In November we tasted new wines from Domaine du Moulin in Gaillac. It was a barrel sample taken before the malolactic fermentation (read our comments here). We have now tasted the same wine, still a barrel sample, but with the malolactic fermentation in barrel completed.
Was there a difference? Absolutely. The acidity was still quite high but now much more balanced. The wine was powerful and rich and harmonious.
The winemaker Nicolas Hirissou in Gaillac says that the power comes from the long extraction. During fermentation, he did pigeage regularly and he had very long skin contact, about two months, which is unusually long. But, he says, the concentration also comes from the low yields, 25 hectolitres per hectare, and the high planting density, 7,500 vines per hectare. Such a high density is unique in Gaillac, he says.
The oak is quite prominent for the moment in the wine and Nicolas knows that he must be careful so that the final wine does not become too oaky. “I always keep the same wine without wood so at the end I can mix a little if there is too much wood”, he says.
He will probably bottle the wine in March. Now he is busy trying to find a suitable name for this new wine!
Any suggestions?
