Puech-Haut
Languedoc is one of the most exciting regions in France right now. Château Puech-Haut is a prestigious estate in the eastern Languedoc producing top quality wines for very reasonable prices. The wines from Puech-Haut are rich and lush but also show the earthy and mineral character of the rocky clay-limestone soils of the region. They benefit from both its proximity to the Mediterranean and the rugged, mountainous interior.
Château Puech-Haut's vineyards are located in Pic St-Loup and St-Drézéry, established by French businessman Gérard Bru in 1981. He spared no expense in setting it up, and Michel Rolland was the first consultant oenologist, from 1996 to 2006. Nowadays it is leading Rhône oenologist Philippe Cambie who is managing all aspects of production.
The grape varieties that were originally chosen for the vineyard were Grenache and Syrah. After that, Gérard Bru bought some neighboring lands with old Carignans (50 to 60 years old) and planted some hectares with the three white varieties of the Rhône – Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Today the vineyard stretches across 184 hectares, including 92 in Saint Drézéry and 19 in Pic Saint Loup. Their appellation era is Coteaux du Languedoc, Saint Drézéry, which is the name of the community and the smallest of the “terroirs” in the Languedoc. These wines truly exhibit a sense of place and express the character of this special place.
Jeb Dunnuck of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate calls Chateau Puech-Haut "One of the top estates in the Languedoc, if not southern France".
