Chateau Pesquié - Quintessence, Ventoux, Rhône, France (2019)

In the hands of such deft winemakers, this big southern Rhône blend never loses its sense of freshness and drinkability. Black cherry, black pepper, garrigue and black olives. Full bodied & rich, balanced by fresh acidity, garrigue, cherry and smoky tar.

From 50+ year-old vines, Syrah and Grenache were hand harvested, destemmed and crushed and underwent a natural yeast fermentation in tank with a 21-day maceration on the skins. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (50% new).

Chateau Pesquié is a pioneering estate of the Côtes de Ventoux AOC (appellation established in 1973). The Bastide family purchased the estate in the early ‘70s, and reorganized the vineyards, preserving the best blocks (now close to 100 years old). Their daughter Edith and husband Paul Chaudière joined the Bastides in the mid 1980s, Paul’s family conveniently having 150 years of history in viticulture, and Paul’s father also being a professor of oenology in nearby Orange. In 1989, the family established their own cellars, and stopped selling grapes to the local co-op. Then, in 2003, Edith & Paul’s sons Frédéric & Alexandre assumed responsibility for the estate. Sustainably farmed since the 1980s, the estate moved to fully organic methods in the early 2000s, and now largely biodynamic. Solar panels on the property produce more electricity than the estate uses.

Estate vineyards are located in 3 villages: Mormoiron, Blauvac and Ville-sur-Auzon, where the southern slopes of Mont Ventoux are blessed with outstanding levels of sunshine (up to 12 hours per day in July), yet Château Pesquié has one of the coolest microclimates in the south of the Rhône Valley. This is due to elevation (between 300 and 400 m) and the influence of the mountain. The variation of temperatures between days and nights (diurnal variation) helps create excellent physiological balance in the vines, and colour, concentration and freshness in the wines. The terroir has a great mineral diversity, predominantly consisting of limestone, and the Mistral ventilates, ensuring the cultivation of healthy vines. This remarkable place results in a range of impressive white, rosé & red wines, from traditional Rhône varietals.