Alongside Duras, three other grape varieties make up our reds: Braucol, Prunelart and Syrah. The first two are native, almost exclusive to the Gaillac area. Syrah is a more recent arrival, but it has found a terroir here that suits it well. Together, they form the blends that give their character to the Les Gravels, Renaissance and l’Âme wines.
In Gaillac, red wines are never made from a single grape variety. This is a blending appellation, and it’s precisely this multiplicity of varieties that gives it its complexity. Duras is our common thread, our signature variety. But without Braucol for structure, without Prunelart for depth, and without Syrah to bind it all together, our reds wouldn’t quite be what they are.
Braucol (or Fer Servadou)
Braucol is a South-West French variety believed to have travelled from the Pyrenees. Its journey roughly followed the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela, from the Gironde to Gaillac, passing through Marcillac in the Aveyron. It belongs to the large Carmenet family, which also includes the Cabernets.
Its name tells you a lot about it: Fer comes from the Latin “ferus” (wild) and Servadou means “that keeps well”. Both descriptions ring true. It’s a late-ripening, tannic variety, resistant to rot, with a genuine capacity for ageing. It needs to be left to fully ripen to avoid vegetal notes. Moderate yields are essential to ensure, whatever the weather at the end of harvest, that the grapes reach sufficient ripeness.
In the glass, it brings colour, structure, and aromas ranging from bell pepper to blackcurrant depending on its ripeness. It’s the variety that gives backbone to blends where Duras alone would be too soft. The name “Braucol”, used specifically in the Gaillac area, remains an unresolved etymological mystery in its own right.
Prunelart: the father of Malbec
Prunelart is a survivor against the odds. Having formed the backbone of Gaillac’s red wines from the Middle Ages until the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th century, its planted area had dwindled to under 10 hectares by the late 1980s. The tenacity of a handful of growers saved it from disappearing and allowed it to be replanted.
It belongs to the large Cot family. And here’s what makes its story particularly remarkable: genetic research has shown it to be the parent of Côt (or Malbec), a variety now famous worldwide thanks to Argentina. Malbec, which has won over tables across the globe, is the offspring of a near-confidential grape variety from the Tarn. A surprising kinship, which says something about the genetic richness of the Gaillac vineyard.
At Domaine Rotier, we planted one hectare of it in 2009, when it was officially authorised within the Gaillac AOC. It brings a note of dark fruit and subtle spice to our blends, a quiet depth that complements Duras and Braucol without overpowering them.
Syrah: a successful adoption
Syrah is not native to Gaillac. It was planted in the area from the late 1950s onwards, making it a recent arrival on a winegrowing timescale. But it found conditions here close to its region of origin: the northern Rhône Valley. Moderate altitude, well-drained soils, and the Atlantic influence that tempers Mediterranean extremes — all factors reminiscent of Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph.
It thrives on our gravel soils, where it blends harmoniously with our local varieties. In blends, it brings richness and colour, aromas of black fruit (blackberry, blueberry) and spice, along with a floral touch (violet) when fully ripe and grown at low yields. It plays the role of binder, of roundness, of that immediate velvety texture sought in approachable wines like Esquisse or Les Gravels.
These varieties in our wines
Braucol, Prunelart and Syrah never appear alone in our wines. They are blended with Duras in proportions that vary by wine and vintage. It’s this alchemy between varieties that produces the signature of each wine.
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