Wine of the Week 9/03/19

Château Pesquié Le Paradou Viognier 2018

Regularly $13.99/On Sale for $10.96

Recent archaeological discoveries have proven that wine was made in Ventoux as early as the 1st century BCE. Vine cultivation seems to have continued on the Pesquié property uninterrupted until Fred and Alex Chaudière’s grandparents purchased the 18th century Château in the early 1970’s and began the Pesquié story. The three generations of winemakers mirror the Ventoux’s shift from an unacknowledged satellite of the Rhône Valley to an important appellation in its own right. Château Pesquié is certified organic (ECOCERT) and uses only organic treatments and composts in the vineyard. Weed control is done by turning over the soil, and harvesting is done by hand.

“Paradou” in the old Provençal language, the “langue d’oc,” does not mean “paradise” but refers to the old watermills that once dotted the landscape. Le Paradou is indeed a former watermill now owned by the Chaudières, that serves as the guest house for Château Pesquié. Frédéric & Alexandre have selected great Viognier plots at the foot of Mount Ventoux and at the foot of the Cévennes to make a very fresh and elegant Le Paradou white.

For this Viognier, particular attention is paid to the harvesting date in order to pick the grape when it still holds its natural acidity. In the same line of reasoning, the malolactic transformation of the Viognier is stopped so that it can stay as fresh as possible.