Château de Gaure > Languedoc - Roussillon

Château de Gaure > Languedoc - Roussillon > France

Former director of Crowncork, a leading Belgian corporation specialized in packaging, Pierre Fabre sold his company in 2001. A trained engineer, he decided to realize his dream and make quality wine in the Languedoc - his father made bulk wine in the Gard, a department in Southern France. In 2004, Pierre found and purchased the Château de Gaure, an estate just 30 minutes south of Carcassonne, with 200 ha of land and an 18th century house in the middle. The property dates back to prehistoric times and was once the site of an ancient Oppidum -a large defended Iron Age settlement. Numerous relics have been found scattered throughout the property. Pierre currently owns 20ha in Limoux (mostly Chardonnay, with Chenin Blanc, a little Mauzac, and new plantings of Pinot Noir) and 30 ha in the Roussillon (mostly Syrah, Grenache and Carignan), including in Tautavel, Lastours and Maury (going into the Languedoc appellation). The total production is 60,000 bottles and growing.

In addition to being an accomplished winemaker, Pierre is also a talented artist. His sculptures are disseminated through his property, and his paintings adorn the walls of the cellar, the chapel he renovated, and the unique labels he creates each vintage. Not only is the wine itself a work of art, the bottle is also truly a distinct representation of Pierre and his artistic vision. Pierre once said, “painting has always been a way to escape to a better world”.

Farming practices/vinification: organic. The parcels used for the white are certified organic since 2007. The parcels used for the reds are either certified organic or in conversion. Pierre always is the last one to harvest in Limoux - sometimes at the end of October: he looks for perfect maturity, and his organically farmed grapes are more resistant to diseases. Everything is hand-harvested. In the cellar, only indigenous yeasts are used. The fermentation can be very long, sometimes 3 to 6 months. Very little sulfite is added: 1gr per hectoliter at pressing, before the fermentation, to avoid bacteria then 1 gr at bottling. Total: 20 to 25 mg sulfite per hectoliter. The wines are not fined and vegan.

Château de Gaure Website

Oppidum

AOP Limoux.
70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin, 10% Mauzac - 40 year old vines. The Chardonnay gives structure, the Chenin brings acidity, complexity and floral notes while the Mauzac provides freshness and apple/pear notes.
The grapes are hand picked in small boxes and manually sorted in the cellar before pressing. Fermented and aged on the lees in new French oak barrels for 8 to 12 months. Light filtering before bottling. 1300 cases produced.

Limoux Blanc

90% Chardonnay, 5% Chenin, 5% Mauzac. The grapes are hand picked in small boxes and manually sorted in the cellar before pressing. Fermented with native yeasts and aged on the lees in 1 to 8 year old French oak barrels for 9 months. Goes through malolactic fermentation. Light filtering before bottling. 1333 cases produced. 14% alcohol.

Languedoc Rouge

60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Carignan.
The grapes are hand picked in small boxes and manually sorted in the cellar before being destemmed and pressed. They are then fermented with native yeasts in unlined concrete tanks, and aged 12 months in 3 to 10 year old barrels. Light filtering before bottling. 12,000 bottles produced. 14% alcohol.

Pour Mon Père

AOP Languedoc.
The cuvées is named in homage to Pierre's father, who passed away in 2009. 55% Carignan and 5% Grenache, both from 80 years old vines - 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, both from 30 years old vines.
Soil: Granite, schist and limestone.
The grapes are hand-harvested in small boxes and manually sorted in the cellar before being destemmed and pressed. They are then fermented with native yeasts in unlined concrete tanks, before being blended and aged in new and older French oak barrels for 12 months. Light filtering before bottling. 10,800 bottles produced. 14% alcohol.