L'Ancienne Cure - Pécharmant l'Abbaye 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Well-stretched, dense, sheathed, this red with firm but not hard tannins, designed to last, will put more than one Bordeaux to shame.

About the domain :

Christian Roche has come a long way since obtaining organic certification for his entire estate (50 hectares, 33 of which are white and 17 red) in 2012. He produces a wide range of perfectly vinified wines, both red and white. The entry-level wines are tasty and easy to drink, the result of demanding viticulture, while the grand cuvées are models of precision and complexity. In November 2021, Christian Roche passed away and made his wife Nathalie promise to continue the adventure. This she did, supported by her children and son-in-law.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The fifth generation to cultivate vines, Christian Roche inherited part of the family estate in 1984. Five years later, he set up his own winery. Established in the former presbytery of Colombier, he now manages a vast vineyard of over 40ha (with a predominance of white vines) with varied soils, enabling him to offer a wide range of Bergerac wines, complemented by a wine merchant-breeder activity. Not to be missed.
Intense, deep black in color, this Pecharmant reveals a complex nose of red and black fruits with a hint of spice and vanilla. The palate, equally aromatic (fresh fruit, spices, cocoa), is ample, dense, powerful, carried by solid tannins, still a little strict on the finish. All the attributes of a great wine for laying down.

About the domain :

The fifth generation to cultivate vines, Christian Roche inherited part of the family estate in 1984, and set up his own winery 5 years later. Established in the former presbytery of Colombier, and boasting a 50-hectare vineyard (with a predominance of white vines) with varied soils, managed organically, he had made his estate, complemented by a wine merchant-breeder activity, one of the Bergerac region's must-haves. After his untimely death in 2021, his wife Nathalie continues his work.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

It's serious without taking itself too seriously. Dense, intense, with tasty, tender black fruit on a chewy, very fine texture. But there's no tour de force, no woody display, for example. Just great depth.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

An intense, smoky Pecharmant l'Abbaye 2011 with great inner strength.

About the domain :

A presbytery at the top of the hill gives its name to the vineyard, whose rows tumble down the slopes to the road where Christian Roche has set up his sales cellar. The vineyard, organic since 2012, has several appellations, including 3 hectares in Pécharmant, and is divided into four: Jour de fruit, L'Extase and L'Abbaye, plus a sulfur-free wine: Ça sulfit! While the range has been modernized with this label, all the wines remain true to the classic Bergerac fundamentals. Christian Roche passed away in autumn 2020, but the L'Ancienne Cure adventure continues thanks to his wife Nathalie.

RVF - Guide des Meilleurs Vins à moins de 20 euros € - Gerbelle & Maurange

About the wine:

Great depth of mineral and smoky aromas in this red from blue clay. On the palate, concentrated substance and magnificent flavors. Skilful barrel ageing has refined the tannins. The finish is long and fragrant. It will develop over the next five years.