Domaine Gayrard, Gaillac Rouge, Braucol

This characterful red, made from the Braucol variety, is generous, supple and full of wild blackcurrant notes with a touch of spice and delicious green pepper undertones.

Producer Note

Situated upon a limestone plateau, in the foothills of the Causses de Quercy, Domaine Gayrard has stood as a symbol of this exceptional terroir for over five centuries. In the 1950s, Maurice Gayrard began the production of wines at the property, becoming one of the first producers to bottle wine in Gaillac. During the 1990s, the estate went through a short period of cereal cultivation, however in 2013, Pierre and Laure Fabre returned to their ancestor’s estate and restored it back to a vineyard, with the replanting of indigenous varietals. In 2018, the vines of the former Château Moussans were incorporated into the estate, bringing older vines from a different terroir. Today the estate extends over 30 hectares; it has been certified organic since 2020 and cultivated biodynamically since 2019. Pierre and Laure produce Gaillac wines from long-lost indigenous varietals, such as Braucol and Loin d’Oeil.

Vineyard

This cuvée is produced from a parcel of old vines, from the local Gaillac variety of Braucol, a dark-skinned local indigenous variety that is sometimes known as Fer Servadou. DNA testing suggests it originates from the Carmenère family. The windswept hillside plot benefits from the warmth of the Mediterranean climate, tempered by oceanic breezes which impart balancing acidity to the fruit and keep the vineyard healthy by aerating the vines. The vineyard sits upon cool and draining clay-limestone soils, which produce fruity red wines with roundness and finesse. The vineyard is in conversion to organic status; no herbicides or insecticides are used and the vines are manually tended with leaf removal and green harvesting taking place by hand. Constantly striving to improve the natural balance between soil, flora and fauna, practices that respect the environment are employed; with cover crops in the vineyard, natural fertilisers to nourish the soils and silica treatments to help strengthen the vigour of the vines. The fruit is hand-harvested.

Winemaking

The grapes were fully de-stemmed and fermented with natural yeasts which are present on the berry's skin and bring the most sincere expression of the terroir and the climate. Vinification took place in the gravity-fed winery without the use of pumps and without additions. Each parcel was fermented at temperatures of less than 25°C in 60 hectolitre concrete tanks. A brief maceration of less than five days followed, with daily manual punching down of the cap. The wine was aged in concrete tanks for six months. 

Tasting Note

This characterful red, made from the Braucol variety, is generous, supple and full of wild blackcurrant notes, with a touch of spice and delicious green pepper undertones. Soft tannins and juicy fruit fill the palate through to a fruity finish.

Grape

Braucol 100%