Domaine Pierre Gaillard: Guide and presentation of the estate

Today, we'd like to introduce you to one of our partner estates: Pierre Gaillard estate.

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This estate is located in Malleva and a new producer in the Côte-Rôtie appellation. It was founded in 1986 with just 0.25 hectares of vines. Before setting up his own estate, Pierre Gaillard was experienced in everything to do with Côte-Rôtie. He a planted these first vines, which were used in Guigal's famous "La Turque" cuvée wines. Their cuvées are produced in the following appellations St Joseph and Côte-Rôtie.

 

History of the domain :

Domaine Pierre Gaillard was created in 1980. Pierre Gaillard always wanted to be a farmer, even though he didn't come from a farming background. He met some passionate people during his studies in Beaune who really gave him a taste for wine and the vine. He bought his first plot of St Joseph's (the Clos de Cuminaille) in 1981, he completely cleared and planted it (by hand!). At the time, he was working double-time for Domaine Vidal Fleury. (then Guigal when the house was bought) as crop manager. He continued to buy small plots, which he cleared and replanted. At the time, there were hardly any vines left in the Northern Rhône, and he participated with other winemakers in the rebirth and redefinition of these abandoned appellations. In 1986, he set up his own business and continued to expand his estate. A At that time, he worked on the PDO Condrieu, St Joseph and Côte Rôtie. Today, it has spread throughout the Rhône valley. (CrozesSt PerayCornas to boot) and even beyond, as he created a domain in Banyuls and Collioure (domain Madeloc) and Faugères (domain Cottebrune). Pierre Gaillard has always enjoyed rebuilding his vineyards, redoing the dry stone terraces on his hillsides. He also enjoys shaping the landscape. He has a great admiration for schist terroirs (found in Côte Rôtie, Faugères and Collioure)which add elegance and delicacy to the wines; and if they're on a slope, even better! 

Syrah is the grape variety of choice, the only red variety in the northern Rhône Valley. Its aromatic palette is very broad, and the tannins are supple and silky. But he wanted to get to grips with a totally different grape variety, Grenache, by going down to Languedoc and Roussillon. If at Collioure Grenache is the king of grape varieties, Pierre has planted Syrah grapes as he likes them, at Faugères. The appellation is truly the link between north and south, where Grenache and Syrah coexist in harmony.

The estate today : 

Pierre Gaillard's wife, although a schoolteacher, has always accompanied her husband in the development of his estate, and in his taste for wine. Over the years, they have passed on their passion for wine, gastronomy, travel and beautiful landscapes to their children. Thanks to their parents the values of work and the pleasure of creation. Each child had a different journey, but at some point they all chose to return to the estates and make the terroirs their own. Each in their own way, according to their own skills and desires, decided to join their parents, and together they created the Pierre Gaillard Family. Jeanne, the eldest, was the first in 2008, setting up her own estate and creating her own wines. Then it was the turn ofElise to help his parents in the south, in Collioure, where she y to quickly found its feet, and a ends up staying. Pierre-Antoine, the youngest of the family, then joined them, sailing between the different estates, bringing his taste and skills to the improvement of slope viticulture, common to all three regions.

 

The best wines from Domaine Pierre Gaillard: 

•  St Joseph red (terroir range) : 

This is the main cuvée, which brings together most of the vines found on different terroirs in St Joseph, but all located to the north of the appellation. These plots tend to be mechanizableon plateaus or fairly gentle hillsides, always well exposed. And Pierre likes advanced ripeness, so he picks his grapes without any vegetal notes, always on the fruit, at the risk of losing part of the harvest if weather conditions were to deteriorate. The result is a wine very typical of its appellation, with crisp fruit and silky tannins. (Pierre Gaillard's trademark!).

 

 

• St Joseph Clos de Cuminaille : 

 This is the very first parcel Pierre bought in 1981. It was a wasteland at the time, and he cleared it completely, planted it with Syrah and cultivated it. The first vintage was released in 1983, a Cuvée Jeanne, named after his first daughter. (born the following year during bottling!) then, little by little, this parcel was isolated, because of its remarkable consistency, and gave rise to the Clos de Cuminaille. As Pierre himself says, he doesn't know exactly why this clos produces such exceptional wines. The orientation and soil are no different from many other parcels, the slope is gentle, not necessarily impressive, but there you have it: the grapes are always more concentrated, with more depth, the tannins always silky, with depth and minimality, and Pierre knows how to express them. Cuminaille is always ready to drink as young as it is old. Le Clos de Cuminaille is located on a former farm dating back to Roman times.

 

• St Joseph Les Pierres :

 

This is the most impressive St Joseph cuvée, the most representative of the northern expression of St Josephs. It's particularly impressive because the hillside from which it springs is so impressive! A superb south-facing hillside in Côte Bellay, just below our house. (they've planted fig, almond and olive trees, and the prickly pear trees are growing there all by themselves!). It's hot here, with dry-stone granite walls holding back magnificent terraces, to prevent erosion on slopes averaging over 50 %. At the very bottom, a small wood protects the stream and the small meadow on the flat.. This exceptional terroir is reflected in this cuvée. It has the greatest ageing potential, the peppery expression of Northern Rhône Syrah, and the fullest, velvety tannins.

 

• Côte- Rôtie : 

A blend of the majority of our parcels on the hills of the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, this Côte Rôtie is what they want to represent the Côte Rôtie terroir most clearly: of the mineralitydelicate, fine tannins. Pierre has the ability to express this terroir both in its youth and over time. It will age easily 10 à 15 years old. The constant on all these plots is the slope! Beautiful schist slopes with gradients between 30 % and 50 %, dry-stone walls to retain the soil and prevent erosion. This exceptional terroir has always been Pierre's dream, and it's here that he finds the most elegant expression of Syrah. The 10 % from viogniers that line the vineyards are perhaps not to blame either!

 

•  Côte-Rôtie Esprit de Blonde : 

This cuvée comes from a parcel just a stone's throw from "Côte Blonde" on the hill of the same name. A magnificent narrow hillside of 50 ha (ares) where there are almost as many walls as vines, the soil is composed of gneiss, a fairly soft rock. 80ans (there are almost no viognier in the plot, which is quite rare on old vines).The slope is very steep, and the porters take turns harvesting! This exceptional landscape is expressed in this cuvée with great delicacy, suppleness and finesse, typical of the Côte Blonde.

 

• Côte- Rôtie Rose Pourpre :

In contrast to the Esprit de Blonde cuvée, there is the Rose Pourpre. In 1983, Pierre bought a plot of land on the Côte Brune hillside, at a place called Côte Rosier. À At the time, when he spotted this wasteland and tried to buy it from its owner, Côte-Rôtie land wasn't worth much. The owner offers to sell the plot for the price of repairing the roof of her house! And here was a transaction that made two happy! Like many of his plots, Pierre has completely cleared and planted this splendid steep brown schist hillside. He planted only Syrah. The resulting cuvée is powerful, velvety and suave, with incredible length and magnificent ageing potential. Here we find the full expression of the brown coast schists.

We hope you have enjoyed this article, you can discover our articles on other estates and order your Pierre Gaillard wines on the website :

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