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For six generations now the families Pauc, Grulet, Bergès and Reverdy have succeeded each other at the head of what has become one the most illustrious names of the Languedoc Roussillon wine industry, the Chateau la Voulte Gasparets.
Patrick Reverdy is currently the guarantor of this ancestral tradition of quality which he carries on with his son Laurent.
Forever in search of authenticity, Patrick Reverdy, like all the great wine growers, doesn’t have a lot to tell. He’s a craftsman who knows how to listen to nature. To live in harmony with it, respect it and give attention to it, this is the philosophy of this enthusiast who enjoys his isolation in the Corbières hills.
The vineyard is mostly on an undulating terrace, at an average altitude of 80 meters, with the hills of Boutenac behind which protect it from erosive action by the westerly winds.
Formed at the beginning of the Quaternary period by a river, the soil is a mixture of silts, chalky and sandy elements, with a large amount of rounded pebbles of quartz. It is what’s called ancient alluvial deposits. The soil here is unique among the vineyards of this region. These pebbles reflect and intensify the heat of the soil during the day and perpetuate this heat during the night; a particularity of great benefit to the vine plants. Another part of the vineyard is planted on chalky and sandy clay soil that can be found on the tops of the hills as well as on the lower slopes.
The climate is very Mediterranean, with hot dry summers, winters that are never extremely cold and an average rainfall of 40-45 cm per year. The winds are in conflict. The Cers, or west wind, is by far the most frequent, while the Marin wind blows in from the sea.
This land and this micro-climate enable these traditional varieties of vine plant to reach a perfect phenolic maturity.
For the red wines they have stayed faithful to the traditional vine varieties of the Corbières: the Carignan (50%) and the Grenache (25%) with some Mourvèdre (15%) and Syrah (10%).
Thanks to the continuing effort put into the work on the vineyard since 1975 and to constant innovation which included the construction of a new wine storehouse in 2004, the wines of the domain are renowned for their rich aromas and their subtleness. They have become a must on the menus of many of the finest restaurants. The vines are on average 60 years old and the yield never exceeds 40 hectolitres per hectare.
The red wines (the Cuvée Roman Pauc and the Cuvée Réservée) are intense and structured with balanced aromas, thanks notably to the presence of the Carignan. The Grenache Noir adds the subtle aromatic richness. And finally the Mourvèdre and the Syrah contribute the sensation of red fruits. These red wines have a dense taste in the mouth, powerful, full bodied and with rich tannins.
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