CHÂTEAU

Since 1964, family Rocher has been producing rich and powerful AOC Montagne Saint-Emilion wines.

In 1964, Abel and Victorine Rocher, originally from Charente Limousine region, bought a Girondine house with 30 ares of vineyard in the hamlet of Mirande in the heart of the Montagne Saint-Emilion appellation. They created Vieux Chateau des Rochers to reference our their name but also the limestone rocks located both in the village and under the vineyard.

Abel was a postman. He used to cross the country every day whatever the weather with his bicycle. Thanks to his wine growers' customers he collected all the information needed for vine growing and the wine-making process. Progressively, Abel and Victorine bought and cleared new parcel of land, where they planted vines.
 

In 1995, after working 15 years in cattle-rearing, Jean-Claude Rocher, their son, joined the farm and made it grow. The vineyard covered 2.5 hectares. He readjusted the cultural practices according to each plot (grassing vines, green harvesting, leaf stripping), perfects his winemaking techniques (grape sorting, blending) and creates the Prestige wine aged in oak barrels. At the same time, he develops direct sales and adheres to the charter of Independent Winegrowers.

Today, Jean-Claude's son-in-law, Hervé Dupeux, joined him on the family farm after having worked as a landscape architect.

Jean-Claude and Hervé restructures the exploitation and continues the work initiated in a concern of respect of the vine and its environment while seeking the best quality of grapes for each of their vintages.

Located near Pomerol and Saint Emilion's vineyards, our family holding is now about 5.2 hectares. Our vineyard is set up on clay-limestone soil (2,4 hectares) and clay-siliceous soil (2,8 hectares) and is composed of different grapes varieties : 80 % Merlot and 20 % Cabernet franc.

The benefits of nature, the slow work of time and respect of traditions are found in the quality of our wines : rigorous pruning, thinning the bunches, hand-picking and selection of ripe grapes, long fermentation in vats, and to finish, wine growing between 12 and 18 months.

Our best vintages are born thanks to our know-how, and the natural symbiosis of the region, the microclimate and the grape variety.