Domaine d'Aigues Belles
Domaine d'Aigues Belles
【Tradition and invention interwoven: the passion of the Languedoc, poured pure】
Founded in 1870, the domaine lies forty kilometres north of Montpellier in the Languedoc.
Its soils are dry and stony, limestone or clay-limestone, and the climate could hardly be better for wine: warm through the day, cool at night, exactly what fine grapes ask for.
Rather than go on selling fruit to the local cooperative as the family farm had done since the war, Gilles Palatan decided just before 2000 to make his own wine, calling on the help of his two nephews, Patrick and Thierry.
Year after year Gilles keeps refining the quality of his wines. Some of his vineyards qualify for AOP, but he deliberately chooses IGP for the freedom it gives him in the cellar.
His philosophy of winemaking rests on teamwork, and on never losing sight of the people who make up the team.
He also understands new oak, which other growers in the south of France leave well alone, and he knows how to build wines for the long haul.
His wines are all wonderfully aromatic and full of character, with a freshness that suits the table and remarkable balance.
The approach is deliberately minimal, and every wine is aged in oak.
A third of the barrels are usually new. The result is a range in which some cuvées are strikingly clear and pure and a delight to drink at once, while others will happily rest for several years.
