Chateau Pesquié - Terrasses Rosé, Ventoux, Rhône, France (2022)

TASTING NOTES

A classic Provençal rose with wild strawberries, floral notes, bubble gum and a dash of herbs. This medium bodied, crisp wine has a clean, dry finish. Great on a hot summer day or as an apéritif on a cooler day to start the evening’s festivities.

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.