For those who are not already aware, our dear friend and director of winemaking, Denis Malbec, died in a car crash on Saturday, April 16, 2016. He was 46 years old.
Denis was a key member of our viticultural/winemaking team at Kapcsandy Family Winery since 2005. He was an enormously talented viticulturist, keenly aware of the tremendous care grapevines require to produce. He initially learned this essential skill from his grandfather Camille, who was the vineyard manager at Chateau Latour (1e Cru Classe, Pauillac, Bordeaux) for 47 years.
Denis was also an exceptional winemaker. After academic training in Bordeaux and Champagne, he learned hands-on practices from his father Jean-Noel (Maître de Chai, Chateau Latour from 1969-1993). His first opportunity as a cellar worker away from Latour was at Haut Brion for the 1989 harvest and vinification. Denis was truly gifted, blessed with a fine palate, a precise nose for key aromatics in must and finished wine, yet also able to communicate and translate what a world-class wine can and should be.
He was kind, witty, unpretentious and had a profound love of life. He adored travelling the world to experience new cultures and cuisines, always with the true love of his life, May-Britt. He openly shared his knowledge and expertise with the entire team at Kapcsandy Family. The wines we created under his stewardship will stand the test of time and be testament to his skill.
We owe so very much of our success to our partnership with Denis. We’re forever grateful that he was such a close part of our lives for 11 years.
We will miss his smile and spirit more than words can express. And his memory will live on in the many bottles of world-class wines he crafted for the last 25 years.
Adieu notre ami, repose en paix.
Lou & Louis Jr. Kapcsandy and the entire Kapcsandy Family team