The earliest remains of Château de Fosse-Sèche date back to 800-1000 A.D., when Benedictine monks planted the first vines and built some of the oldest wine vats still standing in France. In 1998, Guillaume Pire arrived at the estate with his mother Françoise, immediately recognizing it as home. After studying viticulture in Switzerland and working in Madagascar, Guillaume took over operations, joined by his twin brother Adrien in 2010. Together, the brothers have revitalized this ancient property.

Today, Guillaume and Adrien run 45 hectares with only 15 planted to vine. The rest is devoted to biodiversity: alfalfa, goats, bees, and a nationally recognized bird sanctuary.

They farm organically and biodynamically (Ecocert and Biodyvin certified), and in 2016 invested in concrete eggs for fermentation, moving away from oak. The vineyards sit on a unique Jurassic-era flint plateau with gravel and clay on the slopes of the Brossay plateau, creating a curved aspect that allows cool breezes to temper the heat-absorbing flint soils.

The Réserve du Pigeonnier from 2006 has had nearly two decades to evolve, with aromas of dried damask rose, Mirabelle plum, forest floor, and a distinctive graphite-pencil note. Silky tannins and gentle acidity throughout. A supremely elegant expression of mature Loire cabernet franc.