Region: Gaillac, France
Varietals: 80% Mauzac, 20% Muscadelle
Tasting Notes: This wine is rich and slightly honeyed with a nose of extreme minerals and earth and a balance of raciness and richness on the palate. The word “Perlé” indicates a slight prickle of nearly imperceptible bubbles in the wine.
When fermentation reached 90% completion, the wine was chilled below 10° C to preserve the remaining carbon dioxide from fermentation, thus imbuing the wine with its “perlé” texture: the faintest sensation of a spritz.
Pairing: Enjoy on its own as an aperitif. Or, it’s also a glorious pairing with rich and spicy foods; think jalepeño poppers like this Jalapeño Poppers by Alexa Weibel recipe, Indian Vindaloo, Korean spicy pork, mapo tofu, or Thai curries.
About: Gaillac is the second oldest known vineyard area in France after Narbonne. A vibrant city in its own right, the larger and also ancient city of Albi can be seen from the vineyards. The grand crus of ancient Gaul were once planted here as Gaillac has an ideal climate with the convergence of winds from Mediterranean Africa and the cool Atlantic.
The ancient winery that produced this wine goes by the name Mas d’Oustry and has been in Nathalie Larroque’s family since 1540. Here, Nathalie and Rémi Larroque tend to old varietals such as Prunel’Art, Fer Servadou (also known as Braucol), Duras, Mauzac, and Loin de L'Oeil. The estate makes just 90,000 bottles (including 10,000 bottles of Gaillac Perlé), and all farming is sustainable, HVE Level 3-Certified.
