Château Gasqui: terroir, history and philosophy

Château Gasqui is a family-owned estate located near the town of Gonfaron, in the heart of Provence Verte. The estate has a very rich history, as evidenced by a stele dating back to the Roman occupation, and the semi-underground cellar of the château, marked with the year 1898. Since then, several families have succeeded one another until the arrival of Tanja and Klaus Heller, a passionate German couple, in 2022. Winemaker Louis Lienhart and his team are proud to carry on this winemaking tradition and ancestral heritage.

Available directly from the estate on Avenue des Vins.

What is the story behind the estate and its philosophy?

Terroir, history and biodynamic commitment

When he thinks of the estate, Louis envisions a plain crowned with forests and terraced hills, a place inhabited by ancient lives.

Sometimes, I imagine the lives that have succeeded one another in this place. Vine cultivation dates back to a time before the Romans, with the Ligurian peoples.

The commitment to biodynamic farming, initiated in 2009, continues, with primary goals: wines without artifices, expressing purity, close to the soil, climate, and human touch. Respect for biodiversity and living organisms guides actions both in the cellar and in the vineyard.

“Altius, Citius, Fortius” (“Higher, faster, stronger”) summarizes Château Gasqui’s ambition, without ever betraying the identity of the place.

How does biodynamics shape the daily work at the estate?

Biodynamics at the heart of the project

At Château Gasqui, biodynamic agriculture takes concrete form through practical collaborations. A cereal grower manages the fallow fields and meadows, a shepherd grazes his flock in winter, and a couple of market gardeners bring life back to the estate’s vegetable garden. In the vineyard, a multi-varietal plot brings together several white grape varieties for a cuvée expected in 2028, while in the cellar, aging experiments seek the most balanced expression according to the vintage. While the estate values nature, the land also tells the story of human presence:

Previously, the estate was occupied by a legionary of Julius Caesar’s 19th Legion. This history is confirmed by a stele bearing the emblem of that same legion, found on the estate during archaeological excavations.

Who is Louis Lienhart and what drives him as a winemaker?

Louis Lienhart: career and passion

Winemaker Louis caught the vine “virus” even before approaching that of wine! A season of bud thinning in 2016 in the Entre-deux-Mers opened the way, followed by a BTS in Viticulture and Enology in Blanquefort, an oenology diploma in Bordeaux, and a biology degree to better understand living systems. His experiences taught him about the mosaic of terroirs and the plurality of ways to craft a wine.

Wine is about sharing and discovery expressed in the glasses… There is something unique; wine is a guardian of human perception.

His daily motivation lies in the constant pursuit of balance, vintage after vintage. From the choice of plant material to the harvest date, from grape aromas to the wine’s evolution in the cellar, Louis always seeks accuracy and precision. His fondest memory remains arriving at the estate: the grand avenue, the two-century-old cedars, the energy of the place, and meeting the owners around a shared project. Louis champions fresh and elegant wines, with a sensitivity shaped by Alsace, his native region, and the lively Rieslings of the German Moselle. Wines that reflect his character: direct and honest, yet softening with time!

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

Frequently asked questions about Château Gasqui

Where is Château Gasqui located?

The family estate sits close to Gonfaron, in the heart of Provence Verte. It spreads across a plain framed by woods and dry-stone terraces, on land farmed since antiquity.

When did Château Gasqui convert to biodynamics?

Biodynamic farming began in 2009. The team aims for clean, terroir-driven wines and looks after soil life and biodiversity, both in the vineyard and during ageing.

Who is Louis Lienhart, the winemaker at Château Gasqui?

Louis Lienhart now leads the estate's vineyards. He trained through a viticulture and oenology diploma in Blanquefort, earned his oenologist qualification in Bordeaux, and added a biology degree; it all started with a bud-thinning season in the Entre-deux-Mers in 2016.

What style of wines does Château Gasqui produce?

Louis Lienhart favours lively, refined wines, shaped by his Alsatian roots and a taste for brisk Rieslings. Taut when young, they soften and open up over the years.

What is the history behind Château Gasqui?

Vines were grown here long before the Romans, in the time of the Ligurian peoples. A stele from Julius Caesar's 19th Legion, unearthed during excavations, and a semi-underground cellar dated 1898 speak to this deep past.