Domaine de Galouchey
Beychec-and-Caillau, Bordeaux, France
Domaine de Galouchey is in Beychac-and-Caillau, 7 km from Libourne, but...on the wrong side of the Dordogne.
On the other side of the Dordogne, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol look on, amused. Marco's foray into Bordeaux began around fifteen years ago, on a neighboring plot of land, with two friends and the shared ambition of creating a “Vin de Jardin" (aka "garden wine”) One of them had just bought a house there, they decided to cultivate vines there, despite the fact they did not have planting rights, hence the Vin de France designation. Marco's credo since the beginning has been to "redemocratize Bordeaux" and produce an expression of wine that is more about the fruit then the oak it's aged in.
“For me, the wine must be greedy, it must make you want to finish the bottle. To enjoy drinking it, I used to say that we must begin by listening to its story.”
— - MARCO PELLETIER
He parted ways with his two partners in 2018, but today continues his Bordeaux story in partnership with the Gonet family, who in addition to their Champagne Gonet estate in Avize, also own Château Lesparre in Beychac-and-Caillau. They have given him free reign over two plots - "La Chapelle" and "La Piscine." - thus begins the new chapter of Galouchey with the 2019 release.
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Domaine de Galouchey has the right to label their wines under the appellation "Bordeaux" but he choses to declassify it vintage after vintage to a "table wine" in order to invite curiosity. Going one step further on this rebellious streak, it is also labeled as a "Vin de Jardin" or "Wine from the Garden." This is in response to the "Vins de Garage" or "garage wines" trend, made popular in Saint-Emilion throughout the 1990s. For Marco, wine is a beverage that is produced outside, not in a garage.
Starting with the 2019 vintage, Marco has begun a partnership with the Gonet family, who in addition to their Champagne Gonet estate in Avize, also own Château Lesparre in Beychac-and-Caillau. They have given him free reign over two plots - "La Chapelle" and "La Piscine" - where he has reduced vine yields. Within the blend, you find the traditional Gironde grapes but also Petit Verdot, Carménère and even some white Bordeaux varietals including Sauvignon, Sémillon and a small bit of Muscadelle.
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Marco oversees two small parcels on the Gonet property, “La Chapelle,” half of which is old Merlot vines planted in 1986. The other half was replanted in 2002 with 9 varieties including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere planted on clay -silt over limestone bedrock. As well as the “La Piscine” plot of 1.80 ha on the plateau, which has a little more limestone which includes Merlot and some white varieties - Sauvignon, Sémillon and a small bit of Muscadelle which may find its way into the blend.
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The farming follows the same regiment as with the former parcel, worked without herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides. Harvest is manual and grapes are de-stemmed by hand and macerated in vats.
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After a meticulous sorting, the grapes undergo a gentle infusion in the winery. Afterwards spending 30 months aged in a combination of Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels. In fact, Marco has recovered the barrels from Domaine Regis Rossignol Changarnier in Volnay after their last vintage in 2018. their Volnay barrels so there are 50% used Burgundy barrels and 50% Bordelaise.
Wines
2019 Le Galouchey
Vin de France. Field blend of majority Merlot with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon, Malbec, Carménère and Petit Verdot. 2.5 hectares total from La Chapelle parcel. Vinification: Infusion rather than pumping over. Afterwards the wine spends 30 months aging in barrels – 50% Burgundy, 50% Bordeaux, followed by an additional year in bottle.