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GAILLAC & THE TARNContinued…DOMAINE D’ESCAUSSES, DENIS BALARAN, GaillacThe serious side of Gaillac. Domaine d’Escausses is located halfway between Albi and the medieval village of Cordes.The climate is a balance of oceanic with Mediterranean influences. There are 26 hectares under vines for AOCproduction. The soil is a mixture of marne and sedimentary limestone and the vineyards are treated with organic andmineral-based manures. La Vigne de l’Oubli, from a mixture of fifteen to fifty year old vines, is a barrel-fermentedblend of Sauvignon (50%), Mauzac and Muscadelle spending twelve months on the lees in new oak and has a subtleflavour of dried fruits and curry spices. The Cuvée des Drilles, mainly juicy Duras (75%) with some Fer, with itsbright peppery notes, hints of Seville orange, bitter cherry and appealing suppleness in the mouth, is one for the ladsand ladettes after a hard day’s harvesting, the sort of red that we need to drink for medicinal quenching purposes.La Croix Petite, named after a small stone cross in the vineyard, is a dark powerful blend of 50% Fer, 25% Syrah,15% Merlot and 10% Cab Sauv raised in a mixture of new oak (1/3) and one year old Allier oak barrels. The mint andvanilla is plummed (sic) in now, the terroir will do its phantom of the opera routine later. A fair accompaniment to SirLoin of Steak. The Cuvée Vigne Mythique (100% Fer Servadou) has merited its soubriquet by harvesting another coupde coeur from the Guide Hachette. This cuvée confidentielle was created for a restaurant in Albi and undergoes anelevage for one year in futs de chêne (Allier oak for some, American oak for the rest) with renewal of barrels everyfour years. The nose is enchanting: coffee, ink and warm gravel and lovely wild mint notes. Beautifully supple andcreamy in the mouth with the oak beautifully offset by pure acidity and delicious fresh berry fruit flavours.“Notre région a tout pour séduire : un paysage doux et vert, fait de coteaux et d’ondulations de terres, avec ici et là,de petits bois, des champs de colza, de blé ou de tournesol, délimités par des haies de genets, de chênes ou degenévriers...Quand au climat, il convient lui aussi à la perfection à la culture de la vigne. Clément, avec des hivers peu rigoureux,des étés chauds et des automnes ensoleillés, il est la conjugaison subtile et sanvante de deux alternances: l’uneocéanique, stable et forte, l’autre méditerranéenne, chantante et fantasque. A l’image de nos vins.”You can certainly taste the country in these wines.2010 GAILLAC BLANC “LA VIGNE DE L’OUBLI” W2012 GAILLAC ROUGE “CUVEE DES DRILLES” R2010 GAILLAC ROUGE “LA CROIX PETITE” RThe Fer Servadou menu – Château de SalettesAumoniere of char and pikeperch crystallised,brunch of salad with pestoBaked back of grey mullet with tea,blette in gratin, green with garlicorFowl breast with crayfish, American sauce,falling of spinach- 26 -