Pas du Cerf acquired its name in the 16th century when the King of France, François the 1st, visited the area for the marriage of his son, Henry, to Catherine of Medici, the locals impressed or perhaps bemused with the King’s deer-hunting skills (pas du cerf meaning ‘no deer’). By 1848, the first harvest of grapes was vinified in the house that remains, eight generations later, the home of the Gualtieri family.
The eighth generation comprises three sisters, Aurore, Diane and Marion Gualtieri, who are all involved in the family business. Nestled in the middle of a protected 700 hectare forest, the estate has around 80 hectares under vine which, since 2010, have been moving towards organic farming. Château Pas du Cerf is currently certified High Environmental Value level 3, the highest level awarded by the National Commission for Environmental Certification in France, and all vineyards will be certified organic by 2022.
