CLOSERIE SAINT ROC
Puisseguin
Bordeaux
Closerie Saint Roc is the bold and visionary second chapter from the Amoreau family, renowned for their centuries-old stewardship of Château Le Puy. Located just a few hundred meters from Le Puy on the limestone plateau of Bordeaux’s right bank, the estate lies between Camp de la Hire and Monbadon, a historic crossroads that once echoed with the footsteps of medieval armies and now hums with quiet viticultural revolution.
Reclaimed by the Amoreau’s in 2012, this 16-hectare property is now run by Pascal together with Adrien, Valérie, and Harold, who lead Closerie Saint Roc with a fiercely independent spirit. And though geographically close to Le Puy, the estate is treated as a distinct entity, with its own unique terroir, identity, and future.
Farming is fully biodynamic and certified organic since 2015. The team describes their approach as an “ecosystem,” integrating permaculture, agroforestry, pollination corridors, and companion planting to build vineyard resilience and foster biodiversity. The vines average 35 years in age, with manual harvesting and native yeast fermentation. No sulphur is added at any stage. Ageing takes place in old oak casks of varying sizes, including the traditional 228-liter barrels of the region, chosen to suit each wine's character.
As at Le Puy, the team employs the distinctive technique of dynamisation: every few weeks, according to the lunar calendar, the wine is gently stirred in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise motions. This rhythmic movement reincorporates the lees, naturally protecting the wine against oxidation and adding depth and texture.
The estate’s three parcellaire cuvées — Les Pins, Les Noyers (pictured on the left), and Les Sureaux — express the distinct character of their respective vineyard parcels. Closerie Saint Roc is a testament to Bordeaux’s untapped potential: wines of finesse and precision, crafted not through control but in collaboration with nature.
Closerie Saint Roc
Vintage 2019
Style Red
Region
Varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Soils Clay, silt, and sand over limestone
Farming Biodynamic (certified)
ABV 13%
Winemaking This cuvée reflects the diversity of soils and the unique characteristics of the estate as a whole. Despite the proximity to one another, each site varies greatly in character, exposure, altitude, and soil composition too. This richness of terroir is evident in the wine.
It is also the estate’s flagship wine, and the one that inspired the Amoreau family to develop single-plot wines that capture the distinct identity of specific vineyard sites. Fermentation lasted approximately 4 weeks, and it is done by infusion, avoiding harsher extracting techniques. The wines then moves to barrel where it ages for 18 month until bottling.
Tasting Note
Closerie Saint Roc
Vintage 2016
Style Red
Region
Varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Soils Clay, silt, and sand over limestone
Farming Biodynamic (certified)
ABV 13%
Winemaking This cuvée reflects the diversity of soils and the unique characteristics of the estate as a whole. Despite the proximity to one another, each site varies greatly in character, exposure, altitude, and soil composition too. This richness of terroir is evident in the wine.
It is also the estate’s flagship wine, and the one that inspired the Amoreau family to develop single-plot wines that capture the distinct identity of specific vineyard sites. Fermentation lasted approximately 4 weeks, and it is done by infusion, avoiding harsher extracting techniques. The wines then moves to barrel where it ages for 18 month until bottling.
Tasting Note
Les Noyers
Vintage 2021
Style Red
Region
Varieties Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soils Clay, silt, and sand over limestone
Farming Biodynamic (certified)
ABV 12%
Winemaking The largest of the single plots, Les Noyers benefits from a hillside exposure. Thanks to soils with a higher concentration of sandstone and silt, the vines here produce wine of great finesse and precision. Fermented using the principles of infusion, avoiding aggressive extraction techniques and followed by an 18-month ageing period in barrel. Bottles without any fining or filtration.
Tasting Note
Les Pins
Vintage 2021
Style Red
Region
Varieties Merlot
Soils Clay and silt over limestone
Farming Biodynamic (certified)
ABV 12%
Winemaking Lying alongside a long avenue bordered by pines trees, Les Pins is a small plot composed mainly of clay. Containing very little sand, the soils here enable Merlot to fully ripen, providing all the necessary resources to produce a wine of great purity, intense flavours, and yet a delicate structure. Manual harvest is followed by fermentation which takes place by infusion. Once fermentation ends, the wine moved to barrel where is aged for 18 months.
Tasting Note
Les Sureaux
Vintage 2021
Style Red
Region
Varieties Merlot
Soils Clay, silt, and sand over limestone
Farming Biodynamic (certified)
ABV 12%
Winemaking Les Sureaux plot is located south, just below the Closerie’s building. The vines here benefit from optimal exposure, tempered by the proximity of the plot to the edge of a forest. Fermentation is by infusion, using indigenous yeast, followed by 18 months of ageing in barrel. Bottles without fining and filtration.
Tasting Note