September 14, 2023 - Featured Winemaker - No comment
Domaine Le Chapitre, Gaillac: Embracing Tranquility
Rte du Cayla, 81140 Andillac
In the heart of Gaillac, Tarn, the Domaine du Chapitre came into existence in 2018. Grégoire Aubrun, steward of 4 hectares of vineyards cultivating Mauzac, Loin de l’œil, Duras grapes, embraces an organic approach assisted by his mare, Coquette. Progress unfolds gradually, slowly, unhurried.
La combe du Chapitre
Nestled in the Vieux village, Grégoire Aubrun's vineyards carve a distinctive presence in the Gaillac surroundings. Here, at the outskirts of the Cordais plateau, the landscape, far from being flat, unfolds as a rounded tapestry of hills and slopes adorned with causses—Occitan for limestone terrains embellished with broom, juniper, small oaks, and thyme.
Grégoire's vineyards carpet the base of a combe. Stretching seamlessly and bordered by woodlands, these vineyards receive a touch less sunlight than their counterparts on the plateau just above—a "flaw" that, in the midst of contemporary scorching climates, might just evolve into a unique advantage. Yet, this advantage falters when frost strikes, as witnessed in 2021.
"I was drawn to this place from the start," explains Grégoire, finding solace in the quietude and seclusion of this locale, reachable only through a narrow trail.
The four hectares of vineyards host an array of ultra-local grape varieties: mauzac (1ha), loin de l’œil or lendelel (1ha), duras (0.6ha), with a dash of gamay (0.5ha). The remaining expanses lay fallow, a consequence of the inevitable uprooting mandated by the presence of the leafhopper—an insect bearer of the golden flavescence, a vine-killing disease. The uprooted plot now serves as a pasture for Coquette, the mare, and a donkey.
Finding His Place
Grégoire Aubrun's journey to finding his path and place involved a bit of wandering. A former actor turned away from Paris, ventured into West and North Africa, and later found himself immersed in the world of wine after a revelatory tasting of Gramenon's Poignée de Raisin. This initiated his wine journey, marked by the discovery of the "conviviality of wine fairs," encounters with the Puzelat family and their whites, the Clairet family in Arbois, and the Jousset family in the Loire. It was with the Joussets that he underwent the internship crucial for his viticultural vocational baccalaureate from the school in Amboise. The Tarn, a familiar backdrop from childhood vacations, combined with Bernard Plageole's enthusiasm, solidified his choice. This influential Gaillac winemaker facilitated Grégoire's integration into a vineyard often overlooked.
For Grégoire, Vieux became the chosen village. Although locating the vineyard proved relatively straightforward, navigating bureaucratic hurdles presented challenges. "But at the local SAFER, they reached out to all neighboring farmers, urging them to preempt and thwart my efforts. This needs to be acknowledged. For them, newcomers like me signify the end of traditional agriculture."
"A horse is a steadfast companion. I'm compelled to remain calm; she's like a sponge, absorbing my energy. And that, in turn, rejuvenates me."
Grégoire Aubrun, natural winemaker in Andillac
A Four-Legged Companion: Coquette
From the outset, Grégoire incorporated animal traction into his installation project. Utilizing a horse in vineyard work demands skill and dedication. "I hold a professional diploma as a 'cocher,' earned after a six-month training period and an apprenticeship." Today, Grégoire foregoes a tractor in favor of a splendid mare named Coquette. Coquette's roles are diverse—pulling the sprayer for treatments, tilling the soil, and during harvest, hauling grape crates. "It's undeniably a constraint," admits Grégoire. "Yet, I relish this connection with the living. For me, it's an additional element. A horse is a steadfast companion. I'm compelled to remain calm; she's like a sponge, absorbing my energy. And that, in turn, rejuvenates me."
Nevertheless, Grégoire encountered initial challenges. "The vineyards were in poor condition, and I found myself overwhelmed. Working with a horse slowed me down, resulting in a diminished harvest. Even now, four years on, making ends meet remains a struggle." In 2020, despite consistent assistance from fellow winemakers, his total wine production amounted to 72hl, translating to a yield of less than 20hl/ha—considerably below the regional average of approximately 60hl/ha. In 2021, frost drastically reduced his production to a mere 5hl. Yet, Grégoire persists. "I firmly believe it's better for the soil. And when I borrow a tractor, I detest the noise, the vibrations…"
Wine Production: A Journey of Patience and Serenity
Operating with such low-yielding vines led Grégoire to opt for the wine trade in 2020 and particularly 2021. In a typical year, he crafts four cuvées—two whites (Tezeta and La Ruée), two reds (Omnibus and Ras des Champs), along with a pet'nat (Le Mot Juste) in 2020. Tezeta 2020, named after an Ethiopian jazz standard, embodies a mauzac with a brief maceration, carefully curated for its freshness. "In it, I rediscover the harvest—the final day, bathed in sunlight," he muses. La Ruée represents a loin de l’œil cuvée vinified dry—a "thirst-quenching" wine. On the red spectrum, Omnibus combines all separately vinified grape varieties for a "more complex balance." "Ras des Champs" is created from duras grapes (known as Jamais Navigué when enriched with a hint of gamay). The 2022 season proved more generous in quantity but posed challenges during fermentation. The story continues.
In essence, the wines of Chapitre remain in a formative stage; Grégoire continues to "seek" his style and, above all, the grapes that define it. Yet, this phase seems to sit well with him. "I've observed Jura winemakers; there, it's a school of patience and serenity. They always advise patience." Meanwhile, this young winemaker has already made the deliberate choice to present his wines as "Vin de France," sidestepping the Gaillac appellation. "Out of convenience," he admits. "And also because I harbor a degree of skepticism regarding the appellation, which tends to downgrade wines that contribute to the vineyard's recognition... In people's minds here, wine often lacks the value it deserves. Some may argue that we're taking advantage, but the battle of my generation isn't centered around appellations…"
Where to find wines from Grégoire Aubrun, domaine le Chapitre ?
(non-exhaustive list)
- Gaillac : La Gabare, 5 Rue Saint-Pierre, 81600 Gaillac - 06 33 91 10 81
- Paris : La cave de Belleville, 51 Rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris - 01 40 34 12 95
- Paris : Rock Bottles, 22 Rue du Ruisseau, 75018 Paris - 09 52 17 84 43
- Marseille : La Source, 139 Bd Chave, 13005 Marseille - 06 65 20 85 28
- Lyon : JajaPower, 5 Quai Fulchiron, 69005 Lyon - 07 81 80 20 21
- Nantes : Maison Jaja, 14 bis Rue de Mayence, 44000 Nantes - 06 27 16 32 49
The Wines From Domaine Le Chapitre
White Wines '21 (négoce)
- Tezeta 2020, a mauzac with (brief) maceration, where Grégoire searched for freshness.
- La Ruée, a "thirst-quenching" wine made from the loin de l’œil or lendelel grape variety.
Red Wines '21 (négoce)
- Rebiscoulé ("revitalized" in Occitan), a blend of syrah-merlot-braucol, from grapes in conversion (2nd year) from the Gaillac region.
Rosés Wines '21 (négoce)
- Nom d’oiseau, a blend of syrah-sauvignon, grapes in conversion C2, from the region.
Red Wines from domaine le Chapitre
- Omnibus, a blend of all grape varieties from the estate (mauzac, loin de l’œil or lendelel, duras, gamay), vinified separately.
- Ras des Champs, made from duras grapes.
- Jamais Navigué, duras and gamay.
Bubbles from domaine le Chapitre
- Le Mot Juste 2020, a natural sparkling wine.
