sylvie Courselle(Château Thieuley, Bordeaux Supérieur);
Matthieu Cuvelier (Château Clos Fourtet, St-Émilion);
Basaline and Thibault Despagne (Châteaux Tour de Mirambeau, Bordeaux Supérieur, and Mont-Pérat, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux);
Erwan Flageul (Château Brillette, Moulis);
Caroline Frey (Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc);
Eloïse Heeter-Tari (Château Nairac, Sauternes);
Edouard Labruyère (Château Rouget, Pomerol);
Florence Lafragette and Marcello Roudil (L'Hôpital, Graves, and La Loudenne, Médoc) (nb I imagine if she moves to Paris full time, there will be a place up for grabs for another young female winemaker...)
Jean-Christophe Mau(Châteaux Brown, Pessac-Léognan and Preuillac, Médoc);
Jean-Antoine Nony (Château Grand Mayne, St-Émilion);
Stéphanie Rolland-Lesage (treasurer) (Châteaux Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, Fontenil, Fronsac and La Grande Clotte, Bordeaux Blanc);
Benoit Trocard (Clos Dubreuil, St-Émilion and Clos de la Vielle Eglise, Pomerol).
Heloise Aubert (Chateau La Couspaude, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, Vignobles Aubert has six other chateaux - Chateau Jean de Gue, Lalande de Pomerol, Chateau Messile-Aubert, Montagne Saint Emilion, Chateau Saint Hubert, Saint Emilion, Chateau Labesse, Cotes de Castillon, Chateau St Antoine, Bordeaux Superieur, Fleur St Antoine, Bordeaux Superieur)
Original Decanter story from Guy Woodward in 2005:
http://www.decanter.com/news/69275.html
Yes, it's a pity they've gone so quite. Interesting initiative but not much seems to have happened since the launch. Perhaps the group is too heterogeneous? (apart from every member being more-or-less 'young')
Here's what we wrote about the launch in 2005
http://www.bkwine.com/blog/2005/11/bordeaux-oxygne-new-youthful.html
but we've heard virtually nothing about it since.
But regardless of that, each of the members/producers make very good wines (at least the ones we are more familiar with) so they're worth discovering in their own right.