Sadly, we have to announce the passing of a much valued and long-standing supplier, Pierre Bésinet of Domaine du Bosc, who died recently following a fall back in January.
Pierre was a visionary who saw that there was a gap in the market for clean, fruity, and refreshing wines. He had originally trained as a chemist and had worked in Nancy. His father had been a wine merchant and had owned a vineyard in Saint-Georges-d’Orques, near Montpellier. The family was large, all with professional careers but it was Pierre who returned to the Languedoc and the family business.
He understood the importance of terroir and was attracted to the area behind the ancient port of Agde where Phoenicians and Greeks had planted the first vines in what was to become France. Here was the site of an ancient underwater volcano with a violent eruptive history. Pierre realised the quality potential of the soils, sold the old family vines and bought land behind the unremarkable little town of Vias. Such vines that existed here were often high-yielding, local varieties destined for the vermouth trade: Noilly-Prat is made only a few miles away. Pierre began replanting, and visionary that he was, decided to plant international varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, one of the first to do so.
It came at the perfect time, not long after the Vin de Pays category was created, which allowed for provenance and vintage to be marked on labels. It was a time too when the success of Bulgarian cabernets and Australian chardonnays in the UK market, turned a whole new generation on to varietal wines. Pierre was astute in building up excellent marketing support helping him create brands such as Cante Cigale and Domaine du Bosc.
The first contact with The Wine Society came about in 1984 when Pierre met then wine buyers John McClusky and Sebastian Payne MW, who were looking to expand our range of French country wines. At the time, the Languedoc was dominated by huge co-operative groups, where so often quantity was valued over quality. So, Domaine du Bosc offered something different, and on a much more human scale.
Our first vintage was 1983, mostly sold under the Domaine de la Gardie label. Names and labels have changed over the years, but we are very proud still to be selling the wines and they have won many friends among members. Our original purchase was of grenache blanc and cabernet sauvignon, but others soon followed, including merlot and rosé, but most importantly, The Society’s French Dry White. Blending this wine soon after the vintage with the team at Domaine du Bosc is one of the highlights of my year. I have many memories of tasting the young, still cloudy wines with Pierre and his daughter Dominique.
In the history of viticulture in the Languedoc, Pierre leaves an important legacy as the pioneer of clean, precise, fruit-driven wines, especially whites, and for that reason he should be remembered. Long may his legacy continue.
Pierre Bésinet wines are available here.
