Domaine des Terrisses Gaillac Rouge 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Grape(s): 50% Braucol, 30% Duras and 20% Prunelard/Syrah

Localization: Gaillac, France

Tasting Notes: This blend is expressive with aromas of dark berries, spice and peppers. On the palate the wine is rich and flavorful with a powerful acidity, firm tannins and a wonderful concentration of savory flavors balanced with bright fruit.

Notes: The red grapes for this cuvee are planted in the mid-slope on soils that are largely erosional, yet have a rich clay component. Each variety is harvested and fermented separately with maceration lasting around thirteen days. During this period, “remontage” (pumping over) is carried out twice daily. Racking takes place during the winter and the blending is done in the spring. The wine is held in tank for a year before bottling.

Food Pairing: Enjoy with rustic meat dishes or grilled sausage, peppers and onions. 

The Domain: Spread out around the town of Albi, the Gaillac vineyards extend over 73 communes along the Tarn river. The appellation includes significantly different terroirs, the results of different geological strata, which include limestone plateaus, hillside vineyards with limestone and clay soils, and alluvial plains with soils of gravel and sand. The climate is more Mediterranean than Atlantic and the vineyards benefit from warm and dry autumn. The wines have a balance of concentration and restraint that is rare and the appellation’s local grape varieties contribute to the originality of Gaillac’s wines.

Domaine des Terrisses has been the property of the Cazottes family since 1750. Alain and Brigitte Cazottes, like the generations before them, have expanded the estate which now includes 40 hectares of vineyards. In the 1960s and 1970s, Alain’s father was among a small group of Gaillacois vignerons to produce estate-bottled wines which focused on quality and authenticity. Alain and Brigitte continue in the same vein. The vineyard is situated along the “Premiere Cotes” of Gaillac, the hillsides facing south-southwest toward the Tarn River with predominantly clay soils that Alain says are similar to those found in the Medoc. The majority of the vineyard is planted with the traditional grape varieties of the region; Mauzac and Loin de L’oeil for the whites and Braucol, Duras and Prunelard for the reds. The balance is planted with Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. Domaine des Terrisses offers a wide range of wines which is typical of the Gaillac appellation and is a reminder of the region’s long tradition of wine production which predates the Roman conquest two thousand years ago.