Most people obviously come visit for their wines but we visit to admire the architecture of this beautiful Château and the magnificent driveway of old platanes. I can stand / sit there for hours and hours…and totally not care about their fine wines…to a certain extent 🙂
With the soaring limestone summit of Mont Ventoux as a backdrop and a leafy canopy of platanes shading the driveway to the bastide, the Provencal name ‘Pesquié’ is a derivative from Latin “pescarium” meaning fishpond or basin.
History
In the early 1970ties this beautiful estate, built around 1750, was purchased by Odette and René Bastide. They renovated some of the vineyards and replanted where needed. These plantings together with older parcels are the base for the wines made at Pesquié today.
Around 1985 their daughter Edith and son-in-law Paul Chaudière took over the place. Before that time the couple had worked far away from wine business. They had jobs as physiotherapist and speech therapist. The father of Paul Chaudière was an oenology professor at the wine institute in Orange, so he was not quite unfamiliar with the task.
They decided to make the wines at the domain and constructed new cellars. The first bottling at the domain took place in 1990. In 2003 the next generation took over. Today the place is run by Alexandre and Frédéric Chaudière.
The vineyards are situated in 4 communes : Blauvac, Mormoiron, Ville-sur-Auzon and Mazan. The total area is about 72 ha. Since 2013 the vineyards are certified ‘agriculture biologique’.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the world’s most famous white-wine grape and also one of the most widely planted. Although the most highly regarded expressions of the variety are those from Burgundy and California, many high-quality examples are made in Italy, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America and only very few in Vaucluse. That’s what makes Pesquié chardonnay stand out for this region !
Describing the flavors of Chardonnay is no easy task. While many Chardonnay wines have high aromatic complexity, this is usually due to winemaking techniques (particularly the use of oak) rather than the variety’s intrinsic qualities. Fermentation and/or maturation in oak barrels contributes notes of vanilla, smoke and hints of sweet spices such as clove and cinnamon. Because of this high level of winemaker involvement, Chardonnay has become known as the “winemaker’s wine”. Pesquié nailed it !
Their wine and grape varieties
Ventoux Artemia
50% Syrah (50+ years) and 50% Grenache (80+ years) – 25 hl./ha. From two separate parcels. Fermentation of Syrah in 4 hl. wooden casks, Grenache in bigger wooden casks. Aged in barriques for 18 months. 50% new and the rest 1 to 2 years old. Debut vintage: 2004.
Ventoux Quintessence
80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. 21 days of maceration.
Aged in barriques for 12 months. 40% are new, the rest 1 to 2 years old.
Ventoux Prestige
70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. 21 days of maceration. Aged in barriques.
Ventoux Terrasses (my favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. 15 days of maceration.
35% aged in 2 to 3 year old barriques.
Ventoux Rosé Les Terrasses
40% Grenache, 50% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, 100% Saignée
Ventoux Rosé Perle de Rosé
Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah
50% is Saignée and the rest directly pressed wine.
Chardonnay du Pesquié (my second favorite!!!!!!)
100% Chardonnay
Opening hours, location and contact information
Direct sale: Monday – Saturday 9-12 am and 2-6 pm
May – September: Open on Sundays
Château Pesquié
1365B Route de Flassan
84570 Mormoiron
0033 (0)4 90 619 408
www.chateaupesquie.com
They also have a multilingual facebook page which you can like by clicking here. It is so interesting to follow their posts all year round !
Some more impressions of the estate
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