Domaine de Pajot Noisette

Cheerful, smiley Damien Barreau is the owner / winemaker at Domaine Pajot and he loves to talk about the ‘l’été de la Saint-Martin’ which is the name of the mild, warm Autumns that they often enjoy in his neck of the woods. It’s the prefect weather for the Gros-Manseng grapes to sit on the vines that bit longer and to increase their sugar levels to help make this medium sweet white wine. He tells us that it’s a great wine to drink with a perfumed cheese such as Comté. Either that or as a moreish apéritif.

87 Points – Tom Cannavan, ‘An unusual ‘moelleux’, literally meaning ‘mellow’, off-dry white made from late-harvested Gros Manseng grapes in the southwest of France. With only 11.5% alcohol this is such a charming little wine, succulent with honey, nectarine and herb aromas, before the palate that is limpid and rich, but with a streaking apple acidity to balance. The winemaker suggests drinking with Comte cheese, and I’d throw Mimolet or even Parmesan into the mix too, but a delicious wine.‘ Wine-Pages.com, November 2015 (2014 vintage)

Owned and run by the Barreau family for three generations, Domaine de Pajot is located in the Gascogne region in the south west of France, situated on hills overlooking Eauze, the small town that is known as the capital of Armagnac, famous for its eaux-de vie. The domaine has been certified organic since 2001, and their vines benefit from excellent soil, sun exposure and altitude. In all there are some 60 hectares of vineyards planted on gently rolling hillsides composed of sand and fine silt soils. Included in the mix of vine varieties are the locally respected white grapes - Colombard, Ugni-Blanc, Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the red varieties of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All harvests are done by hand and there is no application of chemical fertilisers or pesticides - with the team preferring to use a combination of organic or mineral products, or algae. With Damien and increasingly his son Clément running the estate, the focus on quality organic production remains key, be it for their great value, characterful, cheery Gascogne wines, their fine Armagnac or indeed their apéritif style drink Floc de Gascogne. The family also own a coppice of hazel trees in order to harvest/sell their hazelnuts. Damien explains that "when he started out my grandfather worked the vineyards with a horse, when my father started he worked with a tractor - and a lot less trouble! Thanks to their efforts, I am able to remain here in order to prolong their passion and ensure that you too can share in it through our wines and our Armagnac. Their inspiration led me to choose to work organically. It is a choice that allows me to follow sustainable agriculture and, in turn, a clean, healthy environment for the health of my family and our customers." 

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