Domaine Gauby

Gérard Gauby, along with his wife Ghislaine and their son Lionel, run the estate and has built a strong reputation for exemplary Roussillon wines. Having taken over the small family domaine of 5 hectares in 1985, Gérard has grown it to its present size through careful purchases and meticulous replanting. A section not replanted of course is the prized plot of vines which are over 100-year-old, planted by his great-grandfather.

Sitting among rolling hills, with a sweeping view of the Mediterranean on one side and a dramatic backdrop of the Pyrenees on the other, Domaine Gauby hosts a unique climate and location on which they have perfected their craft.

Historically, this domaine has been a small local family just growing and selling their grapes off to the local cooperative each year. Not on the radar, just silently tending to their vines. This was until Gérard Gauby took over in 1985 and began bottling his own wines. His determination has been often credited with singlehandedly putting the Roussillon region on the radar of wine enthusiasts around the world.

Sitting in a truly unique climate and location, the domaine is exposed to strong coastal and mountain breezes as well as a high level of sunshine. With such a vast domaine, the soils are unique to each plot of vines and hard to summarise in a few words. Overall the terroirs of the estate sit between 150 and 200 meters above sea level and overlook the sea to the east, about 20km away and thus benefit from a significant marine influence. The sedimentary limestones to the north and the primary schists further south are sometimes found intimately mixed, arranged in vertical strata, allowing deep rooting of the vine.

Being within an environment where the roots can plunge deep into the earth is perfect for the character and complexities to blossom within the fruits. In the vineyards, their work is all about respecting the environment, keeping nature as an ally and source of inspiration through utilising several cultures and homemade remedies to replace the chemicals.

With the estate extending to a massive 85 hectares, many of the vines are exceptionally old (up to 120 years) and need to be tended to with care. Biodynamics are at the core of their meticulous work and Gérard noted their regular use of chalk and active limestone as soil cover. Certified organic since 1996, they follow the principles of agroforestry with rows of almond and olive trees now planted between the vines to protect them from the wind and to attract wildlife. The Roussillon has incredibly diverse soils of limestone, marl and schist which, combined with the multiple aspects within the rolling hills, have given Gérard the freedom to experiment and maximise the potential of each grape variety.

The estate grows Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre for red wines made under the Côtes du Roussillon Villages AOC/AOP. Muntada, the flagship cuvée, is made from the best plots on the estate. Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Macabeu and others are cultivated for the white wines, which are classified as IGP Côtes Catalanes.

Lionel, son of Gérard, is in charge of the winemaking at Domaine Gauby. His goal is to preserve the natural balance and to remain free in their choices. “We are and will remain farmers.” This is a job that allows the family to extract the quintessence of the terroirs and to seek elegance and freshness in our wines.

Striving to produce pure, airy wines, with fine tannins, the use of sulphur is kept to a minimum and the ageing process is minimally influenced by wood. Domaine Gauby uses natural yeasts and there is no chaptalization, acidification, fining or filtration. Cement and wooden vats are used for fermentations and red wines age in old wooden casks. The wines are elegant and modern with great balance and concentration.

The wines are elegant and modern with great balance and concentration.

Clos Cachet is honoured to exclusively import Domaine Gauby’s wines into Australia.