Domaine Philémon Braucol Rouge 2022

Location: France, Sud-Ouest

Winemaker: Mathieu Vieules

Grapes: Braucol

Soil: calcareous

Winemaking: native yeast fermentation, bottled unfiltered

From the Importer Wine Traditions: ‘Croix d’Azal’ is produced from a one-hectare parcel of Braucol planted by Mathieu in 2003. Braucol is the name used in Gaillac for the Fer Servadou grape. This cuvée is a wonderful expression of Braucol showing its typical woodsy floral aromas and spiciness. The word “braucol” derives from the root “brau” which in Girondin patois signifies taureau, the bull. The Croix d’Azal is no raging bull but one who lives peacefully in the pasture content to smell the flowers.

Domaine Philémon is located in Villeneuve-sur-Vere, a small village on the Vere river in between Albi and Cordes in the northeast quadrant of the Gaillac appellation. The Vieules family have had a vineyard in Villeneuve since 1804. Today the vineyard is run by Mathieu Vieules who grows wheat, sunflowers and grapes in equal proportions. All his land is farmed organically with the vineyard being certified in 2013. The domain takes its name from Mathieu’s great-grandfather, Philemon, who in 1914 was the first generation to produce wine commercially. In 2003 Mathieu became the first to estate bottle his family’s wines. Along with his other crops, Mathieu has twenty hectares of vineyards in production along the Cordes plateau on south facing slopes with a calcerous soil. They are planted almost entirely to the traditional Gaillac grape varieties: Loin de L’oeil, Mauzac and Muscadelle for the whites, and Braucol (Fer Servadou), Duras, Prunelart and Jurançon Noir for the reds. The vines are largely trained in the gobelet fashion meaning that they are head pruned and yields are kept exceedingly low; 40 hl/h for the whites and 30hl/h for the reds. A good proportion of the vines are more than fifty years old and the harvest is done entirely by hand. In addition to being certified organic the domain is a member of Nature et Progrès, an organization that certifies natural wine. The bottles are sealed with a crown cap.