Château Pesquié - Artemia 2017

James Suckling

A bright, agile and lively red with notes of dark cherries, warm herbs, roasted meat and loads of spices. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins. Purity at the core here, with plenty of energy. Good drive and freshness to the finish with excellent length. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Vegan. Drink now.

Jeb Dunnuck

A blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache that saw roughly 20% stems and a year in 50% new, larger format oak, the 2017 Artemia has a Côte Brune-like perfume of dark fruits, smoked meats, black olives, and chocolate. Full-bodied, smoky, meaty, and powerful, it’s another rock star of a Syrah from the Chaudière family that has incredible character.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

A blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache, the 2017 Ventoux Artemia features scents of violets and white pepper complemented by a base of blueberry and raspberry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, with a smooth, appealing texture and a silky finish, it should drink well for 7-8 years.

Château Pesquié is one of the great estates of the Ventoux, and thanks to the indefatigable efforts of Frédéric Chaudière, the wines are widely distributed around the globe. For many consumers, this this be the entry point to Ventoux, so it's important that the wines represent the region well—thankfully, they do. With Frédéric recently being elected head of the appellation, expect more visibility for this underrated region. While Fred is the globetrotting marketer, his brother Alexandre handles the viticulture and winemaking at the estate, whose impressive chateau nestles in the bucolic countryside above the small village of Mormoiron.

This year, because of COVID-related travel restrictions, we chatted via video link instead of at the property. Fred is high on the quality of the 2019s, calling the year,

Decanter World Wine Awards

Wine Spectator

La Revue du Vin de France

Gismondi on Wine

One of three single-vineyard wines produced at Pesquié, Artemia is impressive beginning with its deep opaque, purple-black colour. In 2017 the mix was 75/25 syrah/grenache, the latter bringing a fresh floral character to the wine to soothe the bold syrah. It was grown at 1400 metres above sea level on mostly limestone soils, giving the wine a bony undercurrent. There is real power here with perfectly vibrant black fruits dusted in garrigue and flecked with a subtle white pepper note. It’s very pure and, for a minute, Northern Rhone-like. A modern look at high-end Ventoux through an organic/biodynamic lens. Cellar this a decade with no worries.

Vinum Wine Magazine