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.

Duras, a black grape variety from the Tarn region, results from an interspecies interbreeding of Tressot and Savagnin. The Domaine Plageoles Duras vines flourish on soils consisting of clay and limestone. Meticulously pruned using the ‘gobelet’ method (forming four arms around a central base to distribute and aerate the clusters), each vine develops numerous buds, producing a high-quality raw material. The Duras grapes are hand-picked at peak ripeness and vinified in concrete vats. The vinification process, the grapes are entirely destemmed and vatted for 15 days. The cuvée is subsequently aged in cement vats, bottled and left to rest for a further year before being ready to drink.
The red colour complemented by garnet reflections unveils a nose characterised by white pepper aromas combined with hints of liquorice and violet. The rich, velvety palate reveals a superb balance of fine minerality and delicate acidity.