Chateau de Gaure, Limoux

Former director of Crowncork, a leading Belgian corporation specialized in packaging, Pierre Fabre sold his company in 2001. A trained engineer, he decided to realize his dream and make quality wine in the Languedoc – his father made bulk wine in the Gard, a department in Southern France. In 2004, Pierre found and purchased the Château de Gaure, an estate just 30 minutes south of Carcassonne, with 200 ha of land and an 18th century house in the middle. The property dates back to prehistoric times and was once the site of an ancient Oppidum -a large defended Iron Age settlement. Numerous relics have been found scattered throughout the property. Pierre currently owns 20ha in Limoux (mostly Chardonnay, with Chenin Blanc, a little Mauzac, and new plantings of Pinot Noir) and 30 ha in the Roussillon (mostly Syrah, Grenache and Carignan), including in Tautavel, Lastours and Maury (going into the Languedoc appellation). The total production is 60,000 bottles and growing.

In addition to being an accomplished winemaker, Pierre is also a talented artist. His sculptures are disseminated through his property, and his paintings adorn the walls of the cellar, the chapel he renovated, and the unique labels he creates each vintage. Not only is the wine itself a work of art, the bottle is also truly a distinct representation of Pierre and his artistic vision. Pierre once said, “painting has always been a way to escape to a better world”.

Farming practices/vinification: certified organic, following biodynamic principles. Pierre always is the last one to harvest in Limoux – sometimes at the end of October: he looks for perfect maturity, and his organically farmed grapes are more resistant to diseases. Everything is hand-harvested. In the cellar, only indigenous yeasts are used. The fermentation can be very long, sometimes 3 to 6 months. Very little sulfite is added: 1gr per hectoliter at pressing, before the fermentation, to avoid bacteria then 1 gr at bottling. Total: 20 to 25 mg sulfite per hectoliter. The wines are not fined and vegan.

We met Pierre at a wine fair in Paris in February 2020. We had been tasting wines for 4 days straight and the last flight of wines we rtasted on Tuesday evening before boarding a train for Charles de Gaulles airport was Pierre's wines. They were the best wines we tried in 4 days, and we are really excited that we have brought them to Ireland. They are masterful - for example - In Pierre's Chardonnay, there is 30% Chenin Blanc and it creates enough of an oily texture, while the 70% Chardonnay sings from the front. It is a joy to have and taste these wines.