Legendary grape varieties

Each specific grape variety imparts its own qualities and contributes to the uniqueness of Vinovalie wines.
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Braucol or Fer Servadou

A typical South-West grape variety, it has been grown in Gaillac for several centuries.

Braucol

Loin de l’Oeil

This iconic Gaillac grape variety is said to originate from wild vines in the Forêt Domaniale de la Grésigne.

Loin de l'Oeil

Négrette

This iconic grape variety comes from Fronton in the Toulouse region and is known as “Folle Noire”. It is used to make the appellation's unique red and rosé wines.

Négrette

Malbec

A typical black grape variety from the South-West, it is used to make deep-coloured wines with a full-bodied flavour and intense aroma. Its history is closely linked to Cahors.

malbec

Our other grape varieties

Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Gamay, Merlot, Duras, Syrah, Sauvignon, Mauzac, Muscadelle…

Braucol or Fer Servadou

Its origin

According to Guy Lavignac, Fer belongs to the Carmenet ampelographic family. It was brought from Spanish Basque Country in the Middle Ages by pilgrims returning from Santiago de Compostela. It can be found all over the South-West wine-growing region, either as the exclusive grape variety used (Marcillac) or as the compulsory component in a Gaillac blend.

Alias…

Il porte le nom de fer à cause de son bois, très dur à tailler ou de la fermeté de ses baies. On lui a aussi attribué le nom de « servadou » qui signifie en occitan « qui se conserve bien » (servar, servadou = conserver en occitan)The name Fer (iron) comes either from its wood, which is very hard to prune, or the firmness of its fruit. It is also known as “Servadou” which means “keeps well” in the Occitan language.

Its preferred soil

This grape variety grows exclusively in the soils of Gaillac, preferring the left bank of the Tarn

Its aromas

Braucol produces lively, lightly-coloured, well-structured wines, rich in unctuous and fine tannins. Often blended with Merlot and Cabernet, it develops very typical fruity aromas (blackcurrant and red fruits).

Loin de l’œil

Its origin

Its origins are still a mystery today. Tallavignes said, “In 1533, when offering several casks of white wine to Francis I, the consuls of Gaillac would surely have included some Lenc-de-l’el”. At the beginning of the 20th century, Gaillac white wine was dominated by its big brother Mauzac. The emergence of sweet wines and its symbiotic affinity with the “left bank” soil helped it to make a distinctive impression on the finest Gaillacois palates. As a result, its hectarage increased from 112 ha in 1958 to 630 ha in 1994.

Alias…

It was previously known as the “cavalier”. In 1850, it became Lendelel from the Toulouse Occitan word for “loin de l’oeil” (far from the eye). The expression “lenc-de l’el” means that the grape, with its long stem, ends up some distance away from the bud it originates from.

Its preferred soil

This grape variety grows exclusively in the soils of Gaillac, preferring the left bank of the Tarn.

Its aromas

Loin de l’Oeil gives its wines a certain freshness and versatility, always with a touch of finesse, good balance and low acidity. The wines are reputed for their pleasing array of aromas and scents such as apple, pear and exotic fruit.

Négrette

Its origin

There are writings from the 6th century that mention the provenance of a Cypriot black grape variety called “Mavro”, which means black in Greek, so it must have been grown in that part of the Mediterranean region. In the 12th century, it reappeared under the name of “Négrette”. It gradually established itself in Haute-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne. It then acclimatised to Fronton soil, where it now represents half of the grapes grown in the region.

Alias...

The various names it is known by all refer to its deep black colour: Morillon, Mourelet, Chalosse Noire... In California, some wineries grow Négrette under the name of Pinot Saint Georges or Californian Pinot Noir.

Its preferred soils

The terraces of Tarn and Garonne, which benefit from siliceous-clay soil with varying degrees of gravel content known as “boulbenes”.

Its aromas

Négrette develops an amazing aromatic intensity with notes of violet, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, liquorice and pepper. This grape variety produces colourful, fruity and elegant wines. It is often blended with Syrah and Cabernet. Over the centuries, the aptly named “Négrette” black grape has become globally exclusive to the Fronton appellation.

Malbec

Its origin

A descendant of Prunelard and Magdeleine Noire des Charantes, it was adopted by the “town of the Cadurques” two thousand years ago, during the Roman conquests. Rechristened “The Black Wine of Cahors” by the English, it almost disappeared after the phylloxera disaster in 1876. It was reborn and its quality improved thanks to the dedication of devoted producers. The wine-growers who decided to bring it back to life were the founders of the Parnac cooperative cellar (1947).

Alias...

It has more than a hundred different names characteristic of the land and people who looked after it: Côt (Loire), Auxerrois (a distortion of Haute-Serre near Cahors), Malbec in Cahors (the alternative Malbeck was introduced in Gironde), (noir de) Pressac in the Libourne region, Vesparo, Plant du Lot in Dordogne, and Plant de Cahors or Plant du Roy.

Its preferred soil

This grape variety is the main one in the Cahors wine-growing region spread over 9 terroirs, consisting of terraces along the Lot, limestone slopes and limestone plateaux.

Its aromas

Malbec infuses highly aromatic wines able to express their black fruits with notes of plum, candied fruit, liquorice, vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, truffle and a certain freshness. Its high concentration of anthocyanins and tannins gives it an elegant inky black colour and a rich, intense mouthfeel. Its enthralling history is testament to people's determination to carry on tradition.

Legendary grape varieties

Braucol or Fer Servadou

Loin de l’Oeil

Négrette

Malbec

Our other grape varieties

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