Gaillac wines have been developed since antiquity and flourished in the Middle Ages. Long shunned, the indigenous grape varieties of Gaillac are once again being put in the spotlight, thanks in particular to a new generation of passionate young winegrowers. A new wind is blowing on the hills of Occitan Tuscany.
The Gaillac countryside awakens all your senses
Throughout the seasons, the Gaillac vineyards draw superb plots of land with changing colours, tinged with red and orange when summer passes, covered with a white veil when winter comes and then with a flamboyant green in the summer. At each time of year, the landscapes are a feast for the eyes and subtle scents reminiscent of mushroom picking in the woods or the sweet flowering of spring fill the air.
A glimpse into History
Vitis Vinifera
If Gaillacois is an ancient vineyard, there is a good reason: it is because the region is ideal for growing vines! The undeniable proof is the existence, in the Grésigne forest, of "Vitis Vinifera" the Latin name for wild vine, a plant that existed long before man.
But there you have it, if the vine existed, the Gauls drank… beer. Because the culture of the vine was developed thanks to the contribution of the Phoenicians, the Phocaeans and the Romans.
In Roman times, the Gaillac terroir was among the first worthy of the name, along with Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. The vine found here, on the edge of the Tarn Valley, in the northwest of the current department, an ideal terrain: the Mediterranean influence, the oceanic humidity and the beneficial contribution of the Autan wind. The archaeological site of Montans reveals the production of amphorae intended for the storage and transport of wine, testifying to their use in Gallo-Roman times.
The Middle Ages: a European influence
In 920, Archdeacon Benebert made a donation of vines to the Canon of Albi in the current commune of Gaillac. In 951 in Vieux, a colony of monks gave their vassals land to plant with vines. Finally, in 972, the Bishop of Albi gave the Abbot of Saint-Michel the town of Gaillac and the surrounding vineyards. The involvement and organization of the monks in the development of the vineyard were decisive, as was the proximity of the Tarn, the main tool for the influence of Gaillac wines in Europe.
Even the English during the Hundred Years' War appreciated Gaillac wines, and Richard III regularly ordered a barrel of "mustum et muslum" (unfermented must and wine mixed with honey). Henry III had 20 barrels imported per year. Raymond III and the Counts of Toulouse, the kings of France, from Philip the Fair to Louis XVI, including Francis I, all praised these wines that had grown and matured on the banks of the Tarn.
The Rooster Mark, one of the first quality charters
In order to guarantee the quality of their production, Gaillac wines were the first to establish a "quality charter" prohibiting blending, imposing strict production rules, including the use of pigeon droppings, an excellent fertilizer at the time (which explains the importance of dovecotes in this area).
They created what is most likely the first commercial brand in the wine world: "les vins du coq" (cock wines) engraved on the barrels. This brand, used since 1397, was recognized in 1501; the INAO (National Institute of Controlled Appellations) was not created until 1935! The rooster thus became the emblem of the city, which explains its presence on the municipal logo.
A success stopped in its tracks
This exceptional vineyard was built with sometimes very particular grape varieties, such as "braucol", "prulart" or "loin de l'oeil" and a recognized requirement for quality. The wars of religion put a stop to the economic dynamism of the region. The Bordeaux region then took advantage of its privileged geographical location and the play of alliances to impose harsh restrictions on Gaillac wines, until the Edict of Turgot in 1776. The phylloxera crisis was catastrophic for the region, and the two world wars completed the picture. The rooster brand was gradually abandoned and the reputation suffered.
The new wave
At the head of the new wave of winegrowers, the Plageoles estate, a key figure in the vineyard with the pink, green, white and black Mauzac, the Verdanel, the Ondec and so many other grape varieties that almost disappeared. It is the stubbornness of this family that has allowed the preservation of these endemic and emblematic grape varieties of Gaillac.
But a domain does not constitute a movement. Winegrowers settled in the 80s: vines managed organically and without adding inputs to the winemaking. Perceived as real UFOs, they persisted before being joined by a new wave in the 2000s, which is growing to this day. These new generations of winegrowers have breathed life over the years into another way of making wine, less traditional and closer to the grape varieties and the terroir. Two associations embody this new wave: Nature & Progress et Lands of Gaillac.
Visit the Gaillac vineyard estates
