Gaillac AOC

Named after the town of Gaillac wine region of Gaillac is located in south-west France (→ Sud -Ouest ) Tarn Midi Toulousain, about 50 km from the regional capital of Toulouse. The growing area for quality wine (AOC ) includes about 2700 ha, representing an annual production of about 20 million bottles. Of this amount, approximately three quarters of red wine.

• 3.1 whites
• 3.2 Gaillac Premieres Cotes
• 3.3 Sparkling wines
• 3.4 Red
• 3.5 Regional Wines
• 3.6 vintages

• 4.1 From Antiquity to the 20th Century
• 4.2 The current situation

Characteristics

The wine of Gaillac covers almost the entire spectrum from dry and sweet white wine Rosé over to full-bodied red wine from and storable. Also sparkling wine has a long tradition. The diversity of wine produced but is paradoxically more of a hindrance for their marketing because of overburdened consumer can not connect a specific product called Gaillac. Are also used on many a wine book only flat, convincing of ignorance platitudes about Gaillac. Other areas in the southwest like Cahors or Madiran have a clear advantage in this regard.

The Gaillacoise

A special feature is the special shape of the bottle (→ wine bottle ), which in 1969 created bulbous Gaillacoise. It is produced by going back to Jean Jaurès Verrerie ouvrière d' Albi, which today is part of the Saint- Gobain Group. Not least for reasons of cost ( higher weight, larger footprint ) it becomes increasingly displaced from the Bordelaise. In response has been agreed with the 2004 vintage to a unified form, which represents a compromise between the shorter red wine and the leaner white wine bottle.

Soil and climate

In the valley of the Tarn only the best south-facing slopes of the first out of the valley ascending slopes ( Premieres Cotes ) are reserved with their clay-limestone soil exclusively for the vine. From the Premieres Cotes originate not only the best white wines, but also distinctive, full-bodied and aromatic red wines. In this heart of the vineyard, the wine is aged up to three weeks earlier than in the higher layers of the plateau north of Cordes Gaillac. There grow on strongly calcareous soil and aromatic finesse white and red wines. A third region form the gravel zones of the left Tarnufers ( Rive Gauche ), where especially powerful and storable red wines are produced. Only anecdotal owns the region of Cunac east of the town of Albi. The few grapes that are produced there, disappear in the presses of the cooperative.

The vineyards of Gaillac is located on the eastern edge of the Aquitaine basin. The Northwest of Gaillac, up to 500 m high mountain range of Grésigne holds, however, especially in the summer part of the oceanic influences from. A 1000 m high mountain range, the Montagne Noire, in turn, forms a natural barrier to the Mediterranean. Therefore Gaillac has a special micro-climate that is characterized neither Mediterranean nor atlantic, but continental. The summers are hot and dry, rain falls mainly from September to April. Another climatic feature is the hot east wind autan who has so many vintage autumn still saved.

Grape varieties and wines

Like most wine regions of south-west France also possesses Gaillac typical regional grape varieties. Great importance have the red Duras and Braucol (→ Fer Servadou ) and the white Mauzac and Len de l' El. In addition, the Bordeaux grape Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, as well as coming from the Mediterranean zone Syrah play important roles. Almost gone is the local white grape Ondenc.

White wines

The only grown in Gaillac Len de l' El is mostly vinified dry, often together with a native of Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc. But he also provides very good reading. The wines are aromatic, but not intrusive. You should be drunk quite young, because their acidity is not overly high. A specialty is the Gaillac Perlé, a light dry white wine with a low carbon dioxide excess. The name comes from the slowly rising bubbles.

The Mauzac has the most pronounced character among domestic in Gaillac white grape varieties. It provides full-bodied, long-keeping wines with complex aromas. From the oldest vines late or reading are generated. Here, the usual noble rot elsewhere does not matter, but the blowing in the autumn wind brings the grapes autan the necessary concentration.

The grapes for dry white wines are usually read before reaching full maturity, otherwise the acidity would become too low. To the desired alcohol content of about 12 vol - % reach, the wine is chaptalised instead. The reading of this procedure is not necessary, as in the one- drying berries also concentrated the acid.

Gaillac Premieres Cotes

The heart of the growing area, and the first suspension ( Premieres Cotes ) of the right Tarnufers, has its own appellation exclusively for white wine, which is, however, taken by the winemakers rarely claim. The formal requirements for the ripening of the grapes are slightly higher at 11 ° natural alcoholic strength, the base yield is 45 hl / ha compared to 60 hl / ha for a dry AOC Gaillac. A Gaillac Premieres Cotes is always full-bodied and storable.

Sparkling wines

The Len de l' El serves as the basis for the sparkling wine, which is increasingly being produced again after the Méthode Gaillacoise. In contrast to the champagne method, this is no sugar is added for fermentation in the bottle. Rather, the fermentation is stopped and then continued in the bottle. Even after the second fermentation of sparkling wine retains a fine fruit sweetness.

