Château Bizard: a property rising from the ashes

Marc Lépine is the owner of Château Bizard. He started his career in 1971 in the industrial maintenance sector and sold his business in 1992 to become the President of the Commercial Court of Le Mans. He held this position until the early 2000s before dedicating himself fully to restoring the family vineyard property that has been in his family for five generations.

Available directly from the estate on Avenue des Vins.

How did you come back to the family vineyard?

From industrial maintenance to winemaking

As a child, I used to help with the harvest at my grandfather's estate, to which I was very attached. Upon his death, my grandfather bequeathed the property to my mother’s brother. The problem was that he was more interested in music than in viticulture. He had all the vines removed and sold all the land. It was a real tragedy! I felt the need to reconnect with my roots and revive our viticultural heritage from its ashes.

When his uncle passed away in 1979, Marc purchased a run-down house from his cousin with a clear goal in mind: to restore the property of his childhood to its former glory. Twenty-five years later, the estate now encompasses 16 hectares of vines, as well as cereal crops, lavandin, and truffles. The first vines were planted in 2000, and the first harvest took place in 2003.

What is the appellation of Château Bizard?

AOC Grignan-les-Adhémar, a relatively unknown appellation

The Château Bizard vineyard produces an average of 800 hectoliters of wine per year. Marc, who lives in Le Mans, has entrusted a team of 5 people to Vincent Bouyer. This oenologist, who honed his skills at a major vineyard in Spain, has been working as the estate manager at Château Bizard since 2014.

The Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation spans 1,800 hectares and is located 10 km south of Montélimar and Bollène, on the left bank of the Rhône River. Château Bizard, whose first harvest dates back to 1862, has changed appellations three times: Côte du Rhône from 1929, Coteaux du Tricastin in 1973, and finally Grignan-les-Adhémar in 2010. The appellation’s grape variety palette is broad: Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault for red wines; Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Viognier for white wines.

What style of wines does the estate make?

Powerful, rounded and aromatic wines

The Grignan-les-Adhémar vines are highly exposed to the sun, but the cooling Mistral wind tempers the heat, giving this appellation generous, complex, and distinctive wines.

The range at Château Bizard, which also includes a few wines from the AOC Côtes du Rhône, fully meets these criteria. It includes 2 white wines, 5 red wines, and 1 rosé wine, all of which are rounded, aromatic, and powerful, benefiting from aging in barrel or tank.

Currently, we are working on releasing a very high-end 100% Syrah wine from the 2015 vintage. It should be available for sale in early 2018

announces Marc.

Why buy directly from the winemaker? The wines of Château Bizard are shipped straight from the estate: estate price with no middleman, full vintage traceability, and your support for an independent winegrowing family.

Discover the wines of Château Bizard directly from the estate, at the estate price, in a short supply chain on Avenue des Vins.

Frequently asked questions about Château Bizard

Where is Château Bizard located?

The estate lies in the Rhône Valley, on the river's left bank, about ten kilometres south of Montélimar. It belongs to the Grignan-les-Adhémar appellation.

Which grape varieties go into Grignan-les-Adhémar wines?

The appellation allows a broad palette. Reds draw on syrah, mourvèdre, grenache noir, carignan and cinsault, while whites use roussanne, clairette, marsanne, grenache blanc and viognier.

Why are Château Bizard wines so generous?

The vines get strong sunshine, tempered by the Mistral wind. That climate yields rounded, aromatic and full-bodied reds, aged in tank or barrel.

Who makes the wines at the estate?

Owner Marc Lépine lives in Le Mans and relies on a five-person team. Vincent Bouyer, an oenologist, has run the vineyard as estate manager since 2014.