On the banks of the Dordogne, in Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt, Château Pique-Sègue runs two trades side by side. On one hand, 60 hectares of vines under the Bergerac and Montravel appellations. On the other, a herd of 120 Limousin cows registered in the breed’s Herd-Book. Two very different activities on the surface, which share a great deal.
The vineyard is the most visible part of the estate’s story. Its wines have won awards many times, including gold and silver medals for the red Montravel and the Côtes de Bergerac. The cattle side was built as an extensive system spread across three sites: Pique-Sègue, Gillet and Saint-Jean.
Both activities are run by Philip and Marianne Mallard. Each has its own seasons, constraints and highlights. But they rest on the same idea: quality is built over time.
A winemaker works towards a vintage that will only truly show itself years later. A breeder chooses a bull with an eye on the heifers his daughters will produce. In both cases, the outcome of a decision is measured long after it was made.
On the estate, it shows in the herd. Some cow families can be followed over five generations, and several mothers still calve past the age of twelve. We tell their story in our article on our maternal lines.
In the vineyard, you choose your plots, your grape varieties, the moment to harvest. In the field, you choose your breeding stock, your matings, the females to keep. Either way, it’s about spotting what works and making it last.
On the cattle side, that selection has taken a clear direction: polled Limousins that perform across the board. Of the animals tested, 83 out of 85 now carry the polled gene. Read the full story in our article on polled Limousin genetics.
The estate benefits from its setting along the Dordogne, between slopes and pastures. This terroir gives the Bergerac and Montravel wines their character, and feeds the Limousin cows of the herd. To discover the property, visit our Estate page.
Are you a breeder? Discover our breeding stock in the breeders’ area. Would you like to know more about the estate? Contact us.