Red wines

Apart from wines produced from the Gamay Beaujolais grape primeur wine are two distinct directions in the production of red wine. It is basically blends of two to four varieties. The old vine Duras delivers strong, fruity wines with a characteristic peppery note. Your Syrah is often blended to give the wine a more solid tannin structure. These wines reach their peak after 3-6 years.

The second direction is based on the grape variety Braucol (→ Fer Servadou ), which is related to the Cabernet family. It has strong tannins, why are these wines for a barrel extension. Many winemakers reject this, however, since in this case the typicality is lost. Classic blends developed on the basis of Braucol usually contain also Syrah and Merlot, Cabernet or sometimes Duras. These wines have a beautiful fruit with a solid tannin structure. They reach their peak earlier than four years, some build from even ten years.

The Rosé has a complementary function to the red wine. It is obtained either from recent Vineyards, as they provide very fruity, but lighter wines. The other option is to extract 10-15 % of the red wine from the fermentation tank. This so-called " saignée " method has the advantage that the remaining red gets a higher concentration.

Regional Wines

The Tarn owns around 9000 hectares of vineyards. Only a small part of it produces quality wines of the AOC Gaillac. The larger portion is used for the production of table and wine country, for which there is the designation Vin de Pays des Côtes du Tarn. The allowable yields per hectare are higher and there are more varieties than in the AOC is authorized, the mass support Jurançon Noir and Portugais Bleu, but also region atypical varieties such as Chardonnay.

Vintages

The geographical proximity suggests to identify the quality of the vintages with those of Bordeaux. But this is only partially correct in all parallels. So in Gaillac the 1992 was much better than the 1993 and the 1997 was the 1998 quite equal. As the largest vintage of recent times is still regarded 1985 1988, 1989 and especially 1990, -. , As almost everywhere in France - also great vintages. Wines from the difficult 1991 may surprise you by their shelf life, they owe the relatively high acidity. The years 1999 to 2002 produced a rare result of good wines. In contrast, the 2003s suffered both from the heat and from the dryness. So it lacks the red wines despite high alcohol content and a strong focus paradoxically to maturity. The tannins are often too hard, and it lacks the aromatic variety. In contrast, the 2004 has failed again very satisfactory. As so often has spawned a great vintage not the hot summer, but the stable and sunny autumn. The reading of the 2005 was affected by rain, which is why he probably will not come close to the 2004. The 2006 vintage was indeed shaped like the 2003s drought, but the cool August delayed the maturation and gave the whites a welcome acidity.

History

From antiquity to the 20th century

In the region of Gaillac, which belonged to the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, wine was produced before the beginning of our era.

In the Middle Ages the wine underwent a revival with the founding of Saint Michel abbey on the banks of the Tarn, grew up around it, the city Gaillac. The changing fashions of history gave times the white, sometimes red wines preference. Until the 18th century the Gaillac, was transported along the Tarn and Garonne in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean served for the improvement of the then mostly weak wine of Bordeaux. Dr. Jules Guyot led in 1865 his study Sur la viticulture du center sud de la France (About the Viticulture Zentralsüdfrankreichs ) on behalf of Agriculture Minister Armand Behiç the vineyard of the southern departments through with his studies and revolutionized viticulture in France.

The growing competition from the heavier red wine from the Mediterranean and Algeria in the 19th century then led to a shift of production to the white wine. This usually sweet -developed Gaillac enjoyed until the Second World War a great reputation, and in 1938 established Controlled Appellation referred initially only on him. In 1960, claimed the white grape varieties 71 % of the acreage in 1990 had the red over the majority with 58%. Among the latter also have quality varieties, the mass carrier ( Jurançon Noir, Blue Portugal ) displaced. As the catalyst had the appellation for red wine, which have existed since 1970.

The situation today

Viticulture in Gaillac is still in a transition phase, which is characterized by specialization and individualization. Only 30 years ago had the cooperatives almost a monopoly; only a handful of wineries marketed their wine itself for many wine farms was only part of the production. The increasing demand for superior quality wines however, made it increasingly attractive to specialize. High quality but will take low income. This can be a cooperative generally not adequately reward, so more and more invested in their own winery cellar and went to the self-marketing. Today, the growing area has more than 100 independent wineries, where family farms between 15 and 50 ha of vineyards dominate. This individualism has the already wide range of products even further. Traditionalist conservative or contemporary favorites compete with experimental growers, who are committed to a more international style.

Wine Culture

Every year in Gaillac on the first weekend in August, the Fête des Vins, the wine festival, instead. Many winemakers present here at stalls in the city park their wines.

Gaillac has a wine fraternity, the Ordre de la Dive Bouteille ( Order of the divine bottle), which held its first chapter in 1952. The name refers to the life-affirming work of the poet François Rabelais. The Brotherhood picks up an old tradition: The Companha de la Poda Gaillac was mentioned in a document in the year 1529 and is the oldest wine fraternity of France.