Domaine de Galouchey - 'Vin de Jardin' - Bordeaux Blend - Bordeaux, FR - 2017 - 1500ml

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Simply put - one of the most delicious and happily undiscovered Bordeaux estates doing it! This is in Entre Deux Mer - not generally considered interesting terroir - but in this case the virgin vineyard is farmed as a true garden and has been capable of spitting out some of my favorite red fruit - periodt. -Drew Merlot (83%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%), Petit Verdot (2%), Carmenère (1%); and, in the aggregate, less than 3% of Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Semillion. .94 ha. planted 2002; 6200/ha Organic; all work manual; virgin soil -- never before used for agriculture so no history of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer 39hl/ha Each of the nine varieties is separately harvested by hand, manually de-stemmed (berry by berry), no crushing, the must is principally free-run. Each is separately fermented in stainless steel over indigenous yeasts. No extraction, with limited pumping- over only to keep the cap moist. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the young wine is racked into stainless vats where malolactic fermentation begins ; then racked again into 1-year old Bordeaux barrels to age for 16-18 months. There is no fining and only a “nominal”, light filtration at 3 microns. --- Domaine de Galouchey is a micro-estate, .94 hectare, located in the Libournais region of Bordeaux. Winemaker and owner Marco Pelletier mischievously names his wine vin de jardin to contrast with vins de garage(garagistes). He thus emphasizes not only that the Galouchey vineyard is essentially a small garden but also underscores that wines properly derive from nature, not from a garage.

Marco Pelletier, a French Canadian from Montreal, is one of the best-known and respected sommeliers in France. He trained at Michel Rostang beginning in 1999, then, in 2003, became chef sommelier first at three-star Taillevent and, in 2008, at the three-star Epicure, all in Paris. Among other activities, Marco presently owns and operates the much-celebrated bistro Vantre in Paris’ fashionable 11th arrondisement.

The Domaine vines were planted in 2002 on virgin land that had never been cultivated. Thus it has never known either fertilizer, pesticide or any other chemical application. The viticulture is moreover completely organic, and the vineyard is worked entirely by hand. The vines are planted at a density of 6200/ha and yield 39hL/ha.

Each of the nine varieties is separately harvested by hand at ideal phenolic ripeness. The grapes are manually de-stemmed, berry by berry. Since there is no foulage (crushing), the must is principally free-run, with the addition of some pure juice from a soft horizontal pressing of the marc. Each variety is separately fermented in stainless steel (to avoid addition of sulphur) over indigenous yeasts. Marco avoids any extraction, with limited pumping-over only to keep the cap from drying out. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the young wine is racked into stainless vats where malolactic fermentation begins; then racked again into 1-year old Bordeaux barrels to age, generally for 16-18 months. There is no fining and only a “nominal”, light filtration at 3 microns.

Notes on the Producer

Marco Pelletier, a native of Montreal, built a distinguished career as one of the most celebrated and respected sommeliers in France. His journey in the wine world began in 1999 at Michel Rostang, next, in 2003, selected as chef sommelier at the three-star Michelin restaurant Taillevent , and , subsequently in 2008, at another three-star Michelin restaurant, Epicure in the Hotel Bristol. More recently, Marco founded and continues to operate Vantre, a celebrated bistro in Paris. Vantre has been celebrated as the Best Bistro Wine List by La Revue du Vin de France and was recently named the Best Wine List in Paris by esteemed wine critics Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve. The wine list, which boasts thousands of reference, was given the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award in 2019.
In 2002, Marco began to develop his own vineyards and, succeeding to produce his first vintage in 2009. Christened “Le Galouchey”, the micro-estate is located in the Libournais region of Bordeaux. This unique vineyard spans less than one hectare and is distinctively labeled as “vin de jardin” (garden wine), a term that contrasts with “vins de garage” (garage wines). This emphasizes the vineyard’s natural and garden-like quality. The vines at Le Galouchey were planted on virgin land, which had never been cultivated or treated with chemicals.
Marco Pelletier practices organic viticulture, maintaining the vineyard without any fertilizers, pesticides, or chemical applications. The vineyard is meticulously hand-tended, with each grape variety harvested at optimal phenolic ripeness. This commitment to organic practices ensures that the wines produced are not only of high quality but also sustainable and reflective of their terroir.
All the permitted grape varieties of the region – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle – are planted in the vineyard and the wine is made as a blend of all of the grapes. Each of the nine grape varieties is hand-harvested at ideal phenolic ripeness. The grapes are manually de-stemmed, berry by berry. With no crushing (foulage), the must is predominantly free-run juice, complemented by pure juice from a gentle horizontal pressing of the marc. Each variety is separately fermented over indigenous yeasts in stainless steel to avoid the addition of sulfur. Marco avoids any extraction, with only limited pump-overs to keep the cap moist. After the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the young wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats and is then racked into one-year-old Bordeaux barrels to age, typically for 16-18 months. There is no fining, and only a nominal, light filtration at 3 microns is performed.