Opening hours, booking, access, what to see: everything you need to know before coming to Saint-Drézéry.
VISITS AND TASTINGS
Visiting the estate
Can the estate be visited?
Yes. The Cave du Château welcomes visitors from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6.30pm. Visits to the estate, the cellar and the vineyard are by appointment.
Is the shop open on Sundays?
No, the Cave du Château is closed on Sundays and public holidays. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 6.30pm, at 2250 route de Teyran.
Do I need to book a tasting?
To drop in at the Cave du Château, no: it is open during its opening hours. For a cellar visit or a group tasting, you need to make an appointment with the estate team.
Where is the estate?
At 2250 route de Teyran, in Saint-Drézéry, in the Hérault, 16 km north-east of Montpellier and close to the A9 motorway. Pic Saint-Loup begins about ten kilometres further north.
How do I get to the estate?
Château Puech-Haut is at 2250 route de Teyran, in Saint-Drézéry, near the A9 motorway. The drive from the centre of Montpellier takes about 25 minutes, outside rush hour.
What is there to see at the estate?
The cellar and its collection of barrels painted by more than 160 artists, the Barrik'Art, the Roman ram's head on display in the tasting cellar, and the château, the former prefecture of Montpellier rebuilt stone by stone.
What is the Barrik'Art?
A giant barrel 12 metres long and 6 metres high, with a theoretical capacity of 300,000 litres, built by a craftsman from the Aveyron with 5 tonnes of steel and 45 cubic metres of oak. The estate presents it as the largest barrel in the world.
What is a barrel tasting?
It means tasting a wine while it is ageing, drawn straight from the barrel, before blending and bottling. You discover each grape variety or each batch separately.
Where can I stay near the estate?
The estate works with partner accommodation nearby. The team can point you to it, especially if you are coming for a wedding or a seminar at the château.
BUYING
Buying our wines
At the Cave du Château, from wine merchants or in restaurants: where to find the wines and how to reach us.
Where can I buy Puech-Haut wines?
From the wine merchants and restaurants that stock the estate, and at the Cave du Château, in Saint-Drézéry, open from Tuesday to Saturday. The Where to find our products page gives the addresses.
Can I buy the wines on site?
Yes, the Cave du Château sells the estate's wines. They are also available from the wine merchants and restaurants that stock it, whose addresses are on the Where to find our products page.
Where can I find Bib'Art?
The 3-litre Bib'Art is available from the wine merchants and restaurants that stock the estate. The Where to find our products page gives the addresses.
Can I order the wines online?
No, the estate does not sell its wines online. You will find them at the Cave du Château, in Saint-Drézéry, from Tuesday to Saturday, as well as from the wine merchants and restaurants that stock the estate, whose addresses are on the Where to find our products page.
How can I contact the estate?
For the Cave du Château, call +33 4 99 62 16 00 or write to lacaveduchateau@puech-haut.com. For any other enquiry, the estate can be reached on +33 4 99 62 27 27 and at contact@puech-haut.com. For an event, the quote request form is the quickest way.
OUR WINES
The estate's wines
Flagship cuvées, appellations, grape varieties and Bib'Art: the key points for choosing a bottle of Puech-Haut.
What are the estate's flagship cuvées?
Argali rosé, pale and fresh, is the estate's ambassador cuvée. Tête de Bélier red, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan, is the other bottle that made the estate's name.
Which appellations are the wines in?
AOP Languedoc for the Château Puech-Haut wines, AOP Pic Saint-Loup for Lavabre, Clos du Pic and Loup du Pic, IGP Pays d'Oc for the Theyron wines and Argali rosé, AOP Sable de Camargue for Watusi.
What makes the bottles different?
The ram's-head bottle, which has become the estate's emblem, the glass stopper, which Puech-Haut was among the first to adopt, and the Bib'Art, dressed in an artist's work.
Which red grape varieties grow at the estate?
Syrah, the backbone of the reds, Grenache, the other founding variety, Mourvèdre, Carignan, including old vines of 50 to 60 years, and Cinsault, mainly for the rosés.
Which white grape varieties grow at the estate?
Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Muscat at Saint-Drézéry, Grenache Blanc, and Rolle, grown mainly at Domaine de Theyron.
Do the wines come from sustainable farming?
All the estate's vines are farmed sustainably. The mention appears on the wines of Domaine de Theyron, certified since 2010, and on those from Pic Saint-Loup.
Since when has Bib'Art existed?
The first Bib'Art came out in 2007, first in 5 litres, then in 3 litres. The press took it up, and the collection has kept growing, to nearly 200 designs.
EVENTS
Events and weddings
Capacity, meals, equipment, booking: the answers before organising an event at Château Puech-Haut.
Which events do you host?
Weddings, birthdays, ceremonies, cocktail receptions, dinners and private parties for private clients; seminars, board meetings, study days, training, launches, incentives and team building for businesses.
How many guests can you host?
The estate welcomes groups from 15 people and up to 300 seated guests. The château's reception rooms suit small groups, the Orangery large tables, and the park and terrace cocktail receptions.
How are meals arranged?
The estate offers a full service with its partner caterer, who creates the menu with you. The wines served are from the estate; champagne may come from outside.
Can I hire for half a day?
Yes, hire is by the full day or half day, on quotation. A birthday lunch or an evening party: the booking follows the format of your celebration.
What equipment is provided?
Sound system, high-definition projector, motorised screen, high-speed WiFi and reversible air conditioning. The estate is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
When should we book for a wedding?
As early as possible for a date in high season. A visit to the estate lets you check availability and plan the running order of the day with our team.
Can we bring our own wines?
The wines served during the reception are from the estate, in red, white and rosé. Champagne, which Puech-Haut does not produce, may come from outside.
THE ESTATE
The estate and its olive oil
Founder, history of the château, terroir and olive oil: the key points for getting to know Puech-Haut.
Who founded Puech-Haut?
Gérard Bru, an industrialist from a family of winegrowers settled between the Aude and the Hérault since 1605. He created the estate from scratch, from the vineyard to the name, and has now stepped back from day-to-day operations.
What does Puech-Haut mean?
In Occitan, puech means a hill, a height. The estate stands on one of the highest points in the Saint-Drézéry area, hence its name, chosen by Gérard Bru.
Where does the château come from?
It is the former prefecture of Montpellier, taken down stone by stone and then rebuilt on the estate. There was no château here: Gérard Bru created everything, from the cellars to the cuvées.
How many estates does Puech-Haut have?
Four estates: Château Puech-Haut, Château Lavabre, Domaine de Theyron and Clos du Pic, in Pic Saint-Loup. Around 165 hectares of vines in all.
Why a ram's head?
A Roman-era stone ram's head was found in the estate's soil. On display in the tasting cellar, it has become the emblem of Puech-Haut and gave its name to the Tête de Bélier cuvée.
What are rolled pebbles?
Rounded stones, deposited by the Rhône in the Quaternary, which cover the estate's clay-limestone soils. They drain water and store the heat of the day, which they release to the vines at night.
Who runs the estate?
Arnaud Demongeot, a trained sommelier who distributed Puech-Haut for twenty years, took over the running of the house at Gérard Bru's request. Around thirty people work there.
Do the olive trees receive chemical treatments?
No. Our olive trees are looked after without any chemical treatment, and no chemical process is involved in producing the oil either: picking is by hand and pressing is mechanical. The oil does not, however, carry any certification.
Where can I buy Puech-Haut olive oil?
Directly at the estate, in Saint-Drézéry. Produced in small quantities, it blends Lucques, Picholine and Négrette, hand-picked in December and pressed at the estate's mill.
