New winery: Château de Roquefort2018/10/22
Raimond de Villeneuve’s impressively beautiful, biodynamic vineyard is situated in an amphitheater, thus having a very special microclimate. Château de Roquefort is at an altitude of almost 400 meters, allowing later harvesting, which results in more freshness and greater phenolic maturity, and therefore more complexity than is usual in Provençal wines.
The vineyard is composed of 25 hectares of clay and limestone soils.
Grape variety: traditional grape varieties of the region: Black Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Clairette, Rolle, Ugni.
For a third, vines are over 40 years old, for a third between 15 and 40 years old and for the last third between 1 and 15 years old. From the Sainte-Baume massif, which rises to an altitude of 1042m, the relief towards the sea is formed by long mountain ranges and high plateaus.
altitude of 350 to 390m protected by an imposing rocky cirque on terraces and slopes. This wild and precious environment favors this very advantageous microclimate created by the altitude of the soil and by a slight marine influence.
Raymond de Villeneuve philosophy: maintain the equilibrium of nature: soil cultivation, organic manure, natural phytosanitary protection, no insecticides or synthetic products.
2017 was very humid: mildiou appreared, the winemaker tried to limit the pressing of the wine, treated with manure, horsetail, oak bark, nettles, fermented seaweed purée.
The important thing is to work on the metabolism, very little use of copper and sufer.
Winemaking way : the wines try to tend towrd silky and fruity characteristics for red wines.
“I just try to translate what nature give us, and try to express as closely as possible our terroir”.
The family De Villeneuve Flayosc owns this castle since 1812 when Hippolyte De Villeneuve Flayosc, Raymond’s great-grandfather, bought it. Located 380 meters above sea level in the middle of a circus surrounded by a rocky bar, the estate was once the property of the archbishop of Marseille who practiced polyculture.
The wines of Château de Roquefort will be at aVin new wine tasting on Saturday October 27th.
