Quintessence Rouge was first made in 1990 by Paul Chaudière under the urging of his new American importer, Eric Solomon, who loved the character of Syrah he tasted at Château Pesquié. At that time, this region was considered a backwater of the Rhône, only capable of producing cheap, bulk wine. However, largely due to the efforts of Paul and now his sons Alex and Fred, the Ventoux’s reputation has never been greater, and Quintessence remains one of the benchmark wines of the region and still represents a tremendous value. Quintessence is a blend of primarily Syrah with a small proportion of Grenache (~20%) – all from 50+-year-old vines planted at an elevation of 250-350m.
