Domaine de l’Aster
A friendly visit with Jacques Bilhac, who is president of the cru of Pézenas, and his son Vincent, As Vincent, observed, un prénom prédestiné, as St Vincent is the patron saint of wine growers. He has studied winemaking and viticulture, and then did some commercial studies, and a stage in Chablis and spent some time in Marc Dubernet’s laboratory, before joining his father in 2017. They have a total of 24.5 hectares, in 47 different plots – the largest is one hectare - but only vinify the grapes from nine hectares. The rest go to the local cooperative. And although the soil of Pézenas is mainly basalt, they have un peu de tout, namely sandstone, clay and limestone, marl, indeed about ten different soils. The principal grape varieties of Pézenas are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, with a minimum of two. Carignan and Cinsault are accessory varieties and things may change with the possib...
