Château Rocheyron sits on Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau, a modest 8.45 hectares surrounded by neighbours many times its size, and since 2010 it has been run by two men better known for wine made somewhere else entirely.
A Ribera del Duero winemaker in Bordeaux
Peter Sisseck built his reputation at Dominio de Pingus in Ribera del Duero, one of Spain's most sought-after cult wines. In 2010 he and Swiss collector Silvio Denz bought this plateau property in Saint-Émilion and set about running it, in Sisseck's own words, like a first growth: strict vineyard work, hard selection, and no shortcuts on a property most people had never heard of.
Biodynamic from the ground up
The estate moved to biodynamic farming in 2014, began formal Biodyvin conversion three years later, and reached organic certification with the 2020 vintage. Vines average around forty-five years old on limestone and clay, planted to 70 percent Merlot and 30 percent Cabernet Franc, the pairing that defines the Right Bank.
The wine
There's one label, no second wine to absorb weaker lots, which means whatever doesn't meet the standard is sold off in bulk rather than bottled. What remains is dense and structured young, built to reward the patience Sisseck applies to everything else he makes, with the plateau's limestone keeping the wine tighter and less plush than Bordeaux drinkers might expect from a Merlot-led blend.
FAQ
Who owns Château Rocheyron?
Peter Sisseck of Dominio de Pingus and Silvio Denz, who also owns several other Bordeaux and Sauternes properties, bought the estate together in 2010 and still run it jointly.
Is Château Rocheyron biodynamic?
Yes, since 2014, with Biodyvin conversion begun in 2017 and organic certification achieved from the 2020 vintage onward.
Does it taste like Pingus?
Not really. The grapes, soil and climate are entirely different. What carries over is the approach: low yields, strict selection and no compromise on ripeness or cleanliness in the cellar.