Gaillac
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Varieties of interest
Terroir
Natural factors
- Zone on a Tertiary (Eocene–Oligocene) substratum of the 'golfe de l'Albigeois', eroded by the Tarn and its tributaries
- Climate under dual influence: oceanic (mild winter and spring rainfall) and Mediterranean (hot, dry summers and a clement autumn) (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- The vent d'Autan, a warm, dry south-easterly wind, blows in spells of 3, 6, or 9 days, drying out cryptogamic diseases
Human factors
- The Gaillac 'méthode ancestrale': a single fermentation in tank, slowed by cold temperatures and filtration, then spontaneously resuming in bottle in spring with no liqueur de tirage added
Product characteristics
- Late-harvest white wines: aromas of dried or candied fruits and honey, with a balance of acidity, alcohol, and richness that builds in complexity
- Sparkling wines made by the 'méthode ancestrale': fine bubbles, abundant mousse, and the apple aromas characteristic of the mauzac B variety
Terroir / wine link
- The vent d'Autan causes natural on-vine passerillage of len de l'el, the dominant variety in late-harvest wines (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 7 septembre 2025
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — Maison des Vins de Gaillac