Winery Overview
The magnificent 17th century Château de Pampelonne borders the famous French Riviera beach of the same name in the commune of Ramatuelle, near Saint Tropez. The estate has been in the Gasquet-Pascaud family since 1840, when it was purchased by Gasquet ancestor André Folco, treasurer for Napoléon III. Appointed to Saint-Tropez, he married Marie-Madeleine Cauvin, heiress of an old local family who brought him land in Pampelonne as a dowry, where he had a "villa" built. His eldest son Adrien had the Château de Pampelonne updated under the Second Empire to its current state. When he died in 1869, he bequeathed the estate to his wife Amance de Gasquet. In 1920, after the First World War, the Gasquet family planted vines on two hectares which developed over time to the total vineyard of today. The current proprietor of this beautiful domaine is Marie Pascaud, who directs Pampelonne’s winemaking. Marie Pascaud earned a degree in Enology from the University of Montpellier and stayed on to complete a specialized master’s degree in business. After leaving the world of academia, Marie gained winegrowing knowledge by working two harvests a year, bouncing back and forth between France and the southern hemisphere…in addition to her duties as winemaker for Pampelonne, she spent six-month stints at top estates in Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. She took over winemaking at Pampelonne in 2014. Over an area of 123 acres/50 hectares, their 80% sandy soils, combined with a significant maritime influence, grow several grape varieties, all suited for the Mediterranean climate. The harvest is carried out at night to preserve primary aromas of the grapes. The rosé and white wines are direct pressed. Fermentation take place under controlled temperature. The wines are aged for at least four months on fine lees before being filtered and bottled. Château de Pampelonne produces both red and white wine, but it is the Côtes de Provence Rosé for which the estate is best known. In addition to the classic rosé cépages of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre, Pampelonne also uses Tibouren in the blend. This ancient Greek variety, while challenging to work with and quite unique to this area of France, is valued for the aromatic intensity it lends to rosés.