Chateau de Rhodes Gaillac Brut is such great fun, a sparkling wine of real character from this interesting little corner of France. This wine undergoes natural fermentation in the bottle and so there is a touch of residual sugar that remains. With fine, persistent bubbles this has a beautiful floral nose with granny smith and apple pie flavours, finishing just off-dry and fresh. Delicious!
Somewhat off the beaten wine track now, but wine was being produced in Gaillac by the Romans long before vines were planted in Bordeaux or Burgundy, and it is home to some of France’s most unusual grape varieties. This organic, Mauzac-based, bottle-fermented fizz is wonderfully off-dry with fresh apple fruit and a light, soft finish. Enjoy with or without sunshine, before, during, or after you eat.
Also known as Méthode Gaillacoise, this involves a single fermentation with no additional sugar or dosage being introduced. Along with Limoux, Gaillac can easily claim to be one of the pioneers of what modern winemakers call pétillant naturel The fermentation is stopped by a series of rackings and the wine is bottled with some residual sugar so any sweetness in the finished wine comes from the grapes. After several months, the natural sugar starts to re-ferment and this produces the sparkle. The process requires great skill and inevitably, care to achieve the correct pressure and stability but the wines are truly original.