Marco Pelletier, a native of Montreal, built a distinguished career as one of the most celebrated and respected sommeliers in France. His journey in the wine world began in 1999 at Michel Rostang, next, in 2003, selected as chef sommelier at the three-star Michelin restaurant Taillevent , and , subsequently in 2008, at another three-star Michelin restaurant, Epicure in the Hotel Bristol. More recently, Marco founded and continues to operate Vantre, a celebrated bistro in Paris. Vantre has been celebrated as the Best Bistro Wine List by La Revue du Vin de France and was recently named the Best Wine List in Paris by esteemed wine critics Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve. The wine list, which boasts thousands of reference, was given the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award in 2019.
In 2002, Marco began to develop his own vineyards and, succeeding to produce his first vintage in 2009. Christened “Le Galouchey”, the micro-estate is located in the Libournais region of Bordeaux. This unique vineyard spans less than one hectare and is distinctively labeled as “vin de jardin” (garden wine), a term that contrasts with “vins de garage” (garage wines). This emphasizes the vineyard’s natural and garden-like quality. The vines at Le Galouchey were planted on virgin land, which had never been cultivated or treated with chemicals.
Marco Pelletier practices organic viticulture, maintaining the vineyard without any fertilizers, pesticides, or chemical applications. The vineyard is meticulously hand-tended, with each grape variety harvested at optimal phenolic ripeness. This commitment to organic practices ensures that the wines produced are not only of high quality but also sustainable and reflective of their terroir.
All the permitted grape varieties of the region – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle – are planted in the vineyard and the wine is made as a blend of all of the grapes. Each of the nine grape varieties is hand-harvested at ideal phenolic ripeness. The grapes are manually de-stemmed, berry by berry. With no crushing (foulage), the must is predominantly free-run juice, complemented by pure juice from a gentle horizontal pressing of the marc. Each variety is separately fermented over indigenous yeasts in stainless steel to avoid the addition of sulfur. Marco avoids any extraction, with only limited pump-overs to keep the cap moist. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the young wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats and is then racked into one-year-old Bordeaux barrels to age, typically for 16-18 months. There is no fining, and only a nominal, light filtration at 3 microns is performed.
