In today’s post comes the usual mixture of press releases and charity appeals, but one of the former stood out. It’s a postcard from the extremely attractive-looking Provençal hotel with which ex Hotel du Vin Robin Hutson is now involved. Admittedly, we have yet to visit Crillon Le Brave, but if the pictures on www.crillonlebrave.com are anything to go by, it looks a very appetising blend of luxury, relaxation and beauty. It’s a Relais & Châteaux establishment in a hill village 25 miles north east of Avignon towards Mont Ventoux.
But what really caught my eye was their specific Vendanges! Offer: ‘Have you ever wanted to participate in the grape harvest in one of France’s great wine regions? Well, here is your chance! [Very fond of exclamation marks, this establishment – JR] The acclaimed Château Pesquié has agreed to allow a limited number of Crillon guests to join their team for two days, picking the grapes and transporting them to the caveau....’
This is being offered for both 24-27 Sep and 8-11 Oct (which I would have thought might be a bit late, but perhaps it just shows how high the Pesquié vineyards are). The cost of three nights’ accommodation (double occupancy), breakfast and dinner each day and all the Pesquié bit is from €620 a person. Sounds like fun even to me. Not least because Ch Pesquié is one of the stars of Côtes du Ventoux wines.
In the same post, coincidentally, was the offer from Pesquié’s UK importers O W Loeb for late released 2007 burgundies from Dujac, Mugnier, Ramonet and Rousseau, which should be of interest to serious burgundy lovers. On the cover of the booklet is a (rather more powerful) black and white version of the photograph below from www.jonwyand.com of Charles Rousseau cradling a bottle of Chambertin 1998 in the most extraordinarily gnarled hands. Truly a man of the soil.
