🍅 Quick take: Rose de Pessac is an indeterminate, mid-early French heirloom tracing back to the Pessac market in Bordeaux, Gironde. Typically grown as an open, sparse-foliaged vine, it produces dense, dark pink to purplish heart-shaped beefsteaks averaging 12 to 21 oz (350-600 g), with records topping 3 lbs (1.35 kg). Russian and European growers praise its rich, buttery sweetness, heat tolerance, and unique habit of ripening entire fruit clusters all at once. However, rogue seed lines exist, with one northern grower reporting a disappointing 2 oz (60 g) icicle-shaped off-type. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-5 & European Experience)
An heirloom variety originating from the Pessac region, Gironde, France. Indeterminate, mid-early. The plant is tall, vigorous, with sparse, open foliage. Fruits are heart-shaped, deep pink, averaging around 7 to 9 oz (200-250 g).
Ran it on four stems in the greenhouse. I imagine if you pruned it to fewer leaders, the tomatoes would size up much larger. The fruit is remarkably delicious: silky, buttery, juicy, sweet, and wonderfully aromatic. It was one of the earliest to ripen in my patch, and overall yield was huge. The entire cluster seemed to ripen all at once. Absolutely loved this variety; handled intense heat without skipping a beat.Edited August 19, 2018 by Drosera
Ran it on four stems in the greenhouse. I imagine if you pruned it to fewer leaders, the tomatoes would size up much larger. The fruit is remarkably delicious: silky, buttery, juicy, sweet, and wonderfully aromatic. It was one of the earliest to ripen in my patch, and overall yield was huge. The entire cluster seemed to ripen all at once. Absolutely loved this variety; handled intense heat without skipping a beat.Edited August 19, 2018 by Drosera
Rose de Pessac
Profile Specs:
Color: Deep dusky pink
Maturity: Mid-season
Yield: High
Origin: France
Fruit Shape: Round to blunt oxheart
Foliage: Regular, open
Usage: Fresh slicing and culinary
Size: Large to very large
Plant Height: Around 6 ft (1.8 m)
Habit: Indeterminate
Originating from the Pessac area in Gironde, France. The founding seeds were bought from a traveling street peddler at the Pessac weekly market by the father of “Tri bois,” an old farmer who, at 92 years old, gifted the strain to Bordeaux collector Jean-Pierre Tejero. Tejero has grown it steadily since 1999, meticulously saving seed from the finest specimens every season.
Initially, fruits averaged 9 to 11 oz (250-300 g). By 2015, selective breeding rewarded him with a monster weighing 3 lbs (1.35 kg), with standard fruits regularly hitting 18 to 21 oz (500-600 g). Jean-Pierre officially named it “Rose de Pessac” two years ago to replace its original working moniker, “Rose de Tri bois.”
Large, deep pink fruit with a soft mauve undertone, rounded with a distinct blunt heart taper and gently rounded shoulders. Dense, meaty beefsteak texture with very few seeds. Outstanding sweet flavor. Grown in my garden in 2016.
Heritage variety native to the Pessac region, Gironde, France. Heavy dark pink fruits, running 12 to 21 oz (350-600 g), with 2-pounders not uncommon! Dense, meaty flesh with an old-time heirloom fragrance, sweet and rich. Vigorous indeterminate vine with sparse leaves. Early for such a large tomato, producing reliably until frost.
Profile Specs:
Color: Deep dusky pink
Maturity: Mid-season
Yield: High
Origin: France
Fruit Shape: Round to blunt oxheart
Foliage: Regular, open
Usage: Fresh slicing and culinary
Size: Large to very large
Plant Height: Around 6 ft (1.8 m)
Habit: Indeterminate
Originating from the Pessac area in Gironde, France. The founding seeds were bought from a traveling street peddler at the Pessac weekly market by the father of “Tri bois,” an old farmer who, at 92 years old, gifted the strain to Bordeaux collector Jean-Pierre Tejero. Tejero has grown it steadily since 1999, meticulously saving seed from the finest specimens every season.
Initially, fruits averaged 9 to 11 oz (250-300 g). By 2015, selective breeding rewarded him with a monster weighing 3 lbs (1.35 kg), with standard fruits regularly hitting 18 to 21 oz (500-600 g). Jean-Pierre officially named it “Rose de Pessac” two years ago to replace its original working moniker, “Rose de Tri bois.”
