Domaine Gayrard - Gaillac wines & wines from the South-West

BACKGROUND: Located close to Cordes sur Ciel, on the northern edge of the Gaillac district and the Tarn river, Domaine Gayrard estate has been established for nearly 5 centuries on an exceptional terroir and landscape dominated by oak trees and truffles. The property sits on limestone plateau at 300 meters of altitude and extends like a promontory near the town of Albi, occupying a land marked with a long wine-growing tradition, interrupted for several decades till the end of WWII.

In 1950 Maurice Gayrard began producing and selling his wines at the property and his domaine was then one of the very first producers of bottled wine in the Gaillacois wine district. During this "age of the bottle", the family vineyard prospered and developed to reach up to 13 hectares of vines.

The region fell dormant once again for a whole generation with people leaving the countryside for bigger cities in order to get better jobs. In the 90s, in the midst of a regional wine crisis and with the help of government measures to support winegrowers in their conversion, the vines were set aside in order to favor cereals cultivation and other crops. At the time the family property was extended to almost sixty hectares.

AFTER THE OBLIVION …. Since 2013 Laure and Pierre Fabre (Maurice’s grandson), a young couple of winegrowers, have devoted themselves to reviving the local wine making traditions and pride. \ The limestone substrate of the Cordes plateau has always provided the grapes with a mineral element, leading to expressive fine artisanal wines. The property, which looks like a small hamlet dominating the area, presents a rich biodiversity due the presence of oak and hazelnut trees at the foot of which truffles are the little local darling.

Cultivated according organic systems since 2016 and with Biodynamic methods since 2019, the estate extends over some 12 hectares surround the family property in Capendut on the limestone plateau of the Gaillac vineyard (about 300m above sea level) with shallow and stony soils, which bring minerality and freshness to our white and rosé wines. And on top 60 hectares of forest, trees and cereal land are in Organic Farming.

IN THE VINEYARDS …: In the vineyard, daily observation is key in order to let the vines express themselves with a more the natural balance between soil, flora and fauna using practices that respect the environment as a whole:

• varied plant cover, natural fertilizers, 500 preparations, etc. to bring nutrients to the soil;
• essential oils, herbal teas, sexual confusion, etc. to protect against diseases and parasites;
• Silica to strengthen the vigor of our vines; All these practices are carried out manually stating from respectful pruning to manual harvest. On the rest of the property, we are thinking about developing the cultivation of plants and cereals best suited to our land and what it is capable of offering: truffle trees, olive trees, lavender and mixtures of cereals intended for our neighboring herders. The domaine has recently welcomed beeskeeping in order to promote the fauna’s health and the natural crops’ balance.

In Domaine Gayrard cellar:

The couple works as much as possible by gravity, thus limiting the use of pumps and preserving the grapes intact until they are pressed. Each plot is vinified separately to allow us to make the most precise choices of the blends according to the qualities provided by each of them. No external yeast is used for the fermentations. The yeasts naturally present on the skin of the grape berries bring to the wine the most sincere possible expression of the terroir and climate. Sulfites are added according to what is really needed and following each vintage characteristics. The wines are fermented and aged in concrete or stainless steel vats and/or in barrels. Almost all of the cuvées are made from single varietals.

LOCAL GRAPES

From the very beginning Laure and Pierre are committed to making known the ampelographic heritage of the Gaillac appellation. These grape varieties represent the local identity and their uniqueness is a key asset.