Domaine Gayrard, between Albi and Cordes sur Ciel
Our history
Domaine Gayrard is located on a limestone plateau with shallow, stony soils, close to Cordes sur Ciel, the northern limit of the Gaillac vineyards. This limestone plateau (around 300m above sea level), the last foothill of the Causses du Quercy, stretches like a promontory close to the city of Albi, over which it seems to watch…
After centuries of wine production on the estate, it was in the 1950s that Maurice Gayrard began producing and marketing bottled wine. The Gayrard & Cie brand, under which we market our wines today, was born!
At the time, Domaine Gayrard was one of the very first producers of bottled wine in the Gaillac vineyards. Since 2013, the winegrowing story continues: after converting the family estate to cereal growing for almost 30 years, we have decided to replant vines on the land of our ancestors.
Today, Domaine Gayrard extends over 12 hectares of vines where the native Gaillac grape varieties flourish: Mauzac, Loin de l’oeil, Ondenc, Duras, Braucol…
Our terroir, our vines, our approach
Situated on a Jurassic limestone plateau swept by the Autan wind, our land benefits from the influence of the Mediterranean and oceanic climates, which are particularly conducive to the cultivation of vines and black truffles, which are proudly produced on the estate.
Our vineyards benefit from two different types of soil. Our cool, draining clay-limestone soils produce fruity red wines that combine roundness and finesse. As for the superficial limestone soils of the estate’s historic plots, where our white grape varieties are grown, they lend a lively, refreshing acidity to our wines.
Anxious to draw the best expression from our terroir and preserve it, we made the choice to convert the vineyard to organic farming in 2016. Similarly, to support the return of greater biodiversity to our land and strengthen our vines, we have turned to Biodynamics since 2019, applying compost, horn dung and silica preparations to our vines and soils, developing the use of nettle and horsetail teas and essential oils.
We are gradually replanting hedges and copses to divide up our plots and create small, diversified groups, and are gradually reintroducing mixed farming on our land.
Today, the estate boasts 12 hectares of productive vines, on which we work with a dynamic focus on quality. We use gentle pruning techniques and harvest by hand, as well as de-budding, manual leaf-thinning, bunch-pinning and green harvesting when necessary, in the hope of achieving an optimal harvest from both a sanitary and organoleptic point of view.
In the cellar
All our grapes are harvested by hand. We use gravity-fed harvesting and conveyor belts to preserve the integrity of the grapes until pressing or vatting.
Each plot/grape variety is vinified separately to bring out the best in each site.
All our wines are fermented by indigenous yeasts, naturally present on the grape skins. We do not use any commercial yeasts, so as not to alter the expression of our terroirs.
Our wines, most of which are unfiltered and unfined, are protected by a slight addition of sulfites before bottling.
We use a wide variety of ageing methods, depending on the grape variety and wine profile; from stainless steel or concrete vats, to foudres or barrels, and even amphorae!
Fine, convivial wines
Keen to highlight the identity of the Gaillac vineyards, we have developed a range of wines essentially made from single grape varieties, in order to showcase ancestral native varieties such as Loin de l’oeil, Mauzac, Ondenc, Braucol and Duras.
What we want…
– Produce cuvées marked by conviviality and sharing.
– Observe, take things one step at a time, and never hesitate to challenge yourself in order to make fine, pure, emotional wines.
– To offer wines with identity, authenticity and respect for the soil, the people who make them and those who drink them.
– Create, experiment and renew whenever possible, because every year is a new challenge!
The team
Domaine Gayrard is a team of 4 permanent employees: Elodie, Marius, Philippe and Pierre. Not forgetting Oscar, our faithful 4-legged bellhop.
For the many manual tasks we carry out all year round in our vineyards, we choose to encourage local employment, employing people living in our area, whether young, multi-skilled or retired.
During the harvest, we call on more than 20 pickers!
