Domaine Horgelus: What's The Story?
04 Dec 2018
Situated on the sunny hillsides of Gascony, in the Sud Ouest wine region, renowned for centuries thanks to its Armagnac, now reveals itself as a promising French Appellation due to the increasing quality of its local wines.
The Cotes De Gascogne appellation is located in the department of Gers. Made up of over 15,000 hectares, this AOC was officially recognised in 1982. The climate often includes stormy summers and mild winters. The main grapes used in this appellation include Courbu, Gros Manseng, Colombard, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Domaine Horgelus was created in 1978 by Joseph Le Menn. Breton by origin, he was attracted by the charm of the South West, its gastronomy and its art of living. The Domaine is run now by Yoan Le Menn, his son. Yoan is from the young generation of oenologues who knows perfectly how to combine modernity and experience.
'The biggest task is concerned with the preservation of the aroma by limiting, to the maximum, all forms of oxidation of the 'must' and the wines. For this reason the grapes are harvested early in the morning – from 3am to 11 am – in order to take advantage of the coolness. On the other hand the carbon dioxide from the alcoholic fermentation is recuperated to protect the newly pressed juice.'
