Chateau Pesquie (Chaudiere family), among the best winemakers in Ventoux.

The challenge of Alexandre and Frederic Chaudiere, (3rd generation) is to make Pesquie wines famous all over the world, just like Chateauneuf du Pape.

The quality is there and the wines have far exceeded the standards of the official appellation "Ventoux" of which Pesquie benefits.

The conditions for producing wines are ideal: around a magnificent Provencal castle, 9 grape varieties are grown in altitude (about 300 m) on a clay-limestone soil. The 80 hectares are not yet organic certified, but it is under process!

The Chaudiere brothers understood that a very good barrel could be beneficial to their best grapes: their "Quintessence" and "Artemia" wines ar aged in one of the best barrels in the world: the "Blend" by Radoux (Carpenter's cooperage which provides the finest wines like Vega Sicilia, Mouton-Rothschild, Pape Clement ...). On certain vintages, Pesquie even uses some X-Blend: these barrels - overpriced - are made of what is best in terms of French oak: selections of fine grains (for a long, slow and harmonious breeding) and optimal maturation (minimum 36 months drying), index of tannic potential measured by douelle per stool (via an impressive process patented after many years of research), heating tailored according to the organoleptic properties of the wine that will benefit, etc. We are far from the "forest of Troncais" of coopers of yesteryear ... Yes, high cooperage is a science whose good winegrowers know how to use without ever abusing it.

Chateau Pesquie has surpassed the standards of its modest appellation (Ventoux), making it a "great Rhone wine still affordable". Of course, mastering wood is just one example, but it symbolizes all the efforts made at Pesquie from the vineyard (an exceptional terroir soon fully organic certified) until bottling. The three red and white cuvees are adapted to all tasting moments:

- "Terrasses" to drink young, on the fruit (mainly Grenache in red and viognier in white)
- "Quintessence" for a little more body, finesse and length (with majority of syrah in red and roussanne in white)
- "Artemia" (red only) comes from the best plots and barrels, for great occasions, but it is a wine for ageing: wait 5 to 10 years before drinking.
- Muscat de Beaumes de Venise: for aperitif, digestif, with foie gras or chocolate desserts!

Why should you buy Chateau Pesquie wines?

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Jeb Dunnuck, déc. 2013): Easily one of my favorite estates from the up-and-coming Ventoux region, Chateau Pesquie is run by the talented brothers, Alexandre & Frederic Chaudiere. The wines sell for a song, yet always deliver high-quality, loads of character and impeccably made profiles.