Guide Oenotourisme Béziers 2018 Oenotourisme Béziers 2018 | Page 44

Faience museum at Raissac Château de RAISSAC HISTORY AND ELEGANCE Gustave Viennet, in charge of wine making at Château de Raissac, has a very long story to tell. Their wines are elegant, creativ e and harmonious . GLOSSARY Bernard Palissy A great humanist, naturalist and ceramicist from the 16thcentury Bought in 1828 by the Viennet family, which was then involved in political and literary circles, this estate made a change of direction in 1830 towards winemaking, following a marriage between the Viennet and Hérisson families, this latter being the owners of the Domaine Puech Cocut. This marriage definitively linked these two locations only one kilometre apart, which today form a very fine centre for wine tourism. The Château was transformed into a Béziers folly by a Bordeaux architect at the end of the 19thcentury and endowed with remarkable gardens designed by the Bühler brothers (who also designed the Plateau des Poètes in Béziers). In 2006, five magnificent guest rooms and reception rooms were created. For 6 generations, the Château de Raissac has been linked to the history of wine. The Viennet family has always wished to produce quality wine. In fact, their preferred wine comes from a plot called “Les Rosiers”, bought in 1997 and benefiting from an exceptional terroir, “a real revelation”, explains Gustave. This”Terra Incognita” vintage, full of finesse and elegance, is the result of a careful selection, and offers aroma hints of thyme and rosmarine “one tastes the terroir when drinking this kind of wine. Independent winegrowers, they produce 12 IGP OC and AOP Languedoc vintages. “What makes château de Raissac unique, is its different soils, alluvial plains, terraces, hills and ‘Villafranchien’ gravel allows us to produce a very diversified range of wines”. 44 But the talents of the Viennet family don’t stop there. In fact, Christine, Gustave’s mother, is a ceramicist. Her sculptures and trompe-l’oeil are recognised by international collectors and museums. She created a pottery museum at the château where you can admire a very fine collection of ceramicists who were followers of Bernard Palissy, of whom she is an ardent fan. If you go to Raissac, you will also discover that Gustave’s great-great- grandfather was none other than Gustave Fayet, a great landowner, artist, patron of the arts and collector who, in 1901, was the first to exhibit a then-unknown artist of the time called Picasso. So, lovers of arts, history and wine - Château de Raissac opens its doors to you! PUECH COCUT – ROUTE DE MURVIEL – 34500 BEZIERS 04 67 28 15 61 CHÂTEAU DE RAISSAC - ROUTE DE MURVIEL – 34500 BEZIERS 04 67 49 17 60 OU 06 11 27 05 61 - raissac.com Château de Raissac Winery shop open year round. FOR OENOLOGISTS When a wine is young it is often prefe- rable to decant it into a carafe to encou- rage its aromatic expression, supple up the tannins in red wine or to subdue a red or white wine which is a little too woody. If you do not have a carafe, open your bottles 6 to 12 hours before serving, keeping them at room temperature.