OUR VINEYARD
joie de vivre
Our French Roots go deep, literally as deep as our vines
The inspiration for our work and kitchens go beyond the assimilation of the french culture and love for de "joie de vivre" and all the fine things in life, food, and wine are an essential part of our family. Our incredible award-winning vineyard in Bordeaux is deeply rooted in the flavors, experiences, scents, and love of food and wine.
The Kitchen
Our French Roots go deep, literally as deep as our vines
The inspiration for our work go beyond the assimilation for the french culture and love for de
"joie de vivre" and all the fine things in life, food, and wine are an essential part of our family.
Our incredible award-winning vineyard in Bordeaux is deeply rooted in the tastes, experiences,
smells, and love of food and wine.
The Chateau sits proudly at a hilltop with breathtaking direct views of the famous Unesco World
Heritage town of St. Emillion, which is considered one of the most important wine appellations in
the world.
But all that is not only for story-telling... Our clients and guests can take advantage of this
incredible Chateau and experience it first hand.
We are cooking events for our clients at the vineyard with local Michelin Star Chefs, where you can
learn with "hands-on" experience on our fully professional outfitted L'Atelier kitchen just like
what you would have at home. The experiences are paired with presentation from our winemaker as well
as a full tour of the vineyard and anything in between.
There is no better way to experience our kitchens' full capabilities than in this amazing setting
with a Michelin chef and you and your few guests only.
THE CHÂTEAU FONDÉ EN 1830
Our philosophy
At Chateau Peyfaures, we believe in putting the grapes first. This philosophy permeates everything
we do here, from sustainable organic practices in the vineyard, natural fermentations in the
winery, and a deft hand with oak to enhance rather than mask the flavors of the fruit.
Seven generations have cared for the estate, with last in the line, Laurent Godeau staying on to
work with the Moraes family, who purchased the Chateau in April of 2017.
Together they continue to carry on the traditions of the family while continuing to raise the
quality with every vintage.
Most of the work is done in the field. Biodiversity is prized as a way to keep the vines in
harmony with the land as evidenced by the lush grasses found between the vines. The vineyards are
beautifully situated on clay-limestone soils in eastern Entre-deux-Mer, just across the Dordogne
river from Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Like these two world class regions, Chateau Peyfaures
focuses on Merlot, blending in Cabernet Franc and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon to create a wine
with lush dark fruit and layered complexity.
The Winemaking
Winemaking at Château Peyfaures harks back to a time before modern, large-scale productions,
favoring instead the techniques used by the countless generations that originally brought fame to
the region. Grapes
are gently crushed in a traditional basket press to emphasize aromatics and avoid harsh green
notes. Because terroir is about more than simply grapes and soil, spontaneous fermentation is
encouraged, utilizing the
natural, indegnous wild-yeast found in the winery rather than adding a culture formulated in a
lab. The wines are a product of confidence, the acknowledgement of how little must be done to
allow the fruit to shine. Minimal manipulations allow the excellent vineyards to show their unique
character. The varied soils on the gentle slopes facing the top sites of Saint Emilion give the
resulting wines a layered complexity.
There are no exact numbers or timetables for the wines of Château Peyfaures. We prefer to let each
wine determine how much oak and time in the cellar is necessary. Nothing is rushed, and each block
of vineyard is
fermented and aged separately to bring out its optimal character before blending. Each vintage
creates variations in the wines’ character, but each bottle is uniquely Château Peyfaures. In
keeping with our dedication to the classic style of Bordeaux, we make our wines with the structure
and body that can stand the test of time.
Summer Recipe From Our Dear Friends
Eggplant "A Caviar" from Chef Ronan Kervarrec
Ingredients Eggplant mix:
-
"A Caviar" of Eggplant seasoned*
olives
tomates (optional)
sugar
capers/câpres
grapes
vinegar (Aceto di Barbera)
Ingredients Vegetable Toppings
-
Artichokes in oil
Yellow and red peppers
Candied carrots
Baby fennel
Baby turnip
Fresh herbs and edible flower petals.
"Fond Blanc" (ENG: white stock for cooking different vegetables)
Vinaigrette with Honey and flavored with Lemon juice.
IBarbero wine vinegar or other wine vinegar to taste.
One medium sized Eggplant
A pair of large tweezers are useful in placing the thinly sliced vegetables in place.
Preparation
1) Bake a medium eggplant. Scope our the flesh, mash and season with a bit of vinegar and olive
oil. Or you can make a "Caviar" of eggplant as in the dinner version above.
2) Prepare in advance a plate of thinly sliced (or use a Mandarin) vegetables of your choice, but
they are best when baby vegetables are used from carrots, zucchini (long and round ones), asparagus,
beets, hearts artichokes, lengths of onion, green beans, and anything else that is fresh, small and
tender and in season. These should be lightly cooked in the white stock until tender but not too
soft, then thinly sliced and refrigerated until needed. If they are laid out on a plate and covered,
it will keep them fresh and easier to use.
3. Just before preparing the plate, season the vegetables with the wine vinegar, olive oil and a
touch of ground pepper to taste and coat them thoroughly.
4) Stuff the skin of the eggplant with your "mash" or the "caviar" and smooth the top.
5) Carefully decorate the bed of caviar with the thin sliced vegetables making a cap all over of the
vegetables and herbs. (see tutorial video)
6) Dress the plate with the honey/lemon vinaigrette and serve.
Ronan Kervarrec is the Head Chef of the Hostellerie de Plaisance a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant