Overview
- He died of a reported heart attack in Bordeaux between March 19 and 20, according to French outlet Sud Ouest.
- He became the prototype of the global consulting enologist, advising more than 150 wineries across multiple continents.
- With his wife Dany, he built a Pomerol laboratory into Rolland & Associés, a technical and consulting hub later majority-sold to employees in 2020.
- His approach favored very ripe fruit and new barriques, winning admirers for raising standards and critics who argued it homogenized wine styles, a debate amplified by the film Mondovino.
- In Italy he collaborated with Caprai, Monteverro, Tenuta di Biserno and Tenuta del Nicchio, and earlier with Ornellaia and Masseto, drawing tributes from figures like Lodovico Antinori and Marco Caprai.