Château Pesquié - Ascencio 2020

Ascensio framhäver renheten hos Château Pesquiés vackraste Grenache. Familjen Chaudiere valde detta namn för att fira traditionen att bestiga Mont Ventoux. Det är också, både för godset och dess AOC, en metafor för en kraftfull dynamik som tar dem till nästa nivå. Ascensio produceras endast när årgången uppvisar den kvalitet som krävs och i mindre än 3000 flaskor.

Grapes

95% Grenache & 5% Syrah

Terroir

Lera och kalksten på cirka 1000 fots höjd. Druvor 95% Grenache (avkastning ca 25 hl/ha) – 5% Syrah

Vinifiering

Druvorna plockas vid en optimal mognad i början av oktober, drastiskt utvalda och endast delvis avskalade: vi behåller 20 till 40 % av hela druvan. Långa macerationer och jäsning i betongtank. Ingen ek alls. Buteljerat på Château.

Tasting note

Consistently among my favorite cuvées from this standout producer, the 2020 Ventoux Ascensio comes primarily from 75-year-old Grenache on clay-limestone soil, cropped at just 15 hectoliters per hectare. A blend of 95% Grenache and 5% Syrah, it spent close to three years in concrete prior to being bottled in May 2023. Led by striking notes of black cherries and dried spices and adding slightly herbal and licorice notes, it's full-bodied, concentrated and velvety, with a long, elegant finish.

The accompanying wine reviews include notes taken over the past couple of years, either during visits to the region, or—on one occasion—when I met in the United States with the property's long-term American importer, Eric Solomon. Pesquié is one of Ventoux's benchmark estates, consistently turning out wines that for many years were great values. Now, the Chaudière family is making even greater strides in their pursuit of quality. The Château Pesquié wines are certified organic, while the Le Paradou line of Vin de France wines are not. As in the rest of the Rhône, the 2021 vintage is easily eclipsed by the 2020 and 2022 vintages, but it shouldn't be discounted entirely.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

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