Understanding
The terroir
The Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation
Set along the Rhône, the ruins of the Molard villa south of Donzère, dating from 50 to 80 BC, bear witness to the fact that the largest vineyard in Antiquity was located near Château Bizard.
In 1864, the phylloxera crisis destroyed two-thirds of French vineyards. It took nearly 30 years after this disaster for new plantings to reappear in the region with the adoption of rootstocks from American plants.
In Drôme Provençale, the Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation is an AOC that covers 1,300 hectares planted from south of Montélimar to the foothills of the Tricastin valley, between the Piémont Cévenol (Gard & Ardèche) and the Nyonsais-Baronnies (Drôme – Vaucluse).
The Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation dates back to 2010 and replaces the former appellations: Côtes du Rhône and then Coteaux du Tricastin.
The climate is described as meso-Mediterranean with a strong mistral wind and pronounced summer drought.
The soil is composed of hard limestone, clay, pebbles and sand, depending on the exposure.
The authorised grape varieties are: Syrah, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Cinsault, Marsanne, Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc.
While Grignan-les-Adhémar wines are characterised by their intense aromas and tannic structure, they stand out for their elegance, roundness and deep colour.
The terroirs of château Bizard
Allan, the commune Château Bizard calls home, has been famous for its wine production since the 17th century.
This commune is located in the southern part of the Rhône Valley.
The subsoil is composed of limestone scree on blue marl.
The climate enjoys abundant sunshine while the presence of the Mistral, the famous north wind of the Rhône Valley, provides natural protection against the proliferation of fungi (mildew and powdery mildew). These natural factors guarantee high-quality production. The terroir of Château Bizard allows for the production of well-rounded, powerful and aromatic wines.
Hillsides, sunshine and wind…
One of the unique features of Château Bizard is that its vines are grown on hillsides.
The vineyards are always planted in a north/south direction, so that the prevailing north or south winds provide ventilation, dispel humidity, limit the risk of parasites, minimise the number of treatments against vine diseases and produce exceptional fruit flavours, as the grapes ripen without being ‘overheated’.
The vineyard is planted with the Rhône Valley’s most typical grape varieties.
Syrah, Grenache Noir and Viognier naturally dominate. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Cinsault vines complete the sensory diversity that gives the production its typical character.
While we space our rows 2.5 m apart across the estate, all our vines are planted north/south. This means they are constantly ventilated by the Mistral or the south wind. The circulating air aerates the bunches, removes moisture and thus prevents the development of diseases and the number of treatments required as a result.
This ventilation phenomenon is accentuated by the hillside location of our plots, as the bunches do not suffer from excessive heat in summer like they do in the plains.