Charles Hardcastle, proprietor of Joseph Barnes Wines

Giving it up for Gaillac

Gaillac wines seem to be de rigueur, in our shop anyway, possibly due to the large number of customers who visited south west France during the summer, but also because the wines from the region have improved beyond recognition in the past decade.

Gaillac is situated to the north east of Toulouse and is one of the most original wine growing areas in France in every sense, as the Romans first planted vines as far back as the 1st century AD. The range of grapes and styles is amazing, the limestone slopes being used to grow the white grape varieties, while gravel areas are reserved for the red grapes.

The gently perfumed, slightly chalky Mauzac grape, for example, is especially versatile: it is resistant to rot, ripens late and is found in everything from sparkling wines (Gaillac sparklers were praised by the Provencal poet Auger Gaillard long before champagne was a twinkle in Dom Perignon’s eye) through dry to semi-sweet and even vin jaune. The other major variety is Len de l’El which means ‘far from the eye’ in Occitan.

The reds are made predominantly from two native varieties, Duras and Braucol although temptation to create a Bordeaux style has meant that grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet have crept into some blends. Of all the producers in Gaillac, Robert Plageoles is perhaps the most important. Mauzac is his passion and the accent is always on wines with purity and finesse.

The wines from Gaillac are hard to source locally, but here’s a trio of winners:

Domaine les Tres Cantous, Mauzac Nature NV – Robert Plageoles’ zesty sparkler. £17.99, Joseph Barnes Wines (01799 528019)

Domaine de Pialentou, Les Gentilles Pierres Blanc 2008 – A zippy blend of Sauvignon & Mauzac. £8.50, The Wine Society (01438 741177)

Chateau Clement-Termes, VDP Cotes du Tarn, Merlot-Duras 2010 – A light and charming red. £7.99, The Smiling Grape, St Neots (01480 403100)

Charles Hardcastle is proprietor of Joseph Barnes Wines, 13 Market Row, Saffron Walden CB10 1HB, 01799 528019, josephbarneswines.com. Runner-up, IWSC Independent Retailer Award 2010