Paris1972-Versailles2003

And I bring you to a dear area of our family, I was taken here immediately upon meeting my girlfriend who later would be my dear late wife Martine back in 1990, Of course, we have been many times in the region and even visit some cousins always a dear memorable spot for me more so now, This is Gaillac in the Tarn dep 81 of the region of Occitanie in my belle France. Gaillac is only 5 km from Montans, 18 km from Albi, 50 km from Toulouse, 27 km from Lavaur , and 20 km from Graulhet, all memorable family towns (see posts), It is ,also, 731 km from my house now, I need to tell you a bit more on the wines of Gaillac !!! we love and dear to us as many times family have offered bottles ! This is a wonderful laidback country town but with some of the best wines of France me think, This post will be in my black and white series, no pictures.  Hope you enjoy the post as I.

We have drank it since 1990 in our house, You won’t go wrong with any of those shown in this post. The wine center is at the historical Abbaye Saint Michel , by place St Michel and behind it the river Tarn flowing freely ;it is also the tourist office, and a museum. Built in 972 and rebuilt in 1221,it is very nice to visit for the architecture alone. The Maison des Vins or House of Wines couldn’t be simpler. Just head for the Abbey Saint-Michel. This is the perfect place for you to discover more than 100 different Gaillac wines and offer plenty of help and advice. The tasting cellar is the biggest shop window for Gaillac wines. Every week, a tasting of fifteen or so wines is organised. People with great expertise in wine are here to welcome and advise you. They can also help you plan your visits to individual wine producers, and you can take part in courses and workshops that will help you learn about wine tasting and how best to appreciate wine. Learn how to understand the different notes and uncover the secrets of which wines match A must to visit !! Gaillac is an AOC designation in the southwest of France.

A bit of history I like as close to the wines as possible ; tell us that the town probably owes its creation to the Gauls, before the arrival of the Romans and its development by the monks of the Saint-Michel Abbey. Historians of wine, consider that Gaillac is the oldest vineyard in France. Its origins most likely go back to before the Roman occupation as vestiges of vinaire pottery dating from the 2C BC were discovered in Montans, on the left bank of the Tarn river, The foundation of the Abbey Saint-Michel in 972 is made thanks to a donation of land from the bishop of Albi to endow the new Abbey of livelihoods. This date also marks the official foundation of the city of Gaillac, although the name already existed. Indeed, in 654, Saint Didier, bishop of Cahors, bequeathed by will several villas of which he was the owner. One of them was Gailhac, medieval spelling of the Gaillac of today Gaillac, on the right bank of the Tarn,was the domains of the Count of Toulouse , and the left bank belongs to the Trencavel, Viscounts of Albi. The Albi vineyard belonged to the bishop of Albi. The consuls of Gaillac and Rabastens established in 1221 a charter of respect for good wine practices ranging from the selection of grape varieties and terroirs to the choice of barrel woods via the harvest. The Ecclesiastical Domain of the Saint-Michel Abbey is sold as National Property by the revolutionaries following the Decree of the Property of the Clergy made available to the Nation from 1789 during the French revolution, The Cellars of the Abbey are taken by merchants, and used for the storage of wine, pending the right period for the departure of the wine on gabarres (boats), because the Tarn is indeed not navigable all year round. The Abbey of Saint-Michel is now hosting the Gaillac Wine House, the tourist office as well as the abbey museum.

The AOC Gaillac on both sides of the Tarn, the vineyard extends over 63 towns. Its diversity of terroirs , premières côtes, hauts coteaux, plaine makes it possible to offer a wide range of wines: red, dry or sweet white (including vendanges tardives or late harvests), rosés, mousseux ,and perlant (aka perles). The appellation also owes its originality to its local grape varieties, such as mauzac, l’ondenc, le len de l’el or le duras. Exposed to the south, on the first slopes of the right bank of the Tarn, the premières côtes give round, elegant and long white wines, products with small yields. The Gaillac vineyard extends over 60 km. It begins east of Albi, in Cunac, and continues to Saint-Sulpice to the west, along the Tarn Valley. From north to south, it begins in Mouzieys-Panens, north of Cordes-sur-Ciel to finish south of the Busque hillsides, north of Graulhet, 40 km further south. The grape harvest is generally made of the harvesting machine for red grapes and white grapes intended for the development of dry white wine. However, gamay intended for early wine and white grape varieties intended for sparkling wine Gaillacoise method must be harvested manually , and for the production of sweet wines, certain areas practice selective sorting. Recap : Grapes ! White, rosé, red 4 to 5 years white and rosé to drink young . Main grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Duras, Fer-Servadou ,Gamay, Len de l’el , Loin de l’œil , Mansois ,Mauzac Merlot ,Muscadelle ,Ondenc, Pinenc ,Sauvignon, Sémillon, Shiraz and Syrah.

The caves de Gaillac cellars brings together 750 members who come to vinify and market 25,000 hectoliters per year with three cooperative ,Labastide de Lévis in 1949, and Rabastens and Técou in 1953 (we shopped in the latter two Técou is now Vinovalie). The winegrowers who have small areas and other productions can bring their harvest to the coop which provides vinification. The reputation of its white wines earned it a classification in AOC in 1938, and that of rosés and reds was acquired in 1970. This barrel was the tourist office when we started visiting the town, now no longer here for the memories of always!

Created in 1947, the literary and gastronomic society « La confrérie albigeoise de Rabelais » or the Albigensian brotherhood of Rabelais has, within it, a section called « confrérie de la Dive Bouteille » which ensures the maintenance of regional gastronomic and wine traditions. Under the impetus of the mayor of Gaillac, Jean Calvet, poet in his spare time, admission rules were published and, in 1968, it added to her name that of Gaillac. The meetings of this bachic brotherhood take place the third and fourth Saturday in November, when the Gaillac Primeur are released. It, also participates in the Gaillac wine festival.

I could not finish this post without telling about my favorite bottles over the years, and still today purchase them as well as  family gifts, Do try them , they are delicious !!!

Château Clement Termes 1992 ; Château d’Escabes Prestige 2002 and 2002,  Château Jean Cros tradition perleclaire 2004, Domaine d’Escausses 1993, and Domaine Lacroux 1992

The Tarn dept 81 tourist office on the festival : https://www.tourisme-tarn.com/uk/agenda/gaillac-wine-festival/

The official brotherhood of the Gaillac bottle : http://www.divegaillac.fr/index1.html

The official wines of Gaillac: https://www.vins-gaillac.com/?legal=1

Les Vignobles du Sud Ouest ( the South West vineyards ) therefore Gaillac : https://www.vignobles-sudouest.fr/us/project/pdo-gaillac/

There you go folks, a wonderful wine region of my belle France. The wine region and its many other attributes are dear to my family, and we have spent quite a bit of time in it from several years already even from before settling in France as family on wife’s father’s side is from here. Again, hope you enjoy the wines of Gaillac as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!