Provence still has a few places that have been forged by time and the dedication ofindividuals, which you can discover when you take a detour off the main roads.Domaine de Rasque, which has been inhabited for the past 6,000 years, is one ofthose magical spots that holds the traces of all its residents, past and future.

“It’s not chance; it’s Love.” A few choice words to encapsulate the entire philosophyof Château Rasque and the Biancone family.

1983

Out of their love of the land, Gérard and Monique Biancone decided to acquire theRasque Woods, a slice of provençal countryside overlooking Taradeau, in 1983.Gérard , a stonemason by trade , inherited his soul of a builder from his mother.And Monique, the daughter of a winemaking family in Bordeaux, is committed torunning a traditional vineyard in the heart of Provence.

They began by planting 15 hectares of typical Provence varieties of grapes in the clayand limestone soil, which would allow Domaine de Rasque’s identity to firmly takeroot. Over the years, their children Pascale, Fabio, Sophie, Alexandra and Enzowould share in the joys and rewards of a fantastic harvest.

1992

We built a Reception & Tasting Room and a Barrel Room to be able to receive ourguests the way they deserve, and to allow our red wines to mature under optimalconditions.

The 150 m2 maturing storehouse, built by the Compagnons du Devoir ( a frenchorganization of craftsmen), is located underground. That placement is ideal forkeeping the temperature to a maximum of 17°C, so our reds can age in 40-50hectolitre oak tuns, accoding to the traditional methode.

2001

Château Rasque expanded with the purchase of an additional 15 hectares ofgravepines to cultivate.

Then a few years later, while walking along the base of Sainte- victoire Mountain,the couple became enchanted by a 12 hectares property wich they decided to buy : leClox Jasmin and its old vines, which mainly produces red wine.

Lastly, in 2003, they acquired the hermiatge de Saint- Pons in Figanières a 30hectare estate, 80 % of which is planted with grapes to make rosé.

Those wines, made according to proprieary Château Rasque techniques, provide alovely complement to the rest of our range of wine.

2005

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Sophie Courtois Biancone joined her father at Rasque to learn from him and absorbhis expertise before the reins to the winery were handed down to her. Nowadays,Sophie manages the winery’s development with a great deal of fortitude and energy,under the watchful eye Gérard who remains by her side. She imbues the wine with ashare of feminity and subtlety whilst retaining a touch of her father and follows inthe footsteps of her mother, who created the property’s Clos de Madame red wine

2009

WINE TOURISM COMES TO RASQUE

On the strenght of her experience in event planning, Sophie lauches wine tourismat Château Rasque. The majestic Bacchus Room is opened for receptions.

Wedding packages are offered with a chapel newly built from the remnants of achapel in the Burgundu region.

In 2012, in response to growing demand, Sophie decided to construct a four-bedroom vineyard house made of stones from the property. That accommodationcombines the spirit of a family home with the charm and comfort of acomtempoary interior.

2018

TWO SIBLINGS AT THE HELM

Château Rasque celebrates its 35th anniversary ! But that’snot all ! The return ofEnzo, nicknamed « the Child of the vines», was a stroke of luck, as he has alwayssharedin his sister’s love of their land.

The idea of joining the family business, assisting his sister with the winery’smanagement and communications, was the obvious choice for him.

Together, they decided to upgrade the bottles and labels of their iconic CuvéeSpéciale wines.

In 2019, they updated the winery’s brand image, adding a touch of modernity whilstretaining the anthenticity of the logo, and in that way preserving Château Rasque’sChâteau Rasque’sidentity over time.

TERROIR & EXPERTISE

Château Rasque’s soil is rather unusual. The property is part of one of the lastupthrusts of the Alps. Oak trees, pines, broom, cistus and blackberry bushes allcoexist on the land. The soil of clay and limestone, a top a natural outcrop at analtitude of 260 metres, is favourable for growing grapes. That type of soil, which ischaracteristic of great Côtes de Provence wines, brings out the fruity and floralaromas in white and rosé wines. It also adds strength and delicate tannins to reds.

PRUNING

Grapes grow on wines that need to be pruned and trellised if they are going toproduce more fruit than wood. There are different methods for pruning grapevines,but Cordon de Royat wad chosen to be used at Rasque. The result is consistentmaturity of the grapes, as they are all at the same level and receive the sameexposure.

This is a key phase that both strenghtens the vinestock and controls its yield. Inother words, it determines whether or not the next harvest will be a success. Sophielooks after the plants herself until they are four years old - the time when the vinehas definitively taken root and begins to bear fruit.

HARVESTING

Debudding takes place in the month of May. This process involves removing anybuds that have not borne fruit and that are growing on the old cordons and coulddivert sap away from the buds that are actually producing fruit. This operation willdetermine how the vines grow, so it’s best not to make any mistakes ! It also helps toregulate the future production of grape clusters and to control the yield.

Next comes trellising, which insolves separtaing the branches and holding them inplace by means of wires and hooks. The idea is to help the vines grow and the grapesripen by maximizing the leaves’ exposure to sinlight.

Harversting is when the grapes are picked to make wine, but it means more thanthat to us : harvest time marks the end of a year of work for the winemaker and theteams.

Here at Rasque, we don’t use any machines. All our grapes are picked by hand. Oncethe tractor driver has brought the crop back to the loading dock, the work can beginat the winery.

WINEMAKING

Wine is made by means of « vinification». Each winemaker brings their ownknowledge and equipment to the table when it comes to crafting each individualwine. At Rasque, although we use modern equipment, we still employ gentle,traditional winemaking methods that respect the fruit and enhance and extract thebest possible expression of the soul of the terroir. If you want to learn ourwinemaking methods that respect the fruit and enhance and extrat the best possibleexpression of the soul of the terroir. If you want to learn our winemaking secrets, besure to stop by for a visit in September!

BOTTLING

Once fermentation is complete, we blend our wines in the perfect combination.

We begin bottling our rosés and whites the January after harvesting. Our red winesare meant to be cellared and so are only bottled after a few years of ageing.

Bottling is a very delicate operation that demands a few weeks of rest for the winealthough some wineriesrace to release their latest vintages, consumers should notrush to drink them too early.

Remember , good things come to those who wait !

INTRO TO WINE TASTING

Novices and enthusiasts alike are welcome to step through the wrought iron gratesinto our Barrel Room made of stones from the property. Awaken your senses duringa wine tasting sessionor develop your sense of smell duringa fun activity.

Our winery was awarded the “Vignobles & Découvertes” label by Atout France forthe quality of our hospitality.

We welcome individuals and groups to taste our wines. You will begin with a tour ofChâteau Rasque, including its Barrel Room, an underground cellar made of stoneand housing 16 giant oak barrels. In the summer season, the Art Room is a popularspot to admire paintings and sculptures by local artists.

Each tour is followed by a tasting of our wines, with commentary.

We also offer oenology workshops, blind tastings and name-that-fragrance gamesto awaken your senses.

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