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Respecting a heritage

Strong conviction: enhance the reputation of the Pécharmant appellation

Driven by a strong conviction that the Pécharmant appellation is the flagship of the Périgord wines, the owners and steward of Château des Lys take great pains to preserve the excellence of the terroir and produce wines that accurately reflect it.

Over an area of nearly 18 hectares, their vines blossom in a particularly healthy and protected environment. Because since 2016 the Domaine has been organically farmed.

It obtained HVE3 certification for the 2019 vintage and organic certification is expected for the 2022 vintage.

In line with the long tradition of excellence of Pécharmant wine growers, Château des Lys produces intense and strong wines for ageing, which in turn contribute to the reputation of the Pécharmant appellation.

Mehnir en pierre dorrées du Domaine
Chartreuse de Peyrelevade
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The metamorphosis a vineyard

Since the Domaine was taken over by the current owners in 2016, Château des Lys has undergone far-reaching changes, both in its plot plan and in the overall running of the vineyard.

In just a few years, the Domaine has grown from 9 to at the 18 hectares of vines. Several replanting campaigns have been completed to introduce new vine varieties, including the Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle white wine varieties that are used to make Rosette, the sweet pride and joy of the Bergerac wine-growing area.

But the most important change on the Domaine has been the implementation of an environmentally responsible policy. The aim was clearly defined: make Château des Lys a vineyard where biodiversity, respect for the living and production of authentic wines are not just big promises.

This strong desire to put nature back at the heart of the vineyard is shared by the Domaine's owners Thierry and Annette Bellagamba and by its steward Julien Delmarès.

A dynamic of quality

It has to be said that after just a few years the metamorphosis has exceeded all expectations. 

 

Besides the vintages, it is nature itself that testifies to the tremendous changes made to the land of Château des Lys.

Numerous animal and plant species thrive there, contributing to the ecological balance of the Domaine's parcels.

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PERLE DU PERIGORD

Pécharmant, the pearl of the Périgord

The origins of a little-known appellation

Nestled in the heart of the Périgord, the Pécharmant appellation is not the most well-known by the public at large.

And yet it is the oldest and highest quality appellation in the Bergerac wine-growing area. Its origins date back to the 11th century, when the monks in the Saint-Martin-de-Bergerac monastery started cultivating the soil to produce their sacramental wine.

Situated on the right bank of the river Dordogne, the Pécharmant wine-growing area shares land known as Vinée Nord de Bergerac with the Rosette wine-growing area. Forming a semicircle to the north of Bergerac, it stretches over the hills of the Creysse, Bergerac, Lembras and Saint-Sauveur councils.

Its south-facing vines enjoy exceptional sunlight that contributes greatly to the delicacy and strength of the Pécharmant wines.

The name Pécharmant derives from the Occitan language, in which it means “charming hill”.

However, charm is not the only asset of these hills where the Pécharmant appellation vines thrive.

Their sandy gravelly Périgord soil covers a stratum of ferruginous clay called tran, which gives Pécharmant wines their typicality and strength.

Awarded AOC status in 1946, the Pécharmant appellation now covers 420 hectares and is claimed by fifty or so wine-growers.

This quintessential niche appellation is the pearl of the Périgord appellations, a strong and intense red wine with excellent keeping potential.

Pommier devant les vignes de Pécharmant
Chai du Château des Lys au travers des vignes
Localisation de Pécharmant
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