Lot presentation

Gaillac Braucol Plageoles 2021

The wine

Braucol, a native grape variety of the Basque Country in Spain, is also known as Mansois or Fer Servadou. The vines of this iconic and authentic south-western grape variety, from two separate parcels, grow on clayey-siliceous and clayey-limestone soils. Thanks to ‘gobelet’ pruning, each vine produces grapes and buds of the highest quality. After the manual harvest, the Braucol grapes from the first parcel are destemmed and vinified in concrete vats. The other parcel is vinified in whole bunches under carbonic maceration. Regular pumping over is performed at the beginning of the spontaneous fermentation to oxygenate the yeasts. When fermentation is complete, the contents of both vats are blended together. The cuvée is then bottled without filtration after six months’ ageing in vats.
The ruby-red colour unveils a delicate, refined bouquet with hints of small black berries. The perfectly balanced palate is beautifully complemented by smooth tannins leading to a long, persistent finish.

About the Producer Plageoles

Domaine de Plageoles is a wine estate in south-west France, specifically in the Gaillac appellation. Founded at the start of the 19th century by Jules Plageoles, it’s now the seventh generation running things: brothers Florent and Romain Plageoles. The 25-hectare estate is cultivated using organic methods and boasts exceptional vegetation; this includes native grape varieties like Mauzac, Ondenc, Prunelart, and Verdanel. Plageoles has been instrumental in bringing these grape vines back to life within a region that had become dominated by internationally recognised grapes. In the cellar, the vinification processes are as low intervention as possible, using native yeasts and very little added sulphur. The domain crafts a variety of wine, including dry whites, dessert wines, reds, orange cuvées, oxidative wines, and even sparkling! The result is stunning, an instant favourite for the team.