L'Ancienne Cure - Monbazillac Jour de Fruit 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

The perfect Monbazillac for an aperitif—fresh and crisp, with notes of ripe citrus. Outstanding in its price range!

About the estate:

Christian Roche has come a long way since obtaining organic certification in 2012 for his entire estate (50 hectares, including 33 for white wines and 17 for reds). He produces a wide range of perfectly crafted wines, both red and white. The entry-level wines are flavorful and approachable, the result of meticulous viticulture, while the top vintages are models of precision and complexity. In November 2021, Christian Roche passed away and made his wife Nathalie promise to carry on the legacy. That is exactly what she is doing, supported by her children and her son-in-law.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

As the fifth generation to cultivate vineyards, Christian Roche inherited part of the family estate in 1984 and, five years later, built his winemaking facility. Based in the former presbytery in Colombier and with a 50-hectare vineyard (predominantly white grape varieties) on varied soils, cultivated organically, he had made his estate—supplemented by his work as a wine merchant and winemaker—one of the must-visit destinations in the Bergerac region. Following his untimely death in 2021, his wife Nathalie continues his legacy.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Candied lemon, yellow peaches in syrup, a hint of honey, and the divine aroma of dried apricots—a deliberately overripe character that’s very pleasant. On the palate, it offers lovely sweetness and, above all, beautiful bitter notes in a finish worthy of the greatest dessert wines, though we’d prefer to pair it with a tuna and mango tartare.

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

About the wine:

Beautiful, concentrated, and well-balanced sweet wines.

About the estate:

A presbytery atop the hill gives its name to the vineyard, whose rows wind down the hillsides to the road where Christian Roche has set up his wine shop. The vineyard, which has been organic since 2012, includes several appellations—including 3 hectares in Pécharmant—and is divided into four lines: Jour de fruit, L’Extase, and L’Abbaye, plus a sulfur-free wine: Ça sulfit! While the lineup has been modernized with this label, all the wines remain true to the classic fundamentals of the Bergerac region. Christian Roche passed away in the fall of 2020, but the L’Ancienne Cure adventure continues thanks to his wife, Nathalie.