Large, deep pink fruit with a soft mauve undertone, rounded with a distinct blunt heart taper and gently rounded shoulders. Dense, meaty beefsteak texture with very few seeds. Outstanding sweet flavor. Grown in my garden in 2016.
Heritage variety native to the Pessac region, Gironde, France. Heavy dark pink fruits, running 12 to 21 oz (350-600 g), with 2-pounders not uncommon! Dense, meaty flesh with an old-time heirloom fragrance, sweet and rich. Vigorous indeterminate vine with sparse leaves. Early for such a large tomato, producing reliably until frost.
Planted this one as well; it is growing along nicely. Seeds were shared by Tomatanya (originally from Sofia).
Here is the takeaway from our French grower friend’s notes for anyone interested:
Rose de Pessac is an authentic landrace from Pessac near Bordeaux. Originally rescued from an elderly local farmer, collector Jean-Pierre Tejero grew and stabilized it for over 15 years, bulking up fruit size from 10 oz (280 g) all the way to 18-21 oz (500-600 g) giants.
It is an open, slender indeterminate vine with sparse foliage. The tomatoes are deep dusky pink with purple-mauve highlights, shaped like broad blunt hearts. Extremely meaty with dense beefsteak texture and minimal seed gel. Known for an early start for a giant slicer and producing straight up to the first hard frost.
Rose de Pessac is an authentic landrace from Pessac near Bordeaux. Originally rescued from an elderly local farmer, collector Jean-Pierre Tejero grew and stabilized it for over 15 years, bulking up fruit size from 10 oz (280 g) all the way to 18-21 oz (500-600 g) giants.
It is an open, slender indeterminate vine with sparse foliage. The tomatoes are deep dusky pink with purple-mauve highlights, shaped like broad blunt hearts. Extremely meaty with dense beefsteak texture and minimal seed gel. Known for an early start for a giant slicer and producing straight up to the first hard frost.
My biggest disappointment of the entire season: Rose de Pessac.
Despite us having an unusually hot, practically southern summer this year, nothing about my harvest matched that gorgeous description 😞. Flavor was decent, sure. But instead of giant pink hearts, the plant threw skinny little icicle pastes weighing barely 2 oz (60 g)! I am not going to waste time troubleshooting garden mistakes or trying to baby this line again.
Despite us having an unusually hot, practically southern summer this year, nothing about my harvest matched that gorgeous description 😞. Flavor was decent, sure. But instead of giant pink hearts, the plant threw skinny little icicle pastes weighing barely 2 oz (60 g)! I am not going to waste time troubleshooting garden mistakes or trying to baby this line again.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Off-Types
- 🌿 Plant Architecture: Tall, vigorous indeterminate vine with characteristically sparse, open foliage (typical of French and Mediterranean heirloom hearts). Thrives in greenhouse culture and demonstrates excellent heat resistance during summer scorchers.
- ⚖️ Fruit Characteristics: True-to-type fruit is a heavy, blunt-heart beefsteak weighing 12 to 21 oz (350-600 g), with a dusky pink-mauve skin. Flesh is dense, silky, and nearly seedless. Pruning heavily increases fruit size dramatically; leaving multiple leaders keeps weights around 7-9 oz (200-250 g).
- 👅 Flavor Profile: Rich, sweet, and aromatic with a delicate buttery mouthfeel. Matures early for a large-fruited oxheart, often ripening complete trusses simultaneously.
- ⚠️ Seed Authenticity Alert: Beware of crossed or unstable seed stock. While French and Russian master growers obtained genuine giant blunt hearts, one grower in Zone 4 grew an obvious stray cross that produced small 2 oz (60 g) pointed paste tomatoes.
- 🌎 Reviewed In: France, Western Europe (Zone 7/8), and Northwest Russia (USDA Zone 4b/5a).
🍅 Grown Rose de Pessac? Did you get the true 1-pound blunt heart or the skinny icicle off-type? Post your seed lineage and harvest photos below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: French Market Heirlooms
• Bordeaux Origins: Rose de Pessac is a genuine regional heirloom from the wine-growing suburbs of Bordeaux. Preserved and selected by French collector Jean-Pierre Tejero since 1999, it is famous for combining giant beefsteak meatiness with true oxheart tapering.
• Bordeaux Origins: Rose de Pessac is a genuine regional heirloom from the wine-growing suburbs of Bordeaux. Preserved and selected by French collector Jean-Pierre Tejero since 1999, it is famous for combining giant beefsteak meatiness with true oxheart tapering.
