Peter Sichel
The Peter Sichel estate was founded more than thirty years ago in the Cucugnan valley, in the Eastern Pyrenees, a rugged and evocative area nestled between the Corbières and the imposing Cathar citadels of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. Peter Sichel, a true 20th-century character involved in the wine trade and espionage during the war, was fascinated by the potential of this land and its still intact identity. He therefore decided to create an estate capable of telling the story of a place that was then little explored from a wine-growing point of view. The Mediterranean climate at altitude, with Atlantic influences, and the wild beauty of the landscape defined the soul of the project from the outset. In 2019, his grandson Alexander took up the baton and began a profound reorganisation of the vineyard, reducing its size and selecting the most suitable plots.
The Sichel Peter vineyard now covers around 20 hectares at an altitude of between 200 and 500 metres, divided into numerous plots on clay-limestone slopes and clay on Micraster marl, of marine sedimentary origin. Since 2019, the vineyard has been managed according to the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture, a choice that stems from the desire to preserve the natural balance of a still unspoilt area, through the use of natural preparations and processes guided by the lunar calendar. In the cellar, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts and extraction is always delicate, based on short infusions and controlled macerations. Concrete, amphorae and large barrels accompany the evolution of the wines without ever overpowering their identity.
The wines of Domaine Peter Sichel accurately reflect this respectful and measured approach, displaying an expressiveness that comes from the freshness of the altitude and the slow ripening of the grapes. The whites, such as Roussanne, combine tension, depth and substance, while the Grenache, Syrah and Carignan-based reds express balance, tannic finesse and a progressive palate. These are accessible wines, never forced, capable of expressing the garrigue and maquis that surround the vineyard and evolving naturally over time, while always maintaining a strong territorial imprint.
The Peter Sichel estate was founded more than thirty years ago in the Cucugnan valley, in the Eastern Pyrenees, a rugged and evocative area nestled between the Corbières and the imposing Cathar citadels of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. Peter Sichel, a true 20th-century character involved in the wine trade and espionage during the war, was fascinated by the potential of this land and its still intact identity. He therefore decided to create an estate capable of telling the story of a place that was then little explored from a wine-growing point of view. The Mediterranean climate at altitude, with Atlantic influences, and the wild beauty of the landscape defined the soul of the project from the outset. In 2019, his grandson Alexander took up the baton and began a profound reorganisation of the vineyard, reducing its size and selecting the most suitable plots.
The Sichel Peter vineyard now covers around 20 hectares at an altitude of between 200 and 500 metres, divided into numerous plots on clay-limestone slopes and clay on Micraster marl, of marine sedimentary origin. Since 2019, the vineyard has been managed according to the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture, a choice that stems from the desire to preserve the natural balance of a still unspoilt area, through the use of natural preparations and processes guided by the lunar calendar. In the cellar, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts and extraction is always delicate, based on short infusions and controlled macerations. Concrete, amphorae and large barrels accompany the evolution of the wines without ever overpowering their identity.
The wines of Domaine Peter Sichel accurately reflect this respectful and measured approach, displaying an expressiveness that comes from the freshness of the altitude and the slow ripening of the grapes. The whites, such as Roussanne, combine tension, depth and substance, while the Grenache, Syrah and Carignan-based reds express balance, tannic finesse and a progressive palate. These are accessible wines, never forced, capable of expressing the garrigue and maquis that surround the vineyard and evolving naturally over time, while always maintaining a strong territorial imprint.
