L'Ancienne Cure - Pécharmant l'Abbaye 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Well-structured, dense, and smooth, this red wine has firm tannins without harshness, designed to age well, and will put many Bordeaux wines to shame.

About the estate:

Christian Roche has come a long way since obtaining organic certification in 2012 for his entire estate (50 hectares, including 33 hectares of white grape varieties and 17 hectares of red grape varieties). He produces a wide range of perfectly vinified wines, both red and white. The entry-level wines are flavorful 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. She is doing just that, supported by her children and son-in-law.

Guide Hachette des vins

About 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. Based in the former presbytery of Colombier, he now manages a vast vineyard of over 40 hectares (mainly white grapes) with varied soils, enabling him to offer a wide range of Bergerac wines, complemented by his activity as a wine merchant and producer. Not to be missed.
With a beautiful intense and deep black color, this Pécharmant reveals a complex nose of red and black fruits mixed with spices and a hint of vanilla. The palate, equally aromatic (fresh fruit, spices, cocoa), is full-bodied, dense, and powerful, supported by solid tannins that are still a little strict on the finish. All the attributes of a great wine for aging.

About the estate:

The fifth generation to cultivate vines, Christian Roche inherited part of the family estate in 1984 and set up his winery five years later. Established in the former presbytery of Colombier, and with a 50-hectare vineyard (predominantly white grapes) on varied soils, cultivated organically, he had made his estate, complemented by a wine merchant and producer business, one of the must-see destinations in the Bergerac region. Following his untimely death in 2021, his wife Nathalie is continuing his work.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About wine:

It's serious without taking itself too seriously. Dense and intense, with tasty, tender black fruits and a beautifully textured palate. But without any showiness or woody notes, for example. Just beautiful depth.

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

About wine:

An intense and smoky 2011 Abbaye pecharmant, endowed with great inner strength.

About the estate:

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

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

About wine:

This red wine from blue clay soils offers great depth of mineral and smoky aromas. On the palate, it is concentrated with magnificent flavors. Skilful barrel aging has refined the tannins. The finish is very beautiful and fragrant. It will develop over the next five years.