Chateau des Roques & the Seroul Family

Château des Roques is an exceptional place. Located 5 minutes southwest of the village of Vacqueyras in the heart of the Southern Rhône, you’ll find the ruins of a small settlement including a chapel from the 1500’s, surrounded by 38 hectares of the family’s vineyards. The estate has been family run for generations. Current owner is the Seroul family, father Pierre (pictured below with oenologist Emmanuel Gagnepain) and his daughter/son team, Corine & Lionel.

The villages of Vacqueyras & neighboring Gigondas (5 kms to the northeast) are second and third jewels in the crown jewels of the Southern Rhône after the more famous (and more expensive) Châteauneuf-du-Pape, half an hour to the southwest. Vacqueyras is named after the rocks that dominate the landscape and the vineyards. They produce primarily Grenache/Syrah blends but like many wineries, Château des Roques has a wonderful white blend and a rosé.

We have been direct importing this wine since our first J. Strecker Selections shipment in 2011. I love the photos they send us of their family & team. Makes it very easy to imagine life there in this beautiful spot. Pictured (in order) is: 1) the winemaker Jean Sébastien SASTRE; 2) Pierre SEROUL with the oenologist Emmanuel GAGNEPAIN; 3) the longtime head of viniculture: Gnia XION; followed by harvest photos and finally… celebration & fun!

We visited this part of France in 2006 when our girls were little, staying in a pension in Suzette about 15 minutes away from Château des Roques. It was magical then, and these photos of the people who make these delicious wines (some of my favorite in the shop) make me long to go back.

Julie, co-owner
Portalis Wine Shop & J. Strecker Selections